Shot Peening Meets the Pinewood Derby

Author:  David Massey, Metal Improvement Company
Source:  The Shot Peener magazine, Vol 26 / Issue 3, Summer 2012
Doc ID:  2012027
Year of Publication:  2012
Abstract:  
A LESSON IN SHOT PEENING A Brief Investigation into the Effects of Shot Peening on Sliding Friction Between Metal and Plastic According to Reader’s Digest, The Pinewood Derby is an essential rite of Spring. For those not familiar, the Pinewood Derby is an event run by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), typically at the Cub Scout level. Like other Cub Scout packs nationwide, Pack 46 in Morrisville, Pennsylvania has its derby every April at a local church. In the derby, small model cars made from pine roll down a ramp to a horizontal racing surface. The maximum footprint of the cars is limited to seven inches long by two and three-quarter inches wide. Weight is limited to five ounces. The wheels must be BSA-approved wheels and are all of the same hardness. The plastic wheels ride on a metal axle. Sanding and polishing the axles prior to installation is encouraged.