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Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:50 pm

OK so this year working with my son on his pinewood derby car I decided I would finally make a bus. I am sure people have doene this before, anyone have any tips they want to share?
I have already cut the side pannels out and all but the rear corner windows on them. I am now glueing it to an official Cub Scout bottom piece. I figure next I will make all the interior and then the top. after that I will do the front and rear ends. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:38 pm

I thought it should be made by the Cub Scout?

I saw way too many of them done by the parent.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:39 pm

I recently found mine from 1977. What a hunk of junk LOL!

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:09 pm

westernair wrote: anyone have any tips they want to share?

Find a nice heavy chunk of lead for the middle seat.

Cub scouts only???? whatever, when I was 5 I won my older brother's Pinewood Derby and I wasn't even a cub scout. My dad got me a trophy. I felt special.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:11 pm

Ferris wrote: Find a nice heavy chunk of lead for the middle seat.

There's a maximum weight and they do/should weigh them.

I found those 1/4oz tire weights that are self sticking work great.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:37 pm

westernair wrote: OK so this year working with my son on his pinewood derby car I decided I would finally make a bus. I am sure people have doene this before, anyone have any tips they want to share?
I have already cut the side pannels out and all but the rear corner windows on them. I am now glueing it to an official Cub Scout bottom piece. I figure next I will make all the interior and then the top. after that I will do the front and rear ends. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

:shock: :wink:

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:38 pm

DraginInk wrote: westernair wrote: OK so this year working with my son on his pinewood derby car I decided I would finally make a bus. I am sure people have doene this before, anyone have any tips they want to share?
I have already cut the side pannels out and all but the rear corner windows on them. I am now glueing it to an official Cub Scout bottom piece. I figure next I will make all the interior and then the top. after that I will do the front and rear ends. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

:shock: :wink:

:roll:

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:41 pm

Glenn wrote: I thought it should be made by the Cub Scout?

I saw way too many of them done by the parent.

My son is doing his own car, the bus is mine, for the old duff race afterwards.

Jared has always done his own, he definatly doen't need my help.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:42 pm

That is refreshing to hear... have a blast then!

Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:43 pm

westernair wrote: Glenn wrote: I thought it should be made by the Cub Scout?

I saw way too many of them done by the parent.

My son is doing his own car, the bus is mine, for the old duff race afterwards.

Jared has always done his own, he definatly doen't need my help.

Then... Sorry.

My son is a Eagle Scout and over the past 10 years of being involved in scouting i've seen too many parents that don't get that it's for the boys and not the Dads. But that doesn't mean the Dad's can't have fun also.

Again... Sorry.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:02 pm

my dad always did one too when I did mine. Very cool thing to do with your kids. I always tried to build the fastest, while my dad did things like a flintstone car, old style batmobile, etc. good times...

Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:14 pm

I have my students do projects and it's pretty obvious when there is too much "parental input". A couple of questions about construction methods ("Are those welds MIG or TIG?") usually shows how much work was done by the student.

I also encourage a "parents entry" because a lot of parents enjoy working along with their children on a project. It's always a hoot when the student's project outperforms the parent's.

Pinewood Derby is great practice for those important competitions that the Scout will encounter later in life, like valve cover racing... :)

Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:52 pm

Perhaps this won't matter, but per the rules, you're not supposed to *add* material to the block, just remove it, right?

It's been at least 10 years since my last pinewood derby.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:59 pm

There's a maximum weight. And most people add lead weight to bring it to the max allowed.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:42 pm

I meant, as a structural thing, rather than the weight limit. I don't think I ever saw a pinewood derby car that had had pieces glued on -- every one I can remember started from the basic block, carved out the car, and painted it.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:43 pm

westernair wrote: Glenn wrote: I thought it should be made by the Cub Scout?

I saw way too many of them done by the parent.

My son is doing his own car, the bus is mine, for the old duff race afterwards.

Jared has always done his own, he definatly doen't need my help.

Use a digital scale and weight up to the max allowed. Rearward bias the weight as much as possible, worth about a 1/2 length. On purpose, shift one front wheel "up" so it doesn't touch the track, yep, run on three wheels.... Use emory cloth and buff the nails they give you for axles, the shaft and the inside of the head. Put the wheels in a drill and buff off the "knobs" and any sidewall lettering. Buy the good moly graphite. I'd mention aerodynamics, but w a Bus, it's a lost cause.... :-)

Know the track. Depending on the type of starting gate used, shape the front of the car so it begins moving as soon as the gate moves. A low car on a track with a gate that comes up from the bottom will start slow. Get a jump on the start and you'd be amazed at how much it translates to at the bottom.....

Chuck

Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:47 pm

The best tweak is to get the wheels aligned so they don't bind.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:23 pm

Here's a Pinewood Derby single cab my son let me build with him a few years back. It was the last one we did :cry: Now I've just got young daughters and get to look forward to a few more years of the Father-Daughter square dance...

Anyway, here's the single. It ended up running a little faster backwards. But not fast enough to win.

Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:46 pm

I think every pack is different with what you can and can't do. I know that the our pack allows for added material to a car as long as it still is 5 OZ or under. The only big things that they require is that you use the original block for the wheel grooves, original wheels and original axles (nails). We have kids that add lego people to the drivers seat and install Bazooka's off of GI joes's. It's all in fun. Now I am not sure if they could compete outside of the pack that way. I suspect at a regionals meet the add on stuff may not be allowed.
Side pannels I am pretty sure are allowed everywere. The only restriction is they can not extend out past the width of the wheels.

BTW I love the SC, if is was brown it would kinda look like Clara's BD Baha SC!

Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:57 pm

highaltidude wrote: westernair wrote: Glenn wrote: I thought it should be made by the Cub Scout?

I saw way too many of them done by the parent.

My son is doing his own car, the bus is mine, for the old duff race afterwards.

Jared has always done his own, he definatly doen't need my help.

Use a digital scale and weight up to the max allowed. Rearward bias the weight as much as possible, worth about a 1/2 length. On purpose, shift one front wheel "up" so it doesn't touch the track, yep, run on three wheels.... Use emory cloth and buff the nails they give you for axles, the shaft and the inside of the head. Put the wheels in a drill and buff off the "knobs" and any sidewall lettering. Buy the good moly graphite. I'd mention aerodynamics, but w a Bus, it's a lost cause.... :-)

Know the track. Depending on the type of starting gate used, shape the front of the car so it begins moving as soon as the gate moves. A low car on a track with a gate that comes up from the bottom will start slow. Get a jump on the start and you'd be amazed at how much it translates to at the bottom.....

Chuck
This is the first time I have ever heard that placing the weight high and in back helps. Humm I guess it makes sence as long as the front wheels don't come off the track. I'll weight by bus with pennies on the rear luggage shelf I guess!