Building A Pinewood Derby Car - The Perfect Guide

A Derby car is a wooden gravity-powered car. These vehicles are used in races, placed on a sloped surface, and held back by several starting pins. The pinewood derby car rolls down as the pin drops gradually due to the gravitational force. 

The car that reaches the ending line faster consequently wins the game. These vehicles are effortless to assemble, and they come in kits. But somebody who doesn't have any experience building a derby car will have a hard time doing so. Here is a quick guide to assist in assembling a fully functioning pinewood derby car.

Tools Required-

• Forstner bit-3/8"

• Coping saw

• Drill

• Ruler

Materials Needed-

• Pinewood Derby kit

• Sandpaper

• Graphite

• Tungsten weights

• Wood fille

Procedure-

Anyone can successfully assemble a fully functioning pinewood derby car following this procedure.

1. Baking the block

Wooden blocks always hold in extra water, which is not suitable for the vehicle. This is why baking the piece is a good idea because this way, the excess water evaporates out. To safely bake the wooden block, one must preheat the oven to 250 degrees and then bake it for at least 2 hours. After that, it has to be taken out safely and placed in a heat-safe tray, where it has to be cooled out.

2. Planning out the design of the car

Once the block has cooled out and dried out properly, the block has to be cut out properly. First, one has to draw the proper illustration of the car on paper and attach it to the block to be cut out later on. 

Also, it is essential to remember that a rectangular car is not the optimal design according to aerodynamics. So to follow the aerodynamics rule, a block must have a simple wedge because the proper shape allows the air to pass over the top of the car without any obstruction. 

Additionally, the wedge of these vehicles usually tapers from ⅚ inches to ⅞ inches. After the block has a good wedge and shape, one must adequately brush it with sandpaper.

3. Cutting out the design

The design has to be correctly cut out with the help of a coping saw or a power tool. 

4. Shaping and painting the car

The car has to be correctly shaped with the help of sandpaper. Each side of the vehicle's edge has to be smoothed out. After the car has been shaped properly, it can be painted as per the user's choice. Painting makes the vehicle look great and helps users identify their vehicle in a race.

5. Installing the axles and wheels

Next, the wheels and axles must be installed correctly, keeping in mind that they are perfectly aligned.

6. Making a three-wheeler

Raise one of the wheels to about 1/16th inch above the track. This reduces the friction to a great extent.

7. Extending the wheelbase

 Position the front and rear wheels so that they are always located as far as possible.

8. Fixing the axles with hot glue

The axles must be fixed firmly to the holes to stay in position throughout the game.

9. Adding weight to the vehicle

The car must be as heavy as possible, so it is good to place weights near its rear side. Adding the weight to the back side improves the car's speed.

10. Lubricating the wheels properly

The wheels need to be appropriately lubricated with dry lubricant to reduce friction.

So, these were all the steps to assembling a pinewood derby car correctly. The steps mentioned above are straightforward, and one can efficiently execute them if the instructions are correctly followed.