Woody Wagon Exhibit in June at the Dubois County Museum

Jasper seems a long way away from Detroit and the car industry, but from 1948-1951 Jasper’s own, Jasper Wood Products, was turning out wooden panels for the Ford Station Wagon, Mercury Wagon and similar products for the Chrysler Corporation.

An exhibit, featuring a scale model of the Woody Wagon, will be on display at the Dubois County Museum during the month of June only.

Reynold “Lenny” Knust, and his brother, Clarence, worked the presses that formed the wooden right and left back fender panels, back, and the front right and left door panels for the vehicle.Glenn Gramelspacher started in 1950 and was a plant engineer.

Lenny Knust and Gramelspacher said that model sizes for the forms were supplied by the Ford Motor Co. and the doors were formed by a radio-frequency generator press, applying pressure to five pieces of veneer to form waterproof molded plywood. Melamine adhesive glue was used.

The radio-frequency bonding press was so powerful that one day a car drove up to the factory and a government official stepped out. He had an instrument in his car that directed him to the factory and showed that the presses were interfering with the wartime military radar system. The factory had to enclose the entire department with copper or screening to completely surround the room.

Mr. Knust and Gramelspacher remember that African mahogany was on the outside with the grain running the long way, then gum running perpendicular, then elm the long way, then gum perpendicular again, then poplar the long way. Knust said that there were two presses with a Thermax machine set in between the two presses. Three panels were made at a time in one press and then a worker went to the next press.

The Thermax machine was electronic and was used to heat, cure the glue and make the curvature of the panels with air pressure bags.

Lenny laughed over how a maintenance worker carrying a four foot florescent light bulb would see the bulb light up when it came near the machine.

Owners of the Woody vehicle had to maintain the wood veneer much like wooden boat owners had. Car dealers were supplied with replacement wood in the event the wood needed replacing. Few kept replacement parts and dealers eventually threw away the replacements.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00-2:00pm, Saturday from 10:00-4:00pm and Sunday 1:00-4:00pm. Closed on Monday. The Dubois County Museum is a local non profit organization committed to the collection, preservation and interpretation of historical artifacts and information important to the citizens of the county. Museum operations are funded by annual memberships, donations and gifts from visitors, area residents and businesses. Admission is free; donations are accepted. The DCM staff consists entirely of volunteers. It is located in Jasper at 2704 N. Newton Street (US231). Call (812) 634-7733. Please allow two hours to view exhibits. Visit the museum web site at http://www.duboiscountymuseum.org.