How-To Guide: Outline

[gpraceman]

Here's a start at an outline for the How-To Guide.

• History of the Pinewood Derby
• What scouts should learn
• Level of scout and adult participation
• Building a car
  • General design considerations (allowed materials, axle locations, use of slots, selecting a design, etc.)
  • Car body prep (weight pockets, axle locations, cutting, sanding, painting)
  • Weights (where, why, how much)
  • Wheel prep (what's allowed and not allowed, removing mold mark, hub coning)
  • Axle prep (what's allowed and not allowed, straightening, removing burrs, polishing)
  • Lubrication (what's allowed and not allowed, application, break-in)
  • Mounting the wheels
  • Testing and adjusting alignment
  • Buying a fully or mostly completed car
  • Buying aftermarket parts
• How the race is run
  • Car check-in
  • Racing
  • Scoring
• Appendix 1 - Rules
• Appendix 2 - Intent of each rule
• Appendix 3 - Rule Variations (league divisions, edge guide track, race scoring, etc.)
• Appendix 4 - Historical tricks ("cheater bar", liquid weights, magnets, etc.)
• Appendix 5 - Additional resources and information (Scout shop, derby forums, derby supplies, other websites, etc.)

For some of the rules, for specific measurement limits list the "typical" limit and then have an appendix of variations to the rules depending on the track configuration being used.