LESSON OF THE PINEWOOD DERBY
What Children can Learn & What Grownups Should Know Winning is not the
only thing, but its better then losing. You can try your best and still not win. If
you do not try your best, you almost certainly will not win. There are rewards
gained from doing a good job that have nothing to do with winning a trophy.
With patience and loving direction from a parent, children can do surprising
things. Working alongside your children is more fun then you thought it would
be.
TIP #1:
It's a race to the FINISH Line not to the Starting line.
Don't let your starting line look like this...
Most kids are so excited about racing their cars that as soon as they hear their
number or name called they go to the starting line as FAST as they can and
"throw" their car on the lane and head to the finish line to watch the race.
A well planed event will have an adult 'STARTER" at the starting line to assure
the cars are placed on the track in an orderly fashion ONE AT A TIME.
Most of the time the racers must place their cars on the track in the order in
which they were called. It's important to take the time placing the car on the
lane making sure it's centred. The wheels lightly pulled away from the track's
centre guide and the car body.
If the car is not centered on the track or if any of the wheels inter sidewalls are
rubbing the center guide of the track or the inter hub rubbing the car body, the
car will not perform to it's full potential. It's also important to stay at the
starting area while the other cars are being placed on the track to make sure
your car is not accidentally bumped out of alignment by another racer.
If at all possible it's best to wait to place your car on the track last, after all the
other racers have placed their cars.
It's very important to remember to follow this procedure through the whole
event. It seems as the event progress the racers start to forget to take the time
to place their cars correctly. It may be because they get over confident when
they have been winning their heats or it may be because the racers start to get
a little tired of the repetitiveness of the heats. But as the heats go on the
competition starts to get harder and harder, so it's actually more important that
the proper car placement on the starting line continues to the very last heat.
We have heard of some events that the cars are placed on the track by an older
Boy Scout or an adult (not good)
At the best events the child is the only one who touches their own car from
check in to the last race.
TIP #2:
Track Set Up:
Just like tip number one, Don't be in a rush
to be the first one to send your car down the
track as soon as it is set up. Often more times
then not the track seams are not lined up just
right and it will throw cars off the track with
the potential of damaging the car and the
wheel alignment. Wait in till ALL the lanes
have been tested a FEW times before
"putting your car on the line".
Any well organized event will have a few test cars (slugs, buy, blanks, dummies)
or at least a couple of cars from past events. You will be much better off if your
car is not the first down a newly set up track.
TIP #3:
Block Starting Weight:
Well by now most everyone knows there's several factors to building a fast
Pinewood Derby Car. Preparation of the wheels and Axles are a couple of the
key elements. Another important but much over looked factor is the weight of
the block that the car is made from. The blocks that are supplied with the BSA
kits varies in weight dramatically ranging anywhere from 2.7 Oz's all the way
up to 5.3 Oz's with the average running between 3.6 to 4.6 Oz's. The lighter the
block the more flexibility there is in applying more weight to the rear of the car
where you receive the greatest benefit. Remember that most events are usually
won only by a fraction of a second. So it's important that every principle of
building a fast pinewood derby car be applied. The PinewoodDerbyDen has
hundreds of blocks per-sorted by weight.
TIP #4:
EVEN PAINTING:
One way to get a consistent results from cans of spray paint is to set them in a
pan of hot tape water for a few minuets before using.
Spray the object with nice even overlapping passes, spraying before and on
past the object. A couple of thin (light) coats are better then one thick (heavy)
coat.
TIP #5:
DREMEL HOW TO VIDEO:
