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MAX OUT YOUR CAR’S WEIGHT AT 5 OZ In most races, a Pinewood Derby car’s weight is limited to 5 ounces. If your car weighs less than that, add coins or other weights.
Where should the weight be on a Pinewood Derby car?
Best Location to Weight Your Pinewood Derby Car When deciding on where to weight your car, you should try to reach a final balance point of the car 1 inch or less in front of the rear axle. To achieve this, place 2/5 of the added weight behind the rear axle, and the remaining 3/5 in front of the rear axle.
Can you put weights on the bottom of a Pinewood Derby car?
The weight should not extend past the rear of the car. Glue bottom weights to the bottom of the block to bring the total weight (including wheels and axles) to 5 oz. Install some of the weight behind the rear axle and the rest in front of the axle. The weight can be broken apart with pliers.
Does a heavier Pinewood Derby car go faster?
Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow. In general, it’s best to place weight to the rear of your car because a heavier rear increases speed.
Should I bake my pinewood derby block?
Should I bake the pinewood derby block? The short answer is no, do not bake the block. The idea behind baking the block is to remove moisture which will make the block lighter. Baking might remove more moisture but the block will quickly re-absorb the moisture after it is out of the oven and cooled down.
Are Bent axles legal in pinewood derby?
Wheels and Axles Rules Official BSA wheels must be used. The wheels may not be cut, drilled, beveled or rounded. You may remove the seams and imperfections from the wheels.
How do you make a pinewood derby car go faster?
Build a Fast Pinewood Derby Car in 6 Steps Step 1: Reduce friction to speed up your car. Step 2: Lubricate Axles and Wheels. Step 3: Prepare and Polish Axles – Essential for Speed. Step 4: Balance and tune your Wheels to Maxiumize Speed. Step 5: Add Weight to Increase Inertia.
How much weight does paint add to pinewood derby car?
Paint only adds a few grams (hundredths of a ounce). We generally weight up to 4.9 oz and then do the last weight adjustment at check-in.
What makes a derby car fast?
Aerodynamics have little effect in such a short race, but weight does and putting the weight at the back of the car will make your car faster on the flat of the track. Tungsten weights, in most cases, are best because of their high density. Lube the car at the body/wheel friction point.
Do you glue pinewood derby axles?
7. Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don’t get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.
Can a pinewood derby car have 3 wheels?
Especially when using axle slots, it is often quite difficult to get all four wheels to touch the ground evenly. In fact, many times people end up with three-wheeled pinewood derby cars by accident! Don’t let your car design be accidental.
Do fenders help Pinewood Derby?
Pinewood Derby Fenders / Air Guides Add pizzazz to your pinewood derby car with our sleek fender accessories! Fenders improve air flow over the wheels resulting in a few milliseconds of advantage, during a tight race. Both front and rear fenders are available and are typically used together.
How long does Pinewood Derby last?
The race will take almost two weeks! A regular Pinewood Derby race on a 40-foot track lasts a couple of seconds. The Pinewood Derby Race Across America is expected to last about 12 days.
How thin can a Pinewood Derby car be?
You can easily run a car that is 1/4″ in the rear and tapers to 1/16 in the front as long as it is full width.
What kind of wood is used for pinewood derby cars?
Pine – Any of a variety of soft, light-colored woods used for pinewood derby kits. Ponderosa Pine – A soft western pine. Sugar Pine – A soft, western pine noted for a sweet smell. White Pine – A soft eastern pine.
Why is my pinewood derby car slow?
Pinewood derby cars are gravity-powered vehicles. In every place where moving parts are in contact (wheels rubbing on the track, the axles, the car body, and the guide rails) friction is at work. Even the air flow over the car body is a form of friction that slows down the car.
How tall can a pinewood derby car be?
The maximum height of the car cannot exceed 5 inches (Adjust this limit so that the cars will pass under your finish gate). 5. The car must have 1 ¾” clearance between the wheels.
Do heavier cars go faster?
Originally Answered: Is it true that heavier cars accelerate better than lighter ones? no , vehicles with highest Power to weight ratio accelerate faster than the others. Force = mass*acceleration.
Will Home Depot cut my Pinewood Derby car?
“Our employees will use our tools to cut a seven inch block of pine into a winning race car. The workshop is free to Scout parents.”Jan 21, 2015.
Can you spray paint a Pinewood Derby car?
Step 3: Choose a color for your Pinewood Derby car. Then apply two to three coats of enamel paint to the car’s body. Spraying the model with paint from an aerosol can is easier than using a brush. Seal and protect it by spraying the entire car with clear gloss paint.
What is the angle of a Pinewood Derby track?
The track should slope from about 30 degrees at the start line changing gradually to 0 degrees about 12 feet from the start line then the track should run flat to the finish line. The remainder of the track is an overrun area to allow the cars to stop.
