Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Draw the outline of your pinewood car design onto a piece of paper. Designs that are heavy in the back and lighter in the front tend to be speedier than designs that are front-heavy. Once you are satisfied with the design, transfer it to the side of the wood block. Make sure to keep the side of the block that has grooves on the bottom for the wheels.
Hold the wood block in the vise grip. Use the band saw to cut out the car shape from the wood block. Don't worry about rounding the edges at this point. The rasp and sandpaper will round the edges at a later time.
Trim down any sharp edges, using the rasp, to to give the car a rounded appearance. This will be the first step where the wood will start to look like a car.
Sand the car until it is completely smooth. Start with a rougher-grit sandpaper and progress to a finer grit. Run a soft cloth over the surface of the car. If the cloth travels smoothly over the wood, the car is sanded enough.
Paint the car with a coating of high-gloss spray paint. Allow each coat to dry for two hours before applying the next coat. A total of three coats of paint are usually enough to make a good base coat. Add any detail paint or decal stickers to make the car look more realistic.
Slide the wheels over the axles and then place the axles into the grooves on the bottom of the car. Make sure the axles are aligned straight. Glue the axles in place, making sure not to glue the wheels.
Weigh the completed car. The maximum allowable weight is 5 oz.. If the car is under that, drill holes into the bottom and glue some fishing weights into the back of the car. If the car is too heavy, drill out some wood from the bottom of the car. The ideal weight is just under 5 oz.