Derby Talk

Pretty cool. However, it just isn't the same as working the wood to build a car.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:735561

3D printed car accessories like engine blowers, exhaust pipes, drivers with steering wheels? Yes.

Car body superstructures like this (similar to Drag Racing Funny Cars)? No.

There's another thread on fiberglass car bodies which I would also be against for the same reason, though I think the author of that post is exploring it for the sake of the craft, versus actually intending to use it in a Derby race.

Scrollsawer

Randy,

Hope you don't mind me posting this for the sake of the topic!
Not many know that back in 97 BSA also offered a special edition stock car kit
that was also built along these lines.
Here's a few photos of that special edition stock car kit.

gpraceman wrote:Pretty cool. However, it just isn't the same as working the wood to build a car.

It's very cool. And it's the technology that will revolutionize customized production.

Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

FoamCoreDerby wrote:

gpraceman wrote:Pretty cool. However, it just isn't the same as working the wood to build a car.

Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

That would be zero fun for my scouts and me, and they would learn nothing about working with their hands.

"Doing it" is the fun part.

I suppose I could see it being a fun novelty, like the nascar kit above.

FoamCoreDerby wrote:

gpraceman wrote:Pretty cool. However, it just isn't the same as working the wood to build a car.

It's very cool. And it's the technology that will revolutionize customized production.

Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

It's cool for sure.

It's got nothing to do with building a Pinewood Derby car.

And nope, we never did use a CNC machine to work a pine block.

Scrollsawer

Gtdhw wrote:

FoamCoreDerby wrote:


Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

That would be zero fun for my scouts and me, and they would learn nothing about working with their hands.

"Doing it" is the fun part.

I suppose I could see it being a fun novelty, like the nascar kit above.

I think it could be brought back at the older levels, as I firmly believe that young men should at least be aware of modern tooling technology.

FoamCoreDerby wrote:

gpraceman wrote:Pretty cool. However, it just isn't the same as working the wood to build a car.

It's very cool. And it's the technology that will revolutionize customized production.

Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

I have a 3-axis machine I made that we considered briefly using for the basic shape or our cars. It's kind of buried at the moment under other projects or I might have given it more consideration at least for the "dad" build. I think it would be a great application to introduce modern tech into this process, but ultimately perhaps more suited for an older audience, and as an additional class or even a separate event.

Translating ideas into shapes using basic power tools and by hand is a lot easier to grasp in my opinion for the younger boys, at least it seems to be for my son, and it's also more fitting in the spirit of PWD racing at the cub-scout level. It's something that is attainable for most as a coping saw and some sandpaper can be sourced by most in scouts where the software alone for model creation not to mention the hardware are a bit overwhelming for even the most hardcore hobby folks.

iflytii wrote:

FoamCoreDerby wrote:
It's very cool. And it's the technology that will revolutionize customized production.

Anyone ever shove a pine block into a 5-axis CNC machine?

I have a 3-axis machine I made that we considered briefly using for the basic shape or our cars. It's kind of buried at the moment under other projects or I might have given it more consideration at least for the "dad" build. I think it would be a great application to introduce modern tech into this process, but ultimately perhaps more suited for an older audience, and as an additional class or even a separate event.

Translating ideas into shapes using basic power tools and by hand is a lot easier to grasp in my opinion for the younger boys, at least it seems to be for my son, and it's also more fitting in the spirit of PWD racing at the cub-scout level. It's something that is attainable for most as a coping saw and some sandpaper can be sourced by most in scouts where the software alone for model creation not to mention the hardware are a bit overwhelming for even the most hardcore hobby folks.

Agree... the traditional PWD should stay as it is.

...but I think the same infrastructure can then be repurposed to an older crowd to extract different lessons.

Randy,

After reading over this topic once more.
And looking at the construction / build styles used for the 3d printed mustang car.
The Pseudo fiber glass car posted by Foam Core Derby.. And that of the BSA kit I posted photos of In the topic.

The construction / build style for these types of cars seen using a wooden bottom and a car covering.

(EDIT ON THE DATE!) I'll let you be the judge for the date to this Nifty Racer kit.

Guys..
This type of construction / build style dates back to the 50's /early 60's
when Tether cars, Sling shot Drag racing, & Pinewood Derby cars were the newest form of model car racing.

One of the first model car kits out side of BSA To use this construction /build style
with a vacuum formed plastic car covering and wooden bottom.

Was designed by Walter A. Musciano of Scientific Model Air Plane CO.
With a 1950's / 60's car kit called the Nifty Racer And it was also one of the first model car kit types
to show on the side of the kit box for all 3 types of model car racing.

It showed on the side of the kit box the gravity ramp idea that was taking the country by storm.
The "Pinewood Derby Speed Dash" was seen in the instruction sheet to this kit.

However:
The car is 9 inches long & 3 inches tall used wooden wheels
and nail type axles that are much like the ones used in today's BSA kits.
The vacuum formed car body was pre- painted with flames
and also had a plastic molded driver that could be painted and attached to the car.

I believe that any Cub Scout who can write the program for an NC tool to carve out his PW car should be allowed, even encouraged, to do so!

Okay !
So maybe the date seen on the Scientific Nifty Racer kit in goggle images are off for there date to this kit.
I had to pick one of these kits up to take a closer look at it. ( so I'll leave it up to you all to put your date on it!)

Box top of the kit:

kit box side views:



Instruction sheet pix's:




Car part pix's:



Last photo: If you'll look close just above the big black square box to the lower right..
You'll see something in smaller print.


Scientific Airplane Co.-4-24-61
Oh" the joys of discovery I have no idea if this is the true date to this kit of not.
However this company did make a gas power tether car that looked a lot alike this nifty racer that dates back to 1955 .

Could not help myself while trying to pin point a date to this Scientific Nifty Racer kit discovery,
that also shared a little something about the Pinewood Derby.

While doing some cleaning up in the shop today.. I had forgot that I had a few old model air plane news magazines.
As i was looking threw some of them I ran across an ad showing this very kit new.



Oct 1961.

Anyhow I just wanted to show the construction styles used for all the car types in this topic.