90 Days Left!

[J.Stein]

Surprised I haven't seen more chatter on the forum. We're down to three months here before the big races. I already told the two boys in my Den (that need the help) to have their car design drawn out so we can cut them over Christmas break. One grandpa already pulled me aside to tell me to expect some more competition this year. (Uh Oh). My son painted his car last weekend (chrome) and we've had the wheels and axles ready for a month.

Are ya'll a bunch of "last minute" types or something.

Better get with it. Your competition isn't sleeping.

[Ickabod]

I hosted our den meeting (Bears) last week and had our boys work on their cars. Apparently I am the only one that has the tools. I had the boys bring their blocks with a design drawn out on the side and I let them drill their own axle holes on the drill press (with help from a jig) and they also drilled holes for their weights. I then cut out the cars on the scroll saw so they wouldn't have to go through the agony of using a coping saw. Next they all sanded the cars before they left. Our Pack race in at the end of January, so it is coming up fast. The Council race isn't til begining of May so they will have time to tweak the cars if they are going to race.
Everyone in my family (wife and 4 boys) build and compete in the derby (1 in the scout division and 5 in the open division). Last year was our first year in scouts and did well. Our Wolf scout won the pack and our Webelos II won second place, I won the Open divsion with my wife came in second place. Our 2 youngest didn't have a car in the Pack race, but did race at the Council derby.
My boys and I will be painting our cars and working on the wheel/axles over the Christmas break. I am trying to stay ahead of the curve this year as I waited too long last year and ended up not having enough time to tune the alignment of the cars very well (lots of wobble on my car).

[sporty]

A few of the regulars, well there kids aged out of scouts, just me too.


However, I think many who come do not post, but view all the articles and posts on here.


But I have heard locally in my area, many packs are down in numbers there year. it does happen. seems to be a cycle. some years you have large size packs and then there seems some years will smaller size packs.

Sporty

[Darin McGrew]

We started publicizing our derby yesterday. Our church doesn't have a Wednesday night program for elementary age kids this year, so it will be interesting to see how this year's derby works out. We won't have any Wednesday night workshops, so we've added a couple more Saturday morning workshops. We're handing out kits and presenting an orientation Sunday, January 20, after church. The final weigh-in is Sunday, March 3, after church. And the derby itself is Saturday, March 9.

Yesterday, we also got the track down to check it out. Overall, it's still in good condition, although we did experiment with ideas to improve the brake section. The technique that worked was to replace the non-skid safety tape on the raised center rails with soft rubber weatherstripping. We aren't sure how durable the weatherstripping will turn out to be, but it isn't expensive, and even if we have to replace it every year, the much improved braking is worth it.

[Noskills]

My car for the open division is done and I have already mailed it off to Speedster to check on his track. Have been
planning the design for my sons car for a few weeks. He is going for a zombie theme. Bought the green paint, found some images on the web and got the decal paper. Cut the car this last weekend and it's waiting for him to sand. My daughters car is cut, sanded, weights in place, sitting in the painting box waiting to be painted. Had her car planned for a year. We are going to a den meeting do cut cars so I think we will do a fun car on the side. My son wants a hand grenade car..hmmmmm.

Perhaps I can convince my wife too

Noskills

[J.Stein]

A few of the regulars, well there kids aged out of scouts, just me too.

My boy's a Bear this year so we've still got Webelos left. After that, I guess I'll be adopting a kid.
A father who still had the itch after his son matriculated was how we were infected with this disease:
A friend whose son is now a Boyscout pulled me aside when I was a fresh faced Tiger Den Leader and said, "Pinewood is coming up...you better get ready." I had done Pinewood myself as a Cub thirty-five years earlier and didn't remember it being any bigger deal than the pumpkin carving contest. He let me know I was wrong and brought me his old mandrel and the thumb lathe "shaver" tool. And that's how it all began!

Now we've got exotic oils, sprays, and untold dollars worth of tools and spare weights and jigs and bags of wheels in various states of readiness....

BTW - thanks for the idea of turning wheels into neckerchief slides! The boys love them and we needed something to do with the ones we'd either screwed up or weren't round to begin with.

However, I think many who come do not post, but view all the articles and posts on here.

Ah! Makes perfect sense. I know my term searches on the forum have taking me back to posts that were years old. Its "all here" if you take the time to look.

[Ickabod]

My boy's a Bear this year so we've still got Webelos left. After that, I guess I'll be adopting a kid.

My oldest son crossed over to Boy Scouts last March so he was able to participate in our Pack derby that is in late January. My second oldest is a Bear this year also so he has Webelos and Webelos II still. I have another son that will be a Tiger in 2 years and my youngest is 2 years behind him. I have quite a few years left of being in Cub Scouts (and Boy Scouts).

@Sporty: Are you going to make it to the MAC derby in May? I must say that I was quite humbled last year at the MAC derby. Having easily won our open division at our Pack derby, I thought I would have a decent showing at Council, but was proven wrong. Even my wife's car did better than mine...

[sporty]

I hae no plans to do the mid america again.


Im retired. I do not see me doing any cars in the near future. I am helping a family now for local pack race, but I just come here to help. Until my info is outdated.


Sporty

[jzarvey]

My son is a Wolf. The Derby is on January 26. We both have the week between Christmas and New Year off so the "Pinewood Derby War-room" (he named it that last year and wanted to post signs that said No Girls Allowed ) will be in full swing. We've all ready turned some wheels on the lathe and sketched out the design onto the block. So there will be a lot of sawing, gluing, painting and axle prep going on during the off week.

[sporty]

we like pictures

[sporty]

My son is a Wolf. The Derby is on January 26. We both have the week between Christmas and New Year off so the "Pinewood Derby War-room" (he named it that last year and wanted to post signs that said No Girls Allowed ) will be in full swing. We've all ready turned some wheels on the lathe and sketched out the design onto the block. So there will be a lot of sawing, gluing, painting and axle prep going on during the off week.

Also, you goin for looks or for pure speed ?

[MOFAST]

I have been lurking for about a month, getting anxious for Derby time!

My boys a Wolf and a Bear are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. My Wolf has his car painted, clear coated and waxed and my bear doesn't even have the 2nd coat of paint on. He keeps telling me he wants a fast car but he doesn't want to put any work in. He is going to have a very slow car this year if he doesn't get involved because I am not touching his axles, he has to do it. Very hard for me to set back, but I want to do the right thing.

The Wolf's car would be done but I was kind of wanting them done at the same time.

My girls have more done on thier sibling race car than my Bear does. I have triplets.

[sporty]

MOFAST,


I hd this issue a few times too. I found early on, if I could get hem to do some things, it lead to more and more the following years.

Taking them to pick out the paint, was how it started for us. But sometimes kids just dont want too.

Sporty

[DerbyDash]

Not sure what other packs do but we can't start our work on our cars until we are handed our kits which just happened about a week ago. My son, who won his den and pack race last year as a Wolf, is going to be busy during winter break working on the car! He would rather have a lower profile, "faster" car than one that is big and bulky but "cool" looking. I told him a thinner car can still be cool as there are many things we can do to make it "cool" looking.

I have to add that reading all the posts and information about building / tuning a PWD car here was a BIG help in him doing as well as he did last year.....so thanks to all of you for sharing all your information!

[Ickabod]

Not sure what other packs do but we can't start our work on our cars until we are handed our kits which just happened about a week ago.

Our pack handed our kits out at our November pack meeting. This gives the boys about 2 months to work on the cars before the derby late January.

This forum has definately helped us this year in designing our cars!