I finally had an opportunity to participate in a 'no holds barred' pinewood derby for grownups. The annual competition does have some standing by-laws, however.
- No open flame or explosions
- Any car leaving the track will be disqualified
- No sabotaging the other vehicles during the race
Being new to the area, and new to the competition, I set out to at least compete for the fastest car. After spending many hours finishing unpacking my garage to clear out a space to build a car, I had about 4 hours before the competition. I grabbed my tools and set to work.
The Design
Originally, I wanted to use the bell of an outrunner electric motor as the drive wheel, but I knew I did not have enough time to design and build such a pinewood derby car. So, I decided to salvage the parts from an old RC airboat (that didn't work so well) I had collecting dust in my garage.
The Chassis
The Materials
- 1/8" Scrap Plywood from the Homely Despot (they usually have scrap wood in the back of the lumber section that you can pick up for pennies on the dollar
- 1/2" Square Hardwood Dowel - Your local hardware store probably has 2ft lengths for about a dollar
- 3/8" Square Hardwood Dowel - same as the 1/2" dowel
- Small Self Tapping Wood Screws
- Pinewood derby Wheels and 'Axles' - You can substitute other wheels if you please
- 9x4x4mm ball bearing
- M4 bolt
- M4 nuts