Well, the axels you receive in your pinewood derby car kit are really not axels at all.. They are just nails as we discussed in the video section TWO Friction Reduction for your Pinewood derby car. And we gave you a heads up on some of their inherent drawbacks ie. inconsistent diameter, weight, manufacturing flaws. (Much more discussion and dissection on the DVD video than on this website- keep that in mind) So we must keep in several factors when trying to get the most out of your stock axels.
You may think that just by polishing them, that will be good enough. Well maybe good enough for 2nd place, 3rd place but not first place. And the time to find out that polishing just isn't enough --  is not when you are taking your car off the track after the final race, and you are not the one celebrating victory. No, you would rather be the one Celebrating!
So Let's take a closer look at some theorys and ways to implement them.

You already know that when 2 objects rub against each other, friction is created in the form of Heat. Friction is something we want to eliminate or reduce as much as possible in pinewood derby racing. Once your car hits the flat track, a car with more friction will slow down quickly and other pinewood derby cars will pass it up before it reaches the finish line.  The Friction is caused by the roughness of the surfaces of the 2 objects, in this case the axel and the wheel. And in   related but slighty different case, the wheel rubbing against the pinewood derby car body.   It's also caused by molecular attraction between the 2 surfaces (although this is the smallest form of friction we will deal with, it stil is something to think about)

To begin with, viewed under a microscope or magnifying glass, the axes and wheels of your pinewood derby car will look--- let just say 'not very smooth'.  The Rougher the 2 surfaces, the more friction.  The Slower your pinewood derby car will go.

OK, Alright! So you have 2 types of friction.. So what?? Just polish it up, add some graphite and be done with it!
 

Not so Fast there "Racer X"  Now that you know what Friction is... Let's look at what we can do About IT. here's a link to more 'frictional' information

First of all, Polishing your axels is a must - But you need to actually SEE what your doing, so I recommend you get a Magnifying glass or a 16x jewlers loop. Then, you can see the changes you are making AS you make them.

Now that we know what friction is, and that there are two types we need to be concerned with in pinewood derby racing, We can examine how to reduce the friction and set our sights on KEEPING THE ENERGY instead of letting FRICTION TAKE IT AWAY! Energy you will recall, that we gained by Designing our pinewood derby body and properly weighting it, Energy you will see at work, when your pinewood derby car pulls away from the others on the Flat portion of the pinewood derby racetrack!  Energy that Friction cannot get it's ugly hands on because we are going to 'outsmart it'.
ok so here we go..
Once your pinewood derby racer hits the flat track, it can no longer gain any speed. It can only Lose speed. This Loss is due to Friction. A close look at the wheels, axels and body will allow you to understand there are several areas in which friction can influence your pinewood derby racer.
That right, several unique areas, not just one. By looking at each area and deciding the best way to reduce the friction in that particular area, you will be helping your pinewood derby car to maintain it's speed during it's flat track run towards the finish line.
The best way to reduce the influence of friction is to ELIMINATE IT!

Wait a minute!  You Just said "The amount of Friction is Independent of the amount of surface areas being 'rubbed together."
 

Yes I did, and that's one of those LAWS  we need to 'work around ! You see, We need to REDUCE the Probablility of Friction by ELIMINATING surface material. The Smaller the Friction surface, the Less Probability that your axel surfaces, wheel surfaces etc. will be "messing up" the friction equation with uneven surface preparation, dimensions and other irregularities. I have always figured that since the 'Coefficient of Friction - u '   (Fr = u x W) is the ONE variable which you can impact directly. It's best to concentrate on keeping that variable from 'VARYING' too much..  CRAZY you say?   Maybe, But I'll let YOU be the judge... Read on..

Yet another wonderful result of friction is maximum velocity - where the drag force equals the driving force. This final, constant velocity of motion is called a "terminal velocity", Our New DVD video and PDF file fully explores ways to eliminate friction on all the important areas of your wheels, axels and body, but for now, here is a brief view on some of the subjects we cover in depth on the DVD

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Now, we show you an inside look at how many actual friction surfaces there are and give you ways, other than just using graphite to reduce friction. Everyone will be using graphite or another lubricant so since you want the fastest car possible, you need to take it a step further.   As you can see the largest friction area is the axle shaft itself, the other area we can work on is the inner nail head. Since the axle shaft is the largest contributor to friction due to the it's surface area, The probability of irregularities varying the 'coefficient of friction' on each subsequent revolution of the wheel makes it an ideal candidate for minor (for begninner pinewood racers) or major (advanced pinewood derby racer) changes.

 BASIC Pinewood derby axel tips

These grooves must face up when you install the axles on the car. Gravity in general will be forcing the axles (which support the weight of the body) downward onto the wheels and by facing these grooves upwards, we can essentially eliminate them from the friction equation. Make sure you mark  your nail head with paint to indicate where the grooves,   and this oblong area is on the axle. You are doing this for future reference so when you install the axles later, you will know how to  orient your axles after working on them.   Now just to be sure they don’t end up rubbing or throwing off your alignment   File down the grooves by hand, and only file the grooves  Why by hand??==>

First, look at your axles and find the small raised grooves. Now because these are “NAILS” and not perfectly machined axles, they are not really round and also have all sorts of imperfections due to the process of making the nails. I go back to my Probability of Friction Theory here. There's just no way to get the Coefficent of friction constant  with all that surface area But since that’s all we have to work with, You can just do the best you can. We have found that the Small raised grooves are the High Spot on the Axle. So lets get rid of those first.     .  DO NOT USE a dremel or a power tool to sand down your axels! You just need to get rid of the grooves.If you use a power tool to do this, you will remove too much of the axel material. There isnt really enough to begin with for perfect tuning of your pinewood derby car so if you reduce the diameter of the axle at all -  You will not be able to align your car for optimum performance!.. More on that super-important subject is available on the DVD but . for now, just file the grooves smooth by hand.  Check your progress with a magnifying glass or a jewelers loop. You want it to be as perfect a possible. And Remember, the "other guys" are probably messing up their axels because they dont know not to do it! So when their cars wiggle and bang off the sides of the racetrack, your pinewood derby car will blow right past 'em!

 More Pinewood Derby axel tips!

The INNER Nail head of each of your pinewood derby axels needs to be filed too.  As you can see in the picture, there is a Pinch mark left from the nail-making process which Must be eliminated!   Have an adult help you with power tools.   Chuck the axle in the drill press and file down the pinched metal first flat, then the inner nail head at a 45-degree angle.. You can also use a dremel or a hand drill by mounting them in a vise and using a similar technique.   Using a fine file at a 45 degree will bevel the inner nail head and reduce a particular type of friction called  torque braking – at least on the inner nail head.

 

Go slowly and again, use the jewelers loop to inspect your progress. You will be able to spot imperfections and correct them quickly. Remember the paint mark must face up when you install your axles so if you start to accidentally rub it away, repaint it.     Finally polish your pinewood derby axel by using the basic polishing techniques shown on the DVD. Finish up by using the CLOTH side of an EMERY sheet. Don’t use the abrasive side which will change the diameter of the axel and you wont be able to align your car with enough precision to win all your pinewood derby races. The cloth side will buff the metal to a mirror shine. Be sure to inspect with the jewelers loupe and inspect both the inner nail head and the axle shaft.

Now keep in mind that you should check your pinewood derby rules before modification of the axels or wheels. Most will allow you to debur and polish

Of course, We have a entire section devoted to Reducing Friction in your Pinewood Derby Racer because IT's So Important! - CGI allows us to take an inside look at the wheel/ axel combination allowing you to see into the friction areas. Areas you may overlook. Step by step you will learn how to reduce friction in your pinewood derby car and you will be able to conduct your own friction test to show the progress you have made which ultimately makes your pinewood derby car much faster.