Experience the thrill of winning the Pinewood Derby!
Whether this is your first race or you are a seasoned competitor,
Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets has all the advice and tips you need
to bring home the trophy.
Featuring fully-illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions covering
every step of the process, author David Meade, a research scientist
and the father of two undefeated Derby champs, reveals his ultimate
speed secrets for crossing the finish line first.
You'll discover:
- How to build three levels of Pinewood Derby cars: The Winning
Car, The Champion Car, and The Ultimate Car.
- The fun of building the car with your child.
- The secrets to preparing the wheels and axles, distributing weight,
and shaving seconds off your race time.
- Seven ready-to-cut templates.
By using the tips and techniques in Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets,
you too will be sure to build a winning car while building memories
that will last a lifetime.
Table of Contents:
| A History of the Pinewood Derby |
| Chapter 1: Getting Started in the Pinewood Derby |
 |
Having a solid understanding of the principles
of safety, speed, and car design is essential to building your
car and will make the process more fun for you and your child.
- Be safe - Basic safety guidelines
- A Scout is Trustworthy - Official rules explained
- Let Your Child Build the Car - Describes how your child can
do most of the work.
- General Guidelines for Car Design - What to think about when
deciding on a design.
|
| Chapter
2: Building the Car Body |
 |
The very first thing that you'll want to do is
work on the design for your car. However, this involves more
than just picking a good looking shape.
- The Winning Car - Ideal for beginners. An easy car to build
yet fast enough to win.
- Template
- Cut the Design
- Determine weight and weight placement.
- Sand the car
- Add the weights
- Paint the car
- Lubricate the wheel well
- The Champion Car - Go beyond what most people do.
- Extend the wheelbase
- Create glue holes
- Decal tips
- The Ultimate Car - Go the extra mile and take home the
trophy.
- Bake the block
- Quick start design
- Improving standard designs
- Make a three-wheeler
|
| Chapter
3: Axle Preparation |
 |
Correctly preparing your axles is the single most
important thing you can do to increase the speed of your car.
- The Winning Axles
- Remove the burrs
- Polish the axles
- The Champion Axles
- Taper the axle head
- Polish the axle head
- The Ultimate Axles
- Find the best axles
- Reduce contact surface area
|
| Chapter
4: Wheel Preparation |
 |
The stock wheels that come straight out of the
box leave a lot to be desired when it comes to building a winning
car.
- The Winning Wheels
- Polish the wheels
- Lubricate the wheels
- Liquid vs dry lubricant
- The Champion Wheels
- Wheel selection
- Taper the wheel hub
- Polish the inside rim
- The Ultimate Wheels
- Lathe-turned wheels
- "H" and "V" configurations
- Polish the wheel bore
|
| Chapter
5: Putting It All Together |
 |
This chapter will show you everything from attaching
the wheels to preparing for the final weigh-in on race day.
- Attaching the Wheels - Get the spacing right.
- Wheel Alignment - The best techniques and what to look
out for..
- Final Wheel Lubrication - How to apply graphite.
- Breaking Them In - Very important step that most don't
do.
- The 20-Second Test - Be sure everything is correct and
ready to go.
- The Final Weighing - Last minute weight hints.
|
| Gallery of Winning Cars |
| Extra Templates |
| Design Your Own
Car |
|
|
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