Search found 1239 matches

by Vitamin K
Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:36 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Feedback on my weight addition methodologies?
Replies: 21
Views: 15624

Feedback on my weight addition methodologies?

Hello fellow pineheads. I'm still figuring out how I want to ballast my son's car, so I'm looking to steal opinions from you guys. The gist is that my son's car consists of a pine board ( .25" x 1.75" x 7" ) upon which a balsawood top will be attached. Weighing the various pieces indi...
by Vitamin K
Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:52 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: Introducing Team Scrollsawer - 2014 (RESULTS ADDED)
Replies: 23
Views: 21115

Re: Introducing Team Scrollsawer - 2014 (RESULTS ADDED)

Out of curiosity, did your Pack hold its Pinewood Derby in an RC car racetrack?
by Vitamin K
Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:46 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: Introducing Team Scrollsawer - 2014 (RESULTS ADDED)
Replies: 23
Views: 21115

Re: Introducing Team Scrollsawer - 2014 (RESULTS ADDED)

Congratulations! Those turned out wonderfully. I'm inspired, knowing I can let my kids use non-toxic acrylics and still get such a wonderful finish.
by Vitamin K
Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:42 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Setting COM when pouringf lead
Replies: 11
Views: 8300

Re: Setting COM when pouringf lead

Well, I weighed the partially finished balsawood top, the plank body, wheels and axles, and came up with about 1.75oz of weight, leaving me with 3.25 to make up in ballast. I could pour lead into a .75 x 1.25 x .5 inch block, according to the density of lead, and then my son and I can position it on...
by Vitamin K
Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:51 pm
Forum: General Coordinator Topics
Topic: Interest
Replies: 12
Views: 21443

Re: Interest

I am gonna side with resullivan here. I think it is a little premature to make assumptions in regards to what's going on. It could be a break, or it could be boys that have already been eliminated (note: here's where it's a good thing to have rules that keep everybody in the race until the end!). Th...
by Vitamin K
Thu Jan 23, 2014 1:02 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Setting COM when pouringf lead
Replies: 11
Views: 8300

Re: Setting COM when pouringf lead

For my situation, I have pine chassis that measure a uniform 1/4" thick. These will carry balsawood toppers for the actual car shape. I would love to have the lead flush with the pine chassis, but I don't think that's very feasible. I think at this point I will probably be doing a partial hollo...
by Vitamin K
Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:15 am
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: SuperBee 2014 prelim design & final race results added
Replies: 10
Views: 10898

Re: SuperBee 2014

I used to do signs/vinyl graphics as part time work while I was in college. Can I just say that I'm insanely jealous of you having access to a laser cutter and a vinyl plotter? :mrgreen:

Looking good!
by Vitamin K
Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:13 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: The cars are coming along.
Replies: 15
Views: 14964

Re: The cars are coming along.

I've heard stories of Krylon clear coat "eating" acrylic paint. Might wanna spray a test piece if you've not already. As far as the paint and the clear coat goes, the orange car got Testors One Coat Lacquer. 'Cowabunga' got Krylon spray enamel, and the hot dog car was done with those craft...
by Vitamin K
Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:46 am
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: The cars are coming along.
Replies: 15
Views: 14964

Re: The cars are coming along.

On a more serious note, I see that you're using acrylic paints on your cars. When you clear coat, what product do you use? Now, if I can just manage to get my artistic wife to work with my other boy to get 'Cowabunga' finished, we should be ready to clear coat in the morning. That should give us 3.5...
by Vitamin K
Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:28 am
Forum: General Car/Truck Racer Topics
Topic: weight placement
Replies: 27
Views: 23290

Re: weight placement

Conventional wisdom is that energy transfer is most efficient, the closer the weights are to the track (that is, the bottom of the car). That said, a lot of people have had good results using tungsten canopies on top of thin cars, so the horizontal placement seems a lot more important than the verti...
by Vitamin K
Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:52 am
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: The cars are coming along.
Replies: 15
Views: 14964

Re: The cars are coming along.

I like very much that the hotdog car is being painted over a paper plate...while suspended on a fork. Well played, sirs, well played. :clap:
by Vitamin K
Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:02 am
Forum: General Topics
Topic: He did WHAT !!!
Replies: 3
Views: 5276

Re: He did WHAT !!!

Maybe he was a DerbyTalker. I've seen this very "loophole" mentioned by folks here as well. The takeaway is to make sure you word the rules in accordance with what you're trying to achieve (e.g. -- stock wheelbase). Clever bloke. :) Our rules state "Axles MUST be inserted in to the pr...
by Vitamin K
Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:18 am
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Setting COM when pouringf lead
Replies: 11
Views: 8300

Setting COM when pouringf lead

Anybody have tips or instructions for how to hit an approximate center of mass when planning to pour lead? It seems like pouring directly into the cavity of the car would give the best space density, but perhaps I'd be able to tune the COM better if I instead poured several small bars or ingots or r...
by Vitamin K
Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:13 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Photos
Topic: 2014 Cars
Replies: 11
Views: 12311

Re: 2014 Cars

Surprised that you can pour molten lead into such a thin car without burning up. Did you use tape or something to fence it to shape? I haven't checked the COM, but it is probably 1/2 to 3/4 of inch. Yes that is lead, and yes we poured it directly into the car. You can see the sourch marks where I ha...
by Vitamin K
Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:10 pm
Forum: Planning, Preps & Running the Race
Topic: "Instant" Cars On-hand?
Replies: 8
Views: 15152

Re: "Instant" Cars On-hand?

I think a minibrick derby would be awesome for a kids' birthday party. Will have to keep a finger on that. I bet you could save money buying quality lego clones (e.g., megabloxx). At our race I plan to have a few extra pre-built cars, but I was flirting with the idea of allowing some of the sibbling...