| Author | Message | ||
     Steve_mackay |
I've been looking forward to this time in my Son's short life, since he was born... It's pinewood derby time! Being a tool maker/designer, I wasn't about to let my son use such primitive tools such as saws and the like. Nope. Having a shop full of CNCs, and me making a living doing 3D modeling, it would be a silly thought not to take advantage of these available tools. Some of the parents thought it would be cheating. But then I gave them my perspective... Do you just hand a saw to a 7 year old? I'm sure most wouldn't. I told thomas he had to sketch out his car, in 3 different view, top view, front view, and a right side view. Which he did. I then sat down with him and we modeled it together, using parametrized sketches and primitives. This is what we came up with...  It took us about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. It's something I think we'll both remember for years to come.  So, what do you guys think... Did we cheat?  | ||
| Eboos |
Doing it with him, I think, is part of the whole point of this. If you just did it for him, that would be cheating. | ||
| Spiderman |
Go directly to Jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200! I don't think any of the kids ever build there own car and I think your guy was more involved than most kids! So way to go! | ||
| Trackdad |
Steve, tell Thomas nice Job from Uncle Greg! Are you going to be home tonite? I'd like to call and ask you a few questions about a LEXAN project I've wanted to do. | ||
| No_rice |
hell ya thats the way to do it! the way i see it is if you dont use whats available to you and thomas to make the best thing you can, then whats the point of doing it at all. jenns son Lucas and i had to make a propeller powered rocket that runs on a fishing line not to long ago. havent done the pinewood derby thing yet. im still not happy about the way my last pine wood derby went. and how many years has that been!? i was beating absolutely everyone with my car by a long ways. at the beginning of the final race the guy starting the cars dropped mine. needless to say i lost the race because he broke part of the wheel and they wouldnt let me fix it. still pisses me off!! | ||
| Hughlysses |
CNC Pinewood Derby car? Awesome! That's a cool idea for getting him to draw it and then the two of you modeling it together. I was just looking at my son's trophy yesterday (he's 16 now). He got 2nd place overall when we built his. | ||
| Froggy |
I did both of mine on my own, and they look like it too. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
You're gonna ruffle some feathers of the poor dad who had to cut, shave and sand theirs down by hand. BUT who the hell cares? As long as you guys had a good time making it, that's all that matters. Be ready for the onslaught of dad's asking if you'll cut theirs next year! | ||
| Sleez |
very cool. | ||
| Etennuly |
Oh Man! You suck. That is so over the top it will become my mantra for over the top. "My car is better than your car"......."My dad CNC'd my car with a three D CAD drawing"......"You suck, I cut mine out with a 'real' saw!" "My kid can beat up your kid"   "Your kid can't even cut himself with a real knife!"(you would have to had shown him how while finish carving his car). New rule....all hand carved cars are allowed a single rocket engine! | ||
| Gowindward |
No you didn't cheat...It's about getting a parent and son together working on a project and creating lasting memories for both. Great design! but I will have to say that the fastest cars are always thin torpedo slabs with flush lead weighting. Don't forget to polish the axles and debur the wheels.  My son and I did our cub scout time while I worked for Boeing. Talk about competition...a bunch of aircraft engineers in the group...alls fair as long as it fit inside the rules. | ||
| Kyrocket |
If you've seen some of them on the shelves at Michael's Art Stores they come shaped already as F1's and racecars so would that be considered cheating too? I took first place years and years ago with a car (then all you could get was a block of wood) driven by Spider Man that I took out of a toy helicopter. My dad helped me build several cars over the years, even stepping up as our scout leader when we didn't have one. But I wouldn't trade those lead melting, car shaving, graphited wheels memories for anything. More power to you. And good luck at the races! | ||
| Oddball |
Now you just have to start adding weight to get up to the max 5oz. I'm jealous, I want your toys. And here I thought I was giving my nephew an advantage loaning my dremel for his car. Now I need a new dremel.  | ||
| Ourdee |
Put graphite on the axles. At weigh in, if it isn't too heavy you have not added enough weight. Need to be right on the edge. Need a lower edge on the windshield, but that is a great Father Son job, A+ on the fatherhood. | ||
| Firstbuell |
jeez, what a can of worms this subject can quickly become! suffice it to say that human [parent] nature usually wins out & that the kids often aren't allowed to perform enough of the work to really call the cars their own - a true shame back in the day, I was adamant that my son, Jake, build his own car - it was VERY difficult keeping my hands off, but I did - he built a fine example [one that was beaten by devices clearly not of a young boy's making....] character building for me - dunno about him there's a GREAT "Car & Driver" article from 20 years ago where the C&D team car [& Penske's as well] get waxed by a 10-yr old's creation - pure gold | ||
| Wardan123 |
Collaboration, time spent together, utilization of "tools" -you guys are legit in my book. BTW My nephew's troop gives out a "MOST LIKELY BUILT ONLY BY SCOUT" award. There is real honor in winning it. | ||
| Mikej |
One of the things I wish I still had from my childhood are my Pinewood Derby cars. Did you cheat? Not in my book, you just have better tools to utilize than most dads probably have. | ||
| Court |
>>>>we modeled it together, The key word is "together". You did a splendid job and he and you will remember it for years . . . you likely did more to shape the kid than the car. Mine are 27 and 29 and still my best friends. . . you will never regret the time you spent "together". Well done. Court | ||
| Slaughter |
 Note the one on the far side is a Pinewood Derby entry in the shape of a pig (he was fighting a DQ - he was not Kosher | ||
| Garyz28 |
I remember the Pinewood Derby. As I recall, the kid that won just took the block of wood out of the box and put the wheels on it. | ||
| Slaughter |
The guys here have a "Family" category and an "individual" category. Having the two categories allows the father/mother/son teaming and differentiates from the solo effort under parental guidance... that way nobody complains. If you MUST help your kid, he is now in the "Family" entry. Simple... and yes, it's on the "honor system." And yes again - even in Cub Scouts, "honor" is a concept which is often stretched quite a bit. (Message edited by slaughter on January 12, 2009) | ||
| J2blue |
+1 For your dad skills. Far more important for your son to feel like it was his idea you helped bring to fruition then him not having much of anything to do with the design or construction. And the race? Who cares if they win it all or not? Only the crazy fathers would. My only problem as a kid was that my car didn't win more than one or two races before going out and I had no say in how it was designed or made. I felt like it was a loss I had no control over. Oh well, now I sound like Stewart Smalley. Dog gone it. | ||
| Jramsey |
"honor" is a concept which is often stretched quite a bit. That is an accurate statement Go to a 4-H Fair and look over some of the entries. | ||
| F_skinner |
Here is mine, I forgot all about it until this thread. My Dad and I did it together. I lost some of the parts and actually had a little driver in the seat, steering wheel and side mufflers. 1972 Pine Wood Derby  | ||
| F_skinner |
Steve, after all the excitement is over store the car in a safe place and bring it out one day when your son returns home for a visit after he is all grownup. He will treasure it, I promise! Frank | ||
| Reepicheep |
Fun stuff. Am I the only one that fantasized about a small compressed air cylinder, a small electrical actuator, bluetooth, and a tiny remote in my pocket? Oh? I am the only one? Oh. Never mind then.  The kids are pretty involved, and do the shapes and the painting. I run the band saw and put on the axles. Dry graphite works better then gooey silicone spray. You want your weight high and to the rear, but not so much that the front wheels don't track. You also want very parallel axles. We never cheated, and we never won, and we are OK with that. Just have fun. When you get there, it will be a lot more intense then you are expecting, for both parents and kids... | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
The car is cool for sure. cheating???? Nope I think it violates the spirit of the contest. The boys are supposed to build the car with assistance from dad, not the other way. My son cuts and sands his car how ever he wants. I take care of the axles and wheels. We have gone to the district race both years we raced. I won the parents race both year. Tons of small tricks that add up to a win. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
I miss the Pinewood Derby days -- maybe I could borrow a kid, annually, for the event. When I was actively involved in the PWD we'd do the kids races and hand out the trophies and all that and then it was time for the dad's race. Minimal rules (actually I don't remember any rules) and we had a blast. Good job Steve. Memories last a lifetime. | ||
| Court |
Truth be known you are building a young man not a car and I'd wager that you are excelling at it. In addition, the skills you've acquired that you have shared with him in this project will plant seeds of curiosity that will bear fascinating fruit over the years. Kids are amazing. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Steve, I did Pinewood Derby for like 3 or 4 years till I became Boy/Eagle Scout. My BEST design was something that resembled a hot dog bun on wheels, a long "u" shaped car. I still got my old cars cars but their packed away or I'd up a pic for ya. |
