Anything Goes PineWood Derby~!

[MrAudio815]

Hello NCWW's,

My Church group of guys (The Adults) are going to have a pinewood derby in Jan 2011 and Anything goes. It can be powered, metal, whatever.

Only two rules:
1: It has to fit on the track as would a normal pinewood derby car.
2: Can't have flames. :gar-La;


Any ideas of what I can do to either power it, what wood to use, wheels etc?

I was thinking of using Hard Maple, Purpleheart, or a combination of the two. I would like to make it look awesome as well as preform well. I was also thinking of using the car wind up gears in it to power it? And was thinking of turning a block of wood large enough to get 4 wheels out of it. Turn it to size then cut them on the band saw, then sanding them up flat. What do you think?

Thanks for the help and ideas~! :icon_thum

 

[mtnfyre]

why cant it have flames.
flames make anything better.


go as light with the wood as you can so you can make it heavy with the moter.

:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu:kamahlitu

 

[sushinutnc]

I love the idea! .

So, my first thought was a CO2 car. I used to build them as a kid. I just made one with my son about 2 yrs ago. You drill a hole in the back of the car and insert a CO2 cartridge like the ones used for BB guns. I never raced them against other cars though, because we didn't have any way to pop two (or more) cartridges at the same time. If your track could accommodate the acceleration of a CO2 car and you could rig a starter for it, that would be pretty fast.

I found a similar compressed air design on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbDjJZDzNVA

AHA! Just found a brilliant design for firing dual CO2 cartridges:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phPpIUZN1DE (just awful music)

 

[manfre]

Have vertical dowels the width of all of the tracks. Rig it so that they fall in an arc starting toward the front. This will make sure every other vehicle is behind the front of yours. Add a step at the bottom of the arc's guide to prevent their cars from pushing the dowel back up and out of the way.

 

[MrAudio815]

Mike That Compressed Air Design Car is Amazing.

I would love to make that one. I will have to try to figure this one out. any tips on what I need to buy? Or how to make it by chance?

Thanks for finding these videos~!

 

[sushinutnc]

At the end of the video, he lists components:

24oz soda bottle
1/8" ball valve
schrader valve
mouse trap spring
ballpoint pen spring
3/4" aluminum channel
4 black zip ties
and some snake oil

not sure where you'd get the snake oil

Looks like a plan at the end of the video with "Funtelligent LLC" on it.

Their website says you can contact them at feedback AT funtellient DOT com or you might try the email on the plan: robert AT waterzooka DOT com.

 

[blazeman45]

CO2 cars normally run on a string with eye hooks beneath the car!! On a pinewood derby track, i think it would be too fast number one, and second puncturing the CO2 is usually done with a special starter mechanism. With it being a downhill run, it would probably leave the track and become a pinewood rocket!! :rotflm::rotflm::rotflm:

It would def beat anything else running!! What about a windup rubber band like the old airplanes. Wind the rear wheels and let it go...

 

[dlrion]

I did the compressed air idea as a kid.

Unfortunately the rule of no flame allowed was not applied to our contest, and I lost to the rocket kid!:BangHead:

Anyhow, we used two people, one who held the car, and another who pounded a nail into the CO2 cartridge. If you don't do it quickly the cartridge slowly leaks and doesn't work very well. I am interested in your firing mechanism. As a kid, I envisioned a nail attached to the wire spring of a mousetrap. As I imagined it, the nail would puncture the CO2 inlet and give it a bit of a push.

Good luck!

Dan

 

[sushinutnc]

On a pinewood derby track, i think it would be too fast number one, and second puncturing the CO2 is usually done with a special starter mechanism. With it being a downhill run, it would probably leave the track and become a pinewood rocket!!

I thought so too... until I found the video showing otherwise.