Battery Buggy B

[new horizon]

If you look at the winning scrambler car at nationals last year, they used balsa wood. (I think it was solons, there's a pic on the image gallery). Balsa may break easily, but if you provide the proper padding, and glue the screws down, I'm pretty sure it will last. Anyway, we can say a well built balsa buggy will probably win over a well built metal/plastic/wood buggy, simply because of newton's second law.
And think, if a scrambler run goes wrong, your car is going to crash onto a wall. Buggy, not so much.

[illusionist]

Exactly, I have ziploc bags filled with air, and padding underneath when I transport my buggy. The screws are glued down, but you won't need a lot of glue. A wee built balsa wood buggy should definitely do better than a heavier buggy made for strength.
Also, the boards are 1/4 inch thick, that should be all you would most likely need.

[Jocool]

i just don't think its a good material for something like this. it is hard to cut without breaking.

[illusionist]

fair enough, people have different opinions

[new horizon]

all of you have legitimate points, i guess.

[sciolympian]

how about plexiglass? anybody try that?

[Jocool]

too heavy.

[new horizon]

way too heavy. plexiglass has a density above 1 i think, while balsa has a density of .1 usually, bass .3, aspen .4.

[Jocool]

aspen should be used for this if your using wood.

[illusionist]

Plexiglass is also tedious to drill holes in for screws and other parts, not to mention the weight. Usually, you want the lightest material that has a good amount of strength.