Another Year of Workshops

I got 65 kits yesterday.... I have to drill all 65 blocks and remove the second step from all 260 wheels. I also bought 70 sets .092 Awana axles to replace the crap BSA axles.... I will have to chamfer the heads on all of those too... I though about cutting the OD on all of the wheels, but I only have 12 days left before I have to pass them out at our December Pack meeting and I don't think I can get it all done in time. I bet no one in my packs knows how much work I do for our derby. I don't know how you do it all the time John, but I know we all appreciate it...
 
Hats off to you 5kids... and AMEN to that!!! We definitely appreciate John and all he does!!!
5KidsRacing said:
I got 65 kits yesterday.... I have to drill all 65 blocks and remove the second step from all 260 wheels. I also bought 70 sets .092 Awana axles to replace the crap BSA axles.... I will have to chamfer the heads on all of those too... I though about cutting the OD on all of the wheels, but I only have 12 days left before I have to pass them out at our December Pack meeting and I don't think I can get it all done in time. I bet no one in my packs knows how much work I do for our derby. I don't know how you do it all the time John, but I know we all appreciate it...
 
Did my first workshop this year, WHAT A PITA!!!!! They had all their cars, and brought them with them. I just drilled axle holes, help cut body's, helped some with axles, and some with Rail running. 20 Kids and parents over 2 nights. The best part was when one dad, I guess who has had some success was telling me that I was wrong, he tried it that way and his way was faster. I finally just had to say this is what I have learned and had great success with,take it or leave it!
bruce
roadrage
 
HAHA if your workshop is all wrong, why wasnt he in his work shop building a faster car than yours??? Sounds to me like he took it and left it HAHAHA!!! Way to go Quick, I dont think I would have had the same control over the speed of my mouth...
Quicktimederby said:
Did my first workshop this year, WHAT A PITA!!!!! They had all their cars, and brought them with them. I just drilled axle holes, help cut body's, helped some with axles, and some with Rail running. 20 Kids and parents over 2 nights. The best part was when one dad, I guess who has had some success was telling me that I was wrong, he tried it that way and his way was faster. I finally just had to say this is what I have learned and had great success with,take it or leave it!
bruce
roadrage
 
I cut out the second step on all 260 wheels and 4 blocks out of 65 are drilled... It is really sucks that 90% of these BSA blocks are over 1-3/4" wide. I already marked all 65 and now I have to go back and sand one side down a little so it fits in my version of the Silver Bullet. I wish I would have made mine without the 1-3/4" groove at all... What a PIA.

But on the upside I found enough 3/8" diameter x 7/8" long brass weights to give everybody in the pack 3 ounces.... that's 12 lbs. worth...
 
I don’t know how a racer without machined round wheels even competes with one with machined round wheels. I chucked up 260 wheels last week and there are better molds than others, but they all look bad to me… I am sure even with the exact same prep and set-up the un-machined wheels wouldn’t stand a chance. I could machine them all to the same OD, but I don’t want to take all of the technical stuff out of the build. I mean if there is a scout out there that gets ahead because he shaves, sands, or lathes his wheels round then that is good right? I am already giving them a drilled block, speed axles, all of the products & exact instructions on how to do it right. I also included “additional” speed tips this year which includes the “tip” that making the wheels round will speed them up…

Leave the wheels raw or machine them all to the same OD…. I don’t know what to do. I guess there are a lot of steps that will separate the scouts from each other… wheel bore polish, axle polish, weight, tuning…. Maybe the wheels shouldn’t be a separator, maybe they should.

Next year I am seriously considering buying MV kits, same price and way better wheels and axles. I would only consider this because our area hasn’t had a district or council race for years so it doesn’t matter what parts we use… there is no race after our pack race.
 
Scott, You already have gone above and beyond what 99% of most scout cars. There is no way I would machine them all. What you could do is throw it out there that you have the ability to true them and at a later date if the scout would like to come over with his dad to learn how then you could help them out. From my limited workshop experience is you may have 10-20% take you up on it. Offer it to all and help the one that really want it. Just my take on it. By the way great job on what you've done for the boys in your pack!!!
clap
 
I previously told 5Kids that he is a Saint and Crazy for doing all of this !!! The block width thing is annoying. I have thought about running all mine down the table saw and/or jointer. If you are drilling the axle holes for them and told them where to put the weight, I would think that wheels will be the majority of the difference. Why remove the 2nd step for them - they should be able to do that with a modified DerbyWorx tool, etc., if they are touching the wheels at all. I think the MV kits might be worth a try. It seems like the BSA wheels are going down in quality rapidly and that would allow the majority (who put in minimum effort) to at least be competitive.
 
Well I am finished with most of the stuff…. I marked and drilled all 65 blocks and I had to sand every block on my belt sander to get them to fit in my Sliver bullet. What a PIA…. Because of all of your advice I left the wheel OD raw and just cut out the second step. I really just cut out the step because it is pretty easy and doesn’t take me much time. The .092 Awana axles I bought should kick this year’s derby up a notch. It took me 3 nights to chamfer the heads (and also make the head centered and round) and also cut a grove in the DFW axle. I really have fun seeing all the scouts gain speed over last year’s race.

I have to finish up the workshop kits by early January and then the race is late January. I did the workshop by myself on my drill press last year. I think some people thought that they couldn’t do everything without a drill press even though I said they could use a cordless drill in my handout….. so….. this year I am going to take my daughter with me to the workshop and have her show them how to do it all with a cordless drill. Haha… There shouldn’t be any excuses after that…
 
Scott.. I know this is way after the fact.. You are a true Leader to all of those boys and parents.. It is cool of you to go above and beyond.. You do not see much of that in the pack my son was in and now my youngest wants to go to Scouts... I went to one night of what was considered a how to build meeting... Wish we had someone with real Derby Racing experience that night...

I bet that race was exciting having more cars running faster the prior year... I love when the kids sit along the rail and oohh and ahhh when the fast cars go by ..

Your one really cool guy!!! /images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif

V