Rotary power carver (window in hard top).Forstner bit: 5/8″-dia. (wooden wheels).#9 skip-tooth blades or blades of choice.Acrylic paints of choice for the details.Wood scraps: 1/8″-thick (engine covers).Pine: 3/8″ x 11/4″ x 6″ (wheels, or use wheels from kit).Knot-free piece of a pine 2×4: 11/2″ x 13/4″ x 7″ (or Pinewood Derby kit blank with additional 1/4″ x 13/4″ x 7″ piece of pine).Drill 1/16″-diameter holes in the front edges of the hood and glue the headlights in place. Cut the 1/16″-diameter dowel to 3/16″-long. Round one end of the 3/8-diameter dowel with a sander to create the back of the headlight. Repeat the process to make a second headlight.įinish the headlights. Cut the 3/8″-diameter dowel to 3/8″ long.
Insert a 1/16″-diameter by 4″-long dowel into the hole. Drill a 1/16″-diameter by 3/16″-deep hole into the side of a 3/8″-diameter dowel rod, 3/16″ from the end of the dowel. You can add rear tail lights by drilling 3/16″-diameter holes in the rear edge of the body.Ĭreate the headlights. Pencil the lines in and then use a woodburner to trace the lines. Add the panel lines to show the hood edges and doors if desired. If adding the optional hardtop, trim the windshield to fit under the front of the hard top. For a removable top, do not glue the dowels in place.ĭry assemble the car. Drill matching 1/16″-diameter holes in the top and body, and use 1/16″-diameter dowels to join the pieces. You can carve in a rear window with a drum sander and a rotary power carver. Cut the top and then round the corners with sandpaper. Fold pattern E on the dotted line and attach it to the stock. If you are adding the hardtop, trim the height of the windshield after you fit the top.Ĭreate the optional hardtop. Cut the windshield so it extends 3/8″ to 1/2″ above the top of the car. Place the plastic into the groove and mark the width. Extend the windshield groove created in step 2 though the side panels of the car. Use plastic sheeting from discarded packaging material.
Do not glue the intakes or headers in place until the engine is installed after the car is painted.īuild the windshield. Glue the dowel into the front engine cover and glue both covers in place. If the headers are loose, smash the ends of the solder to make them fit tightly into the holes. Bend plumber’s solder to create the headers. Drill the holes for the engine intakes and the headers. Sand the car and round the top edges of the car and front edges of the grill. Glue the front frame below the engine compartment, aligning the back with the notch on the main body. Drill 1/16″-diameter holes in the front frame and glue a 1/16″-diameter dowel through the holes. Cut the grill and attach it to the front of the car with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. You only need to do this step if you cut the area for the exposed engine.Īdd the front frame and grill. The sides should form end caps on the notch. Do not cut the body sides at the notched area on the bottom of the fire wall. Trim the excess wood on the body sides even with the fire wall in the hood opening area. Cut along the solid pattern lines.Ĭlean up the fire walls. Attach pattern D to the top of the car, aligning the pattern with the front edge of the blank. Cover the top of the car with painter’s tape. Clamp the sides in place and allow the glue to dry thoroughly. Carefully align both body sides with the main body and glue them in place with wood glue. Glue the body sides to the main body of the car. If you cut the optional interior, round the corners of the bench seat with sandpaper and sand the other interior surfaces, including the floor and dashboard. Remove the patterns and sand any rough edges on all four pieces. Cut the windshield groove on the main body. Cut the interior and hood opening if desired. Cut the main body, the body sides, and the front frame. Drill axle holes in the main body and front frame with a #44 drill bit mounted in a drill press. Fold the patterns along the dotted lines and attach patterns A, B, and C to the appropriate stock. If you purchase a Pinewood Derby kit, you will need to glue a 1/4″ by 13/4″ by 7″ piece of wood to the top of the blank.Ĭut the primary pieces. Just like a real hot rod, you have the choice of many options, including an exposed engine, a complete interior, and a removable hardtop.Ĭustomize your ride to take home best of show, or simplify the project and help your child or grandchild complete the car as their first scroll saw project. This project can be built as a racing Pinewood Derby® car, meeting all of the official rules, or you can build it as a toy and use the wooden wheel pattern. Customize your Pinewood Derby car with a variety of options