Build the coolest car in the pinewood derby! In this ultimate design guide, Troy Thorne - woodworker, artist and derby-winning dad - shares his expert tips, techniques and amazing patterns so parents and scouts of any skill can build a jaw-dropping, prize-winning car that's quick out of the gate. Officially licensed by the Boy scouts of America, this valuable guide provides 34 amazing patterns and designs along with step-by-step instructions for building a High-Wing Racer, a Stock Car and a Vintage Racecar. Techniques and tips for creating custom decals, applying a high-quality finish, and prepping the car's wheels, axles, and weight for the race are also included.

Creative Director for Fox Chapel Publishing, and a Pinewood Derby-winning dad, Troy Thorne is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, and spent over 10 years in the advertising field. He is an active scouting volunteer, builds furniture and canoes, and works with his son who was a national finalist in the All-Star Derby Design Contest.

Toolmonger wholeheartedly recommends Pinewood Derby Designs & Patterns to anyone looking to introduce their children to woodworking and the shop via building a ‘Derby car. This book will serve as an excellent guide to the entire process, and will dramatically improve your chances of turning out a winning car — regardless of your past carving and woodworking experience.

Pinewood Derby Designs and Patterns: The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Coolest Car, by Troy Thorne, features 34 patterns with measured drawings. Here's a chance to let your kids make something fun in your shop. The book provides detailed instructions such as what size drill bits to use and how deep to drill. But what kid (or parent) doesn't want to build the fastest car? Tips, such as where to place weighted sinkers are included. It also covers painting and making decals.

"The idea is to use the least amount of wood, with the most amount of weight in the back," Thorne says.
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - TROY Thorne has carved out a niche in cutting-edge race cars that fit in the palm of his hand.

For anyone who has ever been a Cub Scout or the parent of a Cub Scout, Pinewood Derby® cars will need no introduction. According to Wikipedia, this 54-year-old trademark event, held annually in school cafeterias and gymnasiums nationwide, is the most popular of all Boy Scout events, and it has spawned a large cottage industry of customizing supplies and information.
In this book, author Troy Thorne, a graphic arts designer and father of a Cub Scout, has joined that club with a detailed, clearly-illustrated step-by-step "how-to" and idea book for wannabee race winners and their parents. The designs are gorgeous and, in many cases, quite elaborate, with high wings, flame decals, wire exhaust pipes, windshields and slick paint jobs. Thorne also shows several performance-enhancing tricks such as adding weight and polishing wheels and axles. The book is written directly to the parent, with the expressed intention that all the tricks and techniques in the book should be shared with and taught to the Cub in a rewarding and bonding experience for both.
The book begins with a long, illustrated list of tools and supplies that will be needed to accomplish all the modifications described in the how-to chapters. Several of these were quite a revelation for me, as I was pretty naive about such things when my son was in Cub Scouts twenty years ago. I just showed him how to cut out interesting shapes with a coping saw and polish the axles with fine sandpaper and graphite. Granted, my son's entries weren't exceptional looking, and they never won top prizes, but they were his creations, not mine.
Thorne takes the position that it's okay for dads (or moms, I suppose) to do a lot of the work, as the book illustrates procedures like using Dremel tools, a benchtop bandsaw, a scroll saw and airbrush equipment — equipment your average Cub isn't likely to have access to — with instructions like, "Provide a secure platform tha's a safe distance away from the front of the saw so your child can watch you cut and see how the saw works." He does say that all of the designs can be cut out with a coping saw, though, so the unspoken implication is that it is up to individual parents and Cubs to decide where to draw the line on parental involvement, as it always has been. I have no doubt that the average Cub Scout is clever and coordinated enough to learn most of the skills and awarenesses in this book, but the advantage clearly goes to the Cub whose father has the tools and skills to make all these embellishments possible.
Moral quandaries aside, I think Pinewood Derby® Designs & Patterns is a valuable book on small-scale model making that can benefit all kinds of woodworkers, young or old, Scout or not. If you happen to be the father of a Cub Scout who wants the fastest and fanciest Pinewood Derby® car, this book will be of particular interest to you.

In this book, author Troy Thorne, a graphic arts designer and father of a Cub Scout, has joined that club with a detailed, clearly-illustrated step-by-step "how-to" and idea book for wannabee race winners and their parents. The designs are gorgeous and, in many cases, quite elaborate, with high wings, flame decals, wire exhaust pipes, windshields and slick paint jobs. Thorne also shows several performance-enhancing tricks such as adding weight and polishing wheels and axles. The book is written directly to the parent, with the expressed intention that all the tricks and techniques in the book should be shared with and taught to the Cub in a rewarding and bonding experience for both.

Officially licensed by the Boy Scouts of
America, this 118-page softcover (ISBN:
978-1-56523-341-6, $12.95) by Troy Thorne
includes easy-to-follow steps for building
various pinecar racers, patterns and
designs, techniques for creating custom decals, applying a high-quality finish and
helpful tips for preparing wheels, axles and
weight for the race. For more information,
call 1-800-457-9112 or e-mail Sales@
FoxChapelPublishing.com.

This complete guide will help you to create the coolest derby car in your troop! From Safety, Tools, Painting Supplies, to Adding Weight, Patterns, and Race Day Prep, you will be fully prepared for the big event! Color photos and diagramed patterns provide great visual help, too!