Derby Talk

Nice work so far! Try some clear coat spray paint to give it some more 'shine'.

Gorgeous Cars!
So good to spend time with the kids doing something creative and fun.
Good Luck on the race!

You can also find color-coded micro mesh from Penn State Industries.

Two car builders I talked to found no speed gains for polishing axles above 8,000 or 3,000. Depends on which one you call.

Since I had the micro-mesh, we went up to 12K. Got some very smooth and shiny axles from it.

Wonderful!

and Amen!

Keep the axles, throw out those wheels. Use the regular BSA wheels that come in the kit, or spend $2 to get the replacement wheels and axles at the Scout store.

And yes, apparently the chinese wheels are ALL like that.

It could well be that additional work, or slightly better lube might have also contributed. In the pamphlet I just picked up with some Coach's Lube, it leaves 4% of your cars performance to 'Luck'. So we're not the only ones that cannot explain each and every performance variation. If performance va...

How many kids showed for the workshop?

We now post the flyers at the Scout shop when the kits come in, and it's pushed at Round Table and posted on-line.
Plus, we've had a few 'winners' come out of it, so that spreads the word quickly.

Good Luck!

Great Results!
Good Luck at District!

20' drop and 120' length? Wow!!

Still prepare as a rail rider, but let the 4th wheel touch so that it spins up and helps carry the car the full length.

You might also want to go with heavier wheels.

Anyone else have experience with this big of a track?

Lots of good ideas here.
One more - buy two or more of the same model.
Get a 5oz calibration weight
Get the recommended calibration weight for that model scale (my two are 500g).

Put one scale at the Weigh-In, put another at The Pit.

Good Luck!

Since the first District Workshop in 2010, where 3-5 build teams showed up... We just finished the last big day... total of 130 build teams signed in (laptop battery failed during one workshop, probably 10-15 more participants). Tool Line-up: Drill Press Band Saw Scroll Saw Belt Sander (bench) Belt ...

Maximum Beneficial Weight
Will depend on several factors:
Axle/Bore Prep
Lubrication type
Track type

I've seen 7oz as the fastest max, would take a bit of experimentation. Do you have a set of incremental weights?

So,
The REAL Question is about an extended nose hitting the curve on the track?

If the above pictured Domin8R didn't have a nose problem, you shouldn't as well.
Test it if possible, shave the under side of the nose if needed.

Good Luck!

Too much graphite will slow your car, until the excess graphite works in/out/down.
Thin layer of graphite should last around 8 races.

Good Luck!