Ultimate Pinewood Derby Seminar 1
About this slide show seminar. You may edit this copy as much as you like, but you are not allowed to give away or sell the original. I would suggest saving this original copy of the seminar and then do a Save As copy, adding your pack number to the file name. That way you won t lose the original and can make any adjustments to your copy. This seminar is intended to teach participants of the pinewood derby how to have a great time planning, building, and racing their very own Pinewood Derby car. All the while spending quality time with their family. It s about How to Be a Winner no matter what the outcome of the race. By following the guidelines in this slide show you ll understand the process from start to finish on how to run an exciting pinewood derby race. And by using this seminar to teach your scouts (or other organization) the rules, tips & tricks, you ll be able to show your group how organized you are and help them have a great time in the whole process. In this slide show you ll notice I highlighted some words in yellow and also underlined them for your convenience to understand that you need to put your information in those areas. Since I don t know your rules for your particular race, I have included our local rules with all the pages. You can edit them very easily and even delete them to suite your needs. Copyright 2010 Derbyspeed.com All Rights Reserved 2
About this slide show seminar. Cubmaster Tips: You ll notice that throughout the seminar these are underlined. These are insights that I have had in all the years I have been involved with the Pinewood Derby. You may want to add your own or edit mine. Hidden Slides: The first 2 and the last 5 slides are hidden when you present your slide show. These slides are for your information mostly. If you would like to show these during your presentation just right click on the slide and left click on Hide Slide, the button will change color and the slide will show up during your show. Congratulations on owning the Ultimate Pinewood Derby Seminar! In the words of Yoda Fun it will be! The next slide will be the beginning of the slide show. Copyright 2010 Derbyspeed.com All Rights Reserved 3
The Ultimate Pinewood Derby Experience! Copyright 2010 Derbyspeed.com All Rights Reserved 4
Pinewood Derby Seminar Goals of a Winning Derby Understanding the Rules Build Confidence Encourage Creativity Increase Enjoyment Kit to Car Tips & Tricks What Not to Do! Promoting Parent Involvement 5
Consider Goals for Derby (Be a Winner from Beginning to End!) Relationship Safety Pride Creativity Organization Craftsmanship Patience Physics Teamwork Sportsmanship 6
Being a Winner! Parent/Son Relationship Safety Building a Pinewood Derby car together creates memories for a lifetime! Take the time to teach your son the ability to understand what s important in life. Working together creates sinergy and a sense of accomplishment. As in anything Safety 1 st. This is a chance to reinforce that safety is important in everything we do, especially when working with tools. Teach your child that you don t ignore safety rules and he shouldn t either. 7
Being a Winner! Pride Creativity I can t think of anything that instills pride more than being a part of a project that you get to build! The more you can help your son be a part of the process the more exciting it will be for him. The Derby allows your son to let his creative juices to flow. Let him go wild with designs then channel those ideas into one that both of you agree will work! 8
Being a Winner! Organization Craftsmanship Building your derby car will help your son understand how to organize steps for a successfully built car. Teach your son the value of being organized from start to finish during the building process. It goes without saying that your son will learn how to use his craftsman skills by designing, building and putting the finishing touches on their car. 9
Being a Winner! Patience Not sure who this winning objective is for but I can tell you this is a great one to conquer! Showing patience is the first step in teaching it. Keep things exciting but don t forget the patience! Learn Physics Racing a derby car is a great way to teach your son about physics. Gravity, weight distribution, resistance, all physics that make a car fast or a lead sled! 10
Being a Winner! Teamwork Sportsmanship Working together and seeing that car go down the track is the coolest thing ever! Parent and scout should work as a team. Think of it as the pit crew for the Indy 500. Have fun! The Pinewood Derby is a great opportunity to teach your son about sportsmanship. The Cub Scout motto Do Your Best. Win or lose, as long as you do your best you will always be a winner! Be competitive but keep that winning attitude. 11
Sets of rules Step 1 Understand the Rules (Very important part in having the ultimate experience) Kit rules Pack rules District rules Council rules What s not allowed What is allowed 12
Don t Just Assume! It s very important that you know and understand the rules for your specific pinewood derby, not only at the pack level, but the district and /or the council level. If you win at the pack level and want to continue to compete at the district or council levels you will want to start with the same rules that are used at those levels. This makes it much easier to advance without making changes to your car. 13
Don t Just Assume! You do not want to show up on race day and find out your car doesn t pass inspection. Make sure you find out the official rules for your race and preferable have a copy of those rules. If you have questions, it s good to email the person in charge and save that email to make your case later if you are asked why you did, what you did. 14
Pinewood Derby Kit Rules Specifications General Rules Minor Building Instructions Rules are Vague but have some basic guidelines 15
Council Rules The Pack will follow the Council rules so you won t have to modify your car for the Championships if you win at the Pack level. Don t let this happen to your Derby Car! Follow the Rules! 16
Council Rules Rules that are used for the Derby in put your council name here The top 4 winners from Pack from Best of Show or Race can go to Council Races! You want your car to match the council rules. 17
Council Rules A. Car must have been made during the current year. B. Width of the car shall not exceed 2 ¾. C. Length of the car shall not exceed 7. D. Bottom of the car should be flat and smooth with no protrusions and must have 5/16 clearance from the bottom of the wheels to the bottom of the car. Bottom clearance between car and track is 3/8. E. Weight of car shall not exceed 5 ounces. F. You are to use the pre-cut grooves in the model body for your wheelbases no extending of the wheelbase. 18
Council Rules G. You need to use axles, wheels and body only supplied in Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Kits. (Single moms may use a pre-cut body or get help if needed.) H. Wheel bearings, washers and bushings are prohibited. I. Car shall not ride on any type of springs. J. Car must be freewheeling, with no starting devices. 19
Council Rules K. Wheels may be sanded flat, but not be sanded thin or have angles, grooves or points. All four wheels must be touching the racing surface. Wheels may not be modified in any other way besides sanding flat. For example: No weights, no additional holes drilled, no hubcaps allowed. Outside of wheel may be painted for looks (not recommended for speed). 20
Council Rules Your wheels should look like the first 2 in Illustration below. 21
Council Rules L. The ONLY type of lubrication that is allowed will be dry powdered graphite. Oils and sprays are prohibited. M. At the Council Pinewood Derby Championships, Cars may be entered into the Race Division or the Best of Show Division Not both. 22
Kit to Car! From This To This
Step 1 Items to Build Car Raw materials BSA Pinewood Derby Car Kit Wood Putty to fill in holes Primer / Paint & Brushes or Spray Can Rough to Fine Sandpaper, Sanding Block Decals, Stickers Dry Graphite (Hob-E-Lube or Max-V-Lube) Soft Pipe Cleaner Turtle Wax Mother s Billet Metal Polish 24
Basic Tools Safety Glasses Particle mask Vise / Clamp (Irwin Quick Clamps) Coping Saw or Hack Saw (power band saw or jigsaw) Drill & Drill Bits (Brad Point Bits drill clean holes) File Specialty tools Wheel Mandrel W/ Basic Speed Kit (several specialty tools if you wish to invest in them) www.maximum-velocity.com 25
Step 2 Design Considerations Speed vs. Show Original vs. Duplicate Conventional vs. Unconventional Simple vs. Complex 26
Step 3 Check the Kit The Block Axle Slots Square (straight edge or paper) 4 Axles (nails) Test fit axles Cubmaster Tip: Use thread or small string to remove axles to avoid damage to head of axle 4 Wheels Round No defects Cubmaster Tip: Having all 4 wheels with same molding # is beneficial for a fast car Instruction Sheet Number Decals 27
Step 4 Draw the Design Basic wedge design with weight holes at rear and 1 center of gravity. Pencil Mark the back of the car on the block, use the end with the slot closest to the edge. Mark 1 from bottom at the rear of car and ¼ from bottom at front of car to get the basic wedge design. Then connect those lines in front and back as well as the side. Mark 3/8 from bottom on rear and then draw a line across like picture. Mark ½ in from each side for 2 weight holes. (see 2 marks) 28
Step 5 Drill Lower Weight Holes Cubmaster Tip: Drill holes before any cuts, easier to drill when the block is square. For weight to stabilize your car mark 2 ¾ from the rear and ½ from each side on the bottom of the block for 2 holes. Now you can drill the 2 holes on the bottom of the block using a 25/64 Brad Point Drill Bit. Put tape on the bit 3/8 from the cutting edge and drill until you get to the tape. This will give you the proper depth to install the lead weight. 29
Step 5 - Drill Rear Weight Holes Remove the tape from previous drilling and put new tape on 1 ½ from the cutting edge of the bit. Now you can drill your 2 rear holes to that depth by using the tape as a guide. Try to drill straight. 30
Step 6 Cutting the Car Out You want your scout to do as much as he can but some finer details of the car may require a lot of your help and especially when working with power tools. When using a hacksaw have the scout put his hands on it first and then you put yours over his to help guide him and keep things straight. 31
Step 6 Install Rear Weights Using two 1 ¼ of 3/8 lead wire you can easily install into the rear holes and then seal with wood putty or use 2 short pieces of 3/8 dowel rod then cut and sand flush. You will need two ¼ pieces of 3/8 lead for the front holes but wait until after painting to install these. 32
Step 7 Filling and Sanding Fill weight holes, rough surfaces with wood putty or dowel rod. Sand off excess, round off sharp corners. Cubmaster Tip: Getting your scout to sand is a lesson in patience, if they need help, take a pencil and mark the area to sand until pencil marking is gone (this shows them progress). 33
Step 8 Paint, Decals, Figures Brush on paint for younger children. Spray paint can be used for a smoother finish but younger children like to do their own so the brush is fun for them. Decals, stickers, etc. Cubmaster Tip: Krylon spray paint dries in 12 minutes! Easy to use! 34
Step 9 Axle Preparation VERY IMPORTANT FOR SPEED! Nail Head Burrs put nail in drill and drill in vise & use file to remove burrs. (unless you have a drill press you can use) Axle ridges can be taken out with rough sandpaper. Use fine sandpaper and wet sand for smooth surface, possibly jeweler s rouge. Speed kit comes in handy. 35
Step 10 Wheel Preparation Remove molding pits, check hub and axle bore for defects. Use wheel mandrel in drill to spin wheel to sand off pits and smooth surface of wheel. Use pipe cleaner in drill with graphite to condition the axle bore. Cubmaster Tip: The smoother the wheel the faster the car! In 2009 BSA came out with a new wheel in their kits (which is good for us!). Their manufacturing process is much better, you don t have to do as much work now! No molding tab to remove! 36
Step 11 Lubrication Lubricate axle, wheel interface areas Cubmaster Tip: Apply graphite to wheel axle bore and insert axle, then spin wheel 10 times letting it come to a stop each time. Apply graphite again and repeat this process 2 more times. Keep the same axle with the same wheel once you do this. 37
Step 13 Installing Axles and Wheels Insert axle into wheel, lay flat on firm, flat surface. You need 1/16 1/32 clearance between wheel and body. You can use a Credit card or Refrigerator Magnet thickness, just cut a slot (the size of your axle) in the card or magnet and slide it between the car body and wheel. Cubmaster Tip: Good wheel alignment = Faster Car! 38
Step 14 Pre-race storage Wrap car in dry, dust free material Small storage box for transport 39
Bring to races Lube Extra weights Pliers Glue Extra wheels / axles Drill with bit to lower weight All this shouldn t be too much of a problem if you come to time trials. 40
Resources available Other parents Current and former scouts Books Newsletters Videos Internet Local Hobby shops 41
What NOT To Do! Some resources are outside council rules be careful with some of the speed tricks that might be offered. Don t extend the wheelbase, don t drill holes in the wheels or shave the wheel thin. Don t use anything but dry graphite for lube. Don t use anything but what comes out of the box or is comparable to it. You can buy BSA speed axles and speed wheels that are lightened but those are not legal. We used everything out of the box and made it to the Council final 8 every year. Lastly don t wait until the week of the race to start building your car! 42
What Makes a Car Go Fast? Proper weighting as much as you can get to the rear of the car without it popping a wheelie off the track the potential energy is gained from the rear of the car. Smooth and well lubricated wheels and axles. Wheel alignment the straighter it goes the less it will touch sides of track. Aerodynamics & finish on car very slight but can make a difference in a close race. 43
Try Building 2 Cars? More learned from more experience Transition to independence parent hands on time decreases with experience and skill level of boy 1 st yr together learn from error on 1 st car, apply to 2 nd car 2 nd yr parent demonstrate on 1 st car, boy follow afterwards on 2 nd car 3 rd yr parent and boy work cars at basically the same time 4 th yr boy mostly independent, parent has car to work on while waiting to help as needed 5 th yr parent and boy make cars (mostly) independently race time! 44
Other Fun? Sibling, Parent/Grandparent races? Using Pure Stock rules off of derbyspeed.com Celebrity Race? plan on inviting some businesses to each build a car and have a traveling trophy to hand out to the winner. This works great during an intermission approx. 1-hour into the regular races. Outlaw Rules Watch the Down and Derby movie before race day? We are doing this in December. 45
Race Schedule Time Trials Insert your date. March 19th Time Trials (get to weigh car, eye examination & a drivers test down the track!) 46
Race Schedule Race Day! Insert your schedule below March 20th Race Day! Official Weigh-in starting at 9:00 am Best of Show 10:00 am Racing Begins 10:20 am 47
Race Rules Once your car is on the table for best of show you cannot do any adjustments from that point on unless you have a wheel fall off or about to fall off. If your car falls off of the track for any reason we will allow you to check your car and then re-run the race over. Car must be Parent/Child built no pre-built purchased cars. (NO ebay Cars!) No working on cars or putting graphite on wheels between races. 48
Race Rules Insert your racing procedure below The race will be run as a Perfect-N using Grand Prix Race Manager Software as all cars will get to race the same amount of times down the track. Perfect-N is a points system and the one with the lowest points wins. We will then take the top (7)? and have a finals round. 1st 1 point 2 nd 2 points 3 rd 3 points Etc. 49
History Cub Scouts weren t able to participate in the soap box derbies so the Pinewood Derby was set up to allow young scouts to participate. Don Murphy, 1953 Founder of the Pinewood Derby Pack 280C, Manhattan Beach, CA First Derby held here Boys Life Magazine Final Thoughts The Pinewood Derby can become very competitive but it should be an enjoyable event for the whole family. Enjoy the process and the results will be just as enjoyable. Be a winner from start to finish! 50
Resources for an Ultimate Experience! Speed Tips, Pictures, Video, Other Race Events, Rules 51
More Resources www.maximum-velocity.com Speed Kits, tools, weight, plus more! www.derbydad4hire.com Speed kits, tools, weight, alignment tool www.grandprix-softwar-central.com Software for running your race (doesn t include double elimination chart) This software does work well with Fast Track Timer 52
Options for an Ultimate Pinewood Derby Experience: Using a Track with a timer makes it much more exciting and accurate. Takes the guessing out! May set up a TV to view races better. Software allows you to see results on a TV Screen. Also hook up a video camera to a projector screen, if available, for everyone to be able to see the races. Try to put Track in middle of room for better viewing. Allow scouts to handle their cars from the finish line and be able to put them on the track by themselves as long as time allows. Make them a part of the experience as much as possible. (put scouts on one side and parents on the other) 53
Derby Track w/timer If you have the resources, this is the way to go! 54
BONUS! Tips on how to make your Pinewood Derby Ultimate! Have a Time Trials Day: If possible set up a time trial for your group one night before the races. We do this on a Thursday night and then have the races on a Saturday morning. Time trials will alleviate a lot of problems. Make this fun with an eye test, written test and test drive on the track against a slow drone car. Don t forget to let them weigh in. Race Day Schedule: Just some pointers on how to set up a race, if this is your first time. Start your check-in at least an hour before the races begin. Then have your Best of Show judging before the racing (set a time) and then ½ hour later start the races. To have an ultimate experience you really, really need to start on time. Make sure you have tested everything the night before and all things are in place before race day. This seems like a no-brainer, but I can t tell you how frustrating it is to wait for the races to start, especially with young children. An example of Race Day Schedule: Saturday Morning 9:00 am Check-in (weigh-in, inspection, have an area for repairs) 10:00 am Best of Show Judging (have a community celebrity who is into cars, come in and do best of show, don t use parents) 10:30 am Sing National Anthem, go over any final rules with group and start racing! 55
BONUS! Tips on how to make your Pinewood Derby Ultimate! Bring in a singer for the National Anthem (local celebrity, church choir) Announce in paper and give an open invitation to join scouts (or your organization) Ask for and give away door prizes from local businesses, during the racing. Have a P.A. system and assign someone to announce. Call out the boy s names and the names of their cars when they are racing, with proper software you can also call out who is on deck and make things go much faster! Have food and drink for sale during the derby. People will buy just because it s convenient. Great way to raise funds for your organization. (hot dogs, popcorn, chips, pop keep it simple) Have a stable, functional way to hold the derby cars when they are not racing. You do not want to be responsible for someone s car rolling off the table and breaking. Parents spend a lot of time helping build these cars, you want them on your side, not against you! See next page for a nice Pit Stop Stadium that I built in less than an hour. 56
Pit Stop Stadium 57