"Tom Watson" wrote in message
...
The first year we followed all the rules and came in third.

My observation was that there was a little more parent involvement
than what the rules called for.

The second year we had my boy design and paint and do the initial
wheel and axle prep and then I did the final polishing with shop grade
abrasives.

He came in second.

We happen to live in an area where about fifty percent of the parents
are engineers, of one sort or another.

When I looked at the degree of finish on their wheels and axles it
seemed to me that it was not something that could be accomplished by a
ten year old.

This year I'm getting my micron level abrasives out, that I use for
finishing solid surfaces to a gloss.

God help those engineer daddies.

Gloves are off.

( I guess the optical comparators will be out next year)

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

I can't believe this **** is still going on. I was a scout in the early
60's and parents were carving and customizing their son's cars even then. I
came in third my first year, but whar ****ed me off was #1's father owned a
hobby shop and I *know* the kid didn't do a damned thing to the car. I
tortured the kid until he became an adult and even now if we happen to cross
paths. I did get him back when his father had a model building contest with
first prize being a mini-bike and $500. Daddy couldn't help him there as
the contest was judged by monogram. Maybe some of the old timers here might
remember the psychodelic trash truck with the surf boards mounted to the top
and sides. I actually took black thread and used it for plug wires and
18ga. wire for brake lines. At that time the judges never seen anything
like it. To shorten the story, I sold the kid the bike for $500, which
daddy coughed up, and he wrecked it 3 days later. I ended up with a grand
and an ear-to-ear grin for many years after that.
--

"Anybody can have more birthdays; but it takes
balls to get old!"