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Not a Mego Figure – But I just wanted to share
Michael’s Pinewood Derby Car & Race: Red 5!
Just wanted to share father/son bonding and customizing experience - might be a longer read then normal
My son Michael just joined the Tiger Scouts a few months back.
So I believe Annually they have to build 7 race a pinewood derby car.
(I was a boy scout when I was younger but I never did this – not sure if it was not around back then or if my troop just did not do it – but this whole pinewood derby car was new to me)
So not knowing what it is/was at the time, and being very paranoid that the car would be disqualified if it did not fit the standards in the 3 full pages of rules they gave me –I did what most of us would have done – I turned to the internet for info/videos on these derby cars.
After watching them and talking to a few people – it was clear that some Dads all over the world are just about winning and take over the kids project and the kid has little to no fun or experience building his own car. I REFUSED to be that Dad and wanted my son to do as much as he could on his own and I only wanted to help where needed and give advice when needed.
So first I asked him what he wanted to make – he told me he wanted it to be Star Wars (yes he is a chip off the old block lol) But he also wanted it to be a car. We came up with a few ideas and thought it would be cool to make the car red and use the #5 which would make it Luke (Red 5 Standing by…) but it would also still be a car.
So I printed out about 20 designs on line and let him pick the one he wanted.
Before we cut it out with the tools (a coping saw and a dremel and a sander) I gave him the father son talk on how tools are not toys – and he needs to respect them and be careful with them as not to get hurt. I also introduced him to PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
He dove right in – the cuts came out pretty ruff – and not really to the design he picked –
But we were lucky to save the car with the sander. He painted the car – I just touched up a few spots he messed up on. We sanded the wheels just a little bit – and the axels. We threw some lego parts on it to give it a little more star wars look – and we added R2’s head to the back.
So here is where the story gets a little funny:
When you first hand in your car – they divide them but ages (tiger scout, cub scout, boy scout etc..) So they take his car and just place it to the car that came before him (which turns out to be a Vader car!) You got a sense that this was a sign of things to come – you really can’t make this stuff up!
My son wins his first 2 races – and the Vader Car won its first 2 races
Then on the 3rd race – it was just the 2 of them for 1st place! Sadly like in Empire Strikes back young Michael’s Skywalker car lost to the more The older more experienced Vader car. (The kid with the Vader car did this last years, also his 2 older brothers both won it all when they were younger and in tiger scouts – so they clearly know what they were doing) I joked with Michael and said next year we should make Luke Jedi Car
Was real proud of my son – for all the hard work he put into the car – also he did not gloat when he won, and he did not cry when he lost – was a proud papa moment
So if you made it this far – you finally get to see the pictures – lol!
Thanks for looking!
Enjoy!
https://[URL=http://i1262.photobucke...[/URL]
Michael’s Pinewood Derby Car & Race: Red 5!
Just wanted to share father/son bonding and customizing experience - might be a longer read then normal
My son Michael just joined the Tiger Scouts a few months back.
So I believe Annually they have to build 7 race a pinewood derby car.
(I was a boy scout when I was younger but I never did this – not sure if it was not around back then or if my troop just did not do it – but this whole pinewood derby car was new to me)
So not knowing what it is/was at the time, and being very paranoid that the car would be disqualified if it did not fit the standards in the 3 full pages of rules they gave me –I did what most of us would have done – I turned to the internet for info/videos on these derby cars.
After watching them and talking to a few people – it was clear that some Dads all over the world are just about winning and take over the kids project and the kid has little to no fun or experience building his own car. I REFUSED to be that Dad and wanted my son to do as much as he could on his own and I only wanted to help where needed and give advice when needed.
So first I asked him what he wanted to make – he told me he wanted it to be Star Wars (yes he is a chip off the old block lol) But he also wanted it to be a car. We came up with a few ideas and thought it would be cool to make the car red and use the #5 which would make it Luke (Red 5 Standing by…) but it would also still be a car.
So I printed out about 20 designs on line and let him pick the one he wanted.
Before we cut it out with the tools (a coping saw and a dremel and a sander) I gave him the father son talk on how tools are not toys – and he needs to respect them and be careful with them as not to get hurt. I also introduced him to PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
He dove right in – the cuts came out pretty ruff – and not really to the design he picked –
But we were lucky to save the car with the sander. He painted the car – I just touched up a few spots he messed up on. We sanded the wheels just a little bit – and the axels. We threw some lego parts on it to give it a little more star wars look – and we added R2’s head to the back.
So here is where the story gets a little funny:
When you first hand in your car – they divide them but ages (tiger scout, cub scout, boy scout etc..) So they take his car and just place it to the car that came before him (which turns out to be a Vader car!) You got a sense that this was a sign of things to come – you really can’t make this stuff up!
My son wins his first 2 races – and the Vader Car won its first 2 races
Then on the 3rd race – it was just the 2 of them for 1st place! Sadly like in Empire Strikes back young Michael’s Skywalker car lost to the more The older more experienced Vader car. (The kid with the Vader car did this last years, also his 2 older brothers both won it all when they were younger and in tiger scouts – so they clearly know what they were doing) I joked with Michael and said next year we should make Luke Jedi Car
Was real proud of my son – for all the hard work he put into the car – also he did not gloat when he won, and he did not cry when he lost – was a proud papa moment
So if you made it this far – you finally get to see the pictures – lol!
Thanks for looking!
Enjoy!
https://[URL=http://i1262.photobucke...[/URL]
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