Odd Rules -- now with Race Report

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Davhamm
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Odd Rules -- now with Race Report

Post by Davhamm »

Over on a non-PWD forum, a member posted looking for help. They have a 1 day build and race. You show up get your stuff and they race a few hours later.

So here are the rules he posted.. Oddly I think it might not even be a BSA kit as it says 2 axles and screws.
These are the rules we were provided:
Acceptable tools: Slotted screwdriver, clamp, blow dryer, pocket knife, chisel and round or flat file; you may use any lubrication for your wheels, graphite is provided. Use of any other tools, manual or electric, is prohibited.

You may not modify the wheels or axles in any way. You may sand off rough spots or jagged edges from the wheels, but you may not sand the wheels to a pointed edge.
You may only use the parts that are issued. No screws, weights, or miscellaneous items are allowed.

Each car "kit" contains: car, 4 wheels, 4 screws, two wooden axles and 1 piece of Velcro.

You can remove wood from the car but may not put wood back on the car. However, you may not remove or alter the "notch" on top of the car in any way.
I will direct him over here. Any suggestions for getting speed? I am thinking well I don't know what I am thinking as this just seems so odd and wrong to me. :eek:
Last edited by Davhamm on Thu Feb 11, 2016 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
Speedster
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Speedster »

It says 4 wheels, 4 screws, and 2 wooden axles. I think the wooden axles are like the 1st Pinewood Derby car kits. There must be some way they allow the wood axles to be attached to the car and then the wheels are screwed on. I would do nothing to the block, screw the back wheels in as straight as possible, screw one of the front wheels in higher than the other, lube the axles with Krytox, graphite the inside rim of the wheels and go racing. If the car looks like Whoda's picture in Pinewood Derby Medals, I'd run the car backwards.
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whodathunkit
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Odd Rules

Post by whodathunkit »

Oddly enough the kit could be like the 1977 kits with the wooden axle struts.
However the screw type axles makes me think of a Royal Rangers type of kit with wooden dowels also.

The Velcro... has to be for attaching the wooden axle struts to the car body.

Acceptable tools.
Slotted screwdriver,clamp, blow dryer,
Pocket knife,chisel,round or flat file.

What no glue

No weights or any wood to be re -attached to the car body ..but you can cut and shape it but the notch is to stay.
I would use the hole car body on don't cut anything off of it maybe round over the edges with a file.

And like Speedster said run the car on three wheels with the back wheels closer to the end of the kit block.

If there centered in the car body run with the heavy end of the wood block to the back.

Sounds like to me
This race will be based on the wood weight of the car blocks and wheel and axle prep skills alone.

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Nelvis
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Nelvis »

I'm just trying to wrap my head around what you would use the blow dryer for. :idk:
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Gtdhw
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Gtdhw »

Nelvis wrote:I'm just trying to wrap my head around what you would use the blow dryer for. :idk:
is the velcro strip adhesive backed? If so, I could possibly see the hair dryer there to help heat up the adhesive for better stickability?

:idk:
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Speedster
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Speedster »

It might be used to dry paint if you decide to paint your car. That's not a bad idea. Force dry coats of paint and put it towards the rear.
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Davhamm »

I have asked the OP from the other thread, to report back after. I told him if he could paint it (only reason I can think of for the blow dryer) then put lots and lots of coats to add weight.

This one seems really out there to me. Hopefully he posts some pics so I can share them here.
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Speedster »

Can I attach the velcro over the notch?. I'm not really "altering" it, I just want to cover it. Maybe it'll make air flow over it better. Do you bring your own tools? If so, I'll grind down one of my blades in the pocket knife and make an ice pick out of it. I should be able to force some angle holes into the wood axles and see if I can make it a rail rider. Is this race center guided? I wonder if the pocket knife has restrictions. A Swiss Army knife might come in handy.
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whodathunkit
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by whodathunkit »

Speedster,
Your on to something here if the wooden axle struts were the flat type?

Would you stack the two of them using a very small round file under one end of them clamped down with the clamp.
And then use a thicker flat file used as gauge for keeping the screw level while driving them in for canted back axles.
Hope you know what i'm trying to say here with the flat type axle struts and the tools you have to use.
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
Speedster
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Speedster »

Whoda, you're not allowed in this race. You're too good a woodworker. I'd still be painting when my time was up.
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whodathunkit
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Odd Rules

Post by whodathunkit »

Speedster,
If the use of any other tools
Manual or electric is prohibited.

Is the electric out let a tool?
Keep painting Speedster.

Lol!


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Davhamm
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Re: Odd Rules

Post by Davhamm »

OP on other site posted an update
PINEWOOD DERBY REPORT - the race was last Saturday. We arrived at 8:30 with about 60 others and were given a block of wood, 4 screws, 4 plastic wheels, and two axles. We were given 3 hours to build and paint the car and, as we were told in advance, no wood or weights could be added, no power tools were allowed and all 4 wheels had to be in contact with the course at all times. There was a guy there with a band saw helping some of the kids make some sweet car designs, but most of the kids didn't carve the wood at all; rather, they painted the car, added the wheels and then headed out to the playground for 2+ hours.

My kid didn't opt for either of those options.

She decided that her car should look like a hot dog.

Out came the chisels, clamps and a variety of other manual tools. We probably spent 90+ minutes carving and sanding out the hot dog and the bun and then another 60+ minutes on the paint (we had to mix some colors together to get the right shades and added mustard, relish, sesame seeds and ketchup). Like the rookies that we were, we only gave ourselves about 12 minutes to attach the axles and the wheels and add some graphite. Sadly, we didn't give ourselves nearly enough time to test the wheels and make sure they were running straight without any wobbles.

After lunch came the races. The track was 40-50 feet long, a hill followed by a long run out. I was impressed with the auto start and the auto timing features and the near instantaneous posting of the results of each race on the huge monitor next to the track. Within each grade, the organizers arranged that each kid would have one race on each of the 4 lanes and the trophies were given out based on your average time for all 4 races.

It seemed to me that the people that spent the most time on testing and getting their wheels aligned properly did the best as there was a relatively wide mix of shapes and sizes of the cars that did well.

My kid's car didn't go very fast (mid-pack, at best), but she had a blast building the hot dog car that everyone was talking about and we'll definitely do it again next year.
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Re: Odd Rules -- now with Race Report

Post by Speedster »

At 70 Miles an hour, straight up Interstate 75, I can be there in an hour. How does Whoda and I get in this thing? What's with all the stuff that was put in the mustard? Can I build a "sort of" cannon car and glue tungsten BB's over the back axle to look like cannon balls? They should stick well in my wet paint while Whoda is guiding me making a 4 wheel rail rider. We can paint "Derby Talk" on the top of the cannon. What was the prize?
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Re: Odd Rules -- now with Race Report

Post by Davhamm »

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whodathunkit
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Re: Odd Rules -- now with Race Report

Post by whodathunkit »

Davhamm,
So it was a Royal Rangers type kit after all!
Did the wooden axle dowels come pre-drilled? like they would if the kits were from S&W crafts.

Speedster told me that i would have to set this race out bummer!!
However if he was to let me race and i were to turn it into a 4 wheel rail rider..
id just move the front wooden dowel over by 1/16" and hope for the best with the ridges on edge of the DFW wheel.
And that block would be a heavy one at that!

Very nice job with Hot Dog car!
Sounds like it was a fun day of racing.

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