Boy Scout Parents: Pinewood Derby tips?

[Ms B]

Many thanks to the Scout parents here for the excellent advice on packing for the first campout. The lists you provided were much better than what the pack gave us!! In particular, the interlocking foam pieces made an excellent floor inside the tent and kept the boys much warmer than they would have been, the hats got worn to bed every night, and the extending hot dog/marshmellow sticks were a big hit!

Next Scout task: Pinewood Derby!

Any tips? My FIL will help The Biscuit over T-Day (I think seven is too young to sauter alone), but I want to have supplies on hand so that they can stay out of the stores over the holiday weekend.

TIA!

[Dayzy]

So that DS can do the majority of work himself we use a dremel tool. You'll also need sandpaper, paint, decals, safety goggles. And weights. They sell the weights at Michael's and AC Moore, but they might not be out yet. I usually see the PWD displays after the holidays. If you live close to a Scout Shop they will have some supplies there, not tools though.

[Reyadawnbringer]

So that DS can do the majority of work himself we use a dremel tool. You'll also need sandpaper, paint, decals, safety goggles. And weights. They sell the weights at Michael's and AC Moore, but they might not be out yet. I usually see the PWD displays after the holidays. If you live close to a Scout Shop they will have some supplies there, not tools though.

Our scout shop has a tool kit for the pinewood derby cars. They are a set of hand tools meant for the scouts to use on the car with minimal help. We did a pinewood derby car workshop for our pack one year and even though we had some pretty nifty tools like table saws and such, it was the small hand tool kit bought at the scout shop that got used the most!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dayzy]

Our scout shop has a tool kit for the pinewood derby cars. They are a set of hand tools meant for the scouts to use on the car with minimal help. We did a pinewood derby car workshop for our pack one year and even though we had some pretty nifty tools like table saws and such, it was the small hand tool kit bought at the scout shop that got used the most!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bought that kit the year my DS was a Tiger and the handsaw broke as soon as we started cutting so we never tried using it again. I guess I got a bad kit.

[o_mom]

Have your DS look at some designs online and discuss what makes a car fast/slow.

Don't go for super fancy (three wheels, etc.), but just weight, drag, friction, alignment. A basic wedge is a great first car.

Talk through each of those (more weight, less drag, less friction, straight alignment).

We have them draw the design on a template, then DH would cut the body from their design with a jigsaw, or we put it in a vice and let them cut with a coping saw as they got older. The boys would then sand them, polish the axles, paint. DH would take them to work and use the drill press to make weight holes.

Things to have for the first weekend:

1) a way to cut the body - jigsaw, band saw, or coping saw w/vice
2) a way to polish the axles - file to remove the burr, then we put them in a Dremel which was clamped in a vice. Give them 4-5 grades of sandpaper up to 1000+ grit and have them polish.
3) jig for setting the axles - very nice to have to set the axles straight and prevent them from splitting the wood when they are inserted https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Hobbies-Collecting/Pine-Cars/Straight-Tracker-Axle-Tuning/p/80853687
4) sandpaper for sanding the body
5) Spray paint for the initial coat

Make sure to read your pack/district/council rules - many prohibit some of the more extreme modifications (wheel shaving, 3rd party kits, non-BSA axles, etc.).

For later:

- Weights and a way to set them - drill press for tungsten weights and fill with Bondo is the best. Stick on weights work, but they don't look as nice (usually have to be on top of the car and need more of them)
- Graphite lube for the wheels
- Decals
- Super glue - a tiny bit on the bottom over each axle can prevent a race-night tragedy

[magnoliaparadise]

I googled this when my daughter, a girl scout, was doing it in her troop last year.

There are a TON of great Youtube on this topic.

Get an extra car (or extra car made by your son) just in case the axel breaks like mine did.

Even if everything goes south, just know that sometimes certain cars just work well. My daughter's car's axel was completely unhinged and she still won 2nd overall in a category that was very full!! We were all surprised.