Home >> Hobbies >> Soap Box Derby

Clever But Easy Pinewood Derby Car Ideas

The Pinewood Derby dates to the 1950s, when the Boy Scouts of America held the first Scout derbies. Each child receives a kit with a block of pine, metal axles and plastic wheels. Working with adults, he turns the kit into a creative racing machine. At the derby, Scouts gather to race their cars on a track. The fastest cars usually win, but some competitions also offer awards for the most creative designs.

Weight Placement
- Many Pinewood Derby car designs place weight as close to the front of the car as possible, but placing weight in the back can give it more speed going down the track. Purchase circular weights available at most hobby shops and glue them to the back of the car. Paint them to make them look like part of the design, as if they are tail pipes or jet engines. Make sure you don't put too much weight at the back of the car or it may pop a wheelie and lose speed. Most Pinewood Derby weight limits are 5 ounces. After adding weight, check to be sure that your car doesn't go over the limit for your derby.
Axle Angle
- The angles of your Pinewood Derby car's axles have a large impact on how the car runs. Even a few degrees can work wonders. Angle your axles 5 to 10 degrees downward. This allows the wheels to ride so they don't come in contact with the body at all, and make less contact with the track The car tends to wobble less and travel straighter, according to a Pinewood Derby tip sheet offered by the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. Test this out on cars as it is tough to get the angles exactly right on the first try.
Baked Cars
- Moisture in the wooden body contributes to the car's weight. Pinewood Derby veteran Mark Bradshaw told the Cleveland Advocate newspaper that he bakes his family's Pinewood cars in the oven for two hours at 300 degrees F to remove excess moisture and reduce weight. This gives him the opportunity to place more weight on the cars in strategic locations while still keeping his cars under the 5 ounce weight limit.
Extra Lubrication
- Pinewood Derby builders cover their wheels and axles with graphite at the races to reduce friction. While this is a necessary step, some builders also take steps earlier to saturate their wheels and axles in lubrication. A few days before the race, place the wheels and axles in a sealed plastic bag with plenty of graphite. Shake them around each day. The graphite will cover the wheels and axles so they will be extra slick on the day of the race.

Soap Box Derby