Pinewood Derby Workshop

Where: Mike Skorich’s House (Thank you Mike!!)
Date: This Sunday, Jan 12
Time: 3:00-5:00

Our first event of the year—this Sunday, January 12th—will be a chance to learn about the Pinewood Derby and even help your Scout get a great head start on their car.

We’ll meet at Mike Skorich’s house (965 Bryansplace Road, please park on Fernmarch so that we can use the driveway for workstations). We’ll start with some general introductions to the Pinewood Derby process, and then break into workshop stations where you and your Scout can learn about:

• Design Ideas
• Speed Tips
• Cutting
• Painting and Weighing

Before you come

Preparing your Scout

This is a great opportunity to spend time collaborating with your Scout: be sure to discuss the importance of sweat equity and allow them to lead the project as much as possible. (But they WILL need your help!)

Also work with other Scout leaders to emphasize sportsmanship: one of the most fun moments of the Pinewood Derby is when Scouts cheer for their friends, often right after frustrating experiences for their own car.

Preparing your Scout’s Car

There are tons of resources on the internet for building a Pinewood Derby car, including videos ranging from the silly to the scientific. You can get some great ideas (and some profoundly bad ideas, for that matter) by watching a few.

There are also a number of sites that offer cutout templates and paint schemes. Here are a few examples: BoysDad, DerbyMonkey, and Boys’ Life. (Note that we follow a pretty traditional set of rules, and some sites might have ideas or templates that do not conform; we’re not endorsing any of the resources listed here.)

Thanks for all your help!