Have you ever wanted to create a Pinewood Derby competition machine? You can make a cool car, a fast one, or just something that feels fun to do!
Steps
Method 1 of 1: Create Your Own Pinewood Derby Competition Car
Step 1. Design your car
On a piece of paper, make a sketch of your piece of wood. Some ideas are those just presented in the examples, but more or less any type of shape will do.
- The fastest cars have a pointed shape, with a narrower front.
- If you or someone who will help you is very good at cutting wood, you can do something creative (like a hot dog or a car with windows.) If this is your first time, perhaps it is better to settle for a simpler design.
Step 2. Get your materials
There are a lot of accessories that will work, but wood and nails can be found in any hardware store. You will probably have to buy the wheels from a model shop as many races require a certain size of wheels. Read at the bottom of the article for the list of necessary materials.
Step 3. Decide if you will cut the wood yourself or if you will ask someone
If you're doing this yourself, get a wood saw and vise. Many scout leaders or hardware stores will cut wood for you if you ask them.
Step 4. Use your drawing to outline the shape of your car on the piece of wood
Step 5. Cut the wood or ask someone to cut it for you
Step 6. Sand the machine
This way the dye will stick better and the machine will go faster. You can use 120 grit sandpaper to get started.
Step 7. Paint the car with a brush or spray paint; make a thin layer
- Many thin layers are better than a thicker layer because they are less likely to drip and spoil the look of your machine.
- Let the machine dry after painting it and sand it after the stain has dried well.
- Now, it's best if you use 200 grit sandpaper.
- After sanding, you can put any decal or writing you want.
Step 8. Put on the wheels
Slip the wheels into the axle and then put them in your car, perhaps tapping lightly with a hammer. Some races allow you to put graphite as a lubricant on the axle.
Step 9. Weigh your car
The weight limit is 141 g. If it weighs more, cut something off. If it weighs less, you can add some weight, such as new accessories.
Design Tips for a Fast Car
- One of the fastest and simplest car shapes is the pointed one (like a doorstop). Make it as thin as possible and put the extra weights in the back of the machine.
- Make the base for the wheels as long as possible. The idea is to make the machine have as much energy potential as possible by carrying most of its weight as high as possible. In this way you will gain in acceleration and the difference compared to before will be what will make you either win or lose!
- Friction is your enemy! Polish the nails you used as axles using graphite as a lubricant and check carefully what types of wheels are found for Pinewood machines. The companies that sell the kit make wheels with a groove in the center of the tread and wheels with a pointed ridge about halfway down the tread.
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Ask your scout leader before you decide to use non-standard wheels, as you may have problems if you've never seen one before.
Advice
- If you buy oval fishing leads you can color them to make them look like heads and nails so they look like the driver and a passenger. Then, if on race day you find that the official rules do not allow the changes you have made to your car and you see that it is overweight, simply take it off (or bring some extras to wear if your car is underweight).
- To sandpaper, try to get sandpaper that is very fine, as fine as possible. This way you will make your car more beautiful.
