The Wood Reserves of WWII

Recycling in the U.S. may have peaked during WWII. Even the nations cigarette wrappers (made of lead) were neatly pressed into piles for re-melting into bullets. Other scrap, especially steel, was in high demand for the war , which resulted in an exchange of steel for timber in some construction. That was the case at Port Newark, NJ, where Sawkill Lumber recently salvaged huge Doug Fir timbers (12 x 12 x 40’ and 12 x 16 x 36’), which framed a c.1942 storage warehouse (stretching three football fields!). Doug Fir has a remarkable strength to weight ratio (the highest ratings of any western softwood – in bending, tension and compression), a warm reddish-brown figure, and is easily milled. And reclaimed, there’s added reason to salute this WWII era veteran, re-enlisted in the fight for sustainability. (photos: WWII poster, Port Newark, NJ, Boulder, CO).