Adult Pinewood Derby: Egyptian War Chariot (A Treasury of Photos)

[TheMistressT]

Yesterday was the 5th Annual Portland Adult Pinewood Derby. I've been attending since year 3 and these are my entries for 2009 (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=315638.0) and 2008 (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=260397.0).  This event is more than just a race; it's costumes, dioramas, extended parameters for car weight/size/style, smack talk and... well, there's plenty of beer.



This is my 2010 entry

Side-view:

We are required to use the official Boy Scout car, axles and wheels, but we can alter them any way we want. I used a scroll saw and Dremel tool to cut away a lot of the pine.

Other side-view:

I used polymer clay to build most of the sides of the chariot.

Rear-view:

The whole thing is painted with various acrylic metallic paints and artist acrylics.

Detail:

After a few failed attempts, I made the wheels from decoupaged foam core, wooden kabob skewers, and polymer clay - all painted.

De tail (with handmade brass balls - I mentioned the smack talk, right?)

A plastic, dollar store horse, painted up.  Horse scrotum?  Mor painted polymer clay.

How I kept Cleopatra removable and stable enough to stay in her chariot while on the track.

More skewers.

The diorama.

Front:



Details of the entry arch:


Close-up of the texture of the pyramid:


Top/side view:


A peek into to glowing golden interior of the pyramid where the chariot is housed when not racing:

There's a battery-powered, LED puck light attached to the top of the inside of the pyramid that makes the gold glow.

How Cleopatra stands outside the pyramid:


I made costumes for my partners and I, but plan to keep working on them (at least mine) for Halloween and will post them then.  My team won Silver Medals for Coolest Car and Grand Champion, we tied with The ManFlesh's car (also an Ancient Egypt theme) for Slowest Car and I got Ladies' Choice.  Woo!

[beefranck]

Damn, woman. Once again I must state that I firmly believe there is nothing you can't do.

[Knotmad]

This is terrific! My dad was a boyscout, and so was my twin brother, so they let me build derby cars when we were little..... My third year I raced and got third place, but they knocked me out of the final round because I'm a girl.....I'm not bitter, just emotionally scarred . It salves the wounds to know there is pinewood derby box car racing after the BSA -- and so much more bad ass. Thank you!

[TheMistressT]

Damn, woman. Once again I must state that I firmly believe there is nothing you can't do.

Spoken by a woman who hasn't had to eat my cookin'.  But THANKS! 

This is terrific! My dad was a boyscout, and so was my twin brother, so they let me build derby cars when we were little..... My third year I raced and got third place, but they knocked me out of the final round because I'm a girl.....I'm not bitter, just emotionally scarred . It salves the wounds to know there is pinewood derby box car racing after the BSA -- and so much more bad ass. Thank you!

Thanks!  I have some issues with the policies of the Boy Scouts of America, but I don't let those get in the way of my full enjoyment of this event.  You nailed it when you said it's more bad ass.  Every year people bring cars from Derbies past and this year 2 guys brought their cub scout cars.  After the official races they races and my man (The ManFlesh) won!  It was the first time that car won.  Ahem.

[craftewoman]

I always enjoy reading your posts, and I loved the pics on FB, but these are so much better! I'm so glad you were able to finish, and that you DIDN'T have a meltdown! Rocking this BTW!

[TheMistressT]

I always enjoy reading your posts, and I loved the pics on FB, but these are so much better! I'm so glad you were able to finish, and that you DIDN'T have a meltdown! Rocking this BTW!

Aw, shucks.  Thanks!  I know that you know some of what it takes to make one of these.  It did seem that craftster was a better place to put SO MANY photos of the project, you know?  I was putting the horse on, moving the big wheels and figuring out how to attach Cleo the morning of the race (that started at 1p)!  Yikes!

[Tygermane]

I love your entry!  I love anything egyptian themed!  So which portland is it?

[TheMistressT]

I love your entry!  I love anything egyptian themed!  So which portland is it?

Thank you!  It's the Left Coast Portland... Oregon, USA.

[aniraangel]

This looks wonderful! And so fun... I kind of want to make myself a car/chariot/whatever but I'm in Australia... and would have to bribe my non crafty friends into being crafty with me to make it more fun. XD

[TheMistressT]

This looks wonderful! And so fun... I kind of want to make myself a car/chariot/whatever but I'm in Australia... and would have to bribe my non crafty friends into being crafty with me to make it more fun. XD

Thanks!  It IS fun.  One of the neat things about this is that some non-crafty types get very involved.  Usually menfolk... because it's cars and competition.