Vehicross pinewood derby car

[Marlin]

My 7 yr old is in scouts and the pinewood derby is next month. I am toying around with the idea of making a VX pinewood derby car. The scaling might be an issue,gotta take a look at it. Should be interesting. Just wanted to get some ideas from the Fam about it.

[RabidPony]

Just make sure it adheres to the rulebook. Some of those cub scout parents can be a real pain if their kid loses. I speak from experience.

[Triathlete]

If the block of wood they give you is the same as it was back when I was in it would have to be a VX02. The dimensions would not work out for a VX. One tip....make it as light as you can then drill holes in the front and fill with lead to bring it up to the max weight.

[Ldub]

IMO, & I don't know the rules at all.

anything cut from the top of the block, say from the front of the hood, back to the beginning of the windshield (i'm thinking band saw), should be added to the roof area, to get the profile closer to reality......

Go a little crazy, & build a removable roof rack outta bamboo kebob skewers...

Since they have no fenders, use Tom4Brens VX as a styling cue...

If none of that works for ya, watch this...

Enter little Marlin under the alias: Baby Fark McGee-zax...if you watched the episode, you'll know...

Check here too...

[Triathlete]

Dub...they have some pretty tight rules that includes dimensions and wheel base is set.

[Mile High VX]

Do one to compete with and one that makes kids and parents drool!

Back when I was doing this we had a "competition" with the rules and a "show" to let kids and dads show off their creativeness.

It was awesome!

[Marlin]

There are some rules, as far as the weights, they always go in the back, that means they have further to "fall" and thereby transfer more energy to the car and all that = more speed
There are dimensions on the width and height off of the ground, other than that, its a free for all on size. I am thinking of using the plastic shell form the toy collection I bought months ago. There are some that are about the correct size as a template. Should be fun! I will post up picks.
They are also doing a parents race, to let the dads do what they want!

[Ldub]

Should be fun! I will post up picks.
They are also doing a parents race, to let the dads do what they want!

NOW we're getting somewhere...

I'm talk'n bottle rocket (or larger) propulsion here.....

[Marlin]

LOL, I should have guessed. It still has to be gravity propelled, but we can add bushings/bearings if we want. No supersonic derby cars allowed....yet. Next year I will sit the board and see what I can do. I will keep you posted.

[Ldub]

Just did some volunteer work on a FLYING WEDGE last night...dad didn't have the tools, etc that the plans require.

If I had looked at the plans before committing, I might have said:...ummmmm, good luck wit dat...

I had no idea how the "Dads" had gotten into the engineering of these things.

With measurements to the 32'nd...no kid ever came up with this design...

The R/F axle assembly is 1/32" higher than the other 3, reducing frictional drag by nearly 25%...HOLY CRAP...

I still like my bottle rocket idea better...

[Marlin]

Yep, I am actually building another one today based on the other cars I have seen. I am going to do the bullet style, makes the car a hair over 1/4" thick. I did the same thing with the one wheel off and I also cambered them so only the edge of the wheel touches. My 7 year old can't do that, but he can at least tell you why all these things are important. He understands friction, drag, and so on. Of course, this is the same child that read up on the Domain Theory of Magnetism on his own and came to me with questions. Good thing he got into the gifted program here, otherwise, he would be a handful at school.
I will post up pics of the two cars we have. He originally wanted a hotrod bus. Not very aerodynamic.

[Marlin]

My son took 3rd place with a "Bus of Fury" design. He wanted a school bus, he got it. Next year, perhaps something a bit more aerodynamic

[yellowgizmo99]

hey, 3rd with bus, watch out next year.

[Ldub]

My son took 3rd place with a "Bus of Fury" design. He wanted a school bus, he got it. Next year, perhaps something a bit more aerodynamic

Nuth'n wrong with being a kid...

He understands friction, drag, etc...but still thinks da Bus looks cool...

Good Boy...

[Marlin]

Nuth'n wrong with being a kid...

He understands friction, drag, etc...but still thinks da Bus looks cool...

Good Boy...

Yup, now everything we do involves friction "daddy, your belly causes friction on your shirt"...