Pinewood Derby Time Again -- Question

[Jack Hogoboom]

Yes, it's that time of year again. I am helping my 8 year old with his car. I would like to create a recess in the bottom and mold weights into the recess. I was thinking about just buying fishing weights and melting them with a torch. Does anyone know if this is safe to do? Assuming it isn't, is there any reasonable substitute? I'd like to make the installation of the weights as possible.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Jack

[Martin Shupe]

Jack,

I have melted lead before...it takes a long time, and a special pot. Also, it is not a good idea inhale the fumes. I don't recommend it.

Here is what I have used for the past few years with good success:

Buy a box of 45 or 50 caliber muzzleloading round balls. Don't get anything but round balls. Find the forstner bit that fits the balls you buy. Use a test piece, and you can find a bit the correct size, so you can squeeze the ball into the hole. Or, if not, you can use a punch to smash the ball a little and deform it, so it will stay. Another alternative is to use epoxy.

Put more weight on the car than you need, then drill holes in the weight until you get down to right around the correct weight. On race day, you can remove lead until you just make weight.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Martin,

Thanks for the shot idea. The car is only about 1/4" thick all the way through, so drilling a hole for solid shot won't work. However, it may make sense to drill a recess inthe bottom, fill the hole with shot and then melt wax or use epoxy to hold it all in.

Can you get shot at a Wal-Mart or sporting goods store? Do I have to go to a specialty gun shop?

Jack

[Wes Bischel]

Wow, when I was a kid making my car I used thin slabs of leftover lead type. My how times have changed.

Wes

[Loy Hawes]

Doesn't answer your question but thought it might help,

http://pinewood-derby-champ.com/speed_tips_free.html

[Roger Bell]

I was a plumber's helper long ago in the age of cast iron pipe, oakum and lead......and have also cast or "run" many a muzzleloading ball. You can use any source of lead.....round ball from sporting goods (expensive), used or broken wheel weights from a tire shop or stick lead from a plumbing supply. You won't need much lead to stay under the Derby weight limit.

Do not melt the lead indoors on your kitchen stove. Take it outside and do so on a camping stove. Do not breathe the fumes. Do not use a food container. Use an old ladle to dip from the pot and wear protective mitts, Use tongs or a portable vise to hold the derby car. Exercise due care....it is, after all, hot molten metal.

I recall my father (the plumber) took a piece of stick lead and hammered into the shape of a grill for the derby car....then glued it to the front end of the car and painted over it. It was, after all, a "father and son" project....in the days when Indy cars, such as the Offenhausers, had big grilles on the front end. A bit more surreptitious we thought than the usual crude methods of weight augmentation. It was wicked fast. We didn't win but came in second in 1959. Should have paid more attention to those funky box-nail wheel axles, as I recall.

[Todd Burch]

I melt lead all the time. Out of doors, in a cast iron ladle, with a propane torch. On old serving spoon would probably work though too. I melt fishing weights, auto wheel weights, diver's weights (picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing), and any other lead I find throughout my travels.

Your proposed method of adding weight to a thin car is the only way to do it in my book. My son has had many a victory in Pinewood Derby with ultra thin cars. He's too old now (15).

The thinnest one we ever did, we actually made a mold of the lead first in a long, thin wedge. Then, we glued thin pieces of pine around it. It was awesome!

Todd

[John Mihich]

I used tin solder for my son's cars. Didn't have to worry about lead fumes and was easy to get also; already had it.

I would hollow out several spots so to have weight distributed over the wheels. Also if need be I could remove some at the weigh in.

Never won the whole event but my son's cars usually did fairly well.

[Joe Pelonio]

It's been a while since we did one, but last time my son's car was really thin like that he drilled 1/8" holes and put in the small split shots (fishing weights) which he squeezed closed first. He had also sanded edges of the plastic tires which I heard they have now banned.

[Scott Loven]

I melt lead all the time. Out of doors, in a cast iron ladle, with a propane torch. On old serving spoon would probably work though too. I melt fishing weights, auto wheel weights, diver's weights (picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing), and any other lead I find throughout my travels.

Your proposed method of adding weight to a thin car is the only way to do it in my book. My son has had many a victory in Pinewood Derby with ultra thin cars. He's too old now (15).

The thinnest one we ever did, we actually made a mold of the lead first in a long, thin wedge. Then, we glued thin pieces of pine around it. It was awesome!

Todd

I like it, the lead slab derby!

[Frankie Hunt]

We melted the lead balls using a small torch. A tuna tin works very well. Mold a pouring spout in the lip by putting a crease in the edge. Hold the tin with a pair of channel lock piers. Cheap and effective. Do this outside to avoid fumes. Dont forget eye protection.

Walmart sells 50 cal ammo for muzzel loaders. The round balls are cheap and easy to work with.

You can pour from the tuna tin into the recess you made in the bottom of the car. Make the recess with a forstner bit. The molten lead will kinda burn off some of the resin in the pine. This might make for a loose fit. You can add a little epoxy around the edges if necessairy.

The winning cars will be the heaviest cars there. So.... make sure you are at the legal limit. Make the car without the weight then put on the scale. (Go to the post office if you dont have a very good scale) Add the 50 cal balls to it to see how much you need to melt down. As was said before, make it a tad heavy then use a drill to remove some material until you get to 5.0 oz.

Sometimes the "official scale" at checkin time is a little off. So.... Keeping in mind that you want to be among the heaviest of the cars... go in at 5.05 oz (or whatever weight you deem right) and take with you a means of removing a little lead. Pocket knife, removable sinker, etc.... Read the rule sheet they offer real good.

Let you son do most of the work. But stay safe!

Frankie

[Chad Pater]

We always use tire weights and a small torch. Drill a hole and drip it in. You really don't even need something to melt it in just drip it directly into the hole.