![]() ![]() The cars are powered by gravity, and at the Pinewood Derby event they run on wooden tracks with three lanes, in heats, giving each car the chance to run on each lane. The wheels and axles would be added carefully as there is always the chance the wood will crack if the car designed is thin in the wheel area. Once the car was cut out and sanded, the boys were to take it home and spend the next weeks decorating by painting, then fine sanding, and adding a clear coat sealer if desired. As the Scouts move up in ranks, they take more responsibility for the use of the tools. According to Pino, one purpose of the Pinewood Derby project is to introduce boys to power tools under supervision, with an emphasis on safety. Once the design was drawn onto the block of wood, the boys, wearing safety glasses and closely supervised by the adult leaders, used a power saw to cut out the design. (Thousands of designs are available from the BSA and other online websites.) Some of the designs chosen by the Vinton Scouts this year included “The Atomic Wedgie,” “The Pencil,” “Bacon,” and “Flashfire.” Another was a Star Wars design. The boys who attended the workshop came with their designs drawn and ready to cut out and trace onto the wood. As for height, the completed car must fit under the finish line arch.Īccording to the BSA website, the idea behind the Pinewood Derby is for “the parent, usually the father, but sometimes another family member, to spend time helping the child design, carve, paint, add weights to, and tune the final car.” The completed car must fit inside a template box which measures seven inches long and two and three-fourths inches wide with a wheel base of five and three-eighths inches. The cars are weighed right before they race. The Scouts carve and decorate their car as they choose– as long as they don’t exceed the maximum weight limit (which is approximately five ounces or 141 grams) or the length allowed. The total process of cutting, sanding, and then completing the chosen design with paint and/or decals takes a time investment from child and parent of about eight hours. Most Scouts begin with the kit which contains a block of pine wood, four wheels and four nails used as axles. Cub Scouts include boys in grades one through five. Every year more than a million boys and parents team up to build and race a Pinewood Derby car. The Pinewood Derby is an annual racing event for Cub Scouts sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and is one of the most popular events in Cub Scouting. Boy Scouts, and younger and older siblings and others interested could purchase a kit as well for a minimal fee and participate in a separate category on race day. This year’s race is set for January 21.Ĭubmaster Ryan Apple said that each Cub Scout received his own Pinewood Derby kit. The tradition of Cub Scout Pack 235 (which meets at Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church) is to hold the Pinewood Derby Workshop on New Year’s Day since most families are off from work that day and able to work an hour or so into their schedules to cut out and sand their cars in preparation for the upcoming Pinewood Derby event. ![]() He estimates in that length of time, he has probably helped cut out over 1,000 wooden cars. ![]() Scoutmaster Greg Pino has been helping Cub Scouts prepare their Pinewood Derby race cars for about 13 years. He was assisted by Scoutmaster Greg Pino. Cub Scout Jhorden Sink prepares for the 2017 Pinewood Derby by cutting out his race car at a workshop on New Year’s Day. ![]()
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