Pinewood Derby is one of the highlights of the pack year. Each scout is provided with a pinewood derby car kit by the pack. With the help of a responsible adult, the scout plans, designs, customizes and paints his car.
Please note: prior editions of the Guide to Safe Scouting prohibited Cub Scouts from operating power tools. While the guide no longer expressly prohibits this use, we recommend that any use of power tools for creating a Pinewood Derby car by performed by an adult with the scout observing and learning about how the tool is used. However, we strongly encourage you to allow the scout to do as much of the car building as possible.
Rules
The rules for Pinewood Derby can be found here. Although these are district rules, they apply to the pack as well and will be strictly enforced. Each pinewood entry will be inspected for compliance with these rules at check-in by a race official. The judgement of the race officials is final.
Tips
Here are some very general tips that may help you if you've never built a pinewood car before. If you're looking for more techniques, the internet has plenty of sites offering more detailed how-to's.
Make sure you know and follow the rules before you start designing your car.
Tools
You do not need an extensive woodworking shop (but it doesn't hurt) in order to build a pinewood car. You can cut the car using a simple coping saw, smooth out the roughness by hand with coarse sandpaper (50 or 60 grit) and finish it with medium (100-120 grit) and/or fine (150 grit) paper.
A drill (cordless or electric) and a few drill bits can also come in handy for hollowing out the body if you plan on adding weights into the body.
A simple, inexpensive digital scale which can measure to the tenth of an ounce can be a great aid.
Weight
The general consensus on weight is that you should maximize the weight of the car to the full allowable limit: 5 ounces. After cutting the car you'll have lost anywhere from 1-4 ounces (depending on design), so you'll need to replace that missing pine. Most people choose to add metal weights, as it is a lot denser and heavier than wood.
Since lead is a toxic substance and we're dealing with growing children, it's best to avoid it all together, although it is not presently banned.
There are many different metal weight products: stick-on weights, cylinders, screw-on plates, spheres and other shapes. Many of these are sold at the Scout shop, hobby stores, online and other retail outlets. The most common material is zinc, as it is not toxic and can be either snapped off of segmented casts or cut (with a hacksaw with a metal cutting blade) along scored segments in order to get the precise amount you need to add.
Make sure you account for everything that is being added to your scout's car before adding weight. This includes, axles, wheels, design details (such as figures or other items added to the body) and even paint. It's sometimes easier to add weight rather than remove it (depending where and how the weight is added). Weigh all the car elements together (assuming they're not attached) in order to find out how much weight needs to be added. Remember that if you're recessing into the body to add weight, you lose some more weight with any new recesses.
Paint
Once the car body is complete your scout can paint his car. Tempera or acrylic paints work rather well and clean up easily.
Axles and Alignment
Once the car body is completed and painted you need to add the wheels to the car using the axles supplied in the kit. The axles must be placed in the pre-cut slots on the bottom of the basic pinewood block. Make evey effort to set the axles as straight as possible.
In the pinewood kit, one of the pre-cut axle slots is closer to the end than the other. Either end of the block can be used for the front of the car.
After all the wheels and axles are installed, roll the car along the floor to check that the car runs straight. A car that runs straight will not slow down as much as it isn't wobbling or rubbing against any of the track rails. If the car doesn't roll straight on the floor, it will be necessary to adjust one or more of the axles that are off-center.
Lubrication
Once the wheels and axles are installed, lubricate them using a dry lubricant. Powdered graphite is relatively inexpensive and can be obtained from the same place you can get the weights from.
The rules page nicely illustrates where to apply the graphite on the wheels and axles.
Competition
There are two competition categories: speed and design. However, there is one primary goal of Pinewood Derby: Have Fun!
For the first rounds of racing, each scout competes against other scouts in their own rank (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Jr. Webelos, and Sr. Webelos), although a heat will likely mix ranks. For each rank, there are 3 trophies awarded in the speed category (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and one for design. The same awards are given for the pack-wide winners. The scouts themselves decide the design winner based on their votes. After the first rounds are complete, there will be a final round against the top three finishers in each division from the first round to determine the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. The pack-wide design winner will be the scout who receives the most votes overall.
In order to provide an opportunity for creative and competitive adults and other children, the pack also allows non-scouts to enter a car and compete in their own division.
Check-in
Race check-in is from 4 – 6 PM the day of the race.
You have an opportunity to make any last-minute adjustments to your scouts car at this time and may also make test runs down the track. The scout will also have their picture taken with their car at check-in.
Once the car is ready, it can be given to the race officials who will assign a number to the car and inspect it for conformance to the rules, including a weigh-in. If the car is found to be overweight, there are usually tools on-hand to allow you to trim some excess weight in order to get the car within the weight limit.
Once the car has been turned in, it can no longer be touched by anyone other than the race officials.
Race schedule
The race schedule can only be made available after all cars have been checked in. Thus, the sooner every checks in, the sooner the schedule can be finished.
Prior to racing, the scouts will be able to view all the entries and vote on their favorite for the design category.
Race format
In both the first qualifying round and the second final round, each car will race four times - once on each lane of track. The cars do not compete head-to-head in each heat, but rather are timed to accumulate a total time.
The 3 lowest total times for each rank in the first round will be awarded trophies, as well as the top 3 finishers in the finals.
Pit Stop
The senior Webelos run the Pit Stop during the course of the derby, The Pit Stop offers soft drinks, water, hot dogs, chips, pizza and desserts for sale with the proceeds going back into the packs general fund.