Pinewood Derby

What is Pinewood Derby?

Check out this short introduction video:

In Pack 421, the big race usually happens in late January or early February. Kits are normally distributed to each Scout at the pack meeting in December.

The pinewood cars are designed and built by Scouts with help of a parent or other adult partner using materials from the provided kit and other craft supplies. The car can take a few hours or many days to build, depending on the complexity of the chosen design and skill of the builders.

Don’t let your Scout wait until the last minute to get started. Certain steps, like acquiring supplies and waiting for glue or paint to dry, can take longer than anticipated. Some ideas might not work out and need to be redone. Younger scouts have short attention spans and need frequent breaks. Cold, wet weather can make it unpleasant to work in an unheated garage and interferes with tasks (like painting or sanding) that you might prefer to do outside.

Building the car is supposed to be a fun, collaborative project that enhances the bonding between a Scout and his/her adult partner. This works best when there is good communication and alignment on the plan, and plenty of time (several days at least) to complete the work in short stints, rather than one heroic sprint.

Build Workshop

Pack 421 usually hosts a build workshop in January where Scouts can get help with two early steps in the build that are easier to complete with specialized equipment:

1. Sawing the rough profile of the car (using a bandsaw)

2. Drilling accurate axle holes (using a special drill bit and jig)

Before the build workshop, Scouts should come up with an idea for the shape of their car and (using a pencil or marker) draw the rough profile on the side of the wooden block from their kit. This profile will be cut at the build workshop using a bandsaw (adult operated with Scout “supervising”). Here are some examples of good “beginner” profiles:

Don’t draw a profile that is too fancy with fine details or tight curves; a bandsaw can only effectively cut course angles and broad curves cross-sectionally through the wooden block. Further shaping, sanding, painting, decorating, and detailing of the car will need to be completed at home after the build workshop.

When picking a design and decorating the car, it pays to be creative! See the Design Awards section of the Pack’s Pinewood Derby Rules for a list of design award categories and other details.

For inspiration, search online for “pinewood derby design ideas”. Beware that some ideas take more effort and skill to execute than others, so guide your Scout to pick a design that they can reasonably complete (with your help) in the available time, using craft supplies and tools that you can pull together for the project.

Rules

Every Cub Scout pack has its own rules for Pinewood Derby that are similar to—but NOT exactly the same as—the printed rule sheet that comes in the Pinewood Derby kits. Make sure to review and follow our pack’s Pinewood Derby Rules. All cars are inspected at check-in before the race, and the Pack’s rules are kindly (but strictly) enforced for fairness.

aDDITIONAL rESOURCES

There are lots of Pinewood Derby tips, tricks, and ideas online. It’s easy to find yourself going down some deep rabbit holes. Here are a few links to start your journey…

• Scout Life Magazine’s Pinewood Derby HQ

• Pinewood Derby FAQ (Scout Life)

• Parts Geek’s Guide to Pinewood Derby (Thanks, Jason & Nick!)

• The Science of Making the Fastest Pinewood Derby Car (YouTube)

• Pinewood Derby Physics (Wired Magazine)

Make sure that any tips you follow comply with our Pack Rules.