You can ghetto groove it by spinning it in a drill and lightly clamping it with a needle nose pliers lightly even if it were bent.
only one side of axle is notching in a dremel... ???
- Thread starter Jimmy & his 2 Kids
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Go to a tire shop and ask if you can have/buy some of their flat, stick-on weights. They're lead, and so will take up 40% less room than the zinc weights pictured.
Nice idea! Use the needle nose pliers as a file for the groove.
Crash Enburn nice idea on the weights. I am actually hitting a bait shop by the house too.
Dave, the Aircraft Carrier car is sweet. I hope ours run as well. But I really rushed these so I am trying not to get my hopes up. I have the same sort of alignment board. I have a plywood shelf flat with the same blue painters tabe. Its 4' long. In that 4 feet they drift almost exactly 4" to the right. At pit night tonight I was able to see a lot of the cars that will race and its just folks who let their kids have fun with it (actually nice to see). Kids just took their preshaped blocks, painted the snot out of them, slammed the wheels with axles on with a hammer
then stuck weights where ever to make weight. So for the most part I think I have a goot shot at doing well. Thing is I only saw less than half the kids. There is a lot more out there. I did notice our associate pastor look at one of his kids though when they complained one wheel was high and not on the ground and he said "oh so what, your better on 3 wheels anyways" so that tells me he might at least get some of it. Though he was also one that was recklessly hammering the axles in. Now last year the fastest car was a little girl who technically wasn't even old enough whose mom made her car and she won it all. Just a rounded shape that really went. Mine were tuned to rail ride and had weight at the rear and faired ok but they were rough and just the racing car blocks.
Before Saturday I will go back over the wheels and axles... I have pumice powder and pipe cleaners for the inside of the wheel bores. Is pumice too rough? If so what else should I use? I did read that the Awana wheels are horrendous. Not sure what that girls mom did but it worked...
Dave, the Aircraft Carrier car is sweet. I hope ours run as well. But I really rushed these so I am trying not to get my hopes up. I have the same sort of alignment board. I have a plywood shelf flat with the same blue painters tabe. Its 4' long. In that 4 feet they drift almost exactly 4" to the right. At pit night tonight I was able to see a lot of the cars that will race and its just folks who let their kids have fun with it (actually nice to see). Kids just took their preshaped blocks, painted the snot out of them, slammed the wheels with axles on with a hammer
then stuck weights where ever to make weight. So for the most part I think I have a goot shot at doing well. Thing is I only saw less than half the kids. There is a lot more out there. I did notice our associate pastor look at one of his kids though when they complained one wheel was high and not on the ground and he said "oh so what, your better on 3 wheels anyways" so that tells me he might at least get some of it. Though he was also one that was recklessly hammering the axles in. Now last year the fastest car was a little girl who technically wasn't even old enough whose mom made her car and she won it all. Just a rounded shape that really went. Mine were tuned to rail ride and had weight at the rear and faired ok but they were rough and just the racing car blocks.Before Saturday I will go back over the wheels and axles... I have pumice powder and pipe cleaners for the inside of the wheel bores. Is pumice too rough? If so what else should I use? I did read that the Awana wheels are horrendous. Not sure what that girls mom did but it worked...
Hey Jimmy, I think i see an issue. Take a pic of the car with Fenders upside down and Post. If this is your first time with fenders i think you may have forgot to clearance the bottom of the fenders so they dont rub the rails. My oldest son 4 times to Districts 3 firsts, the one we did not win was the first year we tried fenders and we made this mistake and it cost us a perfect run at districts.
Here's a couple pics with my phone just now. Hard to tell after daughter painted it. I am adding weight tonight. Didn't plan well so I will have to add some shape back to the body but oh well. Learning...
Not sure if from pics you can see but yes I cut the inside edges back. I made sure all 4 were back so that they were beyond the wheel and it went on a short section of track ok enough. I have access to the track at church and will test it out tomorrow night to make sure.
Thx for the extra looksey and care Scott.
Not sure if from pics you can see but yes I cut the inside edges back. I made sure all 4 were back so that they were beyond the wheel and it went on a short section of track ok enough. I have access to the track at church and will test it out tomorrow night to make sure.
Thx for the extra looksey and care Scott.
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It's hard to tell w/o wheels in place, but it looks like you should be good. When you get to the track, place it on the track as crooked as it can go and eyeball that you have clearance on the rail. Do the same side-to-side.
Remember: you don't need a lot of clearance, just clearance.
Remember: you don't need a lot of clearance, just clearance.
Yeah. I am even tempted to go tonight to see how much room I have on the underside for adding weights. I don't have a drill press so drilling the body out just right by hand isn't an option 2 days before the race. I added the weight I have which is lead shots. To get it to 5 I had to add so much that I had to build I big honkin balsa cover. So I decided no groceries this week and got tungsten weights. 2 one oz pieces of tungsten putty and 1 three oz set of variable cylinder shapes. That should be enough for both. I will just have to hide them somehow. Just didn't want to build the body back up all huge and bulky looking to hide weight. If I use that fat block I will cut it down more. Learned a lot this time around. Next time will be way different.
Looked again and the rear fenders need more trimming. Actually I will trim them all back some more.
Looked again and the rear fenders need more trimming. Actually I will trim them all back some more.
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Glad I ran them side by side though. Daughters rainbow machine was noticeably faster and took much less incline to get it going. Compared all wheels and sons right rear wheel was binding. Schmutz from glue and wrap had migrated into the hub. Took wheel off and cleaned it out, re-lubed it and put it back on. Weight is combination of flat zinc's in very back, fishing splitshots next, then tungsten putty and the .5 oz racer bodies.
Hmmmmm..... should I put the little windshields on in frt of the bodies to decrease drag? Son didnt want it on his because he wants everyone to see the cool driver. They are shaded black w'shields. Too bad I dont have clear plastic..... crap, wait a minute... I do. Tons of kids toy plastic box window containers around the house. Dam and I want to go to bed!!! sigh... maybe in the morning.
Both roll out the same now. I am dying to see the times on the brand new 42 footer tomorrow. Will be back with full report. If these dam cars don't kill it then next year they will race bricks!!!
Shoulda just did a build thread and reported there. Maybe I will. I have enough pics. Here's a pic of the 2 finished beasts ready for the track. Here's hoping we crush other children's hopes and dreams!!! Oh my gosh I didn't just say that!!! I have been corrupted!
Thx a ton again guys for all the advice!
Regards,
Jimmy
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Hey guys. Dave, I didn't check both directions. I know it was going forward. Not sure about rearwards but should be good. Crash, lol thx for the last minute temptation. Leaving in a few so no windshields but here's what we could have used with either the supplied blackout or just clear plastic cut from box. It's templates. I did confirm it is a new 42' Best Track system with the Stop System.
Here we go!!!!! Will post later.
Here we go!!!!! Will post later.
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View attachment 359 View attachment 357 Ok so the day is done... and thanks to all the help here I can say.... THEY KILLED IT!!! my kids won every race they were in. Some by a lot, some closer. My son was the only one between the 2 to loose a race and that was only because he lost to his sister in the all class finals. Bailey my daughter has a fastest time of 3.008. Noah's was in the 3.teens. Now he never lost but the next closest in his class was said to post a faster time at one point so even though he won his classes finals he got 2nd place for Speed. I will actually post a more detailed report with vids and pics in the Awana forum later this weekend. I have not helped a finger with laundry (my chores) in 2 weeks due to building so the rest of the day will be laundry and chores. But truth be told... I AM STOKED!!!! Hello, my name is Jimmy and I am addicted to Pinewood Derby Racing... Huge thanks to you all for your help and support and truth be told, this daddy is a sap and got a wee bit teary eyed when he saw how happy his kids were and getting their trophies. 2 each.
Will post more later... time for lots of coffee and chores!!!
Blessings!
Jimmy
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Those smiles outshine the trophies. I have to say, when I clicked on the post and saw the pic I couldn't help but smile myself. Call me a sap too, same thing happened to me when my boy did well.
Making memories brother...Congratulations!!!!
Making memories brother...Congratulations!!!!
Thanks a lot Dave! Weird thing is I couldn't get pic to rotate. Cropped pic & redid it so at least now one can look at it w/o tilting their head to the side. 
Thanks again to you. All your messages helped a lot brother! SAP DADDY RACING!!! lol
Thanks again to you. All your messages helped a lot brother! SAP DADDY RACING!!! lol
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