Should I Use Pledge with The Next Level Axle Polish?
- Thread starter jasarsenal
- Start date
I like the jig...but know there is something better right around the corner like cross weight tuning.....just saying
Which is better graphite wheels / pledge axles or graphite wheels / sailkote axles? Also is generic lemon pledge ok to use?
I've tried Sailkote and Lemon Pledge. All I can say is that my lemon pledge cars are faster...but take that with a grain of salt. The pledge cars were several iterations after the sailkote cars. I could (hopefully) be improving my process and just never went back to check sailkote again.
So newbie here. Understanding Pledge is the last step, how do you apply? Spray and buff in, or spray and drip dry?
I feel some Packs use rules like this for one reason: to allow scouts/parents that don’t put the time and effort and research into a fast car to be competitive. Ridiculous. Shouldn’t Pine Wood Derby be about rewarding creativity and hard work? Of course it should! No matter what, the same kids that would have won with more lax rules will win with the strict rules, so why not give them the ability to learn something and try new things. When did PWD become less of a teaching event and more of a no creativity allowed event? The same Scouts/parents will put the same amount of work in it no matter what, so give them more opportunities to try new things and learn! PWD is about fun, not rules. Rules should never get in the way of fun.
And the fact that they are not clear and must be interpreted with a decision made that may or may not be right is just wrong. There should be no gray area. Be clear with what each rule means or don’t include them. An unclear rule is more of a guideline than a rule anyways. People can do what they think it means and have a valid point of arguing there case. The rule can be bent to there understanding and what they think will give them the best results. And they have every right to do so!
And the fact that they are not clear and must be interpreted with a decision made that may or may not be right is just wrong. There should be no gray area. Be clear with what each rule means or don’t include them. An unclear rule is more of a guideline than a rule anyways. People can do what they think it means and have a valid point of arguing there case. The rule can be bent to there understanding and what they think will give them the best results. And they have every right to do so!
I'm with you on using Pledge if the rule says "Only graphite powder or white lube T102/polytern fluoroethylene may
be used to lubricate wheels." While Pledge has lubricating functions, you can fairly say you are also using it as a polish, since it literally says polish on the label.
I don't see how you can claim you're in compliance with the rules if it says "No silicone." It clearly has silicone. Plus there's a non-trivial chance that they wrote that rule specifically to address people who were using silicone and claiming it was to polish.
Sure its a dumb rule but I don't get the logic of "If these people had more common sense, they would have written a better rule, so I'm not violating the one they did write by ignoring it."
Of course, there's an absolute zero chance you get caught for this rule violation if you choose to do it.
100% agree its a bad rule, the reasoning behind it is bad, and writing unclear rules is bad.
At the same time, I see a lot of content on here about rules that boils down to either:
1. You're not breaking the rules because its a dumb rule; or
2. You're not breaking the rules because you won't get caught.
But neither of these mean you're not breaking a dumb rule. I think its more consistent with teaching the principles of Scouting to follow the dumb rule, consistent with the Scout law. Especially because if you're reading this forum you're probably going to smoke the rest of the Pack under any rule set.
There's another category...the rule isn't clear enough to distinguish what you are trying to do. Then it's up to you to risk a dq. I've read rules that are almost absolutely contradictory. Like "No sanding, lathing or lightening of wheels is permitted. You may lighten, sand or CNC wheels to remove imperfections or improve performance" WHAT? But you just said....
Or another favorite " Only graphite or silicone based lubricants may be used. No oil " again...WHAT??
Another is "No wheel covers". Is an air shield a wheel cover? what about a fender? They do not cover the wheel...what do they mean versus what the rule says. I've had this one go both ways between years with the same exact written rule. One year, airglides OK. The next year, airglides are wheel covers and banned. Third year two race officials sat arguing with each other about it and decided it was OK again.
You can try to contact the organization to get a consensus...but too often there's no reply or an answer that basically means "get to check in early in case you have to modify your car on the spot". Understand that if you push the boundaries, you may be disassembling and reassembling a finely tuned car while sitting on the floor of a firehall. Bring your tools.
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