HI ! We are new to scouting. My six year old son is very excited about the upcoming derby. However, the kit did not come with any rules/instructions , etc. Can anyone fill me in or point me to a website?? Thanks

Welcome to Scouting and the Scouter Forum:

 

Try http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22pinewood+derby+tips%22

 

My favorites are:

 

http://members.aol.com/randywoo/pine/index.htm

http://members.aol.com/StanDCmr/lbw_apl.html

http://www.clarksgreen251.com/tips.htm

http://www.simplyweb.net/bosworth/

 

http://www.three-peaks.net/pinecar.htm

http://royalrangers.ag.org/royal-rangers/pinewood_tnt/pinewood_tnt.cfm

http://www.3n.net/people/jjenkin/pwd.htm

http://p982.messagingproducts.com/pinetip.html

 

Bottom line ... lube, polish, and debur the axles and make sure that the car weighs 5 oz. Reduce the friction and have the max 5 oz ... and it will allow your Tiger's car to be competitive. Of course there are other things that you could do to make it more competitive, but remember the one single most important thing about pinewood derby ... to have fun building the car with your son!

 

My oldest son and I have been building it for the past 5 years. Eventhough we went from where you are right now (Tiger/parent who don't have a clue how to build one ... resulting in the car not finishing the race ...) to an informed pair of pinewood builders whose cars are somewhat competitive (He has his own entry and I have mine in the "open class"), we enjoy the time that we spent designing and building the cars.

 

Good Luck ... have fun

 

YIS

 

ps: Don't spend the money to purchase those tips and tricks! The ones on the Net is more than good enough!(This message has been edited by Pack38Scouter)(This message has been edited by Pack38Scouter)

Welcome aboard!

 

The kit should have come with a sheet of basic rules and instructions. Check with the pack or scout shop where you got the kit to get a copy. You also need to check with your pack to see if they have any house rules you need to know about.

 

Beyond that, just search "Pinewood Derby" on any search engine and you'll get a ton of hits. Some are commercial sites trying to sell you their book or video, but many are sites by other scouters just offering advice.

 

 

Forgot one thing ...

 

http://www.3n.net/people/jjenkin/pwdcars.htm

 

http://www.maximum-velocity.com/

 

http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/derby/photos/

 

are some of the web sites that will give you and your son an idea on a design.

 

YIS