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Safety Gear - A Scout and Adult must always wear safety gear when performing certain tasks on the Pinewood Derby Car.
Please do not allow any scout to work alone with sawing, cutting, drilling or painting. These activities must be
supervised by an adult. Adults, please set a good example by wearing protective gear, even during small tasks.
Below is a list of standard tools needed during the construction of
most pinewood derby cars.
Wood Clamps - There are many different
kinds of clamps available for woodworking. The building of a pinewood derby car is very difficult without one or two clamps.
- The large bar-type clamp is good for holding the block in place while
drilling or sawing.
- A small spring clamp is good for holding small pieces together
while the glue is drying.
- The small bar-type clamp is good for holding the car still while shaping.
- The large and small clamp can be used effectively together to hold a car
in place for filing. Use the large clamp to hold a narrow board onto the work surface, with the board extending over the edge.
Then use the small clamp to hold your car to the board. This allows the car to be easily re-positioned for filing.
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| Coping Saw |
Sawing - The
most versatile saw for pinewood blocks is the Coping Saw. The Coping Saw is designed for cutting curves in relatively
thin material, so it is excellent for cutting the outline of a car body. The Coping Saw does not work as well for cutting
a straight line in thick material, so it is good to have a more general purpose saw for making straight cuts.
Draw
the cut line on each side of the car. Here are some general suggestions for sawing.
- Start the cut by making short gentle strokes. When the saw is firmly in
the wood, take long even strokes.
- Go slow, and watch carefully to make sure the cut is staying in line.
If the cut starts to wander, either back up and start again in the right direction, or start the cut from the opposite side.
- When cutting completely through a block of wood, place a scrap piece of
wood tightly against the side of the block from which the saw blade will exit. This minimizes the amount of chipping at the
saw exit point.
Drilling - For drilling Weight holes or Axle holes, here
are some general tips:
- Pick a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the nail or tube weight
(#44 bit 0.086" dia). Always use a piece of test wood for you
first hole(s) and test your axles or weights.
- Using a Clamp, secure the wood block in place. Do not attempt to drill
with one hand while holding the block with the other.
- Drill straight down with the drill no higher than chest level. If needed
stand on a step stool to get the needed height.
- Use steady, even pressure on the drill. Pushing too hard can result in
deeper holes than desired.
- When drilling completely through the block, put a scrap piece of wood
underneath the block. This will minimize chipping at the drill bit exit site.
Wood Files -
Files are used to shape the wood after it has been rough cut with a Saw. The file basically help to remove the rough
cutting edges that were left behind by the saw. Here are some general tips:
- Files only cut on the push stroke, so use most of your energy pushing,
not pulling.
- To keep the file working properly remove the sawdust from the file teeth
occasionally.
- Use a flat file to shape flat surfaces and outward-curved surfaces. Use
rounded wood files to shape inward-curved surfaces.
- A small triangular file can be useful in shaping the lines of complex
car bodies.
- An electric or battery powered rotary tools (Dremel) have filing attachments that
can add shape to a car.
Sand Paper Tips: Start
with rough paper, and then progress to finer paper. A good progression is 60, 150, 220, and 400 grit paper.
- For sanding smooth flat surfaces, wrap the sandpaper sheet around a ruler
or other small, straight block of wood.
- Sand back and forth in the direction of the wood grain. On the end of
the car, sand in a circular motion.
- To sand inside a body hole or a small surface, use a piece of sandpaper
taped to a small flat object (popsicle stick, small ruler, etc.).
- To sand inward curved surfaces, use a piece of sandpaper wrapped around
a dowel rod (or piece of broomstick).
- Between coats of paint, lightly sand the car with 600 grit paper; 800
water sandpaper for the smoothest primed finish.
Glue Tips - Glue
comes in several different types. Always use the proper glue for the job.
- Use "Carpenter’’s Glue" (yellow glue) or white glue when gluing
wood to wood, and for repairing chips and cracks.
- Use epoxy when gluing non-wood parts to wood. For example, use epoxy for
gluing lead weights to the car.
- Epoxy can be purchased with different drying times. The 30-minute variety
is best when building the car, as it gives the builder time to make sure the parts are properly placed. However, the 5 minute
variety is good when a glue job is needed at the weigh-in.
- Hot glue can be used to glue on attachments.
- Only use super glue for an emergency repair during a race.
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