Pinewood Derby - Building the Pinewood Punk - Part 3

It's day two of no school due to the freezing temperatures here in Garland. So we've played a lot of Guitar Hero and caught up with the shows on our DVR somewhat while we wait for the world to thaw. It's also been a good time to continue on my Pinewood Derby Car.

The last bit of carving I had left was to make some relief openings in the hood for engine parts to show through later. I started the carving by hand and finished up with a dremel tool.(fig. 1)

Figure 1 - Engine Opening

Next, I painted the car with a gray primer to help show any areas that need filling in with wood putty.After that, I began sanding the car with progressively finer grades of sandpaper starting with 100 grit, then 150, 220, 320, 400 and finally 600 grit paper to get the car as smooth as possible before the final coats of paint.(Fig. 2) Before painting, though, I covered each of the wheel holes with a small piece of tape so they would not become clogged with paint and make it hard to insert the axles later.(Fig. 3)

Figure 2 - Car after Sanding

Figure 3 - Protective Tape at Wheel Holes

Then I gave the car three light coats of metallic bronze spray paint, after which I painted the engine recesses, cockpit and spare wheel well flat black.(Fig. 4)

Figure 4 - Bronze Paint

I finished the day by making and painting some of the car accessories such as the wheel covers, pressure gauge dials, headlight, exhaust pipe and driver.(Fig. 5)

Figure 5 - Building the Accessories

Next time all of the car pieces come together. Until then, be safe and stay warm.