NEWBIE MOM AND DAD HERE! Please help!

[FirstTimeScout]

Hi, this is my son's first year in scouting and our pack/den isn't offering any workshop. Where can we go to get this done? We are not very handy people and the most we own is a hammer and screwdriver as far as tools go. Is there a place like a homedepot/lowes/menards/anywhere where we can take him to do make is car?

Thank you!
Alexia and John

[Pinewood Daddy]

There must be someone in your Den who could give you a hand. You could learn together. Or there must be a few Pineheads in your Pack that would be willing to help out.

Take notes from this forum and you'll learn alot quickly. Buy extra kits and wheel sets to practice on.

I've offered to host a few workshops for our Pack this year. My son's car was the fastest in the Pack and beat everyone he raced (in his Den) by 2-3 feet. I'd like to see more competition this year.

[Stan Pope]

There are a couple of PowerPoint presentations on my website that you two might find useful ... see http://members.aol.com/standcmr/pwportal.html

[gpraceman]

Hi, this is my son's first year in scouting and our pack/den isn't offering any workshop. Where can we go to get this done? We are not very handy people and the most we own is a hammer and screwdriver as far as tools go.

Alexia and John Welcome to DerbyTalk!

I think it is great that you are trying to help out your son. As Pinewood Daddy suggested, it would be good to check with your son's den leader. There has got to be someone in the pack willing to help you out.

I am suprised that your pack is not doing any workshops. I would recommend that you talk to the Cub Master. It is an awful shame for the pack to not try to help out those without the tools and the Pinewood Derby know how. It helps improve attendance at the race if some sort of workshop is offered.

At least at the den level, they can devote a meeting or two to building cars and giving pointers. You can talk to your son's den leader about that, if the pack will not end up doing something.

[michael4262]

I am suprised that your pack is not doing any workshops.

Hehe .... wish it were true for our pack the first couple of years we were in ... I know we sure could have used some pointers, but our pack was on a real decline.

We have simplified over the last couple of years and used the "wedge" kit, allowing more experienced dads to get the "block". Most of our parents went with the "wedge" because of the lack of experience in the Pack. However, I did find that even with the "block", all my son and I needed was a basic coping saw and a couple of sheets of sandpaper... not a "super" competitive car, but we had fun with it ...

This year, we couldn't find the "wedge" kits for the Pack, so we all get the "block". This is a little tougher for some of our single parents out there, so we are going to hold our first workshop in a couple of weeks.

My advice FirstTimeScout, if you cannot get into a workshop (for whatever reason), then simplify. If you can get a "wedge" kit, get it for the first year and have fun with painting/decorating it. Or, if you have the "block", get it cut into a wedge shape. You don't have to have the fastest or best looking car there for the cubbie to have a great time. Believe me I know ... hehe ...

Good luck and above all, have fun with your son!

[Stan Pope]

Regardless of whether you have a "workshop" provided, your study should include learning about which tools would be useful in making a car. With that knowledge, you can approach friends and neighbors to locate "helpers with tools" (many of whom will happily share and tutor you and your scout.) Most of us are three phone calls away from all the help we need.

[Pinewood Daddy]

I am suprised that your pack is not doing any workshops. It is an awful shame for the pack to not try to help out those without the tools and the Pinewood Derby know how.

As far as I know our Pack has never had a workshop.

It helps improve attendance at the race if some sort of workshop is offered.

We always have great attendance (only 1 or 2 missing out of 40). The biggest problem is the large gap between the fastest and the slowest. Obviously, some of them don't know to deburr the axels & lubricate, let alone some of the esoteric stuff we Pineheads do.

WE MUST EDUCATE AND ASSIST THE LESS FORTUNATE FUTURE PINEHEADS.

[NE-II-143]

Alexia & John,

At the risk of soundimng like a broken record I am going to also suggest recruiting an experienced Scouter within your Pack or Den.

If this is uncomfortable or fails to solve the problem, a good "Plan B" would be to find a local retired person who was in Scouts or has experience carving wood.

Likely places to find really genuine & high quality help: VFW Posts, ELKS or Masonic Lodges, Fire Stations, some Hobby Shops, most Bait & Tackle shops, local Community House, etc.

Most groups of active retired men will contain 1 or 2 old Scouters. There isn't a single one that wouldn't enjoy the chance to smell pine dust again.

Imagine some old Vets sitting around the VFW post chewing the fat when a Mom, Dad & young son walked in with the Boy clutching a block of Pine & a coping saw? They amble around asking if anyone knows how to shape the block into a car shape....

Merry Christmas!

[Pinewood Daddy]

Other possibilties would be local Lumber & Millwork companies.

Years ago I used to buy custom cut pine & plywood from a local lumber & hardware store. When I built my track last year I bought the 1/4" X 1-5/8" lane guide strips from him (about 1/2 the price of Home Depot or Lowe's). When I told him what the wood was for, he said kids (and their parents) have been bringing their pine blocks to him for many years, and he would cut out the basic shapes for free. There must be many more people like him out there.

All you have to do is ask.

[Da Graphite Kid]

Alexia and John,

Boy did you come to the right place for help!

In addition to the many suggestions so far I would add: Boy Scouts. Most of these boys have already gone through Cub Scouits and so would have a better chance to have built a pinewood derby car. Check with your Cubmaster, Unit Commisioner, District Commisioner, or even someone at the Council or Council Scout Shop/Office for the name and a phone number of a local Scoutmaster. Some of these guys just can't wait for a chance to help out.

Another possibility is that there is a Pinehead near you. I did not see where you are located but I and many others would be willing to help anyone that we can. I live in LA (Lower Alabama) - Eufaula to be exact, next to the border with Georgia. Both of my sons are Boy Scouts now so I have to help local Cub Scouts and their parents build their pinewood derby cars every year just to get my "pine dust fix"!

Da Graphite Kid