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Pinewood Derby Times
Volume 12, Issue 6
December 12, 2012

In this Edition:

- Editor's Notes

- Feature Article - Weigh-in Problems and How to Avoid Them

- Humor

- Product Showcase - Derbydome

- Pinewood Derby Car Showcase

- Q&A



Editor's Notes

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.

Inventory Clearance Sale
We are clearing inventory on several items including car kits, car plan booklets, and pine blocks (plain, standard, and extended drilled). 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]


Feature Article

Weigh-in Problems and How to Avoid Them
By Randy Davis

(An update of an article originally published February 23, 2005)

I have been the head race official for many pinewood derby races. One of the tasks is to manage the check-in process (which really means "do everything you can't find someone else to do!"). As I have helped kids and parents check-in I repeatedly see the same major mistakes. It doesn't seem to matter whether we have workshops, pass out detailed instructions, or pass out simple instructions; the same mistakes appear each year.

In today's article, I will identify the main issues that arise at weigh-ins, and suggest some ways to remedy these problems. My intent is to provide race officials with some ideas as to how to deal with these issues, and to help pinewood derby "freshmen" to ensure these problems don't occur with their car.

Note To Race Officials
If at all possible coach the car owners to make their own adjustments (after all, it's their car). If at all possible, don't put yourself in the position of working on the car yourself, as damage can easily occur. When it is apparent that you will need to work on the car, ask the car owner if they will permit you to work on the car. Then tell the owner that you will do your best, but that the car may be damaged.

Car Is Significantly Under Weight
This is the most common problem that occurs. Oftentimes, new car builders do not understand that weight must be added to the car in order to make the target weight.

The only reasonable way (i.e., without risk of damage to the car) to add 2 or 3 ounces of weight to a car after it is painted and assembled is to attach a zinc plate weight under the car (available from most hobby shops). If this type of weight is used, make sure that the bottom clearance specification is met.1

Officials - These plates typically sell for about $3.95.2 So consider purchasing a few and then selling them to the folks that bring in light-weight cars.

Owners - Before doing any work on the car, decide how weight will be added to the car, and then create any needed weight holes/pockets first. This will eliminate lots of grief at the weigh-in.

Car Is Not Lubricated
This is the second most common problem I have seen. I used to be very concerned about this and would work with folks to get some lube on their car. But it is very difficult (and messy) to effectively lubricate after the car is assembled. So, in recent years, I just ask them if they want to add lubricant, and then loan them a tube of graphite if they say yes.

Officials - Have a few tubes of graphite on hand, and identify a location where the race owners can use graphite (typically outside the building).

Owners - Lubricate the wheels and axles before putting them on the car.

Car Is Significantly Over Weight
I'll never forget the Bus. The family glued another block of wood on top of the original block and then carved and painted the body to look like a school bus. The only problem was that the second block of wood was not pine, but was instead fir, a much denser type of wood. The Bus weighed over 7 ounces! To make the car legal, the dad had to hollow out a large portion of the vehicle.

The point is that depending on what is used for weight, removing more than a few tenths of an ounce can be a difficult problem.

Officials - The method to remove weight depends on the type of weight:
Owners - Weigh the car body along with the weight, wheels, axles, and any accessories early in the process. This will allow time to make any needed weight corrections.

Weight Hangs Too Far Below The Car
Typically clearance problems occur due to weights attached to the bottom of the car. In one recent case at our weigh-in, a zinc plate was screwed onto the bottom of the car with the wrong type of screws (the original screws were lost). The weight itself cleared, but the screws didn't.

Officials - Make sure to check for car clearance. If the car just barely does meet the specification, and you know that there is plenty of clearance on the track, you can choose to let the car race.(1) But if the car clearance is far from the specification, make sure the problem is fixed. Otherwise, the car may drag, scratching the track and performing poorly.

Owners - Make sure your car meets the specification before coming to the weigh-in.

Car Is Oversized
At one of our races, a family came to the weigh-in that had not previously registered (so they had not been given a copy of the rules). Their car (actually a boat) was really neat! It was nicely detailed, but had a mast and a bowsprit (a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel) that caused the car to be too tall and too long. We decided to allow the parts to stay on for the design judging, as long as the parts could be easily removed by the race officials prior to the racing. We have also done this for a few other cars with tails and other accessories.

Officials - Make sure that the rules clearly define what is allowed, and provide the rules to all participants. Then enforce the rules. You may want to clarify in the rules whether accessories can be added for the design judging that cause the vehicle to exceed the size limit.

Owners - Make sure your car meets the specifications before coming to the weigh-in.

Gorilla Glue
Gorilla glue is a relatively new type of construction cement. It is activated by moisture in the air or on the surface to be glued. When it is activated, it foams and expands. This probably works well for construction, but is generally a disaster for pinewood derby cars.

At a recent weigh-in a family brought in three completed cars, all of which had Gorilla glue foam on the wheels. Apparently, they used it to glue the axles in the slots, but then later found that the glue essentially took over the car! I gave them some replacement wheels and axles, and they did their best to repair the cars.

Unfortunately, the family brought along the bottle of glue, and someone else used it to glue tungsten cylinders into holes drilled in the bottom of the car. They turned in the car, and we left if lying on its back for the glue to dry. As the evening progressed, the tungsten cylinders slowly rose out of the holes. I shoved them back in a few times, and finally they stayed in. But if I had not been watching the car, the glue would have cured with the cylinders extending out about a 1/2 inch, and the car would not have been able to run.

Officials - Ban Gorilla Glue from the weigh-in.

Owners - Don't use Gorilla Glue on your car.

Conclusion
The issues that can arise at weigh-ins are certainly many, and not all of them can be anticipated. But as an official or owner, preparing for these common issues will facilitate a smooth and (relatively) painless weigh-in.

1For our race, we allow zinc plates to be attached to the bottom of the car, even though the clearance specification is not quite met. I know that cars with zinc plates run fine on our track. These plates are very convenient for correcting weight issues at the weigh-in, and banning them would be like shooting yourself in the foot.

2Maximum Velocity offers Zinc Plates for considerably less than hobby shops.



Humor

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in.

Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."



Product Showcase

    DerbyDome: $1.00 Off    

The DerbyDome is a high-quality case for safely displaying pinewood derby cars. The DerbyDome has the following features:
Through December 25, 2012, you can get a DerbyDome for $1.00 off. To take advantage of this limited time offer, Click Here and use coupon code 12DECNL during checkout.



Car Showcase

Today's showcase cars are from Maynard Hinton.

Batmobile & Dick Dastardly - Samantha Hinton

My daughter Samantha's Batmobile took first in design and speed. The next year her second car, Dick Dastardly, took first in design and second in speed (by only 1 thousandth of a second).

Hershey Bar - Terie Hinton

Out of all the cars my wife Terie has made, the Hershey bar had the best results. It took both second in speed and design in the adult division at our Awana Grand Prix.

The Mythbuster - Maynard Hinton

I made this car from a design I saw at a derby car building class. I went the next step further after watching MythBusters when they showed how a golf ball would fly farther and faster because of the dimples that are on the ball. So I used my Dremel tool to make dimples all over the car to test that theory. Unfortunately, I had to shave the inside of the fenders because they were rubbing on the rails. Long story short, the car was pretty quick, but not as fast as I had hoped because I got sawdust in the front axles from the late modification.

Share Your Car With Our Readers

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:


For better focus, keep the camera four or five feet away from the car, and then use the camera's zoom to fill the frame with the 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

The past several years I have used your 4094 BSA speed axles without issues, and with pretty solid performance. I am considering using the 4093 Super speed axles. Do they provide a performance advantage over the 4094 axles?

Due to the larger diameter, the 4093 axles will generally outperform the 4094 axles. You can read about a test I did on these axles. The article is entitled "Grooved Speed Axles", but I tested both grooved and non-grooved. The 4093 axles are the "Oversized Non-Grooved Axles"

Do you know where I can get some of the wheels that were on the original kits - from the late 50s?

Beta crafts (shop.betacrafts.com) offers a new kit that replicates the original kit. I don't know if they sell the wheels separately. If you looking for wheels made in the 50's, then check on eBay as the vintage kits occasionally show up there.

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.




Newsletter Contributions

We welcome your contributions! If you would like to contribute an article, a web site review, or a speed tip, please send it to: [email protected].

Please read our submission policy.



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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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