Pinewood Derby Car Tips

On the Street for Sunday, July 10

By THE HERALD-WHIG STAFF

Following the Cubs in DC: Pat Souders, a Quincy native and chief of staff for Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, is a diehard Chicago Cubs fan. Souders and his boss were in attendance during the visiting Cubs game against the Washington Nationals Wednesday night. During an interview with Durbin on the Cubs TV broadcast, it was mentioned that Souders was from Quincy and his love of the Cubs. His boss -- jokingly -- was quick to point out that sometimes during working hours, Souders could be found watching the Cubs on TV.

Dominating the Derby: The Mississippi Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America recently held its first Corporate Pinewood Derby Race at Dene Lambkin Honda/Hyundai. Twelve businesses participated. First place went to Little Jess Motors and Herren Autobody, whose car was driven by Lonnie Herren. He was followed by Alan Munger's Quincy Fire Department entry, Jerrod Weir's Pioneer Seed entry and Clint Hodges' Architechnics entry.

Always an Usher: A four-vehicle accident at 10:15 p.m. Monday at 18th and Spruce snarled traffic in a multiple-block area for an hour. The accident occurred near QU-Stadium after a Quincy Gems game that was followed by a Fourth of July fireworks display, and there was added traffic because of the number of cars leaving the Illinois Veterans Home after its holiday fireworks display. The intersection of 18th and Sycamore, a block north of the accident, became particularly congested. Before police arrived, Harold Mast was in the middle of the intersection, helping keep traffic flowing. The day before, Mast and his brother, Gerald, were featured in The Herald-Whig for their 42 years of service as ushers and ticket takers at athletic events at Quincy University and Quincy Notre Dame.

On the Street is a compilation of tips and tidbits gathered by The Herald-Whig staff. Readers may contribute by email at onthestreet@whig.com.

Pinewood Tips « Pack 39 Stow

Pinewood Derby Tips For Cub Scouts!

When building your Pinewood Derby car remember you are designing the car for speed! The two most critical things when designing your car is weight and minimal friction on the wheels when they spin. The following are some tips to help you get started. There are many ways to build a Pinewood Derby car so you must find the way that works best for you. Talk to other Cubs in the Pack and find out what they think makes up a fast car. Take your time and start your car early so you have time to finish before the Derby. Good Luck and may the fastest car win!

Design – You should design your car before you start assembling it. Draw a picture of the shape you would like it to be. Keep your design simple and keep in mind the rules, regulations and guidelines.

Body Construction – If your design calls for cutting away much of the block use a saw first, then a jackknife or other tools. Use different grades of sandpaper (coarse, medium, and fine) to finish and smooth the body. The center of the nose of the car should be broad enough so it does not slip the dowel-starting pin. To accommodate the starting pin the nose of the car should not be beveled upwards. The front of the car is the end with the wheel slot closest to the end.

Wheel Assembly – Remove burrs on the nail axles with sandpaper or emery cloth. Make it easy by fitting the nail points into an electric drill and holding the sandpaper or emery cloth against the nail while it is rotating in the drill. Sand the mold seam on the wheels making them smooth. Smooth axles and wheels make a fast car!

Wheel Clearance – To ensure clearance over the guide strip, the minimum inside clearance between the wheels must be greater then 1¾ inches and the car must be a minimum of 3/8 inches from the bottom of the body to the bottom of the wheels.

Paint and Body Finish – Paint all your body parts prior to assembly and avoid getting paint on axles or wheels. For the best finish (but not necessary), seal the wood body with sanding sealer and then use several light coats of spray paint making sure the paint dries between coats. If you wish not to use spray paint any paint will do.

Weight – Your car can not exceed 5 ounces! Your car weighs about 2 to 3 ounces out of the box prior to you assembling it. To make your car fast you want to be as close to the 5-ounce limit as possible. You will have to add weight to make it close to 5 ounces. You can use fishing weights, solder shot, coins, or weights purchased at a Cub Scout supplier.

ABC Pinewood Car: Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car supplies and tips to make a fast car *

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