Power Tool Racing Sign Up

You’ll hear the whine of 110-volt corded appliances fused to franken-chassis get-ups as they tear down a 12″ wide track in an all-out race for makerspace supremacy. Tour the new facilities and available resources and tools, and then guess the winning power tool racer for your chance to win amazing prizes and sacks of gold doubloons and stuff.

Prefer to race?

Here’s what you need to know:

$40 entry fee (this is a fundraising event, after all). You can pay it below, and we will follow up on timing and setup closer to the invite.

• Machines must be based on handheld power tools! A handheld power tool is a machine intended for handheld operation by one individual. A machine primarily used on a stationary mount, rolled on wheels, or used by a group of people is not a hand tool for the purposes of this event.
• This event is limited to hand tools powered by standard 20 amp 120 AC electric power cords.
• Examples of hand tools are machines like belt sanders, angle grinders, circular saws, drills, chainsaws, weed whackers, vibrators, etc. Examples of things that are NOT hand tools are lawnmowers, floor sanders, generators, bench grinders, etc. No vehicles built from RC cars are allowed because they are boring. (Chainsaws, although cool, are known to race poorly.)

Machines must fit within the 12″ wide track. Length will be determined by available space.

AC electrical cords will be provided for each lane, originating at the starting line. They will have standard Edison 3-prong connectors. You will be responsible for “coiling” the cord on the ground or laying it alongside the track for your run. No spools or cord guides are allowed, but duct tape will be provided to tape the connector together. Tangles or poor cord feed is your responsibility.

Eligible machines are single-engine power tools with no motor modifications or non-standard power sources (i.e., engine and power source need to be box stock). Propulsion can be direct drive to track via the original blades, belts, etc., or custom gear/chain/tire configurations. Frames, wheels, guide rails, etc., can be added as desired. Any motor or power type is allowed. But all “motors” must have originated in a hand power tool and be in their original form, with the original power source driving it.

Due to the nature of the event, these machines can be high-speed and very dangerous. ALL entries for any class MUST REGISTER their machine and be inspected before racing to ensure they stay on track and out of the audience. We also reserve the right to say “no, unsafe” at any time for whatever reason(s) we find relevant.