How to Build a Pinewood Derby Timer
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1-4 hours
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Advanced
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- 75-200
To create your own pinewood derby timer, you are going to have to custom build your track or even purchase one, which could already have timers installed. If your building your own, you are going to need a computer to plug the circuit board into using a USB port.
Step 1 - Connect the Trigger Switch and Light Sensors
Once you have the materials and have found a layout for your pinewood derby timer, you will want to mount your trigger switch to the starting gate. This will turn the sensors on, and make them look for movement on the bottom end of the track.
Step 2 - Operation
Your pinewood derby timer works on a light sensor in the bottom of the track in each lane. These sensors can reflect back the light from either an overhead mounted panel that is painted white, and when a car moves past it senses the light change and registers the first to cross the line.
Step 3 - Circuit Board Connections
You will mount the circuit board for your pinewood derby timer under the track and connect it to your computer. Use your computer to run the sensor tracking software which can determine movement within 1/1000th of a second.
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H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
