I’m using a blue metal flake enamel paint in my testors/aztek external mix model air brush. I thinned the paint and played with psi settings from 10 psi up to 40 psi. At 40psi, I get better coverage but the paint still “spits” out. Nozzle isn’t clogged. Do I have the paint too thin/not thin enough or is something else wrong? Painting my daughters with just regular thinned enamel paint came out better, but some of the surfaces isn’t really glossy and has a kind of powdery finish. I plan on wet sanding both and shooting another coat of paint tonight.


The block of pinewood comes with slots precut for the axles. However the design req’d a different axle spacing, so I flipped it over and redrilled new holes using a jig. Is it ok like this or should I recut the slot? I’m afraid of the nail axle busting out the pinewood.

First time making one. Thanx for any help.

back when I was a Scout, you were supposed to build your own.

I was probably the only guy who did, though.

the winners had lots of tickles they used, like buying extra kits to get one good set of wheels that didn't wobble. they perhaps could have used Bondo to fill the holes, then spin the wheels to find the center again, and redrill. slots need to be down, but nobody ever said you couldn't use a little epoxy to hold the nail-axles in, at least I never read it.

the splatter is probably clumps of metalflake. having actually attended a spraying class for auto body guys, you have to keep mixing and mixing and mixing and mixing the material. in the high-solvent days, and Testors is probably still there, the mix was usually something in the 8 to 10 parts solvent to one part paint. you have to apply that over a compatible primer, sanded smoother than a salesman's spiel.

warning, danger, fattening, etc... the solvents are brain and liver killers. you must do this in a moving-air facility with minimun respirator, and in the case of any catalyzed paints, supplied-air respirator. this stuff is also explosive.

on your scale, you need a fan blowing "through" you past the work in free air, like the backyard on a calm day. not kitchen table stuff. you could fake it with a fan stuck under the garage door on high, blowing out, the back garage window open, and a furnace filter or two stuck in there if you have a dusty area. no on-off electric stuff, please.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: swschrad,

My kids helped, they picked the design, colors, did some thing filing and sanding, but because of the time crunch (this sat is the race) and limited budget, we couldn't afford any snafu's. And because my kids are 7 and scared the living **** outta me practicing on the bandsaw, I did the cutting, final filing and final sanding. We're painting together, letting them do the initial coat while I touch up any missed spots.

Don't worry bout ventilation. I put together a paint booth with filters and exhaust fan that sends the fumes outside. If paint fumes was going to mess my brain up or something, it would have happened a long time ago when I used to do models all the time.

So DO the cars HAVE to have the slots for axles? I simply drilled the new holes and left it at that. Unfortunatly, I don't think I have anyway to contact the person in charge.

The cars do NOT have to have slots for the axles, but the slots are the easiest way to guarantee that the axles are straight. If you have the ability to drillpress a perfectly straight pilot hole for the axle 'nails' then you can do it that way just fine. You just don't have much room to play around with as the axles must be very close to the bottom of the car to avoid bottoming out on the track guide.

I remember that at least one of our versions used different wheelbases for style so the slots were filled in and not used.

Basing my answers not on my usual of being a GC building guy type but on the experience of having three sons who have been in pinewood derbys as well as being scoutmaster for several years.

I always did any bandsaw or other power tool precision work but had my sons do everything else. I usually controlled any "dad must build this" cravings by making a 'dad' car while they worked on theirs. To this day the most enjoyable races were the two times at regionals where the event was won by a tiger cub - the youngest of all scouts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jaybee,

I bought a jig for drilling holes and used my drill press. I promised my kids that this summer I'll get a cpl more kits to do themselves for next year. My garage needed more light, so installed some lights, then a better work bench, then I F'd up the band saw blade! Then paint booth. So all this cut into my time frame and with each item, I had to wait for funds. So we started bout a week ago and kids were gone this past weekend. So because of this, I helped them make theirs. Was hoping to do one myself, but didn't happen. Trust me, I feel bad.

So let's see here:

Pinewood derby car kit $25
Tuning kit 10
Graphite 4
Shop lighting 100
Workbench 300
Band saw blade 25
Paint booth 89
Total $553

That's why I wound up having three sons.....I had to spread out the cost per car to a more reasonable number.

Lighting - $100~
Work bench - $100~
Paint booth - $50~
Car kits - $5 each
Polish kit - $10
Axel straightener - $8 after coupon
Drilling jig - $13
Graphite - $10
Paint, weights, sandpaper, misc - $30~
Patience left - 0.....

We're painting the first color second coat today, tomorrow first coat of second paint after masking, Friday second coat second paint and hope to speed dry it to get a single coat of clear coat by that night, saturday wheels on, quick wax job and registration by 2pm........AAAAHHHHHH!

Need a vaca after this cause I've been constantly busy for weeks now.

Alluded to this above but one year a Tiger Cub (not my kid) had a car that shaped like an arc - bottom was flat and the two ends had been sanded to almost a point. The car looked the same from front? or back?

It was painted blue (not very well) and had stickers all over it. Pretty obvious that it has been all or mostly made by a 6 year old. The thing is, he must have just got lucky with his wheel alignment and on how freely his wheels spun. The funny little car was way faster than most and won both our meet and the regionals (or maybe district, can't remember).

Good times