Frequently Asked Questions About the Pinewood Derby - Axles
Posted by DantesEdmond on
1. What material is the pine derby axle made of?
Generally speaking, the officially designated BSA axles are manufactured by metal stamping, which requires them to be made of mild steel. In addition, the axle needs to be galvanized to minimize corrosion. Since stamping will produce marks on the shaft body and head, these marks need to be removed before use.
2. Will axles without grooves be slower than axles with grooves?
Without the use of lubricants, the speed of the two axles is the same. Although the grooved axle has a smaller surface area, this advantage is offset by more pressure on the surface. If a lubricant (dry or liquid) is used, the result will change. In this case, grooved axles have an advantage because lubricants reduce friction caused by extra pressure. According to related tests, when using a grooved axle and lubricating oil, it will lead by about four inches compared to a pine car without grooves.
3. What are the advantages of graphite coated axles?
When we were producing axles, some graphite was injected into the groove. The graphite will be evenly distributed along the length of the axle, making the pine car faster and the axle life longer. So in order to increase the speed, you can choose our special axle with graphite added.
4.Will there be better performance by choosing an axle with a certain degree of curvature?
The bent axle will indeed perform better. But it is difficult for newcomers to determine the bending angle, so they always choose straight axles. For experienced pine wood riders, they will choose to have some curved axles (1 to 2 degrees), and then insert them into the slider. When inserting the axle, make sure that the elbow is upward.