[jaye944]

So I've nearly finished building a race car.

I've also built a trailer to pull it in, it's in fluoro pink,
with rear engine.

Started it about 2 weeks ago .......................

ITS A TOY !!! hahaha,

My daughter's church has a race tournament every year, they provide a wood template and you whittle, spray etc. Then they put it on a track, and you race against other kids


So this year I took charge.. my daughter is like, "when can I do something Dad" !!!! hahaha

So I have a question , regarding the wheels.

So the body is wood, the wheels are a crappy hard molded plastic, no rubber tires as such, secured by pins to a cut out in the wood.

I CAN'T modify the wheels, can't add bearings, springs etc.
Also I'm limited to a weight,

Now, I am allowed to "lubricate" the wheels and wondering what best to use.

Any thoughts, some silicon spray on the pins , a small drop of engine oil
Would scratching/roughing up the wheels give better speed.

Basically it's a downhill slope, both cars are against a gate, lift gate and the cars roll

I'll get some pics when I get home

[Rob340i]

Search pine wood derby tips and tricks. This is a popular boy scouts activity and they have it down to a science! Good luck!

[jaye944]

oh checked this out....... nice

gonna try and get the weights on, and some graphite greese

WE GONNA CRUSH THEM

LOL "but daddy it's only a car race"

Originally Posted by Rob340i

Search pine wood derby tips and tricks. This is a popular boy scouts activity and they have it down to a science! Good luck!

[Ric in RVA]

Tripod it....one axle a little high.

Leaves 3 wheels on the ground and less rolling resistance.

Chuck the axles in a drill and polish the crap out of them

Lots of weight as far back as you can get it. Higher up = more potential energy.

Have fun...that is the most important part.

[upstatedoc]

I won the pine wood derby when i was a cub scout, my dad put weights on it. I don't *think* it was illegal.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

I won the pine wood derby when i was a cub scout, my dad put weights on it. I don't *think* it was illegal.

"It's only illegal if you're caught." -A. Newey. Redbull Racing











J/K, I don't know if he actually said it but I'm sure some F1 engineer has said that or similar.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Tripod it....one axle a little high.

Leaves 3 wheels on the ground and less rolling resistance.

Chuck the axles in a drill and polish the crap out of them

Lots of weight as far back as you can get it. Higher up = more potential energy.

Have fun...that is the most important part.

Graphite lubricant on the axles.

[kprocivic]

magnets in wheels was pretty slick back in the day.

[MKSixer]

http://www.pinewoodpro.com/pinewood-...ng-secrets.php

Do it. $5.95.

[Maestro]

I have built more Derby cars than you can imagine, built them as kid, and then again for my son while he was scouts.

The big issue is the axle and keeping the nail in the slots, so I usually make my own axles and drill a hole to put the nail into. I also sand the nails using drill to remove the burrs and make them smooth. I would press in the nails into the holes and make sure to put lots of graphite lube, there is also white lithium lube which is powder, since you're not usually allowed to use oil based lubes. Before putting the nail into the axle I usually lube the nail and put the nail in drill and put the wheel on and work the lube into the plastic of the wheel, be careful not to over heat the wheel plastic.

Besides making sure the wheels are all on straight, make sure you have lube between the wheel and wood axle since this is other area o frictions.

Last you need to make sure the car weighs 5 oz. I use to go to the post office and get them to weigh it for me. I also set up the car so I can add or remove weigh at race day since their scales could weight more or less.

Here is where I bought all my derby car supplies

http://www.maximum-velocity.com/

We won most of our races.

[jaye944]

Hey Guy's

so gonna post a few pics, as today is weighing day and I left it late so here's the scoop

1> put weights on the back near the axel
2> graphite spray lube on the axles and wheels

Thats' all I really had time to do

[amgraham]

My kid's not in scouts so I don't do this now, but as a kid, I did. Got best of show a couple of times and won a couple of times as well, with dad's help, of course.

I guess one of the coolest "tricks" my dad engineered was... hollowing out part of the block, melting lead and filling the hollowed out section with it. We then went to the meet "overweight". We took a drill with us. He would get it weighed, drill a little out, repeat until we *just* met the minimum weight.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by amgraham

My kid's not in scouts so I don't do this now, but as a kid, I did. Got best of show a couple of times and won a couple of times as well, with dad's help, of course.

I guess one of the coolest "tricks" my dad engineered was... hollowing out part of the block, melting lead and filling the hollowed out section with it. We then went to the meet "overweight". We took a drill with us. He would get it weighed, drill a little out, repeat until we *just* met the minimum weight.

That was the method my dad used as well, today can not use lead for obvious reason so Tungsten the weight of choice and it heaver then lead.

[jaye944]

Good idea...

This place (not sure if I mentioned) is a Sunday school club.

There procedure, is the completed cars are brought in and weighed, if there's
a problem you get the car back, if not, they keep the car till the race. (a month or so now)

THAT I don't like. Not sure WHY they do that.. After reading all the comments, sucks balls.

Also on race day, the cars are taken out by the guy's doing the race, load them up and run them, parents and kids I guess are there but don't get a hand in... ALL very weird.

There is a "mechanic" or looks/ tweeks/fixes the cars, but from my research, I would rather do it my self.

When we do the race I'll video it and show you.

Originally Posted by amgraham

My kid's not in scouts so I don't do this now, but as a kid, I did. Got best of show a couple of times and won a couple of times as well, with dad's help, of course.

I guess one of the coolest "tricks" my dad engineered was... hollowing out part of the block, melting lead and filling the hollowed out section with it. We then went to the meet "overweight". We took a drill with us. He would get it weighed, drill a little out, repeat until we *just* met the minimum weight.

[jaye944]

Real Girls Go Racing ...........

The rear spoiler was from a Porsche Model,
the wheels where blank's I put in the silver mags on

[3GFX]

Originally Posted by jaye944

Now, I am allowed to "lubricate" the wheels and wondering what best to use.

Graphite coating/lubricant just read about how Dan Binks would use these even over ceramic bearings. Slick!

Book for reference:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/099...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I believe this was used in the Corvette GT1 car application.


So yea, that was a good choice!

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by jaye944

Good idea...

This place (not sure if I mentioned) is a Sunday school club.

There procedure, is the completed cars are brought in and weighed, if there's
a problem you get the car back, if not, they keep the car till the race. (a month or so now)

THAT I don't like. Not sure WHY they do that.. After reading all the comments, sucks balls.

Also on race day, the cars are taken out by the guy's doing the race, load them up and run them, parents and kids I guess are there but don't get a hand in... ALL very weird.

There is a "mechanic" or looks/ tweeks/fixes the cars, but from my research, I would rather do it my self.

When we do the race I'll video it and show you.

I have never heard of keeping the cars for month, that would not fly with the crazy parents in scouting.

We have the same inspection and weigh in procedure and once the car is checked in, no one but the race official can touch the cars. Cars are always in plain site of everyone at all time, reason being no hanky panky business going on with any car. If this guy took the cars who is to say he did not drop one or knock a wheel out of whack. I personally would not be happy.

I use to run the races for my sons scout pack, and it can get pretty crazy when something does no go right. You never want to be the person handling a car and drop it. We even tried to have the scout be the one who retrieve the car from the staging area and put them on the track that way if the kid drop it or did not put them on the track correctly the parents had no one but their kids to blame. Even that did not make people happy.

Nice video you did for your daughter.

[nyalpine90]

cool video until i saw........................ //M on rear

[jaye944]

Originally Posted by nyalpine90

cool video until i saw........................ //M on rear

M = Mary-Lou

[jaye944]

Yeah I agree with everything you just said

That's the word I was looking for Race Official's.
Only handle the car and place on the track

But yes this was all new to me and didn't make sense.

When the race is on I'll go and check it out. As now I know what to look
for. previously it was just a painted hunk of wood. now
well now........ it's something different

And If anyone;s messed with my car then there will be hell to pay.

Originally Posted by Maestro

I have never heard of keeping the cars for month, that would not fly with the crazy parents in scouting.

We have the same inspection and weigh in procedure and once the car is checked in, no one but the race official can touch the cars. Cars are always in plain site of everyone at all time, reason being no hanky panky business going on with any car. If this guy took the cars who is to say he did not drop one or knock a wheel out of whack. I personally would not be happy.

I use to run the races for my sons scout pack, and it can get pretty crazy when something does no go right. You never want to be the person handling a car and drop it. We even tried to have the scout be the one who retrieve the car from the staging area and put them on the track that way if the kid drop it or did not put them on the track correctly the parents had no one but their kids to blame. Even that did not make people happy.

Nice video you did for your daughter.

[Fabspeed Motorsport]

Hope this helps: