Scrap Drives May Have Trashed Cars, But Were the Drives Necessary?

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by noboD

On the "Sell your Jalopy" poster above aren't the guys in the Dodge Brothers wearing white masks??

They sure do look that way, but in fact it's a redaction in the source image. I went back and zoomed in, you can see here:
Screen Shot 2021-01-18 at 12.34.04 AM.jpg

There was another ad placed in a competing paper on the same day, with the same photo, unredacted:
Screen Shot 2021-01-18 at 12.35.49 AM.jpg

[noboD]

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

It certainly did not hurt to use all the resources available at the time. Ford used scrap iron/steel on a regular basis as a part of the smelt during the process of making their iron and steel even before the war. Some was generated by the "in house" manufacturing processes and some was purchased prior to the war. During the war, the War Department had a lot to do with the materials that were utilized by all the manufacturers of the necessary items needed to fight the enemy. The War Department set up the national War Production Board which worked hand in hand with state production boards to allocate all the resources. They say that the scrap metal drive in October of 1942 resulted in a gain of 82 pounds of scrap metal for every person in the United States. That's a lot of scrap. These drives went on throughout the war. Cooking oil was saved by most american homes and was brought to the state board locations to be used in the manufacture of explosives. Everything was tightly rationed so as not to use too much of the limited resources available to keep the industrial and agricultural products flowing where they needed to get for both worker and soldier alike.

Wrench,

Are you sure about Ford reusing scrap? I thought that is one of the reasons Ford metal doesn't rust quickly was because it was virgin steel. I am far from an expert, but I've read that a few times.

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by kawagumby

I've read that during the Spanish Flu pandemic, San Fransisco required people to wear masks, and most did so. Later, when the flu hit hard a second time, some people began to resist. Kinda like people today?



Back to the subject, concrete ships were built during WWII as a result of steel shortages.

Truly a fool will take chances with this pandemic !

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Wrench,

Are you sure about Ford reusing scrap? I thought that is one of the reasons Ford metal doesn't rust quickly was because it was virgin steel. I am far from an expert, but I've read that a few times.

The below is from "Economic Geography," Apr. 1936.

Screen Shot 2021-01-19 at 9.13.28 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2021-01-19 at 9.12.51 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2021-01-19 at 9.12.29 AM.jpg

[Tim Ayers]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by alexiskai

The below is from "Economic Geography," Apr. 1936.

Attachment 453316

Attachment 453317

Attachment 453318

Thank you. I appreciate the lesson and the clarification.