Child Friendly Site:

 

Ok Pit Crews!   (this means you parents) Entrants in the annual Pack 230 Invitational often have lots of questions about how to get started building cars, what designs have proven successful in the past, what's legal and what isn't, and how to build a winning entry. Well, relax!  Help is at hand.  Listed below are a series of links to help you build your racer, some Speed Tips, and some FAQ's to assist in the process.  We don't want any stressed out drivers or pit crews! Just remember - you and your son are supposed to be having fun TOGETHER!  If building your car is becoming just a "task to be completed"...put it away until a time when it can be fun.  The point here is that you are helping your son learn woodworking, craftsmanship, and sportsmanship.  Don't lose sight of this important point.

Pinewood Derby Building Links

Click on the "Paw Prints" below to follow the link!

Step by step instructions on how to build a car. Folks, this is as straight forward as it comes. A great place to start if you want to discuss the building process with your son before you start.

Derby templates you can print and use as a design. Print 'em out and cut 'em out.

Tools and Tips for executing your template/design. For the novice or those of you who missed woodshop in high school.

What to do when disaster befalls....

Everything you need, and need to know about building a winning car. Pretty much the ultimate Pinewood Derby site (and there are lots of them). Tips, supplies, designs...you name it.

Speed Tips!

It all comes down to four simple principles; Weight, Wheels, Clearance, Aerodynamics. Some folks may take exception to my sequence but I'm no physicist, plus I've seen Cubs build derby cars I once saw someone send the plain block of wood down the track against a winning car...the block won - it was heavier, and the wheels were straight! Weight Push it to the max. The heavier the car; the faster. Wheels Polish your axles. Polish your wheels. As the plastic wheels come out of the mold a certain amount of sprue is left on the wheel. Carefully trim this off. Make sure your wheel is as round as possible. Eggs don't roll very well. If you use sandpaper to clean up your wheels carefully remove any remaining roughness left over from the sanding process. How many wheels actually touch the ground?  Think about this one.... You have to have at least 3 wheels on the ground to be legal. Mount the axles squarely to the car. A little lubrication never hurt anything....use graphite powder. Clearance A pinewood derby track has a raised center portion. This part of the track will rub against the bottom of a car if anything protrudes. If your weights mount under the car - be careful. Wooden tracks are notoriously uneven at the track joints. Aerodynamics  (I have to add this for the engineers out there.) A wedge should be faster than a square car. How many miles per gallon does your SUV get as compared to your Corvette? (Oooops well, perhaps a bad example, but you get the point) Friction is the enemy. Conclusion: So, what is the ultimate derby entry? A properly weighted, three wheeled car that rolls straight, has maximum under carriage clearance, shaped like a torpedo.

Pinewood Derby FAQ's

Is my son supposed to build the car all by himself? I'm all thumbs in a wood shop but I want my son to have a good race experience; what should I do? Do I have to use the car kit my son was given at the pack meeting? Help! I/my son lost a part from the kit! Where can I get a replacement? Can I use non BSA items for decoration on my/our car? Where can I find a complete list of Pack 230's rules? What is the most a car can weigh? The nails supplied for axles don't work very well...can I substitute other axles? Can't I just use last year's car? Can I reshape the wheels from the official BSA kit? Where can I get Pinewood Derby accessories? I see that weight is important to speed...where can I weigh my car? My car seems to be under weight. What should I do? Why does my son have to race his car on several different lanes? What if my son's car is determined to have a problem during the weigh-in? Do I have to build a car shaped vehicle? Aren't all these rules a little silly? I have more questions that aren't answered here. Who should I talk to?

Is my son expected to build the car all by himself?  (top) No. Clearly we do not expect a Tiger Cub to be designing a car and using power tools unsupervised or unassisted! However, we do not expect a parent to build a car entirely! The best guide to answering this question is your own personal judgement of your son's capabilities. We want Scouts to all DO YOUR BEST! We also want this to be a positive developmental exercise for the two of you. It is not meant to be a test of skills for your child but it is intended to be your childs work. It isn't hard to judge how much help any individual scout had on his car. Let him be able to say: "I built it myself". I'm all thumbs in a woodshop but I want my son to have a good race experience; what should I do?  (top) Experience has shown that it isn't always the fanciest, or most elaborate, or even the best looking car that wins. The scout motto is "Do Your Best" which is all we expect. You might also look to other scout parents for assistance or support. Remember, pay attention to the speed tips above. In the end, they mean more to winning than aesthetics. Do I have to use the car kit my son was given at the pack meeting?   (top) No. As long as the kit is a BSA Grad Prix series kit which confirms to our pack race rules you are free to substitute kits, or mix and match. Note, Pinecar brand and non BSA wheels and axles are not permitted. Help! I/my son lost a part from the kit! Where can I get a replacement?  (top) You can generally get spare parts (wheels, axles, etc.) as well as lots of other parts at: Mitchell's Fairfax Shopping Center 2303 Concord Pike Wilmington, DE 19803 (302) 652-3258 Del-Mar-Va Council Scout Shop 801 Washington Street Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 622-3300 Can I use non BSA items for decoration on my/our car?  (top) Yes. We frequently see cars with plastic drivers, steering wheels etc. Be warned however! You must firmly affix your decorations to the vehicle. Any items falling off after the official weigh-in will not be allowed to be reglued. Where can I find a complete list of Pack 230's rules?  (top) Complete rules can be found by clicking here. What is the most a car can weigh?  (top) Maximum car weight is 5.0 ounces. Weight under 5.0 ounces is permitted. The nails supplied for axles don't work very well...can I substitute other axles?  (top) Sorry. Unless the substitute item is another BSA nail style axle you cannot substitute. Can't I just use last year's car?  (top) It is unlikely we would ever know if a car was 'recycled', but we do encourage Cub Scouts to build a new car each year. This event is intended to foster good sportsmanship, and re-enforce Cub scout morals and to build a parent-son relationship through working together. Can I reshape the wheels from the official BSA kit?  (top) Sanding, filing, or trimming excess plastic from an official BSA wheel is fine. You may NOT reshape the wheel. Several web sites explain how to re-shape the wheel to maximum speed advantage; this is not permitted at Pack 230. Where can I get Pinewood Derby accessories?  (top) Derby Accessories may be purchased at a number of local merchants. The merchants with the largest selection of scouting merchandise appear to be: Mitchell's Fairfax Shopping Center 2303 Concord Pike Wilmington, DE 19803 (302) 652-3258 Del-Mar-Va Council Scout Shop 801 Washington Street Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 622-3300 I see that weight is important to speed...where can I weigh my car?  (top) Accurate scales are available at: Mitchells, Council Scout Shop, and the US Post office. (I was recently in the Greenville De. USPO and saw that they had a very nice digital scale in their lobby) My car seems to be under weight. What should I do?  (top) Just about anything can be used as weights; coins, fishing weights, official BSA weights. We're flexible about what you use as weights as long as it is firmly affixed to the vehicle and that the total weight does not exceed 5.0 ounces. Experience has shown that embedding weight into the car is a good idea, and then using potentially removable decorations on the car surface. The official Pack 230 scale is accurate (and definitive) but we can't vouch for the test scale you used. Best to have a small bit of accessory you could pop off the car on race day than be disqualified. Why does my son have to race his car on several different lanes?  (top) In an effort to eliminate the potential impact any individual lane may have on car speed, we race each car on all lanes and use the vehicles top speed to determine the fastest pack vehicle. What if my son's car is determined to have a problem during the weigh-in?   (top) We want every scout to race. Therefore we will provide a table with hand tools and probably an electric drill to permit minor tinkering and eventual re-weighing. Do I have to build a car shaped vehicle?  (top) Nope. Use your creativity. Just keep in mind the general rules about using the kit, final size, weight, wheels, and axles. Aren't all these rules a little silly?  (top) NO! We are very serious about maintaining an environment where all participants have an equal chance of winning. We wouldn't make the rules if the issue didn't arise! I have more questions that aren't answered here. Who should I talk to?  (top) Please contact your son's den leader or Click Here! to find a list of Pack 230's current leadership. Any one of these volunteers will be able to give you more information about the Pinewood Derby.