Pro Axle Press

In Stock


The Pro-Axle Press is designed to straighten and round the nail axles used in many pinewood derby car kits. Accurate axles lead to faster racing! The Pro-Axle Press will improve the speed of your pinewood derby car by performing three critical procedures on nail type axles:

  1. Axle Straightening - Ensures accurate wheel tracking by creating absolutely straight axles. Improved wheel tracking equals greater speed!
  2. Axle Rounding - Ensures accurate wheel rotation by creating absolutely round axle shafts. Improved wheel rotation equals greater speed!
  3. Head Squaring - Ensures proper wheel rotation by squaring the axle head to the axle shaft. Improved wheel rotation equals greater speed!
  4. And an added bonus:

  5. Raised Wheel and Alignment Adjustments - When it is necessary to purposely bend an axle (to raise a front wheel or make an alignment adjustment), the Pro-Axle Press serves as a handy clamping device for holding the axle while making the bend.


Note: The Pro-Axle Press was designed and tested for use on BSA and PineCar nail-type axles. It may also be suitable for nail axles from other kits. The press is not intended for use with rod-type (Awana) or screw-type (Royal Rangers) axles.


  1. Insert an axle into the chuck of a drill, and use a file to remove the burr under the nail head, and any crimp marks on the axle shaft.
  2. With a marking pen, make a mark on the edge of the axle head.
  3. Fully insert the axle - point first - into the Pro-Axle Press. Rotate the axle head such that the mark is located at the top (12 o'clock), and close the press.
  4. Place the Pro-Axle Press on a solid surface, hold it in place, and strike the top of the press 4-6 times with a hammer. Don't strike too hard - medium strikes are fine.
  5. Open the press and repeat steps 3 and 4 with the mark at the 4 o'clock position
  6. Open the press and repeat steps 3 and 4 with the mark at the 8 o'clock position
  7. After the last strike at the 8 o'clock position, lay the press on its back (axle head upward) and strike the axle head 2-4 times. This ensures that the axle head is square to the axle shaft.
  8. Repeat for the other three axles, and then polish the axles to the desired finish.

Racer's Tip: To accurately bend an axle for alignment or for a raised wheel, insert the axle into the Pro-Axle Press with the head extended 3/8 inch from the tool. Place the Pro-Axle Press in a clamp or vise. Gently tap the axle with the hammer until the desired bend is achieved.

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