When designing and building a pinewood derby car, if you want the fastest speeds, builders need to reduce friction to attain the highest rates. In order to reduce the levels of friction, and to ensure the fastest speeds when you are building a pinewood derby car, there are a few things which must be considered in the building process. From the wheels used, the type of lubrication used, the size, weight, and various other factors and elements must be taken in to consideration when building the pinewood derby car in order to ensure the fastest speeds on the track.

First off, the lubrication used will help eliminating the amount of friction in the car. By lubricating the two surfaces, this is going to eliminate the friction, and create a fast pinewood derby car. Using a graphite based lubrication, and placing it on the axles and in the wheel’s bore, will help eliminate the higher levels of friction. Another good lubrication base is nyoill if it can be found in your local store. The right derby axles are another component to consider. The most friction occurs between the axles and the where the wheels meet. For this reason, the axle has to be as smooth as possible to ensure lower amounts of friction. Using sand paper or a sanding machine is a great way to smooth out the axles when building the pinewood derby car.

The proper derby wheels are also a component to the car. Making sure there are no imperfections, bumps, or divets, will ensure the smoothest wheel base. So, sanding down the wheels, and making sure they are fully rounded all the way around the wheels, is an essential piece to reducing friction. Additionally, by eliminating any imperfections, it will help ensure the pinewood derby car stays straight on its path. The weight should also be considered. A pinewood derby car which is between 4 to 6 ounces in weight should be the ideal weight. If there is more weight, this will add the inertia and force on the flat surfaces of the course, and in turn will help increase speeds.

Making sure the car always goes straight is also essential. If the car is going left or right, the axles may be crooked, or the wheels may have imperfections on them. Therefore, adjusting all of these things prior to entering the pinewood derby car in a race, is going to ensure the quickest speeds on the course as well. Additionally, this step will allow you to add lubrication, check the weight, and make sure all other aspects of the pinewood derby car are as perfect as can be, prior to entering it in a race.

By considering all of these steps, and making sure the least amount of friction is found between the wheels and axles of your pinewood derby car, is the most important step to building a faster pinewood derby car. So, checking all these steps in the building process, will ensure the quickest speeds on the track.

Revell Dragster Pinewood Derby Car Kit DerbyMax.com

Want to build a cool AND fast Pinewood Derby Car?  Below are a few tips to help you with pinewood derby car racing with building a car that will certainly be the fastest in the bunch.

1. Handle the wheels and axles.    If you will cater to these parts of your car you will be able to increase speed dramatically. Be sure that you have enough lubrication on your wheels and that they are  even.  The axles are also very important parts that contribute to speed, so be sure they are smooth. Polishing them is a good idea,  be careful on how you do it.
2. 2. Carefully add weights.  Adding weights willy-nilly is certainly not the best thing you should do when it comes to your derby car. Mostly you will see that the weight limits for such cars are limited at 5 ounces. The secret here is that you should make sure to add weights to your car as close as possible to the limit, but without actually going over it. You can use lead weights and the good news is that you can easily find them at your local hardware store or online at DerbyMonkeyGarage.com or DerbyMax.com. After you will have installed the weights make sure they are flush with the car’s surface. If not, the weights will actually slow down your machine by adding drag as you will race it.
3.  Don’t underestimate the painting.  The paint can easily have a dramatic effect on the car so that is why it must be done properly.  Before putting paint on your car, make sure you sand it properly and make it smooth. Then, you will need to add 1 primer coat followed by a few other light coats. If you put 2 heavy coats on it, the car will be heavier and it will also take a longer time to dry it. Using the multiple-coats method you will not only make your car look better, but also lighter and thus improve its aerodynamics.
4. Inserting the wheels and axles.  You need to do this very carefully and the wheels will need to be inserted as straight as you can. Most of the times it’s recommended that you leave someone with experience to handle this step to make sure it’s done correctly. There should be a small amount of space between the car’s chassis and the wheel’s inside.

Derbymax Rail Riding Alignment Kit

Test your car properly. Now it’s time to test your derby car on a smooth surface. If possible, test it on the pinewood derby car racing track to see how it races.  We hope the above tips help you to build the fastest derby car in the race that will help you be the winner!

The excitement runs high every year with derby car racing, and designing your own pinewood derby car from will send your pulse racing with pure excitement. Do take care to follow some general safety procedures, as you will need to make use of power tools when making your derby car.

Safety First

Always unplug any power tools you will be using, when attempting to make any adjustments or add any accessories to your Pinewood Derby Car. Always ensure you have a firm grip on the power tool. Any adjustment devices need to be securely tightened before operating the tool. Always wear safety goggles and a dust mask before operating the power tools.

Steps to Take in Designing your Pinewood Derby Car

Are you excited to start your project? Before you do that, know that your car must not exceed 7 inches in length, have a width of not more than 2¾ inches. Your car wheels must be 1¾ inches apart, and not weigh more than 5 oz.

What is really cool in designing your pinewood derby car from scratch. Let us take a step by step approach. Your first step would be to put your design ideas on paper by putting the block you are going to use on its side, and tracing all around the block, marking the axle slots. Next you need to place the block bottom side up on the paper and trace around the top, again making sure you mark the axle slots.

Place the block on its end and trace around it, thereby creating the end view for your pinewood derby car. It would be good to make a view copies, so you can experiment with a view design ideas for your car. It would be better to draw the side profile of your exciting new car first, then the top and finally the end view. Let the creative side come out of you and be amazed at how good your design will look once you are finished designing it.

Your next step would be in using a coping or band saw to cut the side view, ensuring you follow the lines that you drew. Now make sure you put your drawing for the top of your car firmly in place. Trace around the drawing and make the top cuts with your coping saw. Round the edges of with your power rotary tool for a smooth finish. Your basic design would be completed for your pinewood derby car. Use the sanding tool to smooth any remaining edges. Now you would use course and fine sand paper wrapped around small wooden blocks to ensure you get that polished look. Ensure you use a soft cloth that is not wet to prepare your pinewood derby car for the next stage.

Painting Your Pinewood Derby Car

Your final stage would be to give your pinewood derby car the paint it deserves. First you need to apply one to two primer coats to prevent your paint from getting soaked into the wood. Let each primer coat dry completely and lightly sand in between coats. Now you may either spray paint or brush paint your derby car.

We suggest you wipe of your car with a soft cloth before each coat of paint. Another useful tip is to have a paint stand for your car by driving three big screws in block of wood as it will provide stability and make it easier in applying each coat of paint for your pinewood derby car. We hope you had fun in designing your pinewood derby car.

There are always fast Pinewood Derby Car Kits if you don’t have the time to start all the way from scratch.  A great example is this Eliminator Dragster Pinewood Derby Car Kit:

DerbyMax Eliminator Pinewood Derby Car Kit

If your child wants to enter in Pinewood Derby Grand Pix race, you will definitely want to build a Pinewood Derby car. These cars are popular among all cub scouts and since 1953 Derby race has been a major event for them. Back in 2006, the event was included in America’s top 100 events list.

Pinewood Derby cars are very easy to build and more because there are many building kits available for buying online. They come in a variety of fast Pinewood Derby Car kits and designs in order to keep your collective up to date. The kits consist of a body, cylindrical axles, an instruction manual and a decal kit. You can also buy custom parts and paints in order give your car a more customized look. Apart from these kits and additional supplies, you can also order Pinewood derby car plans if you feel you are  handy and can build them. These templates are available in several patterns and designs which will help you to build a cool Pinewood Derby Car from scratch.

Revell Sprint Car Pinewood Derby Car Kit DerbyMax.com

Most boy scouts decide to prepare their Pinewood Derby car from scratch when entering their first Pinewood Derby GP race.  To do so, the most important thing is to prepare a proper blueprint of the car you would want to race with. Attention and patience should be put in while sketching up this drawing. Once the drawing is finished and the design is finalized, trace the template on the wooden block used to make the body of the car. The outline should be as clear as possible as this will be used as line of reference while shaping down the wooden block. A handsaw and few other woodworking tools are used to provide the required shaping, and this should be done under adult or parental supervision.

Now comes the process of making the axle slots. You might consider the option of having longer wheel bases as they tend to move faster.  Try to have the two pre made axle slots nearer to the end of the block. Keep in mid that these new slots should be exactly square with the sides of the block unless you want your car alignment to be off.

After the previous two steps, you will be greeted with the basic model of your car. All it requires is smooth finishing. Usually wheels are attached after the car is painted. Achieving quality paint job is whole lot easier than it seems. Before applying the paint its necessary to prime the wood surface of the car. Sandpapers of different grits are used for this purpose. Start with the lowest grit, then gradually move to higher grit. Its not required to have different coats of paints. Spray paints are easy to work with and gets the job done. But if you are interested in having an elaborated design, painting by hand is recommended.

Once the paint dries, its time to fix the wheels. before that check for extra plastic or burrs that might be present on the tread of the wheel. If you find any, sand them down.

Here you’ve have a fine and band new Pinewood Derby car made from scratch. Do remember to see that most of the job is done by your child instead of you. That will provide a sense of pride and will help him learn to create from his imagination.

Are you someone who is in love with pinewood derby cars and you would like to make sure that your derby car will become as fast as possible? Well, if that is the case, you’ve come to the right place. No one argues that you can build a fast pine car, but building the fastest one possible is yet another story.

Here are some tips that will help you with achieving that:
1. Minimize the friction of the axles and wheels
It doesn’t mean that you will only need to focus on these 2 in order to get the car running at its top speed. What you need to do is to thus polish a bit the wheels and the axles which will in turn reduce friction and thus give you a boost in speed. But make sure that when you will do this, you will use the right materials and equipment. After you will be over with this process, it’s important that you will check to see if they are balanced. Rolling the car on a flat surface will allow you to tell if there are any problems with it or not. Tweaking your car this way should be done ahead of the day the race will be due, so that you have enough time to fix the damages should you have to deal with some.

G-Force Xtreme Speed Pinewood Derby Car Kit

2. Use a gradual approach when sanding
You will not make your pinewood derby cars look more attractive by sanding and painting them, but you will also reduce the air friction. Keep in mind that while you will be sanding your car, you will need to reduce the fineness of the sandpaper step by step.

3. Don’t underestimate the power of a good paint
After you will make your pinewood derby cars feel as smooth as baby’s skin, you will need to paint them. 1 coat of white primer should be added first and make sure that you cover your car well enough with it. The 220 grit paper sand-paper is an excellent choice in order for the surface of the car to be left perfectly smooth. After this process will be done, you will need to add a few coats of paint to the vehicle’s body. Adding 1 or 2 heavy coats is not recommended. They will not only take a long time to dry, but they will also add up a lot to the total weight of the car.

4. Align the axles and wheels
There are many methods through which you will be able to align the wheels and axles of your vehicle. Make sure that you take into account the difficulty of a method before you will do anything about it. For instance, not all methods are optimal for the Cub Scout.

5. Use the trial and error method
There are a few actions that always provide a boost to your pinewood derby cars and they number:
1.    Using high quality wheels & axles
2.    Are-polishing wheels in need of a new smooth surface
3.    Testing out the axles and wheels until they’ll roll true

With these tips for your pinewood derby cars it’s certain that your next project will be a successful one. Good luck!

The Pinewood Derby is a racing event organized by the Boy Scouts of America for their Cub Scouts. The first Pinewood Derby was organized by Cub Master Don Murphy in May 15, 1953 and took place in Manhattan Beach, California. The concept was similar to the Soap Box Derby, with the Pinewood cars being powered only by gravity. The Scout is give nine pieces and has to use all in the construction of the car.

The nine pieces are:

• One block of pinewood with two notches for the wheels

• Four plastic wheels

• Four nails

There is a weight restriction of five ounces. The length of the car should not exceed a certain length and must fit on the local track used by that scout club. The block of pinewood can be shaped with a hand knife, band saw etc. Decals, bought from hobby shops, could also be used to imitate actual racing car features. Even fender and pinewood derby car body kits are available.

Scouts let their imaginations run riot and you can see cars which are actual imitations of race cars, to weird looking contraptions, or just the pinewood block. A low car profile, with weights added to the rear, help it move faster. Graphite is put on the nails, as a lubricant to help the wheels spin faster. The idea behind the pinewood derby was for the son and parents to combine and make a car. It was intended to be a family project. However, the spirit of the event has been lowered to some extent, as usually the father ends up designing and building the car, for the son to be crowned in glory.

Black Magic Pinewood Derby Car Kit

The competition is held on a race track which usually consists of between two to six lanes and they slope towards the ground. Basically gravity and inertia propel the car and friction and air drag tend to slow it down. Modifications are done to the car so as to maximize potential energy. The body is shaped to minimize air resistance and the wheels shaped to give minimum contact with the track, to reduce rolling resistance. A low car profile, with weights added to the rear, help it go faster. Graphite is put on the nails as a lubricant to help the wheels spin faster. To even up the odds, the race is held in heats and each car has to be run in all the lanes.

Some clubs group all the racers of the same rank such as Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs etc.; while other clubs compete with the entire pack. The prizes for first, second and third place are usually ribbons, medals or trophies. The best car designs are also awarded prizes. As the derby progresses, the winners go from the club level, to the district level and finally to the entire council. Each race is accompanied by lusty, full throated, cheers from an exuberant pack of Scouts, in a spirit of fun and friendship.

Over the years the popularity of the derby grew and it spun copycats. Many organizations now hold similar derby’s, although differently named. Cub Master Don Murphy, in his wildest imagination never dreamed, that the Pinewood Derby would be so popular and help foster the spirit of sportsmanship and unity, among so many youngsters.

The Pinewood Derby is a racing event organized by the Boy Scouts of America for their Cub Scouts.  The first Pinewood Derby was organized by Cub Master Don Murphy in May 15, 1953 and took place in Manhattan Beach, California.  The concept was similar to the Soap Box Derby, with the Pinewood cars being powered only by gravity.

The Scout is give nine pieces and has to use all in the construction of the car.  The nine pieces are:

•    One block of pinewood with two notches for the wheels
•    Four plastic wheels
•    Four nails

There is a weight restriction of five ounces.  The length of the pinewood derby car should not exceed a certain length and must fit on the local track used by that scout club.  The block of pinewood can be shaped with a hand knife, band saw etc.  Decals, bought from hobby shops, could also be used to imitate actual racing car features.  Even fender and body kits are available.  Scouts let their imaginations run riot and you can see cars which are actual imitations of race cars, to weird looking contraptions, or just the pinewood block.  A low car profile, with weights added to the rear, help it move faster.  Graphite is put on the nails, as a lubricant to help the wheels spin faster.

The idea behind the pinewood derby was for the son and parents to combine and make a car.   It was intended to be a family project.  However, the spirit of the event has been lowered to some extent, as usually the father ends up designing and building the car, for the son to be crowned in glory.

Revell Grand Prix Racer Pinewood Derby Kit

The competition is held on a race track which usually consists of between two to six lanes and they slope towards the ground.  Basically gravity and inertia propel the car and friction and air drag tend to slow it down.  Modifications are done to the car so as to maximize potential energy. The body is shaped to minimize air resistance and the wheels shaped to give minimum contact with the track, to reduce rolling resistance.  A low car profile, with weights added to the rear, help it go faster.  Graphite is put on the nails as a lubricant to help the wheels spin faster.

To even up the odds, the race is held in heats and each car has to be run in all the lanes.  Some clubs group all the racers of the same rank such as Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs etc.; while other clubs compete with the entire pack.  The prizes for first, second and third place are usually ribbons, medals or trophies.  The best car designs are also awarded prizes.  As the derby progresses, the winners go from the club level, to the district level and finally to the entire council.  Each race is accompanied by lusty, full throated, cheers from an exuberant pack of Scouts, in a spirit of fun and friendship.

Over the years the popularity of the derby grew and it spun copycats.  Many organizations now hold similar derby’s, although differently named.  Cub Master Don Murphy, in his wildest imagination never dreamed, that the Pinewood Derby would be so popular and help foster the spirit of sportsmanship and unity, among so many youngsters.

What is the best Pinewood Derby Lube?

Every derby racer wants to know what is the best and fastest Pinewood Derby lubrication.

The best lubrication may or may not be legal for any particular race.  The BSA does not have a standard set of rules that must be followed by all scout packs.  So, lubrications rules may vary from one pack to another.

The fastest lubrication for a Pinewood Derby car is a super thin oil called Krytox GPL 100.  This is a super slick oil developed and produced by DuPont.  This is a highly-refined synthetic thin-film lubricant with an ultra-low viscosity. When Krytox is properly applied it easily outperforms any dry lubrication including graphite.

Krytox is also very kind to your nice paint job. Graphite will permanently stain a light color paint job but Krytox will not.

If using oil such as Krytox: Less is Best… Place two small drops on the axle shaft.  Place the axle in the wheel bore and spin the wheel several times.  Remove wheel.  Wipe off excess oil from the axle.

The problem is that many pack rules do not allow any type of liquid lubrication. So that forces you to use a dry lubricant like graphite.  There is a huge variety of Pinewood Derby graphite lubricants on the market today.  Its difficult to make an inelegant choice on what graphite to use.  Different graphites come in various particle sizes and some contain additives such as molybdenum.

An example of a quality 100% pure graphite is Monkey Dust.  This is a secret formula of natural and pure industrial grade graphite powders that create a tremendously low coefficient of friction.  The Monkey Dust micro-fine graphite particles are designed with special properties allowing them to form a super slick dry film that adhere to wheels and axles to significantly diminish friction. The results are longer lasting graphite and a much greater speeds.

This specially formulated graphite has been used by thousands of Pinewood Derby racers nation wide… and Monkey Dust consistently brings cars home in first place.

On the other hand, a quality graphite containing performance additives is DerbyMax Graphite with Molybdenum.  This lubricant consists of a fine, specially ground formula prepared with molybdenum. The Molybdenum stabilizer has a very low coefficient of friction and when mixed in the correct proportions enhance the lubricating effects of the graphite.  Many tests have proven DerbyMax Graphite with Molybdenum to be the best available.

If using graphite: More is Best… Pack the wheel bore with graphite.  Place the axle in the wheel bore and spin the wheel several times.  Then pack the wheel bore with graphite again. Reinstall the axle and mount the axles wheel on the car.

So, which graphite is best? Is molybdenum an important additive to have?  Tests are unclear.  Many racers are convinced that a graphite fortified with molybdenum outperforms any other dry lubricant.  Others can produce test results that show the opposite.  When it comes down to it just use a good lubrication that you feel confident with.  Monkey Dust and DerbyMax Graphite are both excellent choices.

Looking for a super, super cool Pinewood Derby Car Kit?  You will definitely want to take a look at the new Revel NASCAR Stock Car Pinewood Derby Kit!

Revell Stock Car Trophy Series Racer Kit

From the start of the first lap until the winner crosses the finish line, NASCAR racing provides fans with a pure adrenaline rush that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Now you can experience the rush for yourself with this NASCAR Stock Car Pinewood Derby kit. It comes with virtually everything you need to win, including a preshaped body and race-legal wheels and axles. The kit also includes a rear spoiler, paint and super cool decals. A weight bar allows additional fine-tuning, while the Raceday Log/Tips and Tricks Book is loaded with helpful hints on how to cross the finish line first.

Why our Pinewood Derby® racers stand out:

• Official BSA Pinewood Derby wheels and axles included! Unlike some other kits, Racer Kits include official BSA Pinewood Derby® wheels and axles. That makes them a convenience for you, instead of something extra to buy.

• A better body. Racer bodies give you a head start on good looks. They’re CAD-drawn and preshaped to eliminate unnecessary shaping work. Sand it smooth…and you’re ready to paint.

• Sandpaper and decals included. The sandpaper you need? It’s included, along with one peel & stick decal sheet. Let the good looks roll!

• Weight for performance tuning. Make sure your car’s weight is race legal on race day. You can remove excess weight by breaking sections at the scores — and secure the weight to the chassis just by sticking it on.

• Pinewood Derby® Raceday Log/Tips and Tricks Book. A must-have for the serious competitor. There are 16 pages of performance secrets and how-to’s for pre-race tuning, and space for recording setups, times, races and results!

• Injection-molded detail parts. Your Sprint Car can be made more realistic with the included top wing, front spoiler and roll cage. All arrive painted and ready to install!

What kid doesn’t just love Spongebob and his home in Bikini Bottom?  Now they can bring Spongebob Squarepants to the Pinewood Derby Race Track!

Spongebob Square Pants Pinewood Derby Car Kit

The SpongeBob racer is another super fast car in the long line of Derby Monkey Xtreme Speed Series Pinewood Derby Car Kits.

This car kit uses a low profile body and delivers a very aggressive center of gravity (COG). The pine body and SpongeBob body parts are precision cut with a CNC guided laser for perfect balance, symmetry and stunning good looks.

The SpongeBob car kit comes with tungsten cubes and is available with a standard BSA wheelbase with axle slots or with an extended wheelsbace with axle holes.  Select the extended wheelbase version if your rules will allow.  An extended wheelbase with precision drilled axle holes will make a faster car.

Assembly is required.  The body parts easily glue on the main body frame.  This is a great kit for racers of all ages and is a fantastic project for the child and parent.

This car meets all BSA Pinewood Derby dimensional requirements.  Available with Official BSA Pinewood Derby wheels and axles.

The Derby Monkey Xtreme Speed kits are engineered with only one thing in mind… sheer speed.  The body design, weight placement, center of mass, alignment and aerodynamics are all optimized for top performance. These are district caliber kits that will give you a tremendous advantage over the competition. Get the complete Easy-to-Build kit with all necessary components to build a precision engineered racing machine..

SpongeBob Racer Features:

• ¼″ Low Profile Body
• Aggresive Center of Gravity
• Tungsten Cubes for Weight
• Weight Pockets Underneath
• Available with Standard BSA Wheelbase with Axle Slots
• Available with an Extended Wheelbase with Axle Holes
• Official BSA Pinewood Derby Wheels
• Official BSA Pinewood Derby Axles
• Extremely Fast Car
• Derby Monkey Exclusive

The Basic Sponge Bob Kit Includes:

• Precut Low Profile Sponge Bob Body
• Tungsten Cubes for Weight
• Detailed Instructions
• SpongeBob Body Parts