Cub Scouts - Pinewood Derby Cars - UPDATED!

[summerrluvv]

So I have this block of wood and it's my job, as the parent, to cut this block of wood into the design that DS wants for his pinewood derby car. HA!!
Me + tools = disaster LOL. Andddd, DS has chosen a pirate ship for his design and wants one of his playmobil pirates as the driver. It can't be a regular car, it has to be a ship! Does anyone have any websites they can direct me to so that I can figure out how exactly to do this? I would be very appreciative

 

[minniecarousel]

I hope you get some ideas from someone - because Pinewood Derby was always one of my pet peeves as a Den Leader. You could tell which cars were totally parent-made! This is a car that needs to be made by the kids! Parents can cut the basic shape for younger Scouts, but the kid needs to do the sanding & painting.

Good luck!

 

[summerrluvv]

I hope you get some ideas from someone - because Pinewood Derby was always one of my pet peeves as a Den Leader. You could tell which cars were totally parent-made! This is a car that needs to be made by the kids! Parents can cut the basic shape for younger Scouts, but the kid needs to do the sanding & painting.

Good luck!

Yes, this is what I was told, that I need to cut it out and they do the rest at the den meetings.

I was perusing ebay for decals, etc. and saw that people are actually selling their already made cars. I wonder if parents buy them then pass them off as their own. That would be pretty crappy if they do that!

 

[Shutterbug]

when I was in cub scouts, the cars that always won the races
were the ones that were left as a block of wood! LOL

 

[Geoff_M]

When my oldest was a Cub, he designed the shape of the car by drawing a side-view template, I cut out the design per his specs and sanded it, he painted and decorated it.

Shutterbug's experience is not unique... At the speed and short distances pinewood derby car run, aerodynamics are meaningless. If you're a fan of NPR's "Car Talk", their web site contains several "white papers" by engineers on the subject of "building a better Pinewood Derby car". It's very educational.

 

[Randi]

One year my son was sanding away at the block of wood, and had rounded off all the edges when he showed it to me. I can't remember what he had planned to design, but I said it looked like a head with a very long big nose! After we stopped laughing, he said let's go with that and call it the "Running Nose". So he painted it all a light pink, drew & painted on a helmet and eyes on the higher section, and nostrils on the end of the long section. He won the design prize!

 

[holycow]

Randi Thanks for the laugh!

I like the block of wood idea too!

Hc

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Don't put too much thought into it...the one year that one of my boys won his division and got to go to the next round of competition was the year that we'd just had our 4th baby (just--he was a newborn) and we'd moved into our new house. We were so busy with no time to design and build the 2 pinewood derby cars for my older boys. And that's the year that one of my boys did so well.

 

[eeyore kelly]

If you go to http://pack399.tripod.com/bsa/id6.html which is my old site for my old pack at the bottom of the left hand colum I have a couple of links for PWD Cars

 

[summerrluvv]

Tonight was the big race. DS came in Third!! He was so excited and so are we! Here is a picture of his pirate ship car

 

[tkd lisa]

Congratulations! It turned out really nice.

 

[roseprincess]

Congratulations! That is a real cool looking car with lots of creativity! My ds's PWD is tomorrow.

Rosemarie

 

[summerrluvv]

Congratulations! That is a real cool looking car with lots of creativity! My ds's PWD is tomorrow.

Rosemarie

Thanks! Good luck to him

 

[buddy&wooz]

Great car! Congrats to your son.

 

[Disfan1]

Yay! Congrats from me & DH! DH is the former chairman of the Dsitrict Pinewood Derby and he was impressed by your design.

 

[gradtchr]

Congratulations to your son! Love the pirate ship!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Oh no way I'm showing this to DS; his original thought was a pirate ship and we talked him out of it! Now he has the standard wedge but painted in camoflage and with some army stickers in honor of his uncle in the reserves. I hope he at least gets some props for design. He and DH are finishing up the wheels and axels now. Our race is Saturday.
Robin M.

 

[holycow]

Awesome car! Way to go.


Holycow

 

[nuke]

That's a cool car! My son had his pinewood derby last Saturday. He had the weinermobile. It was cute but it wasn't a good racer. He did win the most unusual car award.

 

[mannasn]

My son came in 2nd last year in his troop and his car was completely kid-made!

Sorry, but the super-competitive parents really peeve me off!