Pinewood Derby Q&A

Simpe Pinewood Derby Instructions?

Hello! We are building a Pinewood Derby car for a Cub Scout project. Unfortunatley we are very limited in what materials we have. No big power tools or anything like that. Heck barely any tools to begin with. Step by step instructions would be muy awesome and we would be forever grateful! Thanks in advance to anyone who could help!

Public Comments

1. Former Leader here.....you can just take the block of wood from the kit, install the wheels and voila! you have a pinewood derby car!!! Or even paint the block or varnish it....either way....it works and can win..I have seen one win straight out of the box. if you want to shape it, get a cheap jigsaw from walmart, they cost about $10 or so. Trace cut lines onto the car, then cut and use sandpaper for the edges. Paint it. you want it as close to the 5 oz weight as you can, and no longer than 7 inches. These are regulations. You can take it to your local grocery store deli to have them weigh it. Get some graphite powder to put on the wheels and axels. You can purchase this at your scout shop or at a hobby/model store. Don't forget to refer to the rules sheet that comes in your kit.
2. Here are the keys to a winning car for speed: - Make sure the wheels are straight. Misaligned wheels are the biggest cause of slow cars. - Make it as heavy as possible within the rules. - Try to get the car to balance about 2/3rds of the way back. Other than that, check out any of the hundreds of good Pinewood sites on-line, like http://www.abc-pinewood-derby.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinewood_Derby