Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

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Derby_Scott
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Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Derby_Scott »

Greetings Derby Talkers,

First time poster...do forgive me if I stink at this! :)

My son is really interested in making the slowest car this year. And while there is no shortage of tips for heading down the track like a rocket, being a sloth seems like a seldom discussed territory. Here is what I have cobbled together:

- Big, light, non - aerodynamic block
- Standard axels (no polish!) and wheels
- Consider putting weight into the wheels to slow the momentum once the car transfers to the flat portion of the track

Thats about it! We run on a 35 BestTrack with a camp timer.

Any advice?

Thanks all, Derby_Scott
ironband
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by ironband »

Are you allowed a sail? The best snail racers use a sail that deploys during the downhill, slowing the car down, then folds down as the car coasts slowly to the finish.

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Derby_Scott
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Derby_Scott »

Really cool idea...is the sail mechanical or set off via a servo? Either way, do you have any plans or video?

I will check on the rules. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by ironband »

Usually just triggered by air. Here's a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BoLztcYYlg
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Speedster »

Check the Search function. I recall some very clever things posted there. The challenge is to make it to the Finish line but be last in doing so.
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whodathunkit
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Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by whodathunkit »

Use the worst wheels you have as far as run out!
Toe in all your wheels.
Set the wheel gaps tight.
Use the White Teflon powder for lube.

Or try reverse rail ridding where you might get some wheels to scrub on the rail all the way down.

Just a few ideas that I can think of at this time.


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Speedster
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Speedster »

How about this idea?
Build a 1/4" high car, set it up with the best wheels you're allowed to have, rail ride, cut a groove in the top. Build it so it will consistently run the same time to the .oo of a second. Take it to your 35' Best track and start inserting weight in the slot. Keep increasing the weight until you get the car to struggle to set off the timer.
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Darin McGrew
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Darin McGrew »

Speedster wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:50 pmThe challenge is to make it to the Finish line but be last in doing so.
Absolutely. The most extreme "slow car" would be one with the wheels glued in place. It won't leave the start gate when the pin drops. But it also won't cross the finish line, which is usually a requirement for "slow car" competitions.

For a "slow car" competition, you can't simply apply a brake to throw away energy. You need enough energy to cross the finish line. One approach is to tune the car to the track, adjusting it until it just barely crosses the finish line. Another is to store energy somewhere other than forward motion, for example, by weighting the wheels so they act as flywheels.
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whodathunkit
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by whodathunkit »

Tape a solo cup to the car to catch all the air it can

Have small holes drilled in the bottom of the cup to let some air pass threw.

Maybe


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Derby_Scott
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Derby_Scott »

Amazing ideas! All of them. We have a test track at home. Will definitely be trying several iterations this weekend. I will try to post the final product once completed and let you guys know final approach and results.

Thanks all! - S
leerbennett
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by leerbennett »

My suggestion would be having four heavy wheels in contact with the track, e.g. fill them with tungsten puddy. The idea could be taken even further by gearing to a flywheel. The main idea being to convert the potential energy into angular momentum to reduce speed.
Many of the other suggestions to reverse speed tips will increase friction and likely result in the car not finishing the race.
Our slowest car award requires the car to complete each heat.
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Darin McGrew
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Darin McGrew »

leerbennett wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:42 amThe idea could be taken even further by gearing to a flywheel.
Yep. That's how those flywheel toys work, where you roll them across the floor or table to spin up the flywheel, and then you set them down. The flywheel keeps spinning, and it's geared to the wheels, so the toy rolls across the surface at a relatively slow pace, but just keeps going based on the rotational inertia of the flywheel.

Whether you can do something like that depends on the rules of your derby, and what is allowed for its "Slowest Car" competition.
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whodathunkit
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by whodathunkit »

Well the fly wheel car sounds good to me!
Just when the ideas are getting good .. I just run across one that could be used for testing purposes !
https://www.carolina.com/catalog/detail ... W5EALw_wcB
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
Speedster
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Speedster »

My Pinewood Derby Teams always check very closely the "centripetal acceleration" and "angular velocity" of our cars. This is very important when trying to build a winning car.
You too can get a Constant Velocity car for $13.55, courtesy of Whoda.

I wonder what "centripetal acceleration" and "angular velocity" means?
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Re: Tips for winning the SLOWest Car?

Post by Speed Reaper »

I really want to build a slow car now. This sounds like fun
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