Pinewood Derby Car

[Doug Bergstrom]

Any one have any ideas for a pinewood derby car. Thinking of using the laser to help marking etc.

Thanks

[Todd Suire]

Doug,

Let your imagination run wild.

In all my years with the scouts, I've seen quite a few. I've seen cars shaped like a cell phone, an electric razor, a box of kitchen matches, and every kind of car design you could think of.

Just go with it and have fun.....

[Garrick David]

Flames!! Lots of flames!

:)

[Dan Hintz]

Flames!! Lots of flames!

:)
3D flames, with shading :D

[Prashun Patel]

If I was doing this for my kid, I'd make 2. One for me made by me, and one for him - made by him. Maybe I'm being petulant, but it bothers me that these contests are largely between dad's and not the kids...

For the one made by me for me: +1 on the flames, weight near the back, and new wheels/axles with more slip than the brads they supply u with.

[Dan Hintz]

Shawn,

Agreed. The best thing one can do for their child is instruct them as to the best (and often not-so-best) method, as well as explain why you chose that method over others. Unless it's dangerous work (e.g., bandsaw), the child should be the one doing the actual construction. Lend a helping hand, when necessary, but let them do the work. Even if it comes out with glue strands stuck to every side, the cockpit lopsided, and the stickers on crooked, they'll take a lot more pride in it and learn a lot in the process.

I probably would not be able to do everything from rebuild an engine to lay a house's foundation had my father not instilled such qualities in me through that same thought process.

[Bryan Cowan]

I probably would not be able to do everything from rebuild an engine to lay a house's foundation had my father not instilled such qualities in me through that same thought process.

I'm 25, on my own and very capable of handling projects alone, but I still ask for a guiding hand from my dad. He's helping me lay tile tomorrow. Any large project that requires two sets of hands, it's usually he and I. That's the way it's been since I could walk.

[Martin Boekers]

If I was doing this for my kid, I'd make 2. One for me made by me, and one for him - made by him. Maybe I'm being petulant, but it bothers me that these contests are largely between dad's and not the kids...

For the one made by me for me: +1 on the flames, weight near the back, and new wheels/axles with more slip than the brads they supply u with.

Hopefully if the dad's make their own for fun it doesn't show up the kid's effort.

What they ought to do is have a kids and a seperate division for parents.
That way both can have their fun!


Marty

[Bryan Cowan]

There was a commercial recently (maybe an insurance commercial?) that focused on a pinewood derby race where a father and son were on a team. The father let his son build the car the way he wanted it. They fast forwarded to race day and other teams had professional looking derby cars while the father and son had what they put together. The son saw all the others and had a look of sadness. They placed all cars on the ramp and let them go. The car the son built won. The look of happiness on the kid's face for taking first place ended the commercial.

I tried a quick YouTube search, but couldn't find anything.

[Prashun Patel]

What they ought to do is have a kids and a seperate division for parents.
That way both can have their fun!


Here, here!
My son's 5 - a couple years too young for this, but I'm already fighting back the urge to 'help' him too much when the time comes. I could EASILY be "THAT" dad.

[Dan Hintz]

For Chanukkah (or Christmas, depends upon which one of us you ask) I picked up 5 LEGO kits for my 7-yo step-daughter, starting from a sub-40-piece model in a plastic bag to a 200-piece+ model in a proper box. We started with the small kit, and I helped her decide which piece was needed with each step... how to differentiate the different colors, counting rows/columns of "dots", looking for differences in the pics from step 'X' to the next, etc. I also helped her do the majority of the second kit. By the third kit it was "I'll provide help when you need it, but I'm not doing the work for you".

She's currently working on putting together Darth Vader's Anniversary-edition TIE Fighter with 250+ pieces. Most of her help requests have been finding pieces that fell on the floor. Other than that, she's about half way through and loves to show me her progress.

[Carl Sewell]

http://www.scoutingnews.org/2009/02/18/subaru-forester-pinewood-derby-commercial/

[Bryan Cowan]

http://www.scoutingnews.org/2009/02/18/subaru-forester-pinewood-derby-commercial/

Bingo!

Not an insurance company commercial, but close :D

[Gordon Kircher]

What does your son love to do. Make the car's theme around that. Let him take the lead on the design.

If he loves skateboarding....let him make it look like a skateboard. If he's into video games.... make it look like a controller, or a monster on his favorite game.

Two key things on the car. (1) Max the weight and make sure you (2) polish the axles and wheels.

Gordon

[Todd Suire]

That's what we did when I was a scout leader. We held the scout's tournament, then a separate tournament for the leaders and adults who wanted to enter. It was really fun that way.

[Bill Clifton]

The boy is 31 and on his own in NYC. The pinewood derby cars (3) and 2 trophys are in a custom wall mounted cabinet in his room. We worked together on the cars. He cut with my guidance, he sanded with my guidance, he painted with my guidance, he weighed and weighted with my guidance. It was a fun for both of us. I didn't work one minute without him helping.

The cars live in my home now, but they have always been his - he can have them when he wants them.