Where can I get a car cut for the Pinewood Derby (Scouts)?

[Anonymous]

I saw some at a Michal's in MD yesterday - only had two left. There is also the scout store in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so strange. When I was a child we took my fathers hand saw and other tools from the garage and figured it out as it was the job of the scout, not the scouts parent. Explains a lot.

Aren't you wonderful. That's pretty sad your parents would not help. That's pretty sad you wouldn't help your kids. That explains a lot. Not everyone has tools or knows how to use them.

[Anonymous]

Hoe nice that you had tools that you could use. I live in a condo and I am not letting my 7 yr old use a saw to cut anything. I asked a local carpenter and he drilled a few holes in it to make a swiss cheese car.

[Anonymous]

When I was a kid, I thought the pinewood derby was to build AN ACTUAL CAR that a kid could fit in. imagine my massive disappointment when my boy became a scout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid, I thought the pinewood derby was to build AN ACTUAL CAR that a kid could fit in. imagine my massive disappointment when my boy became a scout.

I think you’re thinking of the Soapbox Derby, in which kids and parents and kids build kid size cars and race them down an incline built by the local Soapbox Derby group. Nothing to do with the Boy Scouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so strange. When I was a child we took my fathers hand saw and other tools from the garage and figured it out as it was the job of the scout, not the scouts parent. Explains a lot.

Aren't you wonderful. That's pretty sad your parents would not help. That's pretty sad you wouldn't help your kids. That explains a lot. Not everyone has tools or knows how to use them.

Oh, please. I agree with PP that the boys are not learning as much now that the dads all think that they should just take it to a woodworker to do it for them. I think it's ridiculous that all these 7 year olds are bringing in professional cut cars. That's how you end up with a generation of people that don't own tools or know how to use them.

You can buy a miter saw and box at Home Depot for like $15. Then put the car block in the box and have your kid saw back and forth, back and forth, until what was once a block becomes a wedge shape. That's what my son has done for the past 3 years. He does the work, not me, but I taught him how to use the miter box and roughly supervised him doing it. Then he sands it down. So he learns how to use a hand saw, miter box, and sand paper (e.g., start with rough grit, work with grain, move to finer grit) and the value of his own manual labor. If you have a drill, you can use it to drill holes in the bottom to fill with lead weights to make the car go faster.

[Anonymous]

My son is using a hand saw for his. He is 7. It is taking FOREVER as he is not very strong lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so strange. When I was a child we took my fathers hand saw and other tools from the garage and figured it out as it was the job of the scout, not the scouts parent. Explains a lot.

Aren't you wonderful. That's pretty sad your parents would not help. That's pretty sad you wouldn't help your kids. That explains a lot. Not everyone has tools or knows how to use them.

Oh, please. I agree with PP that the boys are not learning as much now that the dads all think that they should just take it to a woodworker to do it for them. I think it's ridiculous that all these 7 year olds are bringing in professional cut cars. That's how you end up with a generation of people that don't own tools or know how to use them.

You can buy a miter saw and box at Home Depot for like $15. Then put the car block in the box and have your kid saw back and forth, back and forth, until what was once a block becomes a wedge shape. That's what my son has done for the past 3 years. He does the work, not me, but I taught him how to use the miter box and roughly supervised him doing it. Then he sands it down. So he learns how to use a hand saw, miter box, and sand paper (e.g., start with rough grit, work with grain, move to finer grit) and the value of his own manual labor. If you have a drill, you can use it to drill holes in the bottom to fill with lead weights to make the car go faster.

You clearly don' have woodworking experience. A miter saw is not very good for these things. There are far better saws for doing the job... if you have a drill... oh my, you don't get it do you. (coming from someone who owns almost every tool there is). You can barely do anything with just that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid, I thought the pinewood derby was to build AN ACTUAL CAR that a kid could fit in. imagine my massive disappointment when my boy became a scout.

I think you’re thinking of the Soapbox Derby, in which kids and parents and kids build kid size cars and race them down an incline built by the local Soapbox Derby group. Nothing to do with the Boy Scouts.

I had a rather deprived childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is using a hand saw for his. He is 7. It is taking FOREVER as he is not very strong lol

If you don't trust him with a drill, let him put a stack of washers on a screw to weight it. Quick & easy

[Anonymous]

My husband did all the cutting for our 6 year old Tiger Scout. DS helped with the sanding and filing and the painting and decals. Our Pack had several days were people could borrow power tools at various Den Leaders garages. It sounds like the older kids, Webelos and Arrow of Light, did more of the cutting on their own, with supervision from several adults, at their Den meetings.

There were a couple of Scouts who were talking about ordering precut pinewood derby cars online and were told they were not allowed to do that.

[Anonymous]

I think we should now have an intellectual debate. What's the value of this activity? Is it:
a. spending time with a parent on a project?
b. learning how to use old-school tools?
c. winning?
d. learning science?

My personal value decision is A&D. I love science which does involve using tools. IMO, it is fine to use a kit and use some science to personalized and optimize.

I don't value old-school tools option and this is ironic because I love to wood-work. I'm a woman and am "in charge" of all wood care in my old house and since its an old house, that's a lot of wood! DH has to actually stop me from re-doing stuff he likes but I find horrible looking. But that's another thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought precut cars were not allowed? The whole point of the event is for kids to learn how to work with tools and make their own car.

Exactly--although parents do get heavily involved since you have to use exacto knife, saw, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband did all the cutting for our 6 year old Tiger Scout. DS helped with the sanding and filing and the painting and decals. Our Pack had several days were people could borrow power tools at various Den Leaders garages. It sounds like the older kids, Webelos and Arrow of Light, did more of the cutting on their own, with supervision from several adults, at their Den meetings.

There were a couple of Scouts who were talking about ordering precut pinewood derby cars online and were told they were not allowed to do that.

Us too, however, husband also sanded mine as well. Our den leaders did a one evening with the power tools but most of the den leaders weren't that familiar with the tools themselves nor did they have great tools. Thankfully we have our own. I'm not letting my kid use a huge band saw yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband did all the cutting for our 6 year old Tiger Scout. DS helped with the sanding and filing and the painting and decals. Our Pack had several days were people could borrow power tools at various Den Leaders garages. It sounds like the older kids, Webelos and Arrow of Light, did more of the cutting on their own, with supervision from several adults, at their Den meetings.

There were a couple of Scouts who were talking about ordering precut pinewood derby cars online and were told they were not allowed to do that.

Us too, however, husband also sanded mine as well. Our den leaders did a one evening with the power tools but most of the den leaders weren't that familiar with the tools themselves nor did they have great tools. Thankfully we have our own. I'm not letting my kid use a huge band saw yet.

My Husband did a second sanding after our son did the first. He had DS feel where things were still rough and showed him how to smooth it out a bit. But DS handled all four levels of sandpaper and the like. He will do more as he gets older. The two of them had a good time working on it together and that is what matters.