Pinewood derby race rules do not allow racers to add additional graphite to their axles between heats. As a result, the graphite blows off the axle with each run down the track. As the graphite blows off, friction increases, and your car slows down.
Can you use graphite in Pinewood Derby car?
Graphite is a very effective lube for pinewood derby racing.
Where do you put the graphite on Pinewood Derby car?
Rub graphite on your pinewood derby car body where the wheel hub runs against it. Use a new pencil. Rub the tip of the pencil erasor in the graphite then rub in on the car around where the axle goes into the slot. Don’t mix graphite and Oil.
What is the best graphite for Pinewood Derby?
Pinewood Pro’s dry powdered PRO Graphite is a special blend of ultra-fine natural graphite with sub-micron molybdenum disulfide (also known as “moly”) additive to give you the best graphite blend to minimize friction and make your car the fastest it can be.
Can graphite be used as lube?
Because the bonds between the sheets are weak, graphite shows lower shearing strength under friction force. Thus it can be used as a solid lubricant and has become one of traditional and primary solid lubrication materials.
Can you use graphite in ignition?
Graphite lube is a great trick to unstick ignitions and door locks. Sometimes, when the steering wheel locks, you will have a hard time turning the key. In the heat of the moment frustrations take over and we can get a little rough turning the key and damage can occur.
What happens if you mix graphite and water?
When water-soluble graphite is mixed with water, it becomes almost like ink wash. It can be spread over a surface, much like watercolor paint. It can be thinned with water like watercolor paint and it mixes well with other media, like conte and colored pencils.
Should you bake your Pinewood Derby car?
Per the Pinewood Derby rules, the weight of the car shouldn’t exceed 5 ounces. One way to ensure your car doesn’t go over the weight limit is to bake the block! Naturally, wood holds water, and water adds weight. You’ll want to help your Scout by baking the block in an oven at 250 degrees for one hour.
How long does graphite take to dry?
Touch dry in approximately 1 minute. Fully cured in 2-4 hours. Lightly burnish the surface with a lint free cloth to remove ‘free’ graphite from the surface.
What makes a pinewood derby car go faster?
High-carbon graphite is used to lubricate the wheels of a Pinewood Derby car for increased speed and performance.
Is it better to put weight on top or bottom of pinewood derby car?
Weight should be placed towards the rear of the car. You can drill the weight holes in the bottom, side or rear of the car as shown in these examples. Stay at least 1/8″ away from the axle slots.
Should I sand my Pinewood Derby wheels?
Running the drill at low speed, carefully sand the tread area of the wheel just enough to take off the mold “flash” at the outside edge of the tread and smooth the tread area down to take out the “dimple” which is typically where the wheel was cut off the “sprue” or mold tree.
Is graphite better than oil?
The greatest benefit to using graphite (rather than oil) is that the graphite leaves no sticky residue that may later attract dust. This is because the lubricating properties of graphite lie in its weak covalent bonds that allow the layers of graphite to “slide” on top of one another with very little resistance.
What can I use instead of graphite spray?
A pencil works great for door lock lubricant in a pinch!
Simply rub the teeth of the key with a sharp pencil until the surface is covered with graphite.
Is graphite better than grease?
Graphite as a Lubricant
Solid or dry lubricants reduce the force of friction between sliding surfaces. The most significant advantage of graphite over oil-based lubricant is that it doesn’t leave sticky residues that accumulate debris or dust.
Does graphite prevent rust?
The Caramba Graphite Multi-oil is therefore a welcome companion for many uses in any private stock of cleaning and care agents. What’s more, the universally usable graphite oil protects against rust and moisture thus preventing even the wear of material.
Why is graphite slippery?
The forces between the layers in graphite are weak. This means that the layers can slide over each other. This makes graphite slippery, so it is useful as a lubricant .
What are the five uses of graphite?
Let’s look at some common uses of graphite below.
- Writing Materials.
- Lubricants.
- Refractory.
- Nuclear Reactors.
- Batteries.
- Graphene Sheets.
Can you use too much graphite in a lock?
It will start to gunk up the lock because the extra amount of graphite present is able to mix with dirt or dust, whereas contaminants would slide off with proper usage. There are graphite lubricants in spray form, which we recommend so you can avoid this issue.
Is graphite dust hazardous?
Effects of overexposure Repeated inhalation of natural graphite over a number of years may cause scarring of the lungs with such symptoms as chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough, black sputum, and pain. Natural graphite dust causes graphite pneumoconiosis.
Can you go over graphite with charcoal?
You can use pencil and charcoal together but there are things you want to be mindful of. Charcoal applied over pencil works much better than the reverse. Also, charcoal works better over hard H-grade pencils than it does over soft B-grade pencils. White charcoal does not work well over graphite.