I had to make an important choice this week, one that I don’t regret: Attend the Lisbon conference or stay at home and attend to my business and do something very important with my son. See below.
We think it looks just as good as the original. Tonight we had the Pinewood Derby weigh in, and thanks to furiously tweaking the weight with lead shot and sinkers and a digital postal scale, we came in at exactly 5.0 ounces (142 grams), the legal limit. Let me tell you, trying to get four nails aligned perfectly in a block of wood so that the car rolls straight isn’t as easy as it might look.
That, and the only sitting Pikachu figures I could find come from Japan as key chains. Thank goodness for Ebay. I’ve never quite understood his fascination with Pokémon, but I gotta tell you, the look on my son’s face when I produced this little monster for the drivers seat today was priceless.
Tomorrow is the big race, wish us luck.
It seems like the folks at Lisbon were having fun too, Steve Goddard provides this video. Congratulations to Judith Curry.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
It’s heartwarming to see Japanese people and items here today. Thanks.
Awesome car, Anthony! If the science thing doesn’t work out, you can always go to Detroit and restore American leadership in the automotive industry. Good luck in the races!
Great video from Steve Goddard. Nifty Toyota photo.
We’re in the same time zone. Don’t you sleep?
No, not much these days. But now that you mention it….
Pinewood Derby far outranks Lisbon. Great car. I miss those days.
Anthony here are some tips. If you can get the use of a lath use fine emory cloth to polish the axles and wheels. Also rounding the wheels. Graphite powder is used for lubrication on the axels and between the wheels and body. Also rub the outside of the wheels with graphite and the edge of the wheels where they will rub against the guide strip. If no time to use a lathe at least use the graphite. The competion is fierce.
My boys won a few competitions..
Lovely :))
Would putting easy oil on the axles be cheating 😀
That pinewood derby car is obviously a winner! Bravo!
And it reminded me of when my dad helped me win with mine (I went all the way to state and then lost) when I was a kid – just as your son will fondly remember your help when he’s old and gray, too!
Still not as much fun as the Kerwood Derby… but nice looking car!
I left off the final comment: to heck with Lisbon! Which do you think you – or your son – will remember in 50 years? Lisbon – or your efforts together? I got a $50 that says the latter…
Sweet! Little graphite on the nails/axles?
Best of luck = may the laws of gravity not be absconded with by some AGW/climate scientist hoax people.
Pokemon, you have to catch them all 🙂
Go Son’owatt!
Anthony,
Hope you can post some video of the race tomorrow. Good luck to your son.
PS. Does gravity count as green energy?
Anthony, to hell with the Lisbon Conference, you made the right decision!
40 years later, I still remember the work my father and I did, to get my first Pinewood Racer ready; it actually won a couple of races, and I was overjoyed, and Pop was proud! (My father knew about using graphite for the axles!)
Hope you and your son enjoy the race!
Anthony and son,
Great mobile there.
All the best for the racing tomorrow.
Bravery, Enterprise, Purpose, Resolution, Endurance, Partnership, Assurance, Reformation, Enthusiasm and Devotion.
We’ll barrack for you both ……………………. from Australia.
Good to see Lisbon people also, thank you.
Jessie
by Anthony Watts
“Let me tell you, trying to get four nails aligned perfectly in a block of wood so that the car rolls straight isn’t as easy as it might look.”
There speaks a man of experience!
But remember with the changing kilo the limit is now only: 141.9929 gram
I knew that was too big … that should read:
But remember with the changing kilo the limit is now only: 141.9999929 gram
Your posts always have usually been interesting, sometimes important, sometimes funny and occasionaly inspiring. This one was all of those things. Sod this… I’m off downstairs to play with my kids.
Thanks for the reminder of ‘watts’ important.
Big ditto to Hyperthermania’s comment:
“Thanks for the reminder of ‘watts’ important.” :0)
I admire Dr Judith Curry so much. I hope I can be as effective in my career as she has been.
Of course you made the right choice. I’m guessing that you will learn more from the inputs on how to make what we in Australia call a billy-cart go faster than you would ever have in Lisbon. BTW, has the ‘Chatham House Rule’ meant that nothing of interest can be reported from this talkfest? Or, is there nothing to report?
Stay home, look after your business and family, and then WUWT. I say this with the moral authority of someone who was absolutely delighted with your visit to Australia last year. 🙂
Probably you know this, but graphite (eg WD40) is a great short term fix, but does not substitute for proper lubrication in the long term. I learned this dealing with ancient hinges in my house, since modelling on window hinges is thin on the ground.
@Tripod says:
January 29, 2011 at 2:02 am
“Anthony,
Hope you can post some video of the race tomorrow. Good luck to your son.
PS. Does gravity count as green energy?”
Awww, ya’ beat me to it, Tripod. Of course gravity is the ultimate green energy. All we have to do is have the government mandate that all roads will slope downhill and we can get rid of motors altogether. Escher had it figured out, so it’s only a matter of scaling up from there. Why hasn’t the government been funding this important research?
Trip to Lisbon…. some large number of dollars. Pinewood Derby memories … priceless! And they last forever. In his first year I gave my son a can of car wax to polish the sides where the wheels would run. Not sure if it made the difference but he did win his pack’s races. But then, dumping about a teaspoon of graphite on the axles between races might have helped. Me: “You don’t need that much!” Him: “Yes I do I want it to go fast!”.
In Boy Scouts the troop “campout” in December was an all night party at the school. Featured event – Pinewood Derby cars with few rules – no power source, no model rocket engines and no adult help. A heavy car with bearings on the wheels gets up a real head of steam.
George V.
Excellent job with the car. My youngest daughter is a BIG Pokemon fan…
Great car William! And fantastic that you’re helping Anthony. Thumbs up on the priorities.
further to nc’s comment re: emery cloth and a lathe to polish the axles – I found that a drill worked well. We merely inserted the axles into the chuck of the drill (like a drill bit) and then polished with emery cloth as we ran the drill. Such fun !