Pinewood Derby Wheel Shaver

The pinewood derby wheel shaver - Pro-Wheel Shaver XT2  is a precision device that will ‘shave time’ off your pinewood derby runs by:

1. Creating a wheel which is perfectly round, and true to the wheel bore with-in thousandth’s of an inch.
2. Truing the inside edge of the wheel by removing molding marks and excess material.
3. Reduce the overall weight of the wheel

Lighter Wheels

Lighter wheels are by far the best upgrade to any race car.  The lighter the wheels, the exponentially faster a car will be.  This can be determined by its moment of inertia and is part of the greater equation (static friction force) we talked about earlier. There is a great lecture for those who want to learn all the ends and outs about the science of PWD wheel modifications.  I will not go into the actual numbers of how and why.  They do a great job in it.

• A note to remember is when you reduce the weight of the wheel, it will no longer have the mass to spin for long periods of time when compared to a factory weight wheel. Reduction in mass, simply does not allow to spin for the magic “20-second spin” test.

You can reduce the outer wheel diameter.  Light material removal is "truing" a wheel.   If you take it a tab bit more, you can also reduce the weight of the wheel.  Most packs limit the amount of material that can be removed.   You will need to reference your pack rules to determine if you can true / reduce the outer diameter.

Introducing the Pro-Wheel Shaver XT2 with Screw-adjustable Blade Depth!

For more accuracy and ease of use, the Pro-Wheel Shaver XT2 is equipped with screw-adjustable blade depth! Just turn the knob to raise or lower the blade. In addition, an upgrade kit is available to convert the Pro-Wheel Shaver and the Pro-Wheel Shaver II to a Pro-Wheel Shaver XT2. Notes:

1. The Pro-Wheel Shavers are intended for use on wheels made of a hard plastic, such as those included in kits offered by BSA, PineCar, Royal Rangers, S&W, and Royal Ambassadors.
2. The Pro-Wheel Shaver will not work on wheels made of a soft plastic - Awana and PinePro.
3. A Pro-Hub Tool is required to use a Pro-Wheel Shaver.

Pinewood Derby Wheel Shaver Instructions

Ream the Wheel Bores

1. Test fit each wheel on the Pro-Hub Tool.
2. Follow the instructions with the Pro-Hub Tool to ream any undersized wheel bores.
3. Royal Ranger and S&W Kits Only – Ream the wheel bores by hand with a 1/8″ drill bit.

If your kit has narrow wheels (Royal Rangers,S&W,Royal Ambassadors,etc.),skip to “TRUING THE TREAD SURFACE”.

Truing The Wheel Edge

1. Slide the Pro-Wheel Shaver II onto the Pro-Hub Tool,until 1-3/16″ (critical measurement) of the Pro-Hub Tool is exposed (see Figure 1). Use a 5/32″ Hex Key to firmly tighten the Pro-Wheel Shaver II to the Pro-Hub Tool.
2. Loosen the screw holding the cutting blade,and slide the blade towards the Pro-Hub Tool as far as possible. Tighten the cutting blade.
3. Mount a wheel with the inside wheel hub facing the Pro-Hub Tool.
4. While pressing the wheel against the blade,rotate the wheel five complete revolutions counterclockwise.
5. Remove the wheel,and repeat steps 6 and 7 for the remaining three wheels.

Pinewood Derby Wheel Shaver - Truing the Tread Surface

Mount Pro-Wheel Shaver II

1. Install Pro Wheel Hub tool into Pro Wheel Shaver.  Use a 5/32″ Hex Key to firmly tighten the Pro-Wheel Shaver II to the Pro-Hub Tool.
2. Loosen the screw holding the cutting blade.
3. Royal Ranger and S&W kit wheels only – Slide a short piece of 1/8″ brass tubing over the pin or the Pro-Hub Tool.

Mount First Wheel

1. Slide a wheel onto the Pro-Hub Tool.
2. Rotate the wheel and move the blade to identify the highest spot on the wheel.
3. Rotate the wheel 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn and press the blade against the wheel.
4. While holding the blade firmly against the wheel, tighten the blade. Press the blade against the wheel; do not press the wheel against the blade.

First Pass

1. Turn the wheel counterclockwise and make five complete wheel rotations.
2. Slightly loosen the screw connecting the Pro-Wheel Shaver II to the Pro-Hub Tool. Pull the wheel off of the Pro-Hub Tool and slide the next wheel onto the Pro-Hub.
3. Repeat steps 16 to 17 for the remaining wheels.

Remaining Passes

1. Repeat the previous two sections until the wheels no longer have low and high spots.
2. Use a go / no go gauge to determine if your wheel is in compliance

Polish

1. Use a Pro-Wheel Mandrel and wet/dry 600 grit sandpaper to polish the wheels.
2. Do not add additives to make the tread surface have less friction.

Storage

1. Apply a protective spray coating such as WD-40 or equivalent and store the tool in a plastic bag.

Pinewood Derby Wheel Shaver Important Notes

1. The Pro-Wheel Shaver II is a hand-powered lathe. It removes tread material such that the resulting wheel is round.  Precise adjustments as small as 1 thousandths of an inch (0.001) are attainable.  Your local rules may not allow lathed wheels in your race.
2. The Pro-Wheel Shaver XT2 is for adult use only.
3. Although the blade does not have a knife-like edge,use care to minimize the risk of an injury. If the blade ceases to shave the wheel,the cutting edge can be restored with a fine honing stone or a fine-toothed file.
4. For best results practice with a spare set of wheels before truing the target wheels.
5. Fine cross-cuts could be created on the wheel tread surface. These cuts should not affect the performance of the wheel.

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