The Pinewood Derby is a fantastic tradition, a rite of passage for Cub Scouts that combines creativity, craftsmanship, and a little healthy competition. A crucial part of building a winning car is shaping the pinewood block into a sleek, fast design. But with so many tools available, what’s the best tool to shape a pinewood derby car, especially when working with younger builders? As a dad who’s been through this a few times with my son, Stephen, let me share our experiences and what we’ve found works best, focusing on safety and effective shaping techniques.
Starting with Safe Cutting: The Scroll Saw
When it comes to making the initial cuts to rough out the basic shape of the car, a scroll saw has become our go-to tool. For a 9-year-old like Stephen, who has been learning woodworking skills since he was younger, the scroll saw offers a good balance of control and capability. While power tools can be intimidating, especially for younger scouts, the scroll saw, when used with proper supervision, allows for intricate cuts that are far more precise than hand saws. Stephen himself cut out the shapes for some display cars we built, and honestly, sometimes his cuts are cleaner than mine! The key here is constant adult supervision and ensuring the scout understands safe operating procedures.
Alt text: Stephen expertly uses a scroll saw, a top-rated tool for shaping pinewood derby car bodies, to make precise and safe cuts under adult supervision.
Refining the Shape: Rasps and Files
Once the basic shape is cut, the real artistry of pinewood derby car shaping begins. This is where rasps and files become invaluable. For removing larger amounts of wood and starting to refine curves and angles, a rasp is excellent. Stephen uses rasps with plastic handles for better grip and control, and we always ensure he wears gloves for safety. It’s important to choose rasps with handles to minimize the risk of injury. Following the rasp, a variety of files are essential for smoothing out the rasp marks and further refining the shape. This combination of rasps and files allows for a very hands-on approach to shaping, giving the builder a real feel for the wood and enabling them to create smooth, aerodynamic contours.
Alt text: Employing a rasp, a fundamental tool for shaping pinewood derby cars, Stephen carefully refines the car’s form, ensuring smooth transitions and aerodynamic efficiency.
Precision Sanding with a Drill Press Drum Sander
For achieving smooth, consistent curves and surfaces, especially in areas that might be tricky to reach with hand sanding, we utilize a drum sander chucked into a drill press. The key to using a drill press for sanding is to set it to its slowest speed. This controlled, slow rotation of the drum sander allows for precise material removal and prevents overheating or burning the wood. It’s an effective way to create consistent curves and smooth out surfaces quickly and efficiently, giving the car a professional finish.
Creating Weight Pockets with a Drill Press Router
Weight placement is critical for pinewood derby car performance, and creating a weight pocket on the underside of the car is a common technique. We use a router bit in the drill press to create these pockets. To ensure consistent depth and prevent accidentally routing through the car, we set a depth stop on the drill press. We mark the area for removal on the underside of the car with a marker, and then carefully move the car, which is clamped to a piece of plywood for stability, under the rotating router bit. This method allows for clean, consistent weight pockets every time.
A Word of Caution on Power Tools (Radial Arm Saw & Dremel)
While we do have a radial arm saw, and Stephen is familiar with it under very strict supervision for specific cuts, I absolutely do not recommend it as a tool for shaping pinewood derby cars for most Cub Scouts. It’s a powerful tool that requires significant experience and caution. Similarly, while Dremel tools are popular, we’ve found them to be less ideal for shaping. Stephen, and frankly myself, have struggled with the control needed for fine shaping with a Dremel, and they can be frustratingly slow for larger material removal. For the designs we’ve worked on, the scroll saw, rasps, files, and drill press modifications have proven to be more effective and safer tools.
Conclusion
Choosing the best tool to shape your pinewood derby car depends on the builder’s age, skill level, and the desired level of detail. For safe and effective shaping with Cub Scouts, we’ve found that a combination of a scroll saw for initial cuts, rasps and files for refining the shape, and a drill press with drum sander and router bit for specific tasks offers the best balance of control, safety, and precision. Remember, practice on scrap wood is crucial for every step, and adult supervision is paramount, especially when using power tools. With the right tools and techniques, shaping your pinewood derby car can be a rewarding and fun part of the derby experience!
