Creative Director for Fox Chapel Publishing, and a Pinewood Derby-winning dad, Troy Thorne is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, and spent over 10 years in the advertising field. He is an active scouting volunteer, builds furniture and canoes, and works with his son who was a national finalist in the All-Star Derby Design Contest.
Before we discovered Derby Talk, the 2006 release of David Meade's
Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets was a boon to our family's racing
experience. It made a lot of reputable information visible on the
bookshelves of Scout shops at a time when speed-tips seemed to be
closely guarded or otherwise sold via (sometimes dubious)
mail-order pamphlets, etc. Since then, I've often recommended
Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets as a starting point for those new to
PWD. However, there was some advice that seemed questionable or
outdated, and thus we recommended it with certain caveats. In
December 2012, the same publisher released a revised title called
Building the Fastest Pinewood Derby Car (BFPWDC). Authored by
Meade's illustrator Troy Thorne, this new book admirably supersedes
Meade's landmark work. [This new book is not to be confused with
Thorne's other offering from 2011 -- Getting Started in Pinewood
Derby -- an earlier work which is less focused on competition. Even
though both books carry the same artistic elements and duplicate
some information, BFPWDC represents a significant revision to both
Getting Started in Pinewood Derby and Meade's Pinewood Derby Speed
Secrets.] We now recommend Thorne's Building the Fastest Pinewood
Derby Car as a more up-to-date starting point. For example,
treatments like sprue-removal and hub-coning are absent, as these
no longer apply to BSA wheels made after 2008. Also gone are some
overemphasized tips like "quick-start" devices (aka cheater bars)
and block-baking. More importantly, BFPWDC embraces and instructs
on recent advances such as rail-riding, currently available tools,
and new weights and accessories. It includes not just speed tips,
but design templates and plentiful advice on detailed finishing.
BFPWDC is not presently offered via BSA yet arguably less-useful
titles are; for this reason it seems worthwhile to call attention
to BFPWDC here. The value of a well-rounded reference is
appreciated once one tries to scrounge up information through many
varied sources. The author graciously acknowledges Derby Talk as a
source for some information (and in the interest of full
disclosure, Troy asked some people on DT, including me, to offer
some early technical feedback). But there are still some
circumstances where BFPWDC does not go quite as far as prevalent
opinion on DT; this seems reasonable to limit the scope of the
book, which is already pretty long at 136 pages. So (as was done
with Meade's book), this thread is dedicated to pointing out some
of the differences for the benefit of those less familiar with DT
content. (It is not intended to disparage BFPWDC, but to simply
complement this excellent resource with other content that might be
gleaned from DT.) Of course the reader is always free to decide
which information he feels is best: Weight Placement (p. 18) -
Guidance on how to accurately determine the center of balance is
absent. For a fixed wheelbase, the load under the front wheel can
be "weighed" to calculate the center of mass (CoM) relative to the
rear axle. The relevant equation is simple. Taper the Axle Head (p.
92) - There are differing opinions as to the need to taper the
underside of the axle head with BSA's stepped outer hub. Polishing
the Axles (p. 94) - Some find it beneficial to go much further with
polishing, down to sub-micron-levels using lapping papers or
liquids. Making Grooved Axles (p. 96) - It has been conjectured
that excess graphite captured in axle grooves might actually impede
rolling, rather than help it. Polishing the Wheel Bore (p. 104) -
BFPWDC recommends polishing the wheel bore using a pipe cleaner and
plastic polish, but most people on DT who have tried Sporty's
bore-prep method prefer that approach. Building Your Own Test
Track! (pp. 112-115) Although a fun-looking project, the top speed
of a car on a 2'-tall test track will be 70% slower than the speed
reached on a conventional 4'-tall track. For testing, the plans
could be improved by replacing the first section with a 12' length
(to raise the starting height), and then adding a timer. Bending
Axles (p. 116) - Some prefer to install unbent axles into canted
holes drilled with the aid of a drill press. Rear Wheel Alignment
(p. 118) - An alternative alignment method allows the front of the
car to skid down an incline on a piece of tape or thumbtack with
the front wheels removed. The car should roll fairly straight if
the rear-wheels are correctly aligned. Front Wheel Alignment (p.
122) - In BFPWDC, the camber of the rolling front wheel is not
mentioned. Most DTers prefer positive camber on the dominant front
wheel (DFW), and negative camber on the rears. I've included a few
links as jump-off points to show where DT expands on BFPWDC
content, but these links don't come close to covering the wealth of
discussions and opinions expressed on DT. As usual, both newcomer
and seasoned pro will greatly benefit from Derby Talk's search
feature.
Author Troy Thorne has followed up his Getting Started in Pinewood
Derby publication with a new book, Building the Fastest Pinewood
Derby Car. Starting with basic design, including cutting,
attachment, lubrication and balance, the new book also includes a
section offering championship secrets, offering options on how to
shave seconds off a race time Building the Fastest Pinewood Derby
Car (Fox Chapel Publishing, ISBN 978-1-56523-764.99.2-9) is priced
at $14.99.
Good Read Fast Track to Success Get the authoritative lowdown for
Pinewood Derby success from Troy Thorne's Building the Fastest
Pinewood Derby Car (Fox Chapel Publishing). Filled with helpful
graphics and super photos, the book transports you from beginning
car construction to prize-winning modiciations, including infor on
shaping, weighting, and axle prep. $14.95 at national
bookstores.
You can read my review of the other four Pinewood Derby books from
Fox Chapel Publishing. What you're going to find are some of the
coolest books EVER on cutting, drilling, painting, balancing, and
racing a pinewood derby racer. So why another book? Glad you asked.
While this new book certainly has some overlap with the other three
books (mainly with advice on cutting and drilling), it's the new
designs and techniques that make it a nice addition to the
collection. The book uses the same cartoon character, Dash Derby,
and he's got two new friends, Max Design and Professor Speed. These
characters provide some fun and colorful antics to the discussions
that include wheel balancing, building a test track, and using
tungsten weights. There are a number of new car designs (my
favorite has to be Quick Comet) - templates are provided for all of
them so you can duplicate the shape and style of your favorite.
Like the other Fox Chapel pinewood derby books, this one is in full
color, offering super-detailed photos of the various aspects of
creating a racer. I'm very impressed with the simple yet
easy-to-follow instructions for using a variety of tools (some hand
tools and a few machine tools). The book also demonstrates two
commercially available products called Derby Worx Pro Body Tool and
the Derby Worx Pro-Wheel Shaver XT - I wasn't aware of these tools
but based on the photos, they appear to be providing some serious
benefits with their machined bodies that are used as jigs. Pinewood
Derby is going high-tech! The back cover talks about additional
benefits of the book that include expert priming and painting
instructions to give your car an automotive-quality finish and
up-to-date materials and techniques for weighting and alignment.
Building the Fastest Pinewood Derby Car is written by Troy Thorne
and is 135 pages of full-color instructions.
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