Tungsten Weights
- Clamp the pinewood derby block to a flat surface.
- Using a 3/8" drill bit, drill two holes straight into the back of the block high enough so that you do not drill into the axle slot. ...
- Remove the clamp from the block.
- Insert the weights in the holes. ...
- Weigh the block, wheels, axles and weights again (don't forget the flat weight). ...
What is pinewood derby car weight placement?
Pinewood Derby® Car Weight placement plays an important role in how well a PWD car will perform. There are numerous scientific equations that will explain the science behind this. Simply put: the more weight you can shift towards the rear of the car, the more potential energy it will have.
What does tungsten do for pinewood derby car weight?
What tungsten does is allow you to place more Pinewood Derby Car Weight in the same amount of space which will yield more energy if placed further to the rear. For COG, Weight is Weight. The maximum weight is 5 oz. COG does not care whether it is wood, steel, lead or tungsten.
How do you weigh a car for a Derby?
Weigh your car and then add pennies to the scale till you reach the desired weight. - If your car is overweight, you are disqualified. - If your car is underweight, you loose. For our derby, 5 ounces was the limit, and her car started out at 4.5 oz, so we only needed to add five pennies to get close.
How do you Putty a car for a derby car?
Pro Tip: If putty will add too much weight to your derby car, or mess up your careful weight distribution – run a length of 1-3/4″ wide tape along the bottom of the car to make a smooth underside canopy. Just trim a piece of 2″ wide tape. Today you can get tape in hundreds of patterns from camouflage to SpongeBob – or just stick to solid colors.
Where is the best place for weights on a pinewood derby car?
PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.
How do you put weights on a pinewood derby car?
Clamp the pinewood derby block to a flat surface.Using a 3/8" drill bit, drill two holes straight into the back of the block high enough so that you do not drill into the axle slot. ... Remove the clamp from the block.Insert the weights in the holes.More items...
Where should the weight be in a car?
It's a fairly cut-and-dry issue: If the road course has more right-hand turns, then the weight is biased to the right side of the car. The same concept applies to the left side. If there's an equal number of left and right turns, then the left/right weight bias should be neutral.
Which axle is the front on a pinewood derby car?
Which end is the front of a pinewood derby car? Either end can be the front of the car but the end of the block farthest from an axle slot gives you an advantage if it is the front of the car. The reason for this is that you can put weight farther back on the car if the rear slot is close to the end of the block.
How can I make my pinewood derby wheels faster?
5 Quick & Easy Tips For Improving Your Pinewood Derby Car's SpeedPut all of your weight in the back. ... Lube the car at the body/wheel friction point. ... Spend a fair amount of time on axle prep. ... Make sure your wheels are ready. ... Finally, once your wheels are mounted, check their alignment.
Do heavier pinewood derby cars go faster?
Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow. In general, it's best to place weight to the rear of your car because a heavier rear increases speed.
What is the perfect weight for a Pinewood Derby car?
5 ouncesThe maximum weight limit for a pinewood derby car is 5 ounces. Plan on adding 2 to 3.5 oz of weight to your car, depending on your car design and the weight of your pine wood block. A chunky car design has more wood so it needs less weight. A thin, small car design has less wood so it needs more weight.
How do you figure corner weight?
1:5341:33How & Why to Corner Weight Your Car (FM Live) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe will never be shifting weight front and back or side to side we're only going to be shifting itMoreWe will never be shifting weight front and back or side to side we're only going to be shifting it diagonally. And here we'll show this again we'll jack up we'll lift up the front. One.
What does left side weight do in a dirt car?
Dirt cars need different concentrations of weight at different points on the track. Going into the turn, left-side weight should transfer to the right-side tires to produce side-bite, which makes the car take a set (stop sliding).
Should I glue Pinewood Derby axles?
7. Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don't get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.
Where do you drill the axle on a Pinewood Derby car?
6:4612:04Fastest Pinewood Derby - PRO Driller Tool (Five Speed Advantages)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou will drill the two rear axles using the 2.5 degree angled guide to camp the rear axle drill theMoreYou will drill the two rear axles using the 2.5 degree angled guide to camp the rear axle drill the front left axle as a raised wheel. So it doesn't touch the track drill.
Are Bent axles legal in Pinewood Derby?
Axles may be bent or inserted to cant the wheels. 4. Axles may be positioned to allow one wheel to NOT touch the track via adjustment, bent axle or placement as long as this DOES NOT violate any other specifications. 5.
What is the perfect weight for a Pinewood Derby car?
5 ouncesThe maximum weight limit for a pinewood derby car is 5 ounces. Plan on adding 2 to 3.5 oz of weight to your car, depending on your car design and the weight of your pine wood block. A chunky car design has more wood so it needs less weight. A thin, small car design has less wood so it needs more weight.
How much weight does paint add to Pinewood Derby car?
I painted a car with primer and 3 coats of the spray and it was less than an 1oz of change it . 03oz. So get the car as close to 5oz then add the paint.
Do you glue Pinewood Derby axles?
7. Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don't get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.
How do you put graphite on a Pinewood Derby car?
8:3711:11Pinewood Derby Best Graphite Application - Maximum VelocityYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we're going to take the graphite with our nice little tip applicator. And we're going to squeezeMoreSo we're going to take the graphite with our nice little tip applicator. And we're going to squeeze some in right here in between the head and the wheel.
What is the COG in a car?
It is believed that the more stored energy you have, the faster your car can travel. However, the PWD world has been proven that COG (center of gravity) is the more important than shoving all the weight in the rear of the car. What is COG? It is an important function in building a pinewood derby car.
What is the role of weight placement in a PWD car?
Simply put the more weight you can shift towards the rear of the car, the more “potential” energy it will have. The key important term his is POTENTIAL.
How far should the center of gravity be on a PWD?
Center of gravity placement should be between 1/2-1″ IN FRONT of REAR axle. This is true for all wheel base types whether you are using a standard wheelbase or an extended wheelbase.
Can you use putty to move a COG?
You will use nearly all of the of the putty to bring it to proper weight. By leaving the extra ounce of “ballast” you can easily move the COG to the proper location. If you bring your car up to a higher weight, the less ballast material you have to adjust your COG.
Does tungsten make cars faster?
Tungsten does not make a car faster. Weight is Weight. The maximum weight is 5 oz. COG does not care whether it is wood, steel, lead, or tungsten . Before spending all your available funds on just weight, please understand this statement. FOR all my builds, I use lead as primary weight.
What does tungsten do to a car?
What tungsten does is allow you to place more Pinewood Derby Car Weight in the same amount of space which will yield more energy if placed further to the rear. For COG, Weight is Weight. The maximum weight is 5 oz. COG does not care whether it is wood, steel, lead or tungsten. Before spending all your available funds on just Pinewood Derby Car ...
Why is weight placement important in Pinewood Derby?
Weight placement is important because you want the longest possible push time while balancing stability. The further back you can move the weight distribution, the more kinetic energy your car stores up, which in turn translates into more push down the track. Because there are MANY more factors involved making a Pinewood Derby® car, there are many more articles to read. This article is only going to address the issue of weight.
What is the advantage of tungsten?
If two car body builds are identical, except one uses lead, while the other one uses tungsten – the tungsten has an advantage if the wheels are the same. If the car builds are the same, and one uses lighter wheels. Whoever uses lighter wheels will have the advantage.
What happens if you bring your car up to a higher weight?
If you bring your car up to a higher weight, the less ballast material you have to adjust your COG. So it is a true balance game that is unique to each build. There are no wrong ways. Congrats, you now have the knowledge on where to place your weight and how to get it adjusted so that you have the best advantage.
Does tungsten make a car faster?
It will not matter if your weight is lead or tungsten to achieve a fast car. Tungsten does not make a car faster per se, but it does allow more energy to be stored. So if you are on a budget and you have $24 to spend between tungsten weight or lighter wheels.
Step 1: Supplies
Things you need: - accurate scale. - 3/4" drill bit and drill. - some loose pennies. - masking tape (optional). - hot glue or epoxy (optional).
Step 2: Weight the Car
Pennies are exactly 3/4" in diameter and weight about 0.1 ounce each. Weigh your car and then add pennies to the scale till you reach the desired weight. I've been told there are two rules to the Derby: - If your car is overweight, you are disqualified. - If your car is underweight, you loose. For our derby, 5 ounces was the limit, and her car started out at 4.5 oz, so we only needed to add five pennies to get close. Yes, the car does say "I love you Dad and Mom" on the bottom.
Step 3: Drill Away
If you are unsure of your abilities to eye-ball the depth to drill, measure the thickness of the pennies you intend to use and mark your drill at the correct depth with masking tape. Five pennies are about seven millimeters in thickness.
Step 4: Add the Pennies
Add the pennies and double-check the weight. Drilling removed a little bit of weight. If you decide to glue them in, it will add at little weight, so leave some room to spare. We ended up using six pennies. With the pennies a snug fit, and the hole on top, we didn't even bother with glue.
What tools are used to cut a car?
Hand drill or drill press. Wire cutters, diagonal pliers or other cutting tool. Wood putty or glue. Gloves. Caution: These weights are made of lead. You should handle lead weight with gloves. Children should not handle lead weights. 1. Put all of the components that will be used on your car on a scale.
How to make a car weigh 5 oz?
Let the putty or glue dry. 8. Use sandpaper or a file to smooth the wood putty. 9. Paint your car and add the wheels and accessories. 10. Weigh your car. Add enough weight to make it exactly 5 oz. Add the weight to your car in the extra hole.
How much wire weight should I use for a car?
Be sure to include wheels, axles and any accessories. Add enough of the wire weight to bring the weight up to 4.9 oz. The remaining .1 oz is reserved for paint and decals. 2.
Where to put weight on car?
Decide where you would like to add the weight. Weight should be placed towards the rear of the car . You can drill the weight holes in the bottom, side or rear of the car as shown in these examples. Stay at least 1/8" away from the axle slots.
Specific Weight Placement
- The two most common questions about specific Pinewood Derby car weight placement are 1.) Top or bottom? And 2.) Back or front? I answered those questions above in general terms. Now here are the specifics to help you perfect your design. Most people tend to lean towards the extremes thinking that the only way to be the fastest is to push your advan...
Weight Top Or Bottom?
- I have heard arguments for getting the weight as high on the car body as possible because it will then have further to fall. At first, this kind of makes sense. In fact, it would make perfect sense if you were going straight down. But you are not. Your derby car is on an angled ramp – also known as an incline plane. As your car drops lower, it also moves further out along the track. In other w…
What to Use For Pinewood Derby Weights
- The type of material you use as weights will also help determine its optimal placement. This is because the denser and heavier the weight, the more you can pinpoint its placement. And the more accurately you can position the weight on the car, the better the car will perform. If you want to dial in your weight as precisely as possible, tungsten is the best material to use. But it is a bit …