How to use the Wheel Shaver on Your Pinewood Derby Car

Shave time off of your pinewood derby runs

Out of round wheels cause improper alignment at speed causing the axle to raise and drop. This vibration will slow your car and cause it to pull to one side.

The Pro Wheel Shaver XT is designed to create round and true Pinewood Derby wheels by removing tread material. It is intended for use on wheels made of relatively hard plastic such as those offered by BSA, PineCar, Royal Rangers, S&W and Royal Ambassadors. It is not intended for wheels offered by Awana and PinePro. The Pro Hub tool (not included) is required to use this tool .

Not all wheels are created equal, but with a Pro Wheel Shaver, they can be made Hi-Performance!

Truing the Wheel Edge
Slide the Pro Wheel Shaver into the Pro Hub tool until 1 3/16" of the Hub tool is exposed.	Use the included hex key to firmly tighten the Shaver to the Hub tool.
Loosen the screw holding the cutting blade. Turn the black adjustment knob at the top until the blade is down towards the Hub tool as far as possible. Tighten the cutting blade.	Mount a wheel with the inside wheel hub facing the Hub tool. While pressing the wheel against the blade, rotate the wheel five complete revolutions counter clockwise.
Truing the Tread Surface
Loosen the screw holding the Hub tool. Slide the wheel shaver onto the Hub tool unitl 5/8" of the Hub tool is exposed.	Firmly tighten the Hub tool.
Loosen the screw holding the cutting blade. Move the blade up by turning the black adjustment knob. Slide a wheel onto the Hub tool. Rotate the wheel and move the blade to identify the highest spot on the wheel. Rotate the wheel 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn and turn the black adjustment knob until the blade is gently pressing against the wheel.	Turn the wheel counterclockwise and make five complete wheel rotations. While turning, pull the wheel away from the blade; don't push it towards the blade. Find a low spot on the wheel and adjust the blade to the new depth. Turn the wheel for five additional rotations. Repeat until all low spots are gone.

Tips:

1. To adjust the friction on the blade:
   
   
   • Firmly tighten the cross bolt with the square nut.
     
   • Back the bolt off 1/3 of a turn.
     
   • Place the tool on its side on a firm work surface and gently strike the head of the bolt with a hammer. This will slightly loosen the blade to allow it to move smoothly.
   
   
2. The cutting edge has a 5 degree back angle with the low point being the leading edge that contacts the wheel. The steep angle on the blade is just to narrow the cutting edge and make it look like a blade; it has nothing to do with the performance of the blade, and might have a slightly rough look. Don't confuse it with the cutting edge.
   
   
3. Make sure that the high spot on the wheel is identified before shaving. Then start with very fine shaving cuts on the high spot. If you try to take too much material off at a time, the blade will bite into the wheel.
   
   
4. Make sure to turn the wheel in the counter-clockwise direction (as viewed with the pin of the Pro-Hub Tool pointing towards you).
   
   
5. To maintain smoothness in the wheel bore, and to reduce the effort in shaving, polish the pin of the Pro Hub Tool with 600-800-1000 grit sand paper, then apply 2 drops of NyOil II to the shaft before shaving. After shaving, clean the bore with rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol, flush with water, and dry.

Important Notes:

1. The Pro Wheel Shaver is a hand-powered lathe. It removes tread material such that the resulting Pinewood Derby car wheel is round. With a little practice, wheels can be machined to within 1 thousandths of an inch. Check your local rules to make sure that lathed wheels are allowed in your race.
2. The Pro Wheel Shaver is intended for adult use as it requires adult hand strength to loosen and tighten the adjustment bolts and to turn the wheels.
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 may be  created on the wheel tread surface which cannot be completely removed by polishing. These cuts should not affect the performance of the wheel.

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