Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017	Feb. 28, 2018	Feb. 28, 2017	Aug. 31, 2017
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained Earnings, effects of Tax Act	$ 1,000,000		$ 517,000	$ 0
Book Overdrafts	20,000,000		20,000,000		$ 21,000,000
Income from Joint Ventures	106,000	$ 2,220,000	556,000	2,632,000
Cost Method Investment, Original Cost		6,000,000		6,000,000
Cost Method Investment, Carrying Value	6,000,000		6,000,000		6,000,000
Cash, FDIC Insured Amount	250,000		250,000
Customer Issued Letters Of Credit	$ 84,000,000		84,000,000		$ 48,000,000
Cascade Steel and Scrap
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Accelerated Depreciation (less than $1 million for 2017)			1,000,000	1,000,000
Gain on Sale of Previously Impaired Assets			$ 1,000,000
Corporate Joint Venture
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Joint Venture, Gain on Disposition of Assets		6,000,000
Gain on Disposition of Assets from Joint Venture		3,000,000
Joint Venture, Revenue		0		0
Joint Venture, Gross Profit (Loss)		0		0
Joint Venture, Net Income (Loss)		6,000,000		6,000,000
Income from Joint Ventures		$ 3,000,000		$ 3,000,000