How Do You Build Pinewood Derby Cars?
Build a quick little race car. Step 1 Check the wheels – they should be perfectly round. Put a wheel on an axle and spin it. You can’t fix wiggly wheels. Replace them now if they aren’t perfect. Step 2 Check the wheels and axles for burrs. Remove them with nail clippers or fine sandpaper. Step 3 Make sure the wood block doesn’t rock when placed on a flat surface. All of the sides should be 90 degrees. If they aren’t, sand the uneven sides down. Step 4 Mark the locations of the axles. Be sure that you’ll have at least a 3/8-inch clearance under the car when the wheels are put on. Step 5 Sketch a full-scale plan on tracing paper. Step 6 Transfer the design onto the block of wood. Make sure you do both sides and that the front of the car is on the same end on both sides. Step 7 Use a coping saw to cut just outside of the marks you made. You can sand the extra off later. Step 8 Drill the axle holes. Make sure they’re square with the body. If it’s too hard to drill a hole, you can make a gr
