Polishing Pinewood Derby axles can be done most efficiently with a drill, a vice, 400, 600 and 800 grit sandpaper, and a rubbing compound. Place the drill in a vice or use a drill press. Put the axle nail one-half inch into the drill chuck so one-half inch of the axle is showing, including the nail head.
What type of lube do you use for pinewood derby?
The official BSA pinewood derby rules do not state any limitations on lubes. Meaning the sky is the limit. HOWEVER, most packs rules address what type of lube (99% of them say dry lube only) you can use. If you do not know, please stop here, read your rules, then return back when you have the answer.
How do you polish the axles of a car?
We have found that higher the grit, the faster the car. We first take an axles through the wet sands as described about, then we buff the axles to a mirror 100,000 grit optical polish using high speed buffing machines (7000 rpm) and oil based polish pastes. Apply a light load on axles during buffing as not to “burn” the paste into forming a wax.
How are axles buffed and polished?
We first take an axles through the wet sands as described about, then we buff the axles to a mirror 100,000 grit optical polish using high speed buffing machines (7000 rpm) and oil based polish pastes. Apply a light load on axles during buffing as not to “burn” the paste into forming a wax.
What type of lube should I use for polishing?
Polish till you can’t polish anymore is a waste of time and resources. The official BSA pinewood derby rules do not state any limitations on lubes. Meaning the sky is the limit. HOWEVER, most packs rules address what type of lube (99% of them say dry lube only) you can use.
How do you polish a derby axle?
1:206:44Pinewood Derby Secrets Part 1 - Axle Polishing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo I use a drill press for this if you don't have a drill press you can use just a regular powerMoreSo I use a drill press for this if you don't have a drill press you can use just a regular power drill. But I'm gonna place that nail inside.
How do you polish Pinewood Derby wheels?
0:552:35How To Make Pinewood Derby Wheels Fast By Polishing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThen you take the very fine sandpaper. And do the exact same thing it says here start the drill foldMoreThen you take the very fine sandpaper. And do the exact same thing it says here start the drill fold the sandpaper in half and press it against the wheel smooth the surface.
How do you polish a Pinewood Derby axle with a Dremel?
2:123:19Pinewood Derby Days with Dremel: How-To Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNext turn your Dremel rotary tool to a low-speed. And polish each axle for approximately. 15 secondsMoreNext turn your Dremel rotary tool to a low-speed. And polish each axle for approximately. 15 seconds. Now slide your wheels onto the newly polished axles and tap the axles into the grooves.
How do you lubricate Pinewood Derby axles?
0:061:12Lubrication | Pinewood Racing Car | PineCar Derby - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFor our demonstration. We will use dry graphite. Apply dry graphite between the wheel. And theMoreFor our demonstration. We will use dry graphite. Apply dry graphite between the wheel. And the hubcap. Repeat this procedure until the wheels spin on the axles for several seconds.
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.
How do you polish wheels?
8:5910:41How to Polish and Buff your Aluminum Wheels to a Mirror Finish! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI find white diamond to be a pretty good metal polish it's relatively cheap Zephyr products is alsoMoreI find white diamond to be a pretty good metal polish it's relatively cheap Zephyr products is also really good just take this and shake it up pretty decent. And we'll just put it on a microfiber.
What is the fastest Pinewood Derby car design?
The Black PRO Car is our fastest pinewood derby car. It pushes the Speed Limit! It is track-tested car ready to race featuring our race winning PRO friction-free BSA Ultra-Lite graphite-coated wheels and PRO BSA graphite-coated grooved axles.
How do you remove burrs from a pinewood derby axle?
0:070:47Removing Axle Burrs - Pinewood Racing Car - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHold a file against the underside of the nail head and run the drill for a few seconds. With theMoreHold a file against the underside of the nail head and run the drill for a few seconds. With the drill still in the vise polish the nail axles the same way as the one piece x.
What saw for Pinewood Derby?
Band saws are the best tool for cutting a Pinewood Derby car block. If you don't have access to a band saw, a coping saw will do. Coping saws are economical and can cut unusual shapes and curves.
Can you use graphite on Pinewood Derby cars?
Rub graphite on your pinewood derby car body where the wheel hub runs against it. Use a new pencil. Rub the tip of the pencil erasor in the graphite then rub in on the car around where the axle goes into the slot. Don't mix graphite and Oil.
Why is graphite lubricant better than molybdenum disulphide?
Both Moly and Graphite are excellent dry lubricants with very similar properties in many areas. Graphite tends to be a better choice for extremely high-temperature applications. MoS2 offers improved corrosion resistance for stainless steel in those areas where that is a concern.
What is the best weight for Pinewood Derby?
MAX OUT YOUR CAR'S WEIGHT AT 5 OZ First, the basics: Your car should weigh as much as it's allowed. In most races, a Pinewood Derby car's weight is limited to 5 ounces. If your car weighs less than that, add coins or other weights.
How do you polish PWD wheels?
1:095:32Wheel Bore Polishing - Pro Speed Secret for Pinewood Derby Car ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTake one of the cotton tip spheres and insert it into a drill or a dremel tool dip the spear intoMoreTake one of the cotton tip spheres and insert it into a drill or a dremel tool dip the spear into the bore polish. And then insert the spare into the wheel.
Can you paint Pinewood Derby wheels?
It's easy to paint chrome spokes on you Pinewood Derby car wheels. All you need is a silver paint marker available from our web site.
How do you polish axles?
Use polishing compound from the auto supply store to polish the wheels and axles. One easy way to do this is to clamp the axles back in the drill and let the drill spin the axle while you polish it. 9. When you install the axles and wheels, make sure they are aligned perfectly straight.
How long should a Pinewood Derby wheel spin?
around 20 secondsHow long should pinewood derby wheels spin? A long spinning wheel has less friction so the longer a wheel spins, the better. A good wheels will spin for around 20 seconds but the spin time can vary with the type of wheel, lubricant and with the amount of force used to start the spin.
How to polish pinewood derby axles
Use a drill attached to a solid surface. No Dremels! The RPM is too high and will burn your polishing compound. I do not like drill press because the approach is incorrect and you run the chance of injuring yourself. Also, drill press usually has more HP than a hand drill and it can hurt you if you run into any problems.
How to use the paste. Always were safety glasses!
Use a drill attached to a solid surface. No Dremels! The RPM is too high and will burn your polishing compound. I do not like drill press because the approach is incorrect and you run the chance of injuring yourself. Also, drill press usually has more HP than a hand drill and it can hurt you if you run into any problems.
How to Use Our Axle Polishing Kit
Proper polishing of your Pinewood Derby axles will make a big difference in the speed of your car. Follow these easy steps and you will have winning axles in no time. This kit has enough material to prepare eight axles.
Instructions
1. The first step is to inspect your axles for obvious flaws. Look for deep scratches and a misshaped axle head. Replace any bad axles with new ones.
To Groove
With a drill press and moderate selection of files and sanding cloth or sandpaper, putting a shallow channel in an axle takes anywhere from five to fifteen minutes for most people. That’s great, but why groove your axles in the first place?
Or Not to Groove
Some people invest a lot of time and energy building computer models to determine if placing grooves in axles is a good idea. The thing is – computer algorithms do not always reflect reality. There are a lot of other considerations such as if you use bent axles, canted (from drill angle into the car body), and even how your wheels are prepped.
How to Groove Pinewood Derby Axles
If you can get access to the following tools, it will make life a lot easier and speed up the grooving process while improving accuracy.
