One last time & the boys throw me a curve ball (More PICS.)

[Scrollsawer]

Well, it's Pinewood Derby time once again. In fact this will be our last Pinewood Derby (I think I'm taking this harder than the boys, lol). And the boys decided to throw me a curve ball. Neither one wants to go for speed this year. Instead, both are going for design award consideration. My daughter does want to go for speed in the 'Unlimited' division, and I'm going to enter a car in the 'Adult' division.

Anyhow, I'm glad to be back on the forum, and will be starting the build with the kids this week.

For now the themes are:

1. Most Cub Scout Spirit (Webelos)
2. 'Pig Car' (Webelos)
3. Chanel or Prada Car (daughter)
4. Racer-X (my Adult Division entry)

Subject to change, as my kids can and do change their minds often and with little advance notice.

Scrollsawer

[whodathunkit]

Welcome back Scrollsawer!

From the sound of things it sounds like to me that it was your daughter that thew you the curve ball..
by wanting a chanel or prada car.

( That's a Hand bag or a Purse .. looking car right ?)
Can't say that I've ever seen one .. however it sounds like a fun design for a car.

I've seen a few pig car designs on the net.. that are cool looking.
This link has a pig car that's really neat looking.
http://awhittlescouting.blogspot.com/20 ... years.html
I think that mindcraft also has a pig looking car as well.

Most Cub Scout Spirit car..
A Baseball Bat with a Baseball.. car. (Just an maybe. )
Good Luck with the car designs Team Scrollsawer!

Whoda.

[Scrollsawer]

Thanks Whoda, Good ideas ya got there! Will keep you posted as things get off the launching pad!

Scrollsawer

[Noskills]

Hey Scott,
Your designs were very cool last year. I am sure you will not disappoint. My cars are almost done and I hope to have 2015 lineup photos soon. We all went for speed. My daughter kept with the big cat theme and made a leopard print (tiger print last year), son has a minecraft skin that means mothering to me and I used a canopy that I was dying to try.
Noskills

[Vitamin K]

Last Pinewood Derby? Say it ain't so!

Good to see you back in action...looking forward to your builds.

[Scrollsawer]

Yes, this is hard, I must admit.

The boys have won 1st in Rank Tiger through Webelos I, and have won the Derby 3 times across the two of them. I guess they wanted something different...a different challenge. So, I say, why not!? Will be hard to hand over the reins and relinquish the Dynasty run in the Scout division, but it's time to pass the torch to someone else in the Pack.

The daughter and I will be racing in pretty competitive divisions, so we should still be challenged during the 'speed builds' (especially is she decides to do a 'purse/handbag' design).

I'm sure I'll have to do some adult racing in the future. Will not be able to go 'cold turkey', out the door.

Scrollsawer

[davet]

I think the fun cars are better to build than the fast ones. Can't wait to see what you and your family puts out. Our first 2 yrs he wanted cool cars then went to wanting fast cars. Think out of the box. Our 8-wheeled tank actually one some races at Districts. That was before we found this site and learned more about speed.

[ngyoung]

How competitive is your pack? You can still get a lot of speed even with crazy non-aerodynamic designs. May not win the whole shebang but they could still be sleeper cars.

[Scrollsawer]

Davet and NGYoung,

We would love to work together to make a cool design and a fast car, but our Pack's rules DO NOT allow a Scout to win both a 'speed' category and a 'design' category. 'Speed' categories trump 'Design' categories' in our Pack, award-wise.

Case in point from last year:

One of my boys wanted to go for a design award, so we built this 'Hot Dog' car...





Put a lot of work into it. He sanded his rump off. Gave him a case of 'Post-Sanding Stress Disorder', lol!

The car only weighed 3.5 ounces, but was apparently so well tuned (we figured the lower weight would place it well into the back of the Pack). However, he ended up winning 2nd Place in the Webelos Rank for speed. He had originally won in the Design category for his Hot Dog design(which he was ultimately going for), but since he won a 'speed' category, the 'Design' award went to the Scout in 2nd Place for 'Design' (which definitely bummed my son out).

I see why our Pack does this (to spread the wealth, award-wise), but we learned our lesson as a racing team. This year, we will be putting ZERO weight in the boys cars to ensure they go s-l-o-w-l-y.

Scrollsawer

[davet]

That hotdog car is unbelievable. Tell him he did on heck of a sanding job. That car could be used in hotdog ads for The World's BestHotdog Restaurant...if there was one. That's too bad about the rules. Building a creative car takes special techniques and afast car takes a different set of special techniques. Too bad you don't get to show your boy both worlds as you build. Even worse...he got something he earned (speed trophy) taken away. Instead of being rewarded for a great all-around car...he was punished.

Anyways. That is one awesome car.

[whodathunkit]

One of my boys wanted to go for a design award, so we built this 'Hot Dog' car...


Put a lot of work into it. He sanded his rump off. Gave him a case of 'Post-Sanding Stress Disorder', lol!

I remember the all the hard work your kids put into making there cars!
The 'Hold the Relish' hot dog car... & your Daughter's... 'Bedazzled car..

Whoda .. can't forget about 'Cowabunga' the cow car.
Hope your boy's get the design award this year that there looking to win.
And that your daughter's car design for this year is a fast one..
Yeah! she had me over the design idea as well.
Best of Luck Team Scrollsawer.

Mark.

[Noskills]

Scott, I just did a google image search for Prada. They have a cool logo and a many designs with the name in the shape of a rectangle. Could do a real thin fast car with a Prada label decal.
Seth

[davet]

Do the style type cars have to finish the race? If not, push the axles in so the wheels barely move. It will stop at bottom of ramp just make a point.

[Vitamin K]

The car only weighed 3.5 ounces, but was apparently so well tuned (we figured the lower weight would place it well into the back of the Pack). However, he ended up winning 2nd Place in the Webelos Rank for speed. He had originally won in the Design category for his Hot Dog design(which he was ultimately going for), but since he won a 'speed' category, the 'Design' award went to the Scout in 2nd Place for 'Design' (which definitely bummed my son out).

Your skills are just out of control, man. You touch a car, it wins.

I see why our Pack does this (to spread the wealth, award-wise), but we learned our lesson as a racing team. This year, we will be putting ZERO weight in the boys cars to ensure they go s-l-o-w-l-y.

Some people wanted to do this for our Pack, but I was firmly opposed for it. I wonder if some of the judges might try to select non-winning cars regardless, but it won't be because it was mandated. Let cars win on their own merits, whatever those merits may be.

Also, something in me screams at the idea of building a purposefully slow car. I know...I know...I just...augh.

[davet]

Why even run the creative cars on the track? Just let the creative ones sit and the fast ones race. That isn't Pinewood Derby though. I don't think the Derby Founder would approve of making slow cars.

Our second year my boy saw a missile in one of his books and wanted that exact design for his car. He thought a missile would be fast and so did I. It wobbled like crazy when it hit the flat and was slow. He had high hopes for the car and they were stomped on. He was disappointed but it was a learning situation for him.

Our first yr was the tank which went to Districts. A timing glitch on 3 heats gave those 12 cars a full 1 second lower time which of course nobody else could overtake. I was keeping track of my boy's times and it's possible he would've been in at least the top 5 but of course the glitch messed that up. That was another learning situation for him. When the glitch occurred a couple of times during the next rank's racing, the organizers stopped and re-ran those heats.

Losing can help build character in the scout in ways that winning can't.