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Re: Pine wood derby MG

To: Dan DiBiase <d_dibiase@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Pine wood derby MG
From: Paul Root <proot@iaces.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 14:23:44 -0600
Dan DiBiase wrote:

> This would certainly be unique. I assume, Paul, that when you say 'I' you
> mean 'my son and I'... Of course, the cars are supposed to be built by the
> boys with parental assistance. 

Oh yes. However, there is also and adult race, to keep the Dad's honest.
I could go there, if I can't talk them into it. Shouldn't actually be
hard to do.

My boys do much of the work with the cars. I have them sand and paint. I 
also have them sand the axles, but they loose interest in that. They'll 
take the burrs out of the wheels and such, but only one grit of sand 
paper on probably 2 of the axles, before they want to go off on 
something else.

> Having recently moved on to Boy Scouting after 6 years as Cubmaster, I
> speak from personal experience after seeing cars that were not built by
> boys - in some cases the boys were not allowed to handle 'their' cars - as
> well as various nefarious methods of weighting them - including the one
> with mercury inside it. (That wasn't much fun when it leaked out all over
> my hands.) I was always a bit of a hard-ass with the parents when I saw
> cars that the boys obviously had no involvement with... We would always
> let them race but I made it clear to the parents that they could not
> repeat that performance the following year.

There are various stages in our pack. The boys do help with the cars, 
but a 6 year old Tiger is not going to be able to do most of it. He can
sand and paint, but the wheels would never go on and roll with a Tiger.

The mercury is very bad. Solid weight only.


> Best and fastest 'car' I ever saw was a skateboard design with all of the
> weight down low right above the wheels.

I've been looking at the Maximum Accelleration web site. They have a lot
of cool designs. And some tools to help get the wheels on well. My bear 
(Webelo for next year) could probably do most of a car himself with some 
of these tools.


> <flame suit on>
> 
>  
> --- Paul Root <proot@iaces.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>>      Anyway, for next year. I'd like to make something a bit
>>more original. Panicing the week before and saying "Ok, what do
>>you want your car to look like? As long as it's a door stop wedge,
>>you can have it in any color." :-) I'm thinking, let's make it a
>>TC-D-F like. It's got the wheels outside already, just need to make
>>some fenders and headlight things.
>>
>>      Anybody done anything like this? Got any ideas, for fenders
>>etc? I think I might mix new with old and paint the slanted green logo
>>across the bonnet.
>>
>>
>>      It's fresh in my mind now. I bet I don't do anything until at
>>least November. After all in the spring and summer, I've got the real 
>>thing to work on. :-)
>>
>>Paul.
> 
> 
> 
> =====
> Dan 
> The Garden State
> '76 MGB Tourer - Driver - It's getting better all the time....
> '65 MGB Tourer Project - Yep, still is....
> '04 Audi A4 1.8T q MT-6 - quattro, baby! 
> NAMGBR #5-2328 
> http://mywebpages.comcast.net/dibiase/Working_MG_Gallery.html
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 


-- 
    ______      Paul T. Root
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