any hints for a C-3 pinewood derby car?

[M&W's72vette]

Hey everybody I get to build yet another pinewood derby car and I am looking for any suggestions to give it the edge so we can actually win for once. (this is car # 5 for us.) The others did ok but its time for a first place for us this year!

Thanks,
Mike

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

dry graphite for wheel lube and set it up so only threee wheels are on the ground. i have two nephews, and never lost a race!!! flexing the rules is fun.

 

[Rain]

oh man - wish I knew what box mine was in.
I had one, dark blue metallic, c3 styled pine wood derby car.
had routed out underneath and placed washers to add some front end weight.
won a few trophies with it as I recall.

will post pics if i come across it soon
Rain

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Ran a blue C3 last year. We placed 2nd at the Pack level and 4th or 5th at the District level.

Was fairly easy to do using a scroll saw, Dremel, sand paper and lots of wood putty. Get your self a small hobby file and work those axles until they are smooth. The winning is in the axles and wheels. Any drag or friction there and the car won't roll as fast as you would like it.

 

[worldsoldestcorvette]

Pinewood Derby tips

The best axle is some rod machined in a metal lathe.

Cut the head off of a long smooth box nail if no other stock is around.

We cut a box in the bottom and filled it with lead, then sealed it up...no drag that way...

I'm 45 now, and I can still remember how much my Dad made me sand the many many coats of primer we put on that car.

It's still looks like metal...candy apple blue, #0...I keep it here on my shelf...a some chrome missing, but it still looks good.

good luck,

woc

 

[Red73BB]

Tricks

When my son was in the cub scouts, he won the pack all 3 years and in the district came in 10th the first year, then 4th and then 2nd against about 300 cars.
As AKRAY4PLAY indicated have onlt 3 wheels touching. Don't use graphite, after about 4-5 heats it will start slowing down. I sprayed "pledge" on the axles and baked them at 350 for one hour. I bought axles form some outfit in California that had grooves cut in them so less wheel on the axle is less friction. If rules allows, shape the wheel to create a "point" in the center so only this touches the track. Cut out from underneath the body all excees wood. Then put the exact weigh in the very end of your car, this will give it a extra push when the car is coming down the ramp. Weigh the car many time to get as close to the limit. There is probaby 3-4 oher tricks that I have forgot.
If this seem to much work, remember all the top cars have their tricks otherwise they wouldn't be there.

Gary

 

[vette-dude]

Put metal washers in the noseof the car and stand at the end of the ramp with a really strong magnet in your pocket. ( Just kidding of course!) Good luck with this project. My son and I use to have a ball building these things and pushing the envelope in the "design by the rules" area. Never cheated and usually got eliminated by the third heat. Didn't really care cause it was the doing with the son that is important.

Randy

 

[Brack]

another tip

another tip is to try to find a scale that will go beyond tenths .....most cars ( say for the scouts ) have to be 5 ounces or less......I used the scale in our lab @ work and it measured out to thousandths......my sons car was 5.125 on the scale but only 5.0 on the cheaper scale that the judges used.....every little bit helps..Also like someone else said , put the the extra weight at the back end of the car......on a side note...one year I cut a groove almost half way up the car , down the middle...since they started with a nail to hold them up , my sons car was already 4 inches ahead of the other cars......

Have fun

 

[Chas]

we won districts with this one...

we put the weight in the front end to pull it down the track...biggest thing is to be sure it runs straight...or it will drag the wall down the track and go slow...graphite on the axels...and smooth out the axels also....

 

[74bigblock]

OHH man I miss building these. The only thing I did not see in the other posts that my Dad and I used to do... we would make a wind shield out of plastic, and leave an opening in the top. This would allow for better aerofynamics, and a place to insert pennies/dimes etc for minor weight corrections. I came in 1st place in the district all 3 years.

 

[vette-dude]

we would make a wind shield out of plastic,

74Bigblock,

Ref: previous posts.

Uh, you didn't stand behind the car and break wind to give it a boost did you??:eek

Randy

 

[74bigblock]

DOhh... you smelled that? Crap!

 

[M&W's72vette]

Thanks to everybody that replied to this thread, sounds like I brought back alot of memories! I appreciate all the ideas for building a winning car. We are doing this about the second week of janurary and when its over I will let you know the results.

Thanks again,
MIke

 

[worldsoldestcorvette]

pinewood derby pic

The best axle is some rod machined in a metal lathe.

Cut the head off of a long smooth box nail if no other stock is around.

We cut a box in the bottom and filled it with lead, then sealed it up...no drag that way...

I'm 45 now, and I can still remember how much my Dad made me sand the many many coats of primer we put on that car.

It's still looks like metal...candy apple blue, #0...I keep it here on my shelf...a some chrome missing, but it still looks good.

woc

Well I meant to upload this pic back in December...anyway, here is the car...it's about 35 years old now...

kirsch