Author: Rob

Pinewood Derby® Physics

Physics plays an important role in the design of a pinewood derby car. Here are a few areas where physics applies: Air Resistance Friction Potential Energy Rotational Inertia Of all of these, friction and air resistance are the most well…

Pinewood Derby Books

Here are a few books from Amazon.com that can help you do your best at the pinewood derby.  Be sure to check out our free plans, too (click here). Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets: Design and Build the Ultimate Car Pinewood…

BoysDad.com Commercial

Here is our new YouTube commercial for our selection of free pinewood derby plans.  Our plans are engineered for speed and include all the data you need to tune your car to a winning specs.  If you are going to…

Lead (Pb)

Lead is acceptable for a pinewood derby weight. It is inexpensive and easy to work with. It has a low melting point, so it can be melted and poured into holes drilled into your car. The one main drawback is…

Tungsten

Tungsten is an ideal pinewood derby weight. It is a very dense (more dense than lead), hard, brittle metal. It’s most familiar use is in incandescent light bulbs. The density of Tungsten is 0.697 lbs/in3. If you are planning to…

Pinewood Derby Links

Of course, the best site is the BoysDad.com page (HERE). We offer free plans, engineering data, and tips. But we aren’t the only place to go. Here are some others: Build a Fast Pinewood Derby Car – Step-by-step process to…

We Shall Remain

My experience in scouting help deepen my appreciation for the Native American experience.  I am very excited that PBS will be airing a five-part series about the struggle and survival of the Native American population. We Shall Remain is a…