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Home » Pumpkin Derby
Join us at Celebrate Grafton’s Fall Into Grafton/Pumpkin Fest on Saturday, October 7th for our annual Bank Five Nine Pumpkin Derby!
Pick up your racing kits at the Bank Five Nine Grafton Branch from September 5th – October 5th. The full cost of $15 per kit will be returned to you when the hardware and wheels are returned after the event. Trophies for ‘Most Creative’ and ‘Fastest Racer’.
Cost:
Pumpkin Derby Rules
Pumpkin Derby Race Kit includes
Includes:
Does not include:
Instructions
Quick Version
In-depth Instructions
Step 1: Punching Axle Holes
You want two parallel axles. Drill straight through pumpkin with a long 5/16” drill bit starting on one side and exiting through the opposite side. Repeat for second axle. TIP: It is easier to decorate your pumpkin prior to putting the wheels on. Just remember to keep the bottom part of the pumpkin free of any decorations. Make sure to place axles high enough so the pumpkin clears the ground. For example, if you’re making a Mummy Derby Racer, don’t wrap gauze around the part where you will punch the axle holes.
Step 2: Inserting The Axles
Feed the axles through the path you have just drilled. If the threaded rod gets stuck, poke the drill bit through again to clear the path. You need to be careful with the threaded rod. The threads can easily bend and then it will be impossible to get a hex nut to go on smoothly. Don’t hammer the threaded rod through the pumpkin or knock it on the ground to help feed it through. If you absolutely have to give the rods a tap, first screw an acorn nut on to the end. Remember, pumpkins vary greatly in size and shape and will not be perfect in terms of weight distribution or dimensions. Despite your best efforts, it may not go straight. It can be challenging to get the axles on perfectly parallel, but worthwhile in the long run.
Step 3: Centering the Pumpkin
After a few trips down the racetrack, you may find that your pumpkin will slip on the axle and become off center. This often happens during some type of crash. To avoid this problem, thread one fender washer and one hex nut on each axle. The placement of the fender washers should be snug against the pumpkin with the hex nut anchoring the washer in place on the axle. While this step is not necessary, it will help to keep your pumpkin centered and keep your axles parallel (although this is discussed at length in Step 8.) TIP: After repeated use, axles can bend or warp, especially if your racer has crashed. Do a check of the axles to ensure they are straight before each race.
Step 4: Attaching The Wheels
Place nuts and washers on the threaded rod in this order: (does not include hex nut and fender washer described in Step 3)
1: (2) hex nuts
2: (1) flat washer
3: (1) wheel
4: (1) flat washer
5: (2) hex nuts
6: (1) acorn nut
Make sure that the acorn nut has enough room to be fully screwed onto the threaded rod. The purpose for the acorn nut is to protect you from scratches and cuts from the ends of the threaded rods. Repeat this step for the remaining three wheels.
Now that you have all the pieces on the threaded rod, it is time to secure the hex nuts. You will need to create a lock nut. Without a lock nut, the hex nuts will continue to rotate on the threaded rod as your pumpkin goes down the track and possibly cause your wheels to lock up.
Step 5: Securing The Lock Nuts
To create the lock nut, simply rotate two hex nuts onto each other. This is the step where you will use the two 1/2 inch wrenches. You will have eight points on the four axles where you will need to make lock nuts; one on each side of each wheel.
Place one wrench over one hex nut and the other wrench over the second hex nut. You will essentially be rotating one hex nut to the right and the other to the left. This will give you a tight joint that you will not be able to move by hand. It is important that after the lock nuts are tightened there is enough room for the wheels to rotate freely, but not so much room that they wobble. To avoid this problem, insert a fender washer between the wheel and lock nut.
Then rotate the two hex nuts back onto the flat washer and make the lock nut joint. When you pull out the fender washer, you will have just enough room for the wheels to move unobstructed and without wobbling.
Step 6: Test Run and Toubleshoot
Make sure you do a test run of your Pumpkin Race Car. This is the only way to see what kind of adjustments you may need to make. A sloped driveway is a great place to practice. The following are common problems:
Step 7: Race!
You’ve done everything you can to make your pumpkin race car a star, so let the race begin! Good Luck!
Questions? Please contact Josh Branham at (262)204-6331
Creating a beautiful cheese board doesn’t have to cost a fortune! In fact, we’ve shared tips on crafting affordable and budget-friendly cheese boards before
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