| Pack 373's Pinewood Derby Pages |
| "A little, healthy competition is a necessary part of building strong character." |
 |
| Lubrication |
Only dry graphite may be used to lubricate wheels and axles for our races.
While graphite powder comes in different grades and coarseness, the better ones to use are fine to medium-fine grades. Most automotive stores carry the medium-fine grade designed for lock mechanisms. The finer grades can be purchased at hobby stores.
Hold the axle by the point and apply a liberal amount of graphite to the shelf created by the head of the axle. Slide the wheel onto the axle and apply more graphite around the axle to pack the axle shaft.
Hold the axle at a 45-degree angle and spin the wheel to "bed" the graphite. When spinning the wheel, allow the wheel to stop by itself before spinning again. A properly prepared axle and wheel should spin freely for at least 20-30 seconds before stopping. If the wheel wobbles or appears to bind when you spin it, apply more graphite and continue spinning until the wheel spins freely.
Tip: Once you have matched a wheel and axle by this method, do not break the pair by mixing and matching wheels and axles.
Many different types of lubrication could be used on your Pinewood Derby Racer. Most dry lubricants such as Teflon (PTFE) powder, baby powder, moly-lube, and others work well for the short term but must be reapplied after every pass down the track to remain effective. Teflon powder holds up better than the rest, but is not as durable as graphite powder in races that require a car to make many trips down the track without re-lubrication.
Wet lubricants such as mineral oil, 3-in-1 oil, vegetable oil, or other light oils should never be used. Liquid oils will eventually drip from the car and onto the track. This will cause an "oil slick" on the track surface that will actually slow a car down. Damaged lanes will have to be shut down until it can be cleaned properly. So, if you only have a two-lane track, the derby is over! Light oils will also deteriorate the plastic wheels, causing them to "melt down". Like any car, they do not roll well on "flat" tires.