A couple quick questions…
When did plywood come into common use?
When did welding replace riveting for things such as water tanks, tank cars, etc.?
Ray Dunakin said:
A couple quick questions...When did plywood come into common use?
When did welding replace riveting for things such as water tanks, tank cars, etc.?
Hi Ray,
For the plywood http://www.apawood.org/level_b.cfm?content=srv_med_new_bkgd_plycen
For the general welding http://www.welding.com/edu_weld2.shtml
Welded tankcars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_car#Timeline
Off the top of my head, I believe welded box cars became popular after WWII.
Actually in the late 1800s plywood came into use…it just became POPULAR during and after WWII…N&W was residing cabins with it in the 30’s…
I note that with typical coyness the ‘history of plywood’ seem to have totally overlooked the world’s first and by far the most successful warplane ever built of plywood - the beautiful British De Havilland Mosquito fighter/bomber - between the Brits, the Canadians and the Australians a total of 7781 were built.
AND being made of plywood, it was a hell of a job to actually find it on radar. Our own Mosquito here in UK, that sadly crashed a few years ago, had to be fitted with extra transponders so that it could be DETECTED by modern-day air traffic control radars, let alone subject to ground control. Even so, it had to fly an identifying pattern to confirm its presence in the air.
Conceived initially as a daytime bomber, not only was it as fast as ANY fighter of the day when it came into service, it proved to be a VERY good bomber as well, and could carry, with its twin Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, a greater bombload than the American B-17 bomber, that was barely half as fast and had a crew of five times as many.
It has been calculated that a Mosquito could be loaded with a 4,000 lb. “cookie” bomb, fly to Germany, drop the bomb, return, bomb up and refuel, fly to Germany again and drop a second 4,000 lb bomb and return, and still land before a Stirling (the slowest of Bomber Command’s four-engined bombers) which left at the same time armed with a full bomb load, could strike Germany.
Unlike the Boeing B-17, the Mosquito also made a first-class night-fighter, a decisive ground attack fighter and precision low-level bomber, capable of putting bombs through the very doors of the Gestapo headquarters in occupied Holland in broad daylight, and was used as a pathfinder and reconnaissance role as well until the mid-1950’s in many of the Commonwealth nation air-forces.
The USAAF ordered 120 Mosquitos for photographic reconnaissance, but only 40 were delivered and given the US designation F-8 (6 Canadian-built B Mk VII and 34 B Mk XX). Only 16 reached Europe, where 11 were turned over to the RAF and five were sent to Italy. The RAF provided 145 PR Mk XVI aircraft to the Eighth Air Force between 22 April 1944 and the end of the war. These were used for a variety of weather, photographic, and night reconnaissance missions; as chaff dispensers; as scouts for the heavy bomber force; on “Red Stocking” OSS missions; and as H2X Mickey platforms by the 802d Reconnaissance Group (Provisional), later re-named the 25th Bomb Group (Reconnaissance). The 25th BG flew 3,246 sorties and lost 29 PR Mk XVIs on operations.
Goering said of the Mosquito - ‘The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that?’ His radio station in Berlin had just been bombed by a bunch of Mozzies - putting him off the air for over an hour…
A Mosquito IX also holds the record for the most missions flown by any Allied bomber in the Second World War. LR503, “F for Freddie,” first serving with 109 and subsequently 105 Squadron, flew 213 sorties during the war, only to crash on 10 May 1945, two days after VE Day at Calgary airport during a victory tour, an accident attributed to pilot error.
As a night-fighter, beginning its career in May 1942, the NF.Mk. II scored its first kill and until the end of the war, Mosquito night-fighters claimed approximately 600 enemy aircraft, along with 600 V-1 flying bombs. This variant also operated over Malta, Italy, Sicily and North Africa from late 1942 on. The Mosquito NF XII became the first aircraft to carry the highly effective centimetric radar.
Just thought you should know that, strangely enough, them funny ol’ stick in the mud Brits also managed to build something out of plywood every bit as successful as you did.
I ‘wooden wonder’ that you prolly never heard of it, though, Tom Cruise has not yet completed his film about winning the Battle of Britain whilst piloting a squadron of them.
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS
Terry,
Some time lines are “a bit” parochial; very annoying, but a daily occurrence in almost all fields.
OTOH the time line should work for Ray’s requirements, since he probably would like to know those things in respect to what happened in the USA. 
I’ve known about the Mosquito since I was a pup. It is a wonderful airplane. I never understood why the USAAF didn’t adopt it and put the B-17 out to pasture.
I wouldn’t worry about HJ, he goes out of his way to be annoying. It is his religion.
I remember when the building industry finally adopted plywood in the late 50’s or early 60’s. At the time, I thought it was a huge mistake. I am not yet sure that I was wrong.
Steve Featherkile said:
I've known about the Mosquito since I was a pup. It is a wonderful airplane. I never understood why the USAAF didn't adopt it and put the B-17 out to pasture.I wouldn’t worry about HJ, he goes out of his way to be annoying. It is his religion.
I remember when the building industry finally adopted plywood in the late 50’s or early 60’s. At the time, I thought it was a huge mistake. I am not yet sure that I was wrong.
Well Steve,
If I remember correctly I just linked the sources, how parochial they are or aren’t is none of my concern. But if I dig in Swiss Google I’m fully prepared for Swiss results; when I go to what used to be the American Plywood Association then I don’t expect Canadian or British results.
BTW how do you feel about all the other manufactured wood products? I’m always amazed what can be done with modern means, there have been several articles in “Terra Grischuna” - that’s the very eclectic magazine about Graubünden; the place where the RhB looks after efficient transportation - regarding manufactured spans for arenas and bridges. Stuff that was just not feasible using the solid wood method, of course many of the modern methods are off-shoots of the plywood technique.
So, call me a traditionalist.
And, you do not have to go out of your way, as you do.
Yes, there are many uses for manufactured wood products that use wood more efficiently, but, it ain’t the same. Just like the modern lightweight, streamlined passenger cars were an “improvement” over the older heavyweights in every area except providing a comfortable ride for the paying customer.
Steve Featherkile said:
So, call me a traditionalist.And, you do not have to go out of your way, as you do.
Yes, there are many uses for manufactured wood products that use wood more efficiently, but, it ain’t the same. Just like the modern lightweight, streamlined passenger cars were an “improvement” over the older heavyweights in every area except providing a comfortable ride for the paying customer.
Steve,
Greetings from another traditionalist!
However I know for a fact that the modern rolling stock of the RhB is much superior to any of the heavyweights - including the Salon cars! - in any old way I could think of, except one: they don’t have windows that can be opened! Very annoying for railfans!
Other than that; smooth as silk with lots of leg room!
Steve Featherkile said:
So, call me a traditionalist.And, you do not have to go out of your way, as you do.
Yes, there are many uses for manufactured wood products that use wood more efficiently, but, it ain’t the same. Just like the modern lightweight, streamlined passenger cars were an “improvement” over the older heavyweights in every area except providing a comfortable ride for the paying customer.
I know!!..Hold a Convention for Traditionalist Plywood Users.
And termites will be enough of a nusiance, so limit your guest list.
Tac’s very informative comments on the Mosquito —may I be allowed to add a little to them without detracting from his valuable comments ?
As Tac also knows , it wasn’t just piano factories that turned out the Mossie , our local Coop pram factory quietly turned out Mossies in CKD form ,
we saw them daily—or their outline under tarps—exiting the factory gates . Birmingham , England , 1942-45. Not very far from that other famous aircraft’s manufactury , the Spitfire of Castle Bromwich . They were made there along with Lancasters ,the only aircraft to ever successfully use the Grand Slam 10 ton bomb against targets in mainland europe . No other aircraft had a big enough bomb bay , even then , it was carried partly external .
The comment about evil weevils in wood prompts me to remember the reason for our stopping using Mosquitoes out in the Far East . A form of “super bug” that could survive in 103 octane fuel played havoc with the fuel tanks .
Other wooden wonders --the Hornet , by De Haviland . Last used on 80 Sqdn , Hong Kong ,1955 .
And coincidentally , the last Venoms in service were used at Sek Kong by 28 Sqdn , Hong Kong . So , wassa Venom ? A jet fighter by De Haviland ,
a twin boom beastie with a wooden fuselage . Ran rings round Mig 15’s which came too near . Mind you , the Migs were very fast in the dive .
Mike
Addendum to Mike’s notes on the Mosquito - it was also noted for delamination in the Far East due to the glue becoming unglued. This led to a whole new line of development of area of specialist adhesives, eventually leading to the epoxy resin-based stuff we all know and love. I remember mixing up stuff called Redux when I was making repairs to an old glider many moons ago - it was used to hold all manner of bits together on airframes.
And for the UK readers - the [in]famous furniture dealers, MFI, famed for their ‘Chippenwood’ styling, got their name from what they did during WW2 - MFI = Mosquito Fabrication Industries.
Best wishes
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS
WW2 was the big break plywood needed. prior to that it was an uncommon material despite much promoting, it just wasnt really any use until it was manufactured with waterproof adhesive just prior to WW2. Then it was used everywhere!
Besides the DeHaviland Mosquito:
Prefab buildings,
Landing craft,
Lifeboats, and perhaps one of the most famous plywood boats…
PT 109 was made of Plywood, as were most of the various Patrol Torpedo boats
After WW2 plywood was successfully marketed to the construction and furniture industry, by the 1950s it was an integral part of the building world, Architect Richard Nuetra built an all plywood house in the 1950s, and Frank Lloyd Wright was using plywood as the core material in the walls of his Usonian houses during the 40’s and 50’s.
Welding also experienced a tremendous increase in use after WW2, mostly due to the widespread use in shipyards to increase production over the older rivet method of ship construction, literally 1000s of highly skilled welders were loosed on the marketplace, they began using their skills in all manors of fabrication.
All of the houses on my block were built by the same master builder, on speculation. He used his own money to build the home, in the hope that someone would buy it. As I recall, they were always sold before the foundations were finished.
My home, at least the one I grew up in, was the last one to be built without using plywood or drywall. It even has lath and plaster walls, at least on the main floor, which was the only finished floor when we moved in. My sister an I had to bunk in the basement.
I remember Al, the builder, telling my father how much he distrusted this new fangled plywood stuff, but it was cheaper and went up faster. His hope was that it wouldn’t come apart and he would have to rebuild the house. All of the homes are still there, so I guess his fears were unfounded.