Cub Scout Pen / Car 1st Place Most Original

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BigRob777

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This was my friend's idea. His son is in the cub scouts and wanted me to turn a pen/car for the pinewood derby competition that his son is in. They didn't place well last year, so he hoped to make up for it with this new idea. As far as we know, this is a first of its kind. I would imagine that Jo, his son will be seeing this post, so please be gentle. He carved the axles, painted it and assembled the wheels and decals. I am his honorary uncle. It took me a while to figure out how to do this, as I didn't have a pin chuck at the time and still don't have one for slimlines. Here it is:

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Ron,
It was really low, so they're going to tack on some weights for the race. We were going for the creativity win, but who knows. It even has some split shot in the front, behind the pyramid-like shaped bumper. I didn't try to twist it open, after he added the weights. My wife is the boy's teacher this year too. Our families are very close. He is the friend who supplies me with the spalted oak. To steal someone's tag line, "One good turn deserves another".[:D]

BTW, I had "fun" staying away from the cross-bars/axles, with my gouge and parting tool. I figured one good catch would ruin it. I did narrow the blank with my band saw first though.

Pete,
My wife and I are going to Daytona this summer. Maybe I should try to sell some of these. Just kidding.
Rob
 
Rob,

What I don't know about this stuff would fill volumes, so ignore if you wish.

Couldn't you drill out the "main body" shaft and make the pen to fit inside, so only the back quadrangle and the front "pen parts" would be visible, but the pen could be removed and used?

Then, if you want to "customize", you could put decals under the finish on the pen, for the youngsters' favorite NASCAR drivers/cars.[?][?][?]
 
Rob, that's a neat idea. Any critiques I have were with respect to the job the wood turner did. The guy who did the painting and other work did a heck of a job! [:D]
 
Thanks Jim.[B)]
I'll be getting my new lathe on Monday. I can't wait. E-mail sent.

Ed,
That would work, but the idea was for the car to be the pen. Also, to maximize the amount of work done by the cub scout.
 
The car looks GREAT!!. I remember all to well my days at the pine wood derby as well as my three sons. Jo get Ron to get you started turning. It's never to young to start.
Good luck at the races!!
 
Rob,

That definetly brings back memories from when I used to be in scouts and built a few cars myself. The 3 yers I was in scouts I actually made it down state all three years and placed second and third. Heck I actually still have my cars sitting on my self still.
 
I've got a couple tips from when my Son was in the Derby. First take some very fine grade sand papers and polish the axles and then get some powdered graphite to lube them. You do not want any drag on the wheels and many times the nails have little burr's on them. Lastly, be carefull to distribute the weight evenly side to side, you want that baby to go right down the track dead on, you don't want it to veer from side to side.

Wayne
 
Wayne,
My part is done with this car, but I will be watching the race. They already CA'd the nails in for the axles. They will be reading this post before the race though, so the weights they will put on will be centered. Thanks for the info.

Don,
Feel free to post pictures here. It may be off topic for the pen aspect of this forum, but it is on topic, in my opinion, for this post. Plus I think it will make this topic a bit more interesting.
Rob
 
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