Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2017	Feb. 29, 2016	Feb. 28, 2017	Feb. 29, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 258,869	$ 263,289	$ 524,662	$ 568,300
Cost of products sold	171,543	172,259	344,269	368,709
Gross profit	87,326	91,030	180,393	199,591
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	66,957	67,172	135,561	140,083
Amortization of intangible assets	5,069	5,880	10,330	11,779
Restructuring Charges	2,101	3,582	5,048	7,962
Asset Impairment Charges	0	186,511	0	186,511
Director & officer transition charges	0	0	7,784	0
Operating profit (loss)	13,199	(172,115)	21,670	(146,744)
Financing costs, net	7,334	6,866	14,467	13,982
Intercompany (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany Dividends	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	591	235	(38)	855
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	5,274	(179,216)	7,241	(161,581)
Income tax expense (benefit)	200	(20,026)	(2,798)	(17,839)
Net earnings (loss) before equity in (loss) earnings of subsidiaries	5,074	(159,190)	10,039	(143,742)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	5,074	(159,190)	10,039	(143,742)
Comprehensive income (loss)	8,185	(173,341)	(12,972)	(178,827)
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	34,953	32,399	66,682	67,089
Cost of products sold	10,049	12,077	17,143	19,248
Gross profit	24,904	20,322	49,539	47,841
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	18,553	17,117	36,520	36,877
Amortization of intangible assets	318	318	636	636
Restructuring Charges	372	79	727	957
Asset Impairment Charges		0		0
Director & officer transition charges			7,784
Operating profit (loss)	5,661	2,808	3,872	9,371
Financing costs, net	7,430	7,308	14,756	14,763
Intercompany (income) expense, net	(7,882)	(5,465)	(12,950)	(11,294)
Intercompany Dividends	0	0	0	0
Other expense (income), net	(48)	200	2,037	603
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	6,161	765	29	5,299
Income tax expense (benefit)	151	(1,648)	(2,563)	(1,057)
Net earnings (loss) before equity in (loss) earnings of subsidiaries	6,010	2,413	2,592	6,356
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(936)	(161,603)	7,447	(150,098)
Net earnings (loss)	5,074	(159,190)	10,039	(143,742)
Comprehensive income (loss)	8,185	(173,341)	(12,972)	(178,827)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	80,973	84,099	165,249	185,040
Cost of products sold	61,821	61,815	123,237	134,153
Gross profit	19,152	22,284	42,012	50,887
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	16,549	17,309	33,185	35,839
Amortization of intangible assets	2,918	3,336	5,994	6,644
Restructuring Charges	441	2,446	1,164	2,568
Asset Impairment Charges		49,012		49,012
Director & officer transition charges			0
Operating profit (loss)	(756)	(49,819)	1,669	(43,176)
Financing costs, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany (income) expense, net	11,242	(1,072)	10,156	(6,897)
Intercompany Dividends	(4,258)	0	(59,401)	0
Other expense (income), net	(4)	(28)	(74)	31
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	(7,736)	(48,719)	50,988	(36,310)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(667)	(1,000)	(697)	657
Net earnings (loss) before equity in (loss) earnings of subsidiaries	(7,069)	(47,719)	51,685	(36,967)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	8,057	(97,943)	13,682	(95,069)
Net earnings (loss)	988	(145,662)	65,367	(132,036)
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,324	(162,285)	47,616	(160,882)
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	142,943	146,791	292,731	316,171
Cost of products sold	99,673	98,367	203,889	215,308
Gross profit	43,270	48,424	88,842	100,863
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	31,855	32,746	65,856	67,367
Amortization of intangible assets	1,833	2,226	3,700	4,499
Restructuring Charges	1,288	1,057	3,157	4,437
Asset Impairment Charges		137,499		137,499
Director & officer transition charges			0
Operating profit (loss)	8,294	(125,104)	16,129	(112,939)
Financing costs, net	(96)	(442)	(289)	(781)
Intercompany (income) expense, net	(3,360)	6,537	2,794	18,191
Intercompany Dividends	0	(5,338)	0	(5,338)
Other expense (income), net	643	63	(2,001)	221
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	11,107	(125,924)	15,625	(125,232)
Income tax expense (benefit)	716	(17,378)	462	(17,439)
Net earnings (loss) before equity in (loss) earnings of subsidiaries	10,391	(108,546)	15,163	(107,793)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(268)	229	2,862	2,087
Net earnings (loss)	10,123	(108,317)	18,025	(105,706)
Comprehensive income (loss)	12,828	(106,174)	13,459	(112,155)
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0	0
Asset Impairment Charges		0		0
Director & officer transition charges			0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Financing costs, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany Dividends	4,258	5,338	59,401	5,338
Other expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	(4,258)	(5,338)	(59,401)	(5,338)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) before equity in (loss) earnings of subsidiaries	(4,258)	(5,338)	(59,401)	(5,338)
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(6,853)	259,317	(23,991)	243,080
Net earnings (loss)	(11,111)	253,979	(83,392)	237,742
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (14,152)	$ 268,459	$ (61,075)	$ 273,037