Ardsley Cub Scouts Pack 3 Ardsley, NY Pinewood Derby Information Packet

Transcription

1 Ardsley Cub Scouts Pack 3 Ardsley, NY 2017 Pinewood Derby Information Packet

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pine Derby Schedule Who to Contact Sponsors Event Details Rules... 4 Sibling Derby Derby Tips Scoring Information District Runoff Trophy List Acknowledgement Signature Page

3 Pinewood Derby Schedule Tuesday, December 13, :30PM - Pack Meeting at the Concord Road Cafeteria Saturday, January 7, :00 AM to Noon - Workshop / Clinic at Ardsley Methodist Church (525 Ashford Ave, Ardsley, NY) Wednesday, February 1 OR Thursday, February 2 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Car Registration Nights (Pick 1 of 2 Nights) - Concord Road Cafeteria Saturday, February 4, :30 AM to 1:30 PM - Pinewood Derby Race Day at the Ardsley Middle School Cafeteria Saturday, April 1, The Mohican District will be holding a Pinewood Derby Runoff for the cars that qualify Who to Contact If you have not gotten your derby car kit yet, need replacement parts, need weights, need to get a car cut out, or have any questions regarding the derby, please contact: Jackie Roberts Derby Chairman (914) jackierob70@hotmail.com Pinewood Derby Sponsors Pinewood Derby expenses include the car kits, weights, trophies, door prizes, and venue. However, there is no money collected from scout families (outside of the sibling car fee). Local businesses and organizations sponsor our Pinewood Derby in return for advertising. They know the value of scouting and are proud to be part of this event. The sponsors for this year will be listed in the derby program. When you do business with any of our sponsors, let them know you appreciate what they are doing for the Cub Scouts. 1

4 Event Details Pack Meeting Tuesday, December 13, :30PM at the Concord Road Cafeteria Each Cub Scout in the pack will receive one Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit and a copy of this instruction packet. A parent must sign an acknowledgement of receiving the kit. Please be prepared to give your car a name, if you haven t already sent your cars name to Jackie at jackierob70@hotmail.com. The derby kit contains: 1. a block of wood (has been routed out by the pack to accommodate flat weights) 2. four wheels 3. four axles (they look like nails) If your car design requires an uncut block, you can exchange it at the December meeting or at the workshop. Weights will be provided at the workshop and at the registration nights. All cars must be constructed from the parts in the kit provided by the pack. Workshop / Clinic Saturday, January 7, :00 AM to Noon at Ardsley Methodist Church (525 Ashford Ave, Ardsley, NY) Need help building your car? Don t know where to start? Need weights? Want tips on speed? Then come to the Pinewood Derby Clinic where you can design your car, have it cut out on a band saw, get the correct weight, give your car a name, and more. We will have seasoned Derby Racer Dads to help guide you through the process. Make sure you bring your entire Pinewood Derby Kit with you to the clinic. In the cases of duplicate car names, the first to submit the name gets it. If you cannot attend the clinic, please design your car at home and have someone bring it in to be cut out, register a name, and get your weights. (Please note that we may have to change some designs to conform to race rules.) What to do at the Workshop: 1. Sign in your name, your car s name and your time in. 2. If two cars have the same name, the one that is signed in first gets priority. 3. Write your name on the bottom of the pine block in a place that will not be cut off or covered. 4. Design the side view of your car. 5. Bring car to the Cutting Center to have side profile cut out. 6. Optional - After the side, profile is cut out, design the overhead view of your car and bring it to the Cutting Center. Remember - We cannot cut too close to the axle grooves. 7. If desired, you may file, shape and sand your car at the Workshop. 8. Have your car weighed before you leave. Bring your car body, the wheels and the axles to the Weighing Station. We will add the weights to your car to bring it up to the 5-ounce maximum. What to do after the Workshop: At home, paint and finish your car. This may slightly increase the weight, but it can be adjusted at registration. You MUST get your completed car with the weights, wheels and axles to one of the two mandatory Registration Nights. If you cannot attend then you must have someone else take your car. NO cars will be permitted to register on Race Day. 2

5 Car Registration Nights (Pick 1 of 2 Nights) Registration Night 1 Wednesday, February 1 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Concord Road School Cafeteria Registration Night 2 Thursday, February 2 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Concord Road School Cafeteria At Registration cars are examined for adherence to the Ardsley Pack 3 Pinewood Derby Rules. We will help you: put wheels on, adjust wheels adjust the weights (if necessary to make the car close to but not over 5 ounces) Designated adults will: graphite your axles and wheels (if you have not already put graphite on them at home) Once registered, your car will receive a number and your car will be impounded until race day. You MUST attend one of the Registration sessions OR have someone bring your car for you. THERE WILL BE NO CAR REGISTRATIONS ON RACE DAY! What to do at the Registration: Your car will be inspected and weighed. Tools and help will be available to adjust the weights on your car to keep it within the 5-ounce weight limit. Readings from the Official Race Scale are final. Your car will be assigned a number and a number sticker will be placed on the top front of your car. Please adhere to all the rules on the Ardsley Pack 3 Pinewood Derby Rules page. The Pinewood Derby Committee reserves the right to disqualify any car before and during the race. Cars that are disqualified during the registration process must have all infractions corrected before the end of the second registration night. All cars will be impounded until the race. They will be returned at the March Pack Meeting. Absolutely NO cars will be allowed to register on Race Day! Even if you can t attend the Race, your car can still race as long as it is properly registered. Pinewood Derby Race Day Saturday, February 4, :30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Ardsley Middle School Cafeteria Doors open at 10:15 AM and the race starts at 10:30 AM sharp. The Snack bar will be open for light snacks. THERE WILL BE NO CAR REGISTRATIONS ON RACE DAY 3

6 Ardsley Pack 3 Pinewood Derby Rules Participation Open to all Ardsley Pack 3 Cub Scouts (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, WEBELOS.) Cub Scouts must be present and in uniform to participate. Exceptions due to extenuating circumstances will be considered by the race committee. Registration All cars must be registered at one of the two registration sessions on the Wednesday and Thursday before race day. See the Pinewood Derby Schedule. Tools will be available at registration for final adjustments. Graphite will be applied to all cars. Registration of Pinewood Derby Cars is NOT allowed on the day of the race. Inspection The inspection judges at registration will evaluate each car's adherence to the technical standards set forth below. Their decision may be appealed to the inspection chairman and the event chairman, who, after consultation with the inspection team, the Scout, and his parent/assistant, shall render a final, binding decision. Impound Cars will be impounded when registered. New Work Construction of entries must not have begun before the completion of the previous year s derby races. Official Kit All cars entered shall be constructed from parts contained in the Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit provided by the pack for the current year s derby. The weights that are provided separately by the pack at the workshop or are considered as part of the kit. Materials from the kit may be supplemented but not replaced. Blocks in the kits distributed by the pack have been routed out on the bottom to accommodate flat weights. If you do not want a routed block, it can be exchanged for an original block at the derby workshop. Any defective or broken parts (even if you break them) should be replaced by the pack. Contact a derby leader to exchange parts or get weights. Specifications Weight: The weight of the car must not exceed five (5) ounces as measured on the official scale. Width: The car width must not exceed 2 ¾ inches. Length: The overall length of the car must not exceed seven (7) inches, including bumpers, fins, exhausts, that may protrude. Height: The height of the car must not exceed three (3) inches. Underside Clearance: must be at least 3/8 inches. Wheel Clearance: The inside wheel-to-wheel clearance must be at least 1-¾ inches. Wheelbase: The wheelbase (distance between axles) must be the same as the official kit. Axle Locations: Axle placement cannot be changed. The distance between each axle and the closest end of the car cannot exceed the corresponding measures on the block from the official kit. (Don t shift the axles directly or indirectly.) Weights, decorations and attachments Only the weights provided by the pack with the kit may be used. High performance weights are specifically prohibited. Weight and decorations may be added to the car and will be considered part of the car for purposes of measurements. Decorations are considered to be any material on the car that is not provided in the kit. All weights and decorations must be securely fastened to the car. Weights shall 4

7 be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric, non-sticky, etc. Please don t use glitter as a decoration. Wheels & Axles The car shall roll on the wheels from the kit. The wheels shall turn about the axle nails from the kit. The axle nails shall be firmly affixed to the wood of the car body. The axles may be de-burred and polished, but the axle dimensions may not be changed. The outside surface of the axle head (the non-contact surface) may not be changed. It must be obvious to the judges that the wheels and the nails from the kit are being used. NO AFTERMARKET WHEELS OR AXLES ARE ALLOWED. Wheel treatment (hub and tread smoothing and polishing) may not result in removal of mass nor in reducing the tread (track contact) width from the original kit wheels. Material may not be removed from the inside of the wheel. Wheel tread surface must be cylindrical. The words "Official B.S.A. Made in U.S.A." and other lettering on the wheels shall remain intact and clearly visible to the inspector. The original "tread marks" on the wheel face must be intact and apparent to the inspector. If you choose to tune your wheels, the diameter of each wheel must be at least inches and the weight of each wheel must be at least 2.5 grams. A raw wheel has a diameter between and inches and a weight of 2.6 grams, so there is sufficient room for reasonable tuning. Hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, and bearings may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles. Staging The entire car must stage behind the starting pin. The front of the car must not come to a sharp point. Lubricants Graphite is the only lubricant allowed and will be applied to all cars at registration. 5

8 Sibling Derby We hold a Sibling Derby for the brothers and sisters of Cub Scouts. Please add the names of participating or potentially participating siblings to the Pinewood Derby Rules Acknowledgement form, so we have enough cars available at the workshop. Please keep in mind that we may need to shorten, stop, or even cancel the Sibling Derby if we encounter delays with the Cub Scout Derby or if the sibling races running too long. Below are the guidelines for the Sibling Derby: 1. We will do our best to accommodate everyone who wants to participate, but we may find it necessary to limit the number of cars. 2. Siblings must purchase their own derby car kit and weights from the pack, which are available for $10.00 at the December pack meeting, at the workshop, or from a derby leader. 3. Sibling cars must be built to the same standards and specifications as the Cub Scout derby cars. 4. Only siblings between the ages of 4 and 10 may participate. 5. Siblings may participate in the derby workshop and registrations as time permits. 6. The sibling races will be held between the Cub Scout derby rounds. 7. A simplified variation of the Cub Scout Derby scoring method will be used for scoring the sibling races. More details will be provided on race day. 8. Participation certificates will be awarded to all siblings who race a car and ribbons will be awarded to place-winners. Trophies will not be awarded to sibling participants, so as not to detract from or upstage the Cub Scout Derby. 9. Sibling cars, just like the Cub Scout cars, must be registered on the Wednesday or Thursday before the race. No car registrations will be accepted on the day of the race. Notify Jackie Roberts at (914) or jackierob70@hotmail.com prior to the January 7, 2017 workshop if you have a sibling who wishes to participate. 6

9 Construction Tips Derby Tips AXLES: Check the grooves to ensure that each is a perfect 90-degree angle to the car body. A car with untrue axles tends to steer to one side or another, causing it to rub up against the side of the lane strip, slowing it down. You can check the groove angles by using a square, a protractor, or even a piece of paper. Lay the square on the block to check for squareness and alignment of the slot. Use two hacksaw blades side by side to redress the slots. Use the edge of the square as a guide. NOTE: If the car design you chose has a narrow body, make sure the area where the axles are inserted into the body remains the full 1-3/4 wide, or the wheels will not fit over the guide strips of the track. PAINTING: Apply several coats of sanding sealer, then sand the entire car with fine grade sandpaper. Then, give it at least two coats of fast drying paint in your choice of color. When the paint is completely dry, sand it with fine sandpaper, apply a final coat of paint, and allow it to dry thoroughly. FINISHING: Rub the entire car with a rubbing compound. Details such as windshield, driver, racing numbers, etc. should be added now. For a super finish apply a coat of auto wax and rub to a high gloss. WHEELS: Pre-lubricate the axles and wheels using dry powdered graphite. Do not use regular oil or silicone spray since it may soften the plastic. Slide the wheels over the axles, then gently tap them into the car body grooves with a ¼ dowel or similar object to within 1/32 of the car body. Make sure the wheels turn freely. (Adapted from the Official BSA Rules ) Design Tips 1. Have your son draw a design on grid paper then cut it out and use it as a template. Draw a side and top view on the paper by tracing around the block of wood. 2. Keep the car a full seven inches. It has to do with the physics of velocity and length of travel of the weights. 3. Use the full 2-¾ inches (outside of wheel to outside of wheel) that the rules give you. This will allow the wheels to travel farther before hitting the center strip. 4. Leave a lot of wood in the back to put in the weights. 5. Use the groove closest to the end of the block of wood as the rear axle. 6. Use your imagination. Be careful. Shape has little to do with winning. A beaver driving a log or even a pickup truck is more interesting than a wedge and can be just as fast. The aerodynamics of a small block of wood doesn t mean much in thirty feet. Weigh In 1. Get the weight as close to the 5-ounce limit as possible. Add the last little bit of weight or remove the excess at the last minute. Remember, the official scale may not weigh the same as yours. 2. Everyone has an opinion on where to put the weight. Weight needs to be predominantly in the rear so that gravity can act upon the weight further up the incline and for a longer period of time. A car with more weight to the rear generally grabs more speed down the slope. Many suggest having the center 7

10 of gravity at 1 to 1-1/2 inches in front of the rear axle. But be careful not to put too much in the rear or you ll pop a wheelie. 3. Keep the weight low on the car and in the center (Left/Right of the car). Put the weight just in front or behind the rear wheels for less wheel chatter. Go Straight! 1. Axles must be in straight front to back. That is square to the body. True the axles, don t trust the slots! If you have one, use a drill press to ensure all axles are straight. One of the front and two of the back should be measured to be the same height. 2. After pressing in the axles, test the car for crooked wheels roll it on the floor. If the wheels are on straight, the car should roll 8 to 10 feet in a fairly straight line. 3. Glue the axles in place. Nothing is worse than having the wheel fall off as you cross the finish line. 4. Once you match a wheel and axle together with graphite, keep them together. They wear into each other as a matched set. Friction Is Your Enemy 1. De-bur the wheels. Take off the flashing and seam that was produced when the wheel was molded with a 600 grit or better sandpaper. Sand any bumps off the wheel with the sandpaper. Metal polish will restore the gloss. Be careful not to break any rules your race has regarding wheel modification. (Narrower wheels have less friction and are better, but often disallowed.) Don t sand too much or you ll create a flat spot. Sand by hand, not in the drill. Heat from the high speed of a drill will damage the plastic wheel. 2. Have only three wheels touching the track. Raise a front one slightly. There is less friction with 3 wheels rolling than If roughness is felt on the axles, polish them with 600 grit paper then finish with jewelers rouge. Lube Jobs 1. Use graphite only. Oil lubricants are not allowed. 2. Break in the wheels by spinning them with lots of graphite. 3. Graphite will be available at registration. Avoid These Common Problems 1. Overweight cars and weights glued on tightly 2. Decorations (bumpers, eyes, tail fins, protruding weights) that make the car too long 3. Crooked wheels 4. Cars made from unofficial kits 5. Excessive wheel tuning 6. Replacement (usually colored) wheels purchased at the Scout Shop 7. High performance wheels or axles purchased on the Internet 8. Shifted axle slots ************* WARNING ************** There are many tempting Internet sites, which offer to build pinewood derby cars or to sell custom parts such as wheels, axles, pre-cut wood blocks, weights, or kits. Remember that purchasing these items on the web is in violation of the pack rules. Instead, use the web for general information, ideas, designs, and tips and when in doubt, check with a derby leader. 8

11 Scoring Information We will be using a 4-Lane aluminum track built by BestTrack, a Microwizard Fast Track 4-Lane K2 Finish-line timer and the Grand Prix Race Manager software again this year. The derby management software has an excellent race assignment method and automatically advances cars from one round to the next. Advancing cars to the next round will be based on the point values received for the head-tohead results. All cars will race four times in the first round : once in each lane and against different opponents each time. In all, each car will race against twelve different cars in the first elimination round. The derby management software uses a clever race assignment technique that eliminates the need for dummy cars to fill out a race, but this causes some cars to race twice before other cars have raced once. It all evens itself out by the end of the round. The winning car in each heat will get 1 point, the second place car will get 2 points, the third place car will get 3 points, and the fourth place car will get 4 points. Approximately the top half of the first round will continue on to the next round. This procedure will be repeated until we have 7 cars in the finals round. The top 4 finalists will proceed to the trophy round where they will battle it out for first, second, and third place trophies. The remaining 4 cars from the finals round will receive finalist trophies. In case of a tie in the trophy round, a sudden death race will be run between the tying cars. District Pinewood Derby Runoff The Mohican District will be holding a Pinewood Derby Runoff on April 1, The fastest three cars from each age group (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and WEBELOS) as determined by their overall placement will be eligible to participate. If someone cannot attend the district race, the next fastest car in the age group will become eligible. (Overall placement results may not be available until the day after the pack race.) 9

12 Trophy List You may want to build a fast car or a car that just looks fast. Here is a list of awards that we will be presenting this year. Consider them when you are designing your car. Speed Awards 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd place Finalist positions - 4 th through 7 th place Design Awards Best Paint Job Funniest Best Use Of Imagination Best Vehicle Not A Car Most Realistic Looking Most Creative Design Most Original Design Most Aerodynamic Sportiest Looking Most Colorful Most Patriotic Best Workmanship Cub Scouts Choice Award Three Cub Scout Motto Awards All participants will receive a 2016 Derby patch for their uniform or vest. The Cub Scout Motto awards are for the cars judged to best exemplify the Cub Scout motto of Do your best (or I did my best without excessive help from Dad ) 10

13 Pinewood Derby Rules Acknowledgement Dear Parent, December 13, 2016 Please carefully review all of the material in this packet. The objective is to run a fair race and for all the Cubs to compete on a level playing field as well as to comply with the district derby rules which the winning cars must follow to able to compete in the district runoff. Parents must acknowledge receipt of the kits and rules. Cubs will not receive a car, be allowed to participate in the workshops, register their cars, or participate in the race unless a parent has signed the acknowledgement and the scout has completed his registration and all associated paperwork has been submitted. Sibling cars follow the same rules as the Cub Scouts. This includes obtaining a kit from the pack. Siblings cars are available for $10.00 at the December pack meeting and the January workshop. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you understand all points in this acknowledgement before signing! I acknowledge that I have received: 1. A 2017 Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit from Ardsley Pack 3 2. A 2017 Pinewood Derby Information Packet from Ardsley Pack 3 I acknowledge that I understand: All derby cars must be made from the materials in this year s kit provided by the pack. Sibling cars must also be obtained through the pack The kit consists of: o a block of wood (which has been routed on the bottom to accommodate flat weights) o four wheels 3 o four axles (which look like nails) If your car design requires an uncut block, you can exchange it at the December meeting, at the workshop or with a derby leader. Weights will be provided at the workshop or through a derby leader, so they don t get lost or forgotten. Defective or broken materials from the kit should be replaced by the Pack This is a cub scout derby, not a parents derby. I will limit myself to assistance appropriate to my son s age and ability. If we miss the workshop, we can still get our son s car cut out The derby committee will do everything it can to make sure everyone has a car ready to race All cars must be registered on Wednesday, February 1st or Thursday, February 2. NOT ON RACE DAY! The 2017 derby information packet will be posted on the pack web site The outcome of the race should depend on what my cub scout I have done with the materials we received in our kit(s). We should not buy high performance materials sold in stores and on web sites. Parts, such as but not limited to fenders, bumpers, and windshields, taken from kits purchased in stores or on the Internet are NOT allowed. 11

14 Signature Page Name(s) of Cub Scout(s): Grade: Den: Names of siblings ages 4-10 who may participate: Name of Parent or Guardian: I acknowledge that I have received: 3. A 2017 Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit from Ardsley Pack 3 4. A 2017 Pinewood Derby Information Packet from Ardsley Pack 3 I acknowledge that I understand: All derby cars must be made from the materials in this year s kit provided by the pack. Sibling cars must also be obtained through the pack The kit consists of: o a block of wood (which has been routed on the bottom to accommodate flat weights) o four wheels o four axles (which look like nails) If your car design requires an uncut block, you can exchange it at the December meeting, at the workshop or with a derby leader. Weights will be provided at the workshop or through a derby leader, so they don t get lost or forgotten. Defective or broken materials from the kit should be replaced by the Pack This is a cub scout derby, not a parents derby. I will limit myself to assistance appropriate to my son s age and ability. If we miss the workshop, we can still get our son s car cut out The derby committee will do everything it can to make sure everyone has a car ready to race All cars must be registered on Wednesday, February 1st or Thursday, February 2. NOT ON RACE DAY! The 2017 derby information packet will be posted on the pack web site The outcome of the race should depend on what my cub scout and I have done with the materials we received in our kit(s). We should not buy high performance materials sold in stores and on web sites. Parts, such as but not limited to fenders, bumpers, and windshields, taken from kits purchased in stores or on the Internet are NOT allowed. Signature of Parent or Guardian: Date: 12