No Added Weight!!

[E.T.Racing]

I had a coworker has asked me to help him out with his son's pinewood derby car. Has anyone heard of or had experience building a car with no added weight allowed? I first thought that he was joking but the only rule he was told when he was handed the kit was use what is in the kit and do not add any weight. The race will be run on an old wooden track. Any ideas would be a big help.

Thanks,

ET

 

[jator359]

My first thought was if you router out some of the chassis material beneath the car and add back some strategically placed weights so that you can adjust COM somewhat, but only up to the original weight, technically you're not really adding weight. Just my 2 cents.

 

[OPARENNEN]

This is a good idea. Mke the car a thin wedge, like we all do, then bring it up to original block weight by putting 100% of added weight in the back, perhaps covered by wood putty (?? allowed ??) or just layers of paint.

Nevertheless, even without any of that, i.e. evn with a square block, nail and wheel prep with steer adjustment will be a winner. Think of getting DD4H to drill the big block with his 4 on the floor method.

My first thought was if you router out some of the chassis material beneath the car and add back some strategically placed weights so that you can adjust COM somewhat, but only up to the original weight, technically you're not really adding weight. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Quicktimederby]

Oh my! Another crazy set of rules. I don't quite understand how some cub masters feel they need to modify or come up with rules. I think they think that it will take the dads out of the equation but all it does is make they work harder and takes the kids out of it. If it were me I would leave as much as wood as possible make it a stream line design so you don't have the top of the wheel contacting the body. Put some real heavy metal paint.LOL Use most of the stuff you already do and you guy will crush the rest. Maybe a hair more turn in than your use to.
I'll take a picture of my boys first car design, I would just make it bigger.

 

[Chief]

E.T. I had a race like that once and what we did was totally outside the box...we made ours look like an aircraft carrier. we cut the back end off and glued it to the front which as you know moves the rear wheels farther back. on the front we cut it at about a 45 degree down angle. so that the top of the car measured 7 inches and the bottom of the car measured about 5 inches. I would still build like you would normally with wheel and axle prep and canting. The angle will allow you to get about an inch or inch and a half head start as the pin drops and with your axles and wheels they should be left in the dust. Are they going to weigh the cars to make sure the cars do not have any dense weight in them???

 

[DerbyDad4Hire]

There will be MASSIVE CHEATING going on in this race! How are they going to determine if someone hides weight in the middle of the car???

Aero is more important than weight I think so make sure there is some sort of angle on the front. Cut the front off and use it to make fenders!

Note to scout leaders... PLEASE QUIT COMPLICATING A SIMPLE FUN EVENT!

 

[Skippy Kicky]

I don't know if this idea is worth trying, but could you run three wheels making a guide pin out of the 4th axle and rout out a pocket in the rear for the 4th wheel filling it with the shavings? I don't know if the weight of the wheel minus the wood is worth it? I like the idea of fenders and aerodynamics.
Sounds very restrictive. Good luck.

 

[quadad]

I would start by taking a scale and going to the local scout shop with the largest inventory. In a full box of PWD kits there is usually a very wide (+/- 50 %) weight distribution. No one should complain since you are just weighing the boxes, not opening them. Or, if it can be any wood, just go to a woodworker shop and get some nice hardwood.

 

[Obsession Racing]

E.T.,
See if your coworker has an official, printed set of rules. IF the only two rules are:

1. No added weight
2. Use what is in the kit

THEN, you are open to do a lot of other things that are outside the box, assuming that they stick to the rules. Some things were already mentioned, and all are great ideas. Here are some additional thoughts:

• Length of car: If you truly can use ONLY what is in the box (no other weighting), then you can cut wood off and move it elsewhere, even extending the length of the car somewhat (probably no more than 9" total length) and then placing the wheel base in such a way that the car will have most of this weight in the back.
• Can you remove weight?: This brings up the possibility of removing weight from the wheels, including making them razor wheels.
• Can the car be painted?: If so, isn't this a way to add weight? If you can paint it, nobody can tell you how many coats of paint can be applied, or what kind, correct? Why not use a thick craft/art acrylic that lays down like a paste? That stuff can be put on with a knife, it's so thick...with emphasis on the back of the car.
• 3 wheels may or may not be a good idea, depending on the age of the track. Sometimes, these old tracks don't work well with 3 wheelers with a guide pin (the car skips too much). A slightly raised 4th wheel may work better

As John said, this sounds like it will be a huge cheater's race unless they enforce some type of rules. I think I understand what they were trying to do, but they went about it all the wrong ways. Simplifying the rules usually opens the doors for more ways to cheat. Clear, enforceable rules make for great racing at all levels.

Good Luck,

O.R.

I had a coworker has asked me to help him out with his son's pinewood derby car. Has anyone heard of or had experience building a car with no added weight allowed? I first thought that he was joking but the only rule he was told when he was handed the kit was use what is in the kit and do not add any weight. The race will be run on an old wooden track. Any ideas would be a big help.

Thanks,

ET

 

[Crash Enburn]

I think that your coworker really needs to get clarification. The rules as stated would be untenable.

 

[E.T.Racing]

Does anyone have any lead paint for sale?

 

[OPARENNEN]

I think that your coworker really needs to get clarification. The rules as stated would be untenable.

Yes, but when someone shows up with a winner by using lots of thought or inititive, they sometime make a big deal of it. We have lots al ladies in charge of Cubs, and they are the first to be upset when an inventive idea rolls over all the other cars.

 

[5KidsRacing]

I would mix DD's and Quadad's Ideas... Some blocks are really heavy and wet. I have stock blocks that weight almost 5 ounces. Cut a huge taper and use the material as fenders. Paint it alot until it is up to 5 ounces.