Warning to Scout parents

[LaraK]

The "Powderpuff" or pinewood derby car kits do not have a kit to build a car....they have a BLOCK OF WOOD AND FOUR WHEELS!!!!!

Just wanted to be sure other parents knew that so that they didn't wait until the last minute to open the packaging.....

BTW...my DD is racing a block of wood with four wheels tomorrow. We turned it into a "Bunnymobile" but sticking cotton balls all over it so you can't see that her loser parents have her racing a block of wood on four wheels

 

[diznygirl]

Does your pinewood derby have a weight limit? I know I made a car for one that did.

Don't want you to be surprised by that as well....

 

[dcgrumpy]

Our Pinewood Derby was a few weeks ago. We did ours at the last minute too. Luckily DH has a garage full of tools so they were able to get it done the night before. But then it didn't weigh eneough so they had to run home and add something to weigh it down.

 

[LaraK]

Yes there's a weight limit...aparently cotton balls are heavier than you think because we had to deconstruct the first Bunnymobile to drill some flippin' holes in the block of wood when we weighed it at the meeting.

I can't believe some of the cars these five year olds "made"....I mean, I actually let my kid stick the cotton balls on ours. I can't imagine what the kids were able to do on the other ones, they look professional.

We are sooooooo gonna loose tomorrow. The "Bunnymobile" doesn't have a chance.

 

[Pam]

Lara,

Just wanted to say that after MANY years of Pinewood Derbies -- those cars that were simply the blocks of wood are usually the ones who raced the fastest down the track!

We turned DS's into the Batmobile when he was a Tiger Cub - and yep, he smoked the track and won 1st place!

DS and DH made fancy cars every year after that and never achieved speed success again! But DS did get a trophy for Most Classy Chassis when he was a Webelos I and he crafted his car into a vintage pick-up truck.

Good luck and have fun tomorrow! My son graduated HS last year and is an Eagle Scout. This is the 1st year since he was in 1st grade that I haven't been going to any Scout activity. He is now Asst. Scoutmaster with his Troop and is also active in the OA, but being away at college, he is not doing much with the Scouts right now.

The Bunnymobile sounds adorable!

 

[VolleyballQt07]

Um, no offence but what did you expect? I've made 4 pinewood derby cars for girlscouts about 3 years ago(last car I made) and the kits only included a block of wood and 4 wheels. You are supposed to carve a car design and then decorate it. Also add weights if needed..........

 

[The Mystery Machine]

BTW...my DD is racing a block of wood with four wheels tomorrow. We turned it into a "Bunnymobile" but sticking cotton balls all over it so you can't see that her loser parents have her racing a block of wood on four wheels

You know...sometimes you have a race a bunnymobile.



Good Luck to you son!

 

[GJM]

You can go to Michaels and they sell cars cut our already for the pinewood derby - this is what we did this year since DH may be away.

Our kit came with the car, tires, paint, decals and weights. I think we had 3 to chose from.

 

[DISUNC]

We turned DS's into the Batmobile when he was a Tiger Cub - and yep, he smoked the track and won 1st place!

Our PineDerby Batmobile only got 3rd place....and THAT was after I had to take weights off!!!!! I hate the metric system!

 

[NC Belle]

Good luck to your daughter tomorrow.

I remember going to what was at the time Annapolis Mall and watching the Boy Scouts do the type of car racing. There were no girl events at that time if I remember right.

 

[Pam]

Our PineDerby Batmobile only got 3rd place....and THAT was after I had to take weights off!!!!! I hate the metric system!

The sad part for me was that my husband and I were down in Louisville at a huge convention for work. My parents took my son to the Derby - and he wins 1st place and his Mom and Dad aren't there! I cried the whole way home (8 hours). Next year - convention is the same time as the Derby again so I stay home and my Dad goes with my husband. DH had weighed the car before he left, everything was perfect. My Mom, daughter and I get son to the Derby and one of the Dads says that the car is overweight, but not to worry. Next thing I know, 3 Dads are in the corner with drills and it was a Tim-The-Tool-Time-Taylor moment for me! Race starts and the wheel comes off of DS's car! Thanks for the super tune-up, fellas! Next year - I get the Derby date switched to March!

Good luck to your daughter tomorrow.

I remember going to what was at the time Annapolis Mall and watching the Boy Scouts do the type of car racing. There were no girl events at that time if I remember right.

Siblings and parents have their own races when all of the Scouts are done with their heats.

What you were viewing was the actual Council-wide Derby where all of the winning Scouts from the Packs in the Council have a public race to determine the best car out of the Council.

 

[LaraK]

Um, no offence but what did you expect? I've made 4 pinewood derby cars for girlscouts about 3 years ago(last car I made) and the kits only included a block of wood and 4 wheels. You are supposed to carve a car design and then decorate it. Also add weights if needed..........

I wanna know how the five year old is supposed to work the saw. I swear this thing is more for the parents than the kids. I expected some flat pieces and some glue...My daughter is a Daisy...I had NO IDEA (which is why I felt the warning was useful for others)

You know...sometimes you have a race a bunnymobile.



Good Luck to you son!

At least it's cute, but I don't think it will win the design category either...I didn't hire in a special effects artist. Here, I have a picture:

You can go to Michaels and they sell cars cut our already for the pinewood derby - this is what we did this year since DH may be away.

Our kit came with the car, tires, paint, decals and weights. I think we had 3 to chose from.

NOW I find this out....I've been going nuts trying to get this built after work every day this week.

Good luck to your daughter tomorrow.

I remember going to what was at the time Annapolis Mall and watching the Boy Scouts do the type of car racing. There were no girl events at that time if I remember right.

Girls RULE! (even if they do have nincompoops for parents)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My bad...this is for your dd? Good luck to HER!

 

[LukenDC]

The "Powderpuff" or pinewood derby car kits do not have a kit to build a car....they have a BLOCK OF WOOD AND FOUR WHEELS!!!!!

Thanks for the warning. Unfortunately it has come 26 years too late for me. I was so looking forward to "putting together" my pinewood derby car. You can imagine my deep disappointment when I opened the box and discovered a mere block of wood. It was a terrible experience.

 

[Becky2005]

The "Powderpuff" or pinewood derby car kits do not have a kit to build a car....they have a BLOCK OF WOOD AND FOUR WHEELS!!!!!

Just wanted to be sure other parents knew that so that they didn't wait until the last minute to open the packaging.....

Been there, done that the first year of Cub Scouting -- we got spoiled with having a Raingutter Regatta first.

That one was a boat shape...so we thought it would at least be a car shape to start with. Open it up and lo & behold there is a block of wood with 4 wheels. Luckily we had a FEW days to figure it out but that was a surprise.

DD-11 just finished his last Pinewood Derby with Cub Scouts a few weeks ago...plus we have another one in it, so things are getting better on this end. Luckily, I have nothing to do with the cars & my DH isn't much better with the help. DS-11's was the slowest car there this year....you would think we would have this figured out by now.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

The "Powderpuff" or pinewood derby car kits do not have a kit to build a car....they have a BLOCK OF WOOD AND FOUR WHEELS!!!!!

Just wanted to be sure other parents knew that so that they didn't wait until the last minute to open the packaging.....

BTW...my DD is racing a block of wood with four wheels tomorrow. We turned it into a "Bunnymobile" but sticking cotton balls all over it so you can't see that her loser parents have her racing a block of wood on four wheels

Sorry to bring this up, as you KNOW how sensitive I am for others feelings on other threads here, but

DUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

(did you THINK about asking any former Boy Scout here?)

 

[lisajl]

That bunny car is sweeeeeet!

This is my youngest sons last year for Pinewood Derby, ours is in March.
I love, love, love the Pinewood Derby. It is so much fun!

Last year DS-had some health issues, seizure, fainting spells, etc.
It was the week of the Derby. I thought, oh no, all this work and he won't be able to go, he will be disappointed.
Nope, he rallied and went to Derby, came in Second Place! I started crying and told my DH it was a great finish to a terrible beginning of a week.
DS-was so happy he was beaming.
If I could figure out how to post a photo of it, I would.

Lisa

 

[funhouse8]

The bunny car is really cute. My DS never wanted to win because if he did he couldn't take his car home - the pack kept it for the big race.

 

[golfgal]

The one and only year we did Pinewood was a HUGE turn off for us. DS was the ONLY kid there that actually made his own car, and it looked like it too. They were standing on the stage holding up cars asking 'who's car is this". No one would answer until you saw a Dad walk over to a kid and tell them 'that is YOUR car". It was really, really sad.

 

[powellrj]

your DD is lucky that she has a DM with an imagination! My poor DS sent a block of wood painted colts blue with a colts decal applied. All we got were glares from DS when we put his poor little car next to the others!

This weekend we are finishing up a castle with DD. Bless her heart, she hasn't complained about the cardboard and construction paper castle when her friends are turning in castles made of plaster, cake and legos!