Ford's woodmaking stratigies...

Steve Plucker

Steve Plucker

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To anyones knowledge, is there any other data describing Ford's woodmaking stratigies for making wood parts for the Model A besides what is written in The Ford Industries booklets?

Thanks.

Pluck
 
Chris Haynes said:
Rumor has it that Ford made wood parts out of shipping containers from vendors.
Click to expand...

I've heard the same rumor many times, but have never seen any evidence of such, and really doubt there is any hint of truth to it.
since Henry owned such a vast forest in upper Michigan and owned his own saw mills, I'd think ALL wood used in his cars would be new cut wood.

Maybe shipping crates were used in making his charcoal?
 
I was alwas under the ubderstanding that the floorboards were made from crates, maybe from engines
 
who knows, but i did read in a book of random kinds of factness that by the 1920's henry ford was already recycling leftover metal from his production line, but he was disturbed by how much wood was thrown out. ford convinced edward kingsford, his cousin's husband, to recycle the wood scraps into charcoal briquettes. the kingsford company.
have a barbecue.
 
One of the Ford factory books I have has a chapter on recycling practices...wood, metal and people! The "recycled" people were those missing limbs or deaf or whatever, who were placed in jobs physically possible and safe...
I think this was in the late Model T period factory book.
Wood was extensively recycled, but I think not into car parts. Some crates were standardized for easy re-use, others were knocked down and made into other crates. Wood was made into something if possible, if not useful it went into furnace or into chemical plant! Big tool handles were made into little tool handles after they broke, etc.
Ford was a recycling fanatic, and was well placed to re-use everything as he controlled almost all phases of production and energy.
 
I have a book on 'Woodies' after the Model 'A' s where the process is described in Iron Mountain or Fayette, Michigan where Ford assembled wood laminate after the war and pressed the wood together with heat and a glue resembling 'Super glue' [synoacculate [sp] ]. A first use in the industry before it was called super glue. Made the curved door wood around the wheel well arch's.

skip.
 
Anybody know why Henry used Ash? What's wrong with oak, maple, walnut (If you can get it) or any other wood.
Terry
 
Based on my woodworking experience, ash is very resistant to impact and splintering. That's why you see tool handles made of ash and not oak.
 
The '32 Woody is made up of oak floor boards, maple frames, roof bows and trim, birch plywood, and ash roof strips.
 
Not to hijack the thread Pluck, but for those who are interested in learning more about Ford's early recycling efforts there is an interesting article by Hank Czerwick in the Spring 2010 issue of The Ford Legend. It tells about such things as how Henry would use old paper products out of the corporate offices in the manufacture of door panel boards and other interesting tales.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled programming on woodwork....

Deron
 
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