Posted: 12/30/2011 5:40:43 PM EDT
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My oldest son (8) has joines the Cub Scouts and we are starting to build our first derby car. I know nothing about these races but we are having fun bulding the car together. He drew the design on the car and I cut it out. Now he has been sanding the car smooth to get ready for paint. I've searched the internet for tips and I've found a few but who here has built one and wants to offer some advice? Post pics if you have them. |
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Ah yes, the pine wood derby!
In my experience, the kid who nailed the wheels on the block of wood and drew a number on it with a crayon always won. Must have been track dynamics or something, because my dad and I shaped our's into the aerodynamic shape of a vintage formula-one car, used graphite on the axles and employed a lead filled cavity. The Charlie Browns always won though. I was always kind of glad for them though, because they usually were the kids that either the dad didn't give a crap, or there was no dad. Either way, I was always proud of my cars and enjoyed the father-son time. 
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I remember getting 3rd in my district with a car I basically hacked up myself. My dad gave me instructions on how not to cut any limbs off and let me have at it.  the only thing he did was help drill out the back to put #8 shot in, which worked great in getting to the exact max weight limit.
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my advice? Don't be that guy. If you don't know who I mean, go to another pack's before your own. This, some kid will be there with a $500.00 car that was bought off the Intranet by his dad. They will win every time, and everyone will stand around with a smirk on their face when the kid races it. |
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my advice? Don't be that guy. If you don't know who I mean, go to another pack's before your own. This, some kid will be there with a $500.00 car that was bought off the Intranet by his dad. They will win every time, and everyone will stand around with a smirk on their face when the kid races it. I think I know "the guy" you are talking about. One of the leaders in our pack talks about the derby all the time. He is an Eagle Scout, went to state several times and says he knows every trick to winning. He'll be building the car for his kid. I want my boy to do his best and make this his car not me reliving my childhood that my dad never let me have. |
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Quoted: Let him design and engineer it himself. Guide him perhaps but thats about it.My oldest son (8) has joines the Cub Scouts and we are starting to build our first derby car. I know nothing about these races but we are having fun bulding the car together. He drew the design on the car and I cut it out. Now he has been sanding the car smooth to get ready for paint. I've searched the internet for tips and I've found a few but who here has built one and wants to offer some advice? Post pics if you have them. Most dads here take control and its more about the dad than the kid it seems.
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Let him design and engineer it himself. Guide him perhaps but thats about it.My oldest son (8) has joines the Cub Scouts and we are starting to build our first derby car. I know nothing about these races but we are having fun bulding the car together. He drew the design on the car and I cut it out. Now he has been sanding the car smooth to get ready for paint. I've searched the internet for tips and I've found a few but who here has built one and wants to offer some advice? Post pics if you have them. Most dads here take control and its more about the dad than the kid it seems. Partially guilty but not the way you'd think. My kid wanted a tank. So, we built a Pinewood Derby tank. It didn't run for crap but we had the only tank in the derby. FWIW, the kid that won had a simple wedge car. It looked like someone had taken a splitting wedge from some lumberjack and stuck wheels on it. Sometimes simple designs are best. eta: spelling. |
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my advice? Don't be that guy. If you don't know who I mean, go to another pack's before your own. This. Only idiot dads try to win. The important part is letting your son build the car. Agree. It's not the win so much as learning the skills of making. |
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Many years ago the den leader and I (assistant dl) created a separate class for Dad's with the same rules that the boys used.
That avoided boys' cars that look like they came out of the Ferrari concept design studio...boys had a ball as did the Dad's. I'd advise you son to maximize weight, use some graphite on the axles, sand excess flash off the wheels, and do his best to make sure the car tracks straight...that said make him build the car. 
-hanko |