|
Replies: 27
| visibility 1
|
Hall of Famer [22940]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 16894
Joined: 12/2/00
|
Pinewood Derby Cars
Jan 27, 2020, 11:07 AM
|
|
|
|
Helped kids build pinewood derby cars this weekend. Had a test run with some of his pack late yesterday.
Findings:
- Our cars look like complete pieces of garbage, are slow as balls, and I hope they don't fall apart after two races.
- The competitors cars look like they just rolled off a fabrication line, and parents spent hours watching youtube videos to perfect the speed.
Apparently every other dad has a high end wood shop while we made ours using a dull coping saw and jigsaw that can't cut straight. Give my kids a participation trophy and let's go home.
|
|
|
|
 |
Oculus Spirit [75714]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 108843
Joined: 10/26/03
|
I participated in one of those ever.
Jan 27, 2020, 11:10 AM
|
|
My car won the first race but some sorry son of a ##### put my car on the losers table. I didn't lose again until the end of the losers bracket. I also never went back to that Royal Ambassadors ####.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [23994]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 10557
Joined: 6/28/17
|
you need to go out and buy $3000 worth of wood working
Jan 27, 2020, 11:13 AM
|
|
equipment to show those boys how it should be done.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12851]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 15971
Joined: 10/25/02
|
a couple of keys
Jan 27, 2020, 11:15 AM
|
|
AS long as your weight is good then:
1) take the nails (axles) and put the sharp end in your drimel. Get a piece of fine grit sandpaper and get those things as smooth as 18 yr old cheerleaders pubis.
2) dry graphite lube on the axles. if you dont have it. take a #2 pencil and cover the axles with lead.
3) put the wheel on the axle after shining and put back on the drimel. Spin the Chit out of it. that will Seat the wheel to the axle.
4) make sure the car tracks straight. bumping the lane will slow you down.
5) if your league allows try to get it to where only 3 wheels touch the ground. Will be faster
6) MOST IMPORTANT! You are shooting for THIRD PLACE! REMEMBER THIS IS THE SWEET SPOT.
Top THREE spots get a trophy
Top TWO spots go to Regionals! YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO TO REGIONALS!
Kid gets trophy, you get your weekends back.
Good luck
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [97704]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64844
Joined: 7/13/02
|
^^^^Only reply you need to read.***
Jan 27, 2020, 11:23 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [11180]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 14042
Joined: 9/2/03
|
My oldest did the 3 wheel deal...he innernetted the
Jan 27, 2020, 11:31 AM
[ in reply to a couple of keys ] |
|
shid out of it. He drew a slight wedge, cut just above the axles, put the weight as far back on the car as he could without the front end popping up. Polished axles, lotta graphite...won going away. Luckily, regionals were local; won that too, but competition was a little closer.
Kid at regionals cried because he had to race against us and daddy tried to get us disqualified. So that was a nice example of poor sportsmanship. Yay, way to go scouts!
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [36450]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 18324
Joined: 12/6/13
|
^^^Derby car master Dad***
Jan 27, 2020, 12:10 PM
[ in reply to a couple of keys ] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [134221]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 26384
Joined: 9/18/12
|
When I was in Cub Scouts, my older brother and I took home
Jan 27, 2020, 2:29 PM
[ in reply to a couple of keys ] |
|
everything from best looking to fastest. We went to District one year and out of five trophy's, I won two, fastest and best looking, and my brother won a third. My dad was great with tools. Died just over a year ago. I miss him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [135835]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 41619
Joined: 8/26/07
|
Guy I know
Jan 27, 2020, 11:17 AM
|
|
Posted a video of putting his kid’s block of wood on a cnc milling machine to duplicate some car that won all kinds of trophies last year.
He was ripped unmercifully by the moms
I said- engineers gonna engineer
They didn’t like that either
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [23994]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 10557
Joined: 6/28/17
|
They should specify hand tools only
Jan 27, 2020, 11:20 AM
|
|
Isn't this the boy scouts? Lets teach boys how to be men again. Hand files, sand paper, coping saw, chisels, hand drill, block plane, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [135835]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 41619
Joined: 8/26/07
|
Back in my day (‘70s) you could only work on them
Jan 27, 2020, 11:22 AM
|
|
at the meetings to insure everyone built them the same way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [79428]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 63272
Joined: 10/30/05
|
If we're going through all that trouble, it'll be for
Jan 27, 2020, 11:23 AM
[ in reply to They should specify hand tools only ] |
|
something worthwhile, like an old Boston Whaler or something. Yeah, let me take up my weekends for god knows how long just to produce something I'll have to store for the next 15 years because my wife won't let me take it to the landfill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walk-On [113]
TigerPulse: 97%
Posts: 94
Joined: 10/23/06
|
Re: They should specify hand tools only
Jan 27, 2020, 9:44 PM
[ in reply to They should specify hand tools only ] |
|
Those dads living thru their kids` pinewood cars quite often carry that same ego trip into racing late models later.. spending $70,000 on a Saturday night circle track asphalt car so little Johnny can "get to NASCAR by age 16. About 99.5% of them go broke in 2yrs or less. We raced locally 34 seasons and the last 10 were spent watching the transition from local guys having fun to rich kids tearing $**t up to live out daddy`s fantasies. When 70% of the field cant legally drink a few beers after the race is over, it`s time to find something else to do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12851]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 15971
Joined: 10/25/02
|
You can carve it into an actual turd, but if the weight
Jan 27, 2020, 11:21 AM
[ in reply to Guy I know ] |
|
and wheels are good, it will win.
But again....THIRD!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [97704]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64844
Joined: 7/13/02
|
Egg Zachary. Clearly some dads take over their kids cars
Jan 27, 2020, 11:21 AM
|
|
and make them into Ferrari's and such. I did the sawing. The boys did everything else. We have one more week. Actually for 6yo I did the painting and nailed in the tires. 11yo did everything else himself.
To discourage this our troop has a separate race for parents cars where they can go ape#### and not be embarrassed that their kid made a car that looks like it was made by a kid.
Pro tip - Hobby Lobby has a section with all the stuff you need. Weights and graphite, etc.
FWIW the cars that look fast usually lose. Past 3 years a "kid car" that looked ugly won.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [79428]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 63272
Joined: 10/30/05
|
I would immediately cease all socialization with any adult
Jan 27, 2020, 11:27 AM
|
|
who made a 'parents car' due to being embarrassed by their childs carpentry skills. Well, I might publicly ridicule you for being a huge ########, but after that we'd no longer associate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [97704]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64844
Joined: 7/13/02
|
Problem is the dads who get into it themselves. Want their
Jan 27, 2020, 11:35 AM
|
|
kids to win and such. Future bribers of college admissions departments. There are those types. With 130 kids, you get at least a dozen or so of those types. Some moms too I'd wager who ran their husbands off years ago.
Anyway, it's nice because the dad can do what THEY WANT TO DO, and let their kid's car be their kid's car. Still, there are dads who you can tell do the whole ###### thing.
As I mentioned the best part is watching those kids with those dads loose.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [22940]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 16894
Joined: 12/2/00
|
We built two cars in 4 hours
Jan 27, 2020, 11:45 AM
[ in reply to Egg Zachary. Clearly some dads take over their kids cars ] |
|
The sawing/sanding took half of that time. Painting was quick (and sloppy as you can see).
For weights, we drilled holes on top and rested some sinkers in there with a ton of glue. Didn't bother boring in from the bottom or back like other cars. Pretending the Titanic sinkers are life boats, while the gray car is calling his nuclear bombs.
Will need to take off the wheels and sand down the axles this week. Hope I don't break it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [97704]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64844
Joined: 7/13/02
|
Wheels are a one time deal. Good luck.
Jan 27, 2020, 11:56 AM
|
|
They have flat plate lead weights at Hobby Lobby that you can glue to the bottom. We sand, then add the weights, then paint, and wheels and stickers are last. With a SMALL drop of super glue on the inside tip of the nail. DO NOT let the glue run down the nail though (lesson learned).
Then you have to keep them from playing with it and destroying it prior to race 
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [9093]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 11332
Joined: 10/15/99
|
|
|
|
|
|
CU Medallion [56062]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 31634
Joined: 8/27/02
|
Naming one after the Titanic doesn't inspire confidence.
Jan 27, 2020, 11:30 AM
|
|
Should've named the other one after the Hindenburg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [22940]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 16894
Joined: 12/2/00
|
I already prepped my 6yo that we didn't build a speed boat
Jan 27, 2020, 11:40 AM
|
|
I thought about touching up their paint, but I kinda dig the sloppiness of it and random paint splotches and fingerprints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [135835]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 41619
Joined: 8/26/07
|
I like them
Jan 27, 2020, 11:53 AM
|
|
Sounds like you have 2 cool kids
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heisman Winner [137866]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 63785
Joined: 10/22/00
|
I remember "making" mine. My dad and my grandpa pretty much
Jan 27, 2020, 11:44 AM
|
|
made it themselves in my grandpa's workshop. It looked like a Stingray Vette with with flared wheel wells, and the bullet lead weights embedded on the front like headlights. I think I may have squirted the graphite on the wheel posts. Go me! Didn't win, either, and I remember it being a bullshit contest, because we put all the work in and there was literally ONE run. No heats, no accounting for slow lanes vs. fast ones....just dumb. I'll never forgive Cub Scouts for that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [22940]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 16894
Joined: 12/2/00
|
They automate the lane assignments and multiple runs now
Jan 27, 2020, 11:48 AM
|
|
As a kid, we would figure out which was the fastest lane, then sprint to place our car on that spot each race.
Won the local race one year. Finished second at regionals. One lane was clearly superior on that track. Had a best-of-3 with the eventual winner with each of us winning using the fast lane.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange Blooded [4086]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 2474
Joined: 11/30/98
|
Re: Pinewood Derby Cars
Jan 27, 2020, 11:57 AM
|
|
There's a sizable market in custom pinewood derby cars on ebay.
People cheat in all kinds of ways.
You should browse the listings and see how many of the cars you recognize from your competitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [9093]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 11332
Joined: 10/15/99
|
It's a pack, not a troop***
Jan 27, 2020, 12:51 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12270]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 12594
Joined: 12/1/03
|
pro tip: you're spending time with you kids, no matter the
Jan 28, 2020, 5:54 AM
|
|
outcome, enjoy it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 27
| visibility 1
|
|
|
50
