Packs around the country are preparing to hold their annual pinewood derby. There are many ways to make your pinewood derby car go faster. Here are some of them.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR PINEWOOD DERBY CAR DESIGN
The possibilities are endless when it comes to picking a shape for your pinewood derby car. Before you begin, consider the following guidelines:
NEED IDEAS? See a slideshow of more than 100 cool pinewood derby designs created by Boys’ Life readers |
Avoid designs with a pointed nose. A pointed nose will make it difficult for your pinewood derby car to rest on the pin at the starting gate. It may also cause your pinewood derby car to get bumped around when the pin drops, and it can create problems for electronic timing systems.
Leave enough wood in the rear of the pinewood derby car so you can place additional weight there. You will end up putting most of the weight in the rear of the pinewood derby car.
Be sure that it is very clear which end of your pinewood derby car is the front and which end is the back. In many races, the race officials—not you—will actually place each pinewood derby car on the track. Sometimes the officials put the pinewood derby car on the track backward because they can’t tell which end is which.
Choose a design that allows the air to move over and around the pinewood derby car body in a smooth manner. Pinewood derby cars with aerodynamic profiles go faster.
DESIGNING THE ULTIMATE PINEWOOD DERBY CAR
You don’t have to strive for the “ultimate pinewood derby car” to build a fast car and have fun competing in your pinewood derby. But if you and a helpful adult are willing to put in the extra time and effort, these tips are for you.
LOOKING GOOD How to give your pinewood derby car that glossy finish |
Bake the Block: Start with your block of wood, and before you do anything else, bake it in the oven at 250 degrees for around two hours to remove moisture and make it lighter.
Create the Design: Select a fast design.
Cut the Design: Draw the outline of your pinewood derby car on a sheet of paper, cut it out and attach it to your block of wood.
Make a Three-Wheeler: Raise one wheel about 1/16 inch higher so it never actually touches the track. Less friction = more speed.
Extend the Wheelbase: The front and rear wheels should be as far apart as possible.
Determine Weight Placement: A heavier rear increases speed. Add weight to the rear of your pinewood derby car.
Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed.
Sand the Pinewood Derby Car: Make it smooth to reduce friction.
Lubricate the Wheel Well: The less friction between the body and wheel, the better.
CHOOSING YOUR AXLES
Not all axles are created equal. Here’s a tip on choosing the straightest out of your bunch.
1. Start with a set of about 20 raw axles.
2. Can you tell the difference between the axles in the top row and the ones on the bottom? The ones on the bottom aren’t straight and will slow your car.
3. To tell which are straight and which aren’t, mark each axle with a marker about 1/2 inch from the pointed end.
4. Have an adult clamp a power drill into a vise, a device that will hold it perfectly still.
5. Have an adult help you clamp each axle into the drill at the location you marked in Step 3. Have the adult turn on the drill.
6. Bent axles will wobble as they turn in the drill. Straight axles will hardly wobble at all. Pick the ones that wobble least.
WANT MORE SECRETS?
Pick up a copy of “Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets” (BSA Supply No. 30538, 1-800-323-0736, www.scoutstuff.org) for lots more info on building the pinewood derby car body, preparing the axles and wheels, alternatives to the “ultimate pinewood derby car” and putting it all together.
And once you’ve built your pinewood derby car, get ideas on making it look great from “Pinewood Derby Designs & Patterns” (DK Publishing, $12.95 softcover), also available from a BSA retail store.
Remember: The No. 1 rule of a pinewood derby is that it’s supposed to be fun. While you should always strive to do your best, don’t get caught up in winning. Just enjoy the ride.
Tags: Pinewood derby
these tips are the best my son one first place when he raced his first year
We came in first the very first year we entered the race. Every year after that we were dead last. I’m going to try the tips.
i am excited to race in my first race this saturday, my car is black and sleek, I hope i do well
These tips are really helpful! But i thought it would be much better instead if putting more weight in the front than the back.
The longer gravity can push your car, the greater the final speed when your car exits into the flat portion of the track. Gravity; placing the weight near the rear of the car will place it high on the track, providing a longer drive or push into the bottom. Simply stated, having the weight at the rear means it has further to drop. Allowing gravity to push your car a little longer than if the weight where at the front.
Very interesting
sure is
last year, I did a banana car and got 1st placee!
anyone ever seen a leggo-themed car?
Re: Legos-themed car: Two years ago my son covered his car in Legos. We cut the car wood block in half, and then covered the car with the thinnest-style Legos. We thought it looked ptryy cool, but it didn’t win any “original design” awards…
No, we did a Wii remote last year. This year we are doing a solar system with planets and a sun
Lego themed cars never win. Make your wheels parallel to each other and make your car aerodynamic; I used those tips and I was in a three way tie for first. p.s. now I’m a boy scout and help out at the races.
by the way use the spell checker by right clicking on the red underlined word. this will make it better for everybody.
We had two Lego cars this year. One looked like a long flat 8×2 board piece with a starwars character driving, the other was a half-pipe with Lego characters skate boarding in it.
thanks alot! I really needed these tips!
I don’t care about winning. I just like cool cars.
why is it called “boy’s life” …im a girl..and i can assure u that im no boy!!!
Why does baking it to make it lighter help you will add weight later anyway.Also it is called “Boy’s Life” because it is for boy scouts.
Baking to make it lighter helps because then you can control where to place the weight you add.
“Baking” it makes it so all of the mosture is completly out of the car.
what is that sopose to mean
nothin
put it in the oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours
it isnt just for boy scouts i’m not one
I find this very helpfull. My son won 1st place in den race YEA!
less friction = more speed. i got 1st because one wheel never touched the track i won every race i beat the best people.
3 wheelers (one wheel raised) are faster, but banned in many districts. Check your district rules first.
also some districts don’t allow baking or lubricating the axels so please check Your district rules before you begin making your car.
TY a lot.
These tips are very useful
some of these rules do not meet the standard rule requirments.
hay i mite trie to go
my sons car won first in pack first in district and first in council finals. his car was undefeated in 2009,after we used secrets or pinewood derby cars..
what are your secrets? Please tell me. I NEED THEM.
Please turkey boy and everyone who reads this
go with a wedge design
my car was a bannana and i got 1st place! (same trophy as the one in the video…)
I really like this idea.;)
This is the best idea ever.I got 2 place in the pinewood derby.
i like this.! ; )
I would go with a more simple design.
Heres a tip to win best sportsmanship trophy;shake everybodys hand that you race against thats how i won best sportsmanship
Great idea, Little Will!
You know, you can’t make believe about good sportsmanship, so I think you must have been smiling and had a twinkle in your eye when you were shaking hands.
Good for you!
I beat my whole pack in 2008. Beat about half of District. But didn’t get any rewards.
I will make mine look like a wing of an airplane
Speed secrets book, Is a good book! Just keep in mind the rules for your pack’s race! (IT’S NO FUN IF YOU CANT RACE!) As some pack’s have strict rules! When it comes to the mod’s you can and cannot do to the wheels and axels and the car body! Desings and patterns book, Has a great way to walk you threw step by step, If your looking to build a cool car! The different car patterns in this book! Will have first time builders say wow!
i like the tank
on my car i extended the weal base and put the weights on the back and i also put grafite on the wheels (THAT MADE THE MOST DIFRENCE)
those are my tips
i just build a awsome award-winner. or i used to. im aboy scout now.=(
I prefer to try to make my cars look cool not just go fast
in my first year in scouts (weblos1), i used similer tips and won against my whole pack!
my son has won 7 races and used these tips
we have been doing these races for two years and these tips have really helped also I love your magazines