This 118 page book follows a similar format as the previously mentioned book, but this one is all about variety. Pinewood Derby Designs & Patterns is another book by Troy Thorne. Why my own kit? Because of the next book. I'm already planning on visiting the scout supply store here in Atlanta and obtaining the block/wheels kit because Decker asked after the event if we could make a car. the book is pure fun and would make a great parent/child project for any weekend. This 96 page book is the perfect gift for any new Cub Scout, but honestly. The book follows loosely the format of a comic book in many sections, with balloon windows showing a step and POW BANG BAP sound effect graphics added for fun. The actual instructions in the book are written for a young reader, and I'm very happy to see that Thorne wrote the book not for the parent, but for the scout – simple language and short sentences for each full color photo make it easy to follow along and tweak your racer's wheel alignment, decal placement and many other racer details. Hands down, this is one of the best little books I've seen on basic woodworking skills, and I'm very impressed with the cartoon character of Dash Derby who provides tips and advice throughout the book on improving your racer's odds in the final race. Awards were given out for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes for different troops/ages as well as some design awards. Whatever the reasons, each scout gets to see his car race multiple times. To ensure fairness, multiple races were performed with each car racing on a different track (1, 2, 3, or 4) I'm guessing this is done because maybe one or more tracks run faster or have a better/smoother surface. Races this day were performed 4 cars at a time. so there's some wiggle room for embellishment and personalization of a racer's vehicle.) There were a lot of interesting solutions to getting the cars up in weight (the block weighs about 1.4 ounces and the wheels and paint add enough to bring it up to about 4.3 ounces. All cars must weigh less than 5 ounces, but racers try to hit as close to 5 ounces as possible because the weight of the car affects its speed when it is released on the downward-pointing ramp. ![]() Decker isn't quite old enough yet for the Cub Scouts, but he absolutely loved looking at the 100+ cars sitting on display for the judges to examine and weigh.
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