If you just want to polish the tires, get yourself a wheel mandrel and spin the tire in a drill press or locked down hand drill on lowest speed. Then apply a 600 grit or higher, wet/dry sandpaper to the wheel surface. This should polish the wheel very nicely.
I would put the axle in the chuck of a drill. A corded drill would be better because it will probably spin faster than a cordless drill. If you have only a cordless drill make sure it is on the high speed setting. Most will have a low torque setting and a high speed setting, low torque is usually marked 1 and high speed as 2. Hold a piece of fine sandpaper up to it as it is spinning. Make sure to put the pointy end in the drill.
Also if your keen to try something extra, cut small circles out of business cards or some other cardstock paper. When you have put the wheel on the axle put some graphite in around the axle from the backside of the wheel. Then take those small paper circles and pierce them over the axles and glue them to the backside of the wheels (crazy glue should do nicely). The graphite will act as a dry lubricant to reduce friction between the wheel and axle.
Note: When using the above process, please take a moment to check your rules. Gluing a cardstock circle to the back of your wheels can be considered a bushing. Bushings are usually not allowed by most Pinewood Derby rules. Also when polishing your axles with fine sandpaper, be sure and wet the sandpaper first to avoid heat build-up against the paper, especially if this process is being done by a child.
Pinewood Derby - South Park - was created on 2009-04-15.
Yes! The pinewood derby does happen all over the world where there are Boy Scouts.
The height of a typical Pinewood Derby Track is about 4 feet, from the floor to the top of the track.
They do.
The cast of Physics and the Pinewood Derby - 2008 includes: John Acton as John Acton
Pinewood derby axles are one inch long, 0.087 inch diameter zinc plated steel nails.
gravity
Absolutely.
If you are referring to the stop section on a Pinewood Derby track, the average length is about 4 feet; however, if you are good at making fast Pinewood Derby cars, it will take nearly double this length to safely stop your car. Because of this most Pinewood Derby races place a pillow or a jacket at the end of the stop section to abruptly stop those cars that over shoot the stop sections.
5 ounces.
Fast drying acrylics are best.
South Park - 1997 Pinewood Derby - 13.6 was released on: USA: 15 April 2009 Hungary: 8 January 2010