ATTENTION ALL IRG2.0 ATTENDEES!! IRG SUMMER NATIONALS

[doug hodder]

I'm going to post this in a couple of places so everyone attending will see. While sitting around the campfire at the Dam Gathering a bunch of us cooked up the idea for an event at the IRG. We are going to have a Teardrop Derby!

Sort of like the Pinewood Derby. Rules are pretty limited, it must have 3 wheels, weigh 16oz or less, and the footprint of the trailer maximum size to be 4" x 8" includes any fenders and tongue. The trailer tongue must be in the front down the track (can't run backwards). The exact track width is going to be posted, but the track is not yet built. 24' of fast and furious action!!! Talladega has nothing on this!! It must be gravity powered, no motors, rubberbands, chemical engines etc...

Naturally like Nascar, a "happy hour" will occur and the track will be open for practice prior to the real race. The prizes are going to be mostly "bragging rights" but I'm sure a can/bottle of adult beverage can be arranged for the overall winner, best crash, wildest theme or paint job or whatever else our addled brains can come up with.

It's still 11 weeks away so it should be enough time to put something together. I'll find out what the exact width of the track will be. Use whatever you want for wheels. If time permits, I'll make up some basic trailer blanks that people can decorate how they want, but they will be limited so I'd plan on making one at home.

It's all in fun and a run whatcha' brung competition. Silly entrants are heartily encouraged, gambling is permitted as well as racing for pinks!

Hope to see you all at the track! Doug

[rainjer]

Count me in.

A couple questions.

Does it have to a traditional TD shape?

Are you building the track? If so you may want to add a channel in the middle for the front wheel to ride in to keep the trailers straight.

Are you sure about the 4" X 8" dimension? It will be kinda big by the time you add the tongue. I not sure if you will be able to meet the weight requirement.

You also may want to add a minimum groung clearance and a max hieght & length.

Jeremy

[doug hodder]

Lee is building the track, and we did discuss the center groove...don't know if it will be there or not. A tear could be built that would work without the center groove easily. There will be a divider between the 2 tracks and an outer rail All the rules that were given are the rules....build whatcha want, any shape, and till we get at least 1 prototype done, won't know if we need to bump the weight limit up or not. Didn't want anyone to have to go out and buy balsa or bass wood. Wanted to keep it on the cheap. I'll see what a 4x8 in a typical tear profile cut from a 4x4 weighs and we'll go from there,if it changes it will be posted. If we go smaller in size, it limits the ability to be stupid/silly in the design. Doug

[rainjer]

Cool, I just did the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby and thos car are 4oz. max. The block of pine is about 6-7oz before you start cutting it. It is only about 1.5" X 2.0" X 7".

By my calculations a block of pine 4"X 4" X 8" is about 3 lbs. Hemlock is 4.2lbs & Cedar is 3.1lbs.

Board foot calculator.
http://www.sawdustandshavings.com/wood_information/board_foot_calculator.asp

Weight Calculator.
http://www.timberbuyer.net/weight.htm

[Nitetimes]

By my calculations a block of pine 4"X 4" X 8" is about 3 lbs. Hemlock is 4.2lbs & Cedar is 3.1lbs.

No problem....just hollow it out from underneath. He didn't say it had to be solid!!!

[raprap]

Cool, I just did the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby and thos car are 4oz. max. The block of pine is about 6-7oz before you start cutting it. It is only about 1.5" X 2.0" X 7".

By my calculations a block of pine 4"X 4" X 8" is about 3 lbs. Hemlock is 4.2lbs & Cedar is 3.1lbs.

Board foot calculator.
http://www.sawdustandshavings.com/wood_information/board_foot_calculator.asp

Weight Calculator.
http://www.timberbuyer.net/weight.htm

In the Appalachian hills there a Black gum wood locally known as ironwood. Sparks jump from a chainsaw when it finds ironwood---not happy sparks as it means putting a new edge on the saw. Heavy as beezesus, heavier than black oak and meaner to split than the wrong way on a hickory log. Not really good for anything except bung mallets. I know the Lignum Vitae is the heaviest wood known, but it’s really not really native to North America.

Anyway, I’m not sure if it would really, make any difference in a teardrop derby, as Galileo proved that the gravitational acceleration is independent of mass---I think he proved it by dropping two different weights of bowling balls off that leaning tower.

Now as an interesting aside, to maximize the velocity, you could use something other than a simple ramp---you could use a Brachistrone .

Rap

[The Teardrop Nanny]

See Dougie, if you build it, they will come! I bet will get some real competitors that day.
TDN

[Lazybones]

The track won't have a center groove and the lanes will be larger than 4" so make sure they track well.

It has to look like a teardrop not a block of wood with wheels.

The total maximum length including the tongue is 8" the total maximum width is 4" over all. Any thing sticking out further will be cut off.

The weight is 16 ounces or less.

See you at the races.
Lee

[Nitetimes]

Any thing sticking out further will be cut off.

See you at the races.
Lee

YIKES!!!!

[satch]

Hell this might be easier to build than my 5x9. Doug will take all summer to build his, seeing all the details and epoxy involved

[doug hodder]

I don't think so Satch...still finishing up the full size trailer. But I might make it look like my trailer...Doug

[mobile camper]

I won't be able to make it the IRG but think outside the block.
what about using balsa wood and add weight if needed.
steve g

[DougH]

Reading thru the posts I see some conflicting dimensions. Is the total length including the tongue 8" (which makes the trailer about 4" x 6" plus 2" tongue) or must the body of the trailer be 4" x 8" plus how much for tongue length?

[DougH]

FYI if you saw my models at the Dam gathering they are all 4" x 8' to give you an idea of size

[doug hodder]

Good question Doug....Since we didn't have an official scribe/minutes person and in all honestly that was brought up at one point, I'll defer to Lee's answer since he's building the track. It has to fit into a 4"x8" area, including the tongue. Sorry for the confusion, it was a real goofy brainstorming session, and believe it or not, alcohol didn't play a major part in the discussion! It doesn't have to be proportionally correct. Your models kind of planted the seed for me. PS.. I amended my first post so hopefully it is more clear.

The deal is, we would like everyone to kind of stick with the rules, but anyone that builds one will be able to participate. It's all in fun, and standing around, racing tears, crashing, joking/ razzing each other is the big goal. Like Barry Bonds, if your racer is overweight, or jacked up on steroids, an asterisk will appear next to your name on the ladder board. Doug