Mike from Phoenix wrote in with an observation on how scales work, and how to use this to your advantage.

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To get a very smooth paint job on your car, you’ll need to go to a bit more work than the basic painting tips. Wet painting, wet sanding, polishing, and even waxing can all give you a fantastic finish.

To wet paint, you need to spray dozens of thin coats of paint on your car without waiting for the previous one to dry. The coats will blend together, filling in and hiding small imperfections in your block. The trick is to paint while the previous coat is still wet, but not add so much paint that drips form. I first put on a solid coat of paint and then let it completely dry (about 48 hours). Then I spray in short, half-second bursts and wait about 15 seconds before spraying again. The short burst process is repeated dozens of times, and after about ten minutes, I have a fantastically shiny coat of paint.

Wet sanding involves using an extremely fine grit of sand paper on your car. The sandpaper will remove any high spots and fine wrinkles from your paint, leaving only a smooth car. After your paint has completely dried, use a 2000 or 2200 grit waterproof sandpaper and some water. Wet the surface of the car and sand in even, straight strokes. Don’t use a circular motion. Every few minutes, wipe the accumulated grit off of the car and dry it before starting again.

You can polish the paint on your car using automotive polishing compound. Follow the directions on the label. If you have a Dremel or other rotary tool, you might find it easier to polish complicated curves by using a cloth buffing bit in your tool.

And finally, for a perfect finish, wax your car. The same stuff you wax your real car with can be used to wax your pinewood car. As with the polishing compound, follow label directions, and you might find it easier to wax complex curves with a rotary tool. Make sure not to get wax anywhere around your wheels. You don’t want to mix wax and your lubrication and gum up your wheels.

Each year the dilema around pinewood derby homes is how to cut out your car. If you’re lucky you know somone with a band saw. I finally broke down and bought a band saw this year — it’s amazing how inexpensive they are getting. Mine was under $70. But if you don’t have access to a band saw, here’s some ideas how to cut the car out. Kids, this is something you’ll want an adult’s help with.

You could always go with a hand saw, but you won’t get as good of results and it will take you a long time. The biggest problem is keeping your cut level so your car is symetrical. If you go this route, clamp the car to a workbench or c-clamp it to some scrap wood before you start to cut. This will make it easier to keep the car stable while you cut it.

You can also use the above clamping method but use a jigsaw instead of a hand saw. It’s a lot faster than a hand saw and the guide on the jig saw will help keep the cut level.

Use a power sander (like a belt sander) to sand off the unwanted surfaces of the car instead of cutting them off. This is easiest with simple car shapes, but with a little imagination you can do some great stuff. One boy in our pack created a model of the Titanic using a belt sander to shape the hull and attaching extra wood for the decks, superstructure, and smokestacks. It won best of show at the pack and district levels.

Look up woodworking in your yellow pages. There may be a local company that can cut out your car for a small fee.

Ask neighbors and co-workers if they have a saw. You never know who might have the right equipment to help out.