Extended Missile
Extended Missile

Pinewood Derby Times
Volume 11, Issue 13
March 21, 2012

In this Edition:

- Editor's Notes

- Feature Article - Lubricant Testing - Part 2

- Humor

- Product Showcase - Wedge Car Plans Booklet and Propeller Car Kit

- Pinewood Derby Car Showcase

- Q&A


Editor's Notes
Plain Pine Blocks On Clearance
We have run across quite a number of plain pine blocks that have unusual spots or streaks. The blocks are fully functional, but do look a bit odd. However, after sanding and painting, you won't know the difference.

While supplies last you can purchase these blocks for 33% off list. For more information and to order Click Here

Inventory Clearance Sale
We currently have all of our printed Car Plans booklets on sale. Click Here to find our clearance items. Don't miss out on the great prices.

Can We Help?
If we can help you in any way with your pinewood derby project, or if you have any feedback regarding this newsletter, please contact us at: [email protected]
MV Basic & Wedge Car Kits

If you are planning a race and are not required to use a specific kit type, our MV Basic or Wedge Car Kit are just what you need. These attractively priced kits are equipped with:

  • Quality Block - Unlike the blocks provided by some organizations, our blocks are soft, northwestern pine blocks, cut precisely to 7 inches long, 1-3/4 inches wide, and 1-1/4 inches tall. These dimensions, as well as the axle slots accurately duplicate the dimensions of standard pinewood derby blocks from BSA and PineCar.

  • Simple Axle Preparation - Don't worry about filing off flaws, or losing hub caps. Our Speed Axles have no burrs or crimp marks, and install without hub caps. With or without polishing, they are ready to go. We supply five, so you have a spare.

  • Quality Wheels - Forget cheap, out of round wheels. Our MV wheels are top-quality wheels. You will not be disappointed with the quality of these wheels.

So, if your organization does not mandate a particular kit type, consider our MV Basic Car Kits or MV Wedge Car Kits

Feature Article

Lubricant Testing - Part 2
By Randy Davis

On February 4, 2009, I published an article on a lubricant test using the "Tilted Plane" method for measuring a friction angle, from which the coefficient of friction (μ) can be calculated. That experiment compared Max-V Lube with MS2 and TS2, and debunked some of the hype surrounding those lubes. You can read the article Here

Since then I have collected a few more lube samples, so I decided to pull out the testing apparatus and go another round.

Lubes
The first lube of interest was Boron Nitride. Boron Nitride is a common industrial lube used (among other things) as a mold release agent, and as a coating for bullets. It is a white powder with an appearance like powdered sugar.1 The two versions I had for testing had a 1.0 micron and 10 micron particle size respectively. These lubes were compared with Max-V Lube graphite.

I also had two types of Methyl-Silicone, a 5 cSt and a 10 cSt version.2 Silicone is often suggested as a good lube for pinewood derby cars. In my experience this is true; however, I have found that silicone lubes tend to last for only a short period of time, limiting the usefulness of the lube for pinewood derby racing. However, I decided to give it another try. The Methyl-Silicone lubes were compared with Krytox 100 (5.14 cSt at 40 deg C).

Experiment Setup
The tilted plane apparatus is shown in Figure 1. The crank causes the glass surface to slowly tilt, while the angle measuring device shows the current angle. For sliding blocks, Delrin plastic was machined into blocks of the same size and weight, with very smooth and flat surfaces on two sides. Separate blocks were used for each of the lubes.


Figure 1 - Tilted Plane Apparatus

Experimental Procedure
The glass plate on the tilting apparatus was first cleaned thoroughly with a glass cleaner, then with water. This cleaning was repeated each time the lubricant was changed.

For the dry lubes, a quantity of the lubricant was placed on a sheet of clean paper. One side of a block was then rubbed on the lubricant until thoroughly coated. The block was then placed on the glass and slid back and forth to distribute some of the lube onto the glass. The block was then recoated with the lube and placed on the uphill side of the glass.3 The glass was then slowly tilted until the block slid to the downhill side of the glass. The tilt angle was then recorded. This test was repeated five times for each block.

For the liquid lubes, one surface of the block was coated with the lube, and then wiped off with a clean rag. The block was then placed on the glass and slid back and forth. The glass was then slowly tilted until the block slid to the downhill side of the glass. The experiment then proceeded as with the dry lubes.

Experiment Results
After all of the tests, the results were averaged. μ was then calculated for each of the lubricants and for the control block. The results are shown in Figure 2.4


Figure 2 - Experiment Results

Some observations:
Conclusion
There does not appear to be any advantage to methyl-silicone over Krytox 100. The evaporation rate of the silicon lube is just too fast for pinewood derby racing.

However, Boron Nitride might be useful as a pinewood derby lube for races requiring a white lube. I did a few weighted-wheel spin tests on a wheel lubed with Boron Nitride 10 (applied with a pipe cleaner through the bore). It spun reasonably well, but more testing would be needed to ascertain whether the lube would be a good choice. One disadvantage is that the raw cost of Boron Nitride 10 is considerably more than graphite.

1Boron Nitride is not to be confused with the "Dry White" lube offered by PineCar and others. Dry White is a PTFE (Teflon) based lube.

2Methyl-Silicone is the main formulation of silicon for use as a lubricant. "cSt" is the abbreviation for Centistroke, a measure of the viscosity of the substance.

3The Boron Nitride tended to clump up on the plastic, which greatly increased the tilt angle. So, before sliding, the excess had to be wiped off.

4The Delrin blocks had a different weight than those used in the previously cited experiment, so the results cannot be directly compared (μ changes with weight).


Humor

I took my four-year-old son, Josh, out to McDonald's for dinner one evening for a "guys' night out."

As we were eating our hamburgers, Josh asked, "Daddy, what are these little things on the hamburger buns?"

I explained that they were tiny seeds and that they were OK to eat.

He was quiet for a couple of minutes and I could tell he was in deep thought.

Finally, Josh looked up and said, "Dad, if we go home and plant these seeds in our backyard, we will have enough hamburgers to last forever."


Product Showcase

Take Advantage of One of the Following Two Showcase Specials

    Free Wedge Plans Booklet    

Get three of our winning car plans at no charge. You will get plans to build the Wedge, the Wedge GT, and the Wedge SE.

Through April 3, 2012, you can get one Wedge Car Plans booklet at no charge. To take advantage of this limited time offer, Click Here and follow the instructions to use coupon code "0321NLBOOK".


Car Showcase

King of the Road - Monte & Bryson Evans

Here is Bryson's car that took fourth place. My son and I built two cars from the ground up - together. This year, we hope to do even better!

Wedge GT - Travis Burkhardt

This Wedge GT took first place in the den. We used Krylon Orange Glitter Blast and many coats of clear.

Silver Bullet - Layton & Brian Grissom

This is my son Layton's first pinewood derby car.

Help - We Are Almost Out of Car Photos!

Do you have a car you would like to 'show off' to our readers? If so, send us a photo of your car along with a brief description of any special features. Also, please include your full name. If selected, we will include the photo and description in this newsletter.Please e-mail photos to:
[email protected].

Photos must be sent by e-mail in JPG format (minimum size of 640x480, maximum size of 1280 x 960). Please shoot photos from the front left of the car, similar to the orientation of this car:


Send only one photo per car, unless an additional photo is needed to adequately show a feature. Also, only one car per subscriber per year please. Thanks!


Q&A

Is there any advantage to lowering the front end of the car by drilling the front axles slightly higher on the block than the rear axles?

As long as you meet the 3/8 inch clearance specification, there is a very slight advantage to lowering the car body. The purpose is to lower the center of gravity of the car. If you just lower the front wheels, there would likely be little effect as the COG is usually closer to the rear of the car.

I notice most of your kit cars have precut areas to attach weight on the bottom of the car. From my research it is recommended the weight be placed as high as possible. Are you seeing the same performance in speed with the weights down low?

I am not sure where you read that high weight is better, but that is not really true. Low weight provides more potential energy and better stability.

You can read more at about weight placement Here. Look for the section "Vertical COG - Up And Down"

Can I add flat magnets for the weight needed, or will it cause the car to be disqualified?

Epoxy sticks well to the paint, but I have not tried it over waxes. So, it would probably be best to keep wax off the area. Even better would be to drill shallow holes (1/16 to 1/8 inch) into the body where the cylinders will go. That way the cylinders will recess slightly, which will give them a lot stronger bond.

I would avoid magnets. It is possible that they could be considered a starting device if the starting peg is made from steel. Also, if there are any metal screws in the track, the attraction could affect the performance of the car.

Do You Have Questions that Need Answers?
Do you have a pinewood derby-related question? If so, send your question to: [email protected]. We answer all questions by e-mail, but not every question will appear in the Q&A section of the newsletter.


Back Issues

Are you a new subscriber, or have you missed some of the previous newsletters? Don't miss out! All of the issues for Volume 5 through Volume 11 are posted on our web site and can be found using our Newsletter Index.

Issues from Volumes 1 to 4 are available in four formatted documents, ready for immediate download. To find out more, Click Here.



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Randy Davis, Editor, Pinewood Derby Times
E-Mail: [email protected]

Copyright ©2012, Randy Davis. All rights reserved. Please do not reprint or place this newsletter on your web site without explicit permission. However, if you like this newsletter we grant permission, and encourage you to e-mail it to a friend.

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