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HowItsMade

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{ "things": [ "Fireplace Bellows", "Calissons", "Diving Watercraft" ] }

[ "Today, on \"how it's made\"...", "Somewhere back in time, somebody was blowing on a fire to get it started and wondered if there were a way to do it without hyperventilating.", "A lot of people must have had this idea because different kinds of bellows can be found across the ancient world from egypt to asia.", "In the auvergne region of central france, this manufacturer has been building classic fireplace bellows since 1895 using high-quality beechwood and leather sourced nearby.", "An artisan starts by selecting a template from a range of sizes and shapes.", "He traces an outline on a piece of wood.", "He uses a band saw to cut the rough outline of the shape to prepare for the next step.", "A craftsman then places a stack of three rough-cut shapes on top of a master prototype and clamps the stack in place.", "A large bearing slides up against the master prototype and, by following it, guides a specialized cutting tool around the perimeter of the stack.", "The operation quickly and precisely reduces the three pieces of wood to exactly the required dimensions.", "This purpose-built mechanism undertakes a three-step operation.", "A drill pierces a hole in the narrow end while a second drill opens three holes underneath.", "A circular saw quickly slices partway through the neck of the piece.", "A craftsman then uses a rotary tool to easily cut a decorative pattern of concentric circles into one side of the wood.", "A cutting blade positioned at precisely the right height allows an artisan to slice a beveled groove partway around the perimeter of the wood to the required depth.", "A craftsman uses a powerful band saw to divide the wood in half along the groove line all the way up to the cut across the neck.", "The wooden components are now ready for the finished process.", "An artisan dunks the components in a tub of stain and places them on a shelf to dry.", "She keeps each pair of components together while separating them slightly to ensure they don't stick together.", "Once the stain has dried, the artisan buffs the outer surfaces of the components on a buffing wheel to make the wood smooth.", "She then carefully positions the components on a table and sprays them thoroughly with a protective layer of varnish.", "Once the varnish has cured, a craftsperson can begin assembly by creating the valve that covers the intake hole.", "She installs a rounded length of wire, stapling it in such a way as to create enough tension for the wire to act as a spring.", "This step completes the interior of the bellows.", "An artisan can now bring the two halves of the bellows together.", "She starts by wrapping a precut piece of locally sourced sheep's leather around one handle and attaching the leather in place with small nails.", "Carefully hammering a series of closely-spaced upholstery tacks at regular intervals secures the leather to the perimeter edge of one half of the bellows.", "The artisan can now attach the second half by repeating the operation on the other side of the leather.", "Adding a thin strip of leather along the tack line will help prevent any ripping or tearing.", "The artisan uses a section of precut leather to form the hinge necessary for the proper functioning of the bellows.", "The size, position, and tack pattern must all be precise in order for the tool to open and close smoothly and easily.", "The artisan trims off any excess lengths of leather.", "Finally, she installs the nozzle.", "Making a dent with a tool called a punch prepares the site for a nail which secures the nozzle in place.", "The completed bellows function perfectly.", "This simple, finely crafted tool is built to help start warm fires for years to come.", "Calissons are a traditional french candy made of almonds, candied melon, and orange peel topped with a thin layer of hard, typically white, icing.", "Calissons are the specialty of the city of aix-en-provence in the provence region of southern france.", "The calisson was created in france in the mid-15th century in honor of the wedding of king rene of anjou and queen jeanne of laval.", "The confection became the specialty of provence, the region of southern france known for its almond orchards.", "Inside the greenish hull is a hard shell.", "Inside that shell is the edible almond seed.", "The almonds arrive at the workshop dried for conservation and their brown skin removed.", "The first step in the production is to rehydrate the almonds with steam for about 10 minutes so that they can be worked into a paste.", "Once the almonds' moisture content is increased by 2 to 4%, the almonds pass over a vibrating screen to drain any water resulting from steam condensation.", "Meanwhile, this cauldron heats up liquid beet sugar.", "France is one of the world's largest sugar beet producers, so high-quality beet sugar is readily available.", "Workers transfer the hydrated almonds to a grinder and add candied fruit-- 95% melon and 5% orange peel.", "This flavor is the 500-year-old traditional recipe.", "Workers grind the ingredients for about 10 minutes until everything is thoroughly blended into a coarse paste.", "The paste drops onto a conveyor belt, which transfers it to a kneading machine into which workers add the hot liquid beet sugar and natural almond oil made from bitter almonds.", "Kneading blends the ingredients and smoothes the texture of the paste.", "A worker boxes the calisson paste and sets it aside for three days to let the sugar mature and stabilize.", "Calissons are topped with an ever-so-thin layer of royal icing.", "Unlike creamy icings, royal icing is as hard as a rock to make it, a worker combines icing sugar and whipped egg whites passed through a strainer.", "A mixer beats the ingredients until the mixture is thick and smooth, which typically takes about 10 minutes.", "After 3 days of rest, the paste is ready to be worked.", "Shaping and decorating the calissons is a specialized task entrusted to these experienced artisans called \"calissonaires\".", "First, they place slices of paste in a press and load a mold underneath.", "They cover the mold with a wafer -thin sheet of unleavened bread.", "Then, the press piston descends, forcing the paste, with the bread layer underneath, into the mold.", "They skim off the excess paste, then fold the stencil over the mold and apply the layer of royal icing.", "They lift off the stencil and push the buttons which activate the mold pistons.", "Each piston pierces the base of a calisson and lifts it out of the mold.", "Finally, they remove the calissons with combs designed to fit around the pistons.", "A 10-minute trip through a tunnel oven set at low temperature bakes the royal icing to a hard and shiny state.", "Cameras record the position of the calissons as they exit the oven, guiding a robotic arm to pick up 160 per minute and place them in plastic trays.", "The next machine seals each tray with plastic film to preserve freshness.", "There's also a gift box format for which a worker hand-fills plastic trays designed to fit lozenge-shaped metal boxes.", "These traditional calissons contain a candied fruit content of at least 30%, the melon being a variety cultivated in the region of provence.", "However, if your taste buds are the type that buck tradition, today, you can enjoy a wide selection of other fashionable flavors such as clementine and cocoa bean or raspberry and matcha green tea.", "This new generation of personal watercraft is something entirely different.", "It does more than skim the surface.", "This watercraft dives underwater and can remain submerged at a depth of three feet or more for up to a minute.", "It also leaps into the air and rolls with the waves.", "This watercraft is painted to look like a vintage fighter jet, and it rolls and dives like one in the water.", "A worker sprays a gel coat into a mold for the main body.", "This gel will become the shiny surface of the completed fiberglass part.", "Once the gel coat has hardened, a worker brushes a vinyl ester resin onto it.", "This resin is known for its water resistance.", "He switches from a brush to a roller as he generally applies the resin to the hardened gel coat.", "The crew then drapes what's called chopped-strand mat over the mold.", "This fabric is made of long strands of fiberglass.", "The binder in it dissolves on contact with the resin, causing the fabric to soften to the contours of the mold.", "After trimming the excess material, the crew completely saturates the strand mat with more resin.", "Rolling it on firmly gets rid of air bubbles.", "The top half of the main body mold has been lined the same way.", "They now bolt a dorsal fin mold to the back on the top half of the mold.", "The crew now joins the two halves of the mold.", "As a crane lowers the top to the bottom, workers ensure they line up perfectly.", "And they lock these two main molds together with bolts.", "A worker enters through the cockpit opening to roll on more resin.", "Meanwhile, another member of the crew pulls two sheets of fiberglass fabric onto a cutting machine.", "The top fabric is a strong, tightly woven fiberglass, and the bottom one is the chopped-strand mat.", "Automated blades cut the fiberglass to various shapes and dimensions, each one designed for a different part of the diving vessel mold.", "These large rectangles will be used to mold the sides of the watercraft.", "After folding up the pieces, the worker hands them over to the fiberglass technician.", "The technician has just an hour to apply the fiberglass before the recently applied resin starts to harden.", "He builds up eight layers and completely saturates each one with more resin.", "While the thicker fiberglass material provides strength, the thinner chopped-strand mat aids adhesion and helps the fabrics conform to the mold.", "After a 3-hour cure, workers have a solid, seamless fuselage.", "The crane lifts the fuselage out of the mold and moves it onto a dolly where it will stay while the team works on the other parts of the watercraft.", "The cone-shaped front bumper is next.", "The worker uses only three layers of fiberglass to make it because this bumper is meant to collapse in the event of a collision.", "For that reason, the part is also known as the vessel's sacrificial nose.", "At another station, crew members line fin-shaped molds with fiberglass and then pour liquefied plastic into the cavity.", "Once cured, the plastic will anchor the top of a steel wing shaft in the fin.", "A worker presses the shaft into the liquefied plastic with the end protruding from the fin.", "A second mold, also lined with fiberglass and filled with a plastic core, goes on top.", "The team bolts it together and leaves the part to cure.", "The fins will ultimately be supported by a triangular scaffold made of aluminum square tubing.", "The worker clamps the scaffold framework to a worktable to stabilize the framework as he welds it together.", "He then welds the scaffold tower to the base.", "The worker drills holes for the bushings that will be used to attach the fins to the scaffold.", "Stay tuned for more as the team prepares this personal diving watercraft for its maiden voyage.", "This personal watercraft leaps, dives, and barrel-rolls with the waves.", "But it doesn't capsize.", "It's been engineered to return to an upright position in the water.", "And when it comes to the fun factor, this diving watercraft leaves other recreational boats in its wake.", "To make the diving watercraft's passenger cabin, a worker sprays a gel coat onto a form and covers it with fiberglass.", "A computer-driven router then carves into marine-grade plywood to produce structural backing for the sides of the cockpit.", "A worker slathers adhesive putty onto the plywood part and applies more adhesive to the fiberglass cockpit.", "He presses the plywood to the glued areas of the cockpit and brushes resin onto the front of the plywood.", "After cutting the cockpit section in two, the crew glues the parts to the inside of the fuselage.", "The fabricating team applies adhesive putty to the cone-shaped bumper known as the sacrificial nose.", "They slide it onto the front of the fuselage and the screw the bumper in place temporarily while the adhesive sets.", "Another worker sands all the fiberglass parts of the watercraft to remove bumps and blemishes.", "This piece is the engine hatch.", "The team bolts the aluminum scaffold to the floor of the fuselage.", "This is a test fit to confirm that the dimensions are exactly right.", "As they installed the scaffold, the used dummy wing shafts to correctly position it within the vessel.", "They confirm that the dimensions are right and that the scaffold sits plumb to the base of the watercraft.", "The next team inserts the hatch frame and the rim around the cockpit.", "They'll bond the frame in place later with a liquid plastic and adhesive putty.", "After priming the sanded surface of the watercraft, team members lower the 300-horsepower engine into the hatch.", "This is a dry fit to confirm everything lines up correctly.", "They'll eventually remove the engine for the final paint and artwork.", "As the dry fit continues, they connect the air tubes to the snorkel fins that deliver air to the engine.", "The engine hatch has, by now, also been primed, and they fit it to the diving watercraft's main body.", "The crew verifies that the hatch sits flush with the rest of the fuselage.", "A worker installs the exhaust outlet into the hole at the rear of the watercraft.", "Crew members slide elevator fins into bushings at the back.", "These fins will control the pitch axis of the watercraft.", "Next, they install the jet propulsion system.", "Back to the cockpit, the crew bolts the control pedals to the floor and run cables to the jet propulsion unit, the elevator fins, and the steering system.", "They reinstall the dive fin scaffold, which has been powder coated in a yellow color.", "The crew connects the dive fins to the scaffold.", "They situate the control panel just above the control pedals.", "They run a metal linkage from the dive fins to a control stick.", "They then test the control stick and confirm it moves the dive planes easily and correctly.", "Bucket seats made of lightweight carbon fiber minimize the load for added speed.", "They tuck a rubber gasket into the framework for the clear canopy that will surround the occupants.", "They add a bead of sealant where the gasket mates to the window frame.", "The vessel canopy is made of thick aircraft-grade acrylic.", "It's been tinted to repel the sun's rays and keep the temperature cooler in the cockpit.", "The back canopy serves as a hatch for accessing the cockpit.", "Finally, an artist does a custom paint job and makes the fuselage look fierce.", "With the mechanical components reinstalled, this diving watercraft is ready to hit the water.", "Fasten your seatbelt.", "It should be quite a ride." ]

{ "things": [ "Thermoplastic Fire Helmets", "Basketry Sculptures", "Coffee Roasters" ] }

[ "Thermoplastic fire helmets are lightweight, but that doesn't mean they aren't tough.", "Because of their chemical composition, these plastic helmets remain sturdy, even when exposed to temperatures of over 500 degrees fahrenheit.", "Developed in the 1970s, the helmets have become standard issue at many fire stations.", "There are few situations more dangerous than entering a burning building.", "Thermoplastic fire helmets weigh substantially less than other alternatives.", "These helmets are one piece of equipment that won't slow down the rescue mission.", "Production starts with a special blend of thermoplastic pellets.", "A vacuum pulls the pellets into a hopper.", "The pellets then flow into an injection-molding machine.", "It melts and molds the pellets into the shape of a fire helmet.", "A robot retrieves the helmet and transfers it to a cooling station.", "A worker then clips off plastic that solidified as it flowed through a channel and into the mold.", "This unwanted bit is called sprue.", "She wipes off fingerprints and inspects the condition of the helmet shell.", "The next worker trims the brim to remove excess plastic that formed when the mold closed.", "For this process, he uses a blade with a curved edge.", "Next, he applies reflective strips that will allow the firefighter to be seen in the dark.", "He drills holes for attaching either goggles or face shields.", "And the worker adds a last reflective strip.", "He screws a support plate for the i.d. shield to the front of the helmet shell.", "He uses plastic screws rather than metal because metal is electrically conductive and would put the firefighter at risk in the event of electrical sparking during a fire.", "Another worker now applies labels to the inside of the helmet shell.", "The labels indicate that this model of fire helmet is in compliance with the safety requirements.", "The worker inserts high-density foam padding in the helmet shell.", "The padded cap will cushion the wearer from the force of an impact.", "This web of straps will serve as a suspension liner and will also support the helmet on the wearer's head.", "Another worker installs a ratchet system for adjusting the fit of the liner to the firefighter's head.", "Positioned at the nape of the neck, the firefighter can turn the knob to pull the suspension web tighter.", "Attachments on the suspension liner fit into sockets on the helmet to lock it in place.", "He fastens the chin strap to the helmet by wrapping the ends around molded struts on both sides of the shell.", "The chin strap has a quick-release button in the event that the firefighter has to remove the helmet fast.", "Another worker now folds up flame-resistant earflaps.", "The flaps are equipped with hooked and looped fastening strips that fit to the helmet.", "He sets the earflaps aside while he inserts snaps for goggles into brackets on the helmet.", "He screws the snaps snugly to the helmet.", "The worker then wraps the fire-and-fog-resistant goggles around the helmet and snaps them to it.", "He tucks the maintenance instructions into the helmet, followed by the folded earflaps.", "This thermoplastic fire helmet is now complete, but there's still one last bit of official business.", "The worker screws the large leather i.d. shield to the support plate.", "The shield bears the name of the fire department and a symbol that denotes rank.", "This fire helmet is now ready for duty.", "It will be one of the first things the firefighter reaches for when he or she gets an emergency call.", "Contemporary artists are challenging our perception of basketry.", "Focusing on form rather than function, artisans are weaving grasses and other fibers into sculptural art.", "These basketry sculptures usually aren't meant to contain anything.", "Instead, they're meant to capture and hold our attention.", "Is it art, or is it a basket?", "A basketry sculpture is both.", "It celebrates the tradition of the craft while elevating basketry to an art form.", "Materials for a basketry sculpture can include a mix of thing, from natural fibers, to metallic pieces, wire, and beads.", "Soaking fibers like palm-tree strands in hot water will soften them and make the fibers flexible enough for weaving, but they won't lose their interesting crinkly texture.", "About two hours in, the artist checks the suppleness of the fibers.", "They can now be bent without breaking, but they need a bit more softening up.", "So she covers the fibers with plastic and leaves them to soak a little longer.", "She turns her attention to the sculpture's centerpiece, which will be made of copper.", "She draws a design onto the copper's protective plastic liner.", "Using metal shears, she cuts out the shape.", "The artist peels off the plastic liner that has protected the copper, revealing the glossy, untarnished surface.", "She now places the copper above a bag full of small pellets and pounds it using a nylon mallet.", "This process gives the copper an aged, hammered texture.", "She gives some areas on the other side the same treatment.", "The hammering also bowls out the profile of the piece.", "Using a marker, the artist draws a line about 1/3 of an inch in from the edge.", "She marks dots onto this newly defined border, spacing them evenly apart.", "She then punches holes through all the dots, using a lever-operated drill press.", "She cuts out the space between the holes, and this process creates separate tabs for each hole.", "The artisan now bends back the tabs, following the marked line.", "The application of a clear powder coat prevents tarnishing.", "After a few hours, the palm strands are now sufficiently softened.", "She retrieves the strands from the hot-water soak and sets them aside.", "The artist returns to the copper centerpiece and begins to weave, starting with rattan reeds that have also soaked to make them more pliable.", "She pulls the reeds through the tabs and intercrosses them so that they fan out in two directions.", "She then braids cotton string against the centerpiece.", "This creates a neat and sturdy border all the way around.", "She clips clothespins to the rattan to hold the braided border in place against the centerpiece.", "She then trims the ends of the strings.", "Next, the artist weaves rattan reeds parallel to the cotton braid, entwining them with the reeds that extend outward.", "She creates one row of these rigid fibers for structure.", "She's now ready for the palm strands.", "After the soaking, the strands remain soft and pliable for many hours, so she doesn't have to rush the work.", "As she continues, she alternates rows of palm and rattan fibers.", "The different textures add visual interest to the basketry sculpture.", "It will take two months to complete this work.", "When the basketry work is done, the artist takes the piece outside and airbrushes them with acrylic paint.", "She sometimes relies on a metal template to more evenly define the paint border.", "It's the finishing touch to the basketry sculpture, and now it's up to the public to understand the story that the artist has woven.", "The earliest tools for roasting coffee beans were pans you would hold over hot coals or an open fire, but, today, coffee roasting is a far more sophisticated process, using large, often fully automated machines with built-in gas burners that heat air to roast the beans.", "This coffee roaster is both programmable and manually adjustable by touch panel.", "The roast master can tailor the temperature and roasting time to influence flavor, acidity, and other characteristics of coffee.", "To shape the roast chamber, workers feed a sheet of stainless steel through a sheet-metal roll.", "The roast chamber is the drum in which the beans roast by convection heat.", "The next step is to weld the rolled sheet into a cylinder.", "Then workers grind and polish the welds until they're flat, smooth, and shiny.", "Another worker makes the cooling tray in a similar way, but with a support band welded to the top.", "The cooling tray is the drum into which the hot beans drop when they exit the roast chamber.", "Stirring arms circulate the beans as a fan draws air through the tray to cool the hot beans.", "Certain parts of the roaster are cut from a stainless-steel sheet.", "Stainless steel is the ideal material not only because it's stylish, but also because it's durable and corrosion-resistant.", "This computer-guided laser cutter is slicing out a safety component called the heat shield, which prevents the roast master from accidentally touching a hot surface.", "The heat shield, like many other parts cut from stainless-steel sheets, has to be formed to a very precise shape.", "A worker bends angles and curves into the metal with a press brake.", "Another component, the trier, lets you draw a sample of beans during roasting.", "A craftsman constructs the trier by welding various smaller parts to a piece of stainless-steel tube, then meticulously grinding and polishing the welds until they're smooth.", "This high-pressure water-jet cutter also cuts parts from stainless-steel sheets.", "This component is one of six flights, which is part of the paddle that lifts and mixes the beans inside the roast chamber so that they roast evenly.", "To form the flights to the required shape, a worker curves them one at a time in a press.", "Next, the welder places all the paddle components into a specialized fixture, which positions them correctly.", "First, he aligns the spokes to the paddle shaft.", "Then he welds the parts in place.", "He positions the flights, clamps them securely, and welds them on.", "The combination of inner and outer flights lifts the beans into the airflow, ensuring the beans roast evenly.", "A custom-designed grinding machine hones the flights to produce a small clearance of around 1/10 of an inch between the edge of the paddle and the wall of the roast chamber.", "This design ensures the paddle is wide enough to pick up every last coffee bean without touching the wall while rotating.", "Once they install the paddle, a worker closes up the roast chamber with a faceplate.", "Alignment pins ensure the faceplate is properly positioned.", "The paddle shaft protrudes through a bearing in the faceplate.", "The assembly team uses a hoist to lift the heavy chamber and position it on top of the coffee roaster's stainless-steel support frame.", "They install the heat shield that was cut by the laser cutter and bent to shape in the press brake.", "On top, the assembly team mounts the machine's funnel-shaped hopper.", "The hopper feeds the unroasted coffee beans to the roast chamber below.", "The hopper's lid has a tube, which connects to a vacuum system that draws the coffee beans up through a plastic hose.", "On the front of the roasting chamber, an assembler hangs a hinged discharge door that has a viewing window.", "He plugs in a sensor that measures the temperature of the beans in the roasting chamber and sends that information to the machine's computer.", "More to come after this coffee break.", "This coffee-roasting machine has three additional temperature sensors that send data to the computer.", "These sensors measure the temperature of the air entering and exiting the roast chamber and the temperature of the clean air exhausting from the machine after the burner incinerates the smoke generated by the roasting process.", "Workers continue assembly by installing the cooling tray beneath the discharge door of the roasting chamber.", "The cooling tray sits on a support frame, which contains a motor that turns the stirring arms inside the tray.", "At the back of the machine, a worker installs the tray's cooling fan and the motor that drives it.", "This gauge measures the pressure of the air that mixes with the gas going into the machine's burner.", "Next, they install the circulation fan.", "The fan is designed to withstand high heat and move air efficiently throughout the coffee roaster.", "The bottom end of this stainless-steel tube connects to a vacuum motor.", "The top end connects to the tube protruding from the feed hopper's lid.", "To fill the roasting chamber, the vacuum motor sucks the raw green coffee beans up into the hopper, which drops the beans into the chamber, where, as they roast, their papery skin, called the chaff, breaks off.", "This separating device, known as a cyclone, connects to the circulation fan.", "The fan blows hot air returning from the roasting chamber into the cyclone at high velocity.", "The air circulates in a downward spiral past the burner at the base of the cyclone, incinerating the smoke.", "This also draws the chaff out of the air into a barrel.", "Nozzles spray water on the chaff to prevent it from catching fire, which is a common hazard with traditional coffee roasters.", "The circulation fan then forces the clean, hot air up and out the top of the cyclone, through this \"s\"-shaped, insulated air duct, back into the roasting chamber.", "A technician in the factory's electrical department assembles the machine's control panel.", "Among other components, the circuitry runs control systems and the machine's six electric motors, which operate moving parts, such as the bean-drawing vacuum motor, the circulation fan, the cooling-tray fan, the roasting-chamber paddle, and cooling-tray stirring arms.", "Workers then install the control panel in a cabinet on the side of the machine.", "They connect all the wires.", "They mount the machine's computer adjacent to the control-panel cabinet.", "Next, a worker assembles the cooling-tray system.", "A motor under the tray drives the stirring arms.", "The hot roasted coffee beans sit on top of the stainless-steel screen.", "The cooling fan pulls ambient air through the beans, down through the openings of the screen, then out an exhaust pipe to the outdoors.", "The stirring arms move the beans around so that they cool quickly and evenly, which prevents the beans from continuing to roast.", "The factory runs every finished coffee roaster through multiple test roasts.", "After heating the roast chamber to a specific temperature, the operator uses the touch screen to release the beans into the chamber.", "The hot air travels from the cyclone to the roast chamber, then through a return pipe back to the cyclone, where it's cleaned and sent back to the chamber.", "To know when to manually end the roast cycle, the operator views, smells, and listens to the beans.", "That's because coffee beans make crackling noises as they expand and shed their chaff.", "The machine can also be set to end the roast cycle automatically when the beans reach their target temperature.", "A trapdoor opens to draw in ambient air.", "This cooler air pushes smoke in the roasting chamber up to the cyclone for incineration.", "The computer can automatically open the roast chamber's discharge door, or the operator can do so manually.", "As soon as the roasted coffee beans drop into the cooling tray, the stirring arms and cooling fan automatically start up.", "If the beans are perfectly roasted, the machine is ready to be shipped to a coffee-roasting business." ]

{ "things": [ "Swords", "Pontoons", "Grandfather Clocks", "Fuses" ] }

[ "Swords.", "Pontoons.", "Grandfather clocks.", "And fuses.", "For thousands of years, wars were won and lost by the sword.", "Swords helped shape history.", "Today, modern artisans craft historical replicas of these age-old weapons, and they go to the hilt to make sure the details are just right.", "This reproduction of a medieval sword hearkens back to the days of knights in shining armor.", "The first step to making a sword is to place a piece of high-carbon steel in a fixture.", "Computer-guided blades carve out the basic shape of the sword with all the specifications of the original.", "Centuries ago, a blacksmith would have done this painstaking job by hand, but this machine is much faster and creates a much more consistent cut.", "After about an hour of carving, a nicely tapered sword blank emerges.", "The blank is submerged in hot liquid salt-- a critical step that softens the steel to eliminate stresses created by the carving.", "Next, the blade is plunged into cool liquid in a process called quenching.", "It immediately hardens the edges of the sword, but the center cools more slowly.", "This allows the sword to retain flexibility, giving the blade a springy quality.", "Using a belt grinder, sword makers fine-tune the blade's shape and hone its edges.", "The blade is now incredibly sharp.", "To test its strength, they strike a metal barrel with it.", "Incredibly, the sword doesn't chip.", "Next, wax is pumped into molds to make historically accurate copies of the hilt parts like the pommel-- which is the counterweight at the end of the hilt-- and the guard that separates the blade from the handle.", "These wax copies are used to cast the parts in metal.", "Then the cast-metal pieces are smoothed and polished.", "They smooth away the rough edges on this sword guard and hone its profile.", "Grinding the pommel is a challenge, because it has so many curves and angles.", "One mistake, and the pommel could end up lopsided, which means it wouldn't be very effective as a counterweight.", "With the blade in a padded vise, the guard slides onto the tang, where it's cushioned with a piece of plastic and a metal pipe.", "Then a sledgehammer pounds it into position.", "Next, the pommel is hammered into place.", "And finally, a small piece of steel called a peen block is slipped on.", "Heat from a torch softens the peen so it spreads as it's hammered down.", "The epoxy gets a quick stir.", "Then it's applied to two wooden grips as well as to the handle of the sword.", "Then the grips are clamped into place.", "Next, black dye is brushed onto a thin piece of leather.", "The other side is coated with glue.", "This glue-and-dye-drenched leather is then wrapped around the wooden handle.", "It's bound with cord to compress the leather wrap while it dries.", "Now it's time to brand the blade with the maker's insignia.", "Chemicals etch the mark into the steel .", "4 of an inch deep.", "And now you have a replica that's true to the medieval original-- a piece of art that takes you back in time at swordpoint.", "Coming up, putting together the pieces of a pontoon boat.", "Party barge, floating bridge, luxury raft-- just some of the many functions of pontoon boats.", "While their basic design hasn't changed much over the years, new materials have made pontoons bigger, sleeker, sturdier, and faster.", "And what better way to enjoy an afternoon than on the lake.", "In the old days, pontoons floated atop 45-gallon steel drums.", "Today, they ride on custom-built floating chambers made of special aluminum alloy.", "These floating chambers start off as sheets of aluminum.", "This rolling machine forms them into tubes, applying pressure equivalent to the weight of 26 elephants.", "A worker slides each cylinder onto a track to stabilize it for welding.", "A pacing machine regulates the speed of the welding torch so that it connects the tube's edges evenly, producing a solid, watertight seal.", "Meanwhile, this rolling machine shapes aluminum sheets into tapered cylinders called nose cones.", "By varying the hydraulic pressure, the operator is able to mold the aluminum into the shape of a large cone.", "They use a special aluminum alloy to make the chambers shockproof.", "Next step, making this pontoon leakproof.", "First, the welder clamps the nose cone seams together to prepare for welding.", "Because of its unique shape, the nose cone has to be welded completely by hand.", "This type of welding, called tig welding, generates temperatures that can reach 9,000 degrees fahrenheit.", "The nose cones will sit at the bow of the boat, in front of the other floating chambers.", "The waffled component at the end of each chamber is called the baffle.", "It adds extra protection against leaks.", "This hydraulic press squeezes the sections together for an extra-snug fit.", "Chambers are welded together to form floats.", "The number of chambers per float varies depending on the pontoon's length.", "These risers will hold the pontoon's floor in place.", "Each chamber floats on its own, so even with several punctures, the boat would stay afloat.", "A worker shoots compressed air into each chamber to check for leaks.", "He coats the welds with a soapy solution, which will bubble up in the case of an air leak.", "This demonstration shows that if air can get out through this tiny hole, then water can get in through it.", "Workers install aluminum cross members to support all the weight that will be added on top.", "A pneumatic torque wrench is used to bolt the cross members into the risers with rustproof nuts.", "Next, the boat's floor is constructed from sheets of pressure-treated plywood.", "Pop rivets anchor it securely to the cross members.", "Workers custom-cut and glue down a marine carpet.", "It's made of plastic, so even with a lot of water exposure, it still won't rot.", "Now for some fade-resistant decals.", "Rollers crimp the boat's aluminum side panels to make them stronger.", "Corrugated panels don't warp or wobble as much as flat ones.", "Using a pop-rivet gun, a worker fastens the panels onto the railing.", "This shaping machine curves the railing in all the right places, bending the malleable metal with varying pressure.", "Next, workers bring the assembled pieces to the platform.", "Screws and bolts secure everything to the boat's floor, including the furniture.", "The pontoon's captain will command the craft using this console.", "The buttons for the horn, lights, and music sit at the top of the console for easy access.", "Extra touches bring some of the comforts of home to this craft.", "Wires and control cables connect the captain's console to this 50-horsepower motor.", "It's by no means a high-speed engine, but it gives a pontoon boat all the power it needs for a leisurely spin on the lake.", "When we return, clocking in at a factory where time is money.", "Invented centuries ago, grandfather clocks run on gravity.", "When you wind the clock, weights inside are drawn upwards.", "Gravity then pulls the weights down gradually, unwinding the cables and turning the hands of the clock.", "The proper term for this type of timepiece is a long-case clock.", "the nickname \"grandfather clock\" came from a popular song from the 1800s.", "This long-established company makes its clock cases out of quality hardwoods, such as maple and oak.", "To construct frames for the four sides and door, workers fit dowels into holes, then secure the pieces together with screws and glue.", "They lay each frame in this curing machine that uses high-frequency radio waves to generate heat, drying the glue in seconds.", "Workers connect the four frames with screws and glue.", "They'll later attach the doorframe with hinges.", "The next step is to assemble a base-- again, with dowels, glue, and screws.", "Once the glue is dry, the assembled frame goes into the base.", "Now for some embellishment.", "Computer-guided routers carve elegant wood moldings that give this particular model a traditional feel.", "Today's grandfather clocks come in styles to suit any decor.", "Workers carefully sand every single piece of wood in the clock case.", "The surface must be flawlessly smooth for it to absorb color evenly.", "The moldings are attached with a combination of glue and nails.", "These long pieces of wood become curved, fluted moldings.", "They adorn the side of the doorframe.", "This model also features a pair of stately columns above and below the flutes.", "A worker first positions them with glue, then screws them securely into the frame from behind.", "The next step is to stain the wood, hand-rubbing it to bring out the grain.", "A coat of lacquer protects the wood and gives it a degree of sheen, from matte to glossy, depending on the model.", "After installing the glass and door, it's time to install the clock's components.", "Workers start with long, metal bars called chime rods, 8 to 12 of them, depending on the model.", "Each chime rod produces a certain different musical note when struck.", "Next comes a mechanism called the movement.", "It contains timekeeping components that trigger the chime hammers to hit the chime rods on the hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour.", "This company uses only top-quality, all-brass movements imported from germany.", "The chime hammers are also made of brass, but they have plastic tips, so you only hear the musical note, not the sound of metal striking metal.", "These brass pulleys hang from cables connected to the movement.", "The pulleys will support the clock's three weights.", "After connecting the movement to the clock dial, a worker inserts a decorative detail-- a wood panel to frame the dial.", "Then she installs the clock's second hand into the center of a miniature dial.", "On the main dial, the hour and the minute hands are attached.", "Depending on the model, these aluminum hands are painted either black or gold.", "A decorative nut secures them.", "Finally, the all-important weights and pendulum.", "The weights are brass canisters filled with lead.", "Each one weighs almost 9 pounds.", "The pendulum sways from side to side at an even pace.", "This ensures that the clock keeps accurate time.", "It also drives the clock to chime on the hour or fraction of the hour.", "All you have to do to keep this clock ticking is wind it up about once a week.", "Up next, behind the scenes at a fuse factory.", "Invented in the 19th century, fuses are designed to blow whenever there's a power overload.", "This stops the flow of electricity and prevents a wiring fire.", "We may never see fuses in action, but they're constantly working to protect us wherever electrical current flows.", "Choosing the right fuse depends on the amount of current.", "To make a high-voltage fuse for use in electrical substations, this machine cuts notches into a long, silver strip, which will serve as the fuse's element.", "The notches will help control the way the fuse blows.", "Bits of soft metal are melted onto the strip.", "These will be the points where the fuse blows.", "One end of the silver element is welded to the top of a ceramic core...", "And the element is wound around it.", "Workers slide the element core into the fuse casing and bend back metal tabs.", "Then, using a soldering technique called brazing, they seal everything together.", "They take a brass washer and wind ignition wire around it.", "They're assembling the striker pin-- the device that indicates a blown fuse and shuts down the power.", "The striker pin is fitted to the washer, and with the wire protruding, it's placed into a holding device.", "Explosive powder is added to each striker pin.", "Then the bottom of the pin is plugged with a rubber stopper.", "Next, the striker pin is pressed into a brass capsule.", "This will contain the mini-explosion that pushes out the pin when the fuse is blown.", "This test run shows how it all happens.", "The pin's ignition wire is wrapped around an electrical post.", "Workers clamp down the pin and position the pendulum that swings to indicate the amount of force with which the pin fires.", "A jolt of power detonates the explosive.", "This causes the pin to protrude, signifying a blown fuse.", "Now, a metal eyelet slides onto the striker pin's ignition wire, and then a wire coil is attached to it, completing the striker pin's ignition system.", "A snare pulls the whole assembly into the fuse.", "The end of the coil is tied to the fuse's cap.", "And an outer cap is press-fitted over the inner one.", "Next, the fuse is filled with sand.", "This sand will absorb energy from the element when the fuse blows.", "Automated rods tap the fuses to compact the sand inside.", "Next, an outer cap is lubricated...", "And it's pressed onto the other end of the fuse.", "This machine spins grooves onto the cap, pinching it tightly to the fuse casing.", "A current is run through each one of these fuses, checking the voltage to confirm that they're in good working order.", "Sealant is then pumped around the cap's rims to make them completely airtight.", "Finally, the safety information is affixed to the fuse.", "And some electrical specifications are stamped onto the caps.", "Now these fuses are ready to go with the electrical flow and blow at the first sign of trouble." ]

{ "things": [ "Saunas", "Wheelchair Lifts", "Dioramas" ] }

[ "The sauna is a centuries-old finnish tradition.", "99% of finns sit in a sauna at least once a week.", "Most homes, apartment buildings, and even offices have one.", "Don't live in finland but want to enjoy the benefits of a home sauna?", "No sweat.", "This outdoor sauna is made of premium canadian red cedar, which is aromatic and resistant to mold.", "First, they measure the wood with a hydrometer to ensure the humidity level is below 12%.", "If the wood is too moist, it will shrink after assembly, leaving gaps between the planks.", "Once they've determined that the wood is stable, they put the planks through a molder.", "The machine's seven different toolheads smooth the top and bottom surfaces.", "The machine also carves tongue and groove edges that will tightly lock one plank to the next.", "The assemblers build the barrel-shaped sauna in sections.", "For the bottom, they start with a central plank that has a tongue on both sides.", "The tongues and grooves fit together to render the joints watertight.", "The assemblers continue adding planks until there are eight on each side of the central one.", "They construct the sauna's back wall using the same technique.", "Once they've joined together the required number of planks, they lay down a circular template and secure it with clamps.", "Then they cut around the template with a router.", "To further secure the planks to each other, they drill angled holes through adjacent ones...", "And drive in screws.", "They also screw in three horizontal reinforcement planks.", "Using a pattern as a guide, they cut out a window with the router.", "They screw window moldings around the opening.", "They apply an adhesive-backed rubber insulation strip along the perimeter.", "This will prevent heat and water from leaking out between the walls of the sauna.", "They mount the front and back walls onto the bottom section.", "They add planks to both sides of the bottom section to gradually build up the curved side walls.", "The side walls meet at the top on either side of a central plank that's pre-wired with the sauna's l.e.d. ceiling lights.", "Workers strap three galvanized-steel cables around the sides...", "And pull them to a specific tension.", "These cables further bind the planks to each other.", "The structural assembly is now complete.", "They begin installing the interior components, starting with a thermometer and hydrometer.", "Next, they mount a pivoting cover over the fresh-air-vent holes.", "This allows users to block outside air or allow it in.", "Then they add an hourglass that counts down 15 minutes-- the recommended time to spend in a sauna.", "Next comes the electric stove.", "It contains volcanic rocks that absorb and store the heat.", "You have the option of pouring water onto the hot rocks to create steam.", "After installing benches and a water-absorbent rubber floor, they hang the door.", "The glass in both the door and rear window is tinted for privacy.", "The sauna reaches a temperature of 185 degrees.", "The barrel shape of the sauna optimizes the circulation of the heat and steam.", "A wheelchair lift is an elevator designed to carry wheelchair users up and down a multistory building.", "It can be installed both inside and outside.", "A lift makes a building accessible to anyone for whom stairs are a barrier.", "A wheelchair lift can be installed in virtually any building or private home.", "All that's needed is sufficient vertical space and compliance with local elevator and building codes.", "A hydraulic lift moves the passenger cab on a rail system.", "The motor and mechanisms are concealed in an attached metal tower.", "The structure of the walls surrounding the lift are made of aluminum, which arrive from the supplier in long pieces.", "Workers here at the factory cut them to the required length.", "They shape the corners and cut the slots required for assembly.", "To make each section of the wall, they join four pieces to construct a frame.", "Once the frames for all the wall sections are ready, workers assemble them to make sure the pieces fit together correctly.", "They make any necessary adjustments, then take the wall sections apart to insert the panels.", "The wall panels are made of aluminum, acrylic, or tempered glass.", "Workers first lay down a foam spacer strip to prevent the panel from rattling.", "Then they secure the panel to the frame with snap-in aluminum molding.", "From here, the wall sections go to the packing department.", "Now it's time for the lift's mechanical system.", "In between the steel side rails, workers mount three u-shaped supports and a cylinder.", "These will hold the hydraulic piston, which expands and retracts to move the passenger cab up and down.", "Workers verify the position of the support brackets and secure them in place.", "Then they install the piston into the cylinder and onto the three supports.", "The piston is locked in place with thick steel brackets.", "They install the controller, the wheelchair lift's brain center.", "The controller regulates everything, from the passenger cab's movement to the safety sensors and door locks.", "Workers install the pump.", "It pushes hydraulic fluid into the piston to move the cab.", "They take the power cord from both the pump and controller and hook them up to their respective terminals.", "Then they connect the hose for the hydraulic fluid.", "It runs from pump to the piston via this manifold.", "The manifold has a shutoff valve so maintenance technicians can safely disable the wheelchair lift for servicing.", "Workers test then connect the landing switches.", "The lift installers will use these switches to set the travel distance between stories.", "This ensures the passenger cab will stop level with the floor at each landing.", "The cab sits on a steel platform called a sling.", "A worker now screws the sling's left side to the left skate-- a four-wheel trolley that runs on the lift's left rail.", "He does the same with the right side.", "The skates connect to this heavy-duty drive chain that turns on a roller at the top of the piston.", "For the cab to ascend, the pump pushes hydraulic fluid into the piston.", "The piston expands and pushes on the drive chain, moving the skates up the rails.", "When you push the \"descend\" button, a valve opens, allowing hydraulic fluid to exit the piston.", "Aided by gravity, the cab gradually descends.", "They test the operation panel they'll later install in the cab.", "They make sure all the buttons work and move the sling up and down correctly.", "Workers also test the safety brakes installed in the skates.", "If the drive chain ever loses tension, the brakes automatically block the rails to prevent the cab from falling.", "Installers assemble the cab on-site and mount it on the sling that will move it from floor to floor.", "A diorama is a 3-d scene that offers a glimpse of another place or time.", "It is believed to have been invented by a french theatrical designer in 1822.", "Despite modern digital technology, the diorama continues to be a great way to create an illusion.", "This is an art exhibit created by one diorama artist.", "This particular series depicts an apocalyptic scenario.", "The images are powerful and authentic.", "It all starts with some background research.", "The artist and assistant decide on a chinese-takeout-restaurant scene and take pictures for reference.", "Back in the studio, the artist checks the scale of components to be featured in the diorama scene, like a fox.", "To make the scene look real, the size of the fox must be in proportion to everything else.", "She decides that it will work.", "But the toy scooter is too small, so she produces a template that's to scale.", "Her assistant then pencils an outline of the template onto a piece of rigid foam to make a version of the scooter that's the correct size.", "She carves out the shape using a hot wire.", "It melts the foam for a cleaner cut than could be achieved with a knife.", "The piece of foam now has scooter-like curves, but it's far too chunky.", "She whittles it down using a utility knife.", "She sands the foam to refine the carving.", "A paint job and a set of wheels complete the transformation.", "Next, she copies newspaper pages and shrinks them down to the correct scale.", "She cuts the borders and gathers them in a pile.", "She brushes thinned latex paint on the pages.", "This gives them the yellowed appearance of old newspapers.", "She crumples and un-crumples the pages for an effect that also makes them look old.", "She cuts out images of many chinese-food takeout cartons.", "They've been printed onto paperboard and include crease lines for folding.", "Folding a carton is a kind of origami-- the japanese art of folding-- and it's a bit more challenging on such a miniature scale, but practice makes perfect.", "She applies glue to the folded flaps and presses them together.", "Clamps hold the seams in place until the glue dries.", "To create a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, they'll scatter leaves throughout the diorama.", "The assistant now selects leaves that have been pressed for about a week and can still be handled without breaking.", "She punches out mini leaf shapes with a handy crafting tool and accumulates piles in various colors.", "Because it's punched from actual leaves, the miniature foliage looks very authentic.", "Next, she works a lump of polymer clay until it's soft and narrow.", "She inserts the clay into an extruder and presses it through perforations at the end.", "This creates strands of clay that look like tiny lo mein noodles.", "She arranges the clay on a tiny paper plate.", "She then brushes brown paint onto the noodles to imitate sauce.", "She rolls green clay into long strands and chops it up to mimic the look of green onions.", "These small touches make a difference.", "The creation of the diorama continues after this break.", "A diorama is an art form that is all about thinking inside the box.", "An artist builds a 3-d scene within a boxy structure.", "It has one side open for viewing.", "The scene can be true to life or inspired by a place or event, and sometimes, a diorama can change the way we look at the world.", "The clay mini meals are now complete, and the artist uses them to create a fake menu sign.", "She snaps pictures of each of the chinese-food selections.", "The choices include sesame chicken...", "Fried and steamed dumplings, and a new york favorite, chicken wings with fries.", "Printed onto translucent plastic, the clay imitations look quite mouthwatering.", "She brushes thinned white paint onto the photographs to create a cloudy residue...", "And adds streaks of thinned brown paint to the menu sign to mimic dust particles.", "Now she builds the diorama walls using foam sheets.", "She glues mirrored plastic panels to one wall.", "The reflections will make this diorama seem more spacious.", "She hot-glues a sign to the mirror.", "It outlines the correct procedure in a choking emergency.", "She tapes the corners with little strips of masking tape.", "She then rubs ground-up volcanic ash onto the mirror.", "The ash clings to the surface and emulates grease buildup.", "It will also make the mirror's reflections hazy.", "After careful measuring, she cuts out a door from polystyrene and spray-paints it silver.", "She assembles the door to the back wall, but first installs lighting above the doorway and tests it.", "With the lights installed, she glues the translucent menu sign to the framework.", "Switched on, these backlights illuminate the menu choices.", "The artist and her assistant attach the walls of the diorama to a tile-patterned foam floor.", "They tape the walls together from the back.", "They scatter grass and dirt throughout the scene.", "This represents nature taking over after an apocalypse.", "An overturned trash can and yellowed newspapers on the floor imply the sudden departure of humans.", "They decide the scene needs more grass and dirt, so they distribute more across the floor.", "They now place the motorbike into the scene.", "Empty takeout containers and a plastic fox in the open doorway add to the illusion of an urban landscape returning to nature.", "They add the third wall and the ceiling with its fluorescent lighting.", "The scene has been set, and now the artist focuses an 8x10 film camera on it.", "This large-format camera will produce a high-resolution image.", "She adjusts the lighting and, when satisfied, takes three shots.", "This is a carefully crafted scene viewed through the camera's eye.", "The team has even built and shot a diorama of their studio.", "Ordinary spaces become extraordinary when recreated in a diorama and photographed.", "Many scenes, when printed large, appear true to life." ]

{ "things": [ "Channel Signs", "Wetsuits", "Aluminum Aircraft" ] }

[ "A channel sign is made of individual letters that are fixed to a building or backdrop.", "The letters have internal channels that house either neon or led lights.", "At night, the channel letters light up and make a bold statement.", "Channel letters are three-dimensional and really stand out from the rest.", "The illuminated signs grab people's attention and convert them into potential customers.", "Channel letters are made from acrylic.", "The factory uses colored vinyl to tint them.", "An employee peels the liner from the vinyl, exposing the adhesive backing.", "He uses a roller to apply the vinyl to one side of the clear acrylic.", "The other side of the acrylic sheet is covered with a paper liner.", "A computerized router cuts the letters out on that side.", "The font style and size are custom-made for the client.", "After the letters are cut out, they remove the paper backing.", "The employees use nails to hold the letters in place as they work.", "The worker unrolls plastic trim cap and cuts it to fit around the letter.", "He lines the letter with trim and hammers in more nails, to keep everything in place.", "He makes cuts to the trim to form neat corners.", "The trim cap gives the letter a finished look.", "It also creates a surface for attaching the back letter enclosure, called the letter can.", "He seals the trim around the entire length with high-strength glue.", "Once it dries, he removes the nails.", "Now, it's ready for the letter can.", "To make the sides of the letter can, they feed a wide strip of aluminum into a computerized machine.", "It bends the aluminum to match the face of the letter.", "It also forms a lip at the bottom, to attach the can to the back wall.", "The side of each channel letter is called the return.", "It attaches the letter face to the back wall.", "The return also creates the channel which holds the lighting and directs the illumination.", "These are the dies that cut and shape the aluminum.", "Using a computerized machine, it takes the worker a few minutes to create the channel letter return.", "It would take four times longer to make the letter return by hand.", "Here is a completed channel letter return with the ends welded together.", "An employee slides the side structure over the back wall to form the letter can.", "He checks the fit, then clinches the back to the return.", "This completes the channel letter can.", "They run led lights throughout the can.", "In recent years, led lights have replaced neon tubes because they are more energy-efficient.", "An employee paints the aluminum can to match the vinyl on the letter's acrylic front.", "They test the lights.", "If they work, the technicians mount the letter can to the sign backdrop.", "The installer attaches the translucent acrylic face to the can.", "It takes about an hour to make one channel letter and a couple of days to make an entire channel sign.", "The final product is sure to be noticed.", "The wetsuit was invented in the mid-20th century.", "However, it wasn't an immediate hit.", "Made of a synthetic rubber called neoprene, the early wetsuits were hard to put on and irritated the skin.", "But recent neoprene improvements have made the wetsuit a popular choice for protection against the elements.", "When the surf is up, but the water temperature is down, a neoprene wetsuit is a practical swimwear choice.", "Even when wet, it keeps the body warm.", "Wetsuits fit like a second skin, so many surfers and divers have theirs custom-made.", "The tailor measures the client from the neck to the ankles.", "The suit allows a small amount of water to seep between it and the skin.", "Body heat warms the water, insulating the swimmer.", "Using the measurements, a team cuts out cardboard patterns.", "Then, a worker uses the patters to cut the neoprene pieces.", "They use neoprene because its cellular structure is a good insulator.", "The number of pieces in each suit varies, according to the style and size.", "Each suit has at least 15 pieces and can have as much as 30.", "Fabric for the wetsuits comes in a variety of colors.", "Some fabric will be used for accent panels, while others create the structural elements.", "The pieces fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.", "A worker heats one of the panels with a hot press.", "This slightly expands the neoprene.", "He places a decal of the company logo on the panel.", "He lowers the press again to fuse the logo to the panel.", "As the neoprene cools, it shrinks to its original size, making the lettering less likely to crack.", "Next, a worker applies waterproof rubberized glue to the edges of the neoprene panels.", "This is one of the most important parts of the wetsuit's construction.", "Too little glue could affect both the adhesion of the panels and the waterproofing of the seams.", "But if he applies too much glue, it could bleed into the colored panels.", "He pushes the glued panels together at the seams.", "The panels adhere instantly, and the wetsuit comes together quickly.", "It takes him about 45 minutes to put a wetsuit together.", "He inserts paper in the bottom half of the wetsuit.", "This prevents the front of the suit from sticking to the back as he joins the top assembly to the bottom.", "He lets the glue dry for a few minutes.", "Then, a seamstress turns the suit inside out and stitches the seams.", "She uses a curved needle, so it doesn't go all the way through the fabric.", "This is called blind stitching.", "It doesn't puncture the fabric.", "It also creates flat seams.", "Using a hot roller, she applies nylon tape to the back of the seams for extra waterproofing.", "A nozzle blows hot air to melt the adhesive onto the fabric.", "She sews a plastic zipper onto the back of the wetsuit and attaches a hook-and-loop stopper, to prevent unzipping.", "Another team member brushes rubberized glue around the zipper.", "He presses the edges of a neoprene panel to the glued area, creating a waterproof barrier around the zipper.", "He trims the end of the panel.", "This custom neoprene wetsuit is complete.", "From start to finish, the process takes 5 to 6 hours.", "He tests the zipper and closely scrutinizes the workmanship.", "After passing an initial inspection, this wetsuit is ready for a fitting.", "A good fit is crucial to its performance.", "If the wetsuit doesn't fit properly, cold water will pass through it and the suit will fail to keep the surfer warm.", "It meets expectations, so she's ready to test the water with this custom neoprene wetsuit.", "Airplanes need to be durable, to withstand the wear and tear of frequent flying and the dangers of landing on rugged airstrips.", "Most small airplanes are made with aluminum because it's both sturdy and lightweight.", "Some aluminum aircraft are twin engines, meaning they have a propeller on each wing.", "Single-engine models, like this one, have one propeller, typically on the nose.", "This airplane also has a pressurized cabin, so it can reach an altitude of about 30,000 feet.", "It also has a deicing system for the wings, tail, and propeller blades, so it can fly safely in cold, wet conditions.", "The aluminum is delivered to the factory in long rolls.", "They unwind each roll and feed the aluminum through a series of heavy rollers, to press out the curl.", "A blade at the end of the machine automatically slices the flat aluminum into smaller pieces.", "The thickness of the aluminum varies, depending on the part they're making.", "They use a 3-millimeter sheet of aluminum to make the cockpit instrument panel.", "A computer-guided mill cuts the profile, drills screw holes for installation, and cuts all the openings for the instrumentation.", "The sheet goes from this to this.", "A computer-guided router cuts out most of the wing components.", "Workers feed it between machine rollers that slowly bend it to a specific angle.", "Once the bend is complete, they use templates to check both sides and make sure it meets specifications.", "During production, residue from the factory machines contaminate the aluminum pieces, so, once all the parts are created, they are thoroughly cleaned.", "The machine washes them in soapy water twice and then rinses them off.", "Once the parts are clean, the machine submerges them in an acid bath.", "This preps the surface for a coat of protective primer.", "Once it's primed, workers clean the surface with solvent.", "Then, they lay the part on a sheet of epoxy adhesive and cut along the perimeter, to create an adhesive backing.", "Later, they'll activate the adhesive with heat and pressure.", "Once all the parts have their custom-cut adhesive, workers assemble them on a bonding fixture.", "Metal clamps hold the parts in position.", "This assembly is the internal structure of the wing's leading edge.", "The long pieces are called stringers.", "They're clamped to oval access panels that enable maintenance technicians to get inside the wing.", "Next, workers position and clamp the skin of the leading edge on top of the internal wing structure.", "They heat the entire assembly in an oven for 2 hours at 275° fahrenheit.", "This activates the adhesive and bonds all the assembled parts together.", "Meanwhile, another team assembles the aluminum frame of the airplane's fuselage section.", "They load the parts onto an assembly fixture and rivet them together.", "When we return, they'll apply an aluminum cover to the frame.", "The aluminum skin of an airplane consists of numerous panels, so the body is easier to repair.", "Technicians simply remove the damaged panel, instead of replacing the entire section.", "Workers start by applying an airtight sealant to close any gaps between the skin and the frame.", "The fuselage must be sealed, so the cabin can be pressurized.", "A pressurized cabin allows passengers to breathe comfortably at higher altitudes.", "Once the sealing is complete, they attach the corresponding aluminum skin panel.", "It has already been primed for paint.", "They apply cleko fasteners, to properly align the panel until it's riveted to the frame.", "Then, they select the rivets.", "They'll need rivets of various sizes and strengths for the different parts of the plane.", "They begin riveting the holes that don't have cleko fasteners in them.", "Then, they remove the clekos and rivet those holes as well.", "The fuselage is built in six sections.", "The front section houses the engine compartment.", "All the sections have attachment panels that fit in between the frame and skin of the adjacent part.", "Workers rivet the sections together.", "Once the back sections are installed, they rivet the completed fuselage to the main spar that connects the wings.", "They install the retractable landing gear, the tail-section rudder, and stabilizers.", "They also install the moving flaps and ailerons.", "Workers weld together steel tubes to create the engine mount.", "The mount will be installed in the engine compartment in the front of the fuselage.", "This section also houses the nose landing gear.", "They prime and paint the steel engine mount, to prevent corrosion.", "This plane has a 500-horsepower turbine engine.", "Workers bolt it to the engine mount.", "Then, they bolt the engine mount to the airplane's engine compartment.", "The engine rotates a shaft which spins the propeller.", "Meanwhile, all the airplane's electrical wiring is mapped out on an assembly board.", "Each wire has a number.", "The wires are arranged in a specific configuration.", "Then, workers group the wires by their location in the airplane and tie them in a wiring harness.", "These wires are for the back of the instrument panel.", "The circuit breakers are located on either side of the flight display panel.", "With the push of a button, the pilot can customize the information displayed on the center screen.", "Technicians thoroughly test all the electronic functions, as well as the autopilot system.", "One pilot can operate this plane, but it comes with an extra yoke, to accommodate a copilot.", "Workers install the interior and the windows.", "Then, mechanics verify the flight control surfaces, the moving parts on the wings and tail that change altitude or direction.", "Here, they're checking the ailerons.", "A mechanic in the cockpit turns the yoke while another uses a rigging board to measure how the aileron responds.", "If the angle's off, he makes an adjustment.", "They check the landing gear, to make sure it drops down from the wing and engine compartment.", "Then, they mask the windows and apply a second coat of primer, for extra protection against corrosion.", "When the primer dries, they paint the plane to the customer's specifications.", "Then, they paint the plane's registration number on both sides, as required by law.", "The airplane's deicing system heats the propeller blades to melt ice buildup.", "It also uses inflatable rubber bladders attached to the wing and tail.", "The pilot throws a switch to inflate the bladders and break any ice, ensuring a smooth, safe ride, even in poor weather conditions." ]

{ "things": [ "Countertop Laminate", "Frozen Treats", "Children's Building Blocks", "Detergents" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Laminate...", "Frozen treats...", "Children's building blocks...", "And detergents.", "Laminate is a thin, decorative surface layer that's usually glued onto a particleboard base to create a countertop.", "Laminate is, by far, the most affordable countertop material on the market.", "It comes in an endless choice of colors and patterns, from solids to simulated wood or granite.", "They also use laminate for kitchen cabinets, furniture, and laboratory surfaces.", "And they manufacture fast-food restaurant seating, among other things, out of a thicker, solid form of the material called compact laminate.", "The back of a laminate sheet is made of a type of kraft paper that can be saturated without becoming soggy and tearing.", "A treater drenches it with resin containing phenol, a compound derived from benzene.", "The resin doesn't just coat the paper.", "It absorbs right through.", "The paper then enters a drying oven.", "The hot air cures the resin in a matter of seconds.", "Now they can wind the paper into a roll.", "The top of the laminate is called the decorative layer.", "It's a sheet of paper in either a printed design or a solid color.", "Solid-color papers go through a treater that impregnates them with the more durable melamine resin.", "Durability is essential because the decorative layer must withstand wear and tear.", "Two big rollers ring out the excess resin.", "Then the saturated paper goes through a drying oven.", "With the resin now cured, a cutter slices the paper into sheets.", "Before resin treatment, the paper was flexible and easy to tear.", "Now it's stiff and brittle.", "Bend it, and it snaps like a potato chip.", "While the rolls of saturated kraft paper get cut into sheets, workers prepare the other style of decorative layers-- those with printed design, such as simulated wood grains and granite.", "The treatment process for these papers is quite different than that for the solid-color papers.", "Workers start by cutting them into sheets the same length as the kraft-paper sheets.", "These papers don't go into a treater to be saturated with resin.", "Instead workers stack them, placing an overlay on each one.", "An overlay is a transparent sheet of paper that's saturated with melanin resin.", "Workers stack the solid-color sheets in the same pile, but those don't need overlays because they've already been resin-saturated.", "Now the stack goes to the press room.", "There, workers put saturated kraft paper under each decorative layer.", "On top of each decorative layer, they lay a textured plate.", "This will prevent the finished laminate from sticking together.", "Everything now goes into a press.", "The intense heat and pressure compress the layers.", "The overlays bond to the printed papers, and the saturated kraft paper bonds to each decorative layer, creating laminate sheets.", "The textured plates between each set imprint their pattern onto the heat-softened resin, texturing the laminate surface.", "The laminates come out of the press fully cured.", "On the finishing line, machines trim off any excess paper on the edges and sand the back of the sheets.", "This helps the laminate adhere better when glued to particleboard or another type of substrate.", "To produce compact laminates, workers compile a thick stack of black saturated kraft papers and sandwich it between two decorative layers.", "The press melts and bonds all the sheets into a solid unit.", "Alternating colors produce a striped edge.", "Compact laminates are so thick, they're entirely self-supporting.", "Unlike laminate sheets, they don't need to be applied to a substrate.", "On a sweltering summer day, a frozen treat sure hits the spot.", "Eating a fruit bar, fudge bar, or ice-cream bar, though, requires a certain strategy.", "You have to hold the treat by the stick, lean slightly forward to dodge the drips, then lick like crazy before it melts and lands at your feet.", "The outer shell of these cream pops starts with a transparent base made of water, liquid sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, and a stabilizer.", "It travels to three separate compartment vats, each of which mixes in a different coloring and flavoring.", "This company produces three flavors of cream pops-- strawberry, orange, and blue raspberry.", "Each compartment vat pumps its flavor to a machine called the filling hopper.", "The hopper injects the liquid into row upon row of half-ounce pop-shaped molds.", "This production line has 340 molds in continuous motion.", "The molds descend into a tank of brine, water chilled to negative 30 degrees fahrenheit mixed with calcium.", "Calcium works like antifreeze, keeping the water liquid despite the below-freezing temperature.", "As the molds travel through the ice-cold brine, the liquid freezes from the outside inward, creating a shell that will encase the pops' ice-cream filling.", "Once the shell is 1/10 of an inch thick, a machine called a suction evacuator removes the unfrozen liquid and feeds it back to the filling hopper, to be re-injected at the start of the line.", "The shells are empty now and ready for filling.", "The ice-cream filling is made of various milk products blended with liquid cane sugar, corn syrup, stabilizers, and emulsifiers to puff up the consistency.", "The factory pasteurizes the mixture, heating it for 35 seconds at 180 degrees fahrenheit, then freezing it.", "It homogenizes the filling, skimming off the milk fat that rises to the surface.", "The shells are still floating in brine as they reach the filling station.", "The machine shoots in the ice cream, overfilling the shell a bit to create a cap 4/10 of an inch wide.", "The ice cream begins to harden in the cold brine.", "Once it reaches a semi-frozen state, a machine appropriately called the stick inserter pops a wooden stick in each mold.", "Now the molds leave the brine and enter a tank of warm water-- 75 degrees fahrenheit, hot enough to detach the cream pops from the mold without melting them in the process.", "From initial injection to final extraction, it's been seven minutes.", "The machine dips the cream pops in cold water to produce a protective coating of ice.", "This will keep the surface from sticking to the wrapper.", "It will also lengthen the product's shelf life.", "The machine deposits the cream pops into a continuous stream of paper wrapping.", "Heating elements seal the wrapper on top and between pops, then a slicer cuts them apart.", "The empty molds go through an automatic wash-and-rinse cycle on their way back to the start of the line.", "These molds are for making chocolate-fudge bars.", "The production process is the same, except that the shell is fudge-flavored, made from milk solids and chocolate powder.", "And instead of ice cream in the center, there's chewy chocolate syrup.", "The factory stamps the packaging for all its frozen treats with the production date and other information.", "These frozen treats have a one-year shelf life in the freezer, provided you maintain the temperature at an ideal negative 13 degrees fahrenheit.", "Few toys are as timeless as interlocking building blocks.", "Children can stick them together, pull them apart, and rearrange them endlessly.", "From large-sized blocks for babies to intricate kits for older kids, building blocks stimulate creativity and improve manual dexterity.", "This company makes plastic building blocks.", "Depending on the type of block, it uses either polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, or high-impact polystyrene.", "These plastics arrive at the factory in pellets.", "Because they're naturally transparent, the first step is to color them.", "The pellets go into a mixer along with pigment beads made of powdered pigment and a type of plastic that's compatible with the pellets.", "The pigment beads make up just 2% of the weight, but that's enough to color the plastic a deep hue.", "The mixer feeds a plastic injection machine.", "It heats the pellets to 400 degrees fahrenheit, melting them in a matter of seconds.", "The machine then injects the molten plastic into molds.", "A system of hoses cools the molds with cold water, instantly hardening the plastic.", "When the machine opens, ejectors thrust the blocks to a conveyor belt below.", "For these blocks, the entire cycle, from start to finish, takes just 14 seconds.", "The length of the cycle varies with the size of the block.", "This large school bus, for example, requires more plastic, so injection molding takes 22 seconds.", "The wheels for the bus take 20 seconds.", "At packaging time, each type of block is loaded into a separate vibrating bowl.", "The shaking separates the pieces, enabling them to pass by an optical counter one by one.", "This automated counting equipment can tally up to 16 different types of blocks at a time.", "It can be programmed to assemble a kit consisting of specific quantities of certain blocks.", "Once each kit is counted, it drops into a bucket.", "The factory also makes the buckets by plastic injection molding.", "And it even incorporates the labeling right into that process.", "Here's how it all works.", "A robot takes two labels, one for the front of the bucket and one for the back.", "It passes a static generator that charges them with static electricity.", "Then it loads the two labels into the mold.", "The static cling holds them in a flat position while the machine injects the plastic and molds the bucket.", "The hot plastic melts the labels on contact, bonding them into the finished bucket.", "The result-- labels that can't be peeled off.", "The factory produces large blocks from polypropylene or high-density polyethylene, which are flexible plastics.", "This makes the blocks easier for young children to use.", "Small blocks are made of high-impact polystyrene, a plastic that can be molded with great precision into tight-fitting blocks designed for older children.", "Just walk down the aisle of your local supermarket, and you'll see shelf upon shelves of soaps and detergents.", "With so many versions of each product to choose from, from extra-strength to antibacterial to lemon-fresh scent, consumers aren't the only ones cleaning up.", "The craft of soapmaking began in europe around 700 a.d., but soap remained a luxury item for another thousand years.", "That's when a french scientist discovered how to make inexpensive lye using table salt.", "People also made soap at home, by boiling wood ashes with animal fats.", "By the 1900s, the growing soap industry found ways to make mild and fragranced products.", "And in 1916, a german scientist invented the first synthetic detergent.", "This company produces mostly industrial-use detergents, liquid and powdered.", "It uses salt as filler in the powdered ones.", "Fillers add volume, making a product less concentrated.", "This will be a powdered detergent for cleaning and degreasing cement floors.", "They add colorant, then surfactant, a substance that creates foam, the vehicle for lifting away dirt.", "Now they pour in pine oil, a disinfecting agent that also adds fragrance.", "Now the cleaning agent-- sodium tripolyphosphate.", "It's essential to mix all the ingredients thoroughly.", "This ensures the chemicals are evenly distributed throughout the cleaner.", "The last ingredient is a chemical called sodium metasilicate.", "It boosts the mixture's alkaline level.", "This particular cleaner needs high alkalinity to be effective.", "The factory packages its powdered cleaners, such as this laundry soap, in large plastic buckets.", "Automated equipment weighs, then pours in the appropriate amount, capping the container tightly to prevent leaks.", "The filler in liquid cleaning products is water.", "To produce liquid hand soap, they first add citric acid.", "This creates the mild acidity needed to get the most out of the surfactants.", "This soap contains three different types of surfactants.", "It's a specific formulation designed by the company chemist to optimize the soap's cleaning power.", "To give the soap a pearl luster, the company uses this secret recipe of chemicals.", "The factory makes most of its liquid soap from this same base mixture.", "The colors and fragrances vary.", "For coloring, it uses powdered pigments.", "It dissolves them in hot water, then pours them in.", "This batch of soap will be pink.", "They pour in a rose-scented fragrance...", "Then add a preservative to prevent the proliferation of bacteria should the soap be exposed to a substandard environment.", "Finally, they adjust the viscosity by adding a powdered thickener.", "If liquid soap is runny, it'll leak out of the dispenser.", "After 15 minutes of mixing, the soap is ready.", "And the lab analyzes a sample, assessing its physical and chemical properties.", "When the batch gets the \"okay,\" it proceeds to the packaging machine.", "This soap is going into dispenser bags made of plastic film.", "The machine first inserts a valve.", "It heat-seals the film, forming the bottom of the bag.", "Then it injects 27 ounces of soap.", "Next, it simultaneously heat-seals the top of the bag and the bottom of the next one.", "It cuts them apart, releasing the finished bag to a conveyor belt below.", "After checking for leaks, workers insert a spout that controls output from the valve.", "This ensures the dispenser will release a measured amount of soap per push.", "Elsewhere in the factory, an automated machine called the pressure filler pumps dishwashing liquid into plastic bottles.", "An overflow and weight-control device ensures the right fill level.", "The next machine applies a twist cap with pull-out spout.", "Then it's off to labeling.", "Those bags of liquid hand soap went into special boxes that are designed to slip right into the soap dispenser." ]

{ "things": [ "Needles & Pins", "Architectural Mouldings", "Locomotives", "Clothespins" ] }

[ "Throughout history, sewing needles have kept things from falling apart at the seams.", "From primitive times, when needles were made of bone, to today's thin steel versions, sewing needles have played an important role in our lives.", "For many years, this simple tool made it possible to clothe an entire family.", "Today, when most clothing is factory-made, a sewing kit remains a household essential.", "When things start to unravel, a needle and thread offer a quick fix.", "Sewing needles begin with thin steel wire.", "Machinery uncoils two spools simultaneously and pulls the wires across guide wheels and into narrow passageways to remove kinks and straighten the wires.", "And then cutters slice them to the length of two needles.", "The wires exit into shaking chutes and fall into bins in neat piles.", "Each one will be used to make two needles.", "This grinding wheel turns, and, at the same time, an overhead wheel revolves in a different direction, to bear down on the ends of the wires and grind them to a point.", "Sparks fly from the friction.", "It takes up to six grindings to make the tips sharp enough.", "Then the wires head down the line to a series of stamping machines.", "The first one flattens each wire at midpoint to form two needle heads.", "The next stamping device punch-cuts two eyes, one in each head.", "The third machine cuts the wire in two and trims excess material from around the needle heads.", "The needles fall into a bin.", "In three quick steps, this steel wire has been transformed into two sewing needles.", "Next they toughen the metal by first baking the needles in an oven and then quickly bringing down their temperature.", "The temperature shock hardens the needles.", "They cover the needles with glycerin oil and a polishing powder.", "They wrap them in a bundle of plastic and cloth and stitch it up.", "They roll a layer of leather around the bundle of needles.", "The package then goes into a special rolling mill.", "It spins in this machine for two days.", "Inside, the needles agitate with the polishing ingredients, and they emerge looking much smoother.", "Then it's into a washing machine for a scrub with soap and water.", "This removes the polishing residue to prepare them for electroplating.", "Electroplating gives the needles an outer skin of corrosion-resistant nickel.", "The needles now move forward into a sorting system that ensures the needles are pointing in one direction.", "An inspector examines the needles for flaws and sorts out the defective ones.", "They dip the eyes of some needles in a gold bath and apply an electrical charge so the gold gravitates to the nickel and adheres.", "A little gold around the eyes makes them stand out, so these needles should be easier to thread.", "Meanwhile, the production of pins is well underway.", "Gas jets melt glass into tiny dollops, which stick on to the tops of the pins as they roll by.", "The glass hardens in seconds, going from transparent to opaque.", "These glass-headed pins are now ready for hemming and other sewing jobs.", "The pins fall between two revolving cylinders.", "The space between the cylinders gradually narrows.", "This sorts the pins by size as they drop into various bins below.", "Now all that's left is the packaging.", "The packaging line is entirely automated.", "Robots drop sewing needles into grooves in plastic packages, and the packages move forward.", "The timing is flawless.", "Finally, a transparent cover showcases this product's many selling points.", "Exterior moldings can transform an ordinary structure into something grand.", "The ancient greeks were the first to demonstrate this, with elaborate carved moldings on temples.", "Today there's no need to spend long hours carving moldings.", "Fabricated synthetic versions are now available to give a structure instant curb appeal.", "Architectural foam moldings trick the eye.", "They look like stone or wood, and it's all a carefully crafted illusion to impress the neighbors or passersby.", "They start with a big block of foam.", "It's expanded polystyrene, or e.p.s. they activate a hot-wire foam cutter.", "Controlled by computer software, it melts its way through the thick foam block to make very precise and intricate cuts.", "This computerized hot wire is cutting out pieces of architectural trim for windows or doors.", "It carves in an economical way to minimize waste.", "Its work done, the hot wire rises, leaving a trail of smoke from the burning process.", "A worker then pushes out the moldings.", "Each piece of architectural trim is 8 feet in length.", "The hot wire now carves an elaborate fluted column, one half at a time.", "This is a roman-style column.", "Once carved in stone, it's now being replicated in foam.", "And this old-world look can now be achieved with minimal physical effort.", "To make an arch, they use a hot-wire shape instead of a computerized straight wire.", "They position it in front of a curved piece of foam.", "Rubber drive wheels push the foam through the hot wire.", "These wheels have been preset to accurately steer the cut.", "The result is an arch that will be a perfect match for the linear trim produced earlier, so they'll fit together seamlessly.", "They use a carved foam wedge to emulate the keystone, a piece used in stone arches to lock parts together at midpoint.", "A worker now wraps the cut foam moldings in fiberglass mesh.", "Pre-infused with glue, the mesh instantly adheres to the foam.", "This mesh adds strength to the molding, and it also makes it crack-resistant.", "Next, cement flows into a hopper and onto the moldings below.", "The moldings are driven through a template with the same contours, to apply the cement evenly on the surface and the sides.", "This is no ordinary cement.", "It's a pre-engineered mix, fortified with a special resin to create a durable coating for the mesh-covered moldings.", "A worker then transfers the moldings to a rack to cure for a minimum of 24 hours before getting another coating of cement, this one with a much finer texture.", "It's much trickier to apply cement to an arch-shaped piece of molding, so they take a more hands-on approach.", "The employee scoops the cement onto the meshed-foam semicircle.", "He then moves the custom-made template over the molding, instead of pushing the molding through it.", "It's a better way to evenly distribute the cement on a curved surface.", "After carving, meshing, and two layers of cement, this arch is now ready.", "For smaller orders, they also apply the cement manually.", "There's no need for a machine setup when there are only one or two columns to be coated.", "Guided by a track on the side of a table, the worker slowly draws the template down the roman-style column to apply the cement to the foam and make it look like stone.", "The second layer gets extra attention.", "He rubs the cement into the grooves for complete coverage and then pulls the template across once again, this time lightly skimming the surface to produce a finer texture.", "And now these moldings are ready to add detail and definition to a structure.", "A locomotive is the powerful vehicle at the front of a train that pulls the cars along the track.", "Sometimes there's a second one pushing from behind, as well.", "Passenger-train locomotives are smaller and designed primarily for speed.", "Freight locomotives pulling railcars are significantly larger and stronger.", "Heavy hauls are mammoth freight locomotives designed for north america, where tracks are wider and stronger than in most other parts of the world.", "Those smaller yellow locomotives are for the european market.", "The larger gray ones to the right are heavy hauls.", "Workers weld together massive pieces of steel to construct the locomotive's structural underframe.", "At each end, they insert a giant steel pin through a hole in the underframe's floor.", "For now, they weld the pins partially to tack them in position.", "Next, lifting and maneuvering it with giant trunnions, they flip the underframe so that the protruding side of the pins is facing upward.", "Then a crane system transfers the underframe to another area to complete the welding.", "The pins require exceptional bonding because they connect the underframe to the wheel frames.", "An automated welder circles each pin repeatedly, progressively building up an inch-thick weld.", "They make the same size weld on the other side of the pin.", "All the welded steel parts are exceptionally thick, rendering the underframe strong enough to pull 500 tons.", "Next, they install the air reservoir and pipes for the pneumatic brake system and a 5,300-gallon fuel tank.", "Then they assemble the locomotive's six traction motors.", "Each one generates 750 horsepower-- 3 times more than a typical car-- giving the locomotive 4,500-horsepower strength.", "To build each traction motor, they bolt coils of wound copper into a cylinder called a stator.", "Then they lower another cylinder, called an armature, into the stator.", "Powered by an alternator, the coils produce an electric field that rotates the armature, turning components which propel the locomotive.", "Workers lubricate the wheels then, using a strong press, fit two on each of the vehicle's six axles.", "Each wheel is a yard in diameter and weighs about a half a ton.", "The axle has a large gear that turns both wheels.", "This finished unit is called a wheel-axle-gear assembly-- \"w.a.g.\" for short.", "Workers install a w.a.g. onto each of the six traction motors.", "The w.a.g.'s gear engages with the traction motor's gear, so when the motor runs, that gear turns, which then rotates the w.a.g. gear, which turns the wheels.", "So now there are six w.a.g. and traction motor combinations.", "Workers divide them into two groups of three then bolt each trio into a frame called a bogie.", "So, now the locomotive has two bogies, each with an air-driven brake system built into it.", "Until this point, the bogies have been upside down.", "Now a crane flips them right side up to prepare for the final assembly of the locomotive.", "They position the two bogies next to the underframe at opposite ends.", "Cranes then lift the underframe and slowly lower it onto the bogies.", "The pivot pins protruding from beneath the upper frame drop into receiving holes in the bogies.", "Next, they lower a giant alternator onto the deck of the underframe.", "It powers the traction motors as well as the control systems and other auxiliary equipment.", "This 16-cylinder, 4,500-horsepower engine drives the alternator.", "Next, the operator's cab-- it's insulated for sound and sits on a shock-absorber system.", "Then the various electrical hookups, including these thick cables.", "Each one contains more than 1,000 wires, carrying nearly 10,000 amps.", "Now a hood goes over the engine and alternator to protect them from the elements.", "From here, the locomotive goes to another department for paint and decals.", "The finished locomotive is 75 feet long.", "Fueled up, it weighs 225 tons and, depending on the terrain, can haul a train up to 6/10 of a mile long.", "The first clothespin was invented in the early 1800s by the shakers.", "It was a cylindrical piece of wood with a vertical notch cut into the bottom.", "In 1853, an american inventor patented a spring-loaded, two-piece lever clothespin.", "That's the type still produced today in both plastic and wood.", "This czech company makes clothespins out of beech wood.", "Beech is ideal because it's hard and durable.", "When the logs arrive at the factory, an automated band saw slices each one laterally into 2.8-inch-thick planks.", "Wood is naturally damp, so it's critical to dry the planks.", "Otherwise, clothespins made from them would repeatedly expand and contract with temperature changes and eventually crack.", "First, the planks air-dry outdoors for about 7 months, until their moisture level drops to 20%.", "Then the planks go into a kiln for 3 or 4 weeks to bring the moisture level down to between 8% and 10%.", "The wood, now stable, workers cut the planks into shorter, more manageable lengths...", "Then into 2 1/2\" x 2 1/2\" blocks.", "Next they feed the blocks into a cutting machine.", "Its four circular blades simultaneously saw through each block, cutting it into five pieces.", "Each piece is 4/10 of an inch thick.", "As these thin pieces exit the machine, workers inspect them.", "Any pieces with knots or other flaws are removed and sold to a factory that makes mousetraps.", "The pieces which pass inspection go into an automated milling machine.", "It cuts each piece into four smaller pieces then, in each smaller piece, carves the shape of a clothespin clip on the front and a notch in the back.", "So, each thin piece of wood has gone from this...", "To this...", "To this.", "The notch on the back will hold the spring that mates two clips and produces the tension they need to grip.", "The next machine saws four lines down each piece, cutting it into five identical clips.", "Before...", "And after.", "All that cutting leaves rough, splintered edges, so workers now load the clips into a sanding barrel.", "As the barrel revolves, the clips rub against each other, the abrasion gradually smoothing the rough wood.", "Workers also place a piece of wax amid the clips.", "As the barrel turns, particles rub off and coat the wood, making it even smoother.", "Meanwhile, another automated machine makes the springs out of 5/100\"-thick iron wire.", "The wire has has a zinc coating on it to prevent rust.", "Watch in slow motion how the machine twists the wire seven times to make the coil portion of the spring then bends the ends to make the part that fits into the notch.", "With all the parts ready to go, it's assembly time.", "Workers load clips and springs into separate chutes of the assembly machine.", "As each spring drops down, a mechanical finger pushes the end aside to clear the way for a pair of clips to encase the coil.", "Then it releases the end of the spring into the clip notches.", "The machine does all this at a rate of 8,000 clothespins per hour.", "The finished clothespins drop onto a conveyor belt that transports them to the next machine, which groups them by the dozen.", "From there, it's off to the packaging machine, which is preset to assemble a specific retail format.", "This is a 36-count package, so they've set the machine to stack three dozen clothespins.", "After placing a paper label on top, the machine shrink-wraps the package.", "Clothespins may be rather ordinary products, but their reputation is always on the line." ]

{ "things": [ "Bumpers", "Lighting Gels and Camera Filters", "Steam" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Bumpers...", "Lighting gels and camera filters...", "Steam-powered models...", "And candy canes.", "With all the attention we pay to our car's high-tech parts, it's easy to overlook the importance of a vehicle's bumpers.", "About 80% of car accidents are front or rear collisions.", "The bumper is designed to absorb the force of the impact, minimizing damage in low-speed collisions.", "Bumpers can be made of plastic, fiberglass, aluminum, or steel.", "This company makes steel bumpers.", "They start out as blanks, steel sheets just 8/100 of an inch thick.", "These are en route to becoming truck bumpers.", "A robot feeds each blank through a series of seven to nine dies, depending on the bumper model.", "Each die stamps the blank into a particular shape, using some 2,000 tons of force.", "This progressively forms the blank into the final bumper shape.", "Both the front and rear bumpers go through the same process, only with different dies.", "The bumpers now travel to the next production area, where a worker clamps each one onto a specially designed cart.", "At this point, the factory paints certain models.", "These bumpers will get chrome plating.", "But first they travel through a series of buffing wheels.", "The bumper surface must be impeccably smooth because the chrome finish magnifies even the tiniest flaws.", "A computer-guided crane stacks the bumpers and maneuvers them through the chrome-plating process.", "First it submerges the bumpers in several cleaning tanks to remove any residue left on the surface from previous operations.", "The company won't divulge what chemicals it uses to clean the steel because this surface preparation is the secret to first-rate metal plating.", "The first plating tank applies a coat of nickel to protect the steel from corrosion.", "The next tank applies the chrome layer.", "The factory uses the standard electroplating process.", "In a water-and-chemical-filled tank, the plating metal particles get a positive charge while a negative charge runs through the bumpers.", "This magnetically draws the particles onto the bumpers in an even layer.", "After a thorough rinse, the bumpers are inspected.", "Workers scrutinize the chrome-mirror finish under high-intensity light.", "Meanwhile, this machine pressure injects molten plastic into various molds.", "A built-in cooling system hardens the plastic within seconds.", "Then out comes the plastic components that attach to the bumpers.", "One of those plastic parts is this step pad that covers the top of the rear bumper.", "Once the pad's in place, a worker attaches a built-in trailer hitch.", "Steel mounting brackets help structurally reinforce the bumper.", "The front bumper goes down a different assembly line.", "A worker attaches a plastic trim that hangs down just below the bumper.", "Its aerodynamic shape helps direct air flow to the engine compartment.", "Next, four steel reinforcing brackets that will attach the bumper to the truck's frame.", "And, finally, the license-plate holder...", "And fog lamps.", "Workers tighten all the bolts to a specified tightness.", "This ensures that the bumper and its mounting brackets will adequately absorb the force of the collision.", "Whenever a new model goes into production, the first few bumpers off the line go through a battery of tests to prove they can withstand stress, vibration, and a certain degree of what engineers call crash energy.", "Other types of bumper systems use a combination of springs and energy-absorbing material, such as plastic foam.", "With either method, the goal is for the bumper to absorb the impact.", "In a low-impact crash, this should ideally confine the damage to the bumper itself, leaving the headlights, the engine, and the driver unscathed.", "Up next, some colorful products that set the stage in a whole new light.", "Gels and filters can turn a bad scene into a beautiful one.", "They're used in theater productions to enhance the mood on stage.", "They're also used in film and photography to adjust color temperatures from different light sources.", "These lighting gels can make any scene take on a different mood.", "They're called gels because they used to be made of gelatin film, but today they are made out of transparent polyester.", "The process begins with a mix of solvent, dye, and flame-retardant chemicals.", "This produces a colored lacquer.", "A worker tests the lacquer's thickness by pouring it into a brass cup with a hole in the bottom.", "As the lacquer drains out of the hole, it's timed.", "If it flows too quickly, the lacquer is too thin, and if it drains too slowly, it's too thick.", "A steady flow means the lacquer mix is the perfect consistency-- about as thick as engine oil.", "A sample of every batch undergoes this test because the lacquer's consistency is critical.", "If the factory doesn't get it right, it won't bond to the clear polyester.", "With the lacquer prepared, workers load the polyester film into the coating machine.", "A big roller soaks up lacquer from a tray below and spreads it on the film.", "A thin bar on the roller evens the spread and scrapes off the excess.", "The lacquer dries in seconds.", "Every production run of the same color has to precisely match the last, so inspectors regularly test the lacquer's hue on swatches of clear polyester.", "If gel colors are even slightly mismatched, using them together will make for a patchy-looking job.", "Differently colored gels create different effects.", "This orangey red one will warm up daylight to look more like indoor lighting.", "Now, in a test, a gel swatch is held over a flame.", "The gel burns but never catches fire-- proving that this batch is ready for the hot lights of a movie set.", "Over at another station, they're working on a different sort of color-changer-- a filter that goes on a camera lens.", "A special sheet of optical plastic is dipped in hot water and dye.", "The hot water opens the plastic's pores, allowing the dye to penetrate.", "When the plastic cools, the color will be trapped inside.", "The longer the plastic stays in the dye bath, the deeper the color.", "Some sheets only get partially dyed.", "They'll be turned into filters that affect only half an image's exposure.", "Filters made from a range of colors will help the camera's eye do what the human eye does effortlessly-- adjust to different lighting conditions.", "The colored sheets are sheathed in thin plastic.", "This prevents scratching as they're cut to size.", "These camera filters are nearly done.", "All that's left is for the ink-jet printer to brand them.", "A similar type of printer gives the lighting gels their trademark stamp.", "And now it's time to wrap things up.", "A cardboard core slides into a machine that winds the finished gel sheets onto it.", "Then a pneumatic ram pushes the roll of lighting gel into a plastic bag.", "Now these filters and gels are ready to show life in the best light possible.", "When we return, making tiny models that are a blast from the past.", "When factories build live steam models, they're reconstructing history.", "These working steam models take us on a nostalgic journey, and they're fun for hobbyists of all ages.", "Add a little water...", "Light some fuel for the boiler...", "And it's full steam ahead for this mini replica of a 19th-century road locomotive.", "Production starts with the boiler.", "A hydraulic press repeatedly punches a piece of brass, stretching the brass cap into a cylinder.", "It's a process called drawing, and it also strengthens the metal.", "A flat piece of brass is transformed into a cylinder in only a few minutes.", "Next the ends of the cylinder are trimmed.", "Solder paste is brushed onto a brass cap and slotted into a holding device.", "Paste goes onto attachments inside the cylindrical boiler.", "Then the boiler and cap are press-fitted together.", "The cap boilers travel through a furnace, which melts the solder paste, fusing the caps to the cylinder.", "Workers polish the brass to give it a nice sheen.", "Then they solder copper pipes to the boiler.", "These pipes will expel the steam as it powers this little locomotive.", "Next up-- trimming the flywheel, which has been precast.", "The flywheel will smooth out the engine's firing impulses so that it runs more evenly.", "The flywheel is tightly screwed to the crank shaft.", "Workers check the sliding action of the piston and its cylinder.", "Then they attach the assembly to the engine frame and the crank shaft.", "Lubricating the piston assembly enhances its sliding action.", "Using compressed air, workers make sure the engine functions and has no leaks.", "Once the model passes the test, it gets its front steering mechanism.", "This will control the model's front wheels while the back wheels power it forward.", "Steam machines are usually rear-wheel drive.", "A wire called the drive band transfers the energy from the flywheel to the rear wheel.", "The steam model is hooked up to the compressed air tank once again for a final test run.", "And it looks like this model is ready for some action.", "All it needs is a canopy to provide a little shade.", "A ribbed design is punched into a little steel roof.", "After it gets a nice paint job, it's attached to the model.", "Production on this tiny treasure is now complete.", "This model will also take you back in time, but in high style.", "It's a luxury touring car.", "Workers install the piston cylinder assembly a little lower on this roadster and fire it up.", "Each of these mini steam models is a tribute to the original and give us all a glimpse into the colorful history of transportation.", "Coming up...", "Turning sugar into one of our favorite holiday treats.", "In the 17th century, a german choirmaster had some sugar sticks bent into shepherd's crooks as a special treat for his choir.", "And that's how the candy cane is believed to have been invented.", "But it wasn't until more than a century later that they earned their stripes.", "Today candy canes come in all different colors and sizes.", "Candymakers start by cooking up a big batch of sugar, water, and corn syrup.", "Next, they prepare a mix of starch and flavoring, like peppermint or strawberry.", "As they blend together, the flavoring binds to the starch.", "The flavoring mix is emptied into the middle of a syrupy slab.", "Then the whole thing is fed into a machine that folds the batch repeatedly using shovels and a plunger.", "This distributes the flavoring evenly.", "Cold water is piped into the shovels and the kneading table to cool the candy-cane mix so it takes on the stiffer consistency that's necessary for the next step.", "Now it's over to the automated pullers.", "These pullers stretch the mixture around a metal post.", "This action aerates the candy, turning it white.", "This batch will make 3,200 candy canes, but there's still a lot more work to be done.", "The candy is rolled into a fat log, while heaters warm it until its pliable enough to shape.", "Next, strips of red-colored candy are rolled out.", "A worker stretches and folds it to widen the strip.", "Two of the red strips are arranged on either side of the white candy.", "It weighs 100 pounds, so it takes two workers to transfer it to the next machine.", "It's called a batch roller, and its cylinders roll the candy thinner and thinner, dramatically reducing the log's diameter until it reaches candy-cane dimensions.", "A torch moves across the candy to keep it pliable.", "Then the sugary batch travels between wheels that slim it down even more.", "The rope of candy moves forward in a wave-like fashion.", "This gives it some slack so it doesn't stretch as it moves through the next set of wheels.", "The candy rope moves through two angled belts that twist it, and a chain of knives cut the twisted rope to candy-cane size.", "This production has been perfectly choreographed.", "One misstep, and the job would hit a snarl.", "Here, a roll of cellophane unwinds, and a device wraps it around the candy sticks.", "A blast of hot air shrinks the cellophane on the ends of the canes.", "Now it's time for these candy sticks to get their signature crooks.", "This machine, called a crooker deck, bends the ends.", "An overhead bracket brush gently secures the canes because though they're pliable enough to bend, they're still fragile.", "There's a camera inside this robotic arm, which allows it to spot the candy canes on the conveyer belt and pick them up two at a time.", "It places them in cardboard packages by the dozen.", "It takes about half an hour to make a box of candy canes.", "And they're sure to come to a very sticky end in even less time." ]

{ "things": [ "Time" ] }

[ "Many banks and businesses have time-delay locks on their safes to keep their valuables and documents secure.", "This helps deter theft because robbers may not want to wait around for the safe to open.", "If they do, the time delay may keep them around long enough for police to make an arrest.", "This lock lets you select delays ranging from 1 to 30 minutes.", "The timer starts after you insert the key.", "Most of the lock's components are made of zinc.", "This semi-automated casting machine heats zinc bars to about 800 degrees.", "The molten metal is then fed into an injection system, which shoots the zinc into a part-shaped mold.", "The machine automatically refills the zinc bars as the metal is used.", "As soon as the machine injects molten zinc into the mold, surrounding tubes spray cold water to quickly cool and solidify the metal.", "Then the mold opens and ejects the part.", "The parts have rough edges, so they go into a vibrating tub.", "Inside, they run against ceramic stones and an abrasive compound to smooth the edges and polish the surface.", "The parts are cleaned and painted on one side.", "Then they go into an oven to bake on the paint.", "The lock's main cam sets the time delay and the open window-- the amount of time before the safe automatically relocks.", "Here, they're drilling holes for screws, which will regulate the lengths of the time delay and the open window.", "Once the lock's components are prepared, assembly begins.", "Workers insert the lock cylinder into its shell and remove the key.", "Then they screw on a steel cylinder cam.", "When you turn the key in the cylinder, a cam winds and starts the timer.", "After the set time delay, the cam pulls a lever that releases the lock's latch.", "To build the lock's timing assembly, they first attach a spring to the timer plate.", "They hold the spring in place with a plastic retainer.", "Then they install a brass timer cam.", "The spring holds it in the locked position.", "A pin on the cylinder cam's lever sits on the timer cam.", "When the time delay is over, the pin releases the timer spring, and the timer cam moves to the unlocked position.", "This allows the cylinder cam to retract the latch and open the lock.", "They screw the plate with the spring and timer cam to the timer, which is gear-driven like a mechanical clock.", "They let the timer run down all the way.", "Then they turn the spring four times.", "They mount the main cam, which sets the time delay and open window on top of the timer cam.", "Now they begin calibrating the timer.", "First they install an aluminum weight assembly that controls the timer speed.", "They run the timer on a testing machine, comparing it to the delay set on the main cam.", "If the timer runs too fast, they take some tension off the timer spring.", "If the timer runs too slowly, they trim down the weight assembly until they get the right speed.", "Once the timer is accurate, they screw it into the timer cover.", "The lock body contains the lever that retracts the lock's latch.", "It also has a brass electrical plug to connect a time-delay indicator light.", "After securing the latch and lever in position with a cover plate, they install the timer assembly.", "The visible side is painted black, just like the visible side of the cover plate.", "Then they insert the cylinder assembly.", "They mount the lock on the door of the safe and hook up the indicator lights, which run on double-\"a\" batteries.", "To open the safe, you insert, turn, then remove the key.", "The red light indicates the timer is counting down.", "When the time delay is over, the green light comes on.", "Then you reinsert the key, and the safe opens.", "Chocolate brownies are irresistible.", "Their origins are uncertain, but they were definitely developed in the united states over a century ago.", "One story is that a homemaker from bangor, maine, made the first brownies accidentally while trying to make a cake.", "Another story states that they were deliberately invented by the chef at a chicago hotel.", "Neither cake nor cookie, a brownie is something in between, a moist, dense, and chewy square.", "There's no doubt it brings something special to the table.", "To mass-produce brownies, this factory starts with canola oil.", "They add xanthan gum, a natural preservative that increases moisture retention during baking.", "They blend these two ingredients in an industrial mixer.", "Then they add sugar, cocoa, and canola and palm oil shortening.", "They reactivate the mixer, and it blends the ingredients into a chocolate batter.", "The next ingredients are whole eggs...", "And corn syrup.", "The massive mixing arm descends back into the bowl and whips these ingredients into the batter.", "A worker wheels the bowl to a hopper, which releases a precise amount of flour.", "The flour thickens the mix.", "It will give the baked brownies structure.", "After 25 minutes of mixing, the batter is complete.", "There's enough batter here to make 6,000 brownies.", "They transfer the smooth chocolaty mixture to a machine called a depositor.", "A sprayer mists the pans with oil to keep the brownies from sticking to them during baking.", "Then the pans arrive at the depositor.", "This computerized machine releases the batter into each pan.", "It has perfect aim every time.", "Next, the pans enter an 11-1/2-foot oven.", "The brownies rotate through 13 tiers to bake them evenly.", "After about 20 minutes, the brownies are cooked.", "They exit the oven and head into a cooling chamber.", "Like the oven, it's multi-tiered.", "The pans move through it as fans cool the brownies.", "The cooling helps solidify the brownies.", "Then a robot arm with needle-like claws lifts them out of the pans and transfers them to the next conveyer.", "The robots are gentle, so the cool brownies stay intact during the process.", "The brownies round a corner and transfer to another conveyer.", "At the end of the line, a worker places the brownies in a narrow conveyer system that takes them to the wrapping station.", "A computer sensor detects their approach and alerts the plastic wrapping system ahead.", "The plastic unwinds into the wrapping machine as the brownies enter it.", "Metal wheels with grooves pull the wrapper under the brownies, and then heated wheels melt the seam to close it.", "A hot jaw then seals and severs the plastic film between the brownies, creating individual packets.", "A robot opens a box and sets it on a conveyer next to the brownie line.", "An employee then places eight packets of brownies in each carton.", "They ride by a rotary device, which automatically folds the ends of the cartons.", "Then the boxes are glued shut.", "Finally, they travel through a metal detector.", "It uses a high-frequency electromagnetic signal to detect any metal fragments in the brownies.", "It takes about an hour to make and package brownies at this factory, but only a fraction of that time to enjoy them.", "Pallets are used to easily move large quantities of goods.", "They were invented in the early 20th century and have been a warehouse staple ever since.", "Multiple unused pallets can cause clutter and even be a safety hazard.", "That's where pallet dispensers come in.", "Before pallet dispensers, pallets were kept in loose stacks.", "Retrieving one was potentially dangerous.", "The pallet dispenser solves this problem.", "It helps keep the workplace safe and organized.", "A high-speed cnc machine cuts out the steel parts of the pallet dispenser.", "An employee uses a press brake to bend the components to the required shapes.", "A preset backstop ensures that the metal piece goes into the precise depth.", "Next, a worker uses a mig welder to quickly bond the new parts together.", "The parts hang from chains, which are charged with a negative current.", "Painters then spray positively charged paint on them.", "The parts are baked in an oven for 20 minutes to dry the paint.", "The traveler frame moves up and down with the pallets inside the dispenser.", "A worker installs 12 cam followers.", "A team positions the linear track assembly.", "Its vertical bars guide the cam followers, keeping the traveler frame on track.", "Once this sub-assembly is complete, workers install it inside the main side frames.", "Together, these components form the main base assembly.", "The dispenser's self-contained hydraulic system doesn't require power to control the traveler frame.", "This is one of two hydraulic cylinders.", "They're designed to easily hold a heavy stack of pallets.", "The worker installs four brake arms.", "They hold a set of spring-loaded latches in place to keep the pallets suspended in position.", "Next, he positions the sprockets.", "The pallet dispenser requires four sprockets to support two chains.", "These chains connect the traveler frame to a massive steel counterweight.", "As it gets fuller, the traveler frame lowers to the ground.", "After the pallets touch the floor, the counterweight lifts the frame.", "The pallets are stored in a tall column called a pallet magazine.", "Two employees work together to install it.", "The magazines come in two standard heights-- 4 feet and 8 feet.", "Not all pallet magazines are red.", "Customers can select from a wide variety of colors.", "The interior panels protect the dispenser's mechanism from being damaged.", "They're also the access panels to the product's precision engineering.", "A trained professional should always handle the machine's maintenance and repair.", "Making the panels relatively inaccessible decreases the chances of tampering, injury, or accidents by an amateur.", "Next, a worker runs a quality-control test.", "He uses a walkie rider to raise a stack of pallets and remove the bottom one.", "When he's done, the hydraulic system lowers the stack back into position.", "Here, one worker uses a forklift to raise the top section of the pallet magazine into position while the other worker guides the magazine into place.", "Graphics and decals have already been added, so all that's left is for the worker to securely bolt the two sections together.", "With about 2 billion pallets in the u.s. alone, things can really start to pile up.", "Pallet stackers make life easier for manufacturers and shippers all over the world.", "Some refer to these devices as giant pez dispensers.", "In a way, that's exactly what they are, and they're just as safe.", "Once reserved for palaces and castles, today's chandeliers can be found in even the most modest homes.", "They function as more than just a light source.", "Chandeliers can be the illuminating centerpieces of traditional rooms or give modern rooms an eclectic twists.", "Either way, a crystal chandelier is always elegant and timeless.", "This chandelier is quite a showstopper.", "It stretches more than 3 feet high and wide with 24 elegant arms.", "It's decorated with clear and red crystal and a gilded hurricane shade over each light.", "To make the crystal, they melt silica sand in a furnace, along with lead, hot ash, and several other ingredients.", "The materials combine to make crystal heavier and more sparkling than glass.", "To make each chandelier arm, a crystal blower gathers some molten crystal on the end of his blowpipe, then shapes the arm with a series of blocks and molds.", "He makes a channel down the middle for the arm's electrical wiring.", "Next, two master crystal blowers work together to pull and twist the crystal into the arm's rope-like design.", "This maneuver requires tremendous expertise.", "To achieve the correct diameter, these craftsmen must stretch the crystal exactly right.", "Next, they put it in a chandelier arm mold and snip off the excess on both ends.", "They blow cold air to solidify the crystal.", "Another craftsman inspects the chandelier arm, checking the shape, measurements, and channel for the electrical wiring.", "Next, a pair of craftsmen make the bowl-shaped bottom of the chandelier.", "Using traditional techniques, they place molten crystal in a mold, then place the mold in a press.", "The crystal chandelier parts are cooled down in an oven.", "The gradual decrease in temperature slowly releases tension in the crystal.", "This prevents cracking.", "Straight out of the furnace, the crystal is 2,280 degrees.", "It continues to be pliable until it reaches about 1,202 degrees.", "It cools rapidly, so as the craftsmen work, they must regularly reheat the crystal in a smaller furnace.", "The freshly molded crystal tends to have a rough surface, so they use heat from a blowtorch to smooth it out.", "These holders support the hurricane shades on the arms.", "This company produces its signature shade of red crystal by adding 24-karat gold powder to the raw materials in the furnace.", "The color emerges after the molded piece is reheated in an oven to just over 1,000 degrees.", "A crystal blower makes the hurricane shades.", "First, he rolls a starting shape at the end of his blowpipe.", "Then, with pliers, he narrows and stretches one end to form a neck.", "By now, the crystal has cooled, so he reheats it before continuing.", "Next, he inserts the crystal into a foot-pedal-operated mold installed in the floor.", "He then turns the pipe and blows through it to expand the crystal to the mold shape.", "Once the hurricane shade has cooled, artisans apply an elaborate 24-karat gold decal.", "With a paintbrush, they also apply raised gilding and 24-karat gold paste.", "They heat the shade to fuse the gold to the crystal, then polish the gold with an agate stone.", "Every part of the crystal chandelier is handmade, and the entire chandelier is manually assembled.", "However, some of the crystal parts require prep work before assembly.", "The arms have a light socket at one end wired to a connector at the other.", "All 24 arms mount to a round tray.", "Beneath it, the connectors link to the main wires running down the center of the chandelier.", "The chandelier's ornate bottom hides it all.", "The electrical sockets that hold the light bulbs are hidden inside metal sleeves painted white to look like candles.", "The gilded hurricane shades go over the candles and sit snugly in the holders.", "This stunning crystal chandelier casts sparkling light, easily making it the focal point of the room.", "Weighing in at over 150 pounds, this grand chandelier makes a big, bold design statement." ]

{ "things": [ "Inflatable Watercraft", "Couscous", "Modelling Dough", "Wicker Products" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Inflatable watercraft...", "Couscous...", "Modeling dough...", "And wicker products.", "Today's inflatable watercraft range from rafts and dinghies to canoes and kayaks.", "They're less expensive than conventional boats and easier to store and transport.", "You don't need a trailer-- just throw your boat in the trunk, then unfold and inflate it when you get to your aquatic destination.", "Whether it's a raft shooting the rapids or a motorized boat gliding across a calm lake, an inflatable watercraft begins with sturdy, waterproof material.", "This company uses pvc fabric .", "04 of an inch thick that has a nylon or polyester fiber core.", "After workers trace and cut out the pieces that will form the boat, they connect them with a strip of the same material, fusing them together using a machine with a propane flame.", "The intense heat melts the surface of the pvc until the pieces bond.", "Here's that bonding action in slow motion.", "Next, they fuse a strip of pure pvc to the underside of the joint.", "This assures that air won't leak out of the boat where the pieces connect.", "Inflating the boat will pull on the material surrounding the air valve, so they reinforce that area with a round piece of pvc called a doubler.", "This high-frequency welding machine applies 280 pounds of pressure and heat-generating f.m. waves to fuse the doubler in place.", "Then they cut a hole in the middle of the doubler for the air valve.", "Next come the cones.", "Cones support the weight of the motor and enable the boat to plane, to rise above the water when traveling at high speed.", "Using the propane-flame machine, workers seal together the ends of the boat...", "Then insert the inside cone piece just before they close it up completely.", "They finish off the seal using the high-frequency welding machine, then pull the cone piece through.", "They inflate the boat until the pressure forces the cone piece into place.", "They seal all around it with heavy-duty caulking...", "Stick on the outside cone piece...", "Then screw it securely in place.", "They fully inflate the boat to perfect the seal and expel the excess caulking.", "Now they install what's called the transom, a plank of wood that supports the motor at the rear of the boat.", "They cover it in boat fabric, using a plastic resin-based glue that's resistant to the fiery heat of the sun.", "They apply the same glue to the piece of material that will become the underside of the boat, then position it in place.", "After gluing on a bumper made of hard pvc, they coat the boat's underside in a liquid plastic resin.", "This protects the bottom when the boat runs aground over rocks and sand.", "They test-inflate the keel, a stabilizer that runs the length of the boat.", "Then they deflate it and begin installing the floor.", "The floor is made up of five connected pieces, three made of aluminum and two made of fiberglass, plastic, or wood.", "The hole in the floor is for the keel's air valve.", "After inflating the boat...", "They inflate the keel.", "Now they take measurements to determine where to position the oars.", "First, they glue on the oarlocks, the pieces that hold the oars in place.", "The oars are made of aluminum, so they're lightweight and they won't rust.", "The motor is 6 horsepower to 50 horsepower, depending on the size of the boat.", "Couscous is a traditional staple of north african cuisine.", "It looks like a grain, but it's actually pasta.", "These days, few people make couscous from scratch.", "Even in north africa, they usually buy their couscous ready-made and just steam-cook it.", "Couscous is the product of culinary simplicity.", "It's made from one ingredient and one ingredient alone-- wheat, most often, the durum species of wheat.", "When you remove the grains, grind them, and sift out the finer flour, you're left with a coarser wheat flour called \"semolina\".", "That's the flour from which they make couscous.", "The first step is known as \"hydration\".", "An automated food processor measures about 1/3 water to 2/3 semolina, then mixes them for 3 minutes.", "The flour particles absorb the liquid and bloat into a raw dough.", "The dough particles then go into a rotating drum, where they spin for seven minutes.", "This rounds them into balls of varying sizes.", "A screen inside the drum sifts out the big clumps.", "The raw doughballs go into a giant steam-cooker for 15 minutes.", "The intense heat, over 210 degrees fahrenheit, cooks the dough by gelatinizing the starch in the wheat.", "As the couscous balls exit the steam-cooker stuck together, giant revolving blades break them up.", "The soggy couscous now enters a rotating dryer, where it spins for 18 minutes.", "This removes 22% of the water.", "The remaining moisture is necessary to prevent the couscous from drying out in the package.", "Now the couscous pours out of the dryer and onto the conveyor belt that funnels it to the next station.", "You can see that the balls are much drier and relatively uniform in size, but they're still steaming hot, so they go off to a refrigeration chamber for two minutes to cool.", "As the couscous exits the chamber, it runs through a screening machine that separates the balls, called \"grains,\" by size.", "Medium and fine couscous go off to their respective storage silos, while grains that are too big or too small go back to be reprocessed.", "The couscous-making process, from wheat semolina to the finished product, has taken just 45 minutes.", "As we've seen, most of the cooking's been done by the factory, so all the consumer will have to do is steam this ready-made couscous for five minutes on the stove or in the microwave.", "This factory packages its couscous in bulk quantities, as well as in smaller, meal-sized portions.", "Today, ready-made couscous comes in many different flavors.", "And depending on the dish you're making or your personal preference, you can choose medium grain...", "Or fine grain.", "Plain or flavored couscous is becoming an increasingly popular side dish, an alternative to rice, potatoes, or noodles.", "You can even buy main-course couscous kits that come with a can of vegetables and a packet of sauce.", "There's nothing little kids love more than digging their hands into a mound of squishy modeling dough, then rolling and shaping it.", "It's a hands-on experience in creativity, made all the more fun by modeling doughs that come in bright colors and yummy scents.", "Just in case little billy decides to snack on his artistic creation, this scented modeling dough is made entirely of food ingredients-- flavorings and colorings, salt, flour, hot water, and some secret ingredients the company won't divulge.", "The key to achieving just the right consistency is meticulous measurement.", "They use electronic scales to precision-weigh each ingredient.", "Bit by bit, they pour the dry ingredients and flavorings into the mixer.", "The amount of hot water they add varies according to the color and scent they're producing.", "The proportions are about 30% water to 70% dry ingredients.", "The last ingredient is food coloring-- in this case, cherry red.", "For the modeling dough to come out just right, the mixing time has to be precisely 3 minutes and 20 seconds.", "When the dough comes out, it's roughly the consistency of pie dough.", "It's quite hot from all that churning, almost 160 degrees fahrenheit, but there's no need to cool it before packaging.", "It goes right into a machine called the stuffer, which cuts it in container-sized portions.", "The finished product is soft and malleable, enough for endless hours of playing.", "Besides smelling delightful, this modeling dough doesn't crumble, doesn't stick to things, and won't stain clothes or upholstery.", "A machine called the container distributor lines up the plastic containers.", "Then the stuffer drops a wad of hot dough into each one.", "As the containers move down the line, on goes a cover stamped with the production date.", "A compression roller then runs over the cover to create an airtight seal.", "Last but not least, a colorful sticker to boldly identify the scent.", "The containers pass through a metal detector, a precautionary measure in case some metal shards wore off the machinery and landed unnoticed in the dough.", "The company lab is continually developing new scents.", "This brand comes in 36 different scents so far...", "From a variety of fruits...", "To kid-friendly foods.", "The lab is also constantly experimenting with new colors, though some, such as purples, are quite difficult to produce.", "Children, of course, can make their own colors simply by combining existing ones.", "If you leave the modeling dough out of the sealed container for too long, it'll dry out.", "But because this brand is water-based, not oil-based like some others, you can revive it.", "All you have to do is add a few drops of water, knead it a bit, then put it back in the sealed container.", "After a few hours, your scented modeling dough will be as good as new.", "Wicker is thin branches or vines flexible enough to be woven.", "Many plants can be used for wicker, such as willow and rattan.", "Quality wicker is very durable.", "You can find antique wicker furniture that's as sturdy today as it was in its heyday.", "The oldest piece of wicker on record dates back to 1400 b.c. archeologists discovered it in egypt, where, in ancient times, people used wicker chairs.", "Handwoven wicker furniture was the rage in europe and north america in the 1800s.", "To meet this demand, trade schools churned out master wicker weavers.", "But by the 1930s, manufacturers developed a paper fiber to mimic the look of wicker and large mechanized looms to do the weaving.", "Today's genuine wicker items are usually made of rattan core, rattan palm-tree branches stripped of their bark then processed into different diameters and profiles.", "At this workshop, they use a manual loom to weave wicker hampers.", "Taking what's known as \"flat oval rattan core\"-- flat on one side, rounded on the other-- they run horizontal strands through vertical strands in an under-and-over pattern, working between the hamper's wooden frame and its fiberboard lining.", "They keep the vertical strands taut by tying them to weighted ropes.", "It's important to keep moistening the rattan with hot water to keep it supple enough to manipulate.", "They weave one thin round strand after every 5-inch-high section of flat oval.", "There's no structural reason for this pattern-- it's purely aesthetic.", "A wicker wastebasket begins with a base that dictates the shape.", "They insert vertical stakes of round rattan core along its perimeter, then below the base, bend each stake over the next, then under the one after that.", "This forms what's called the foot border, a bottom rim that holds the base securely in place.", "Now they insert a wooden form and begin weaving.", "First, a small section of round rows, then a large section of flat oval ones.", "Slowly and patiently, they work their way to the top, never resorting to glue or staples to hold the strands together, only a hook to compress the rows for a neat and tight weave.", "Every so often, they use pliers to tear off a stray fiber.", "Now for the finishing touch.", "They braid what's left of the vertical stakes into a decorative top rim.", "This particular braiding technique is very complex, requiring all 10 fingers and a special tool to pry stubborn strands apart.", "They snip off the excess with a cutter.", "When they're finished, they remove the modular wooden form.", "Its components are numbered, so they'll know how to reassemble them for the next basket.", "Another more decorative way to finish the top of the basket is this arch technique.", "They trim each vertical stake, bend it into an arch, then tuck it into the basket three stakes over.", "This measuring tool ensures the arches are of equal height, while this metal device creates a space into which to tuck each stake.", "Wicker weavers create magnificent designs by combining various shapes and sizes of rattan.", "A strand can be as thick as a pencil or as thin as a needle.", "While this doesn't quite fall under the category of wicker, it's not uncommon to see wicker workshops use other natural materials.", "Here, they're weaving a chair seat out of cord made from sea grass.", "There's also wicker seating material.", "This prewoven sheet is called \"cane seating,\" or \"rattan peel\".", "It's made from the bark stripped off the rattan branch.", "First, they force it into a groove in the chair's wooden frame, then they glue in what's called \"spline,\" a strip of rattan core with a pointed edge.", "They wedge that edge into the groove and bring it down to the hold the rattan peel in place.", "Then they trim off the excess.", "Because wicker is wood, it can be stained or painted or left its natural color.", "Whatever the finish, they give it two or three coats of varnish for protection." ]

{ "things": [ "Customized Knee Replacements", "Leaf Springs", "Lavender", "Rivets and Rivet Tools" ] }

[ "The typical candidate for a knee replacement has osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in the knee has worn away.", "Knee replacement surgery restores the worn areas with an implant.", "To help place the implant properly, the surgeon can use an instrument custom-designed for the patient's damaged anatomy.", "A successful knee replacement depends on its alignment with the femur and tibia, the upper and lower leg bones that connect at the knee.", "That's a challenge because knee implants are standard, while every patient's bones are unique.", "So starting with an mri scan of the patient's knee, this medical device company produces custom-made surgical templates, plastic devices the surgeon uses to sculpt the surface the patient's bones to align the knee implant accurately.", "The surgeon no longer has to visually calculate the bone cuts on the spot in the operating room, which takes more time and is more invasive.", "An engineer uses the mri scan to create 3-d models of the patient's femur and tibia.", "The patient's cartilage has worn out in between these bones, causing painful rubbing that erodes the bone surface.", "The implant effectively replaces the damaged bone and cartilage.", "Once each bone model is ready, another engineer applies a 3-d model of the correct-size implant, then, following directions the surgeon has provided, performs virtual surgery on the bone model.", "This will properly align the implant to the patient's specific anatomy and fit it to the angle at which that particular knee moves.", "During the surgery simulation, the computer records every bone cut.", "The surgeon reviews and approves this surgical plan only once before manufacturing begins.", "The computer, which recorded the bone cuts, guides a 3-d printer to produce plastic templates for both the femur and tibia.", "The surgeon will use these to repeat the same exact cuts in real life.", "The 3-d printer applies a layer of powdered plastic, then following the computer model, solidifies select areas with a laser.", "This process keeps repeating, building up the shape of these surgical templates layer by layer.", "One printer run produces personalized templates for up to 50 patients at a time, so the laser inscribes the patient's name and identification code on each part.", "Once the printing's done, it's just a matter of breaking up the unsolidified powdered plastic...", "And fishing out the templates.", "They brush off the bulk of the remaining powder.", "The posts on the bottom are the points at which pins affix the template to the bone during surgery.", "Next, the templates go into a tumbler containing plastic balls and air jets.", "As the drum rotates for 20 minutes, the balls knock off and the air jets blows off most of the remaining powder.", "The templates exit the tumbler 90% clean.", "They go through two wash cycles to remove the last remnants of powder.", "Before packaging, they'll be sterilized.", "But first, every template must pass a quality-control inspection.", "Using a laser, a technician scans it to make sure the manufacturing process produced an exact match to the patient's bone.", "This model shows how the femur and tibia form the knee joint and how the surgeon secures the customized template onto each of these bones.", "Thanks to these devices, the surgeon doesn't have to figure out the bone cuts on the fly in the operating room.", "They're all pre-calculated by the computer model.", "This method eliminates several steps required in standard surgery.", "The operation takes less time and requires half as many instruments to set up and clean up.", "And because the surgeon no longer has to drill a hole in the bone to check the knee implant's alignment, the patient experiences less pain and bleeding and a smaller chance of developing complications.", "The earliest version of leaf springs were likely flexible wooden poles used in carriages in ancient rome.", "In the early 19th century, metal leaf springs were developed.", "Today the journey continues, and it's fairly smooth thanks to these suspension springs.", "A leaf spring is a stack of curved plates or leaves, or sometimes even just one.", "This spring has the flex to absorb bumps and dips in the road, but it's strong enough to provide serious support.", "Today these super-strong suspension springs are generally used for trucks and other heavy vehicles more than cars.", "Production starts with spring steel.", "It's an alloy that has elasticity.", "Big shears cut the steel to various lengths for a multi-leaf spring.", "It's one of the two kinds of leaf springs.", "Using a band saw, they cut steel for the other kind of leaf spring, known as a full taper spring.", "It's made of one to four leaves that are approximately the same length but various thicknesses.", "After cutting, they rapidly heat the ends.", "Computerized machinery rolls and stretches the piece to a tapered profile.", "This achieves the same flex effect as the progressively shorter leaves on the multi-leaf spring, but the end product will be lighter and not as stiff.", "Next, it's into a press that trims the stretched ends and punches holes for various components.", "It takes about an hour for the steel to cool down for the next operation.", "Meanwhile, other members of the team are hard at work on the multi-leaf spring.", "They feed the heated tip of the main leaf to a machine that wraps it around a die form.", "This creates an eye mount for attaching the spring to the vehicle.", "They create an eye mount on the other end, as well.", "Next they curl the ends of a slightly longer steel bar into a loose \"c\" shape.", "This piece will serve as an outer protective wrap for the main leaf and protect the eye mounts.", "Back to the taper spring, hydraulic machinery bends it to the final \"z\" shape so it will fit around a vehicle axle.", "They soak both the taper and multi-leaf springs in oil and temper them in a furnace to strengthen the steel.", "Then it's time for a process known as peening.", "Machinery clamps the steel leaf onto a carriage, which takes it through a chamber for blasting with tiny steel pellets.", "The blasting changes the surface tension, further strengthening the metal.", "A worker now assembles the multi-leaf spring.", "He inserts a pin through the center of the main leaf and wrap to align them.", "Each of the next leaves is shorter than the last.", "They're known as graduated leaves.", "It's a design that will make the spring more flexible.", "He transfers the stack to a hydraulic station...", "And inserts a different pin for more precise alignment.", "He activates the hydraulic mechanism, and it squeezes the leaves together.", "The mechanism maintains the leaves under tension as he removes the pin and now bolts them together.", "He pounds clips installed at specific locations on the spring to close them around the leaves.", "The clips tighten the stack all the way across and will stop the leaves from twisting or turning.", "Next, another hydraulic device applies pressure, this time to simulate the load the spring will carry.", "This sets the spring to a specific height and compresses it to stiffen the overall performance.", "The worker measures the spring to confirm that it meets the specifications.", "The assembled leaf springs now take a quick dip in a tank of black paint.", "The paint coats the leaves, clips, and fasteners to give these suspension springs a uniform finish.", "Painted black, they should blend in with all the other components on the vehicle's undercarriage.", "Now complete, these leaf springs can be depended on for support when the going gets rough.", "Lavandula angustifolia might sound like a name of an ancient roman emperor, but it's actually the scientific name for the lavender plant.", "The leaves and striking blue petals of this aromatic flowering shrub are used to make lavender essential oil, an ingredient in many health and beauty products.", "Lavender essential oil has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.", "No wonder it's long been a natural remedy for many ailments.", "And with its flowery fragrance and relaxing effects, it's a common ingredient in lotions, soaps, and bath oils.", "Lavender is a perennial plant that begins flowering in its second year.", "Harvest time at this canadian farm is in july, at the peak of the first bloom.", "There's a second bloom afterward, but not significant enough to warrant another harvest.", "Weeds like to grow at the base of lavender plants, siphoning off water and important soil nutrients.", "So between may and september, killing those weeds is a vital daily ritual.", "The weeding machine lifts the lavender stems out of the way, then blasts the weeds around the base with hot steam.", "To determine the right time to harvest, the producer looks at the quantity of blooms and the color of the flowers.", "They should be purple-blue, on the verge of turning grayish-brown.", "The producer also crushes a few petals to see how much oil comes out.", "The harvester is specially designed for cutting lavender.", "Like a stylist cutting hair, it pulls the stem straight up, then snips near the base.", "The cut stems, about 15 inches long, fall onto a conveyer belt, which moves them into a tray.", "From there, workers manually transfer the lavender to the harvester's trailer.", "When the trailer is full, the harvester delivers its load to the on-site distillery.", "Workers load the lavender into a still, a large stainless-steel vessel typically used to produce alcoholic spirits.", "They compact as much lavender as possible into the still to prevent the formation of air pockets.", "The less air, the greater the oil yield.", "Once the still is stuffed to compacted capacity, they close it tightly and start up an oil-fired boiler.", "The boiler heats water into steam, which they then inject into the bottom of the still at very low pressure.", "Over the course of about 15 minutes, the steam slowly rises to the top of the still, heating the lavender along the way.", "They continue the steam for another half-hour or so.", "This bursts the glands located primarily in the petals, releasing the oil.", "To collect that extracted oil, they feed cold water into a coiled pipe running through the still.", "When the hot steam hits that cold pipe, it condenses, transforming back into water.", "Only now, the water contains lavender oil.", "They open the still's tap and let the water flow into a holding tank.", "On average, the proportions are one part lavender oil to 40 parts water.", "In the holding tank over the next hour or so, the oil naturally separates and rises to the surface.", "At that point, they begin pumping the water to another container, stopping at the first sign of oil.", "What remains in the tank is the final product-- pure lavender essential oil.", "The pumped-out water is a secondary product called lavender flower water.", "The producer sends both products to a laboratory to be filtered.", "Producers primarily sell lavender oil and floral water as ingredients to manufacturers of health and beauty products, but they also often design their own lines of lavender creations for pampering the body and soul.", "Rivets hold a lot of things together.", "Product fabricated with rivets include aircraft, cars, computers, and household appliances.", "Installed with a rivet tool, these fasteners create strong and permanent joints.", "Without rivets, a lot of things might fall apart.", "Whether the job is large or small, chances are there's a rivet for it.", "And using a special rivet tool, it's possible to form strong attachments quickly and easily.", "The two together make a perfect match.", "The rivet tool starts with a precast aluminum handle.", "A technician inserts a steel sleeve.", "It will serve as a chamber for hydraulic fluid.", "The spring for the tool's trigger is next.", "She screws an aluminum plate to the base to enclose the two parts and the handle.", "This is the pulling-head assembly.", "It has tiny jaws to grab the rivet stem.", "She lubricates it and presses it into the main bore of the rivet tool.", "She installs a fill screw in the top of the handle casting for top-offs of hydraulic fluid during servicing.", "But the initial supply of hydraulic fluid is added through the steel sleeve at the bottom.", "She inserts an air-piston assembly into the fluid-filled chamber.", "She threads a screw into the nose of the rivet tool.", "This keeps the internal workings in the correct position for the next step.", "She places the base of the tool into an air chamber, then hooks up an air hose and secures it with steel clamps.", "She plugs the tool into an air supply and pulls the trigger.", "The air puts pressure on the hydraulic fluid inside to activate the riveting mechanism.", "And now the test-- she places a rivet in the nose of the tool, then inserts the other end of the rivet into a hole on the test plate and presses the trigger.", "The tool efficiently installs the rivet in the hole.", "It's time to stock up on rivets.", "They make them from round wire.", "A machine cuts the wire to length and then punches it into a die twice to form a rivet stem blank.", "Here's the cutting and forming action in slow motion.", "The machine operates in a blur, producing 200 rivet stem blanks a minute.", "The stem blanks move between serrated rolling dies.", "The dies form grooves to allow the stem to be gripped by a rivet tool.", "They also make ridges that will serve as a breaking point during rivet installation.", "This is a slow-motion close-up of the serrated rolling dies in action.", "Here's the rivet stem before and after forming.", "The next machine creates the rivet body.", "It cuts wire to the correct length and forces it into dies.", "It takes five punches to transform the solid wire into a hollow rivet body.", "These machines can produce up to 300 parts a minute.", "Next, the rivet bodies go for a tumble in a cleaning solution to remove oily residue left by the forming.", "The rivet stems also undergo this thorough washing.", "The rivet bodies then travel through a furnace.", "The intense heat followed by a gradual cooling hardens the metal to free it from internal stresses.", "After zinc-plating, the rivet bodies head towards the next station.", "The rivet stems are also on the move.", "They travel through a channel that gradually widens to sort out stems that are too big or small.", "The undersized stems fall through at the beginning, and oversized ones fall off the end.", "A magnet loader collects the correctly sized stems, and rejects are discarded.", "The rivet stems cling to the loader, which is stopped at the moment.", "The rivet bodies now ride a carrousel.", "It pauses briefly to allow a stem to be inserted into a body.", "These are slow-motion shots, and back in real time.", "These machines work fast.", "They pump out millions of rivets a day.", "The rivets are now ready to leave this factory for another, where they could be used to make almost anything." ]

{ "things": [ "Replica Clay Pipes", "Drinking Fountains", "Orange Liqueur", "Compound Bows" ] }

[ "Clay tobacco pipes may have been the first disposable product.", "For centuries, smokers in north america and europe used them until they broke, which happened often.", "Clay pipes fell out of widespread use at the end of the 19th century, but they're still made today by clay artists with a reverence for history.", "Nostalgia is a new niche market for clay pipes, popular at historical reenactments and coveted by collectors because history buffs like an authentic puff.", "At this studio in the midwest, the craftsman starts with a small wad of clay.", "He rolls it long and thin and flares the shape at the end.", "This establishes the basic shape of a native-american-style clay pipe.", "He drives a tapered stick into it to hollow the long stem and stops just short of the flared end.", "He rolls it with the stick inside as he continues to shape the clay.", "He trims the flared end and now transforms it into the pipe bowl.", "He presses a handmade stone tool into it to make it hollow and then flares the bowl some more.", "To better define the shape of the bowl, he kneads the clay from the outside.", "He removes the stone implement.", "He now works the pipe bowl entirely by hand to make the thickness of the wall a little more uniform.", "One more roll, and then he punctures the bowl cavity to link it to the air passage.", "He bends the bowl upward and then sculpts the clay a little more.", "He sets it aside to dry a bit.", "The clay hardens but is still soft enough to carve into with the edge of a wood tool.", "To create notches and other trim marks, he gently presses the tool into the bowl.", "He tweaks the shape a little more and leaves the pipe to dry much longer now.", "The moisture evaporates, and the clay solidifies.", "Using another stone tool, he grinds off bumps and other surface flaws.", "The grinding leaves little scratches on the pipe.", "He rubs those away with water.", "The clay quickly absorbs the small amounts of water, and the surface of the pipe dries in a very short time.", "After that, this replica native pipe looks pretty smooth.", "Other native pipes are more elaborate.", "The bowls are decorated with effigies of an animal or human.", "Here, the artist sculpts a man's face onto the bowl.", "He uses a blunt stick to raise a couple of eyebrows and add nostrils.", "He rolls eyeballs and plants some ears on the side.", "The pipe bowl will serve as the mouth.", "Native people believe that smoke carries their prayers to the gods.", "To make an english tavern pipe, he shapes the clay in a mold with a metal wire inside to create an air channel.", "He trims the excess clay.", "He stamps the maker's mark onto the base of the pipe.", "After his removes the wire used to make the air channel, there's drying time, and then he fires it in a kiln at approximately 2,012 degrees fahrenheit.", "After 17 hours, each pipe is a solid piece of white ceramic.", "He fires the native pipes outside in the open air.", "He builds a fire around them using bark, leaves, and twigs.", "This is the traditional way natives have hardened their ceramic items.", "As the fire burns, the clay hardens and takes on a smoky, black finish.", "The fire dies down, and he removes the now-hardened clay pipes.", "Still hot, he removes them with tongs and sets them aside to cool.", "Later, in the studio, he dampens a cloth with mineral oil and rubs it into the clay.", "This seals it and gives the sooty finish a nice patina.", "It takes the craftsman about three days to make one of these replica clay pipes.", "They're sure to provide a whiff of nostalgia.", "There's nothing quite as thirst-quenching as a sip at a water fountain after playing in the park.", "The modern drinking fountain was invented in the early 1900s as a result of health and sanitation concerns.", "Today, it's a safe source of water.", "It waits to serve, no matter what the weather.", "And at the touch of a button, you can drink your fill of refreshing water.", "Essentially unchanged for decades, it is the ever-dependable drinking fountain.", "A worker begins by coating the concrete molds with a release agent.", "The molds are made of fiber glass and metal.", "He makes sure the coating is thorough so that the molds will be easier to pull apart later on.", "With a cloth, he also coats the rubberized cap of the mold.", "The cap will eventually become the top of the fountain.", "After he applies the coating, the worker assembles the inset portion of the mold.", "He then puts the fountain frame, made of galvanized steel rods, into place.", "He assembles the two sides of the mold with the fountain frame enclosed within.", "Using nuts and bolts, he ensures the mold is nice and tight to avoid seam lines in the concrete.", "He now inverts the assembled mold on top of the cap, again making sure all the pieces of the mold are as snug as possible.", "Using wooden spacers, the worker makes sure the frame inside is precisely centered.", "He slips in the core of the mold, which will create the void needed for mounting hardware.", "This wooden cover will keep the concrete out.", "A mixing machine prepares the concrete-aggregate mix.", "A computer controls the portions of sand, rocks, pebbles, and water used in this recipe.", "Once the employee is satisfied with the consistency of the mixture, he directs it into a wheelbarrow.", "As the worker pours concrete into the mold, the mixture oozes evenly into the available space.", "He completely fills it in a matter of minutes.", "He uses a trowel to smooth the edges.", "Two to three hours later, workers carefully pull the core from the mold.", "Once the cement has cured overnight, workers lift the top of the mold off and peel away its cap, revealing the top of a brand-new drinking fountain.", "With a rubber mallet, the worker separates the sides of the mold from the concrete fountain.", "The fountain pedestal is still a little rough around the edges, so he gives it a high-pressure water wash.", "The spray gradually removes the superficial layer of concrete, revealing the textured concrete- aggregate mix underneath.", "The concrete aggregate becomes a sturdy material, with sand, rocks, and pebbles not just on its surface, but all the way through.", "The aggregate mix is durable, with no rust or peeling paint.", "It's aesthetically versatile and comes in a variety of colors.", "A worker now assembles the plumbing.", "He places two washers on this lead-free brass fitting and applies a thread sealant.", "He holds the bubbler in place on the stainless steel bowl and attaches a fitting underneath.", "He applies more thread sealant to the elbow fitting and, after putting it in place, makes sure it's carefully aligned.", "He then inserts a stainless steel drain, followed by a washer and nut to hold it in place.", "He attaches a mounting bracket to hold the bowl assembly to the frame inside the concrete fountain.", "A worker now fits the bowl assembly into the top of the fountain pedestal.", "The mounting bracket holds firmly to ridges in the concrete frame.", "A worker attaches the button assembly, which holds both the button and the valve controlling water flow.", "He attaches the elbow fitting to polypropylene tubing and attaches the button plate to the fountain pedestal.", "A slide on the pedestal prevents the bubbler from being twisted or turned.", "All that's needed now is a thirsty customer.", "Tradition dictates that orange liqueur be served as a digestif, but nowadays it's also used as an ingredient in popular cocktails-- for instance, mixed with tequila to make a margarita, with gin to make a white lady, or with vodka to make a cosmopolitan.", "Orange liqueur is also known as triple sec, triple referring to the fact it's distilled three times.", "\"sec\" is french for \"dry\".", "However, this liqueur isn't dry at all.", "It's actually very sweet, even though it's made with mostly bitter oranges.", "Triple sec was invented in 1834 by this distillery in france.", "The liqueur is made from a combination of sweet orange rinds and bitter orange rinds, which are green, imported from haiti.", "The rinds arrive sun-dried, so the first step is to rehydrate them by soaking in cold water for about 12 hours.", "The next step is running each and every rind through a revolving razor to remove the white lining.", "Left on, this lining would make the liqueur taste bitter.", "Rind with its lining removed is referred to as zest.", "While the distillery will divulge that its liqueur recipe calls for significantly more bitter orange zest than sweet orange zest, the precise ratio is top secret.", "The next step is what's known as maceration.", "They soak the zest in sugar beet alcohol for about five days, during which time the rinds soften and the alcohol turns slightly orange.", "At the end of the maceration phase, they pump the alcohol and transfer the zest into a long-necked copper vessel called a still.", "Once all the alcohol and zest are inside, they close up the still.", "Then they release hot steam, which heats the still, bringing the alcohol to a boil.", "The alcohol evaporates, rising up the still's long neck, until it reaches a condensation system which cools it to liquid form again but now with a more concentrated flavor.", "This entire distillation cycle takes about a half hour.", "The result is a spirit of bitter and sweet oranges that has an alcohol level of between 86% and 88%.", "The first flow out of the still, called head phlegm, is white, due to the orange oil which has risen to the top.", "Once that oil flows off, the spirit is clear and ready for another distillation the next day, then another the day after-- three distillations in all.", "The final spirit, called heart, now has an alcohol level of 81% to 83%.", "They pour a precise amount into a stainless steel mixing vat.", "In a different mixer, they combine water and sugar, heating until the ingredients concentrate into syrup.", "Then they add the syrup to the spirit.", "The proportions are top secret and mix for at least an hour.", "The syrup gives the liqueur additional sweetness and dilutes the 80% alcohol level in half to 40%.", "In the distillery's quality-control laboratory, technicians test samples regularly to ensure that the liqueur's alcohol level is always consistent.", "On the bottling line, the first station is a rinsing machine.", "It disinfects the interior of the frosted-glass bottles with alcohol.", "Next, the bottles proceed to the filling station.", "These are 1 1/2-pint bottles.", "However, the liqueur is bottled in several different sizes.", "The next station places a metallic twist cap onto the neck of each filled bottle, then twists it until the bottle is tightly sealed.", "The final station simultaneously applies front and back adhesive labels.", "Triple sec is a completely colorless liqueur-- not what some might expect, given its unmistakably orange flavor.", "The bow and arrow have come a long way since the stone age.", "In the 1960s, an american engineer added cams and cables to produce what is now known as the compound bow.", "Concept-wise, he hit the bull's-eye.", "With this new bow, archery entered a whole new era.", "The compound bow puts greater energy behind the arrow so it flies faster and straighter.", "This means it's more likely to hit the mark.", "It starts with this computerized tool.", "It carves a latticework of holes in the riser, which is the aluminum framework.", "The holes lighten the bow substantially.", "Next, a printing cylinder applies an activator to release ink graphics from a starch-based film.", "The film rolls into a tub of water.", "The film dissolves, and the camouflage-style graphics are now afloat.", "Machinery dips the bow risers into the floating artwork, and the graphics adhere to them.", "A camouflage design now covers the entire surface, including all the crevices.", "After a wash and dry, the risers are sprayed with a clear acrylic coating.", "In the meantime, a technician prepares 10 bowstrings at once.", "Each string will be made of 20 synthetic strands.", "He ties the fibers to the prongs of a wheel, and as it turns, it winds the 20 fibers into one bundle.", "The result is a bowstring that's so strong, it won't stretch under tension.", "Next, the string builder wraps one of the bowstrings around the posts of a jig.", "He winds a thin, braided string around a strategic section to reinforce it.", "This is called serving.", "He closes the jig to loop the string at the reinforced juncture.", "This loop will be used to tightly attach the string to the pulley wheel known as the cam.", "He loops the other end now and spins the synthetic string wrap further to provide extra protection.", "He stops at the point where the arrow will sit prior to shooting.", "He pulls the string apart and inserts the end of more serving string.", "He winds it around this site to bolster the bowstring at this location.", "He burns off the end to seal it.", "He ties a loop around the reinforced section.", "This is known as the shooter's loop.", "It will be used to nock or hold the arrow.", "To keep the string from oscillating when drawn and ensure a quiet, steady shot, they install two rubber dampeners.", "A machine pulls both ends of the string through the dampeners to slide them into position.", "The riser is now finished, so they add the handle, string stop for more dampening, and the arrow rest.", "It's time to give the compound bow that all-important leverage.", "He screws a limb and cam to each end of the riser.", "A device presses the bow to load tension.", "He slips the end loop around the cam post and winds the string around the cam track.", "He pulls the string to the other cam and winds it.", "He then turns the cams to tighten the string.", "Finally, he runs two cables to the cams, completing the mechanics of the compound bow.", "He splits the bowstring at a predetermined location and inserts an aperture through which the archer can view the target.", "He now frees the bow from the press and locates the shooter's loop more precisely with a special measuring stick.", "Satisfied with the placement, he tightens the loop to the string.", "He winds more synthetic string around the aperture to secure it.", "He burns the end of the string down to the knot to prevent unraveling.", "At this factory, they produce one compound bow every three minutes.", "With production targets now met, it's time to aim for success at the shooting range." ]

{ "things": [ "Gas Barbecues", "Mattress Pads", "Ear Prostheses" ] }

[ "Gas barbecues were invented in the 1960s by an arkansas gas company.", "They redesigned a charcoal grill to run on bottled propane.", "People were drawn to the instant flame, and the gas barbecue became a hot commodity.", "Gas barbecues run from basic to extremely high-end.", "There's no fussing with charcoal briquettes.", "You just press the starter button and adjust the flame to the desired intensity.", "Then close the lid, and you're cooking with gas.", "Making a gas barbecue begins with a laser.", "It cuts holes for screws, knobs, and piping into a sheet of high-gauge steel.", "It will take approximately 50 steel sheets to make the entire gas barbecue.", "This sheet will be used for the grill's front hood.", "Computerized tools punch out various holes in the next steel sheet.", "It will be used to make the barbecue's cart.", "The holes are strategically placed for vents and other features.", "Once holes are punched, the team transfers the sheet to a press brake.", "They place it between the jaws repeatedly to make numerous bends.", "The first set of bends create a ledge for the grill to sit on.", "Other bends transform the flat sheet into a three-wall box that will serve as the back and sides of the barbecue's cart.", "The next employee places a sheet within the walls of the box.", "This will serve as the base of the barbecue's cart.", "He clamps cross braces to the cart and welds the parts together.", "The barbecue cart has taken shape.", "They return to the front hood piece.", "It's been rounded since we last saw it.", "A worker assembles two steel side panels to the hood.", "The side panels are made of thicker steel than the rest of the barbecue because they will need to support hinges and springs.", "An employee presses a belt sander against the welded seams to clean them up.", "Then he sands the entire surface of the hood so that the seams disappear.", "He inserts the temperature gauge and secures it to the hood from the inside.", "Down the line, another team member joins the rear part of the hood with the barbecue's firebox.", "He installs the gas manifold system, complete with valves that control the burners.", "He hooks up the gas line that will fuel the barbecue's rotisserie.", "He covers the manifold with a plate that has holes for the valves.", "He places infrared ceramic burners inside the firebox.", "He connects the ignitor system for lighting the gas barbecue...", "And fastens all the cables together.", "Now he fires up the barbecue and inspects it for leaks or any other operational problems.", "Once the barbecue passes inspection, the employee mounts a glossy steel panel to the front.", "He attaches a knob to the end of the ignitor.", "He installs stainless-steel grates above the burners.", "He hinges the front hood to the back one.", "Once the hinges have been secured, he lowers the lid to confirm that it closes tightly over the firebox.", "The team transfers the barbecue to the cart.", "The cart has been equipped with doors and drawers.", "After they weld the firebox to the cart, this gas barbecue is on its way to a patio near you.", "15 hours in the making, it will provide years of grilling pleasure.", "No need to slave over a hot stove in the kitchen.", "Just turn on the grill and enjoy the great outdoors.", "A mattress pad protects and preserves a mattress, ensuring that it lasts longer.", "Quilted with plush filling, a mattress pad can also provide an extra layer of comfort for those who prefer a softer mattress.", "Purchasing a comfortable mattress is an investment in a good night's sleep.", "A mattress pad can protect that investment.", "To manufacture a mattress pad, a crew first cuts straps to keep the fibers compressed.", "Then they feed the clumps of fibers into a revolving drum with steel spikes.", "The spikes fluff up the fibers.", "This starts the process of opening and separating the strands.", "Fans propel the fibers through ductwork in the ceiling and into a chamber where they tumble around.", "This process introduces more air, further separating the fibers.", "It also helps mix the new and recycled fibers together with a polyester binder.", "Next, rollers with small metal teeth align the fibers.", "Two streams of combined fibers merge and enter a machine called a crosslapper.", "Here carriages lay the fibers perpendicular to each other.", "Multiple layers of crisscrossed fibers accumulate, creating a thick pile of polyester.", "Rollers compress the layers of polyester, then the padding travels through a long oven that's heated to just under 400 degrees.", "The heat activates the binder and unites the polyester fibers.", "The polyester exits the oven and is taken up by a big spool.", "In the next stage, the polyester wadding unrolls and travels between sheets of embossed fabric.", "At the same time, thread unwinds from 22 bobbins.", "The thread and polyester wadding head into a quilting machine.", "Here 22 needles chain-stitch a design into the fabric and polyester wadding.", "The stitching creates pockets that hold the filling in place.", "Without it, the stuffing would slide around between the sheets of fabric.", "A circular blade slices the quilted fabric to a width of 60 inches, the standard for a queen-size mattress.", "The edges of the quilted layers are left open for inspection.", "At the next station, fabric for the skirt unwinds into a large, automated sewing machine.", "It pulls elastic threads tight as it sews them into the nylon material, creating a ribbed pattern.", "This turns the fabric into a stretchy material.", "A seamstress stitches the stretchy material to the quilted rectangles.", "She uses an industrial sewing machine that trims excess fabric as it sews.", "She also sews a label into the seam.", "It contains manufacturing information and washing instructions.", "These overlock stitches will encapsulate the seam so that the fabric will not unravel.", "She trims the bottom of the skirt by hand and hems it.", "The mattress pad is complete and ready for the quality control department.", "Here an employee does random checks of the workmanship.", "He examines the fit of the pad to a mattress and looks for missing stitches or defects.", "With his approval, the mattress pad is ready to leave the factory.", "It takes about 30 minutes to make one of these mattress pads.", "With the job complete, it's nap time.", "A prosthesis can help restore the physical appearance of a person who has lost a part of their face to an accident or illness.", "Everyone's face is unique, so the prosthesis must be custom-designed for the patient by an anaplastologist.", "Anaplastologists combine anatomical knowledge, technical skill, and artistic talent.", "They can create an artificial ear, nose, or eye that looks remarkably realistic.", "Entirely custom-made, the prosthesis blends seamlessly with the patient's skin coloring.", "The prosthesis is durable, easy for the patient to apply, and comfortable to wear.", "To securely attach an ear prosthesis to a patient, surgeons implant titanium fixtures into the bone around the ear area.", "Once bone has grown over the implant, the anaplastologist attaches metal markers called impression copings to the titanium implants' abutments.", "These markers register the abutment locations in the impression the surgeon will now take of the ear area.", "The material she is using for the impression is the same material dentists use to make models of teeth.", "She then attaches abutment replicas to the copings with guide pins.", "After taking photos of the patient's other ear, the surgeon sends the patient home and begins the process of making a plaster model of the missing ear area.", "She mixes the plaster and vacuums out any air pockets.", "This is to prevent holes from appearing in the plaster once it sets.", "Next, she gently presses the ear-area impression that she took from the patient into the plaster.", "Once the plaster hardens, she unscrews the guide pins that connect the implant abutment replicas to the impression copings.", "Then she removes the impression.", "She now has a plaster model of the patient's ear area.", "She sends this model to an outside laboratory.", "The lab produces a solid gold bar that is custom-fitted to the abutment replicas.", "She screws the gold bar into the abutment replicas, then fills in the gap between the gold bar in the plaster model with heated wax.", "This will create an air space in the prosthesis so the patient's skin can breathe.", "She traces the impression on the plaster with a pencil and bends a strip of wax along the pencil line.", "Then she fills the wax-enclosed shape with flesh-colored acrylic.", "It takes an hour for the acrylic to solidify.", "She removes the wax strip and shaves off any excess acrylic, then cleans the newly formed acrylic plate.", "It will form the rigid internal structure of the prosthesis.", "She drills holes for attaching the prosthetic ear and installs tiny clips.", "These clips allow the acrylic plate to snap onto the gold bar that is on the patient's ear.", "Now comes the artistic part-- designing a wax prototype of the prosthetic ear.", "The anaplastologist places the acrylic plate and bar onto the plaster model of the patient's ear area.", "With fine sculpting tools and her fingers, she begins sculpting a wax ear.", "She refers to photographs of the patient's existing ear to try to sculpt a perfect match.", "Sculpting the wax prototype can take an entire day.", "When she's done, she carefully removes the wax ear from the plaster model.", "The acrylic plate is now lodged inside.", "The patient returns for his next appointment.", "Here the anaplastologist snaps on the wax prototype and compares it to the patient's existing ear.", "She makes whatever modifications are required to perfect the fit and appearance.", "This sculpting process can take two or three hours to complete, and the patient must be present.", "Once the anaplastologist is satisfied with the prototype, she conducts a comprehensive final inspection from every angle.", "Then she moves on to the last phase using the wax prototype to make a silicone prosthetic ear.", "A prosthetic ear is made of medical-grade silicone.", "The material can be molded into any shape and colored to match any skin tone.", "It does not react to temperature change or irritate the skin, allowing for a natural-looking prosthesis that's comfortable to wear.", "To cast a silicone prosthetic ear, the anaplastologist makes a three-part mold.", "She reattaches the wax prototype ear to the plaster model of the patient's ear area.", "Then she tops the combination with colored dental plaster.", "Once the plaster sets, she transfers everything into a taller container and pours in more dental plaster.", "Once that sets, she pours boiling water over the mold to melt the wax prototype that is inside.", "This leaves an ear-shaped cavity in what is now a three-part plaster mold.", "Next, she mixes one to two ounces of medical-grade silicone with a catalyst.", "She removes a small quantity and mixes it with opaque powder in a separate cup to make it less transparent.", "Then she mixes this opaque mixture with the rest of the silicone.", "At the patient's next appointment, the anaplastologist colors the silicone to match his skin tone.", "She works with an array of pigment powders diluted in silicone fluid.", "The first step is to produce a base color that's a perfect match to the patient's complexion.", "There's no exact formula for doing this.", "It requires an artist's eye.", "She needs the patient right beside her so she can check samples against his skin.", "Once she has the overall base color, she transfers a small amount to a separate cup, adds a drop of thickener, and mixes.", "Then she chooses from her color palette to produce a few deeper shades.", "Every ear has natural color variations.", "So for the prosthesis to look real, it has to have variations, as well.", "She uses the patient's other ear to match these more pronounced skin tones.", "Once all the colors are ready, she applies the deeper tones in specific areas of the ear.", "Next, to simulate veins, she applies a few fine, red rayon fibers.", "She repeats this coloring process for the back of the silicone ear.", "Then she puts that part, along with the acrylic plate, on the plaster model of the ear area.", "She fills a syringe with a base color and injects it into the mold cavity.", "She completely fills the cavity, getting every nook and cranny...", "Then closes the mold firmly.", "She wipes away any excess silicone...", "Clamps the mold tightly in a press...", "And puts the press in an oven.", "The oven cures the silicone for 2 hours at about 200 degrees.", "Once the mold cools to room temperature, she opens it and extracts the finished prosthetic ear.", "It's identical in shape to the wax prototype and looks remarkably realistic.", "The patient returns for his final visit.", "She snaps on the prosthesis...", "And checks that the edges adhere well to the surrounding skin.", "The life-span of a prosthetic ear depends on how it's handled.", "Sun exposure can wear out the silicone or fade its coloring.", "A patient typically returns for a new prosthesis every two to four years." ]

{ "things": [ "Three" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Three-wheeled vehicles...", "Baseball bats...", "Artificial bonsais...", "And trombones.", "Three-wheeled vehicles were introduced in the 1990s as exotic concept vehicles.", "This one is like a motorcycle on steroids.", "It has what's called a reverse trike design-- two wheels in front and one in the back.", "It hugs the road like a race car yet is legal to drive through city streets.", "This vehicle goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds.", "It's no faster than a motorcycle, but it definitely turns heads.", "Production begins with 34 steel-tube components that will form the vehicle's chassis.", "A worker places them in an assembly jig.", "This positions the tubes for welding.", "After clamping the components in place, it takes the worker about 4 hours to weld 68 different areas together.", "For efficiency, 13 of the larger, more complex structures are pre-assembled.", "The steel tubes measure 1.5 inches in diameter, but the metal itself is only 1/16 of an inch thick.", "They're like those used in the aviation industry-- strong, yet lightweight.", "This company uses a visual reference method to assemble smaller parts of the vehicle.", "Before starting, a worker places 80 components on a board with labels that identify them.", "This way, he's certain he won't forget any nuts, bolts, bearings, brackets, or horns.", "Using an electric crane, a worker hoists the vehicle's 4-cylinder, 152-horsepower, 1,200cc motorcycle engine into the chassis, now tinted black.", "Using a pneumatic wrench, he attaches it with six bolts and six nuts.", "Here, a worker assembles the 50 parts that make up what's called the foot box.", "This includes aluminum clutch, brake, and gas pedals.", "The brake pedal is thicker to withstand more aggressive use.", "The vehicle decelerates from 60 miles an hour to 0 in just less than 95 feet.", "He coats part of the brake pedal with a liquid sealant so vibrations won't loosen it.", "Another worker then mounts two output hoses and two plastic reservoirs for brake fluid.", "The brake fluid must withstand heat of 650 degrees fahrenheit, 86 degrees hotter than what's required for most cars.", "This enables better engine performance.", "He installs the foot box onto the front of the chassis using three bolts.", "Controlling the speed with the foot box is crucial since top speed for the vehicle is 143 miles an hour.", "Next, he installs part of the suspension system-- a cylindrical gas shock absorber.", "This attaches to the brake system, which is a zinc-plated rotor and an aluminum caliper.", "Then they attach what's called the 4-into-1 exhaust manifold.", "The four pipes merge into one to vent the exhaust fumes from the engine.", "They install the electric fan and radiator assembly.", "Next, a worker attaches a removable leather-covered aluminum driving wheel to the steering column.", "The driving wheel locks into place with a spring-loaded latch system.", "Just like a race car, you attach the steering wheel after you sit in the driver's seat so that you can get inside the vehicle.", "The collapsible steering column is part of the instrument cluster.", "This includes dials showing the vehicle's speed, mileage, and fuel.", "There are also switches for turn signals, hazard flashers, high- and low-beam lights, and to start and kill the engine.", "Next, workers install the rear wheel to another part of the suspension called a swing arm.", "They attach it with one bolt that's a foot and a half long and two smaller bolts.", "Workers then install a chain on the rear-wheel assembly.", "When the vehicle's running, the chain's 94 links revolve on two sprockets to make the wheel turn.", "Rubber \"o\" rings on each link prevent dust from damaging the chain.", "Finally, workers attach 19 molded fiberglass body parts.", "This factory offers 6 standard colors and several custom colors.", "When assembled, the vehicle is nearly 11 1/2 feet long, 6 1/2 feet wide, and just over 3 feet high.", "If you have a motorcycle license and a spare $50,000, you too can burn the pavement on this mean set of wheels.", "If you think a baseball bat is a pretty simple thing, well, you're out in left field.", "Making a bat means balancing things like weight and thickness.", "The material it's made from can make a difference.", "Metal bats hit the ball farther.", "However, the pros use wood bats because of league regulations, and even the type of wood might impact the score.", "Barry bonds cracked a home-run record in 2001 with a wood bat like this-- one made of maple instead of the usual white ash.", "They can never tell just by looking at it that a chunk of maple has what it takes to make a good bat, so they weigh it to make sure the wood is really as thick and heavy as it appears.", "Next, pointed prongs grip the wood and spin it while a carbide cutter rounds it.", "This is a very modern lathe called an xy machine.", "The rounded blank goes into a room called the library, joining others on the shelf that are waiting for their chance at the big leagues.", "A worker selects one of the blanks to fill an order that specifies a certain model and size.", "He weighs it again to make sure it measures up to what the player has ordered.", "The blank goes onto the xy machine and spins.", "A computer guides the cutter as it moves on rails and carves into the blank.", "It whittles one inch of wood from the blank in order to form a handle.", "It takes a total of three passes on this cutter to make the rough shape of a baseball bat.", "But it's quick work-- completed in just 3 minutes.", "Now it's time for another weighing-in.", "The bat is substantially lighter, which is what they want.", "Next, he measures the end of a completed bat with a caliper.", "Using a square-edged scraper, he rounds the knob as the bat spins on a more traditional lathe.", "He measures as he cuts.", "With another caliper, he checks the thickness of a completed bat and compares it to the one he's just carved.", "Now he takes a turning tool called a skew chisel.", "With its pointed tip, he cuts into the bat's handle, just above the knob, to narrow the shoulder.", "Again, he measures as he cuts to make sure the diameter is just right.", "Using the skew chisel, he shapes the slope of the bat, repeatedly checking with the caliper to make sure it meets specifications.", "He slims down the handle a little more.", "Then, he angles the top of the knob with the chisel.", "He shapes the rest of it with a square-end chisel.", "Next, he curves the bat's barrel using the same tool.", "This gets rid of sharp edges that would cause a ball's impact to ripple down and jar the player.", "Then he goes back to the knob and completes the shaping with the skew-end chisel.", "Because the tool is extremely sharp, he can carve very precisely.", "The bat is now within a half ounce of its final weight.", "Using an electric sander, he smoothes down some of the rough edges.", "He switches to a finer grit to finish off the job.", "As he sands, he measures because this isn't just about getting the surface smooth.", "The bat has to be exactly the right size and weight for the player it's being made for.", "Now he places the bat's knob in an end mill.", "A spinning carbide disc cuts around the holes made by the pointed grippers on the lathes, producing a gentle scoop.", "Next, a bigger disc carves into the barrel, cupping it.", "Some players prefer a cupped bat because it balances differently.", "Now he places the bat on the scale for the final weighing, and it is exactly what the player ordered.", "He brushes paint on the barrel and rubs stain into the lower half of the bat.", "He presses decals onto the bat so it sports both the brand name and distributor.", "Then, he stamps the model number in gold ink.", "And tops everything off with a light coat of varnish.", "Now this maple bat is ready for the big leagues and some heavy hitting.", "Bonsai is a japanese word that means plant in a pot.", "Growing trees in pots is a revered art that actually began in china more than 2,000 years ago.", "During the past century, creating artificial trees known as bonsai zokei has evolved into a hobby with global appeal.", "Whether it's rustic pine, flowering cherry, or chinese elm, bonsai zokei can be made to resemble a variety of trees.", "Some include stones and small statues, a chinese tradition known as penjing.", "A craftsman starts by wrapping 13 strands of wire with stretchy, sticky tape used by florists.", "He uses 13 partly out of respect for a traditional asian preference for odd numbers.", "Later, these wires will form parts of the trunk and branches.", "Next, he wraps the wires with strips of paper towel for thickness and flexibility.", "To hold the paper towel in place, he wraps the ends of the wires with more floral tape.", "He then separates clumps of plastic pine needles from their branches.", "Ironically, this fake vegetation is imported from china.", "Next, he snips off the ends of the branches, creating segments about one inch long.", "To reinforce and support these segments, he wraps them with tiny wire that's 2/100 of an inch in diameter.", "Next, he wraps the segments with floral tape to give them a more natural, branch-like appearance.", "Then he inserts these segments into the pine-needle clumps.", "The thicker end becomes the bud and holds the clump on the segment.", "The craftsman now places three of these leafy segments together and attaches them with wire.", "He bends them sideways in the same direction.", "This mimics the tendency of natural branches to lean toward the sun.", "For more mature-looking buds, he uses different, 3-headed artificial segments.", "For integrity, two different types of buds are never used on the same tree.", "To add character, the craftsman uses a piece of weathered driftwood as the base of the trunk.", "He anchors the long wrapped wires into styrofoam around the bottom of the base.", "He staples the wires to the driftwood, and wraps floral tape around the wires surrounding the base.", "Then he twists the wires to form a sinuous shape, what the japanese call moyogi.", "He covers the trunk with soft gray modelling clay, adhering closely to the shape of the driftwood underneath.", "This will later be covered by artificial bark and moss.", "This process can take several hours-- just part of the 4 to 6 days it takes one worker to make a bonsai zokei.", "The craftsman then applies slow-drying glue to one side of strips of rice paper.", "The strips are two inches long and one inch wide.", "He uses about 50 to cover the trunk like bark on a tree.", "He dabs them with a wet rag so that the creases will remain when the glue dries.", "The creases make the bark look realistically aged, one of the hallmarks of a good bonsai zokei.", "Craftsmen are careful to place the branches in the traditional triangle shape.", "The lower branches must droop as if weighed down by the elements.", "They add the leafy segments to the ends of the wire branches, attaching them with wire and floral tape.", "Using a knife, the craftsmen trim away the excess styrofoam around the tree trunk.", "He then places the tree into an argyle pot that's 8 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high.", "Using a sculpting tool, he covers the styrofoam in the pot with brown modelling clay.", "Using slow-drying glue, he now covers the clay in several shades of fake moss.", "They range in color from dark brown to light green.", "He doesn't let the glue dry between each layer because the blending of moss and glue ensures a more natural-looking ground cover.", "He gently blows on the moss to scatter it across the base.", "He also applies glue further up the trunk, adhering moss that's thicker and lighter in color to resemble lichen.", "The finished bonsai zokei is 17 1/2 inches high.", "It needs none of the constant care required by its natural twin.", "Depending on their size and complexity, artificial bonsais range in price from $50 to $800.", "The adage \"it's hard to improve on a good thing\" certainly applies to the trombone.", "The modern trombone isn't really much different from its medieval predecessor, known as the sackbut, with its distinctive \"s\" shape, hand slide, and bell section.", "It's a blast from the past, and a pretty loud one, but it can also sound smooth and mellow.", "the trombone literally slides down to the low notes.", "It's the only instrument with a hand slide to lengthen it in order to change pitch.", "To make a trombone, they cut sheet brass in the pattern of a bell stem.", "They shape it by wrapping it around a steel rod.", "Using a nylon-headed mallet, the worker hammers the brass to shape it further.", "It takes just a few minutes for him to hammer out a rough bell stem form.", "He spreads open the stem slightly so he can make small notches on one edge with snippers.", "Then, with a brass-headed hammer, he taps down the notches so they hold the edges together.", "With an acetylene torch, he joins the notched seam, melting in a brass alloy wire to bond it securely.", "But the seam overlaps and it's too thick, so he runs it through a seam roller.", "Two tons of pressure thins it, but now the bell stem is too flat.", "To round it out, he shoves it onto a bell-shaped rod and hammers it back into shape.", "Then he irons out the hammer marks with rollers.", "The bell stem, fitting loosely on a steel mandrel, goes through a draw bench.", "A hydraulic cylinder pushes it through a thick lead washer, pressing it tightly around the mandrel to its shape.", "To make the bell flare to attach to the stem, he puts a brass disc on a spinning lathe.", "Using pliers, he turns the edges of the disc to prevent it from flapping while spinning.", "With a lever, he manipulates a scissors spinning tool, pressing it against the turning brass disc.", "This shapes the disc into a flare.", "Making a trombone flare is a delicate business and is the work of a skilled craftsman.", "Getting it right is critical because the shape will affect the tone of the trombone.", "Next, with a torch, he brazes the flare to the bell stem.", "The bell stem and flare now turn on a mandrel while he presses against the seam with a wooden tool.", "This flattens the seam and gives the bell its final shape.", "Now it's time to make the tubing.", "A hydraulic cylinder pulls it on a mandrel through a die, stretching it considerably.", "In this way, both the diameter and thickness of the tubing are precisely controlled.", "Then, they become ice tubes after they're filled with water and put in the freezer.", "The ice will keep the thin tubing from buckling in the next process.", "With a lever, he bends the tube around a u-shaped block.", "As he works it into a \"u\" shape, the tubing hardens.", "After the ice melts, he places the \"u\" bend in a balling out die.", "He lubricates the tubing with oil and places a steel ball at the top of the tube and presses it down.", "He drops in smaller balls and they push the first, larger ball through the \"u\" tube.", "This stretches the inside of the tube, rounding it to the correct diameter.", "And then the balls exit at the other end.", "Now he pieces the tubes together and solders them the same way a plumber joins copper tubing.", "He adds a loop for the valve section.", "In total, a bass trombone has nine feet of tubing.", "Straightened, that's enough to reach from the floor to the ceiling.", "But, of course, trombone makers are more interested in musical highs and lows.", "Finally, he solders a brace into place to add structural strength to one of the loops.", "A diamond-tipped tool engraves the company logo onto the trombone's bell stem.", "And a cloth buffing wheel spins against the trombone flare to polish it.", "this custom trombone has been built in approximately 50 hours-- something worth blowing a horn about." ]

{ "things": [ "Wall Beds", "Sundae Cups", "Digital Paintings", "Badminton Rackets" ] }

[ "In the late 19th century, it was considered immoral for unmarried women to enter a man's bedroom.", "William murphy couldn't bring his date back to his one-room apartment, so he invented a bed that folded up into the wall, converting his bedroom into a parlor to host his love interest.", "A wall of cupboards and closets suddenly opens up to reveal sleek comfortable sleeping quarters.", "The wall bed is a great way to economize on space without sacrificing comfort or style.", "To build the mechanism casing, a worker begins by placing the steel plate in a powerful bending machine, which is capable of exerting 55 tons of force.", "Using the square and calipers, the worker verifies that the bend is a perfectly uniform right angle and the flange depth does not exceed the specified parameters.", "Once the bending machine has folded all four sides of the plate, the worker then mounts it onto a locator pin in a second press, which descends and creates a small depression around the central opening.", "This depression will facilitate the welding process.", "Using another locator pin, a welder clamps the plate into a purpose-built jig.", "He then begins welding all of the necessary components in place.", "He uses a bolt to correctly locate an internal reinforcement plate and also welds in the crucial pivot pin on which the mechanism will hinge.", "The casing plates are mounted on spacers to help speed the drying process.", "Then a worker spray-paints them black.", "Once dry, he removes a protective cap from the pivot.", "It's now time to manufacture the wall-mounted spring mechanism.", "A worker uses a drill press outfitted with a countersink to create a beveled recess around the openings.", "A worker then uses a specially-designed press to install a brass bearing in one of the openings.", "The mechanism is nearly complete.", "However, there are still several steps to go in the process.", "Next, a worker brushes grease onto the interior of two mechanism casings.", "He then flips them over in order to apply a specially-formulated grease to the pivot pin.", "He slides the bushing over it and applies a c-shaped locking washer.", "An s-shaped stop will lock the mechanism in place until the bed is installed.", "The spring-unit assemblage will provide the resistance required to help smoothly raise and lower the bed.", "A locking pin secures one end of the spring unit in place.", "The worker adds the bottom plate of the unit, which includes a threaded bolt.", "A nut threaded onto it can be tightened or loosened to adjust the mechanism's tension.", "The wall-mounted spring mechanism is ready to be installed.", "It's designed to connect to this bed-mounted component.", "Once mounted to the bed, the two components work together, allowing the user to easily raise and lower the bed.", "A worker quickly installs the bed-mounted component using pre-drilled holes, bolts, and locking nuts.", "He installs the wall bed's legs in the same way, following a pre-drilled hole pattern to locate the component and attach it with bolts, locking nuts, and screws.", "The legs fold down when the bed is being used and tuck out of the way when the bed folds up.", "The manufacturers can now package the fully-assembled wall beds for transport to their destinations.", "Installing the wall bed requires some muscle, but once the two components of the spring mechanism are connected, lowering the bed onto its fold-away legs is a piece of cake.", "This s-shaped stop ensures the mechanism won't accidentally flip up.", "Once it's removed, the bed easily rises.", "The legs tuck into position, and the bed neatly folds away into its hiding spot, as though it were never there.", "Several american towns claim to be the birthplace of the sundae.", "Sundaes first appeared in the 1880s, when the sale of ice cream sodas was banned on sundays.", "Instead, soda-fountain operators poured soda syrup on ice cream, added toppings, and called this new treat the sundae.", "Today, ice cream sundaes come pre-made and frozen in individual servings.", "There's no need to wait.", "This decadent dessert can be served up in an instant.", "At the sundae factory, productions starts with something called the white base mix.", "It's a pasteurized blend of fresh cream, milk, and a variety of sweeteners.", "A worker adds a blend of yellow coloring to the white base mix, and this takes it from bright white to an off-white.", "A generous helping of pure vanilla extract lends a distinctive flavor and adds extra color to the cream base.", "After a final stir, the mix is ready for a freezing process, during which, air will be added to turn the mix into soft ice cream.", "It's time to cue the containers.", "Two at a time, individual-sized sundae cups move forward on the production line.", "They meet up with the ice cream dispenser.", "It automatically pumps precise amounts of the soft vanilla ice cream into the cups.", "It fills the cups to the 3/4 mark, leaving plenty of room for toppings.", "It's now time to prepare the next layer of deliciousness-- the chocolate fudge sauce.", "A worker mixes skim milk and sweeteners to a frothy consistency, and then adds several large bags of dark rich cocoa.", "The mixer paddle agitates the ingredients to distribute the cocoa evenly throughout.", "The chocolate fudge is pumped into a plastic tote to cool overnight.", "During cooling, the sauce thickens up substantially.", "It's now a rich chocolate fudge syrup.", "Velvety smooth, the chocolate syrup flows out of the tote and into a big tank.", "From there, nozzles dispense the chocolate fudge syrup onto the vanilla ice cream in the cups.", "Next, a worker pours a liquid-topping blend into a high-speed mixer system that beats it to a whipped consistency.", "Nozzles deposit the whipped topping onto the syrup-covered ice cream.", "Now it's time to add some chocolate crunch to the smooth, sweet sundae.", "The system sprinkles semi-sweet chocolate chunks onto the whipped topping.", "It's the final touch.", "These single-serve chocolate sundaes have been prepared almost entirely by machines.", "A conveyor now sends them through an icy blast of air for a quick freeze.", "Exiting the freezer, the frozen sundaes travel forward, shielded by overhead guards for food-safety reasons.", "The sundaes funnel into a single-file lane.", "This positions them to receive lids.", "The lids slide down a chute and land on top of the ice cream sundae cups.", "Rollers press the lids down on the rims.", "A revolving apparatus deposits plastic collars around the lids.", "Moving forward, the machinery sorts the sundae cups in row of two.", "This allows a robot with suctioning arms to pick up six at a time and pack them into a cardboard box.", "The boxes travel under and over packing tape to seal the tops and bottoms.", "Incredibly, this factory produces 1,440 ice cream sundae cups every 15 minutes.", "And it's all thanks to the magic of mechanization.", "This company also produces tubs of flavored ice cream, so there are many mouth-watering choices to be made at dessert time.", "Digital painting is a relatively new medium.", "It's an artistic hybrid that marries modern computer technology with traditional painting by hand on canvas.", "Today, some photography studios offer digital painting as a way to transform photographic portraits into painted portraits.", "This specialized photographer offers digital painting to enhance original portraits and cherished snapshots.", "His studio also specializes in creating life-story collages.", "The in-house artist assembles photos and illustrations, depicting elements of the subject's lifetime.", "She scans and digitizes photos which are not already digital.", "She manually retouches every image with a digital pen and tablet to maximize the quality.", "Then she begins working on the layout of the collage.", "Once she has finalized the layout, she blends the edges of each image so that the elements flow seamlessly into each other.", "Now the artist begins digitally painting.", "She chooses from a selection of brush shapes and sizes, and from a myriad of colors.", "She applies digital paint to blur the hard lines of the photographs to make them look more like painted images.", "This painting process takes several hours of painstaking work.", "She sends the digital painting to the lab technician who prepares to print the work onto a canvas.", "First, he tweaks the entire painting, balancing the brightness and the colors.", "He prints a small test sample on canvas.", "Both the technician and the artist meticulously examine the sample under magnification, looking for any painting or printing errors.", "If everything is perfect, the technician installs a large canvas roll on the printer.", "The machine prints, not with regular inks, but with archival pigments, which last for centuries.", "After each pass, the head waits six seconds to let the pigments dry.", "This prevents them from smearing on the next pass.", "A digital painting this size takes five hours to print.", "The pigments must dry for 72 hours to ensure they're embedded into the canvas.", "Then the technician applies a coat of stabilizing lacquer to protect the surface from damage caused by ultraviolet rays or handling.", "The lacquer takes about an hour to dry.", "Then they can safely mount the canvas on a stretcher frame.", "The workers pull it tight with special pliers and then staple it down.", "They cut the corners to facilitate framing.", "The artist applies a white gel with thicker brush strokes in some areas and thinner ones in others.", "This gives the print the texture of a painting.", "The gel turns clear as it dries for 24 hours.", "Then the artist paints the entire printed canvas with acrylic paints.", "As she applies shading and creates depth, the painting gradually comes alive.", "When she finishes, she signs her work.", "In about an hour, the paint is dry and the digital painting is ready for framing.", "She inserts a personalized certificate of authenticity, stating that this is a one-of-a-kind work, and applies the photography studio's label on the back of the canvas.", "Whether it's a creatively-crafted collage or produced from a simple photograph, a digital painting immortalizes precious moments captured by the camera lens.", "At some point in 19th-century england, a new game evolved that took its name from the duke of beaufort's badminton house.", "Badminton soon became all the rage among british officers in india.", "Today, fans believe the game is faster and harder than tennis, its long-time rival.", "To create the carbon-fiber shafts of the badminton racquets, the manufacturer follows a series of meticulously-defined production steps.", "The process begins by tightly wrapping a carbon-fiber fabric, called prepreg, multiple times around a metal cylinder.", "A worker encases the fabric in plastic to hold the prepreg in place.", "Then he suspends the cylinders from a rack and rolls them into an oven.", "The heating process transforms the wrapped prepreg into solid lightweight and super-strong carbon-fiber material.", "This specialized device removes the cylinder from the carbon fiber, leaving a hollow shaft.", "Here, we can see the stages of production required to create the hollow carbon-fiber shaft.", "In the next stage of production, a worker begins the process of manufacturing the racquet frame.", "She starts with a different formulation of prepreg material, which she folds into thin strips.", "The key is to make sure each strip is identical.", "In the next phase, a worker wraps the strip around a purpose-built mold to create the shape of a racquet frame.", "She introduces the carbon-fiber shaft into the mold.", "The racquet is taking shape.", "Another piece of carbon fiber forms the joint between them.", "The frame-shaped prepreg carbon fiber then goes into a shaping machine, and the lid closes.", "The shaping machine heats and then cools the prepreg over the course of about 30 minutes.", "A worker lifts the lid and removes the fully-formed racquet frame, which has excess resin.", "Resin holds the carbon fibers together before the curing process.", "Heating expels the resin, which must then be removed.", "A narrow bit drills the first sequence of holes in an offset pattern to make the racquet easier to string.", "A larger-gauge bit drills holes large enough to permit two strings to pass through.", "Quality-control inspectors choose a racquet frame at random to test how much pressure it can bear before it reaches the breaking point.", "It's finally time to add the wooden handle and cap to the shaft and put everything together.", "The racquets head for the painting department, where they receive a base coat.", "Then workers meticulously apply a series of decals.", "The decals soak in water to make it easier to remove the backing.", "A worker slides each hole over a pin at the base of a nailing machine.", "The machine nails specially-designed grommets into the holes.", "The grommets are slightly too long to ensure they can be cut perfectly flush to the frame by this machine.", "In a two-part process, this pressing machine heats and then presses the cut side of the grommets to smooth them out.", "A worker carefully clamps the racquet into a winding machine and brushes glue onto the handle.", "She then secures one end of the handle wrap at the base, and uses a foot pedal to begin turning the racquet.", "Maintaining the steady tension at the correct angle, she winds the wrapping all the way up to the beginning of the shaft.", "She secures the top end of the wrapping with tape.", "A laser quickly and accurately burns the product i.d. number into the shaft.", "A quality-control inspector clamps the completed racquet into a precision- engineered device, designed to measure its weight, swing weight, and balance point with incredible accuracy.", "The racquets made by this manufacturer come in different sizes, suited to every level of badminton player." ]

{ "things": [ "Fencing Masks", "Books", "Ocean Drone Transformers", "3D Puzzles" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Fencing masks...", "Books...", "Ocean drone transformers...", "And 3-d puzzles.", "Fencing is one of the oldest forms of armed combat.", "In the late 18th century, fencing evolved into a sport.", "As fencing gained popularity, a steel mesh mask was invented to protect the eyes and face from injury.", "Before fencers say \"en garde,\" they don a face guard.", "Today, fencing is recognized as an olympic sport, so special mesh masks are required to compete.", "Regulation fencing masks are made from rectangular pieces of tight steel mesh.", "A machinist uses a guillotine blade to cut the corners of the mesh piece on an angle.", "Then he transfers the mesh to a press with a large mold that's shaped like a face.", "The hydraulically powered mold press bears down on the steel mesh and forces it into a rounded shape.", "Using a special tool, the machinist bends steel wire to a form.", "He brings the ends of the wire together to close the loop.", "An automated welder fuses the ends.", "The machinist transfers the hoop to the next fixture and places the rounded steel mesh on top of the hoop.", "A frame descends, affixing the mesh to the hoop.", "Then multiple welding guns spot-weld the mesh to the hoop.", "A large welding gun closes the gaps between the spot-welds.", "Once fused, the hoop will prevent the mesh from fraying and add structural rigidity.", "Using a nibbler tool, the machinist trims the mesh, revealing a clean edge.", "Next, the technician works on the mask's side piece by bending steel wire into a rectangle.", "He places the rectangular frame in a fixture and sets a piece of mesh over the frame.", "He spot-welds the mesh to the frame.", "This step provides a more consistent weld around the entire mask.", "Copper welding wheels fuse and seal the mesh to the frame.", "Then the machinist uses a grinding wheel to remove any sharp bits or protrusions.", "This is the result.", "A bending device rounds the part so that it will fit to the sides and top of the head.", "He welds the rounded part to the back of the fencing mask.", "A large welding gun spot-welds the assembly together in preparation for a final weld.", "Once complete, the machinist makes a full seam weld, closing all gaps.", "This will prevent a sword from piercing through the mask, potentially wounding the wearer.", "Next, the technician pounds out any remaining dents with a hammer, restoring the mask to the desired contours.", "He places the fencing mask on a rounded post and uses a plastic mallet to hammer the mask against the post.", "This step will improve the overall shape of the mask.", "They big is made out of high molecular polyethylene, which is strong and extremely light weight.", "The bib includes a thick rubber band that attaches to the mesh mask.", "Once the mesh is coated with plastic, another technician installs rubber trim along the perimeter of the mask.", "The plastic coating on the mesh insulates the mask, preventing electrical interference from the scoring system's wiring.", "The technician pipes epoxy glue around the mask just above the rubber trim.", "He pulls the bib's rubber band over the mask and down to the bead of glue at the bottom.", "He tucks the pieces of material under the band for a neater look.", "As the glue cures, the bib's rubber band adheres to the fencing mask.", "Another machinist drills rivet holes through the bib and mesh along the sides of the mask.", "Then he inserts and flattens the rivets to pull the bib flush to the mesh.", "Each fencing discipline requires its own uniquely designed mask.", "Regardless of the design, each mask will allow the athlete to safely enjoy the sport.", "Book-making has evolved over time, from scrolls to writing on sheets of paper bound together, to the invention of the printing press.", "People continue to develop new ways of recording history.", "Today, thanks to digital technology, the possibilities of recording the spoken word are endless.", "A fine book-making specialist makes just a few limited edition books per year, using traditional printing and binding techniques.", "Production begins with a case of tiny brass molds.", "One mold, called a matrix, contains letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.", "A typecasting specialist inserts the matrix case into a machine called a monotype composition caster.", "And melts lead alloy ingots in the machine's gas heated pot.", "Guided by a computer, the machine casts one character at a time for every word of the book.", "The computer program assigns a location code to every matrix.", "To cast a character, the program communicates a specific code through plastic tubes, while puffs of air align that character's matrix with the injection nozzle.", "The nozzle dispenses molten lead into the matrix while the machine ejects the cast character onto a tray called the galley.", "As the lines of text exit the machine, the typecast specialist inserts a strip of lead to create spacing, called leading, between each line.", "He transfers the galley to the press room, where a proofing press spreads ink on the type.", "He places a sheet of newsprint over the galley and releases an impression roller.", "The roller prints the characters on to the paper, generating a proof.", "Meanwhile, a typesetter assembles the larger display copy manually by placing individual letters into a composition stick.", "This method was used for all copy prior to the invention of the automatic typecasting machines in the 1890s.", "Books printed in large sizes of type must be made entirely by manual typeset.", "Once complete, multiple galleys that make up several pages of the book are placed in a steel frame called a chase and loaded into the printing press.", "This cylinder press feeds one sheet of paper at a time to grippers that pull the paper around a cylindrical roller.", "As the roller rotates, the paper drops onto the inked type, printing the characters into the sheet.", "One press sheet typically contains eight pages per side.", "Another machine folds the sheets, then bookbinders manually collate groups of 16 consecutive pages to form sections of the book called signatures.", "Next, a bookbinder sews the signatures together one at a time until the book is fully assembled.", "This method of bookbinding, called smyth sewn binding, after its 19th century inventor, is of the highest quality because pages can't fall out or be removed.", "Like the binding, the book cover is meticulously handcrafted.", "A book binder hot glues a piece of cloth to the back of the cover.", "The cover is made of flexible paper and thick cardboard.", "Then she flattens the cloth on all sides.", "Using a razor blade, the book binder makes a slit for the cloth, where she'll place a recessed label later.", "This enables the cloth to spread out and form to the spine's rounded shape.", "The cloth is pressed firmly against the structural components with a plastic tool called a bone.", "Another book binder attaches the cover to the bound pages, called the book block.", "First, she applies glue to both components.", "Then she positions the book block on the cover...", "And presses them together.", "She places the book in a nipping press.", "That puts pressure around the spine, fusing the book block and cover together.", "Then the front and back of the cover are glued to the first and last pages of the book.", "The book then sits in another press overnight, bringing this book-making story to a close.", "There's a new class of autonomous vehicles that can travel the ocean.", "Some dive and some sail, but very few can do both.", "An ocean drone transformer shifts from sailboat to submarine by rearranging its shape and altering its mode of operation.", "This is an autonomous underwater and surface vehicle.", "It's an information-gathering machine capable of propelling itself over and under waves, using nothing but wind and solar power.", "To create the vehicle's hull, technicians unroll sheets of fiberglass over a mold, which has been machined from a block of styrofoam.", "They fiberglass fabric is cut to fit the interior of the hull.", "Thanks to its extraordinary durability, the fiberglass will allow the watercraft to spend months at a time at sea.", "And it won't interfere with the vessel's electronic signals.", "Technicians carefully tape the material to the mold.", "This yellow material will allow liquid resin to flow easily.", "Then technicians unroll a strip of gray ribbon which will help direct the flow of resin.", "Next, an incision is made in the middle of the ribbon for the nozzle, which will be the entry point for the resin.", "A layer of plastic is taped onto the hull, which will help to vacuum seal the assembly together.", "A shut-off valve is added to control the flow of resin.", "The resin is poured into a container.", "And as the resin infuses the flow media, it displaces the vacuum until it has completely saturated the fiberglass material.", "The resin is cured for 12 hours.", "The mold splits open at the bottom so technicians can easily release the hull assembly.", "A technician paints the vehicle's keel, which is made of marine-grade aluminum.", "The torpedo-shaped keel bulb is made of lead.", "Electric cables run through a hole drilled length-wise down the center of the keel.", "The interior structure of the vehicle starts as a flat material made from a combination of fiberglass and epoxy which they form into large sheets using intense heat and pressure.", "Then water jet technology precision cuts the sheets into the required shapes and sizes.", "Technicians assemble the shapes into a structure that supports the hull while housing the vehicle's equipment.", "In-house technicians build the multiple circuit boards that make up the central processing unit, or cpu.", "Each board controls a separate element of the vehicle, such as the sensors, the wing, or the communications system.", "Electronics and water are not a compatible combination, so the manufacturer designed a water-tight acrylic tube to hold all 10 of the circuit boards that make up the cpu.", "Specialized cable connectors are installed so water doesn't leak through the cover plate.", "Once the enclosure is sealed, technicians vacuum out flammable oxygen and pump in non-flammable gases to protect the cpu.", "A technician prepares the battery, which is an off-the-shelf lithium ion unit.", "A battery housing is 3-d printed out of a.b.s. and infused with epoxy to ensure that it's completely water tight.", "Next, a technician installs the battery in its designated spot.", "Solar panels on the vehicle's surface will recharge the batteries.", "A hose will allow the cpu to transfer water from one ballast tank to another to control the boat's up and down motion or pitch.", "The vehicle's tails serve as housings for the backup communications antenna system.", "In stealth mode, the vehicle can sit below the water surface with only its tails above the waves.", "Designed to fold down and tuck into the body of the vehicle, the rigid wing multi-tasks as the primary antenna and the sail, which propels the vehicle when it's above water.", "Due to its user-friendly technology, an operator can program a mission at any time from any location via satellite or wi-fi.", "The first jigsaw puzzle was invented in europe in 1760.", "Nearly two centuries later, a canadian inventor reshaped the popular pastime.", "His puzzle pieces, made of thick foam rather than cardboard, could stand upright, turning the puzzle into a three-dimension model.", "Constructing a 3-d puzzle yields impressive results.", "To do so, two 800-piece puzzle sets are used to create this spectacular castle replica.", "An industrial designer creates the puzzle's three-dimensional structure.", "An illustrator uses techniques, such as visual textures and shading, to transform flat graphics into a three-dimensional rendering.", "The industrial designer prepares the printing and cutting layout, fitting up to three puzzles per sheet.", "The puzzle pieces are made from rigid foam.", "The foam is specifically engineered to be chemically compatible with the paper graphics and proprietary adhesive.", "A technician feeds one sheet at a time into a custom designed lamination machine.", "The first station spreads hot glue over the top of the foam sheet.", "An automated arm with vacuum suction cups lifts a single sheet of printed paper and places it on the glue-coated foam sheet.", "As soon as the paper adheres to the foam, the she is released from the suction cups.", "Then the foam moves under a roller that presses down the paper.", "As the laminated foam exits the machine, a technician rolls a tube over the foam, pressing out any remaining air bubbles to ensure the paper adheres fully.", "In the development phase, the industrial designer assembled a blueprint for how the puzzle pieces would be shaped and laid out.", "That design went to a toolmaker who produced a corresponding cutting die out of steel knives.", "The die is mounted inside the cutting machine.", "A technician feeds the machine one laminated foam sheet at a time, paper side down.", "Grippers grab the edge of the paper, pulling the sheet into the machine.", "The cutting die slices the puzzle pieces into the foam.", "Even though the cutting pressure compresses the foam, it immediately bounces back, keeping the sheet intact.", "Thanks to a high-quality rubber sheet inserted between the blades, the pieces don't get stuck in the die.", "The stiff rubber provides counter-pressure to help remove the foam sheet.", "If the sheet has two or three puzzles printed on it, the cutting die separates them.", "Then a technician places the puzzle on a semi-automatic conveyor belt that moves it to the dismantling machine.", "The machine infuses the die-cut puzzle sheet with steam.", "The steam prevents static electricity, which causes pieces to cling together or to the inside of the machine.", "The machine separates the pieces.", "And dispenses them into a puzzle box.", "A technician adds the standard instructions sheet, and seals the box.", "The instructions are in black and white, but can be viewed in color online.", "The first step is to sort the pieces by color and design and set aside the ones marked with a red dot which is part of the manufacturing process, not the puzzle itself.", "The next step is to assemble the puzzle, section by section.", "All the sections are flat, so the final step is to attach the flat sections to make the puzzle three-dimensional.", "For an additional challenge, you can forgo the step-by-step instructions and refer only to the photos on the box.", "If you happen to lose a puzzle piece, you can go to the company's website to trace the number of your missing piece, then order a new piece online.", "The company will mail it to you so that you can complete your puzzle.", "Unlike a traditional flat puzzle, you can move your 3-d puzzle without it falling apart.", "It takes four to six months to develop and design this incredible 3-d puzzle.", "Now it's time to spend even longer piecing this puzzle together." ]

{ "things": [ "Putty Knives", "Garage Doors", "Electric Motors", "Wool" ] }

[ "Today, on \"how it's made\"...", "Putty knives...", "Garage doors...", "Electric motors...", "And wool.", "Rummage through a do-it-yourselfer's toolbox, and chances are, you'll come across a putty knife or two.", "They come in several widths.", "So whether you're scraping off paint, old wallpaper, or installing drywall, there's a putty knife that's the right size and shape for the job.", "These putty-knife blades are made of steel that's flexible and durable, due in part to its high carbon content.", "Production begins with workers feeding steel sheets into a press one by one.", "The press's cutting guy punches out a blade for the type of putty knife they're producing.", "The next press punches three rivet holes in the handle portion of the blade.", "These are for attaching a hard plastic handle.", "For models that'll have a handle made of a softer, rubberlike plastic, they fishbone the handle portion of the blade, so that it'll grip the plastic.", "Steel has to be heat-treated to gain its full flexibility and strength.", "First, they submerge the blades in a bath of molten salt.", "The heat is intense-- 1,400 degrees fahrenheit.", "The blades soak for about a minute-- the time it takes for the metal temperature to rise to that of the tank.", "As it does, the steel's molecular structure begins to change.", "From here, they transfer the blades to two successively cooler salt baths.", "That quenching, as it's called, further hardens the steel.", "The blades are then tempered in an oven for eight hours at 400 degrees fahrenheit.", "This gives the steel memory, meaning the blade will revert to its original shape when bent.", "After heat treatment, lukewarm water jets rinse off the salt residue and cool the metal to room temperature.", "Now that the metal has the required properties, the blades need the right profile.", "A worker lays them on a magnetic plate that angles them downward.", "The plate spins, running the blades against a grinding wheel.", "It takes about 30 seconds of grinding to profile each blade and form the flex point-- the thinnest and most flexible part that's 1 1/2 inches from the end of the blade.", "Blade profiles vary, because some jobs require a more flexible tool than others.", "Now they clean the blades in a revolving drum filled with absorbent sand.", "This removes oil and other residues left by the production process, and it preps the surface for the protective layer of lacquer that's applied next.", "After coating the blades in lacquer, they dry them in an oven.", "This seals the metal, preventing rust.", "Assembly is completely automated.", "The first machine slips on the plastic handle.", "The next machine rivets it on.", "The following machine slaps on a label, which identifies the size and type of putty knife.", "Professional-quality putty knives have a thicker, stiffer blade.", "The handle is made up of two halves.", "The machine positions them onto the handle portion of the blade, then attaches them with a hollow ribbon.", "This enables the knife to be hung up.", "This factory also produces retractable utility knives.", "It puts the cast aluminum handles through a machine that uses polishing stones to remove any shards of metal.", "Workers assemble the utility knives manually, first installing the push button that moves the blade in and out.", "After putting in a spare blade, they close up the handle with one screw.", "This factory produces 150 different paint-preparation tools for a wide range of uses, from scraping to filling to smoothing out tape on wall joints.", "Garage doors come in many styles, colors, and materials.", "They can be made of steel, aluminum, wood, or vinyl.", "Whether you choose a style that's plain, paneled, smooth, or textured, quality garage doors are lightweight, well-insulated, and airtight.", "The typical residential garage door is made up of four panels.", "Each one begins as a sheet of either aluminum or steel-- two metals that can tolerate harsh climates.", "The side that will show has a baked-on coat of polyester paint.", "Depending on the model, the sheet passes through rollers that imprint a texture, such as a simulated wood grain.", "Then it goes through a press that imprints a design.", "This model will have raised rectangles.", "Others have horizontal stripes or no design at all.", "After an automated machine cuts the continuous sheet to garage-door widths, another machine folds over the edges.", "This creates half-inch joints for attaching the panels.", "The polyester paint is elastic, so it simply stretches with the bending.", "Now on the back side of the sheets, they hot-glue metal plates to reinforce the various components they'll later screw into the garage door, parts such as the lift handles, the hinge, and the bracket for the electric opener mechanism.", "They also drill a hole through which they'll later inject insulation.", "Now they slide two sheets together to form a panel.", "They close off the ends with blocks of pine.", "This will prevent cold air from penetrating inside.", "They apply various stickers with installation, maintenance, and safety information.", "Orange stick-on dots mark the location of the metal plates into which the installer will screw the hinges and lift handles.", "They attach an aluminum bar to the long ends of each panel.", "This holds the panel steady during the injection process.", "After injection, the bars come off.", "They load the panels onto a carousel and begin the process of filling the hollow interior cavity with insulation.", "Through the hole they drilled earlier, they inject polyurethane foam, an expanding, plastic insulation material that's specially designed to penetrate hard-to-access spaces.", "As we see in this demonstration, the polyurethane expands and becomes rigid.", "This creates a solid core inside the garage door.", "Polyurethane is one of the lightest types of insulation, so it doesn't make the garage door heavy.", "Here's what the inside of a panel looks like once the foam hardens.", "Now workers install various components, such as the rubber weather seal on the bottom panel.", "This seal prevents cold air and water from entering the garage under the door.", "Some garage-door models have windows to allow in natural light.", "Workers first use a high-speed router to remove the rectangles where these windows will be installed.", "Then they insert one of several window styles available.", "These are double-sealed windows-- two thermal panes with an aluminum spacer in between.", "The framing around the glass comes in different colors.", "It's made of pvc-- a synthetic resin that doesn't discolor.", "The frame prevents water and cold air from penetrating through the window.", "Workers pack the installation hardware.", "Then they weigh the box to ensure no part was left out.", "At installation time, they attach the door panels at the joints with hinges.", "A system of springs ensures the garage door is perfectly balanced and moves smoothly.", "If properly installed, you should be able to lift or lower the garage door using two fingers.", "Electric motors are made of two main components-- one stationary, called the stator, the other a rotor that moves inside the stator.", "The stator has multiple wire coils.", "Running electricity through them creates a concentrated magnetic field that turns the rotor, creating mechanical power.", "The stator is lined with slots, each of which holds a copper coil.", "The more powerful the motor, the bigger the stator and the larger the slots.", "The first step is to line the slots with insulation.", "This insulation will keep the voltage confined to the coils.", "The coils are made from several copper wires wound together by programmable machines.", "The bigger the motor, the more wires per coil.", "In this motor, each coil consists of 13 strands of copper wire.", "Now workers tie the coils.", "This prevents the wires from unraveling while being inserted into the stator slots.", "Workers cap each coil with fiberglass insulation.", "Then they insulate the portion of the coil left outside the slots with fiberglass sheets.", "Fiberglass wedges are inserted, locking the coils inside the slots.", "Once all the coils are inserted and insulated, workers begin preparing the connection.", "They slip an acrylic insulation sleeve over both ends of each coil-- 13 coils, 26 ends.", "Then they group these insulated wires into large power cables.", "The number of wires per cable varies according to the speed and voltage of the motor.", "They solder the grouped wires together, then insulate the cables.", "They tuck some inside the stator and leave others accessible to be attached to a power source when the motor is installed.", "Now, using a cord made of heat- and chemical-resistant polyester, they bind the coils tightly to ensure they won't move when the motor spins.", "This unit of bound coils is known as the stator coil.", "They now submerge the stator in a polyester-based varnish and vacuum it right through.", "This thorough penetration makes the stator coil moisture-resistant.", "The stator is put into an oven for six hours at 280 degrees fahrenheit.", "The varnish hardens, making the stator coil rigid.", "Now they have to balance the rotor.", "If it's off-kilter, the motor will vibrate, hampering performance.", "They balance it the same way a mechanic balances car tires, only with 100 times greater precision.", "Now they slowly slide the rotor into the stator, careful not to damage the stator coil.", "The rotor will turn on steel bearings.", "They heat these bearings to expand them, so they'll install easily.", "Then they blow on cold air to shrink them to a tight fit.", "It's the same process with the motor's back cover.", "Now they heat the fan and install it over the back cover.", "The fan's job is to cool the running motor so that it doesn't overheat and break down.", "They cover the fan with a safety guard, then install a cover on the front of the motor as well.", "They run the finished motor through various tests to assess, among other things, insulation strength and performance.", "These industrial motors are designed for use in factories, for running machinery, such as conveyer belts, pumps, fans, and compressors.", "What do wool and hand cream have in common?", "Well, a sheep's fleece has an oily protective coating which contains a substance called wool grease.", "When factories make yarn, they first clean the wool with detergents.", "The grease is processed into lanolin-- a common ingredient in hand creams.", "Historians believe that people began raising sheep for food and clothing about 10,000 years ago.", "And around 4,000 b.c., they started spinning the wool into yarn for weaving fabric.", "The romans brought wool production to england in about 50 a.d. woolen fabrics would become the country's chief export for centuries.", "In 1797, britain shipped 13 sheep to australia, starting what would become the largest wool industry in the world today.", "Wool fabric is durable, wrinkle-proof, and holds its shape well.", "It absorbs moisture and insulates against heat and cold.", "That's why wool is ideal for clothing like sweaters and coats.", "Sheep shearers use power shears, removing the fleece in one piece.", "They discard any stained or inferior wool and then sort the rest according to the quality of the fibers.", "This grading is based on length, color, waviness, and fineness.", "The wool is cleaned with detergents before processing.", "The wool arrives at the factory in compressed bales.", "Workers untie them and feed the wool into the opening equipment, whose metal tooth rollers comb out and separate the fibers.", "From there, the fibers go into the blending room, where air currents mix different grades of wool to get the desired texture.", "If they'll be weaving a wool blend, they mix the wool fibers with other material, such as polyester fibers.", "A thorough blending takes about an hour.", "An air pipe transports the blended fibers to the next station.", "On the way, sprayers lubricate them with a mineral-oil mixture to make processing easier.", "The fibers arrive at the carding machine, where they pass through a series of rollers with thin wire teeth.", "This untangles the fibers and lines them up parallel to each other.", "This process also removes any pieces of debris caught in the fibers.", "The carding process produces a smooth, flat sheet called a web.", "The equipment divides this web into thin, flat strips.", "These strips go through rub aprons-- two rollers that twirl them into thinner, rounded strips, called rovings.", "The rovings wind onto a spool.", "Rovings look like yarn.", "But if you pull on them, they simply tear.", "They haven't been spun, so they have no strength.", "Each roving goes into a device called a spinning frame.", "It stretches the roving and spins it tightly, producing wool yarn.", "The yarn winds onto a bobbin.", "Spinning gives the yarn strength.", "Now they can weave it into wool fabric.", "A fully automated loom does it all.", "Watch in slow motion as it inserts one strand at a time crosswise through stationary lengthwise strands.", "It's computer-programmed to thread in a specific under/over configuration, according to the type of weave.", "The loom inserts 400 strands per minute.", "After weaving, they burn off vegetal matter, such as straw fragments, then they dye and dry the fabric.", "All wool fabrics undergo finishing to give them a particular appearance and feel.", "These spiked rollers created a plush finish.", "Wool fabrics can also have a sheered or flat finish." ]

{ "things": [ "Carved Wood Sculptures", "Flatware", "Cow Bells", "Fountain Pens" ] }

[ "Val gardena, a valley in the italian alps, is renowned for woodcarving.", "This craft began there in the 17th century as a way to pass the time during the long mountain winters.", "At first, woodcarvers made practical items, but before long, their masterful hands were creating works of art.", "From pastoral scenes to religious themes, these magnificently carved wood sculptures seem almost lifelike.", "After sketching the figure on paper, the carver sculpts a three-dimensional model from a block of plasticine.", "Using his hands and an array of tools, he meticulously fashions all the intricate details he'll later re-create in wood.", "For this flute-playing angel, he positions a replica of the instrument to get the angle of her arms and opening of her hands just right.", "Next, using the plasticine model as a reference, he draws the figure onto a block of wood roughly the size and shape of the sculpture.", "Using a mallet and chisels, he begins chipping away at the block of wood.", "This is stone pine wood, a rare species that grows in the higher mountain valleys of the alps.", "Pine is a soft wood, so it's ideal for carving.", "When it comes time for the finer work-- carving the details and smoothing out the surface-- he switches to a fine paring chisel.", "From the finished wood model, the factory casts a bronze copy to use for producing the final sculptures out of maple wood.", "When the maple planks arrive at the factory, their moisture level, as this hydrometer reading shows, is typically between 70% and 80%.", "If they carve the wood while it's still wet, the sculpture would eventually crack, so they load the wood into a giant dryer for about a week to bring the moisture down to an ideal 6%.", "When the wood comes out of the dryer, they trim off the bark with a circular saw then cut off all but the best part in the middle.", "They trim those middle pieces into uniform blocks just slightly larger than the size of the sculpture.", "20 blocks at a time go onto a machine called a pantograph, a sharp carving head over each block.", "Those 20 carving heads are linked to a blunt master head.", "A technician slowly moves this master head over every inch of the bronze model.", "This simultaneously manipulates the 20 carving heads to shape their respective blocks into fairly unrefined copies of the model in half the size.", "The machine can't reproduce the fine details, so the original carver returns to personally carve each and every sculpture to completion.", "By the time he's done, what once was an ordinary block of wood is forever transformed.", "Now the sculpture truly comes alive in the talented hands of an artist.", "With her palette of oil pants, she dresses the bare wood, alternating between different brushes to create varying textures.", "Technique is everything here.", "She must apply enough paint to cover the bare wood and enhance the craftsmanship, yet not apply too much paint.", "Otherwise, this exquisitely carved sculpture could look like cheap plastic.", "Once the paint dries, they glue a metal disk with the company name into a hole under the base.", "Then they package the piece with protective wrapping and a certificate of authenticity that guarantees this is a genuine carved-wood sculpture from val gardena, italy.", "Throughout the centuries, man fashioned eating utensils out of various metals.", "The 1840s saw the invention of silver plating over inexpensive base metals.", "Sterling silver and silver plate remained the norm until the early 1950s, when stainless-steel flatware made its debut.", "Stainless steel flatware is durable and, unlike silver plate, doesn't dull, tarnish, or wear off.", "This flatware starts out as thick wire called coil.", "To make knives, the coil goes into a heading machine that cuts pieces to blade length, then forms them into blank shapes with a head at one end.", "This bolster, as it's called, will connect the blade to the knife handle.", "A furnace softens the metal for the final shaping in a forging press.", "Three dies progressively forge the shape and trim off the excess metal.", "After grinding the end of the bolster flat, the next machine welds on the tang, which fits inside the knife handle.", "Now an automated grinding wheel tapers the blade thinner at the front.", "A second grinding wheel scallops the front edge.", "This is the knife's serration.", "The thicker back end gives the blade strength to withstand the pressure you apply when cutting food.", "For the knife handles, the factory uses stainless steel with a higher nickel content.", "It has greater corrosion resistance and is easier to form, which is critical, given that handles often feature very intricate designs.", "Handles, too, start out as coil that goes through a series of dies.", "Each finished piece is half a handle.", "A spot-welding machine tacks the two halves together, forming a handle shell.", "To fuse the halves completely, this machine cuts a piece of copper-based wire and drops it inside the hollow handle.", "A furnace melts the wire so that it flows into the crevice between the two halves, soldering the seam thoroughly.", "An etching machine grinds the solder line until it blends in with the surrounding stainless steel.", "Workers pour liquid cement into the center of a carousel on which they mount 50 handles at a time.", "As the carousel spins, the centrifugal force shoots the cement outward, filling the handle cavities.", "Then workers insert a blade into each one.", "A 10-minute soak in hot water cures the cement.", "Workers scrub off any excess cement that oozed out.", "On the spoon line, a press cuts standard steel into paintbrush-shaped pieces.", "Then heavy rollers stretch those pieces out, thinning the end that'll become the spoon's bowl.", "A trim press then cuts the spoon's profile.", "Next, a machine called a coining press punches the pattern into the handle then forms the bowl to its rounded shape.", "Forks go through the same steps as spoons then through a press that cuts the tines in two stages.", "A support bar keeps the tines from moving, while a coining press puts a slight bend in them.", "The next machine slices off that bar and stacks the finished forks.", "The last stop for all the flatware is the buffing equipment.", "Cloth wheels polish the surface with liquid buffing compound until the steel shines.", "The casual patterns are now ready for packaging.", "The more formal ones get dressed up with full or partial plating in silver or gold.", "In the swiss countryside, the cowbell is a traditional sight and sound.", "At roundup, as the cows start walking, their bells clang and wake up the sleeping cows, telling them it's time to move.", "At pasture, if a cow wanders off from the herd, its bell alerts the farmer.", "swiss cowbells also play a ceremonial roll.", "Farmers adorn their prize livestock with them.", "The larger and more ornate the bell, the greater the farmer's pride in the animal.", "Finer cowbells are made by artisans, like this one in switzerland.", "He starts by laying a template on a sheet of steel that's 2 to 3 millimeters thick, depending on the type of bell.", "With the plasma cutter, he cuts two pieces.", "Each will form half the bell.", "While each piece is still flat, he engraves a design using a hammer and burins of various sizes.", "A burin is handled blade with a beveled tip.", "Next, he heats a spot then stamps his logo and the bell size, according to a swiss numbering system.", "Next stop, a gas-fired furnace.", "The 1,800-degree-fahrenheit heat softens the metal, which he then lays in a forging press.", "The press closes, shaping the piece into half a cowbell.", "He repeats this process with a second piece to make the other half.", "Then he refines the shape and thickness using a variety of hammers.", "Forging each flat sheet into a half-bell made lines on the sides.", "He now welds and then grinds those seams flat.", "He hammers every centimeter of each bell half to refine and purify the sound.", "It's time to weld the two halves together.", "He tacks them in place then welds the entire seam.", "Later, he'll grind the weld line flush with the bell's surface.", "Next, he welds a steel handle to the top of the bell.", "This will hold the leather strap from which the cowbell will hang.", "Beneath the handle, on the inside, he welds on a v-shaped rod to hold the battle, the swinging hammer that strikes the bell's inner walls.", "On each side, he pierces two holes for rivets where the bell halves cross over each other.", "With a torch and a forging tool, he shapes each top rivet until it's nice and round.", "Then he hammers each bottom rivet flat to make them unnoticeable.", "Here he melts a brass bullet casing riveted area.", "That white powder is borax, a mineral that helps the soldering process.", "Adding this little bit of brass solidifies the fold and improves the bell's sound quality.", "The cowbell's construction is now complete.", "However, all that forging and welding has left dark spots on the steel.", "So, the bell now goes for a 15-hour bath in hydrochloric acid.", "This cleaning makes the bell even-toned and shiny.", "A thorough washing removes the acid residue.", "Then it's into a basin of sawdust to dry.", "Sawdust absorbs water faster than cloths do.", "The engraved decorations don't show up well on the shiny surface, so the artisan brushes acid on strategic spots to oxidize the steel and create the illusion of relief.", "It takes tremendous skill to milk a beautiful cowbell out of an ordinary sheet of steel.", "But there's still the decorative leather strap, which is the job of a saddlemaker.", "some bells are simple, others elaborately decorated with baked-on enamel colors.", "Either way, a fine, handcrafted cowbell will last for generations.", "The fountain pen was invented in 1884.", "Until then, people wrote with quills or steel pens, which required repeated dipping in a bottle of ink.", "The fountain pen was revolutionary because it held its own ink in a built-in reservoir.", "Discriminating writers still consider the fountain pen the ultimate writing instrument.", "These high-end, italian-made fountain pens have a tubular middle called the barrel, which houses the ink reservoir.", "There are various types of mechanisms for filling the barrel.", "This one is called the filler pump.", "It works just like a syringe.", "You unscrew the end, which draws a piston upward, creating a vacuum that sucks up the ink.", "When you write, the ink flows through a speed-regulating feeder to the nib of the pen.", "Nibs are made of stainless steel or, in luxury pens like these, solid gold.", "To make the nib, rollers flatten a piece of gold.", "Then a press cuts out a starting shape, with a stress-relief hole to keep the nib from cracking when it flexes.", "Another press stamps the caret marking and company name then bends the piece to its final shape.", "A worker cuts the ink pathway using a diamond cutting wheel thinner than a human hair.", "To fortify the nib's tip, this machine welds on a tiny glob of iridium, a durable metal in the platinum family.", "Workers grind the iridium tip to a precise size and shape.", "This is what dictates the thickness of the pen's line, from fine to broad, and the line's style, such as italic or oblique.", "Polishing is the final stop on the journey from plain piece of gold to ornate nib.", "The feeder that transfers ink from the reservoir to the nib is made from a cylindrical piece of ebonite, which they cut to a point.", "These blades carve grooves down the sides.", "When you write, these grooves fill with ink, regulating the rate of the ink flow.", "One end of the feeder goes into a holder.", "The other end slips behind the nib.", "This machine pushes the nib into its final position, which technicians verify under a magnifier.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they produce the pen's external parts.", "Here, presses and metal drawing machinery shape sterling-silver disks into pen caps.", "The cap protects the nib, of course, but it also provides decorative flare, often having guilloche, an intricate, diamond-cut engraving.", "The factory's computer-guided engraving equipment decorates this model with subtle stripes.", "A rolling engraver then applies the company's name.", "Every cap has a clip made of beryllium copper, a strong yet flexible metal which they plate in gold.", "The barrel and other parts for many models are made from plastic resin.", "An injection-molding machine melts resin pellets into liquid then shoots it into molds.", "When the resin solidifies, the machine ejects the molded parts ready for polishing.", "The pieces join to each other with metal connecting rings.", "The pen assembler carefully measures the placement of the resin piston within the barrel.", "Once the piston's inserted, the edge of the barrel gets a thin coat of sealant to prevent ink leaks.", "Then the assembler screws on the endpiece, the same one you unscrew to draw up the piston and fill the pen.", "The finishing touch is to mount the nib.", "Finally, every pen goes through a specific set of writing tests to ensure its performance measures up to its stylish good looks." ]

{ "things": [ "Noise Barrier Walls", "Front" ] }

[ "To contain the sounds of traffic, it's often necessary to put up a wall of silence.", "Noise-barrier walls both absorb traffic noise and shield neighborhoods from it.", "With stone or brick-like textures on both sides, they even look good on the street.", "In the 1970s, noise-barrier walls were mainly drab concrete.", "Fast forward to today, and the walls come in a range of textures and designs for curb appeal.", "But of course, it's their noise-absorbing qualities that really improve the neighborhood.", "They're made from a wood shaving and cement material that's very porous, which allows the walls to absorb sound and entrap it.", "Production starts with the raw shavings.", "A conveyor delivers them to a hammer mill.", "Inside, rotating hammers force the wood shavings through a cutting screen.", "This carves them into smaller particles of various sizes.", "It's this combination of sizes that will create the noise-absorbing pores in the completed wall.", "They test a proprietary chemical solution, that will be used to treat the wood particles, and confirm it's the right concentration.", "An auger then mixes it into the wood particles until they're damp and thoroughly coated.", "Without this treatment, the wood particles wouldn't bind with cement.", "It will also protect the wood from decay.", "In another mixer, they add water and a second chemical solution to further enhance the binding process.", "The wood particles are now primed and ready to be mixed with a powdered mix of limestone clay called portland cement.", "The machine works the ingredients until they form a cohesive material that can be shaped.", "The next worker sprays a release agent onto the stone-pattern liner.", "Each mold will form one noise barrier panel.", "The team transfers the wood-and-cement blend into the mold.", "They work at a steady pace to fill it before the mixture begins to dry.", "Once they've filled it partway, they level the wood-cement material...", "Then compact it with a tamping tool.", "Next, they add a steel mesh.", "This mesh will serve as a skeleton, allowing the wall to stand strong.", "They pour freshly mixed concrete onto the steel mesh.", "It flows through the mesh and onto the sound-absorbing mixture below, binding the two layers together.", "The worker spreads the concrete throughout the mold.", "He pierces the surface with a vibrating tool.", "The vibrations consolidate the concrete and eliminate air pockets.", "The two-person team levels the concrete layer using a wood screed.", "They apply a second layer of the noise-absorbing material and level it.", "They lower the stone-pattern press lid, which will mold the pattern onto the top side of the panel.", "They set a 10-ton concrete block on the mold, and pressure forces the mold patterns onto both sides of the casting.", "After a few minutes, they remove the lid, and the imprint is revealed.", "They quickly cover the panel surface with a plastic sheet to prevent any evaporation of moisture as the cure continues.", "If the blend cures too quickly, it could crack.", "After another day, they remove the tarp and they're ready to extract the panel from the mold.", "A crane lifts the panel and sets it aside to cure for about a month.", "Built panel by panel, these noise-barrier walls can become a substantial fortress, providing a solid defense against noise pollution.", "Front-loading washing machines use far less water than standard washers.", "They're gentler on clothes because there's no agitator in the middle of the drum.", "The spin speed is usually about 20 percent faster than the standard top-load machine, so the clothes come out of the wash drier.", "With gravity helping tumble the laundry, a front-load washer is gentler on the clothes while using less water.", "Its design can also accommodate a larger-capacity drum, so you can do bigger loads.", "The washer's cabinet is made of steel.", "A washing machine is routinely exposed to moisture, so they use galvanized steel, which doesn't rust.", "The cabinet base is comprised of four pieces, which, together, provide more structural strength than a single piece would.", "At the corners, workers install four screw-in rubber feet which are height-adjustable.", "This allows the washer to level on an uneven floor.", "Next are the two side panels.", "They are already stamped to the required shape in a press and coated with baked-on paint.", "This automated machine installs brackets on the inner side for mounting components later on.", "The next automated machine attaches the side panels to the cabinet.", "Rather than welding the edges, which would ruin the paint finish, the machine's punch tools mechanically lock them to the base.", "A robot then transfers the cabinet to the assembly line.", "Here, workers connect the side panels with a structural support bracket and power cord, already installed on it.", "Workers prepare the rear portion of the machine's two-piece plastic tub.", "First, a robot mounts a steel bearing on a press.", "The press then forces the bearing into a hole at the bottom of the inside of the tub.", "Then the process is repeated but on the outside of the tub.", "This pair of bearings seals the hole to prevent leaks, and enables the stainless-steel wash drum to spin.", "To counterbalance the spinning load, they weight the front of the drum with a plastic ring, containing heavy steel balls suspended in fluid.", "Then, they insert the shaft at the base of the drum into the tub's bearings and cover the top of the drum with the front section of the tub.", "It has a rubber gasket called a bellow.", "The bellow forms a leak-proof seal around the drum.", "After welding the tub sections together, they mount the washer's motor to the rear.", "In this stator-rotor motor, the electric current travels through the coiled copper wires of the motor's stator, generating pulses of electricity.", "Those pulses push on magnets lining the motor's rotor, positioned on top.", "The magnets repel the pulses, and this repeated pulse repelling drives the drum in the direction and speed required.", "Next, they install a drain hose on the side of the tub and attach it with a retainer clip.", "They bolt a piece of concrete to either side of the drum opening to counterbalance the weight of the motor on the back.", "Then, they turn the now-complete wash unit on its side and install it in the cabinet.", "Next, they mount the drain pump in the cabinet base and connect its wiring.", "The pump's job is to remove dirty water from the tub.", "Four shock absorbers are installed between the bottom of the wash unit and the base.", "These large pistons dampen much of the vibration during the wash and spin cycles.", "Next, the front panel.", "Like the sides, it's made of a stamped sheet of galvanized steel with a baked-on paint finish.", "They install and connect the console, which houses the machine's central control module.", "They pull the bellow on the drum all around the front opening to seal the perimeter.", "They secure it in place with a wire retainer clip.", "The hinged door has a see-through plastic window.", "Like the rest of the machine's metal parts, the door panel and hardware attaching it are also made of galvanized steel.", "The back panel is left unpainted.", "After feeding the power cord through its hole, workers screw the panel to the rest of the cabinet.", "Then, they complete the cabinet with the top panel, which has the baked-on paint finish.", "The front-load washing machine is now all set and ready for its first load.", "Bourbon whiskey is uniquely american.", "The u.s. congress officially recognized it as a product distinct to the nation.", "This amber-hued brew was first cooked up by scottish and irish settlers in late 18th century kentucky.", "Today, production continues there with the approval of congress.", "The american government regulates the making of bourbon to keep this native spirit true to tradition.", "By law, it must be made from a grain mix that's at least 51% corn.", "Distillers often use more for flavor.", "Shakers sift out cobs or other foreign material, and the kernels head into a grinder.", "Inside, rollers crush the kernels to release the flavor of the starch.", "The process leaves larger chunks of the corn germ and husks.", "Once distilled, these bits will settle out.", "In separate batches, the machine also grinds malted barley and soft red winter wheat.", "They cook the corn and blend it with limestone-rich, iron-free kentucky water.", "They add the barley, winter wheat, and a bit of mash from a previous batch.", "Along with a special yeast formulation, the grain mash flows into fermentation tanks made of cypress wood.", "After 8 to 10 hours, the yeast works its magic and the mash becomes a bubbling brew.", "The bubbling is caused by the release of carbon-dioxide gas as the grain sugars ferment and become alcohol.", "After three days, it has fermented into a thick liquid they call 'distiller's beer\".", "They pump it into a column still which boils off the alcohol, leaving water and other substances behind.", "The alcoholic vapor rises up to be condensed into liquid.", "After distilling it a second time, the alcohol concentration rises to a strong 130 proof.", "It's clear, with no noticeable color.", "At this stage, they call it \"white dog\".", "Once water has been added to dilute the whiskey to 110 proof, an employee takes a sample and sends it to the lab.", "There, a technician places a test tube of the alcohol into a gas chromatograph tester.", "It vaporizes the alcohol and then analyzes the flavor compounds and alcohol strength.", "With approval from the lab, they're ready to barrel the batch.", "They pump it out of storage tanks and into new oak barrels that have been purposely charred on the inside.", "Charring caramelizes naturally occurring wood sugars to add sweetness to the alcohol as it ages.", "It will also turn the clear alcohol an amber color.", "Once corked with a walnut stopper, the employee rolls the barrel into a multi-tiered warehouse.", "Here, the bourbon will age for many years.", "Partway through, they'll move the barrel to another level of the building due to temperature variations.", "This will make the product more consistent.", "After six to seven years, they uncork the stopper and insert steel tubes to draw in ambient air.", "This causes the bourbon to flow freely when tipped, and it gushes into a trough.", "The alcohol has ripened to a sweet caramel-colored brew.", "After they add more water to make it 90 proof, it's ready for bottling.", "Nozzles fill the bottles with bourbon right to the neck.", "The bottles then circle over to the cap applicators.", "The applicators spin metal caps, screwing them onto the bottles.", "The bottles then ride a carousel and a device picks up and applies the labels.", "A brush smoothes them to the bottles.", "Down the line, a two-person team retrieves the bottles and dips the caps in hot wax.", "The wax quickly dries and solidifies to give the bourbon a better seal.", "After several years in the distillery, this kentucky bourbon has come of age, and that calls for a toast.", "The circuit board is where the electronic components are located, along with the electrical connections which power them.", "In a larger device, such as a computer, the circuit board is typically rigid.", "When the device is compact, like a small camera, the circuit board must be flexible.", "It needs to fold to fit inside.", "Flexible circuit boards are so thin and pliable, they're nicknamed origami circuitry, after the japanese art of paper folding.", "At the core of the boards is a hair-thin polymer film that's both bendable and heat resistant.", "The manufacturer produces this material for several industries.", "In this case, they cut rolls of it to the width required for making flexible circuit boards.", "With a rigid sheet of paper lending support from underneath, the film enters a machine which sandwiches it between two thin sheets of copper.", "A cutter then slices the sandwich into rectangular sheets.", "A cushion of air pumped through the conveyor belt literally floats sheet after sheet off the machine and into a stack.", "Each three-layer sheet is separated from the next by the support paper called a laminate.", "The film at the center has a heat-activated adhesive coating, while the adjoining copper surfaces have been chemically roughened to enhance adhesion.", "After drawing the layers tightly together with a vacuum, workers place the laminates in a high-temperature, high-pressure chamber for several hours.", "This activates the adhesive, bonding the layers.", "To test the bond strength, they burn some adhesive off a sample of finished laminate to pry apart the layered edge.", "Then, they grab the top copper layer with this pulling device and measure the strength required to peel it off the film.", "The laminate's now shipped to a circuit board factory.", "Here, computer-guided machines cut them into specific-sized panels and drill tiny holes for mounting the electronic components.", "Then a coating machine uses a combination of heat and pressure to apply a light-sensitive fluid to the panel's surface.", "Technicians load the panel into an exposure machine, in which a computer-guided laser scans the circuitry pattern onto the coded surface.", "A laser is a beam of focused light, so wherever it hits, the fluid reacts and hardens.", "The dark areas of unexposed fluid remain soft.", "The next machine acid-washes the soft areas, removing both the fluid and the copper layer underneath it.", "Now the only copper remaining on top of the polymer film is in the circuitry pattern.", "This inspection device meticulously checks every single copper circuit.", "Next, they remove surface dust with a sticky roller.", "The panel must be pristine before receiving the sheet of electrical insulation, a mere .", "25 of a millimeter thick.", "Technicians use a magnifier to carefully match up alignment holes on the film with corresponding alignment holes on the panel.", "By activating the film's built-in adhesive with a soldering iron, they tack the insulation to the panel at key spots.", "The next step is to fully laminate the insulation to the panel.", "Technicians sandwich two panels at a time between sheets of protective plastic.", "This protects the surfaces from the heat and weight of the lamination press.", "As it forces the insulation film deep down onto the panel, it encapsulates the circuitry.", "They load the panels into the lamination press, apply a vacuum to remove the air between the layers and start her up.", "For the next hour and a half, the press simultaneously applies high pressure while heating the panels to 400 degrees fahrenheit.", "When the panels cool and come out of the press, technicians place one at a time on a circuit board-shaped dye.", "Then they release a press which forces the panel onto the sharp dye, slicing away the excess material.", "The flexible circuit board is now ready for the company that installs the electronic components.", "There are two ways to mount components-- solder them directly onto the board's surface or solder tiny prongs underneath the components, known as leads, into the board's mounting holes.", "A flexible circuit board can have as few as a dozen components or as many as 500.", "Technicians can solder larger ones magnified under a microscope, but only robots can solder smaller ones because they're so tiny and barely visible to the human eye." ]

{ "things": [ "Farmed Caviar", "Intake Manifolds", "Motorcycle Jackets", "Shovels & Spades" ] }

[ "Caviar is a term for the salted eggs of the sturgeon fish.", "A pearly delicacy, they've long been the snack food of the privileged, enjoyed for centuries by roman emperors, saudi sheikhs, russian czars, and english kings.", "A few nibbles still offer a taste of the high life.", "Caviar is sometimes called \"black gold\".", "No wonder.", "A teaspoon of fish eggs costs more than a meal at some family restaurants.", "For most of us, a little caviar is a big splurge.", "Overfishing has depleted wild siberian sturgeon stocks.", "So at this hatchery in the southern united states, they farm the species for their eggs and flesh.", "They feed the young fish high-protein pellets.", "The juvenile sturgeon fish needs constant nourishment to develop.", "A computerized system dispenses feed every four minutes.", "As the fish grow larger, the feeding schedule ratchets down a bit.", "The fish produce tiny metabolites that are toxic to them.", "Those are filtered out by bacteria introduced for this purpose.", "Staff routinely test the tank water to ensure the bacteria are doing their job adequately.", "After a few months of growth, they transfer the fish to larger tanks.", "Here, mesh drums filter the solid waste they produce.", "Pumps constantly circulate the water to move it through plastic nuggets that house the all-important filtering bacteria.", "Circulating the water also disperses carbon dioxide gas emitted by the fish and introduces oxygen, which they need to survive and thrive.", "Ordinary molasses injected into the tanks is consumed by the beneficial bacteria, helping them to process the harmful metabolites produced by the fish.", "After five to seven years of growth, the fish are at least a yard in length, and they should be full of eggs.", "Workers transfer them to tubs and mix in a gas to put the fish to sleep.", "Now sedated, the fish can be more easily handled and are taken to the ultrasound station.", "Using high-frequency sound waves, they probe the sturgeon's ovaries.", "This gives them a clear picture of her egg production.", "She should contain tens of thousands of eggs.", "If not, she'll go back into the tank to mature some more.", "But if she's ready, they'll harvest the ovaries.", "They clean the egg-laden ovaries and transfer them by the bagful to a chilled room with filtered air.", "This is just one of the siberian sturgeon's two ovaries, and it's a mass of roe-- fish eggs that are about to become pure caviar.", "They're extremely fragile and need careful handling to separate them from the membrane.", "This worker gently rubs the eggs against a mesh screen.", "She sets the tissue aside for composting and lifts the screen, revealing the thousands of delicate sturgeon eggs.", "But this caviar isn't quite ready yet.", "She now rinses the eggs repeatedly with cold water to wash away impurities, like bits of broken eggs and tissue residue.", "Using tweezers, she picks out remaining specks of membrane and crushed egg remnants until what's left is pure and perfect.", "She pours the eggs into a fine mesh colander.", "The volume decreases as the water drains off.", "She weighs the drained caviar and seasons it with salt, measuring an amount that's about 3.5% of the caviar's weight.", "This precise salting maximizes the caviar's flavor and substantially improves shelf life.", "She puts the eggs on ice for about six minutes to absorb the salt.", "The salt draws out more moisture, so she drains it one more time.", "She then blots up remaining moisture with a highly absorbent paper towel.", "She pulls away the towel gently, leaving the pearls of caviar intact.", "She packs it into a lacquer-lined tin and presses down the clusters of eggs to eliminate any air pockets, which would cause oxidation and spoilage.", "She seals the tin with a thick band of rubber.", "This caviar has been many years in the making...", "Farm-produced.", "No wild fish were destroyed to get these eggs to market, and that means they should appeal to a growing appetite for something a little more sustainable.", "The intake manifold distributes the air-and-fuel mixture to the engine cylinders.", "Inside, a spark plug ignites the mix, setting off a combustion cycle which ultimately propels the vehicle.", "For optimal performance and efficiency, the manifold must distribute to all the cylinders evenly.", "Whether in an engine with a carburetor like this one or in a newer-technology fuel-injected engine, the manifold's tubes, called intake runners, feed the fuel-and-air mixture to the engine's cylinder heads.", "The manifold is made from long blocks of extruded aluminum.", "First, a computer-guided saw cuts each block to the required length.", "Metal cutting metal produces a lot of friction-generated heat.", "A steady stream of water-based coolant and lubricant prevents the saw blade from overheating and breaking down.", "A computer-guided machine shapes the block from multiple angles, transforming it into the rough form of one of the manifold's two sides, called banks.", "Later, this bank, which has four ports for runners, will be mated with the opposing bank, which has another four ports for runners.", "The machine now shapes the inside of the runner ports, which are curved and tapered in a very specific way.", "The banks come off the machine with some rough edges.", "A machinist smoothes them out with a handheld grinder, a process called deburring.", "Once the banks are finished, they go onto a flow-testing machine.", "It measures the airflow in cubic feet per minute in each port.", "To achieve maximum efficiency, each port must have the same amount of air moving through it at the same speed.", "The runners have been machined separately.", "A quality-control technician runs a file over the runners and the banks to check for any imperfections.", "He then cleans all the surfaces with solvent.", "The aluminum must be free of any oils or other contaminates prior to welding.", "It's finally time to mate the two banks.", "Workers mount them on a mock-up engine in order to get the fit exact, then temporarily bolt them down to hold their position.", "Now a welder takes over.", "Using a high-precision welding machine, he first tacks the banks to each other in a few spots to secure the positioning.", "Then he fully welds them together.", "Next, he attaches the intake runners to the ports.", "A light tap to make the tongue-and-groove connection, followed by welding along their perimeter.", "A manifold has one intake runner for each cylinder of the engine.", "This one's designed for a fuel-injected v-8 engine.", "Therefore, it has eight runners.", "Once all the runners are welded on, he closes up the manifold with front, back, and top panels.", "He welds these parts, as well.", "Next, workers mount the fuel rails, which send fuel to the injectors.", "The injectors go on afterward.", "This is a high-performance manifold with a built-in nitrous oxide system.", "These are the stainless-steel feed lines for it.", "Nitrous oxide is a compressed gas that's high in oxygen.", "It allows more fuel to be injected, which increases combustion pressure, giving the engine up to an additional 500 horsepower.", "They mount the throttle body through which air enters the engine.", "The pivoting brass blade in the center is an air-metering device.", "The deeper the driver pushes the gas pedal, the more it opens, letting in more air.", "The injectors simultaneously shoot in more fuel.", "The result-- more power.", "This sophisticated testing machine checks for leaks and measures several factors, such as the nitrous oxide flow.", "While the function is the same, the shape and configuration of intake manifolds vary according to the type of engine in order to optimize performance and fuel efficiency.", "First conceived in 1920s america, the motorcycle jacket is designed for the open road.", "Made of tough leather with an off-center zipper that creates a seal, this jacket is the ultimate windbreaker.", "It also protects the biker from scrapes and cuts in the event of a high-speed fall.", "The motorcycle jacket evolved from other wind-resistant garments, like world war i aviator jackets and duster coats.", "Styles come and go, but the classic biker jacket has ruled the road for decades.", "They make it from heavy steer hide.", "A worker inspects the skins for flaws and selects the best.", "He also pairs up skins of similar hues and textures so all the sections of the jacket will match up.", "He wipes oils from the hides with a piece of sheepskin, then stacks the hides in bundles of 6 to 10.", "It's now time to select a pattern.", "In this case, it's a men's medium.", "There are about 50 pieces in one motorcycle-jacket pattern.", "Cutting the leather takes an experienced hand and a keen eye.", "The cutter works around any imperfections and chooses the stronger sections of the hide for the parts of the jacket that will be subject to the greatest wear.", "It's a skill that takes about two years to master.", "They punch out small components like pocket flaps and trim with a die, producing stacks of parts in one swoop.", "They call it clicking out the parts.", "These parts of the jacket don't vary in size, so different-sized patterns aren't needed.", "The next worker lowers a hydraulic blade to cut pocket slits in several jacket front panels.", "This is called the pocket chop.", "Working from the reverse side of the panel, workers fold back the edges of the pocket slits and glue them down with strong industrial adhesive.", "They gently hammer the glued border to improve the adhesion.", "A few taps to both the back and the front of the pocket slit seals this job.", "A seamstress sews a zipper onto a pocket.", "Then she stitches the pocket into the panel slit.", "This is the right panel, and this side of the jacket gets three pockets.", "Biker jackets usually have lots of pockets because motorcycles don't have much storage capacity.", "She pieces together the rest of the leather shell.", "In the meantime, another crew rolls out quilted fabric for the liners.", "They align it with other piece of the material that have been cut to length.", "They place a weight on one end and move to the other to cut the material to precisely the same length as the pieces underneath.", "Once they've accumulated numerous layers, they're ready for the pattern.", "This time, it's a big sheet of paper printed with the pattern markers.", "The pattern designs have been precisely configured on a computer to minimize fabric waste.", "Using sharp vertical blades, they cut along the pattern lines, slicing through the quilted stack.", "In a matter of minutes, they produce liner components for a couple dozen motorcycle jackets.", "In the sewing department, the seamstress pieces together the quilted lining and stitches on the label.", "She mates it to the now-completed leather shell, sewing from the inside so the stitches won't be visible.", "With the job done and the off-center front zipper installed, the next worker turns the motorcycle jacket right-side out.", "She pulls the seams of the jacket over a pointed metal rod.", "This gets rid of any puckers and rounds out the seams.", "Using a hydraulic device, another worker installs button-down snaps on the collar.", "This will keep it from flapping around and distracting the biker.", "A worker drives the prongs of a metal star into a piece of shoulder trim and bends them back.", "This and other metallic touches adds a bit of flash to the jacket.", "Made famous on the big screen by hollywood tough guys like marlon brando and james dean decades ago, the motorcycle jacket is still riding a wave of popularity.", "Shovels and spades are indispensable tools when it comes to digging into the ground or transferring materials such as soil, sand, or gravel.", "Lower-quality shovels' and spades' heads are stamped out of steel, whereas the best-quality ones are constructed from one piece of forged steel.", "The head of a shovel or spade consists of a blade and a socket.", "The socket fits over the shaft-- the part you hold.", "These heads are forged from a single piece of steel, far stronger than those made of a welded-together socket and blade.", "It all begins in the factory's foundry, where workers heat planks of steel about 8/10 of an inch thick to 2,000 degrees fahrenheit.", "A massive press then cuts the planks into t-shaped pieces.", "Each piece will become a head.", "The vertical part of the \"t\" will form the socket...", "The horizontal part, the blade.", "The next press, with a couple of strikes, forms a neck-- the starting point for the socket.", "Next, they spread out the neck between giant rollers, flattening and thinning the steel in the process.", "Then they lay the neck in a stamping press that chops off the excess metal.", "Next, they finalize the socket shape.", "The first strike simultaneously curves it into a \"u\" shape and punches a rivet hole.", "The next turns the ends around to form a rudimentary circle.", "Then repeated strikes round out the circle, perfecting it.", "Work begins on the other end of the \"t\" piece.", "Rollers spread and flatten it, forming the rough shape of the blade.", "A press stamps the precise contour.", "Another then forms the required angles, finalizing the blade shape.", "The repeated heating, reheating, and forming renders the steel brittle and weak.", "That's why the next step, heat treatment, is critical.", "First, they heat the head to 2,000 degrees fahrenheit at a very specific rate over a period of 90 seconds.", "Then they submerge it in cool water for about 30 seconds.", "This heating and quenching, as it's called, rearranges the molecular composition, strengthening the steel.", "Next step, a coat of paint-- either clear, allowing the natural color to show through, or traditional green or gray.", "They bake the paint for about five minutes to make it ultra-durable.", "The shovel shaft is made of ash, a particularly strong type of wood.", "They take a cylindrical piece and saw an 8-inch slot down one end, then widen the slot a bit.", "They sit that slotted end in boiling water for three minutes to soften up the wood just enough to make it pliable.", "Then they line it up with a horseshoe-shaped clamp.", "A hydraulic ram then pushes the shaft forward, spreading each side of the slot around the clamp.", "They move the shaft in this clamp state to a slightly heated chamber for a couple of days to dry out, after which, the wood assumes this shape permanently.", "After putting a rivet through the bottom of the split to prevent further splitting down the length of the shaft, they sand the wood to smooth it out, taper the end that will go into the socket, mount a riveted handle grip, then do a final overall sanding.", "The shaft now goes to the assembly shop, where they put it in a press and mate it with the head.", "Then they secure it with a rivet through the rivet hole in the socket.", "The next operation is called linishing.", "Using a coarse sanding belt, they wear down the wood where it meets the metal, making a smooth transition between the two materials.", "At the same time, they smooth down the edge of the rivet.", "Next, they dip the shaft in wood stain.", "This brings out the beautiful grain.", "Once the stain dries, they apply a protective coat of varnish.", "Other models have a metal handle on a wooden shaft or a nylon handle on a fiberglass shaft.", "Different designs with the same purpose-- to get the job done." ]

{ "things": [ "Eyeglass Lenses", "Granite", "Potato Chips", "Microprocessors" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Eyeglass lenses...", "Granite...", "Potato chips...", "And computer microprocessors.", "Remember when wearing coke-bottle eyeglasses was your one-way ticket to being the class nerd?", "Well, today, even if you need a heavy-duty prescription, you can wear fashionable eyeglasses with thin and lightweight plastic lenses.", "Eyeglass lenses start out as large plastic disks.", "The first step is to place a protective film over the convex side so it won't get damaged while the lab works on the concave side.", "With a scanner, they retrieve the customer's prescription from the central computer.", "Then they program those measurements into the tray holding the disks.", "Next, they heat up a mixture of seven metals to 122 degrees.", "Any hotter would melt the disk on contact.", "Out of that molten metal, they mold an attachment.", "This allows the disk to be mounted on a machine for tooling.", "At this point, robots take over.", "When the tray with the disks arrives, the milling machine reads the prescription information, then reshapes the plastic accordingly.", "First, it thins the disk and shaves it down to a smaller diameter.", "Then it creates the required curvature.", "The disk is now a lens.", "But you can still see the concentric circles left by the tooling, and the surface of the lens is rough, so they polish it using abrasive paper under water heated precisely to 66 degrees.", "The water temperature must be constant, or else the lens will become deformed.", "Now that the lens is perfectly shaped, they remove the metal attachment...", "Then peel off the protective film on the other side.", "Using a machine called a lensometer, they make sure the prescription is accurate.", "Next, the lenses go through an automated 15-stage chemical cleaning then are coated with varnish to make them scratch-resistant.", "They go into an oven for three hours until the varnish cures.", "Next comes the antireflection treatment.", "This will increase the lenses' transparency, allowing in more light.", "The lenses go into a chamber.", "They add different powdered chemicals, such as silicium oxide, titanium oxide, and zirconium oxide.", "They close the door, then pump all the air out of the chamber.", "Using a high-powered electron beam, they heat the chemicals to the boiling point.", "The powders transform from solid to gas, coating the lenses in the process.", "It's finally time to fit the lenses to the frame.", "They position a suction cup on the lenses to hold them in place during the fitting.", "An automated machine traces the shape of the frame...", "Then cuts the lenses to that shape.", "With regular frames, the lenses simply pop in.", "To attach ultralight metal frames, they drill holes right through the lenses.", "From plastic disk to the latest in eyewear in just three days.", "What do you get when you cross a spider with a goat?", "A silk fiber stronger than steel, yet more elastic than nylon.", "Researchers implanted a spider's web-spinning genes into a goat's mammary glands.", "The result-- goat's milk with silk proteins, the raw material for a fabric strong enough to be bulletproof.", "Granite is one of the strongest stones on earth, and it's the darling of decor these days.", "As an indoor/outdoor building material, it's timeless, elegant, and resistant to acid rain.", "Nature's granite factory lies many miles beneath the earth's surface.", "Boiling molten rock called \"magma\" builds up pressure from the intense heat and rises through cracks and crevices in the earth's crust.", "As it rises, it slowly cools and solidifies into granite.", "Most granite is buried under sedimentary rock, which makes up most of the earth's surface.", "The challenge is to extract as much granite from the quarry as possible while losing as little as possible to damage from the extraction process.", "They start by outlining a section of rock wall up to 99 feet long by 23 feet wide.", "They use a gas flame to burn long, narrow channels to free up the sides.", "Then they drill holes 23 feet deep along the back and bottom.", "They feed explosive cables into the holes.", "Then they set it off.", "The explosion detaches the section.", "Then they use a combination of drills, steel pegs, plates, and wedges to cut it down and cut it down further until they have rough blocks measuring 10 feet long by 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep, a size the granite factory can handle.", "The blocks may be small, but each one weighs more than 45,000 pounds.", "At the factory, the first cut is called \"slabbing\".", "They use this type of saw to cut slabs more than 2 inches thick.", "The blade's metal segments contain synthetic diamond particles, which create the friction needed to make the cut.", "Water keeps the saw from overheating.", "It's a slow process.", "The saw cuts less than 22 square feet of granite per hour.", "They use a gang saw to cut slabs thinner than 5 centimeters to make kitchen countertops, for example.", "This saw has steel blades-- tense enough not to bend under the pressure of cutting and calibrated to cut as straight as possible.", "The gang saw cuts at a rate of about 86 square feet per hour.", "It takes three entire days to cut through the rough block.", "Once a slab is cut, it goes for polishing.", "This is what will bring out the beauty of the stone.", "The polishing line has 19 heads, each of which has six bricks that polish by abrasion, like sandpaper.", "The brick grains get progressively finer as you go down the line.", "The polishing line processes about a 10 square feet of granite per minute.", "For a high-gloss finish, a slab goes through all 19 heads.", "For a semigloss finish, it goes through just the first 10 heads.", "For a rough finish, slabs skip the polishing line altogether and instead go through a process called \"flaming\".", "With a stream of water to keep the slab from cracking under the heat, they run a propane flame at 2,000 degrees fahrenheit across the surface.", "This intense heat makes the quartz inside the granite explode, creating a rough surface.", "They often use this technique for nonslip flooring.", "After the finish, the last step is to cut the slabs to specifications.", "Granite is composed of various minerals.", "They're interlocked like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, giving the stone its trademark speckles and its remarkable strength.", "They say chips were invented when someone sent back his fried potatoes, complaining the slices were too thick.", "The insulted chef cut them paper-thin and fried them to a crisp.", "So pride, not necessity, was the mother of this invention.", "Potato chips have since become the consummate snack food.", "They have to be made with fresh potatoes, no more than 24 hours old, otherwise the chips will have black spots.", "After a brushing machine removes the dirt, the potatoes travel along a water canal to the peeler.", "They tumble around and around against the peeler's abrasive rollers until the skins come off.", "This machine can peel 12,000 pounds of potatoes per hour.", "Next stop-- a machine that separates the potatoes by size.", "The small ones fall below to be rinsed.", "The larger ones stay on top to be cut.", "Then they fall down to the rinser, too.", "Next, the potatoes go through slicers.", "The slicers' blades are adjustable.", "They can be set to different thicknesses or to different shapes, to slice ripple chips, for example.", "The centrifugal force created by the spinning throws the potatoes against the sharp blades.", "To make regular chips, they cut slices 6/100 of an inch thick.", "An average potato will yield about 36 chips.", "Finally, it's time to wash the potato slices.", "They spin inside a giant barrel of cold, fresh water for about a minute.", "Then, like at the car wash, the slices pass under an air blower to dry up the excess water.", "The fryer contains canola oil boiling at 375 degrees fahrenheit.", "It takes just 3 minutes to fry the potato slices into potato chips.", "As the chips exit the fryer on the conveyor belt, the excess oil drips off.", "Next, a shower of salt.", "The chips then move on to the sorter.", "An electronic camera identifies any chips that have brown spots or other defects.", "The camera then triggers the thin pipe directly above that bum chip to blow it off the conveyor belt with air pressure.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they're making another popular snack food, cheese puffs.", "They take corn flour and mix it with water.", "An extrusion machine forces the mixture through round holes.", "When the snakelike streams come out the other end, a knife cuts them into pieces.", "The heat in the machine then causes the flour in those pieces to explode, creating slightly curled puffs.", "They spray those puffs with a mixture of canola oil, powdered cheese, and natural colorings.", "A revolving drum mixes it all together.", "Back in the chips department, they spray the potato chips with powdered seasonings, which simulate flavors such as barbecue or salt and vinegar.", "The next machine separates and weighs the portions to be packaged.", "The chips drop into bags that are then heat-sealed.", "It's taken about 15 minutes to go from raw potato to potato chips-- a lot longer than it takes to eat them.", "A microprocessor is the brain inside a computer.", "Its made up of a microchip on an electronic card.", "Preparing the chip to be installed on the card is a delicate and precise operation.", "Scientists built the first computer in 1937, but it could only do algebra.", "The first general-purpose computer, in 1946, was the size of 20 refrigerators.", "During the 1950s, transistors replaced bulky vacuum tubes, then integrated circuits replaced transistors.", "But the biggest breakthrough came in 1971 with the microprocessor-- all the components on one miniscule chip.", "That's what made the personal computer possible.", "They start with a ceramic square called a substrate.", "This will carry the microchip.", "A machine coats the substrate surface with flux, a chemical that makes it sticky.", "This will hold the microchip in place until it's soldered.", "The factory receives the microchips ready-made, with all the circuits in place.", "They place a microchip on each substrate.", "An infrared light guides the machine to place the chip in precisely the right spot.", "They pull a sample from the production line to further verify the positioning with a microscope.", "Next stop-- a soldering oven at 689 degrees.", "The heat melts tiny beads of tin positioned on the chip, binding it to the substrate.", "Next, they prepare to solder an aluminum cap over each microchip.", "The cap will have two functions-- to protect the chip and to dissipate the heat that the chip generates.", "A robotic arm picks up four caps at a time and positions them over the microchips.", "They go into a soldering oven at 302 degrees for about an hour.", "The next step is to create the electrical connections that will later link the microprocessor to the computer's electronic card.", "They start with tiny cylindrical pieces of tin, called \"columns\".", "Tin conducts electricity.", "A giant suctioning sieve vibrates the columns until they fall through the holes.", "This lines them up vertically so that they can be attached to the substrate.", "A machine spreads a thick adhesive paste, then attaches the vertical columns in it from underneath.", "A robotic arm positions the chip-carrying substrate onto the pasted columns.", "The result is a microchip with 1,000 connections.", "For even more connections, they use tin balls instead of columns because balls are sturdier and more reliable.", "They, too, go through a suctioning sieve, only instead of paste, they're stuck on with flux, that sticky chemical used earlier to position the microchip onto the substrate.", "The finished microchip unit goes into a bath of water and solvents to remove any excess flux or other residues.", "Last stop-- quality control testing, up to 12 hours in an oven heated to 284 degrees.", "From here, the microprocessor unit goes to another factory where it's soldered onto an electronic card, which then goes into a computer." ]

{ "things": [ "Garden Forks", "English Toffee", "Paint Chip Cards", "Bundt Pans" ] }

[ "The garden fork was once a very prized possession-- so coveted, it was often the object of theft.", "That was centuries ago, when a family's very survival depended on the crops they grew.", "Today, of course, food is mass produced and sold in supermarkets.", "But the garden fork still rules in the backyard garden.", "There are many versions of the trusty garden fork.", "Use one to work the garden, and you'll reap the benefits.", "At this factory, they've been forging garden forks from a solid-steel slab for over two centuries.", "Using a 660-ton punch press, they cut two basic fork shapes from this hot and malleable slab.", "The tines or prongs for this particular kind of fork are shorter than most because these are border forks used for turning soil rather than digging deep.", "With the basic shape now established, it's back into the furnace to re-soften the stem.", "A worker repeatedly feeds it to rollers to thin and widen it substantially.", "He strikes the stem with another punch press.", "This one hit trims it while cutting holes for attaching the wood shaft.", "The trimmings will be remelted and recycled into new forks.", "The next press slams the steel stem into a cylindrical die to force it into the basic shape of a socket.", "He slides the socket onto a coned form and strikes it repeatedly to refine the socket shape.", "This sizes it for a wooden shaft.", "They take an entirely different approach when making digging forks because of their longer curved tines.", "After forging a kind of spider shape, a worker bends a prong around a post to orient it for shaping.", "This two-person team works in tandem.", "One fires the spider and bends the prongs.", "The other worker inserts the prong in the grooves of two revolving dies.", "This rolls the tine within the confines of the grooves to stretch it long and thin.", "With two tines now shaped, his partner bends them out of the way so he can work on the third tine.", "Rolling takes 18 months of training to perfect.", "If the tine isn't precisely aligned with the grooves, the equipment could seize and throw the worker backwards.", "Not only could he be injured, but the fork and the dies would most certainly be wrecked.", "With a fourth tine now stretched long and thin like the rest, the other member of the team twists all four tines around the post again, this time to bend them all in the same general direction.", "After about 10 minutes of work, they have the rough shape of a digging fork.", "They then form the socket and crop the tines.", "Fired to a supple state again, a worker drives tooling between the tines to straighten them and even the gaps between them.", "He rests the fork socket against a steel slope and lowers a ram.", "It slams into the tines to push the socket against the slope and bend it upward-- a more effective angle for digging.", "He inserts the tines in a press one at a time.", "The press closes around each tine to taper the corners.", "A ram now pounds the base of the tines against a swooped anvil to give it a gentle curve.", "He plunges the hot fork into cool water, and the shock hardens the steel.", "The next worker grinds off any rough bits from the sides and sharpens the edges.", "He narrows the tips to a point, and this will enable the fork to pierce solid earth.", "A worker repairs any irregularities with his hammer.", "Here you can see the difference this makes.", "The prongs on the left are out of alignment.", "The ones on the right have been fixed.", "They apply an electrostatic charge onto the forks to attract a green powder spray.", "Once cured, it forms a colorful skin that resists corrosion.", "Now out of the curing oven, a worker clamps the ends to lock the fork in place while he inserts the ash wood shaft into the socket.", "He secures it with rivets.", "Using a belt sander, he blends the wood to the metal in a process known as linishing.", "He also sands the rivets to make them flush to the surface of the metal.", "The bottom fork is the one that has been linished.", "He dips the wood shaft and handle in varnish, giving it a glossy stain that enhances the grain.", "This garden fork is now done.", "It won't look shiny and new for long, because things are sure to get dirty very soon.", "Toffee is a type of candy traditionally made of caramelized sugar or molasses and butter.", "There are many different varieties-- soft and chewy or hard and brittle.", "English toffee, which is actually an american style of toffee, is very buttery and typically has a topping of chopped nuts.", "This english toffee is completely free of dairy ingredients and is kosher certified, making it ideal for toffee lovers with certain dietary restrictions.", "The workers at this small american confectioner make this special recipe entirely by hand one small batch at a time.", "They start by combining water and sugar.", "They heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves.", "Then they add a formula so top-secret they won't let us see it.", "All they'll reveal is that it contains a combination of vegetable oils and shortening which are non-dairy substitutes for butter and beta carotene to give the toffee that familiar golden color.", "They add an emulsifier called lecithin to stabilize all these ingredients.", "As soon as the mixture reaches the boiling point, they add salt.", "This enhances the flavor and helps produce a rapid boil that continues for several hours until the mixture hits a top-secret target temperature.", "By that point, most of the water has evaporated, producing sweet, thick, liquid toffee.", "Now they open a hot-water valve that heats up a table, then carefully pour the toffee onto the surface.", "The heat keeps the toffee pliable while they spread it out.", "They spread it wider and wider until the toffee sheet is evenly thick.", "They don't actually measure.", "They just eyeball it, so the thickness varies somewhat.", "But that lack of uniformity is part of the charm of handmade sweets.", "They take a tool with multiple cutting wheels spaced about two inches apart.", "They run it over the toffee sheet in one direction, then in the other.", "Then they shut off the hot-water valve and open the cold-water one to cool the table surface and harden what are now toffee squares.", "Within minutes, the squares are hard enough to be broken apart.", "Next, the first of two ingredients that will turn this into english toffee-- molten semi-sweet chocolate.", "Once this tempering machine heats it to the right consistency, a pump feeds it to the enrobing machine that coats the toffee squares in two stages, starting on the bottom.", "The underside now coated, the squares move on to a refrigerated belt.", "The cold quickly hardens the chocolate.", "Then they move into the next station which covers the top with chocolate.", "As the now fully-coated squares exit the enrobing machine, the belt vibrates, shaking off the excess chocolate.", "The squares move on to another refrigerated belt and a worker manually sprinkles them with the second ingredient that makes this english toffee-- chopped pecans.", "The squares travel through a cooling tunnel for several minutes to set.", "As they reach the end of the line, excess nuts drop off and collect in a pan below, ready for sprinkling onto new squares.", "Some english toffee recipes call for almonds rather than pecans.", "Whichever variety of nut, every recipe follows the same structure.", "Layering sweet and crunchy toffee, smooth and creamy chocolate, and coarsely chopped nuts-- three different textures, tastes, and sensations brought together in a single confection.", "And just like other decadently delicious desserts, english toffee is heaven to anyone with a serious sweet tooth.", "Trying to decide on a paint color?", "Each card is a small sample of related shades, allowing you to view the actual hues without prying off the lids of paint cans.", "With thousands of shades to choose from, how do they get it all down on paper?", "Whether you're looking for a brilliant blue or a marvelous mauve, careful scrutiny of paint chip cards can help you get it right before the paint hits the wall.", "Highly concentrated colorants stored in tanks will be used to reproduce paint colors in lacquer similar to the kind used in nail polish.", "Lacquer produces better results on paper than actual paint.", "They pipe the colorants to a dispenser.", "At the same time, a bucket containing lacquer heads toward it.", "The dispenser has many tentacles with nozzles at the end of each one and each tentacle is connected to one of the colorant tanks.", "A computerized mechanism grabs the nozzles to dispense different colorants following a specific paint-color formula.", "The bucket sits on a scale and the weight is constantly monitored by the computer to confirm that exact amounts are being added.", "A blender mixes the colorants in the lacquer.", "The mixing speed and time have been preset to avoid over or under mixing.", "And now for the color test.", "A technician pulls a bit of the lacquer-based paint on a sheet of paper just under a steel bar.", "Using that bar, he spreads the color evenly across the paper.", "Then it's into a kind of moving convection oven to dry the color.", "The technician compares the color and gloss to that of the standard.", "He also does a computer analysis and sends the formula back for tweaking when necessary.", "Once they perfect the hue and gloss, production is ready to roll.", "A worker pours the approved lacquer-based paints into cylindrical tanks above the coating machine.", "There are over two dozen of these tanks because they'll be putting that many colors on paper in one production run.", "He connects plastic tubing to the tanks to narrow the flow and aim it at the die block below.", "He activates the machine and adjusts the tension of the paper as it moves forward.", "Lacquer flows into a die, coating the paper with an endless rainbow of color.", "A bar overhead spreads the lacquer evenly without actually touching the paper.", "The striped paper then travels through an oven.", "The solvents evaporate, leaving a dried lacquer skin on the paper.", "If regular paint had been used, the paper would have absorbed it and ended up wavy.", "But with the lacquer paint, it remains flat.", "Rotary blades cut the coated paper into sheets sized to fit printing machinery down the line.", "They land in a neat stack.", "Using a transparent template, the next worker measures the width of each stripe.", "He then confirms that the colors are in the correct order by checking each stripe against the approved proofs.", "He checks the gloss with a glossmeter.", "It aims light on an angle and registers the reflection to confirm that the gloss is consistent.", "With the okay from the tester, the entire production run receives the go-ahead.", "The press operator stacks them facedown for loading into the printer.", "A feeder serves up the striped sheets to the printing line one at a time.", "It's a 4-station printing press.", "Each cylinder is equipped with an ink of a different color to stand out against the various paint-card stripes.", "They print the paint color names and numbers on both sides.", "They also apply varnish to the back of the sheets so the paint chip cards won't stick to one another when stacked.", "Named and numbered, the color stripes are now identifiable.", "The sheets go under a guillotine blade which slices them into paint chip cards.", "Powered by hydraulics and super sharp, the blade cuts through hundreds of paper sheets like butter.", "They produce 3 1/2 million paint chip cards a day at this factory.", "With so many options, the cards are stacked against a quick decision.", "A bundt pan is for baking a dense, ring-shaped cake called a bundt.", "It typically has a fluted or a swirl design.", "It originated in europe hundreds of years ago and quite possibly gets its name from the german bundkuchen-- \"kuchen\" meaning \"cake\" and \"bund\" meaning \"a gathering of people\".", "Bundt pans were originally ceramic, which is fragile, or cast iron, which is heavy.", "Today's version is typically made of cast aluminum-- unbreakable and infinitely lighter.", "It also has a nonstick coating.", "At the factory, they begin the production process by melting ingots of recycled aluminum.", "The furnace heats the ingots to 1,300-degrees fahrenheit, at which point, they liquify in about a minute.", "From the melting furnace, workers transfer the molten aluminum to a holding furnace which keeps it in a liquid state until casting.", "The casting process is entirely automated.", "A ladle descends into the holding furnace and scoops up just over two pounds of aluminum, enough to make one bundt pan.", "The ladle then pours the molten metal into a sleeve which a high-speed ram immediately pushes into a steel bundt-pan mold.", "The pressure and speed combined shoot the molten aluminum into every nook and cranny of the mold cavity.", "As the hot aluminum hits the cooler mold, it solidifies in about 10 seconds, then the two halves of the mold automatically separate and a robotic arm extracts the cast pan.", "Between castings, a robot cleans the mold with a blast of air, water, and lubricant.", "This removes any aluminum residue, leaving the mold surface pristine.", "This is critical, because even a tiny speck of dust left behind would mar the next casting.", "As each pan comes off the machine, workers inspect it for any casting flaws.", "When it comes time to produce a different style bundt pan, like this one with six mini-cake forms, they simply mount the corresponding mold onto the casting machine.", "As the machine fills the mold under pressure, some aluminum oozes out between the two halves of the mold.", "Now a worker cuts off that excess with a single strike of a trim press.", "The scrap pieces go back into the furnace to be remelted.", "Next, a computer-guided router working two pans at a time, smoothes the rough edges.", "Then it refines the handle slots, finalizing the shape.", "The aluminum surface must be pristine for the nonstick coating to adhere properly, so the pans now go through an industrial washing machine-- one wash and three rinse cycles, and then, before exiting, a drying cycle.", "Workers put the pans upside down on fixtures which travel down the exterior coasting line.", "As the pan spins by, spray guns apply a silicone-based decorative coating to the outside surface.", "The pans then travel through an oven for 15 minutes to cure the coating.", "Then the workers flip the pans right-side up and place them on fixtures, which spin them through another spray line.", "This time, to coat the inside.", "The interior coating is a food-safe silicone-polyester material designed to release the cake easily from the pan.", "It's similar to a nonstick coating on a fry pan, the difference being that the chemical composition is designed to prevent sugar, rather than protein, from sticking.", "Again, the pans go through an oven for 15 minutes to cure the coating.", "Once the finished pans exit the oven, workers inspect them thoroughly, checking for any flaws in the coatings.", "From a practical perspective, a bundt pan's ringed shape has definite advantages over an ordinary baking pan.", "The tube in the middle funnels heat to the center of the cake batter, helping it bake quicker and more thoroughly.", "From a decorative perspective, when you compare an ordinary pan to an elegant bundt, the latter certainly takes the cake." ]

{ "things": [ "Tequila", "Waterbeds", "Flip Flops", "Silver" ] }

[ "The story of tequila begins many centuries ago, when mexico's aztecs fermented the juice of the agave plant to produce a low-alcohol drink called pulque.", "When the spanish conquistadors arrived, they added distillation to the process for a much stronger drink, and tequila was born.", "Tequila is to mexico as champagne is to france.", "Tequila is only made in this part of the world, and mexico has claimed exclusive rights to the word \"tequila\".", "For centuries, workers called jimadores have grown and harvested the agave plant for tequila.", "It takes seven years, on average, for a species called weber blue agave to mature.", "And even today, it's harvested entirely by hand.", "Using a lethally sharp hoelike tool, the jimadores chop away the greenery until all that's left is the huge core, called the piña.", "Filing the round blade frequently keeps it razor-sharp, allowing them to remove most of the bitter-tasting leaves from the piña.", "The tequila distilled from this crop will be a premium grade made from 100% agave juice.", "The jimadores routinely remove a small piece and measure the starch content of the crop.", "Only if it's deemed to be sufficient is the agave piña sent to the distillery.", "Workers wield special hatchets to carve the huge piñas into quarters.", "They're a more manageable size for baking.", "They transfer the chopped piña to a brick oven, where it's steam-baked for 79 hours.", "This thorough cooking converts the agave starch to sugar.", "In the process, the flesh softens and the color turns from white to reddish brown.", "The baked agave piña now spills into a shredder that rotates to tear the fruit into long, thin fibers.", "The fibers exit onto a conveyor.", "The shredded piña lands in a pit, where a worker forks it up and moves it into the path of a huge stone wheel called a tahona.", "Operated mechanically, the tahona wheel turns to crush the fibers and squeeze out the precious agave nectar.", "It takes two hours of crushing to extract all the juices.", "They pipe the juicy mash into wooden tanks and add yeast.", "The yeast causes fermentation, a process by which sugar is transformed into alcohol.", "After 72 hours of fermentation, the alcohol content reaches 5%.", "The fermented pulp and juices have an earthy, acidic bouquet, and the aroma fills the air.", "They transfer the fermented mash to small copper stills.", "Inside the stills, the alcohol is boiled off and the vapor condensed into a more potent liquid.", "This is called distillation.", "After two distillation cycles, they have tequila.", "A technician measures the alcohol content, and it's 55%.", "After straining out the pulp, they transfer the tequila to steel tanks.", "They add purified well water to dilute the alcohol content and bring it down to 40%.", "This tequila is now ready to drink, so it's over to the bottling line.", "With the bottles upside down on a revolving carousel, they spray the inside with real tequila for a quick rinse.", "The grippers flip them right-side up so they can be filled with 100% agave tequila.", "This automated system keeps the fill level precise.", "An employee corks the bottles and then sends them down the line.", "The next worker presses adhesive-backed transparent labels onto them.", "The see-through labels showcase the clarity of this fresh, premium tequila.", "For a drink with a little more complexity, they age the tequila in oak casks for two months or more, depending on the grade.", "During aging, the tequila takes on a woody flavor and turns a warm shade of amber.", "The master distiller personally approves each batch.", "He checks the color, inhales the aroma, and puts his observations down on paper.", "He also takes a little sip.", "No longer a rough swill for banditos, tequila has gone uptown and evolved into a more sophisticated drink.", "Waterbeds have come a long way since the ancient persians slept on water-filled goat skins.", "Hitting the market in the late 1960s, early models were pretty wavy and made some people seasick.", "But innovative changes in design make today's waterbeds as stable as a traditional mattress.", "Water doesn't compress, it displaces.", "That's why a waterbed mattress shapes to your body, giving you equal support everywhere with no pressure points.", "A washable quilted cover sits on top of the mattress to provide extra cushioning and absorb perspiration.", "The mattress is made of high-durability vinyl.", "It arrives at the waterbed factory in giant rolls which workers feed into a conditioning machine.", "At a speed of one yard per minute, the machine heats the vinyl to 100 degrees fahrenheit.", "This preshrinks the material, ensuring the mattress won't contract over time.", "Next, computer-guided machines cut out the mattress's top and bottom pieces.", "Die cutters stamp out the smaller and simpler corner and valve-related pieces.", "Then, workers lay the top piece on a wooden pattern mold.", "Applying this pattern makes the vinyl more flexible, enabling the mattress to better follow the form of the body.", "The company won't reveal exactly how this caged device molds the pattern into the vinyl.", "Now, with a die, workers cut a hole in the top piece for the fill valve.", "After fitting the valve and cap to a piece of vinyl printed with product information, they lay on the top piece, then fuse the vinyl with a high-frequency welder.", "It emits high-frequency electromagnetic waves that heat and cause the molecules to interact, blending the two pieces seamlessly into one.", "Next, the corners of the mattress.", "This is the most complex part of the process because it requires making a very particular angle.", "After fusing the folds with the high-frequency welder, they slip each corner onto a rounded form, then close off the tip by welding on a circle of vinyl.", "This makes a rounded corner, which is far more durable than a pointed one.", "Whereas regular mattresses are foam-filled, waterbed mattresses contain fiber which makes the bed waveless.", "Mattresses come in various degrees of stability.", "The more layers of fiber inside, the less the mattress moves.", "Once they've inserted the fiber, workers perform a final round of high-frequency welding to close up the mattress.", "First, they position an aluminum stick under the area they have to weld.", "A static laser line shows workers where to position the mattress in the automatic welder.", "Once the mattress is welded all around, they remove the stick through the valve hole, then flatten the mattress, distributing the fiber evenly within it.", "The final operation is quality-control check.", "They put the mattress in a press and, with a vacuum hose, extract all the air.", "Then, they set the mattress aside for six hours to ensure no air seeps back in, which would indicate a leak.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they construct the frame in which the mattress sits.", "The lower part is made of pvc plastic extruded into a stylish shape.", "Workers fuse the frame parts with regular welding, melting, then pressing together the edges to bond them.", "This factory doesn't mass-produce.", "Every single waterbed is made to order from a range of decor choices.", "The customer who ordered this one requested a frame upholstered in black faux leather.", "The mattress sits on a thick melamine base.", "They slide it into the frame, then secure it with screws.", "The upper sides of the frame are made of upholstered foam, designed to be soft against the back of your legs when you sit on the side of the bed.", "Waterbed mattresses are shipped empty.", "The installer fills it with water at the customer's home, leaving enough space inside for the water to displace under pressure, so even if the valve is open, water doesn't spill out, even when someone's lying on the bed.", "They may not be the fanciest of footwear, but flip-flops, also called thongs, are inexpensive and comfortable.", "It's believed these flat sandals with the y-shaped strap are modeled after traditional japanese sandals that have a wooden sole and a \"y\" strap woven from plant fibers.", "The anatomy of a flip-flop is pretty basic-- a sole and y-shaped straps called uppers.", "The sole is constructed from the top and bottom.", "They make the bottom out of either heat-moldable plastic or rubber.", "An injection-molding machine shoots the molten material into passing molds.", "Two fans positioned over the injector kick-start the cooling process.", "Then, a continuous water-cooling system takes over.", "3 1/2 minutes after injection, the material is solid.", "They make the top soles from 3/10 inch-thick rubber sheets.", "A hydraulic press forces a sole-shaped die through the sheet, like a cookie cutter slicing through dough.", "The die also cuts a hole and two slits for attaching the uppers.", "Some flip-flops have decorations on the top soles.", "The design is applied on each pair manually using a standard screen-printing process.", "The factory prepares a screen for each color of the design.", "The screen is kind of like a stencil-- open mesh in the shape of the design, and the rest of the mesh is blocked.", "Workers load a pair of soles in each station of a rotary-screen printing machine.", "Then, they mount the screens.", "They close the first screen over the pair of soles, then, with a squeegee, spread ink across the screen surface.", "The ink passes through the open mesh, applying the design.", "They move the soles to the next screen and do the same with the second color of ink, and so on.", "Now for the uppers.", "For this flip-flop style, they glue ribbon onto cotton tape.", "Once they've correctly positioned the ribbon, they stitch it in place.", "Then, they connect the left-side and right-side straps with masking tape...", "Add a toe piece...", "Then stitch everything together.", "For aesthetics, they sew a cover piece over the toe piece.", "Uppers give flip-flops their look through different materials, colors, thicknesses, and embellishments.", "The design possibilities are endless.", "Now to connect the uppers to the top sole, workers insert the toe piece into the toe hole and a strap end into each slit.", "They apply glue...", "Trim the ends...", "Then insert a last-- a foot form in the required shoe size.", "They pull the straps tightly against it.", "Next, they coat the bottom of the top sole and the top of the bottom sole with glue.", "Then, a quick trip through an oven activates the adhesive.", "Workers then place the bottom sole on a positioning guide and stick the top sole onto it, locking the strap ends in between.", "This is instant-contact glue, so they have just one chance to get the alignment right.", "A 4-second bonding experience in a press, and they're \"sole\" mates.", "However, the former bottom sole is slightly larger than the former top sole.", "So, with a high speed sander, workers trim off the excess, leaving the edge even and smooth.", "After a manual sanding touch-up, if necessary, and thorough quality-control inspection, the flip-flops are ready for packaging.", "Workers stuff a pad of paper under the uppers to prop them up should the bag get squashed during transport.", "Once considered strictly beachwear, flip-flops have stepped it up in style to become fashionable everyday footwear.", "Not only used for jewelry or silverware, 80% of the world's silver is mined for industrial purposes.", "Silver is the most conductive and reflective metal on the planet.", "For example, it's used in electronic components and in construction as an insulation coating on glass.", "The mining company produces silver bars, the composition of which is 93% to 97% pure silver.", "It sells the bars to a refinery, which further purifies them for sale to industries.", "The action begins down in the mine, where geologists point a niton gun at various spots in the rock face.", "The device detects the levels of 40 different elements, including silver.", "Silver in its natural state isn't silver-colored at all.", "It's charcoal gray.", "Those silver-looking deposits are actually zinc and lead.", "Miners drill holes in the silver-rich areas the geologists pinpointed, then insert sticks of dynamite.", "After the blast, carts hall the chunks of rock, called ore, to the surface.", "Geologists then test ore piles and blend them as required to achieve a consistent amount of silver content per kilogram of ore.", "The ore first goes into the primary crusher.", "The machine's huge steel teeth break up the big chunks into smaller pieces.", "Those pieces then drop through grates below, into the secondary crusher, which breaks them down into even smaller pieces.", "Those go into vibrating cone crushers, which pulverize them into tiny pieces.", "A conveyor transports the crushed ore to the ball mill.", "At this point, the ore pieces are roughly 2/10 of an inch big.", "As the mill's large cylinder rotates, steel balls bounce around inside, grinding the ore into powder.", "A water-circulation system flushes the silver-rich powder out of the cylinder and into large tanks which keep the water moving.", "To separate and dissolve the metals the powder contains, workers pour in acid.", "72 hours later, the rock waste now settles at the bottom.", "The solution containing dissolved silver is pumped through filter presses.", "The filter plates are treated with a zinc-based chemical which attracts silver molecules.", "As the solution passes through, the plates trap particles containing silver, forming a layer of black powder called silver precipitate.", "This precipitate is composed of approximately 50% silver and 50% waste-- the waste being a jumble of various metals, dirt, and other impurities.", "To separate the silver from the waste, they first dry the precipitate in a gas furnace for a couple of hours.", "In the mining company's lab, technicians continuously test ore samples to determine the grade, determined by the quantity of silver per kilogram of ore.", "They heat the samples to 2,000 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour to burn off the impurities.", "What's left after the burn-off are the silver and other metals, such as lead, zinc, copper, selenium, and cadmium.", "Lab technicians then treat the samples with a chemical that prevents silver from burning off and put them back in the oven.", "When the samples come out, about an hour later, all the other metals have burnt off, and only silver is left.", "They weigh the silver and compare it to the weight of the original sample in order to calculate the grade.", "The key to running a profitable mine is to ensure that the grade is consistently within certain parameters.", "Back at the mill, workers put the now dried silver precipitate into an oven, along with chemicals which prevent silver from burning off.", "Approximately four hours later, the silver and waste have separated and melted.", "Workers pour them into bar-shaped molds.", "The silver, being heavier, settles at the bottom.", "Workers skim off the waste floating on top.", "In less than five minutes, the molten silver cools and hardens, enabling workers to extract what is now a silver bar.", "The mining company sells the bars to a refinery for processing into industrial-grade silver." ]

{ "things": [ "Chains", "Bagels", "Vinyl Records" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Windshields...", "English saddles...", "Butter...", "And post clocks.", "Drivers of the earliest cars had only goggles to shield them.", "So, to protect people from the elements, the glass windshield was invented in 1904.", "But there was a danger-- they would shatter on impact, injuring people.", "Glass lamination solved the problem.", "It was shatterproof-- a real scientific breakthrough.", "To make a windshield, they start with a plain sheet of glass.", "An automated plotter moves a cutting wheel over it, and the wheel scores the glass.", "Now a robotic arm brandishes a torch.", "It moves along the score line, and the thermal shock completes the cut.", "This is the best way to cleanly cut through glass.", "Next, a robot suctions up the cut piece of glass and transfers it to the next station, where it pushes the glass against a series of sanding belts.", "This takes off the sharp edges.", "It's called seaming.", "Now a conveyor belt takes the glass through some soapy water to clean it up.", "Then nozzles spray the glass with a mix of talcum powder and water.", "This will prevent the glass from sticking to a second sheet of glass.", "A robot now sets that second piece of glass on top of the freshly sprayed one.", "This is a temporary arrangement.", "The two sheets of glass are layered for processing but will be pulled apart later.", "Next, they silk-screen black paint around the border of the glass that will eventually be the inner part of the windshield.", "Then automated arms carry the glass to a station where samples are inspected visually.", "After that, rollers transfer the glass to automatic squaring pucks, which position them.", "And then a robot lifts the sheets of glass and carries them to four metal pins.", "The pins recede, and the glass falls onto a bending iron.", "The iron is shaped like a specific windshield.", "The conveyor takes the bending iron with the two glass sheets into an oven called a bending lehr.", "The lehr heats the glass sheets to almost 1,400 degrees fahrenheit, causing the glass to sink into the shape of the bending iron.", "Then the glass goes through a slow cooling cycle to anneal, or toughen, the new shape.", "Next, a robot picks up a sheet of vinyl cut in the shape of a windshield.", "It takes the vinyl sheet to one of the newly shaped pieces of glass, just separated from the other piece.", "Then another robot lowers the other identical piece of glass onto the vinyl.", "And that's the formula for glass lamination-- two layers of glass with a piece of vinyl between them.", "In the event of an accident, the windshield will fracture but not totally shatter because the vinyl will hold most of the broken glass together.", "But, at this point, there's no clear view through that milky-white vinyl.", "That's why the windshield is headed to a machine called a nipper.", "The nipper presses the windshield between a series of rubber rollers, squeezing out air pockets in it.", "As the air is removed, the view through the vinyl gets a bit clearer.", "Now squaring pucks position the windshield, and a robot sticks brackets for the rearview mirror onto it.", "This big blue chamber is an autoclave.", "It's like a pressure cooker.", "After about an hour in there, any remaining air pockets in the windshield are removed.", "A rail system transports the tubful of windshields to the inspection station.", "Here, each windshield undergoes a close-up inspection by a human.", "He searches for scratches, chips, or any contamination between the glass and vinyl layers.", "Now they place a 5-pound steel ball into a pulley system that raises it 13 feet high.", "Yes, this is a crash test for a sample windshield.", "The ball represents a driver's head.", "The ball hits the glass but doesn't go through, which means the windshield has passed the safety test.", "Now they view the windshield through polarized light, which reveals stress defects.", "But only a trained eye can spot them.", "Once it's decided that everything looks good, the shatterproof windshield is ready to be installed in today's automobiles.", "Saddle-making goes back thousands of years.", "But in modern times, saddle makers have realized that a bad-fitting saddle can irritate the horse.", "An experienced rider will undoubtedly feel a difference in the animal's attitude and performance.", "So now saddles are often custom-made to fit both the horse and the rider.", "To make an english saddle, they attach both rigid and flexible steel strips to a frame made of polyurethane, which is called a tree.", "Then they rivet a stirrup bar through the tree to the steel that's just been fastened to the underside.", "With a jigsaw, a worker cuts a hole in the tree and then glues foam for cushioning.", "Now he coats the back of the cantle, or seat, with glue and sticks a piece of leather onto it.", "He crimps the leather around the edges of the tree.", "And, using a special tool for cutting leather, called a clicker knife, he carves away the extra material.", "Then he sprays glue onto the top of the tree and presses a layer of foam onto it.", "Using an ordinary kitchen knife, he slices away excess foam at the sides and carves out more foam to shape the seat.", "Then he shaves the edges with a rasp.", "Next, he layers two more foam pieces over it and sculpts and shaves those layers.", "He runs a measuring stick along the seat to make sure it's even, and then pastes a piece of black foam on top to add even more cushioning.", "Now, with a half-moon blade, another worker slices a piece of leather to make a saddle flap.", "She follows a trace-out of the rider's leg.", "She feeds the flap piece into a skiving machine.", "Its circular blade shaves the edges of the leather as a wheel pulls it through.", "The thinned-out edges will be easier to sew later on.", "Next, she heat-stamps the saddle logo onto the flap.", "She also stamps the model, serial number, tree, and seat size onto the saddle.", "Now she glues foam to a hard piece of leather to make a kneepad and sticks softer leather on the top, where the rider's knee will rest.", "Then, using a piece of whale bone, she draws the leather tight around the edges so that it's smooth on top.", "Whale bone is used because it doesn't scar or scratch leather.", "Next, she seals the front edges and then crimps them together, the way a baker crimps the edges of a pie.", "She pulls the leather tight from the back side and paints glue onto the fatter rim.", "Then she brushes glue onto the flap and presses the kneepad and flap together so the glue sticks.", "She hammers them to strengthen the bond, then stitches them together, along that glue line, using a big industrial sewing machine.", "With a steel prod, she stuffs a wool-and-synthetic mixture into the panel which will be on the horse's back.", "It's being stuffed with a certain horse in mind.", "The amount of stuffing used depends on the shape of the horse the saddle is being made for.", "She hammers it flat with a rubber mallet and then stitches the panel to the top of the saddle.", "To sew through the leather layers, she makes a hole with an awl and then pulls the needle and thread through it, spraying water to keep the leather soft.", "She hammers the seam to get rid of any gaps between the layers.", "But sewing the back of the panel to the bottom of the seat is a bit trickier.", "She uses a curved awl and needle to work with the contours.", "It's taken about 25 hours to piece together this customized english saddle.", "This is the saddletech device, and they use it to make sure the saddle measures up.", "It measures it in four sections.", "Now it's on to the tree machine.", "It adjusts the gullet plate, the piece of rigid steel that sits above the horse's withers.", "Plastic panels support the saddle while a hydraulic press bends the plate to fit the measurement.", "Now it's time to saddle up and check the fit of this custom-made seat.", "Butter has a rich history.", "The ancient romans used it as a beauty cream and to treat burns.", "Even the old testament mentions butter.", "Abraham served it to angels.", "Back then, people made butter by shaking milk in bags of animal skin or in hollow logs.", "Today it's a product of modern technology.", "Butter-making begins with a tanker-truck delivery to the dairy-- almost 8,000 gallons of raw cow's milk.", "Workers test it for consistent color and odor before unloading it through vacuum-pumped hoses.", "They pump the raw milk into a machine called a separator.", "The separator spins, dividing the raw milk's fat from the rest of the liquid.", "The fat is called buttercream, and the rest is skim milk.", "The essential ingredient in butter is the buttercream.", "It's thick, off-white, and approximately 38% fat.", "Some of it goes to make 2% milk.", "A worker adjusts a valve to re-insert some into the skim milk.", "The resulting 2% milk is more watery than buttercream and is white.", "The less the fat content, the thinner and runnier the milk is.", "Back to the butter-making.", "They put the buttercream in what's called a bulk tank, where mixers stir it to maintain the consistency.", "After pasteurizing and then aging the buttercream for 24 hours, workers prepare to transfer it to another machine, called the churner.", "First they clean the inside by filling it with water mixed with iodine.", "This removes any germs left behind by the previous batch.", "They spin the churner for about five minutes before rinsing it out.", "Next, they pour in just under 400 gallons of buttercream, filling the churner about halfway.", "It's important to leave some room so that air released in the churning process can escape through two vents in the churner.", "The churner spins at 28 rotations per minute-- about the speed of a clothes dryer.", "This causes the buttercream's fat molecules to bunch together, releasing water and air.", "Every five minutes, a worker stops the churner and regulates the air vent on top.", "When he feels there's no more air escaping, he closes the valve and re-starts the machine.", "After 30 minutes of churning, the fat molecules in the buttercream are creamy clumps known as popcorn butter.", "These clumps stay trapped in the churner, while the remaining liquid-- called buttermilk-- flows out a drain at the bottom.", "A vacuum-pump system sends it through hoses to a nearby container.", "This draining process takes about 10 minutes and produces about 210 gallons of buttermilk.", "This dairy uses the buttermilk to make ice cream.", "The popcorn butter-- all 1,500 pounds of it-- has the same consistency as a regular butter at room temperature.", "A worker now flavors it with 30 pounds of salt.", "This dairy also makes unsalted butter.", "The worker closes the churner by sealing the glass window with a rubber ring and a metal collar.", "This keeps the internal air pressure roughly equal to what's outside the churner.", "Doing this ensures the churner works efficiently.", "Another 30 minutes of churning, and the fat molecules thicken even more and blend with the salt.", "What results is butter, which is yellow because of its natural vitamin a. next, a worker scoops about 66 pounds of butter into a milling machine.", "The mill moves the butter into the final production phase, where it'll be shaped and put into packages.", "This machine squeezes butter into an injector that's shaped like a block.", "The injector then deposits blocks of butter into open packages.", "The packaging paper has an aluminum outer coating.", "This prevents light from penetrating.", "Light can make the butter rancid.", "Each sheet is 10 1/2 inches long and 7 1/2 inches wide.", "Before the butter is inserted, a plastic former bends the paper into shape.", "This mill operates four days a week, making up to 33 blocks per minute.", "That's a fairly small quantity compared to some dairies, but this relatively slow pace allows greater quality control.", "To monitor the mill's precision, workers check every 15th block to ensure it weighs exactly one pound.", "The dairy then ships the butter to stores in refrigerated trucks.", "Clocks on posts became popular fixtures in town squares during the 1800s.", "Railways were spreading fast, and these public clocks helped people to get to their trains on time.", "Today, post clocks are often designed to look like they're from the past.", "But the technology that goes into making them is actually very up-to-date.", "It all starts with what's called a transfer sheet.", "A worker positions it over an aluminum disc that'll become the clock's dial.", "She removes the sheet, sprays on a chemical, and repositions it.", "The chemical will act as a release agent, detaching the vinyl numbers from the sheet so that they transfer and stick to the dial.", "She then peels the sheet off.", "This worker prepares a more elaborate model, with numerals in 23-karat gold leaf.", "After coating them in glue, she applies a hair-thin sheet of gold.", "Then she gently brushes the gold onto the numeral.", "Using a computer-guided cutter, workers cut a 1/5-inch-thick sheet of aluminum into a clock's hand that's more than 3 feet long.", "To boost the hand's rigidity, they crease it in a press.", "This structurally reinforces the metal, helping retain the hand's shape over time.", "A 1 1/2-ounce counterweight will balance the hand when it rotates.", "Here, a welder builds the post by fusing a base and a column made of cast aluminum.", "On another model, workers attach the housing for the clock head.", "This clock will have four dials.", "Other models have two.", "In the paint shop, workers give the base, column, and head four coats of paint.", "After applying some lubricant on a steel shaft, called a stud, a worker installs one of the clock's eight brass gears-- brass, because it's strong and durable.", "A steel loop called a snap ring holds each gear in place.", "One gear has what's called a vane to regulate the pulsing of the gears.", "Next, a worker attaches the shaft and gear that'll control the minute hand.", "Altogether, the gears form what's called the clock movement.", "He screws on a brass panel called a backplate to hold the clock movement in place.", "Then he attaches an electronic circuit board that'll later connect the clock movement to another component.", "He installs a 115-volt motor to supply the clock's electric power.", "Finally, he connects power wires and turns on the clock movement.", "Here, he's checking to see that everything's properly linked and that the gears are moving well.", "This company makes clock movements for clocks ranging in diameter from just 8 1/2 inches to more than 70 feet.", "The gears in the largest clock are nearly 3 1/2 feet wide.", "Here, you can see how the shaft that'll hold the minute hand revolves inside what's called the sleeve of the hour hand.", "A worker attaches the clock movement to the back of the dial.", "Then he ties wires through what's called glass standoffs.", "These standoffs will cradle the clock's neon light.", "The neon tube encircles the clock's perimeter.", "It attaches through holes to a transformer hidden behind the dial.", "He fastens the tube with rust-resistant copper wires.", "Next come the hour and minute hands, now painted black.", "He uses an allen wrench to attach them to what's called the hand hub.", "This hub holds the hands on the shaft that's part of the clock movement.", "The assembled dial now goes into its casing.", "The casing has two parts-- an aluminum ring, called a bezel, around a glass cover known as a crystal.", "He connects a wire to link the dials so that they'll move in sync.", "The worker then inserts this casing into what will be a two-dial post clock.", "Workers then turn on the neon clock light to test it.", "Once the post clock's installed, a built-in sensor turns the light on at dusk and off at dawn.", "Inside every clock is a controller that sets the time.", "It's linked to a satellite through a global positioning system.", "The gps tells the satellite where the clock's located to set the correct local time.", "After starting up, the controller takes six minutes to adjust the hands to the exact time, which is determined by an international observatory in greenwich, england.", "Certainly not your average pocket watch, this company's post clocks can stand more than 19 feet high and cost up to $35,000." ]

{ "things": [ "Headphones", "Diving Regulators", "Reflector Light Bulbs" ] }

[ "In the early part of the 20th century, headphones were used mainly by telephone operators and radio technicians.", "But in the 1930s, they were redesigned and marketed to the public, so music lovers everywhere plugged in and turned on to the concept.", "Everyone is a music critic, but headphones allow people to crank up the volume without negative feedback from neighbors.", "To make high-end headphones, an injection-molding machine first makes plastic back covers.", "The mesh area will allow sound waves to pass through instead of reflecting back into the headphone.", "Down the line, equipment stamps trademark and other information onto two more casing components-- a decorative metal disk, and a plastic housing.", "The next machine winds copper wire that's as thin as human hair around a cylinder hundreds of times.", "The winding is computer controlled to produce a critical component-- the headphone's voice coil.", "When magnetized by an incoming signal, the voice coil vibrates a diaphragm, causing it to emit sound.", "That diaphragm now takes shape as a press applies heat and pressure to a plastic membrane.", "These tools mold the plastic to the desired shape.", "The press molds the plastic thicker in the center and thinner around the outer zone for a wide and flat audio-frequency range.", "A technician punches out the molded shape.", "She applies a bead of glue to the diaphragm, then positions the copper voice coil in an assembly device.", "She aligns the glued section of the diaphragm with the coil.", "Ultraviolet light activates the glue to seal the coil to the diaphragm.", "The plastic housings each contain a magnet.", "The next technician installs the diaphragm and voice-coil assembly on that housing.", "This takes skill because the coil must be positioned precisely for the best sound quality.", "And this headphone speaker is now ready for an audio check.", "A technician tests the audio-frequency range, distortion, and other factors.", "Here, a technician joins the ends of curved wires in a plastic clip.", "These wires serve a dual function.", "They hold the headphones snugly over the ears and deliver audio signals from the left side of the headphones the right.", "The next technician installs a connector for the headphone's audio cable and a plastic strain relief.", "An adjustable band will allow the headphones to fit on heads of all shapes and sizes.", "The operator presses the parts together with a hydraulic tool.", "Moving down the line, a technician now joins the two halves of the speaker housing.", "She forces the two parts together with a pneumatic tool...", "And finishes it off with a decorative metal ring.", "She inserts the speaker mechanism in the center of the housing, then places plastic brackets over it for protection.", "She then secures the entire assembly to the housing.", "Next, she solders two wires to each headphone speaker.", "A plastic ring and cover protect it while still allowing the wires to protrude.", "She attaches the end of the headband to the speakers...", "Then solders the wires from the speaker to those protruding from the headband.", "She presses a plastic grille into place over each speaker very carefully, to prevent scratching.", "The headphones are now wired and ready for audio.", "And whether it's rock or classical, the choice of music will be silent to all but one individual.", "The diving regulator is a lifeline when you're underwater.", "Invented in 1937, this device converts compressed air from diving tanks into a breathable form and delivers it to the diver via a mouthpiece.", "And that means, once you've taken the plunge, you can breathe easy.", "The two main parts of a diving regulator are called stages.", "Computerized tools transform a piece of brass into the first-stage housing.", "They carve a cavity and holes for attaching hoses and other components.", "A blade cuts the part to size.", "Then, a drill creates a space for the pressure-reduction valve.", "This end also gets holes for more attachments.", "Another tool sculpts the side to reduce the weight of the part.", "Sliced in two, this is how the first-stage housing looks inside.", "After it's been chrome-plated, they insert plugs for the holes that will later be used for attaching gauges, hoses, and other parts.", "The fitting that connects the regulator to the scuba tank goes into a holding device, while the technician assembles a special valve for keeping salt water out.", "He fits a piston onto the end of a spring, and then slips the assembly through a hole to confirm it's the right size.", "He installs a filter on the other end of the spring.", "Now he inserts the valve in the fitting.", "He secures it with this rubber ring, pressing it into a groove in the fitting.", "The valve appears to be firmly entrenched.", "He presses it to confirm it operates correctly.", "And he pumps water into a bunch of these fittings to confirm the valves inside are, indeed, watertight.", "He attaches a rubber cover and a chrome-plated yoke to the fitting, then installs this assembly in the housing, using a long-handled socket wrench to get the right torque.", "This yoke swivels to give the diver some flexibility in attaching it to the diving tank.", "He now assembles a crucial component-- the high-pressure reduction valve.", "Installed inside the first-stage housing, it converts high pressure to medium pressure.", "He caps the yoke with a knob, then inserts a pressure-sensing mechanism at one end of the first-stage housing.", "He covers it with a rubber membrane.", "As the diver inhales, this membrane will trigger the valve to release more air.", "The diving regulator's first stage is now complete.", "He just needs to calibrate the pressure-reduction valve inside.", "He hooks it up to compressed air and adjusts the valve so it reduces air pressure to a precise level.", "He immerses it in water to test for air leaks.", "There are a few bubbles from plunging it underwater, but nothing that would indicate a problem.", "They now move on to the diving regulator's second stage, which will convert the medium-pressure air from the first stage to a breathable level.", "The diver's breathing will trigger this diaphragm to open the air valve.", "He attached a protective cover, and he's ready to install the second-stage valve.", "After he inserts it in the second-stage housing, the technician makes an initial adjustment.", "Then, using a special tool, he precisely calibrates the valve.", "He removed the diaphragm for the last steps, so he reinstalls it.", "Then, it's over to a guy with an ear for the job.", "As air is pumped into the second stage, he listens for hisses that would indicate a leak.", "Satisfied there are none, he hooks the regulator up to a device that simulates breathing and measures the effort required to inhale.", "If it checks out, they link the two stages with a hose, and this diving regulator is now equipped to handle the pressure.", "Good lighting is often a matter of reflection, and that's why, early on, lamps often came with reflectors.", "But, in 1935, a company figured out how to make light bulbs with built-in reflectors.", "Sealing the reflectors inside the bulb kept them clean and maintenance-free.", "As track lights or in recessed fixtures, reflector bulbs can light up a room at the flick of a switch.", "The creation of these bulbs begins with the bulb shell, known as the glass envelope.", "It's comprised of numerous raw ingredients and recycled glass.", "Production is almost entirely automated.", "An operator activates equipment that weighs the ingredients and releases them into a huge hopper, where they're mixed thoroughly.", "This concoction then flows into a furnace heated to 2,700 degrees fahrenheit.", "It takes up to 24 hours for the mix to melt into a taffylike glass.", "It flows between rollers that shape it into a ribbon.", "One roller has little pockets on the surface, which form the ribbon into segments.", "These devices, called blow heads, inflate the glass segments through holes in the conveyor chain.", "This stretches the glass into oblong bubbles called blanks.", "Iron molds encase the warm and pliable glass blanks.", "The molds spin as the glass hardens into the desired shape.", "The glass blanks now look like upside-down martini glasses.", "This is the reflector bulb's glass envelope.", "It takes just seconds for a glass blank to be transformed inside one of these molds.", "The envelopes are still linked by a ribbon of glass at the top, so an automated hammer now gently knocks them free.", "The glass envelopes cool down slowly.", "This stage, called annealing, toughens the glass to reduce brittleness.", "They measure the thickness and diameter of one of the envelopes.", "If it's not up to standards, the entire production run will be crushed, and the glass recycled into new ones.", "But the envelope is good, and so, production continues.", "They lower the envelopes over nozzles that inject hydrofluoric acid.", "It coats the inner surface of the glass with a frosty finish that will smooth the light emitted by the bulb and widen the beam.", "The envelopes now head down a chute, into a padded channel that cushions their fall.", "Guides gently position them.", "Then, other devices thrust them into holders which move them down the line.", "Next, a robot inserts aluminum wire in a heating coil and places a protective metal dome over top.", "Suction cups pick up the glass envelopes and slide them onto the wire-and-dome assemblies.", "A pump pulls air out of the bulb as an electrical current energizes the heating coil to melt the aluminum wire.", "The aluminum adheres to the walls of the light bulb's shell, giving it a reflective finish.", "The glass envelopes then move on to be stamped with the company trademark and other information.", "Meanwhile, on another production line, they're preparing the glass mounts for the filament and wire contacts.", "A cutting wheel slices them to size.", "The tubes then travel past a flame, which melts the ends just a bit to make the edges smooth.", "Once they've cooled, grippers deliver the tubes to a more intense flame, which flares them at one end.", "Coming up next, we'll show you the inner workings of the reflector light bulb.", "A reflector light bulb can cast one's surroundings in a whole new light-- one that's more intense and focused.", "The source of this light is an electrified filament of wire.", "And assembling that filament in the bulb is a very delicate task that's performed entirely by machines.", "Production now focuses on the glass tube that will serve as the mount for the filament and its electrical contacts.", "Machinery inserts two copper wires into each tube.", "These are the lead wires that will eventually connect the base of the bulb to the filament and deliver the electric current.", "These long glass tubes will be used to suck air out of the light bulb, preventing oxygen from reaching the filament and destroying it.", "They protrude from the glass mount, but that's just temporary.", "They will later be cut shorter.", "Torches now melt the glass mount, lead wires, and exhaust tube together.", "Mechanized fingers then pinch the layers together, and the wires are now encased in glass but protrude from the glass base.", "Grippers transfer the closed mounts to a carousel.", "It revolves to allow the mounts to receive a coil made of tungsten metal.", "This coil is the filament of the reflector light bulb.", "Mechanized fingers attach the small coil to hooks on the two lead wires.", "The coiled filament is wobbly, so next it gets some support.", "First, machinery bends the lead wires to move them and the filament out of the way.", "Then, a robot presses the tip of the glass exhaust tube onto a burner.", "The tip melts, allowing a metal support wire to be embedded into it.", "Another robot bends the lead wires to position the filament adjacent to the support wire.", "The next station loops the wire around the filament.", "This gives the filament the necessary support, and it stops wobbling.", "This 2-pronged device then straightens out the lead wires.", "The mount is now upright and riding another carousel.", "Flippers set it straight so a metal disk can be installed on the pinched section of the mount.", "This disk is reflective.", "It will bounce light downward to the shiny coating inside the light bulb, to create just the right effect.", "With the disk wrapped around it, the assembly is now positioned on the next turntable.", "Suction cups deposit the glass envelope on the assembly, to encase the filament and reflective disk inside.", "The holder twirls the bulb as it travels past a row of torches.", "The flames melt the neck of the glass envelope, and it closes around the glass mount.", "This secures the filament, contacts, and reflective disk inside the bulb.", "Another set of torches, heated to a much higher temperature, trims the base of the bulb.", "Molding devices now move in to shape the bottom of the bulb so a metal base can be fitted to it.", "A gripper then puts that metal base on a track to meet up with the reflector light bulb.", "By now, the bulb has been flushed of oxygen and filled with argon gas so it will last longer.", "The metal base finishes it off and will allow the bulb to be screwed into a light fixture.", "Another flame heats the metal base to cure adhesive that was preapplied for a strong bond to the bulb.", "Then, robots cut off protruding wire and form a contact on the base.", "It has taken just 12 minutes to assemble this reflector light bulb, but it will provide about 2,000 hours of light." ]

{ "things": [ "Patterned Glass Panels", "Road Cases", "Stop" ] }

[ "Used for windows, doors, and partitions, patterned glass panels add beauty and light to a room.", "But their purpose is more than decorative.", "The designs in the glass also obscure the view, making patterned glass an effective privacy screen.", "They let light in and keep prying eyes out.", "With patterned glass, windows become something to look atrather than through.", "There are a variety of designs and textures to choose from, offering different degrees of privacy.", "At the heart of the process are engraved metal rollers that transfer designs onto glass.", "Before production can even begin, this roller rotates through a chamber where grit blasts off grease and dirt.", "If the designs on the roller are damaged, they shave off the outer skin, exposing a smooth surface for re-engraving.", "But that isn't always necessary.", "Small problems can be fixed, so they circle those for repair.", "Some need no refurbishment whatsoever, so they move on to the next step.", "A worker brushes a polishing compound onto the printing roller.", "A buffing wheel rubs the compound into the roller's chrome surface, taking it from dull to a high shine.", "Meanwhile, at another part of the factory, craftsmen repair trouble spots on other rollers.", "The work has to blend in perfectly.", "The craftsmen do their jobs with a finesse that comes from natural skill and years of practice.", "One false move, and the entire pattern could be ruined.", "But the touch-ups are perfect, and these rollers are now ready for the production line.", "The raw ingredients for the glass panels are stored in huge silos.", "These ingredients all come from the earth-- sand, limestone, dolomite, soda ash, and salt cake.", "Here's a sampling in a jar.", "Conveyor belts feed a mixed batch of ingredients to a roaring furnace.", "They add waste glass and recycle it into the process to reduce the effect on the environment.", "Fired at 2,900 degrees fahrenheit, the ingredients melt quickly.", "Now a molten mass, it circulates in a looped pathway.", "An inspector checks the melting status of the glass ingredients, as well as the flow of gas fuel to fire the furnace.", "This furnace is burning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is monitored constantly.", "The hot, liquid glass now flows between two rollers, one of them engraved.", "The rollers imprint designs onto the glass and squeeze it to its final thickness.", "The glass rapidly solidifies, fixing the pattern in the ribbon of glass.", "It then travels through a 65-foot-long temperature-control zone.", "The glass ribbon is exposed to flames to relieve stresses caused by the manufacturing process.", "This is called annealing.", "The glass slowly cools as it leaves the zone.", "This seals in strength and durability so it can now be cut cleanly without fracturing.", "This cutter scores the glass lengthwise but doesn't cut it all the way through.", "The scored line maps out the desired width of the glass.", "Another cutter moves to and fro to create horizontal score lines.", "These score lines establish the length of the patterned glass panels.", "Then a roller pops up and breaks the glass along the horizontal score lines.", "The sides of the glass now collide with little wheels known as bonkers, which snap the glass along the lateral score lines.", "The waste glass falls down a chute to rollers that bust it to bits.", "These bits are called cullet, and they'll be recycled into new glass.", "A worker now backlights glass panels and examines their finish for flaws.", "This solar glass panel has a matte finish.", "Compared to the small sample of standard, clear glass, it's less reflective, allowing more of the sun's energy to be captured.", "Minerals high in iron produce greenish glass that's light-absorbent.", "For solar glass, they go easy on the iron to produce white glass that transmits light.", "A carrier with suction cups stacks the glass for shipping.", "Now all that's left is the window shopping.", "Road cases are designed for the job of transporting sensitive equipment, like musical instruments and audio systems.", "These wheeled trunks are tough on the outside, with cushy foam on the inside.", "With road cases, the gear arrives intact and ready to rock 'n' roll.", "Behind every superstar, there is plenty of this custom luggage.", "Each case is designed for a particular piece of equipment, like an audio-mixing console.", "The case is being made to measure.", "They load the dimensions of the audio console into a computer and then design a virtual case around it using three-dimensional software.", "Once a customer approves the computer blueprint, they're ready to build.", "Workers roll adhesive onto thick birch plywood.", "They coat the entire sheet.", "The plywood is now ready to receive a thermoplastic outer skin.", "They align the thermoplastic with the adhesive-coated plywood and lower it into place.", "They feed the thermoplastic and plywood layers to rollers that squeeze out any bubbles for an airtight bond.", "Then the heat from this hot press activates the adhesive, and it cures for an even better bond to the plywood.", "The result is a laminated thermoplastic plywood sheet.", "Next, a computer-guided router carves through the laminated sheet, following the design drawn up in cyberspace.", "This produces the exterior panels, each one precisely sized for the audio-console case.", "The router also cuts out holes for latches and other fittings.", "A worker pieces together the panels to form the basic carcass of the case.", "He tacks them together temporarily with a staple gun.", "He'll join them permanently with extruded aluminum trim.", "He preps the aluminum edging by punching rivet holes in it at strategic locations.", "He also cuts notches for bending it around corners.", "He's now ready to install the aluminum trim.", "He can actually bend the corners by hand for a perfect fit.", "The edging gives the case a tailored look, and once riveted to the panels, it will hold it together.", "He drills through the holes in the trim to make corresponding holes in the laminated plywood.", "He inserts rivets into the holes.", "These rivets have mandrels attached to them.", "He drives those mandrels through the rivets, causing them to expand around the drilled holes and secure the trim to the trunk.", "With the job done, the mandrel breaks off and is disposed of.", "With the case now held together by the metal trim, he rivets the latch to it, and then it's on to the inner framework.", "The plywood parts have also been cut with computerized precision designed to hold the audio console.", "He reinforces a piece called a cheek with a thick block of wood.", "This cheek is one of the two that will cradle the audio console.", "He bulks up the wide end with plywood copies of the cheek's contoured profile, gluing them and nailing them to the main part so this reinforcement job holds.", "He spray-paints the cheek substructure black, giving it a durable, textured finish.", "He fits the cheeks in the case, one on each side, and bolts them into position.", "Another worker hot-glues blocks of foam, each specifically cut to fit together like pieces of a puzzle as he installs them in the case.", "All this padding will cushion the impact of any bumps on the road or backstage jostling.", "He even covers the top of a plywood drawer made for a keyboard.", "They slide the audio-mixing console into the case to try it for size.", "From start to finish, it's taken about three hours to make this road case.", "It should last for as long as the audio equipment does, but it all depends on how rough it gets on the road.", "Many animated films and tv shows use stop-frame animation.", "The characters are three-dimensional puppets with movable facial and body parts.", "The animator moves the puppet ever so slightly for each frame of film or video.", "When you view the frames at regular speed, the puppet appears to be moving.", "Timmy it's timmy he's the little lamb...", "Bringing a make-believe world to life through stop-frame animation takes a large and talented team, which includes writers, directors, animators, set and prop makers, camera crews, and, of course, puppet makers, who create, maintain, and repair the puppets.", "To see how stop-frame animation works, let's rewind this scene, which stars timmy and features a red balloon.", "The director takes the writer's script and breaks down each scene of the episode into a series of shots.", "This shooting script then goes to the storyboard artist, who draws each shot of the scene on a digital storyboard tablet.", "For each scene, the director prepares a set plan detailing the background elements, the puppet placement, and the camera angles.", "The storyboard artist sends his drawings to the editor, who works with the director to edit them into an animatic, a still-drawing version of the episode.", "actors, meanwhile, have recorded the dialogue in a sound studio.", "Now the editor cuts that dialogue into the animatic.", "The visuals in this soundtrack must be perfectly synchronized, because the animators will use the animatic as a frame-by-frame guide for moving the puppets' bodies and lips.", "Baa!", "Ooh!", "[ squealing] baa!", "Baa!", "The show's animators refer to a large schedule board to see which scenes they've been assigned to animate.", "A printout of the animatic shows all the episode shots at a glance.", "In the art department, construction of the episode's costumes and props is well underway.", "To make a few red balloons, for example, the prop makers sculpt one out of molding material and use it to produce a hard, silicone mold.", "Then they pour a thick-setting resin into the mold cavity.", "After the resin has hardened overnight, they open up the mold and extract the casting.", "They drill a hole in the bottom...", "Dab some glue inside...", "Then insert a small, triangular peg, also made of quick-setting resin.", "This forms the tied balloon end of the balloon.", "Now a coat of gray primer.", "Then, once it dries, red paint.", "When the paint dries, they drill another tiny hole at the base of the balloon and insert a strand of flexible copper wire wrapped in cotton thread.", "This is the balloon string.", "The team of animators shoot several scenes concurrently.", "Therefore, in the puppet department, model makers produce multiple puppets for each character, plus lots of extra body parts.", "Certain puppet body parts, such as hands and wings, are made of silicone with a wire skeleton within.", "After forming the wire to shape and applying a base coat of silicone, the puppet maker lays it in a two-part mold, then fills both cavities with silicone.", "She closes the mold...", "Clamps it tightly shut, and leaves the silicone to set overnight.", "The flexible, wire skeleton at the core enables the animator to position a hand or wing various ways.", "In stop-frame animation, the more movable the puppet and its facial features, the more lifelike the animated character appears.", "The animator moves the puppet incrementally for each frame they shoot, and 25 such frames produce just one second of animation.", "Timmy's torso is a polyurethane-foam core dressed in a wool coat.", "It has channels for interchangeable wires that support his head and arms.", "His head is made of resin, his arm silicone over a wire skeleton.", "Timmy and his friends' faces can express a wide range of emotions thanks to interchangeable mouths, flexible ears and blinks, an assortment of exchangeable eyelids conveying expressions from wide-eyed to cockeyed.", "These facial features attach either magnetically or with tacky wax-- a flexible, quick-release glue.", "The puppet-maintenance team packs each character and its parts in a travel box, then sends it to the animator on the studio floor.", "During shooting, the animator changes the facial expressions as required.", "While their work does indeed require great technical skill, the animators are actors who, under the director's guidance, perform through the puppets they bring to life.", "The puppet's legs must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the upper body when the puppet is standing, so the leg skeleton is made of metal rods connected with ball-and-socket joints.", "The feet are metal plates hinged to allow movement.", "Just like the flexible, wire skeletons, this metal skeleton also goes into a mold to be encased in silicone.", "The arms attach with square-section brass tubes so they can be easily interchanged with a few turns of an allen key.", "Certain puppet movements require rigging.", "A rig is a device that enables animators to raise the puppet off the floor of the set to perform jumping and skipping.", "The animator can incrementally lift or lower the rig to any height and lock it there.", "There are many preparations before shooting begins, such as lighting, puppet positioning...", "And set dressing.", "Using the animatic playing on a monitor as a reference, the director and camera operator frame the shot.", "Meanwhile, the set dressers prepare the next set, gathering whatever scenic objects they need from the set-dressing kit.", "To create these objects, artists first sculpt the shapes out of modeling material.", "They create a mold from which they produce copies in fiberglass or quick-setting resin.", "Then they paint the copies.", "With the set dressed and approved, the animator can begin.", "With great care referring to the animatic, he positions the rigged puppet.", "Then, with the push of a button, he shoots a frame, or, in animation lingo, grabs the frame.", "Next, he moves the puppet incrementally and makes slight changes to body positioning...", "And grabs another frame.", "25 consecutive frames equal one second of animation.", "The animator's art is knowing how and by how much to move the puppet to create lifelike movement.", "To get special close-up facial shots that they'll later intercut with the full-body sequence, they sometimes set the puppet on a rig positioned directly in front of the camera.", "Once they've shot the animation, they take what's called a plate-- a shot of the set with puppets, props, and rigs removed.", "They send the plate digitally to the editing suite, where the editor uses the visuals to cover up the rig, essentially erasing it from view.", "This process is called compositing-- a little bit of behind-the-scenes artistry to create a whole lot of onscreen magic.", "baa!", "Ooh!" ]

{ "things": [ "Handcuffs", "Caulking Compound", "Propane Tanks", "Forensics" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Handcuffs...", "Caulking and joint compound...", "Propane tanks...", "And forensic facial reconstruction.", "When a crime is committed, a slap on the wrist usually isn't enough.", "It's time to handcuff them.", "The need for some restraint goes back centuries, but the handcuff's design was really improved in 1862 when adjustable ratchets were added.", "They allow the cuffs to snugly grip the suspect's wrist.", "When they put the handcuffs on you, you know you may be in trouble.", "Handcuffs start with a roll of steel.", "A machine pulls it through a straightener and then through a die that punches out a handcuff frame part.", "A revolving barrel cage sifts out the waste and kicks the frames into a bin.", "Here, a worker stacks \"u\"-shaped steel parts on a fixture, which he then clamps onto a machine.", "A cutter makes ratchet teeth in the parts.", "Coolant keeps the tool from heating up and getting too soft to do the job.", "Each set of handcuffs will have two of these ratchets.", "Next, they load steel rods into a slowly revolving device.", "It moves the rods through a series of cutters.", "This is how they make swivels for the handcuffs.", "They round the tips of the rods and then carve necks below.", "This tool slices the swivel to the proper length.", "And then the partially finished swivel falls into a basket.", "Next, a drill works on the rounded tip, scooping out the center.", "And now you have a finished swivel.", "They take two chain links and two swivels.", "They make a small chain-- two links with swivels on the ends.", "They lock the links and the swivels together.", "And now the swivel-link assembly is complete.", "The swivels will provide some rotational freedom between the cuffs.", "But if they don't weld the links together, the prisoner could have total freedom.", "It's time to assemble the handcuffs.", "They install studs in the outer framework and attach the ratchets to them.", "The swivel link fits into the little grooves in the framework.", "They hammer the inner frame on and then lift the top and bottom assemblies together.", "A tap with a hammer holds them loosely together.", "Then a press bears down to make a tight seal.", "These cuffs look complete, but they aren't quite ready for a life of crime.", "They need to be toughened up.", "So they spend 25 minutes in a furnace, and the searing heat hardens the seal.", "This is the pawl, a spring-loaded bar that will engage the teeth of the ratchet.", "They lock the pawl and spring in place.", "A press pushes pins into the assembly to hold everything in position.", "Then they stamp serial numbers onto each set of handcuffs so that the police can keep track of them.", "Now the handcuffs shake in a vibrating bin full of stones.", "This polishes the rough edges.", "It's time for the ultimate test.", "They activate a 500-pound pull, and the handcuffs remain strong.", "They also tap each set to make sure the ratchets drop freely.", "Handcuffs are temporary restraints, and most can be opened with the universal key.", "They pack two with each set, along with the instructions.", "There's no doubt they'll have a captive market because there's always someone who needs to be locked up.", "But then again, there are also those who deserve their freedom.", "The need to seal windows and cracks in walls and floors has been around since antiquity.", "Lucky for us, we no longer have to stuff rags or smelly fish glue into these crevices.", "Today's caulking and drywall compounds form durable synthetic seals that also blend into the decor.", "This company's caulking comes in two types, latex and acrylic, both good for indoor and outdoor use.", "To make acrylic caulking, they blend water with chemicals that prevent mold and help the caulking withstand cold weather.", "Everything blends for about one minute.", "The batch then goes into another mixer containing 1,500 pounds of synthetic resin.", "They add a plasticizer that keeps the caulking flexible over time.", "A combination of colorants tints the caulking-- in this case, a shade of brown called sandalwood.", "After 15 minutes of blending, the caulking is ready.", "To test the batch, they cure a sample at 77 degrees fahrenheit for one week...", "Then check its flexibility.", "If the batch gets the okay, it goes into this machine, which lines up plastic caulking tubes.", "Piston pumps lift four tubes at a time, and the nozzles fill each tube with 10 ounces of caulking.", "The machine can fill up to 1,000 tubes per hour.", "The machine then seals the bottom end of the tubes with plastic covers.", "The top ends have closed nozzles with replaceable caps.", "Thanks to the resins and plasticizers, this company's products last up to 30 years.", "That's the tough side of caulking, but there's also a gentler, craftier side.", "Start by drawing a pattern on a piece of paper.", "Then lay glass on top and run caulking along the pattern.", "After 48 hours, the caulking hardens into a delicate lattice.", "Then fill in the spaces with clear silicone for a frosted look.", "Use a small steel brush and rubber gloves to spread it and create texture.", "Perfect for a door or a bathroom window.", "This factory also makes joint compound.", "Use this product to cover cracks, holes, and seams in drywall.", "To make it, they mix 185 gallons of water with chemicals that prevent mold and a type of clay that makes the compound more spreadable.", "Now for the main ingredient-- 440 pounds of chalk.", "It's what remains on the wall when the compound dries.", "Next, they add mica, a mineral whose tiny plates slide over each other to make the compound flexible and help prevent cracking.", "They test the thickness with a device that gauges how much pressure it takes to stir the compound.", "Next, they take a sample from every batch and measure the ph level.", "It should have a reading of 8.8, quite high because of the chalk.", "This is what's called a sandability test.", "Technicians first let a precise amount of compound harden on a piece of drywall.", "This machine then sands it down, applying 100 strokes in 2 minutes.", "Technicians then remeasure the combined weight of the compound and drywall, registering how much has been lost.", "Maximum weight loss should be 4%.", "If the batch passes the test, they feed it into this machine.", "It pumps compound into either small-size, 6.6-pound or large-size, 15.5-pound plastic buckets.", "Then using a hydraulic press, a worker seals the containers with plastic covers.", "To open the bucket, you break a small plastic tab and lift off the cover.", "Joint compound also has its crafty uses.", "With a stencil, you can apply small amounts in intricate patterns to decorate a picture frame or a mirror.", "Now, that is some fancy filler.", "Compressing propane allows you to sell it by the bottle.", "When you compress it, propane gas turns into a liquid, and as a liquid, it's much more compact, which means you can pack a lot of energy into a small container.", "Opening the valve converts it back to gas, giving you energy that you can put to good use.", "Bottling energy means you can always have fuel on hand.", "To make these tanks, they start with this big coil of steel.", "A press punches out 3 disks 19 inches in diameter with each swoop.", "A second press clamps the disk as a cylinder-shaped die thrusts upward, transforming it into a shell.", "Each shell is 1/2 of a barbecue tank.", "Next, suctioning devices carry the tank shells over to a trimmer, where a blade gives it a neat edge.", "Workers then insert flanges into prepunched holes in the top shells.", "The top and bottom halves of the barbecue tanks now move in separate directions.", "The tops head into an automated welding station where the flanges are fused to them.", "The weld has to be perfect so it can take the pressure of compressed fuel without exploding.", "This die simultaneously bends steel strips into rings and punches holes in them.", "These rings will be used as pedestals, and the holes can be used to mount the tank to a barbecue.", "Next, a machine welds the rings to the bottoms of the tank shells.", "The top and bottom tank shells converge.", "And a pusher device nudges the tops onto the bottoms.", "They load each freshly assembled tank onto a welding lathe.", "The lathe turns as an automated welding gun follows the seam precisely, melting and bonding the two pieces together.", "But this processing has hardened the steel...", "Not a good thing because these tanks will need to expand and contract to accommodate pressurized fuel.", "So they temper the tanks in a furnace.", "They do random tests of the welded seam.", "They cut out a piece of the tank and grind it on both sides to expose the weld.", "Then they use a jack to bend the sample right at the seam.", "It doesn't split and passes the test.", "In another test, they lower a tank into a water-filled drum.", "They pump water into the tank, causing pressure inside the drum to rise, proving the tank will indeed expand with pressure changes.", "The tanks then travel down a row of paint guns, which spray them with electrostatically charged powder paint.", "The tanks journey about a half mile to an inspection station.", "Here, workers check for contaminants.", "Then they drop valves into the flanged openings and place the barbecue cylinder in a special machine that screws the valve on very tightly.", "In one final test, they submerge air-filled tanks in water.", "If the water doesn't bubble up, it means the valve isn't leaking.", "And after all that, these barbecue tanks should be able to take plenty of grilling.", "When the usual ways of identifying human remains fail and the investigation stalls, police sometimes need a little image building, as in facial reconstruction.", "Using the skull, they re-create the face of the deceased in hopes that it will jog someone's memory.", "It's a high-tech way to solve a mystery.", "To reconstruct a face, the specialist uses resin to make an exact replica of the unidentified man's cranium.", "He attaches it to the rest of the skull cast.", "And now he has an exact copy of the man's skull.", "Next he measures rubber pegs to different lengths that are equivalent to the various thicknesses of facial skin.", "The short one is placed on the forehead where the skin is thin.", "Then he installs actual prosthetic eyes made of plastic.", "Those are suction cups protruding from them now.", "They help him to align the eyes.", "He shines a light into them to confirm that they're looking straight ahead.", "Next he cuts out muscle shapes from rolled clay.", "This piece simulates the area around the mouth.", "The man's muscles have left tension marks on his skull.", "Those marks combined with the knowledge of facial anatomy help him decide where to build up muscle.", "He makes the face expressionless because expressions are unique and impossible to extrapolate from a skull.", "Next he sculpts muscle around the prosthetic eyes.", "There are no clues about the actual shape of this man's eyes, so he gives them a generic look.", "The skull does divulge the length and width of the nose as well as the location of the nostrils.", "Now he builds up smiling muscles followed by fat and a salivary gland.", "He uses different-colored clay so he can see them more clearly.", "He maps out a location for the ears but doesn't yet attach them.", "He shapes muscles in the neck, working from measurements and photos from the crime scene.", "Next he gives the model skin.", "As he applies this layer of clay, he uses the protruding pegs as thickness guides.", "And after much sculpting, the model has come to life.", "But he needs one more clay ear.", "The skull offers some hints about the ears' size but not their shape, so he keeps that generic.", "Now he sponges the clay to give it some texture so it looks more like real skin.", "The artist snaps his picture with a digital camera and then downloads the image onto a computer.", "Using photo-editing software, he transfers some hair to the shot of the clay model.", "He knows from evidence on the scene that the man's hair was styled in dreadlocks and that he had a beard.", "He borrows brows from another photo.", "He paints in the brows with a stylus, which is a kind of computer mouse.", "Using the same technique, he gives the image facial hair.", "This digital artistry takes a couple of days, and the skull mold and clay model take 12 days to complete...", "Time well spent because once the pictures and information are posted on police sites like this one, it may finally help them put a name to this face." ]

{ "things": [ "Stagecoaches", "Road Reflectors", "Fire Baked Pottery", "Custom Motorcycle Tanks" ] }

[ "Long before trains and buses, the stagecoach transported passengers and goods.", "The coach would travel an established route in stages.", "But over time, the word \"stage\" was used to describe the coach itself.", "Drawn by two or four animals, it relied quite literally on horsepower.", "Like a classic movie scene come alive, seeing a stagecoach in action is a throwback to a bygone era.", "Even today, building a stagecoach, horse-drawn carriage, or covered wagon borrows techniques from a time when engineering and design were done by hand.", "The creation of the stagecoach begins with drawings detailing both the look of the final product and its exact dimensions.", "They start with construction of the stagecoach body.", "A worker puts framing rails for the back wall into place using a mortise and a tenon joint.", "The final panel slides into place, and another framing rail holds the end wall together.", "The end wall is added to other pieces of the stagecoach body that have already been assembled.", "The end wall has ribbing for added strength.", "Although the floor is partially curved, passengers will sit or stand on the part that is flat.", "The coach maker inserts the door pillars into the mortise with a few taps of a hammer.", "He lowers the roof beam onto the top part of the door pillars and fastens it firmly into place.", "Forging of stagecoach suspension components is done by hand.", "The blacksmith begins stretching the heated bar of steel into a component called a jack.", "He repeatedly heats and hammers the steel bar until it reaches the desired shape.", "He hammers the tapered steel bar over an anvil to shape it into a curved hook.", "Once the hook becomes an eye, he hammers a pin into it.", "The blacksmith wraps the heated steel around the pin to form a snug joint.", "The transformation is done without the help of presses or dies.", "It's the blacksmith who essentially sculpts the metal bar into a piece that has both function and form.", "The blacksmith positions the finished and cooled jack onto the undercarriage and attaches it firmly into place.", "The assembly has to withstand the stresses of the leather suspension used to make the stagecoach ride more comfortable for passengers.", "Using a clip, the blacksmith attaches the step used to climb into the stagecoach to the jack assembly.", "He attaches a clevis to the jack assembly.", "With four jacks in opposing corners, the leather suspension will rest in the clevises.", "Now on to the stagecoach interior.", "The trimmer inspects the hide of leather.", "He positions patterns carefully, choosing leather cuts that match.", "Then he'll cut the leather pieces with each pattern designated for a specific part of the stagecoach.", "He places the newly upholstered cushion on the seat bench and buckles the retaining straps that hold it securely in place.", "In the paint booth, this particular undercarriage is given coats of yellow and black stripes.", "A worker coats the running gear and wheels with sealer to weatherproof the undercarriage.", "Workers gently lower the newly painted and upholstered wagon onto the undercarriage.", "They connect the two using mounting bolts.", "They fix the name plate to the center of the rear axle.", "To help protect passengers from the elements, this particular model comes with a roof.", "Workers lower the roof posts into receiver eyes and make sure they're securely attached.", "Next, a worker positions a brake pad against one of the rear wagon wheels.", "He then tests the brake assembly.", "The face of the brake pad can be wood, steel, or rubber, depending on the vocation of the wagon.", "Now for a suspension test.", "The process that began with raw lumber and steel ends up about 1,200 hours later with a stagecoach that's ready to hit the dusty trail.", "Road reflectors originated in britain in the 1930s.", "A cat's eyes reflected in headlights on a foggy night, alerting a driver to the fact that he was about to veer off the road, provided the flash of inspiration.", "The driver went on to invent a mechanical version of the cat's eyes-- reflective road studs.", "Today's reflective road studs are shining examples of innovation.", "These versions are computerized and solar-powered, so they're energy efficient and they'll function in a power blackout.", "It takes more than 20 parts to make one road reflector.", "The assembler first solders two wires to the back of a solar circuitry board, establishing a connection.", "She flips the solar circuitry board around and applies double-sided tape.", "She places two strips of copper on conductive pads in the corners above the tape.", "She removes the backing from the double-sided tape.", "Using a vacuum tool, she transfers the solar cell to the tape.", "Once in place, she turns off the vacuum and smoothes the cell to the tape.", "She solders the copper strips to the conductive pads, creating the circuitry.", "She connects the solar panel to the board with short, little wires called jumpers.", "She slides rubber protectors onto the board.", "Each road reflector will have two of these solar units.", "Next, she assembles the flashing l.e.d. lights.", "She solders wires to the back panels to link the lights to the main computer board.", "She then applies adhesive to the panel and presses the framework for the l.e.d. lens to it.", "She inserts the polycarbonate lens into the framework, and it clicks in.", "There are two l.e.d. lights per road reflector.", "She now assembles the reflector.", "She angles shiny aluminum flaps to bounce light.", "She tucks the lights into the reflector, and they adhere to the double-sided tape applied to the base.", "She powers up the flashing lights and checks the intensity and the effect of the reflective flaps.", "Things are looking good, so now she inserts foam in a slot at the center of the aluminum casing.", "She places the reflective light unit on it.", "She installs a foam-wrapped rechargeable battery in a compartment on one side of the lights.", "She places the main computer board and solar cells in the compartment on the other side.", "And then a computer technician programs the road reflector to interface with a control system on the street pole.", "The reflector is now ready to stop traffic or at least slow it down.", "A crew carves a slot in the road sized precisely for the reflector.", "To keep the pavement clean during installation, one of them tapes the perimeter of the hole.", "He then pumps industrial-strength epoxy into it.", "He inserts a cast-iron framework into the epoxy-filled hole.", "He wipes up the epoxy overflow and removes the tape.", "Entrenched in the pavement, this cast-iron framework will encase the road reflector, allowing it to hold up to heavy traffic.", "He screws a protective crossbar over the lights and then secures the road reflector to the support structure.", "They install the wireless communication system atop a pole.", "This positions it to activate the road reflectors when the curbside crosswalk button has been pressed.", "Modern communications technology has improved on this 1930s invention.", "Today's road reflector systems are flashier than ever, designed to attract a driver's attention and keep it on the road.", "In tribal communities in the american southwest, pottery takes shape much as it has for 2,000 years.", "In the hands of native artisans, mud becomes a cooking pot or a storage vessel.", "No pottery wheel necessary, no kiln required-- just a roaring campfire.", "Times may change, but in the southwest, tribal culture is true to its roots, creating pots that look like ancient artifacts, except they're new.", "Crafted from local clay, the pots are both lightweight and durable, and their appeal is truly timeless.", "The potter gathers her own clay.", "This is micaceous clay from volcanic deposits in new mexico.", "She also mines minerals like iron oxide to paint the pottery.", "In its raw form, micaceous clay sparkles in the sunlight.", "Its natural glitter will make the finished pottery shimmer.", "She picks out leaves and tree roots because anything organic will outgas and cause the pottery to crack.", "She transfers the clay to a bucket of water.", "After three or four days, it dissolves, and she filters it to remove smaller contaminants.", "Once the clay thickens to a gravy-like consistency, she transfers it to a fabric-lined mold.", "She leaves it to set and coagulate to a dough-like consistency.", "She kneads a chunk of it to remove air bubbles.", "She then shapes it into a bowl.", "It will serve as the base of a traditional storage pot.", "She scrapes the pot base inside and out to thin it as it dries.", "The thinning process also works the clay into a harder state.", "She moistens the tip of the bowl to make it malleable and flattens the edge, creating a foundation to build up the pot.", "She now rolls another piece of clay into a long, thin strand and coils it around the pot.", "She blends the strand into the pot base and then shapes it to extend the pot upward.", "The process is called coiling.", "She continues to build up the coils, blending them until they become completely enmeshed and seamless to the rest of the pot.", "As she coils and blends, she turns the pot inward, creating a shoulder near the top.", "She smoothes the lip and thins the extensions to ensure the thickness is consistent.", "This will prevent structural weakness.", "In the hands a skilled artisan, a lump of clay has become a pot, but there's more work to be done.", "She narrows the opening.", "She cuts the lip in six symbolic orientations, representing north, south, east, and west, the sky, and the earth.", "She scallops the edge in the direction of the cuts to accentuate them.", "She smoothes the pot with a wet sponge.", "Before dawn, when the wind is low, she lights a fire and places the pots directly into it.", "She stacks wood around the pots, and flames engulf them.", "This changes the clay's molecular structure so that it can never turn back into sticky mud.", "She covers the fire with a metal tub.", "The flames subside, and the pots cool.", "Curing clay over an open fire isn't an exact science.", "Heat is uneven, and this causes fracturing.", "20% of these clay pots will be damaged.", "She examines them carefully and rejects anything that is not intact.", "In addition to the micaceous clay pots, she also fires some red clay ones.", "She paints geometric motifs onto those, using the mineral paints she's prepared herself.", "Each pot is one of a kind.", "Quality varies depending on the nature of the clay and smoke patterns created during firing.", "She leaves the pots made of micaceous clay unpainted for traditional reasons.", "She signs the vase and includes the name of her tribe.", "She tucks her biographical information into it.", "She's been making pottery since childhood.", "From a handful of mud to a storage vessel or cooking pot, southwest native pottery continues to be a triumph of ingenuity.", "As a group, motorcycle riders aren't big on convention.", "So when it comes to the look of their ride, they often go their own way.", "The gas tank presents the greatest opportunity when customizing the facade of the bike.", "Prominent and up-front, the tank both fuels the ride and defines it.", "On a car or truck, the gas tank is tucked away out of sight.", "But on a motorbike, there's no place to hide it, so you may as well just show it off.", "To make a custom gas tank, the metalworker starts with a sheet of sturdy cold-rolled steel.", "He traces around paper patterns to transfer their outline to the steel.", "There are seven pattern pieces.", "The design is a tapered classic one.", "He follows the lines with an electric metal shear.", "With it, he can produce a rough cut quickly.", "He switches to a lever-operated shear to trim the parts cleanly and precisely.", "He physically bends one piece around a tube to create the tunnel.", "The tunnel is the lower section of the tank that fits around the backbone portion of the bike frame.", "He cuts the tunnel to size along marked lines.", "He drills holes in the tunnel for the mounting tubes.", "Using threaded bolts as guides now, he positions the two mounting tubes on the holes and welds them to the tunnel, creating leak-proof seams.", "With rods attached as a mockup of the rest of the tank, he tests the fit to the bike.", "He confirms the handlebars move freely and that there's no interference with the engine.", "Next, he uses an english wheel on the two top panels.", "He rolls each panel between two wheels to take the profile from flat to curved.", "He tests the curvature against the mockup rods.", "It needs tweaking.", "He continues to shape it until the custom gas-tank part matches the mockup perfectly.", "Using another machine now, he forms a stylish curl onto the edges.", "This will also allow the two parts to be joined neatly at the peak.", "After marking the location of the fuel cap, he punches small holes for mounting screws.", "He cuts out the hole for the gas cap.", "He joins the two top sections of the custom gas tank with tack welds.", "A more permanent weld will come later.", "He drills holes for mounting the top panel assembly to the tunnel, spacing them to correspond with the mounting tubes.", "With the mockup rods removed from the tunnel, he joins the top panel assembly to it.", "He then tack-welds the sides to this custom gas-tank assembly.", "He hammers the tank's front cap against a form to give the outer edges a rounded profile.", "He sands the part around the edges to fine-tune the contours and ensure a perfect fit.", "He tack-welds the front cap to the rest of the motorcycle tank.", "And with the tank structure complete, it's time to make it leak-proof.", "He does a full penetration weld on every seam.", "Using a pneumatic tool, he sands the seam smooth and flat.", "He then sands the rest of the tank by hand to make the entire surface uniform.", "He positions the tank on the bike.", "After equipping the gas cap with a gasket, he screws it tightly to the custom tank.", "Using mounting screws and wing nuts, he secures the tank to the bike frame.", "This custom gas tank now becomes a canvas.", "He paints it and applies silver borders and graphics requested by the customer.", "He connects the tank to the carburetor, and this bike is ready to show off its new custom look." ]

{ "things": [ "Manhole Covers", "Range Hoods", "Artificial Logs", "Snowmobiles" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Manhole covers....", "Range hoods...", "Artificial logs...", "And snowmobiles.", "Manhole covers are those metal lids on maintenance holes and roadways.", "Workers lift them to enter and repair sewers and other underground utilities.", "Foundries make the covers out of heavy-duty cast iron so they last for decades and don't budge under passing traffic.", "This company makes hundreds of models of manhole covers and collars, the rims upon which the covers sit.", "They come in two types of cast-iron alloy-- either ductile iron, which has magnesium to reinforce it, or gray iron, which is heavier but just as strong.", "To make a cover, they first have to make a mold.", "This one's got the design of the cover's top side carved into it.", "Workers pour in about 650 pounds of sand mixed with glue and a hardener.", "For the underset of the cover, they repeat the step in another mold.", "A worker creates a channel in the sand mold through which they'll pour the molten metal.", "He plugs the hole with a wooden block to preserve the cavity beneath.", "He removes the block and briefly reinserts the pipe to ensure the cavity hasn't caved in.", "It takes about 15 minutes for the sand mix to harden.", "A machine then inverts each box and vibrates to shake out the mold.", "To make one manhole cover, workers will join molds of the top and bottom sections.", "Alignment lugs and glue between the sections help them align properly and form an airtight seal so molten metal won't leak out.", "Next, the machine flips the bottom mold, moves the top mold into position below, then mates the pair.", "The factory buys scrap metal from demolition sites and also recycles its own.", "It'll melt these metals with certain minerals to enhance the mix.", "Graphite to make it malleable, silicon to make it stronger, and magnesium to make this batch of ductile iron lightweight yet strong.", "Here, a giant magnet picks up chunks of recycled iron and steel.", "The metal is preheated to 780 degrees fahrenheit then transferred to a furnace.", "There, at 2,700 degrees fahrenheit, it takes about a half hour to melt enough metal to make 35 covers.", "Workers then transfer the molten metal to a cauldron and add more silicon.", "This evens out the consistency so it's easier to pour.", "Besides the channel for pouring in the metal, some larger molds have vent holes to evacuate burning gasses.", "It takes about an hour and a half for the metal to harden.", "A conveyor then drops the molds into a container and breaks them open.", "Using a hook, they pick up the casting.", "This one's a collar weighing about 220 pounds.", "They knock off the remaining bits of sand and excess bits of metal that formed during the casting.", "These scraps get recycled into a new batch of iron.", "Manhole covers vary in size according to the specifications ordered.", "Most are roughly the diameter of a car tire.", "The average weight is about 140 pounds.", "A worker now smoothes out the edges of the collar, and then the perimeter of the cover.", "This way, it will sit flush on the collar.", "This machine tests the strength of the cover by applying pressure.", "It must withstand the weight of a car on every one-inch area.", "They paint the covers and collars by dipping them in a bath of black tar.", "Once dry, the pieces have a rust-resistant finish that lasts for decades.", "And the buyers expect them to last, because a manhole cover and collar cost up to $1,400.", "People have cooked on stovetops for centuries, but it wasn't until about 1800 that metal stoves with flues vented steam and smoke outdoors.", "Today, factories make encased fans that powerfully ventilate and also light the stovetop.", "A stovetop is often called a \"range,\" hence the name \"range hoods\".", "No matter how well you cook, steam and smoke are inevitable.", "Fortunately, the range hood's fan, called the blower, clears the air in seconds.", "Production begins with this computer-guided machine.", "It cuts out a sheet of galvanized steel to make part of the hood's housing.", "A 300-ton press then perforates the sheet and cuts out up to 50 openings for screws, wiring, and exhaust outlets.", "A worker inserts another panel for the housing in a 25-ton press.", "The machine bends the steel in two places.", "They'll use this component to make a circular channel that evacuates smoke and steam that often contain grease particles.", "To curl the panel, the worker uses another machine with three rollers.", "It forms the circular channel that fits around the blower to direct air through the exhaust.", "Here a spot-welding machine joins two corners of the hood's housing.", "This is mainly for aesthetics.", "A weld looks better than a screw or bolt.", "This 80-ton press bends the hood's shell, making one of 80 folds that give the component its final shape.", "Now a worker removes the plastic coating that protected the steel during the cutting.", "He applies a sticker with a product i.d. code.", "Then a pad printing machine marks the brand name, 1 of 12 this factory produces.", "This is the first of eight stops on an assembly line.", "A worker installs a transformer to power the blower's motor and two halogen lights.", "This circuit board regulates several functions, including three light intensities and the blower's four-speed motor.", "She attaches the board to the housing with three screws.", "This panel has lights that indicate what functions are on.", "Next, the worker installs the blower's 165-watt electric motor.", "The motor attaches with three screws into rubber bushings that reduce noise...", "Then, light sockets made of heat-resistant plastic.", "The blower's housing snaps into place around the motor.", "A little silicone on the housing ensures an airtight seal around the blower.", "Then she installs the blower wheel.", "Next, she plugs the lights in to test them.", "You press this button three times to make the lights increasingly bright.", "There's one button for each of the motor's speeds.", "After snapping a panel on to enclose the hood assembly, a worker attaches a plastic ring to direct air through the blower.", "A computer system tracks each model's assembly.", "When workers complete a step, they input it into the system.", "An optical scanner also senses when they remove a part from 1 of 25 cubbies, like these removable air filters made of mesh aluminum.", "The tracking system's called \"polka yoke,\" a japanese-inspired method that insures thorough assembly.", "It follows each model until workers place it in a box for shipping.", "The system's final task is to ensure that they put in the mail-in guarantee card and the installation manual.", "If workers forget anything, the system reminds them with a loud buzzer.", "Once they staple the box closed, a machine with suction cups picks it up and stacks it 10 boxes per pallet.", "All this work so you can stay in the kitchen even if you can't stand the heat.", "In the mood to light a cozy fire in your wood stove or fireplace?", "No need to put on your coat and boots and trudge through the snow to the outdoor wood pile.", "Nowadays you can buy a box of manmade logs.", "A lot less hassle for you, fewer trees die, and the environmentally friendly brands pollute less and are safer for your chimney.", "These artificial logs are made entirely of compressed sawdust.", "Their moisture content is less than 9%, compared to 30% in real firewood.", "The compression and dryness combine to make these manmade logs easier to light than real ones.", "They don't throw sparks while burning, and they produce 300% more heat than real firewood.", "The high temperature burns up the gasses better, so the logs emit up to 50% fewer pollutants, and they produce fewer ashes and far less creosote, a highly flammable tar that's a natural byproduct of wood burning.", "Creosote buildup in a flu can cause a chimney fire.", "The sawdust comes from pure, natural hardwood, mostly oak and maple.", "The log company buys it from factories that make hardwood flooring.", "So from the start, these logs are ecological because they're made of recycled waste.", "The sawdust is clean, and the log factory doesn't add chemicals, so it's safe to cook over the fire.", "The sawdust moisture content is so low because the wood it came from was already dried in huge ovens to make the flooring.", "The sawdust arrives in different consistencies, so the first step is to put it through a grinder to make the particles uniform in size.", "The next step is the key one-- compression.", "At a rate of 5,500 pounds per hour, an air-blowing system moves the sawdust from the grinder directly into a compression machine.", "The machine is a giant cylinder with a piston that moves inside.", "The piston compresses the sawdust using extreme high pressure-- 6,000 pounds per square inch.", "The result is a 40-foot-long compressed sawdust log.", "Unlike some other brands of artificial logs, this one contains no binding agents which can pollute the air.", "So how does the sawdust stick together, then?", "The secret is the high compression.", "The intense heat it creates bonds the natural resins in the sawdust.", "As the log exits the compression machine, a cutter shapes a flat edge.", "This is a safety feature.", "With a flat edge on the bottom, the logs are easier to stack in the recommended three-log configuration, and they don't roll out of position.", "Now, a guillotine chops the 40-foot log into 40 smaller logs, each 1 foot long.", "A separator pulls them apart.", "The company also produces a 10-inch log.", "The logs drop onto a conveyor belt that leads to the packaging area.", "The factory boxes its logs with instructions and two fire starters.", "The starters are made of sawdust and candle wax, more effective than using newspaper to get the fire going.", "This competitor's artificial log breaks easily because it isn't as dense.", "This company's log, on the other hand, is more solid because it's so tightly compressed.", "That high density translates into more burning time.", "Three logs will keep your fireplace alight for about three hours.", "For centuries, inventors tackled this challenge with determination and frustration.", "The first snow machines trudged through winters awkwardly and slowly.", "But by the late 1950s, new technologies and materials emerged to make snowmobiles that could blaze through the snow with increasing ease and comfort.", "Snowmobilers often face rugged terrain.", "Snowmobiles need a rock-solid build to keep the rider safe and comfortable.", "It all begins with an aluminum-alloy frame.", "The pieces arrive partly assembled to the radiator.", "The robot spins and positions the frame.", "A computer-guided frame-rivet machine punches holes and inserts rivets directly into the frame with great precision.", "This process bonds the parts tightly so they can't vibrate.", "Next comes the rear suspension, aimed at making the ride as smooth as possible.", "Inserting this plastic slide onto the runner minimizes friction between the track and the suspension.", "A conveyor belt carries the suspension system through several stations.", "Wheels and sprockets will turn the track that grips the snow.", "The suspension kit with springs and coils goes directly into the runners.", "Along with these shock absorbers, the suspension will fit snugly into the snowmobile's frame.", "Workers tighten everything manually for now.", "Later, a machine will tighten things even more.", "Assembling the transmission system starts with this countershaft.", "First, they install a high-performance brake disc made of forged steel.", "The chain case fits snugly on top thanks to the ridges on this ring.", "This die-cast aluminum casing will house two gears and a chain.", "This bolt connects to a spring that keeps the gears and chain tight as they turn.", "The chain-tightener must slide smoothly back and forth in its groove to keep the chain's tension even.", "This test checks that the spring expands and compresses properly.", "Now comes the oil gauge.", "It's essential that oil lubricate the parts thoroughly because the motor will generate a lot of friction.", "The transmission fits on top of the frame.", "These coils, springs, runners, and wheels fit easily into the rubber track.", "The rear suspension system connects to the track system while this white plastic sprocket connects the track to the transmission.", "The speed sensor attaches directly to the sprocket.", "Four high-grade steel bolts anchor the rear suspension system to the frame.", "They're so strong that the suspension can withstand the vibrations that come with high speeds.", "Now for the engine assembly.", "Bolts attach the electric starter directly to the engine.", "The fuel-injected engine generates a lot of heat-- up to 1,300 degrees fahrenheit.", "This shield has layers of insulating wool that act as a heat barrier to protect the driver from scorching-hot exhaust.", "The engine's made of cast aluminum so it's relatively light-- just 100 pounds-- and it propels the snowmobile up to 120 miles an hour.", "Now for the front of the snowmobile.", "This front suspension system requires a different assembly from the rear one.", "A hoist brings it all together.", "The gas tank is made of lightweight molded plastic rather than metal.", "The throttle controls the speed just like a gas pedal in a car.", "They install the throttle assembly, and a few more functional details.", "These lightweight, aerodynamic plastic side panels give this snowmobile a sleek look.", "And now, the final step.", "The zero-gravity hoist lifts it all onto a skid.", "Polystyrene sheets protect the snowmobile during transport to the retailer.", "From start to finish, it's taken three hours to assemble this showroom-ready, snow-travelling machine." ]

{ "things": [ "DeLorean Restoration", "Bison Fibre", "Shuffleboard Tables", "Friction Forged Knives" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "The delorean sports car was manufactured in northern ireland in the early 1980s.", "With gull-wing doors and brushed stainless steel panels, the delorean was known for its flashy style.", "Today, many of these cars are in rough shape, but a restoration can make a delorean look like new.", "This delorean is a rare relic from the '80s.", "Only 9,080 of these iconic cars were manufactured.", "No longer operational, this delorean might have been destined for the junk yard.", "But with professional restoration, this company has the spare parts to get it up and running.", "The process starts with the diagnostics.", "The technician examines the suspension, the steering rack, and brakes.", "He finds significant deterioration and documents his findings.", "He scrutinizes every part of the old delorean and produces an 11-page report on its condition.", "Once all the problems have been identified, the mechanic gets to work, removing plugs to drain some of the coolant.", "He disassembles many pipes and hoses that run coolant from the radiator to the rear engine.", "Many of the coolant pipes will need to be cleaned in order to be re-used.", "The rubber hoses can't be salvaged and will need replacement.", "The mechanic disassembles the brakes.", "The calipers are in bad shape but can be rebuilt.", "The rusty rotors are still thick enough that they can be resurfaced.", "After mounting new tires and refinishing the cast alloy wheels, another technician bolts them to the hubs.", "He lowers the hoist and sets the car on the floor.", "He tightens the lug nuts to the final torque setting.", "A technician begins disassembling the rear drive engine.", "In order to know what needs to be replaced, the technician must take the engine apart.", "He removes the air filter box in order to access the intake manifold.", "Then he unbolts the \"w\"-shaped manifold pipe that splits the air flow to the engine.", "Once it's off, he removes the air-mixture control unit, which needs restored to work.", "With the unit out of the way, he can easily get to other parts that need replacing or fixing.", "Those include spark plugs, wires, vacuum lines, the distributor cap, and rotor.", "Under the front hood, the mechanic pulls the fuel pump out of the gas tank to check for deterioration.", "It's beyond repair.", "He drains any fuel the remains in the tank.", "After the gas tank has been emptied and cleaned, he inserts a new, modern-style pump module.", "Another technician holds the top of the pump down as the module is clamped into place.", "Next, the technician removes the interior door panels and uses a central tester to operate the power windows.", "He confirms the power windows are functional.", "He also checks the power locks and mirrors to verify that they're working properly.", "He pulls off exterior rubber trim.", "He shaves off any remaining rubber bits.", "This allows room to repair a dent in the stainless steel body.", "He files the area around the dent to remove some scratches.", "He places a special tool over the dent.", "It has a rod with a fine steel tip that welds to the body, providing a solid grip, as he manually pulls out the dent.", "Meanwhile, another mechanic applies tape to various sections of the car to establish borders for the refinishing of the steel body panels.", "He sands out any imperfections or tool marks from the repairs and restores the brushed finish bumper to bumper.", "Since no paint can be used to cover up repairs on bare stainless steel, the body work must be done perfectly.", "Inside, technicians reupholster the seats and treat any discoloration in the vinyl panels and dashboard.", "Finally, the entire car gets an extensive exterior cleaning.", "It's taken months to restore this delorean, but the question remains, will it run like a new car?", "Once tested in various driving conditions, mechanics confirm that this 1980s throwback is ready for its comeback.", "The bison is blessed with the perfect winter coat, and now bison fibers are helping people to endure the cold, too.", "Processed with polyester strands, the fibers are made into insulation for winter coats, allowing people to hunker down in frigid winter temperatures.", "These winter coats have been insulated with bison fiber fill.", "It's a by-product of bison ranching and a garment insulation that's no longer going to waste.", "Bison fiber fill is a combination of the animal's coarse guard hairs, bison down, recycled and low-melt polyester.", "Technicians load the four fibers separately into spiked conveyors.", "The fibers were compressed for shipping.", "So as they're loaded, the fibers are loosened by hand.", "Once loading is complete, an operator turns on the conveyors.", "The conveyors' protruding pins snag the bison-and-polyester strands and transport them upward.", "The strands travel under rotating spiked cylinders.", "The cylinders comb the fibers to open them up and detangle them.", "The four different fibers flow into scales, which weigh equal portions and are released.", "The fibers drop onto a conveyor and move into a blender for mixing.", "Another vertical conveyor with pins picks up the fibers and takes them upward, past revolving bars that knock off the excess.", "This ensures an even mass, as the bison-and-polyester fibers move between a series of different wire-covered rollers.", "This process arranges the fibers in a parallel orientation and gets rid of any clumps.", "A comb further aligns the bison-and-polyester fibers.", "The fibers cling together in a web.", "The web transfers to a wooden slat conveyor.", "A vacuum suctions up loose fibers to be recycled back into production.", "An oscillating conveyor layers the fibers in a zigzag pattern called \"cross lapping\".", "Cross lapping produces a substantial mat, and it also mixes the fibers.", "Next, the web lands on another conveyor, passing between a series of rollers that compress it.", "This process gives the mixed fibers the appropriate mass and height to produce a uniform batt.", "A sprayer applies an adhesive to the bison-and-polyester insulation.", "The adhesive doesn't take right away.", "It will need to be heat-activated.", "The insulation moves into a 300-degree oven, which triggers the activation.", "The heat also activates the low-melt polyester strands in the insulation.", "This bonds the interlaced fibers to prevent them from migrating through fabric when used as fill.", "Next, the insulation heads downward into a shearing.", "Like a pizza cutter, circular blades cut through the center of the insulation mat and trim along the edges.", "Rollers wind the strips of bison fiber and polyester insulation together.", "Using a paper cutter, an inspector cuts a sample to a specific size.", "He weighs the sample and confirms that it's adequate for the size, verifying the density of the fiber mass.", "Next, he measures the sample's thickness.", "At about .", "13 inches, the fiber fill will provide warmth without a lot of bulk.", "The team slices the bison fiber fabric fill to its specified length using a hot wire.", "Once the roll is complete, they start rolling the next one.", "The bison fiber rolls are put in plastic bags for protection during transport to outside clothing factories.", "Technicians weigh each bag separately.", "After several hours, bison fibers and polyester strands have been transformed into moisture wicking insulation.", "Stuffed inside a jacket liner, this bison fiber insulation won't be seen.", "But on a winter day, its presence will definitely be felt.", "Shuffleboard originated in british taverns in the 15th century.", "Players would slide coins, called groats, down the bar, aiming for them to stop as close to the edge as possible without falling off.", "It was so popular that king henry viii banned the game, saying it was too much of a distraction from work.", "Centuries after shuffleboard was invented, this easy and entertaining game is making a comeback.", "To make a shuffleboard table, a technician trims maple strips.", "The strips vary in length, but they all have the same width and thickness.", "Using a rolling wheel fused with glue, the technician applies adhesive to the strips.", "These strips have grooves on one side and protrusions on the other so that they can interlock.", "The glue will ensure the interlocked strips stay together.", "After he assembles the strips, he counts them to confirm that he has the correct number for the playfield size.", "He lowers a curing press, then clamps the strips together.", "The press applies applies high-temperature heat to rapidly cure the glue joints.", "The slabs are stored in racks for 30 days so that they acclimate to each other.", "Once the process is complete, the slabs go into a planer.", "The planer removes dried glue, smooths and levels the surface.", "On the left is a slab before it went through the planer, and on the right is the one that's had the work done.", "A technician applies adhesive-backed strips to mark the score zones and tapes the ends to prevent peeling.", "He smooths down the number decals that will designate the scoring zones.", "The company logo goes in the center.", "Next, a coat of polymer varnish is applied to the board.", "The varnish encases the decals, making them resistant to wear.", "The parts of the cradle base are built with plywood.", "A router cuts slots in the base for the playfield adjustment parts.", "A technician joins two sections of the base and builds the cradle skirting.", "He adds a piece in the center for extra support, links sideboards to the ends, and staples the corners together.", "He turns the cradle over and screws the skirt to the base from the top, beginning at the corners and continuing along the entire border.", "He uses rounded maple corners for the end frames to eliminate sharp angles.", "He sprays a generous amount of glue on the outside of the frame.", "This prepares it to receive a laminated composite material.", "He coats the back of the laminate with glue...", "And wraps the laminate around the end frame, which adds a different aesthetic.", "Then he sands the rims so that it sits evenly on the base of the cradle.", "He glues the end frame to the cradle...", "Reinforces the glued seams with staples...", "And joins the sides of the cradle to the end piece, which fit together perfectly.", "Another technician sands the wood until it's silky smooth.", "Then a stain is sprayed on the sides of the cradle and the skirting.", "The stain enhances the grain of the maple and adds a depth of color.", "He sprays on lacquer, which seals the stain and gives the wood a glossy finish.", "He adds wooden inlays for visual interest.", "Next, the cradle is sprayed with glue.", "A technician applies the carpet to the glued areas.", "The carpet will absorb the impact of pucks that fall off the board.", "With the second end plate installed and the legs attached, the cradle is ready for the playfield to be mounted.", "The playfield is so heavy, it takes two people to lower it into the cradle.", "This shuffleboard table is now complete.", "Even though it's taken three days to build, this shuffleboard is worth every bit of hard work.", "The hallmark of a quality knife is a cutting edge that remains sharp despite repeated use over time.", "One of the most advanced knife-making methods is friction forging-- a technique applied specifically to the knife's cutting edge to produce sharpness and durability.", "Friction-forged blades are used primarily in hunting and fishing but also work just as well in the kitchen.", "The blades are made of high-carbon steel.", "A laser cutter slices out rectangular bars, each of which will yield two to five blades.", "The bars are wrapped in foil and put in an oven at 1,850 degrees fahrenheit for several hours.", "The heat hardens the steel.", "The bars are removed from the oven and cooled.", "Then they're put back in the oven and heated to 700 degrees fahrenheit for several more hours.", "This second round of heat treating tempers the steel, drawing down its hardness to between 38 and 42 on the rockwell scale.", "The bars are placed on a large electromagnet.", "The magnet holds them securely, while the bars rotate under a grinding stone.", "A steady flow of coolant prevents the heat the friction generates from changing the hardness of the steel.", "The grinder removes carbon deposits caused by the heat treatment, along with any surface imperfections.", "A craftsman uses a rockwell hardness tester to measure the bar's hardness.", "The machine's needle bears down until it indents the steel.", "A measurement of 41 is right on target and within the range of ultra-tough spring steel.", "The bar is now ready to be friction forged.", "The forging machine's specialized tool applies immense pressure, combined with rotational movement called \"stirring,\" to a specific area of the bar.", "The stirring action creates friction, which plasticizes the steel, reducing its microscopic grain structures to levels no other forging or heat-treating method can achieve, 50 to 75 times smaller than that of the steel typically used in a high-quality knife.", "The finer the grain size, the stronger the steel, the sharper and less brittle the blades the unforged zone becomes the blade's main body.", "This area is the tough spring steel, with a rockwell hardness between 38 and 42.", "The friction-forged zone becomes the blade's cutting edge-- 65 to 70 on the rockwell scale.", "A computer-guided grinding machine shapes the blade.", "This is what the blade looks like before grinding...", "And after.", "The blade is shotblasted with fine ceramic beads to remove all surface imperfections.", "The forged zone is now clearly distinguishable.", "A craftswoman assembles the knife's handle.", "She places a stainless steel bolster over the blade and inserts two pins made of nickel silver.", "She trims the pins, then flattens them with a hammer to lock in the bolster.", "Here is the blade before...", "And after this assembly.", "A laser engraves the model and brand name in the unforged area.", "The craftsman applies glue on both halves of the handles, then presses them together.", "This model is made of desert ironwood held together with glue and brass nickel pins.", "Once the glue dries, a craftswoman runs the handle against a sanding belt to shape the wood to the steel.", "She polishes the wood to bring out the beauty of the grain.", "Then the blade is hand-sharpened on a belt grinder.", "First, the main cut.", "Then the edge.", "Which stays sharp 10 to 50 times longer than a traditionally heat-treated blade.", "Finally, the knife is run through a test for edge sharpness.", "If the reading indicates the sharpness of a razor blade, the friction-forged knife passes the test." ]

{ "things": [ "Gel Caps", "Playground Spring Riders", "Frozen Pancakes", "Natural Rubber" ] }

[ "Liquid medication used to always come in a bottle, and you had to pour your dose with a steady hand into a spoon.", "Today, many medications and supplements come inside small food-safe casings that are easy to swallow and portable-- soft gel capsules.", "Many types of products come in gel capsules, from prescription drugs to health supplements such as fish oils.", "Many of these medicine fills go bad if exposed to oxygen, so the gel cap, besides being convenient, also serves as a protective barrier.", "Every ingredient in both the gel cap and the medicine fill inside undergoes extensive testing for purity.", "The first test phase checks for bacterial contamination.", "Lab technicians dissolve the ingredients in solution, apply it to a food source in a petri dish, then incubate the dish for 72 hours to encourage any existing bacteria to grow.", "Then they draw samples and examine them under a microscope.", "If those samples are bacteria-free, the ingredient moves on to the second phase of testing, which checks for contaminants such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium.", "This machine, called a spectrometer, injects the ingredient solution into a plasma flame, then, by reading the changes in light wavelengths, analyzes the chemical composition.", "If the ingredient is contaminant-free, it gets the go-ahead.", "The gel cap is made entirely of natural ingredients-- gelatin derived from beef bones, palm oil glycerin, and purified water.", "The proportions are top-secret.", "An industrial blender combines the three ingredients to a uniform consistency, then heats the mixture to 175 degrees fahrenheit.", "A vacuum sucks out the air bubbles as this now-ready gel material flows into a holding tank.", "Simultaneously, they prepare the medicine fill-- in this case, vitamin d. they combine it with soybean oil to adjust the potency to the specified strength.", "Meanwhile, they maintain the gel-cap material in the holding tank at 140 degrees fahrenheit to prevent it from prematurely solidifying.", "Even the hose leaving that tank is wrapped in heater tape to keep the gel liquid.", "A separate hose feeds the vitamin d solution from another holding tank down to the production floor, as well.", "This hose doesn't require heating because vitamin d and soybean oil don't solidify when cool.", "On the production line, two stations simultaneously spread a thin layer of molten gel across a cooling drum.", "The gel hardens into a solid, yet malleable, sheet about the thickness of cardboard.", "Each sheet passes over a rotating die with capsule-shaped cavities.", "Just before the two gel sheets come together, pumps inject the required quantity of vitamin d solution into each cavity, the pressure pushing the gelatin into the cavity.", "At the same time, the machine heats the gel sheets so that when they meet, they adhere to each other, forming full capsules with the vitamin d solution sealed inside.", "In the final second, the die's sharp edges slice the gel caps free, and they fall to a conveyer belt below.", "At this point, the filled gel caps contain a fair bit of moisture, so they're quite soft.", "If they lay on a surface too long, they'd flatten, so the conveyer belt whisks them very quickly into a rotating drum, where they tumble in slightly cold, dry air for about three hours.", "This removes enough moisture to make the gel caps hard enough to lie on a surface without flattening.", "After exiting, the gel caps move into a second dryer, where, spread out on trays this time, they dry for about 36 hours.", "After that, the gel caps are hard enough to be safely packaged.", "The gel caps-- the ones being packaged here contain flax oil-- travel down a series of vibrating plates, which progressively line them up in single file.", "As they pass by, electronic eyes count out the number of capsules per bottle, triggering the filling mechanism to collect that quantity and release it into an empty bottle.", "The next station applies a plastic twist cap, then the bottles move onward, each one plowing directly into the center of an adhesive-backed label, which rollers then apply around he sides.", "Before shipping, the quality-control lab tests random samples from the production batch to verify that the gel caps meet all specifications.", "It's a playground staple-- a stationary ride-on cartoon animal that bounces up and down and rocks back and forth, courtesy of a huge spring underneath secured into the ground.", "The bouncy coil base is what gives this type of playground equipment its name-- a spring rider.", "The spring rider is a playground favorite.", "To withstand years of rambunctious riders, it has to be solid and durable, yet for a toddler to be able to rock back and forth, it can't be too heavy.", "That's why the spring is made of thick steel, and the animal of lightweight aluminum.", "That sand core is comprised of two halves, each made with an aluminum mold-- duck-shaped in this case.", "Workers fill it with sand and adhesive mix that sets into a solid block.", "They insert several steel support rods, fill to the top, and even out the surface, then expose two hooks they'll later grab to extract the core half once the sand hardens in about 20 minutes.", "Meanwhile, other workers use an aluminum pattern to make each half of the duck casting mold.", "After applying a powder release agent to prevent sticking, they cover the pattern with a sieved mixture of sand and clay.", "They mount a frame around the pattern to contain the sand, as they add more and more, repeatedly packing it down in all areas with a pneumatic ramming tool.", "Then they remove the frame and cover the sand with a wooden board.", "This provides a hard surface for the press, which now applies the weight of about four mid-sized s.u.v.s.", "Then they flip over the mold and remove the pattern which formed the mold cavity.", "The sand is now so firmly compacted that it holds the shape.", "One half of the sand mold has channels through which the molten metal will flow into the cavity.", "Workers now position several quarter-inch-thick foam spacers in the cavity and place half of the core on top of them.", "The spacers elevate the core, creating a quarter-inch cavity between core and mold.", "The other half of the core goes on top.", "After placing spacers on top of that to create a quarter-inch gap on this side, as well, they carefully lower the other half of the sand mold.", "Now they're ready to cast the duck.", "The melting point of aluminum is just over 1,090 degrees fahrenheit.", "However, they heat much higher, to 1,400 degrees, so it'll flow faster and fill the entire cavity before beginning to solidify.", "They pour the metal through holes on top.", "It flows through the runners into the mold cavity, which is that quarter-inch gap surrounding the duck-shaped core.", "About 20 minutes later, the metal has cooled and solidified.", "They break the mold apart on a vibrating sieve, releasing the aluminum duck and shaking out the core sand through a hole at the bottom of the duck.", "After cutting off excess aluminum that hardened in the runners, they grind down the seam, which formed in between the two halves of the mold.", "Next, they weld on aluminum handles for the child to grip when riding.", "These handles are cast in sand molds just like the duck.", "Workers grind down the weld and any sharp edges, making the entire surface nice and smooth.", "Next-- a coat of polyester powder in bright rubber-ducky yellow.", "Then-- a 20-minute trip through an oven to bake the coating, making it ultra-durable.", "Now, delicately airbrushed with the urethane enamel paint, the details that bring mr.", "Duck to life-- his feet, wings, bill, and eyes.", "The thick coil that makes this a spring rider is made of a flexible type of steel.", "They bolt a steel spacer plate to it...", "Then hide the bolts under an aluminum cover.", "After attaching a foot rest-- steel, again-- they bolt the duck to the plate.", "All these parts, like the duck, are painted with baked-on polyester coating.", "The spring bolts to a concrete block buried underground.", "Ducky and friends are designed to withstand even the harshest winters, letting children enjoy a little spring all year round.", "Early versions of pancakes were thin like crepes.", "By the 1780s, american cooks were adding a leavening agent for a fluffier, more filling pancake.", "That's when pancakes transitioned from side dish to main course for the first meal of the day.", "Call them hot cakes, griddle cakes, flapjacks, or pancakes, there's nothing like a heaping helping of them splashed with syrup.", "And with frozen pancakes, whipping up some for breakfast has never been easier.", "Pancake production starts off with a leavening agent-- the baking powder.", "They combine salt, whey, and various flavorings in a big blender to create a dry-ingredient premix.", "Since these will be buttermilk pancakes, they add powdered buttermilk for flavor.", "They now pump liquid ingredients from storage tanks into a huge blender.", "These include water and eggs, sweet cream, liquefied sugar, and soybean oil.", "They add the dry premix and flour until the batter reaches the desired consistency.", "An employee tests the batter's viscosity by pouring some in a device with a little gate.", "He opens the gate and measures the flow down a ramp.", "If it runs too thick or too thin, it won't produce pancakes that are the desired diameter and uniformity.", "The pancake batter passes the viscosity test.", "They release the batter from the holding tank, and it flows into a depositor system.", "The depositor has nine nozzles.", "Each nozzle shoots an exact amount of the pancake batter onto a hot moving griddle.", "Because of the perfect viscosity, each deposit of batter radiates out to form a neat, round shape, each one the same size as the next-- about four inches in diameter.", "They run three depositors and moving griddles simultaneously to produce 750 pancakes a minute.", "That's an incredible 45,000 pancakes an hour.", "After several seconds on the griddle, one side is cooked, so automated stainless-steel spatulas flip the pancakes over.", "There are two sets of flippers.", "After flipping, the first set repositions, and the second set flips the next row of pancakes.", "It's mechanized synchronization.", "The flippers are spaced apart exactly as the depositors are so the pancakes arrive at the flippers in the correct order to be picked up and turned over.", "Once flipped, the pancakes continue along the cooking conveyer, and the other side is cooked.", "It's a short ride for these pancakes to be completely cooked.", "From dollops of batter to uniformly rounded and cooked pancakes, this process has taken just 90 seconds.", "The pancakes somersault off the cooking griddle and over a roller to land on the next conveyer.", "The somersault exit has a purpose.", "It keeps the pancakes from folding over so they land flat.", "Hot off the griddles, the pancakes cool down on the ride, as all three production lines merge and head into a freezer.", "Inside the freezer, it's a very frigid minus-18 degrees, and the pancakes freeze fast.", "Now it's over to the packaging line.", "This is where the uniformity of these pancakes pays off.", "Their similar diameter means they can be neatly packed in groups of six.", "Machinery seals two stacks of six frozen pancakes in one wrapping.", "It has taken less than five minutes to prepare, freeze, and package these pancakes.", "At home, prep time in the microwave should be mere seconds.", "Just add syrup, and this story has a sweet ending.", "Natural rubber comes from the milky sap of a tropical tree.", "Thousands of years ago, the native people of central and south america discovered that the hardened sap was elastic and bounced.", "They played games with the balls of sap.", "When european explorers came along, it was soon a whole new ball game.", "Today, we make thousands of useful things from the fluid that circulates through rubber trees-- everything from tires to balloons to boots.", "The seeds are sewn on plantations like this one in thailand.", "It takes several years for the rubber trees to mature, then the sap is ready to tap.", "In the coolness of the morning, when the sap flows freely, the farm worker slashes the bark with a hook blade.", "The sap oozes from the abrasion.", "It spills onto a metal spout inserted below the slashed section.", "The spout funnels the sap into a ceramic cup below.", "It flows for about five or six hours, partially filling the cup.", "They wait a couple of days for the tree to recover and then tap another section of the tree.", "After straining impurities, they pour the rubber sap into a plastic tub.", "They add formic acid and swish it around.", "The acid causes the sap to coagulate.", "After 15 to 30 minutes, it thickens to the consistency of tofu.", "This tofu-like sap has a sticky structure that allows it to now be rolled out like dough.", "The rolling squeezes out excess water and leaves a ribbed pattern on the sheets that increases the surface area to hasten drying.", "Then they rinse off the formic acid.", "They hang the rubber sheets to dry for about five hours.", "As they dry, the rubber thickens and becomes stronger, and the color darkens.", "The coagulated rubber sap has been transformed.", "In a few short steps, it's gone from a liquid to a solid.", "Workers pile the rubber sheets onto pallets and weigh the load.", "There's a little over a ton and a half of rubber in this stack.", "They store the stacks in a warehouse until the next stage of processing.", "When they're ready to move on, workers peel each sheet from the stack and soak them in water for about 20 minutes.", "This washes away some of the surface contaminants, but not all.", "The rubber sheets then go into a machine with many brushes that scrub off more of the dirt.", "After one more rinse, the rubber sheets are squeaky-clean.", "As you can see, the color of the rubber sheets vary somewhat depending on the tree they came from, their thickness, and other factors.", "They hang the sheets on racks to drip dry.", "Next, they build a fire in a brick oven and smoke the rubber sheets in a chamber overhead for five days.", "It's a slow, low-temperature smoking that preserves the sheets to prevent the growth of mold.", "After smoking, they clip out contaminants like bark or insects that have become imbedded in the rubber.", "In many cases, they can't get it all.", "They grade the rubber sheets by examining them against a bright light.", "Sheets with fewer remaining contaminants receive a higher rating and will command a better price.", "They stack the sheets according to the grade, and then it's into a hydraulic bailer.", "It presses the stack of rubber sheets into cube form.", "The dimensions of the cubes conform to international packaging regulations so they'll fit neatly into containers for shipping.", "They spray the rubber cubes with a mix of calcium carbonate and solvent.", "The mixture forms a film on the cubes that prevents mold and keeps them from sticking together during transport.", "This rubber is now ready for the next factory and the next transformation.", "It could become almost anything." ]

{ "things": [ "Ball Bearings", "Electrical Wires", "Lost Wax Process Casting", "Automated Machines" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Ball bearings...", "Electrical wires...", "Lost wax casting...", "And automated machines.", "With all the high-tech hoopla these days, the lowly ball bearing gets forgotten.", "But many machine parts need ball bearings to rotate.", "They're in household appliances, industrial machines, and car engine parts such as alternators and fans.", "This is what's called a deep groove radial ball bearing.", "It has steel balls that move inside tracks called raceways.", "The raceways are carved into a set of heavy-duty steel rings.", "The balls are made of the same type of steel.", "They first prepare to shape the rings to the right thickness.", "They insert the inner ring into the outer ring.", "The set then passes through a grinder that alters the width to the correct thickness.", "A gauge checks the width of each ring as it exits.", "Now they separate the inner and outer rings in order to grind their outer circumference on separate machines.", "The outer ring enters the grinder, which shapes its outer surface to a precise roundness and diameter.", "A water-based liquid keeps the ring from overheating, which would cause warping.", "The ring exits the grinder through a gauge that checks the diameter.", "Next, the outer ring's raceway goes for grinding.", "Abrasive stone wheels with an oil coolant shape the surface to precisely the correct roundness and size.", "The inner ring and raceway go through a similar machine.", "Now the rings go for polishing.", "An abrasive stone lubricated with oil polishes the steel surface until you can see a reflection.", "Here's the before and after.", "Next stop-- washing.", "They coat the rings with thick oil and a fine stone grit.", "They clean the raceways with kerosene.", "Elsewhere in the plant, they classify the steel balls according to size.", "These balls started out as steel wire.", "A machine cut them into pieces and a die punched them into rough balls.", "Those rough balls go into a grinder, which removes the bumps.", "Then other machines round them out and give them a mirror finish.", "This entire process takes a few days.", "The balls go through a furnace to harden.", "Then they get a bath in cleaning solvent.", "After several quality checks, the finished balls go into hoppers.", "The hoppers load onto the automatic assembly machine.", "The ball feeder sends the balls through tubes to a ball pusher that feeds the correct quantity of balls into the raceways of the now-reassembled inner and outer rings.", "A ball divider positions the balls evenly around the raceways.", "Next comes the ball cage, a metal cage that retains the balls in position around the raceways.", "The first machine installs half of the cage, the half with rivet holes.", "The next machine carefully positions the other half of the cage, the half with rivets.", "The machine test-spins the bearing, then rivets the two halves of the ball cage together.", "The bearing is now fully assembled.", "Now it goes into a solvent bath, then to a series of automated quality-control tests.", "This noise-vibration tester makes sure the ball bearing operates quietly.", "Some types of bearings are lubricated with grease.", "A machine squirts grease evenly into the bearings' raceways, then inserts a rubber seal to contain the grease.", "A final quality-control test-- an automated scale tosses out any bum bearings that aren't the required weight.", "The good ones move on to the laser, which marks them with information such as the part number and the trademark.", "What is genetically modified food?", "Scientists manipulate the genes in crop seeds to increase yield or to make the crop more resistant to disease or insects.", "There's a worldwide debate over whether this manipulation of nature poses a risk to our health or to the environment.", "We're so used to them that we barely notice that electrical wires are all around us.", "They're in aerial and underground cables running along our streets and to our homes.", "They're behind our walls and inside our electrical appliances.", "To make color-coded electrical wires, they use what's called rod, made of either solid copper or solid aluminum.", "They feed the rod into a machine that draws it out through a series of lubricated pulleys and dies-- stretching, lengthening, and thinning it out...", "And eventually winding it onto a large bobbin.", "What was once a rod 4/10 of an inch in diameter is now just 8/100 of an inch, the width of about a dozen human hairs.", "They load the bobbin onto what's called a stranding machine.", "They cold-weld the end of one bobbin to another, guaranteeing an uninterrupted flow once they start up the machine.", "At high speed, the stranding machine twists seven wires together, forming an electrical conductor, also called a bear conductor.", "This is a low-voltage conductor-- under 1,000 volts-- the kind you find in the cables that run electricity to your home.", "Bear conductors need to be insulated so the people handling them won't get an electric shock.", "A plastic extrusion machine coats the conductor with polyethylene or pvc.", "This insulates the conductor.", "This is what the polyethylene looks like in its raw form.", "As the conductor exits the machine with its new insulation, a precision laser gauges the diameter to make sure the insulation is uniform and the right dimension.", "The extrusion process has heated up the conductor, so it has to be cooled down with water.", "Sometimes two or more conductors are twisted together.", "When that's the case, a printing machine applies a white stripe to identify which is which.", "The client who's ordered the conductors specifies the colors of insulation.", "It chooses them based on how it wants to color-code its electrical wiring.", "Several conductors are often grouped together to form a cable.", "The plant performs a voltage test, immersing the cables in water to make sure they don't short-circuit.", "These medium-voltage cables can carry from 1,000 to 46,000 volts of electricity.", "They're the type used for underground power lines.", "They're insulated the same way low-voltage cables are.", "The plant prints the date of manufacture, the voltage, and any other information the client has requested.", "The cable goes onto a reel to be tested before it's shipped out to its destination.", "In the middle of the cable, surrounded by copper grounding wires and a host of other components is the heart of the electrical cable-- the bear conductor.", "Many machine parts are simply stamped or machined out of solid metal, but parts with complex shapes or thin walls can't be made that way.", "They have to be cast using a technique called \"lost wax process casting\".", "It takes anywhere from a week to a month to manufacture a cast-metal part, depending on its complexity.", "The first step is to inject wax into an aluminum die, which is essentially a mold whose cavity is in the shape of the part.", "This creates a wax model slightly larger than the finished part will be.", "They'll use this wax model to make a mold out of a ceramic material.", "The mold has to be larger than the finished part because metal shrinks as it cools.", "Once the wax model is ready, they stamp on a code to tell the foundry workers what type of metal to use when they cast the part.", "Next, using a hot iron, they attach wax components to create what's called a metal delivery system-- channels that will funnel the molten metal into the mold's cavity.", "Next, they dip this wax assembly into a ceramic solution called \"slurry\".", "They do this by hand to prevent imperfections that would cause defects in the casting.", "To strengthen the slurry, they coat it in a fine zirconium sand, then let it dry.", "A robot then keeps repeating the process with coarser sand until the ceramic shell surrounding the wax assembly is about 3/10 of an inch thick.", "This takes five days.", "Now the ceramic-covered wax assembly is ready for what they call the dewax.", "Workers place it in a hot-steam chamber called an autoclave for 5 to 10 minutes.", "This melts the wax right out of the shell, creating a ceramic mold whose cavity is in the shape of the part.", "Once the mold has dried out, workers can begin to cast the part.", "First they put the cold mold into an oven and heat it up for two to three hours.", "This prevents the mold from cracking from shock when it comes into contact with molten metal that's close to 2,200 degrees fahrenheit.", "They pour the metal into the mold's cavity, then let it cool and harden at room temperature.", "It takes two hours for aluminum, four to five hours for steel.", "Once the metal has cooled and solidified, they break off the ceramic mold using a vibrating hammer.", "This takes about five minutes.", "They saw off the metal delivery system...", "Then grind the surface smooth.", "The final step is to make sure the part came to the exact dimensions specified in the technical drawing.", "This is called \"sizing\".", "Steel parts have to be heated up in an oven for sizing.", "Aluminum parts are sized cold.", "Technicians use a series of tools and presses to measure the part.", "If it doesn't meet specifications, it's either reworked or simply discarded.", "They use sophisticated equipment such as this optical comparator to check the angles and radiuses and this coordinate measuring machine to verify dimensions.", "Lost wax process casting is used to make metal parts for all types of machines and equipment, everything from military weapons to snowmobiles.", "Since the industrial revolution, manufacturing has become increasingly automated.", "It's about time \"how it's made\" paid tribute to that marvelous feat of engineering, the automated machine.", "Until the 1780s, goods were made one by one in a home or workshop.", "Then came the industrial revolution, the mass production of products in huge factories.", "Industry's next revolution was automation, made possible by computer technology.", "By the 1970s, two centuries after the start of the industrial revolution, robots began replacing humans on the production lines." ]

{ "things": [ "Mountain Bike Tires", "Leaf and Debris Vacuums", "Canned Meat", "Fillet Knives" ] }

[ "Mountain bike tires are true trailblazers, specifically designed for off-road riding.", "Wider than regular road tires, mountain bike tires have raised knobs or lugs that add stability on uneven terrain.", "Built to withstand the trail, these tires can handle it all.", "When the rubber hits the dirt, it's all about control.", "Mountain bike tires are designed to grip the ground and provide traction off-road.", "First, designers use a computer model of a tire to simulate the effects of different rubber compounds.", "Construction begins with rubber compounds being mixed together to create parts of the tire.", "Ingredients include synthetic and natural rubbers, sulfur, and other chemicals.", "Rotating spiral blades break down the materials.", "Friction from the mixing heats and softens them.", "This transforms the ingredients into a dough-like rubber compound.", "Powerful rollers squeeze the compound into thick long sheets and blades cut the rolled rubber into narrow strips.", "Then the rubber travels through more rollers that squeeze it down to the desired thickness.", "The rubber sheets land on a cart, ready for use.", "Technicians incase steel bead wire with one of these compounds.", "The bead wire is the part of the tire that connects to the wheel's rim.", "As steel wire travels through an aperture, the rubber is extruded to form the casing.", "The machine delivers the bead wire to a spinning disk.", "The disk winds the bead wire, shaping it into rings which fit to a wheel rim.", "To maintain the diameter of the wire, the technician tapes the ends together, holding the shape until the next stage of production.", "Next, rubber sheets with varying characteristics enter an extruder.", "Using heat and pressure, the extruder forces the rubber through dies.", "This process merges their characteristics into a single sheet.", "The sheet will be used to make the bicycle's tread.", "The tread rubber travels through a channel of cool water.", "Meanwhile, rollers coat fabric with rubber to make plies for the tire casing.", "A moving blade cuts it into strips.", "This rubber is naturally tacky, so the pieces can be easily spliced.", "The system feeds the strips to tire-building machine.", "A skilled assembler wraps the strips to the machine drum to form the tire casing and splices the rubber where the ends meet.", "Next, robots slide two wire beads around the casing.", "The ends of the drum fold the sides of the casing over the bead wires.", "The technician applies rubber-coated fabric to the bead wires, strengthening the area.", "The tread rubber is placed in the center.", "A roller applies pressure as the drum spins to wind the tread around the casing.", "Then the ends are pressed together manually.", "And one more turn of the drum secures the tread rubber to the casing.", "Once vent holes have been cut in the rubber, it's over to an expanding mold, where the tire takes shape.", "The technician inserts a rubber curing bladder to maintain the shape of the tire.", "Then he places the mountain bike tires in curing molds.", "These individual molds will steam-cook the tires under pressure to further shape them.", "This process forms knobs and other protrusions on the tire surface that are designed to grip a rugged terrain.", "Like a big waffle iron, this mold has cooked and formed the mountain bike tire.", "The tire is then placed on a rack to cool.", "Next, the bike tire undergoes a durability test while a computer measures rolling resistance.", "That's the energy lost when the tire rotates and an indication of how easily the tire will roll.", "This mountain bike tire is now cleared to travel off the beaten path.", "A leaf and debris vacuum automatically collects all types of fallen debris.", "Instead of spending hours raking, this device quickly does it all, making yard work easier than ever.", "A leaf and debris vacuum is powered by a gas or diesel engine.", "The engine spins an impeller, which creates the suction and also shreds the leaves.", "The machine is comprised of about 100 different parts, all cut from 0.11-inch-thick sheets of steel using this computer-guided punch press.", "This part is the rear flange for the impeller housing.", "To make the side wall of the housing, called the wrap, a technician bends this steel strip with a pinch roller.", "Another technician positions the wrap on the rear flange and tack welds them together.", "The craftsman places the housing's front flange on top of the wrap, aligns its notches with the wrap's tabs, and tack welds the parts together.", "He completes the housing with this rectangular piece.", "The shredded leaves exit the housing through this opening.", "Next, the parts are placed on a rotary welding table, and the tacked joints are welded together.", "The fused seams ensure the housing is airtight.", "A computer guides this fiber-optic laser cutter, slicing out the impeller blades from a sheet of abrasion-resistance steel.", "This steel is four times thicker than the steel used for the body parts.", "Each impeller has four blades with sharp edges that help shred the leaves.", "The welder mounts the impeller components onto a fixture.", "Each blade has alignment tabs which fit into notches on a backing plate.", "After clamping each blade in position, he fuses them to the backing plate.", "Next, he welds steel reinforcement straps between each of the four blades.", "The straps add strength and stability, thereby increasing the life-span of the impeller.", "The technician completes the assembly by bolting a compression hub to the center.", "The hub holds the engine crankshaft together, which rotates the impeller.", "Then he inserts a simulated crankshaft and tightens the compression hub.", "He places the impeller on this machine to balance it.", "Since the impeller can spin at a speed of more than 3,000 revolutions per minute, this step is critical for the machine to run smoothly.", "To maintain stability, the welder adds beads of weld to the lighter side until the impeller balances.", "Then he removes the simulated crankshaft.", "Meanwhile an assembler mounts the 29-horsepower gas engine to the engine deck of the trailer frame.", "The crankshaft pokes through a hole in the frame's faceplate.", "He bolts the impeller housing, which has been painted, to the faceplate.", "The technician installs the impeller on the crankshaft with a shear key.", "Then he bolts a protective steel cover plate and attaches everything with a central bolt.", "Next, he applies a brand decal on the housing's front cover...", "And bolts the cover to the housing.", "When ready for use, the debris chute, the hose, and the intake hose are attached to the front end.", "As this demonstration shows, the impeller can shred leaves into particles small enough to be used as compost.", "With so much on their plates, busy people rely on shortcuts to help prepare meals.", "Nowadays, you can stock your pantry with cans of precooked meat so there's always something on hand to use in sandwiches, stews, stir-fries, and other tasty dishes.", "This canned meat is meticulously hand produced by a craft cannery and made in small batches.", "It contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives, just meat and sea salt.", "When a shipment of meat arrives at the cannery, the quality control manager records its lot code for tracking purposes.", "As a food-safety precaution, he confirms the temperature of the meat, which must come in between 0 to 39 degrees fahrenheit.", "A skilled butcher then inspects the meat and trims off the excess fat.", "If it's a large piece, the butcher slices it into smaller pieces so that it can pass through the dicing machine.", "The dicer cuts the meat into one-inch cubes.", "At the filling station, aluminum cans circulate around a rotating table.", "As one worker shovels cubed meat onto the center of the table, others manually fill cans while simultaneously performing a quality inspection.", "Workers will discard any cubes that are discolored or too fatty.", "Next, technicians place a single cube of sea salt in each can filled with meat.", "This is the only added ingredient.", "At the next station, workers weigh each can individually and either add or remove meat to reach the required weight.", "The filled cans now travel on a conveyer belt to the cook room.", "There, they enter the pre-heater, which blasts them with steam for 20 seconds.", "This expels air that's trapped between the cubes of meat.", "Next, the cans move into the closing machine.", "The machine compresses the meat to provide sufficient clearance at the top of the can.", "This head space creates a vacuum on the can to draw out the remaining air.", "Then a device attaches the lid by a process known as double seaming.", "The process rolls the edges of the lid and can together, forming a rim that provides an airtight seal.", "It's time to get cooking.", "A worker lowers the cans into a commercial-sized pressure cooker.", "Cooking under steam pressure produces the tenderizing effects of slow cooking in a fraction of the time.", "The meat cooks in its own juices.", "The cooking temperature varies depending on the type of meat and the can size.", "When the meat is ready, the technician removes the cans and sets them aside for about an hour to cool and dry.", "The cans are then moved to the packaging area.", "As a worker loads the labeling machine, he inspects each can for dents or damaged seals.", "One by one, the cans roll over a glue applicator, then a stack of labels, wrapping themselves and the top seal.", "At the same time, the machine counts the number of cans.", "After rolling off the labeling machine, the cans pass through an ink-jet printer which applies the best-used-by date.", "That date is next to the lot code, which the closing machine printed while attaching the lid.", "This can of meat has a five-year shelf life due to two crucial factors-- it is cooked properly, and the can's seal is airtight.", "Have fish to fry?", "If it's fresh and whole, a fillet knife will come in handy.", "This is no ordinary kitchen knife, equipped with a thin, flexible blade and a sharp tip.", "This design allows the user to move easily along the backbone and under the skin of the meat.", "A fillet knife is a precision cutting tool.", "It makes the work of removing bones and skin from fish possible.", "Making a fillet knife starts with a sheet of thin and pliable stainless steel.", "A computer-guided laser cuts the steel into blade blanks.", "A craftsman clamps the blank in a fixture.", "The fixture moves the blank across a grinding wheel, beveling it from the spine to the cutting edge on both sides.", "Then sanding belts are used to shape the blade blank.", "A craftsman rounds the spine of the blank using a rough-grit sanding belt, eventually graduating to a finer one.", "With a rounder spine, the blade will be safer to handle.", "At the next station, a craftsman drills a hole into a solid block of composite material that contains resin.", "The material is cut into smaller chunks.", "Each one will be formed into a handle end cap or pommel.", "The center hole will house the tang.", "He slices other pieces of the material almost wafer thin.", "They'll become spacers for the handle's other end.", "These compound parts will support the center material for the cork handle.", "The craftsman stacks the parts of the handle on a stand.", "He brushes waterproof glue onto the spacer and slides eight pieces of cork onto the prong.", "He applies glue between each one.", "He places the pommel piece on the end.", "Since cork is buoyant, if the knife is dropped in water, it will float and can be easily retrieved.", "Once the glue dries, the handles are transferred, two at a time, to a fixture.", "The fixture moves back and forth as a rotor rounds the spacer, carving the cork and the pommel.", "At the next station, a worker places one of the fillet knife blades in a rubber holder.", "He clamps the holder in a fixture, stabilizing the blade for the installation of the bolster.", "The bolster is the steel ring that acts as a transition piece between the blade and handle.", "Then the craftsman applies glue to the composite spacer on the handle.", "He slides the handle onto the tang of the knife.", "He inserts a hexagonal nut into the hole and the pommel as well as some epoxy.", "He screws the nut onto the tang, securing the blade to the handle.", "The epoxy provides reinforcement.", "The craftsman unclamps the knife and works on shaping the handle.", "He sculpts it with rough-grit sandpaper.", "He angles the outside of the pommel, making it smoother and more attractive.", "Switching to a finer abrasive, he sands the cork to blend the layers together so they appear to be one uniform piece.", "Next, a worker drills into the pommel to widen and slope the opening.", "He pipes more epoxy into the recess.", "He inserts a snap that will be used to retain the knife in a sheath and drives it further into the recess using a press.", "Once the epoxy cures, he submerges the knives into water.", "This step is a test to confirm the knives can float.", "After the handle dries, the knife undergoes a final sanding for the user's gripping comfort.", "You can see the difference the sanding makes in the knife on the right.", "Next, the craftsman works on the fillet knife's cutting edge, sharpening it against a sanding belt.", "The blade slices a sheet of paper cleanly without snagging, proving that it's been well-honed.", "Finally, another worker cleans and lubricates the fillet knife.", "She slides it into a leather sheath and snaps the tab of the sheath to the end of the pommel.", "With all the work that's gone into this fillet knife, the customer will be in for one tasty, well-cut meal." ]

{ "things": [ "Innerspring Mattresses", "Stand" ] }

[ "An innerspring mattress is made with steel-wire springs to support a person's body weight.", "The quality of the mattress is usually determined by the thickness of the steel wire, the number of springs, and how the springs are configured and linked to form the inner support system.", "Most of this innerspring mattress is crafted by hand.", "The material in between the springs contains multiple layers of batting made from a blend of polyester fiber and organic cotton fiber.", "Cotton allows the batting to be breathable, so the mattress won't trap body heat.", "Polyester prevents the cotton from matting, so the batting doesn't flatten over time.", "This machine feeds both materials to a carding machine.", "At the first station, rollers and cylinders with metal teeth open and comb out the fibers.", "Next, the blended poly cotton is formed into a thin, fluffy sheet.", "The next station layers the sheet.", "Rollers compress the layers to form a thicker sheet about 2 3/4 inches high.", "The machine cuts the sheet to the width and length of the specified mattress.", "A technician places the finished bat on a scale to ensure it hits the target weight.", "He piles 18 bats on a cart, which is how many are required for just one mattress.", "Meanwhile, another technician builds the mattress's support structure, known as the innerspring unit.", "A coiling machine pulls spring-steel wire off a spool, then winds and cuts it into coils.", "The top and the bottom of each coil are crimped, creating inter-connection areas.", "A technician inserts spring-steel wire into a lacing machine and places a row of coils on a table.", "As the machine advances, the helical wire catches the coils at the points where they're crimped, lacing them together.", "The process is repeated until the spring structure is the size of the mattress.", "The perimeter of the mattress is framed with more helical wire.", "He fabric surface of a mattress is known as the ticking.", "A seamstress marks the required dimensions on a stack of cotton fabric.", "Using a rotary cutting blade, she cuts the ticking fabric along the marked dimensions.", "A sewer hems the edges of all three panels.", "This step will strengthen the connected seams.", "He also sews on the labels listing the product and safety information.", "The side wall consists of four layers-- the ticking, two types of bats, and a backing fabric.", "A seamstress pulls the layers through a stamping machine, which fastens the layers together with a pair of brass eyelets every 2 3/4 inches.", "Using another stamping machine, she attaches cord handles with large brass grommets.", "The handles make it easier to flip and rotate the mattress to ensure even wear.", "Another technician covers the innerspring unit with a lightweight fabric and pads the corners with batting to prevent indentation.", "He attaches the fabric backing of the side wall to the wire perimeter of the innerspring unit with hog-ring staples.", "He tops this side of the mattress with nine bats, equivalent to 27.5 inches of padding.", "He trims each bat by hand, gradually narrowing the layers as he works his way downward, creating a tapered shape.", "Then a polyester fabric layer is added for comfort, and a non-woven flame-resistant barrier fabric layer on top.", "The ticking is put into position, and the excess filling is trimmed.", "The technician pulls the ticking and pins it to the top of the side wall.", "He flips the mattress and repeats the process on the other side.", "Using an industrial sewing machine, he sews the top and bottom tickings to the side wall with edge tape.", "Woven cotton ticking is more durable than knitted cotton.", "Finally, the automated machine tufts the mattress and inserts a woven band through the middle, locking each tuft in place with a pom-pom on both sides.", "This prevents the materials inside from shifting and sets the level of firmness.", "Stand-up paddling has become a popular sport, but paddleboards have been around for over 3,000 years.", "Contemporary boards rely on modern materials to make light and reliable paddleboards suited for leisure as well as for competition.", "This paddleboard is made with vinyl-ester resin and laminated fiberglass.", "It's equipped with an onboard lighting system, an anchor, and a neoprene rubber non-slip pad.", "In the gel-coating room, a technician wipes a release agent on the paddleboard mold to make the surface smooth and clean.", "Another technician positions the fin channel on the mold using a thin fiberglass template as a guide.", "He uses an airless pumping system to spray the mold with a vinyl-ester gel coating mixed with hardener.", "He takes a mil gauge to make sure the hull thickness is even.", "A technician prepares to make the first structural layer of the hull, using a 3/4-ounce bi-directional fiberglass mat.", "First, he pulls out a panel of fiberglass and covers the gel-coated surface.", "Using fabric scissors, he cuts the mat and makes the fiberglass skin as tight as possible.", "He tears the mat to conform it to the rounded shape of the gel coat and fits the mat to the edge of the hull.", "He applies vinyl-ester resin with a paint roller.", "The resin saturates the fiberglass, which merges with the gel coating.", "Extra material is placed over the fin channel to strength the structural bond between the channel and the hull.", "Then the technician uses a bubble roller to push out air bubbles.", "He applies a second coat of fiberglass to reinforce the structural integrity of the board.", "In the assembly room, another technician fits a template on the board deck and traces the contours of the hand-grab mount with a pencil.", "He uses an air saw to cut out a slot in the fiberglass laminate to fit the hand-grab mount.", "He binds the hand-grab mount to the hull with a coat of vinyl-ester resin.", "Within about 20 minutes, the laminate hardens.", "Next, plastic tubing for the internal anchoring system is installed.", "A technician applies a bonding adhesive to the tube, securing it in place.", "He attaches the tube with tie wraps so it doesn't get tangled inside the hull.", "He installs a jam cleat for the rope that will allow the paddler to manually control the anchor from the deck.", "The hull's cured vinyl-ester resin is now firmly bonded to the structural laminate.", "The assembler applies expanding adhesive and positions an expanded polypropylene foam stringer inside the hull.", "The foam stringers are the backbone of the board.", "They support the weight of the paddler on the deck while keeping the board as light as possible.", "Using a nylon wedge and a rubber mallet, the assembler removes the mold from the hull.", "Since the hull is so lightweight, two assemblers can lift and flip it on to a cart.", "An assembler trims off the excess laminate using an air cutter fitted with a diamond cutting blade.", "He levels the foam stringers with a file blade, ensuring the tightest possible fit between the hull and deck.", "He applies expanding foam adhesive on the stringers before he places the deck on the foam with the help of a co-worker.", "The adhesive quickly binds the parts together.", "The vinyl rub rail designed as a side protection masks the joint between the deck and the hull.", "The hull contains a dry storage hatch where the onboard battery is housed.", "The 8 amp hour battery can activate the power pull, a microanchor designed for shallow waters.", "In deeper waters, a paddler can manually activate the internal anchor system with a 16-foot nylon cord.", "Finally, this board is ready to hit the water.", "Invented in 1901 by a british engineer, the vacuum cleaner was considered a game changer.", "The original versions were made substantially heavier than the vacuums built today.", "In fact, they were so large, they had to be pulled by horses to get from building to building.", "Through the magic of suctioning power, a vacuum cleaner can make dirt disappear almost instantly, really improving personal space.", "Production starts with the electric motor that powers the suctioning fan.", "A machine picks up a rotor and transfers it to an imaging system.", "Using a camera and laser, the machine measures the part and confirms that it's to specification.", "Next, an automated system attaches plastic discs on to both sides of the part.", "These plastic discs will serve as electrical insulators.", "A computerized camera confirms the discs have been correctly placed.", "A carrier transfers the rotor to the next station.", "Here, a rotary copper switch is placed on to the shaft.", "The switch is called a commutator.", "Its role is to periodically reverse the electrical current as it flows through the motor, allowing the motor to operate more efficiently.", "The next robot places the rotor in a device that winds thin copper wire around the part hundreds of times.", "These windings will be used to create a rotating magnetic field in the motor.", "A welder joins the commutator to the copper windings using small hooks.", "This step establishes a connection.", "A machine slides a slatted plastic cover over the rotor.", "The slats fit in the rotor grooves.", "The cover reduces the noise the rotor makes as it revolves at high speeds.", "Spouts drip synthetic resin on to the copper windings.", "As it hardens, the resin stabilizes the windings, ensuring there are no loose wires.", "A computerized cutting tool shaves off a small amount of the commutator, making it round and smooth.", "A robot then deposits the rotor on looped belts.", "The belts spin the rotor, and sensors detect vibrations that indicate any imbalance.", "If an imbalance is found, the system sends the rotor over to a tool that removes material until the part is balanced.", "Then it's over to another testing machine.", "This one probes the copper windings to detect failures using a complex measuring system.", "A mechanized system installs a substantial bearing on one end of the shaft.", "A robot retrieves it, flips it, and the system attaches a bearing to the other end.", "The motor housing with the stator moves into position.", "A machine places the rotor in the center of the stator.", "All the work on this vacuum cleaner motor has been done by machines.", "Now a technician installs a carbon brush that will make electrical contact with the rotor.", "A diffuser shield is placed on the housing.", "Meanwhile, the computer system screws the diffuser to the motor assembly.", "A small metal spacer is deposited on the protruding rotor shaft.", "A robotic arm places the lower fan impeller plate over the shaft.", "The mechanized system screws the assembly together, and then the upper part is installed with the suctioning fan blades.", "A machine spins the fan to test it for any imbalances.", "Then a cutting tool removes material to calibrate the fan assembly.", "A steel cover is flipped into position by a platform which elevates the fan and motor assembly.", "Stay tuned.", "There's more dirt on how the rest of the vacuum cleaner comes together.", "While the vacuum cleaner may alarm your pet, to an enthusiastic cleaner, this is an awesome machine.", "Not only does it remove the dirt you can see, it suctions up fine particles that aren't visible, leaving your home even cleaner than it looks.", "Inside every vacuum cleaner, there's a high-speed suctioning fan.", "Machines test the fan for quality control.", "A conveyor delivers the fan to a completely mechanized system that evaluates the interaction between the carbon brush and the rotor.", "This final inspection ensures the vacuum fan is balanced and fully operational.", "A technician applies a rubber seal to the rim of the vacuum's lower housing.", "He inserts the power-supply reel in a hollowed-out compartment.", "The fan is installed and connected to the power-supply reel.", "He snaps the back panel to the lower housing.", "The power-supply cable is plugged in for a later check.", "The next component assembled is the control panel.", "A technician screws the control panel to a mounting plate.", "A rubber bumper is placed along the edge of the cover frame.", "The cover frame is then transferred to the vacuum.", "A dust bag is attached to a bracket that straddles the frame.", "At the next station, a robotic system stabilizes the assembly and attaches the frame to the housing.", "Then the vacuum cleaner is released from the machine, and the carrier takes it forward for an inspection.", "An inspector installs foot switches for the power cord and for machine activation.", "He tucks a filter into its slot.", "The cover panel now arrives via conveyor.", "The technician snaps it into place on the cover frame.", "He installs a hinged access panel, which houses the suction tools until needed.", "This is the final step to complete the assembly of this vacuum cleaner.", "Another kind of vacuum cleaner uses easy-to-empty plastic canisters for dirt collection.", "It uses a substantial filter to separate dirt from the air.", "Suctioned air and dirt spin within this canister.", "Larger dirt particles fall to the bottom, while finer particles become embedded in the filter.", "A technician installs the filter canister in the vacuum-cleaner housing and inserts a nozzle accessory in a slot.", "Down the line, another worker installs a top plate.", "Next, a clear plastic interceptor is installed, which collects the majority of the dirt.", "The technician apples a plastic bumper to the back of the vacuum.", "With the assembly complete, this bagless vacuum cleaner heads towards the inspection station.", "Both kinds of vacuum cleaners undergo final testing.", "A robot plugs the opening for the hose, turns the power on, and tests every function while a computer measures its performance.", "Cleared for retail, the robot removes the hose.", "The vacuum cleaner heads toward the packaging line.", "A robot lifts and carries the vacuum cleaner, stopping above a vacuum cleaner that's already on the conveyor.", "The vacuum on the conveyor moves forward, and sensors signal the robot to set the second vacuum down.", "The vacuum cleaner moves along the conveyor belt into a sheet of plastic wrap, which envelops the product.", "Heated knives cut and seal the ends in one action.", "This protects it from superficial scratches during transport.", "A technician uses molded pieces of foam to slide the vacuum into a cardboard box.", "The foam pieces remain in the box to stabilize the vacuum during transport.", "Equipped with either a bag or a plastic receptacle, the technology is all up to the consumer's preference.", "Regardless of the model, each type of vacuum can make dust bunnies stuck in the corners of rooms and under beds vanish before your eyes." ]

{ "things": [ "Graphite Pencil Leads", "Clarinets", "Special Effects" ] }

[ "Despite the name \"lead,\" the core of a pencil isn't actually made of lead.", "It's made primarily of graphite, a form of carbon that's very abundant in the earth's crust.", "To produce pencil leads, they combine graphite powder with water and clay.", "The higher the ratio of clay, the harder the lead.", "Quality graphite pencil leads don't break easily and glide smoothly on the page.", "Graphite is mined from both open-pit mines and shaft mines, like this one in germany.", "Miners use hammer drills to bore holes for explosives.", "The chunks of ore must contain at least 30% graphite to make the area financially viable for mining.", "At the surface, a crusher breaks the ore into small pieces.", "Then, adding water and oil, they pulverize it in a rotating mill.", "This ore soup then flows into a system that separates the graphite from the impurities.", "The graphite particles cling to the air bubbles and float to the surface.", "Skimmers send this layer of graphite foam back into the mill.", "5 cycles later, the graphite concentration is 96%.", "However, it's soaking wet, so it has to go into a dryer.", "After spinning around at 572 degrees fahrenheit for about 30 seconds, the graphite becomes a completely dry, fine powder.", "Mined and processed, it's ready to be shipped to the pencil factory.", "To make pencil leads, the factory combines graphite powder with clay and water.", "During the 35-minute mixing cycle, it's critical to control the blending speed, pressure, temperature, and moisture level.", "This produces homogenous granules-- the key to ensuring that all the leads will be uniform in quality.", "The granules go into a hydraulic press, which shapes them into a cylindrical block.", "Workers then wrap the block in film to prevent drying out and set it aside for a week to cure.", "They load each cured block into a hydraulic press, which pushes it through a forming die, producing one long, continuous lead.", "Different dies give different-sized leads.", "The next machine then cuts the continuous lead into pencil lengths.", "The leads are the right thickness and length, but they're soft and pliable because they still contain water from the mixing process.", "Workers load the leads into a rotary dryer at 320 degrees fahrenheit.", "12 hours later, the leads exit the dryer straight, but not quite strong enough, so next they go into a kiln for 10 hours at more than 1,800 degrees fahrenheit.", "This firing transforms the clay that's mixed with the graphite, strengthening the leads to their final hardness.", "Finally, a 12-hour bath in a mixture of high-quality waxes.", "The waxes fill the pores in the leads, leaving them with a surface that glides smoothly across paper.", "Throughout the production process, the factory puts samples through quality-control testing to check hardness, break resistance, diameter, and, of course, writing quality.", "This company produces three different qualities of graphite leads in 16 different hardness levels, plus a full array of colored leads made similarly, but with pigment powders and waxes rather than graphite.", "When the clarinetist blows into the instrument, a reed in the mouthpiece vibrates, creating sound.", "To turn that basic sound into different notes, the player manipulates the length of the air column inside the instrument by opening and closing different tone holes.", "The standard clarinet has 24 tone holes.", "The musician covers some with his fingers, the rest by pressing keys.", "Those keys are made of nickel silver or, sometimes, brass.", "They inject hot wax into a plaster mold of a specific key.", "Then, using hot wax, they attach several models of the same key onto a stem.", "They put this tree, as it's called, into a cylinder, then into a mold-making machine, which fills the space around the tree with a silica-based ceramic material.", "When the ceramic hardens, they melt out the way through an exit hole at the bottom, leaving behind a tree-shaped cavity.", "Now they transfer the mold to a casting machine and load nickel silver into a miniature furnace.", "The metal melts and fills the entire cavity.", "To cool and solidify the casting, they submerge the mold in lukewarm water.", "The metal contracts as its temperature drops, loosening from the mold.", "They extract the tree and remove the keys.", "Then they grind off the little stub left on each key.", "Next the keys go into a tumbler filled with synthetic stones.", "The stones polish the keys, preparing their surface for silver plating.", "Silver doesn't adhere directly to nickel silver, so they plate the keys in copper first.", "For each layer, they submerge the keys in a chemical solution, then apply a negative electric charge while running a positive charge to pieces of the plating metal.", "Like a magnet, this draws particles of the plating metal onto the keys, forming a thin overall coat.", "A clarinet's two-part body is typically made of wood or, like these, plastic resin.", "A computer-guided drill bores 24 tone holes and 40 smaller holes for the posts, which support the key mechanisms.", "A sonic welding machine presses each post into its respective hole while zapping it with a high-frequency sound wave to melt the plastic around the base.", "This anchors the post securely.", "The next machine reams a hole through the head of each post for the rods that operate the keys.", "They wrap natural cork around the connecting ends of the body, then illuminate the interior for a quality-control inspection.", "It's time for the final assembly.", "They lubricate all the moving parts, then install the 17 keys onto their mechanisms.", "Each key has a foam pad to prevent air from leaking out when the hole's covered.", "They use a strip of foil to test whether the seal is tight enough.", "With both body sections of the instrument finished, a musician assembles them and checks that each and every key moves fluidly.", "Then, after attaching the bell and the mouthpiece, she conducts a sound-quality test, performing a set of musical exercises.", "The clarinet now goes to the packing department where the packager gently removes fingerprints, lint, and lubricant residue, then lays the instrument parts in a velvet-lined case.", "It's a fitting finale to the making of an instrument that looks as good as it sounds.", "Special effects in animated films breathe life into characters and scenes that are completely imaginary.", "It usually takes a mix of different effects to give the fantasy a realistic texture.", "From miniature-scale models to computer-generated imagery, it's all about the big picture.", "3-d animation and photographic tricks make this miniature village loom large on the big screen.", "It all starts at the drawing board.", "An artist sketches the various components of the fantasy village.", "Once he gets it down on paper, the rest of the crew can build it.", "Using one of the sketches as a reference, a sculptor carves foam into sections of a roof, and he glues the pieces together.", "This foam roof will then be used to make a mold.", "The mold maker builds a box around the roof, which is now gray-colored due to the application of a nonstick substance.", "He pours liquid silicon rubber onto the foam roof in the box.", "After 12 hours, they pull apart the box and remove the foam to reveal the mold.", "This mold will be used to cast multiple roof parts for the mini film set.", "They mix a two-part urethane solution and pour it into the mold.", "A chemical reaction causes the urethane to solidify, and as it does, it takes the shape of the mold with all the details.", "After half an hour, he extracts the cured urethane from the mold.", "It's a perfect copy of the original roof carving.", "They mold various roofs for visual interest.", "The crew then paints all the molded parts of the mini village set in colors that are true to life.", "The palette has been selected beforehand, but if it doesn't look right to the eye, adjustments can be made.", "For larger-scale structures, a technician arranges reflective dots in a grid pattern.", "These dots serve as reference points to laser-scan the image of the house into a computer.", "The technician transfers the image a section at a time.", "Once the image has been loaded into the computer, animators can really play around with it.", "They can insert digital characters or impose a digital image over a filmed one to cast a shadow.", "Meanwhile, another member of the crew plants molded trees onto hills of plastic and shapes the landscape of the set.", "The trees and vegetation are very small-scale because the landscape will be in the background.", "In the world of digital animation, clumps of moss can mimic shrubs, and a hot-glue gun is an indispensable tool.", "Once buildings have been inserted in the set, the crew brings up the lights and checks the effect.", "They add props, and, sometimes, take others away to improve the look of each scene.", "Technicians tweak the lighting, which can add visual depth and credibility to any scene, but it's even more critical with a small-scale vista.", "Little rectangular mirrors attached to the lights allow for minute adjustments.", "The director of photography operates the camera remotely.", "Adjustments to the shot's frame or depth of field can trick the eye and make miniatures seem much larger.", "The computer records the camera movements so they can be repeated at any time.", "Later, water will be digitally added to this riverbed.", "Coming up next, animated characters enter the scene with the help of computer-generated tricks.", "Today, virtual beings are a hollywood phenomenon.", "Computer effects have rocketed 3-d animated characters into superstardom, but even for digital creatures, fame doesn't come easy.", "It takes years of work and a large crew of skilled professionals to make them look good on the big screen.", "It all starts with a good, old-fashioned sketch pad.", "Once the character is defined on paper, the artist sculpts him with clay.", "Then the high-tech wizardry begins as they laser-scan the 3-d character from all angles and load the image into the computer.", "Once he's been captured, the computer artist wraps the character in a digital wire frame.", "He manipulates the wire mesh to make the character move and breathe.", "After he creates a dozen or more facial expressions, this machine makes hard copies of those many faces.", "It repeatedly deposits layers of plastic to build up a physical version of the image.", "They insert eyes in the sockets, then give these washed-out plastic faces some color.", "An artist paints each one of the faces along the same lines.", "Continuity is critical because the faces will be filmed and the images edited together to create the illusion of movement.", "It's a traditional animation technique called stop-motion, and these plastic models are called puppets.", "Next a seamstress builds a suit of clothes for one of the puppets.", "He has to look great because he'll be used to promote the character to merchandisers who might market him as a toy.", "They scan the fabric and wrap it around the digital character to give him the same outfit, then add creases for a more realistic texture.", "The crew lights the mini set for one of the character's big scenes and plans the camera moves.", "It's a kind of dress rehearsal.", "One of the puppets acts as a stand-in for the animated character.", "They move him around in a process called rough placement.", "It's a critical step which ensures that everyone is in sync-- cinematographers, lighting artists, and animators.", "Seeing the puppet in the room will help animators place his digital counterpart in the various visuals.", "They literally cover all the angles and leave nothing to chance.", "Now the physical merges with the virtual in a special-effects trick called human motion capture.", "A man walks around in a special suit covered with reflective dots.", "The computer recognizes the dots to transfer the man's movements to a version of the digital character instantaneously.", "The computer artist uses those captured movements to manipulate the character and insert him into the scene.", "The effect is one of a digital character who moves just like a human being.", "They layer digitized images of the set and blend them seamlessly into a single image.", "This digital layering is called compositing.", "It allows animators to accurately place the character in the scene.", "The blend of high-tech special effects with traditional animation techniques gives the best of both worlds.", "Combined, all these special-effects tricks can generate 3-d characters with star quality.", "They are virtual puppets, and the animators are the puppeteers.", "And on the big screen, the fantasy has never looked so real." ]

{ "things": [ "Cine Cameras", "Glass Christmas Ornaments", "Giant Tires" ] }

[ "A cinecamera is the type of camera they use for making motion pictures.", "It captures what it shoots on 16- or 35-millimeter film.", "Running like a well-oiled machine, its intricate components work with ultimate precision, all inside a powerful marvel of technology and craftsmanship.", "The internal mechanics and electronics of a cinecamera perform an impressive choreography to capture images.", "To make the main housing, a computer-controlled milling machine cuts precise spaces in a block of aluminum.", "Then a probe scans it so a computer can verify the shape meets engineering specifications.", "Next, a variety of computer-guided drills and cutters shape the film gate-- the component that holds the film for exposure.", "A grinding wheel completes this highly precise task.", "They buff the film gate on a rotating drum, infused with diamond powder and a polishing compound.", "Next, workers apply glue to the film guide, which pushes the film into the film gate.", "Then they put glue on the film movement, mate the guide and movement, then drive in screws to secure the bond.", "These two registration pins hold the film in place.", "Now for the pulldown claws.", "Workers mount these aluminum devices inside the film movement-- one on each side.", "They move forward and downward as the registration pins retract, dragging the film along the guide.", "As the claws pull the film down, the pins enter.", "This exposure repeats at a rate of 150 frames per second.", "Next, workers screw on a cover to protect the movement's fragile parts.", "Another cover fits on the other side.", "Workers then test each of the buttons.", "Now they attach the camera's drive shaft.", "The motor drives the movement using a toothed belt.", "A mechanics test comes next to ensure the claws and pins perform with precision.", "This part of the camera is the shutter.", "It sits between the film and lens.", "Workers mount a mirror over half the shutter.", "The mirror reflects the image into the viewfinder when it rotates in behind the lens.", "A dab of special cleaning fluid yields a pristine surface.", "Any dirt on the mirror would create a fuzzy image.", "The protective cover plates will shield existing openings.", "Here the shutter and mirror spin in unison.", "In this model, the shutter is electronic, so it requires a tiny microchip and electrical wires with plugs on the ends.", "Technicians scrutinize the parts and connections.", "Then they test the electronics again to ensure everything is working, starting with the shutter.", "With all the internal components complete, it's time to install them in the camera's housing.", "The film gate we saw earlier snaps into position.", "Next, technicians carefully mount the film guide behind the film, then fasten it tightly.", "Last but not least, the shutter gently slides into position.", "They close up one side of the housing with the cover to protect the circuit board inside.", "Workers then lay an accessory controller gently into the camera's side cover.", "It takes tweezers and a steady hand to insert this focusing screen through the lens mount at the front of the housing.", "Finally, the lens takes its place front and center.", "With the camera structure now complete, workers attach a magazine containing the film.", "A little nudge here and there leads the film down the right path.", "The movement swings forward to allow the film to run its course.", "With the touch of a button, the film successfully races through a mechanical maze.", "This camera excels at high-speed and special effects.", "All it needs now is some action.", "It's hard to beat the glitter and glow of glass christmas ornaments.", "For many people, the christmas tree just wouldn't be the same without them.", "They were invented in the 19th century by a german glassmaker who decided to improvise because he couldn't afford to decorate his tree with the usual nuts and candy.", "They're christmas eye candy.", "Today's glass ornaments are a visual treat.", "To make some of the ornaments, they start with a sketch and make a plaster model of it.", "They use it to create a two-part metal mold.", "They take a glass cylinder and fire its wider end so it softens.", "The glassmaker blows into the pipe end to stretch the supple glass into the basic shape of a bauble ornament.", "Other glass tubes are more bulbous at the center, and that's the section that's fired as the glassmaker blows it into a more elongated bubble.", "He places that bubble in the mold and blows extra hard.", "The glass expands into its crevices and takes its shape-- a snowman.", "He burns off one of the blowpipe ends and then aims the torch at the snowman's nose to pull it out.", "A quick cooldown could shatter this ornament, so he gradually lowers its temperature with a less-intense flame.", "Blowing and molding glass figurines is quick work.", "The glassmaker has just a few seconds to complete the job before the glass becomes too cool and stiff to shape.", "The ornaments now head down the line to get some shine.", "This will be an inside job.", "The glassmaker pours silvering solution into the baubles through the stem.", "She then dips the bauble in warm water.", "This activates the silvering chemicals, and shaking the ornament accelerates this process.", "She swirls the silvering liquid around to completely coat the inside of the ornament.", "A final dip gives this bauble a mirror finish from the inside out.", "She empties the silvering solution into another tank for recycling.", "They also use this technique on the figurines, like the snowman.", "A quick shake gives this guy an inner beauty.", "Next, they submerge the glass ornament in lacquer to give it some color.", "The mirror finish inside shines through the lacquer.", "Now the snowman ornament gets an artist's touch.", "She airbrushes white lacquer onto the figurine for a frosty finish.", "It makes the snowman look more like old frosty.", "The artist paints some of the details by hand, like the trim on the hat and robe of this santa ornament.", "This gives it more visual depth.", "Once the paint dries, she brushes glue onto sections where she wants glitter dust to stick.", "The glue dries quickly, so the artist applies more.", "When it comes to christmas sparkle, you just can't get enough.", "Next, she makes an incision in the stem and snaps it off.", "A metal cap fits on the ornament stub.", "Time to pack up these fragile beauties very carefully.", "They put them in boxes that cradle each one individually to ensure they arrive safely.", "Now these glass ornaments are ready to go \"out on a limb\" to add beauty to the holidays.", "Tires for construction and mining equipment are truly giant-sized.", "They can be twice the height of a human being and weigh thousands of pounds.", "These giant tires also come with a hefty price tag.", "Just one can cost more than an average family sedan.", "Giant tires are made to carry heavy loads in conditions that are seriously off-road, like mining and construction sites.", "To make giant tires, they feed rubber into a powerful mixer.", "They add sulfur and antioxidants to boost the rubber's durability, as well as recycle pieces of used tires.", "At the top of the mixer, they add carbon black in measured amounts.", "It's an oil by-product that helps bind everything together.", "The mixing generates heat, which softens the rubber, making it doughy.", "The rubber dough then falls between rollers that squeeze it into a sheet.", "The process is called milling.", "They slice the sheeted rubber and feed it back into the machine several times.", "This repeated milling essentially kneads the rubber to give it the right consistency.", "Once the rubber has been sufficiently processed, they feed it to a conveyor.", "A wheel rolls over the rubber to impress the date and identification number onto it.", "The rubber then winds through a tank of soapy water.", "As it exits, it falls over hangers that move it through a dryer.", "A soapy residue remains, keeping the layers from sticking together as they await more processing.", "They write the i.d. number on a sample of the rubber and tag the production run with the same number.", "This signifies that testing is under way.", "They tuck the test sample in a canister and send it up a chute to the lab.", "Once it's confirmed the rubber has the right characteristics, it's ready to be made into the various components of a giant tire.", "At the next station, dozens of steel cords unwind into a machine.", "Each cord is made of numerous steel threads, and each thread is brass-plated.", "These steel cords will be used to fortify the processed rubber.", "The cords enter a machine called an extruder.", "It grinds and heats some of the processed rubber and then forces it around the steel cords to encase them.", "The result is what's known as steel-belted rubber.", "They cut several of the steel-belted strips on an angle and fuse them together.", "This exposes steel cord around the edges, so hot rollers seal them with rubber.", "The steel-belted rubber will make the tires more resistant to punctures.", "But they make the tires' basic structure from rubber-coated nylon cord.", "They cut the nylon-rubber ply to a specific length.", "Workers then piece several of these sheets together to form a loop.", "The pieces adhere because uncured rubber is naturally tacky.", "And a machine rolls the loop to the correct size.", "They layer more of the nylon-rubber ply in a crisscross fashion to add strength.", "The machine that helps size the loop also applies a thin layer of ordinary rubber between each crisscrossed layer.", "This thickens the rubber loop.", "The finished loop is called the band.", "It's the skeleton of the giant tire.", "They hoist it onto a cart and move it to the next station.", "Stay tuned, as they shape and inflate this band of rubber to turn it into a giant tire.", "When it comes to tires, it takes time to supersize.", "Making a giant tire can take 24 hours or more, mainly because the rubber needs a lot of curing.", "It's not mass production.", "It's massiveproduction.", "As a result, factories only produce a few of the largest ones a day.", "This machine is about to stretch the big band of rubber like an elastic.", "The machine pivots, and its many rollers expand and turn to transfer the band to a spinning drum.", "The machine pumps air around the protruding rollers to make the transfer easier, while the drum turns at a constant speed to aid the process.", "Once the transfer is complete, the rollers retract, and the air escapes.", "This causes the rubber to shrink to the drum and take its shape.", "They fold the overlap into the center of the drum.", "The giant rubber band now has the basic contour of a tire.", "Next, another machine coats numerous steel wires with rubber, creating strips of rubberized steel.", "This will be used to make the bead-- the part of the tire that sits on the wheel rim.", "They wind the rubberized steel around a metal wheel up to 20 times to form the bead.", "They remove the bead and inspect it.", "Then they pack a thick layer of rubber onto it so it will be easier to shape to the tire.", "Using a special applicator wheel, they push the bead against the lip of the rubber tire shape.", "The bead adheres, but it needs to be more solidly attached.", "A spinning disk forces the bead more firmly to the rubber tire shape.", "Then the tire assembler folds back the extra rubber from the tire and wraps it around the bead, using sheer physical strength.", "They install two or three beads on each side of the tire.", "The multiroller device takes over from the assembler and folds back extra rubber to lock the beads in place.", "Next, the tire turns as they wind steel-belted rubber around it, followed by a continuous strip of ordinary rubber.", "That strip builds up contours for tread.", "The assembler then wraps a thick piece of ordinary rubber around the outer edge.", "This is the tire's sidewall.", "The spinning-disc device presses the sidewall to the tire.", "This tire is now ready to move on.", "Here, a huge rubber bladder inflates and deflates as they spray it with a nonstick coating.", "This bladder will act as the inner part of a mold.", "They lift the tire onto the deflated bladder.", "They then pump steam into it, expanding the tire.", "A metal mold with a tread pattern engraved in it closes around the swelling tire.", "The tire cooks in this mold for up to 18 hours, causing the rubber to cure.", "The giant tire pops out of the mold with tread.", "The brand name and identification numbers have all been molded into the rubber.", "After cooling, an inspection team examines the giant tire inside and out.", "And once it gets the okay, it's ready to roll.", "And with all that deep tread, each giant tire is guaranteed to make a big impression on the jobsite." ]

{ "things": [ "Hockey Gloves", "Snack Cakes", "Remolded Tires", "Wastewater Treatment" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Hockey gloves...", "Snack cakes...", "Remolded tires...", "And wastewater treatment.", "Ice hockey can get pretty rough, so wearing the proper equipment is a must.", "Hockey gloves protect the forearm, wrist, and hand.", "A good glove has padding in all the right places, but is still lightweight and comfortable.", "It also has to be flexible, so the player can hold and maneuver the hockey stick.", "The covering material of a hockey glove is called the outer shell.", "It can be made of genuine leather or synthetic leather.", "There's even a new synthetic material called carbon that's tearproof, even if a sharp skate blade slashes it.", "What it's made of is a closely guarded trade secret.", "One hockey glove is made up of about 30 different parts, depending on the model.", "Workers lay a die in the shape of each part on the outer-shell material.", "A hydraulic press forces it down like a cookie cutter.", "Workers then cut foam pieces to line the glove.", "This low-density foam is stiff enough to provide protection, but flexible enough to enable the player to grip the stick properly.", "A seamstress now lockstitches the outer-shell and foam-lining parts together, assembling each section of the glove separately.", "After finishing the back of the hand, called the back roll, she pieces together the thumb.", "She sews three sides closed.", "One end stays open so they'll be able to insert more protective foam afterward.", "These are the finger pieces.", "The seamstress uses a tacking machine to sew up the sides and tack the corners for added strength, again leaving one end, the top, open.", "Now they assemble the fingers to the base of the glove.", "They use what's called a cylinder arm machine.", "It has a narrow sewing surface that protrudes, making it easy to access the fingertips.", "Next come the parts that make up the palm and the gusset, the piece that goes between the fingers and the palm.", "Like before, workers cut the parts using a die.", "The palm and gusset can be made of high-end synthetic suede or leather or even genuine leather.", "The advantage of real leather is that it can be treated with an antibacterial product that combats odor caused by the hand sweating inside the glove.", "Again, the seamstress uses the cylinder arm machine to sew the palm to the glove base, which already has the fingers attached.", "Next, the glove goes onto a machine that's custom-made for the hockey-glove industry.", "Using air pressure to power a piston, it injects pieces of high-density foam padding into the open end of the fingers.", "High-density foam is rock-hard, so it provides maximum protection.", "But high-density foam is too stiff to go into the thumb, which needs some flexibility.", "So instead, they make what's called an armored thumb plate, which is essentially a plastic thumb shield.", "A hot forge presses a flat piece of hard plastic onto an aluminum mold in the shape of the plate.", "Then they wrap the plate in low-density foam and, with another machine custom-made for this purpose, inject it into the glove thumb.", "The lower part of the glove is now complete.", "A seamstress finishes off the edge with cotton tape.", "All that's left is to do is assemble and attach the cuff.", "The standard cuff is a little over 2 inches wide.", "You can buy the gloves this company produces for retail stores, or order customized gloves with your name embroidered on the cuffs.", "Professional hockey players have the factory build gloves to their own specifications with extra protection in key areas or certain adjustments that they feel give them an advantage on the ice.", "The most important part of the glove is the palm.", "That's the area that endures the most wear and tear.", "The sturdier the palm material, the longer the glove will last.", "But at the same time, the palm padding can't be too thick.", "That would make the glove uncomfortable to wear and take away the player's feel for the hockey stick.", "When marie antoinette said, \"let them eat cake,\" she probably didn't mean those mini jelly logs.", "Still, in the realm of treats for the sweet tooth, snack cakes have been revolutionary.", "They're just the right size for a quick snack and individually wrapped to stay fresh.", "Veteran snackers will recognize this as a jelly log, a sponge cake rolled up with jam and a creamy filling.", "First the factory bakes the sponge cake.", "It comes out of the oven in continuous strips.", "Those moving arms align the strips to receive the fillings.", "One machine then does it all.", "First it deposits an even layer of cream filling...", "Then blobs of strawberry jam.", "Now the rolling begins.", "One side of the cake strip runs against a metal guide.", "This lifts and folds over the edge.", "Then the cake strips run against a second guide which rolls it over some more.", "Now the machine cuts the continuous strip into separate cakes.", "Then an automated roller completes the logs.", "The jelly logs go onto a conveyor belt that positions them closer together, aligning them for the next phases of production.", "They travel through a waterfall of strawberry-flavored syrup.", "This sticky coating acts as a tasty glue to adhere the shredded coconut that showers them next.", "The conveyor belt shakes off the excess which, like the excess strawberry syrup before, gets fed through the machine again.", "Now, if all this doesn't have your sweet tooth tingling yet, the next snack cake will.", "It's a chocolate cream cake covered in a chocolate coating.", "Production begins in the mixer, where they combine eggs, a vegetable-oil mixture...", "Flour...", "Sugar...", "Water...", "Glucose, a liquid sweetener...", "And cocoa powder.", "The mixer blends the ingredients at high speed for one minute.", "Then it pumps the batter into a machine called the automated depositor, which squirts the batter into cake molds.", "The conveyor belt transports the mold pans to the oven.", "The batter bakes for 7 minutes.", "To achieve just the right texture, there's a very specific heating pattern.", "Once the pans exit the oven, a robot flips the cakes upside down onto a conveyor belt.", "It stacks the empty mold pans onto another conveyor that sends them back for more batter.", "Now the cakes flip right side up onto a wire conveyor belt.", "Air circulating between the wires cools the cakes.", "The next machine aligns the cakes in position for the next phases of production.", "First thin blades saw the cakes in half.", "Then suction tubes remove the tops and place them next to the bottoms.", "Next the machine drops a portion of cream filling on each bottom.", "The cream is about the consistency of margarine.", "As the feeder tube above each cake delivers it, a wire cutter slices off a piece about 1/4 of an inch thick.", "Then the suction tubes put the tops back on.", "Now the cakes pass through a shower of hot, chocolate-flavored liquid.", "This coats the top and sides.", "At the same time, the cakes travel through a bath of the liquid.", "This coats the underside.", "Air jets blow off the excess.", "The cakes pass through a cooling tunnel.", "This hardens the chocolate-flavored coating.", "Then it's off to the packaging department.", "The cakes file into a sheet of polypropylene film.", "The machine seals, then cuts the film between each cake.", "This keeps each one fresh until snack time.", "If you need new tires for your car or truck and are looking to save money, you might consider buying retreaded or remolded tires.", "Retreads are worn-out tires onto which the factory glues new rubber treads.", "Remolds, on the other hand, are actually rebuilt.", "This company specializes in remolding commercial truck tires.", "The worn-out tire is called a casing.", "This is a cross section.", "That steel reinforcement rod, called the bead, won't be replaced.", "But most of the rubber around it will be, along with most of the tread area.", "The steel belts underneath the treads-- those dots-- will remain.", "They begin the remolding process by thoroughly inspecting the casing to determine whether it's indeed salvageable.", "They consider its age, whether it's had repairs.", "They examine the steel components to make sure they haven't rusted.", "If the casing passes inspection, it moves on to the buffing machine.", "There, sharp blades spinning at high speed shear off most of the worn-out rubber tread.", "Buffing prepares the surface so that the new rubber will adhere well and stand up to road friction.", "Buffing takes about 6 minutes per tire.", "It leaves just over 1/16 of an inch of tread on the casing.", "Now they use a tool called a skiver to shave off any imperfections.", "A rubber tire is like a car windshield-- even the smallest crack can spread outward, so it has to be stemmed.", "After excising problem spots, they smooth them with a grinding stone.", "Then they repeat the buffing-skiving-grinding procedure on the sides of the casing, but they use a less abrasive grinding stone because the sides don't need such aggressive treatment.", "Unlike the tread area, they won't be subjected to road abrasion.", "Now, using a drill, workers remove dirt and rust from each spot.", "Then they work the area some more with a grinding wheel, so that the rubber they'll use to patch it will adhere properly.", "Now they glue the patch from the inside with rubber cement, pressing out any air bubbles with a roller to ensure full contact.", "Workers can now start rebuilding the tire.", "They feed a rubber strip into a machine called an extruder.", "First it heats up the strip, making it malleable.", "Then it wraps it onto the casing, building up anywhere from two to four layers depending on how thick the customer wants the tire to be.", "That depends on several factors-- for instance, how much traction the tire needs to have and whether the truck will be doing mostly local or long-distance driving.", "Now they apply a wider rubber strip to the sides, building up one to three layers, the choice again depending on the customer's thickness needs.", "Using a perforating roller, they release the trapped air.", "This enables the layers to adhere well.", "Now they sprinkle the tire with rubber powder, residue from the buffing.", "This will prevent the tire from sticking to the mold.", "The mold consists of sections which allows it to open wide enough to receive the tire.", "The backward lettering inside will imprint the remolding company's brand name on the tire.", "The mold applies about 220 pounds of pressure as well as heat-- 320 degrees fahrenheit.", "This fuses the molecules in the old and the new rubber-- a chemical reaction called polymerization.", "Once the mold closes to begin this process, a tube inflates with air and fills the void.", "This provides counterpressure, so that the tire doesn't get crushed.", "Molding time is anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes per tire, depending on the thickness.", "After extracting the tire, workers remove the seams of excess rubber with a special comb.", "This remolded tire is now ready to hit the road at considerable cost savings.", "Depending on the size and type, a remold is 30% to 60% cheaper than a new tire.", "Have you ever wondered where all the rainwater goes, or the snow once it melts, or the water in your sink, tub, and toilet after you've used it?", "This wastewater flows through the underground sewer system to a treatment plant.", "The plant removes most of the pollutants, then releases the water into a lake or river.", "The underground sewer network feeds into a regional interceptor, which is a kind of sewer highway that runs to the treatment plant.", "The action begins at the plant's pumping station.", "It doesn't look like much from above, but the building extends some 15 stories belowground, right through solid rock.", "The wastewater collects in huge underground wells.", "It's not a pretty sight.", "It's full of dirt, garbage, and fecal matter.", "It also contains high levels of phosphorus, a poisonous element in the nitrogen family harmful to waterways because it promotes the overgrowth of algae.", "The water flows from the wells to giant pumps that force it to the surface.", "The plant has backup generators to keep the pumps working in case of a blackout and devices to prevent water from backing up should a pump have to be shut down for servicing.", "Once the wastewater reaches the surface, it flows through the pumping station down discharge channels leading to the treatment building.", "Along the way, it's sprayed with either aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride, two chemical coagulants.", "They gradually transform phosphorus in the water from liquid to solid so it can be removed later on.", "Once the water reaches the treatment building, it flows through screens.", "This preliminary filtration removes any solids larger than one inch in diameter-- such things as stones, paper, and plastic.", "Giant presses compact this garbage, squeezing out the excess water.", "Trucks then haul the stuff to a landfill, where it's buried.", "The wastewater, meanwhile, flows into large tanks called grit chambers.", "Grit refers to particles in the water such as gravel that are inorganic, meaning they don't decompose or burn.", "These particles, some as tiny as a grain of sand, gradually settle to the bottom.", "Then they're pumped out and trucked to the landfill.", "To remove organic particles, mainly phosphorus, they add a polymer, a type of chemical compound.", "This demonstration shows what happens.", "Remember, as the wastewater left the pumping station, it was sprayed with coagulant.", "That transformed the phosphorus in the water into solid particles.", "The polymer solution completes the process.", "It binds those particles, forming what are called \"flocs,\" masses of phosphorus that look like snowflakes.", "They're heavier than water, so they sink to the bottom.", "And that's exactly what occurs in the plant's clarifier tanks.", "It takes about two hours for the flocs to settle at the bottom, forming a layer of sediment called \"sludge\".", "A system of rakes and pumps collects the sludge and transfers it to the sludge treatment building.", "Unless testing shows a need for additional treatment, the clarified, fully treated wastewater now flows to what's called the outfall, a series of channels that discharge into the river.", "In the sludge-treatment building, they spray the wet sludge with another type of polymer.", "This further solidifies it, so that filter presses can more easily squeeze out the water.", "Most of the sludge goes into giant incinerators to be burned.", "The ashes go to a landfill.", "The gas that the incinerators emit powers several machines that dry and transform the remaining sludge into pellets.", "These pellets are sold as organic fertilizer.", "When it arrived at the plant, the wastewater was full of contaminants that harm aquatic life.", "Now, after treatment, it contains 80% fewer suspended solids such as fecal matter and 75% less phosphorus." ]

{ "things": [ "High" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "High-precision cutting tools...", "Stained glass...", "Semi-trailers...", "And recorders.", "Industrial cutting tools are the metalworking components of factory machinery.", "They're designed to form metal into product parts or into devices for making product parts.", "High-tech industries use high-precision cutting tools.", "These are the end mills-- tools specifically designed for cutting and shaping metal.", "They're made from a very durable grade of steel or from tungsten carbide-- a metal even stronger than steel.", "Steel bars in their raw state are actually soft enough to be cut and shaped.", "But it takes loads of lubrication to cool the intense heat that metal-on-metal friction generates.", "Using a giant band saw, they cut the bars into end-mill-size pieces, called blanks.", "Workers turn each blank individually on a computer-guided metal lathe.", "First, they form a point on one end.", "Then they flatten the opposite end and drill a center hole.", "Then they trim the diameter to the required size.", "Next stop-- a computer-guided milling machine.", "It works on three blanks at a time, carving helix-shaped ridges called flutes.", "The flutes run almost the full length of the blank.", "Once again, lubrication is essential to prevent overheating.", "This milling process transforms each blank into a tool.", "From this point on, the shorter, smooth portion is called the shank, the longer, fluted portion, the cutting end.", "Here's the same milling process again but for a different model.", "Here are both models before and after.", "Now they cure the steel using a two-step heat-treatment process.", "The first stage hardens the metal, using molten salt-- salt that's been heated until it liquefies.", "They soak the tools in five progressively hotter salt baths, whose temperatures range from 1,200 to 2,200 degrees fahrenheit.", "The second phase of heat treatment is a process called induction.", "They set each tool into a large metal coil.", "The coil's internal magnetic field generates intense heat, which softens the shank, making it more flexible.", "Now the finishing process.", "They run the shank against a grinding wheel, whose grit is made of diamond particles.", "This gives it the strength to erode steel with a high degree of precision.", "They verify the final diameter using a digital micrometer.", "Then a robotic arm runs the tools-- one at a time-- through a high-precision automated grinding machine, this time to finish the cutting end.", "The machine uses diamond grinding wheels to grind the precise cutting angles and finalize the diameter.", "More complex tools go into this even more sophisticated grinding machine.", "It, too, uses diamond wheels and runs robotically.", "The end mills are now completed.", "This factory makes high-precision cutting tools, primarily for the aerospace and automotive industries, where precision is everything.", "So at each stage of the production process, the factory verifies measurements using various optical and digital instruments.", "This sensing probe conducts the final quality-control test.", "It scans each and every finished end mill to ensure that the surface is as smooth as silk.", "These high-precision cutting tools are now ready to be put to work machining aluminum, titanium, and different types of steel.", "Around 1,000 a.d., craftsmen began making intricate window designs using lead-- rather than wood or plaster-- between pieces of colored glass.", "Before long, the church began commissioning stained-glass windows depicting religious scenes to adorn the great cathedrals of europe.", "You can make stained glass two ways-- using copper foil, a technique developed about 100 years ago by the american artist louis comfort tiffany, or you can use the centuries-old european lead technique, which we're about to see.", "First, the artist lays a plate of glass over a pattern and traces the parts of the design that she'll cut from that plate.", "Then she scores her trace line using a glass cutter.", "A quick snap, and the glass separates neatly.", "She follows the same procedure with different colors and textures of glass, making all the pieces of the design.", "By running the cutter slightly inside the trace line, she leaves room for the strip of lead that will later hold the pieces of glass together.", "Once she finishes cutting all the pieces, she checks them against the pattern, making sure they'll fit together properly.", "Now it's time to assemble the pieces, using the pattern as a guide.", "This zinc molding will frame the panel, its inner groove fitting over the edge of the glass.", "The artist positions this molding along the perimeter of the pattern.", "Then she drills an l-shaped wood frame into the worktable to hold everything in place during assembly.", "A few nails keep the molding in place.", "She'll join the pieces of glass using strips of lead, called came.", "Lead is used because it's soft enough to bend to the shape of the pieces.", "After straightening out a long strip of came, she cuts the various lengths she needs to border each piece of glass.", "The came is shaped in such a way that the glass on each side just slides right under.", "The cutting pliers, called nippers, are specially designed to slice through the came without deforming it.", "Once the artist finishes assembling the glass pieces, she pushes everything gently against the wood frame.", "This squares the panel and ensures the pieces fit together snugly.", "Now she brushes on flux, a type of acid.", "This cleans the lead came so that the solder will adhere well.", "Using a soldering iron, she applies a bead of lead-and-tin solder wherever two strips of lead meet.", "Then she uses a short-bristled brush to coat the lead in black putty.", "This makes the seams watertight and gives the lead a darker, aged look.", "Finally, she sprinkles on calcium chloride powder, called whiting.", "This sets the putty and polishes the glass and lead to a shine.", "After four painstaking hours, the panel is finished.", "More elaborate stained-glass works feature hand-painted detailing.", "The artist first prepares the design on paper, then cuts the pieces of glass accordingly.", "He paints the design outline on the pieces in black, then fires them in a kiln to set the paint.", "To create shading, he applies a coat of brown paint called grisaille.", "Using a dry brush, he removes it from the parts he wants to highlight.", "Then he fires the glass again.", "Now he paints in the fine details and fires the glass for one last time.", "The paint contains powdered glass, so the intense heat of the kiln bonds it to the glass pieces.", "The result is nothing short of spectacular.", "For those of you who flunked truck anatomy 101, here's a quick review.", "The front of the truck, where the driver sits, is called the cab.", "The back that carries the cargo is the trailer.", "A semi-trailer is a type of trailer whose front end goes on the same wheels as the rear end of the cab.", "This type of semi-trailer is called a van.", "It has a closed-in compartment for transporting cargo that needs protection from the elements.", "To make the coupler plate-- the part that attaches the van to the truck cab-- they submerge steel plates in water to quell the smoke that metal-cutting generates.", "They use a computer-guided plasma cutter.", "This powerful torch ejects hot gas at high pressure, slicing through the metal with detailed precision.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they take prepainted aluminum panels and rivet them onto aluminum or steel support posts...", "The same way drywall goes onto 2x4s in house construction.", "These thin, lightweight panels will be the van's exterior walls.", "Plywood on the reverse side makes up the interior walls.", "A computerized sensor guides the robotic drills to drive screws through the plywood, into the support posts underneath.", "For heated or refrigerated vans, there's a layer of insulation in the walls.", "The floor is made of either laminated hardwood or aluminum screwed onto narrow steel beams.", "After assembling the walls, the steel door frame, and doors, workers install a steel floor plate at the doorway.", "This protects the floor from damage when truckers load and unload their cargo by forklift.", "Workers fold aluminum flashing over the roof's perimeter to prevent water infiltration.", "Fiberglass roofing like this allows daylight into the van.", "Aluminum roofing doesn't, so those vans sometimes have electric lighting.", "Another type of semi-trailer is the flatbed-- an open trailer used mostly for hauling raw materials, such as logs and pipes.", "Heavier flatbed models are made of thick, higher-grade steel.", "Workers cut the bulkier parts using what's called an automatic oxy cutter.", "It combines two gases to create a flame intense enough to slice right through metal.", "Once cut, the parts have to be formed to the required shape.", "To do that, workers use what's called a press brake-- a machine that applies up to 330 tons of pressure-- to bend the steel.", "They measure the result to ensure it meets design specifications.", "The chassis will have two main beams running the length of the flatbed.", "A semiautomatic robot welds together the various sections that make up each beam.", "A worker follows behind, inspecting the joints and removing welding residue.", "Now they position two main beams side by side, inserting steel cross members through them to support the floor.", "They install the coupler plate and other components, then weld everything together.", "Flatbeds come in extendable versions designed to accommodate loads of various lengths.", "They extend and retract on steel rollers operated by controls located inside the truck cab.", "With the chassis complete, they can now work on the axle assembly.", "Semi-trailers have an air-brake system.", "When the driver applies the brakes, there's a release of air pressure into the brake chambers, triggering the brake shoes to bear down on the brake drums and stop the vehicle.", "Once the wheels and suspension system are in place, workers install the axle assembly under the trailer.", "The average semi-trailer weighs between five and seven tons and can haul up to five times its weight.", "The recorder is a type of flute that's played vertically.", "It consists of a mouthpiece that works like a whistle, connected to a tube with finger holes.", "Mass-produced plastic recorders are a staple of elementary school music programs.", "Real musicians, though, play finer wooden recorders.", "The recorder dates back to medieval europe, though it was likely modeled after flutes from asia.", "Back then, recorders were called flutes.", "And, by 1500, they were among the most popular musical instruments.", "Around 1750, though, the new transverse flute banished the recorder to musical oblivion.", "It took a 20th-century revival of music from the renaissance and baroque periods to bring the long-forgotten recorder some noteworthy attention.", "A recorder is composed of three hollow sections made of a lightweight hardwood, such as boxwood.", "Crafting one section at a time, they find a portion free of cracks, knots, and other faults, then cut away the surrounding wood using a band saw.", "They measure the block's diameter to ensure it's large enough.", "Then they carefully mark and drill through the midpoint in order to mount the block on a lathe.", "Precision is critical.", "The block must be perfectly centered as they round it into a cylinder.", "Next, they use a large drill to widen the inside hole, known as the bore.", "They enlarge it enough to insert a tool called a reamer.", "Then they ream the bore to the final diameter, which varies according to the size of the recorder.", "The bore tapers slightly toward the bottom of the instrument.", "The cylinder, now a tube, goes back on a lathe.", "The smooth pencil line means the bore is straight and the tube is centered.", "They trim the outside to reduce it to the right diameter, checking the measurement with the help of calipers.", "Then it's back onto a lathe for the final profiling.", "This is where the maker gets to flaunt his artistry, embellishing the tube with ornamentation typical of the baroque period.", "It takes about an hour and a half to cut and shape the recorder's three sections-- the head joint, the middle joint, and the foot joint.", "Now they smooth the surface of each joint with fine sandpaper.", "Then it's back to the technical tasks.", "Locking the middle and foot joints in a vise, they drill the finger holes-- seven holes down the front and one in the back for the thumb.", "For the recorder to play in tune, they must follow the precise measurements specified in the technical drawing.", "In the head joint, they cut a flat canal called the windway.", "It directs the air that's blown into the instrument.", "Next, they carve out a rectangular window with a sloped opening, called the labium.", "The labium is what regulates the recorder's tone-- the sound quality-- so its size and angle are critical.", "The air the musician blows into the mouthpiece travels down the windway and hits the sharp edge of the labium.", "This creates a whistle effect, thanks to a block of wood closing off the top of the instrument.", "They use cedar because it never rots, despite years of hot air and saliva blowing on it.", "They complete the head joint by beveling the top.", "This forms the mouthpiece.", "Now they glue a thin layer of cork around all the joint ends.", "This creates a snug fit when the instrument's assembled.", "They test the recorder's tone and tuning, making adjustments to the workings if necessary.", "Next, they stain the wood, then wax and buff it to a shine.", "Recorders have a 2-octave-- or 16-note-- range, and they come in about 15 different sizes.", "The longer and wider the instrument is, the lower its register.", "The shorter and thinner it is, the higher the sound it produces." ]

{ "things": [ "Gingerbread Houses", "Livestock Trailers", "Bottom Rolling Hangar Doors", "Toy Figurines" ] }

[ "Gingerbread houses are a holiday tradition.", "It used to take a fair amount of time and baking expertise to make one.", "But today, there are kits and even pre-assembled gingerbread houses that make the process a breeze.", "There's something about this edible edifice that makes the holidays seem more special.", "With a kit, you can let the factory handle the tricky part and just have fun with the trimmings.", "To make a gingerbread house kit, the factory starts with baking soda.", "Then a worker adds a scoop of salt, measuring the ingredients by weight.", "He transfers the baking soda and salt to a mixer.", "He measures the spices-- cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.", "There's actually a lot more cinnamon than ginger in gingerbread.", "But the flavor of the ginger is more pronounced.", "He closes the mixer, and the system adds water, molasses, and sugar.", "At the top of the mixer, he tosses in a block of vegetable shortening.", "The mixer combines all the ingredients and blends in the flour.", "The result is a putty-like dough.", "A spiraling machine helps move the dough onto a conveyor.", "A roller flattens the chunks so they won't fall off during the steep climb.", "The conveyor delivers the chunks of dough to a machine called a sheeter.", "It gets this name because it rolls the pieces into a seemingly endless sheet.", "A large cookie cutter comes down.", "It punches out the various shapes needed to form the gingerbread house.", "The cookie cutouts land on moving rubber-coated wires.", "Separators between the wires trim the excess gingerbread dough, which is captured and mixed into the next batch.", "Then the cookies transfer to a mesh conveyor, which takes them up to a baking sheet belt.", "The cookies travel slowly through a long convection oven that's heated to just over 160 degrees.", "Here's an inside look.", "At any time, there are parts for 150 gingerbread kits in this oven.", "The baked gingerbread exits the oven and transfers to a spiral conveyor.", "After a 30-minute ride, the dough is cool and firm.", "Workers stack the pieces for one gingerbread house onto a piece of cardboard.", "They're ready to be packaged with the rest of the kit.", "Factory workers assemble the houses for certain retailers.", "They glue the gingerbread structure together with royal icing made of confectioner's sugar and egg whites.", "It dries fast, giving this gingerbread house instant structural integrity.", "For the customer, all that's left is the decorating.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they make the icing for the kits.", "Plastic packaging moves toward hot jaws that seal the bottom.", "Then a robot grabs a package and opens the top.", "A fill nozzle pumps icing into it.", "Another robot applies an applicator tip and heat-seals the plastic around it.", "The tubes of sugary icing fall on to a conveyor.", "A worker places them in a box for transfer to the kit-assembly station.", "These gingerbread houses are ready for retail.", "Decorated with icing and candy, they look good enough to eat.", "Livestock should be transported in a vehicle that keeps them comfortable and protects them from injury and stress.", "The best way to haul cattle and horses humanely is in a livestock trailer.", "They're designed to be easy to load, unload, and clean out.", "A proper livestock trailer keeps its passengers as comfortable as possible.", "It's built to reduce rattling and other stress-inducing noises.", "It lets in natural light, which has a calming effect, and it has openings along the sides to circulate air.", "A designer builds a 3-d model on a computer then breaks it down into units for assembly.", "The factory orders long pieces of extruded aluminum designed for the trailer model then cuts them to specific lengths.", "To construct the floor, workers slide planks into end rails.", "They pull the planks tightly together using ratchet straps then weld them to the rails.", "They weld two flat aluminum bars across the planks as floor supports.", "The floor is upside down during this part of the assembly.", "Once they flip it over, these supporters will be under the floor planks.", "Next, they install the axles, two or three depending on the size and style of the trailer.", "These steel axles are mounted to a steel frame that provides structural support for the trailer.", "To attach the frame, they drill holes for lock bolts and lock collars.", "They use a special tool to squeeze the collar down into the bolt.", "This ensures the bolt won't loosen with vibration.", "Now they flip the floor over.", "They weld the reverse side of the rails to the floor planks using a track welder.", "To construct the trailer walls, they weld together horizontal slants, uprights, and a top rail.", "They connect the wall to the floor then weld it in place.", "This trailer is designed for a warm climate, so the side walls have openings at the top to improve air flow.", "Several parts of the trailer are cut from sheets of textured aluminum called tread plate.", "After welding on a large piece of tread plate for the trailer's front wall, they attach the gooseneck nose.", "This nose connects the trailer to the back of a pickup truck.", "It can also transport tools, feed, and baby animals.", "Trailers that don't have a gooseneck are called bumper hitches.", "They connect to the back of a tow vehicle.", "Workers attach the gooseneck using welds and lock bolts.", "They build the trailer's access gates the same way as the walls-- cutting aluminum extrusions to specific lengths, assembling them, then welding the parts together.", "They mount the gates by welding the hinge plates to the wall structure.", "The roof can either be a sheet of aluminum or a sheet of translucent woven glass fiber.", "They pull the sheet taut then rivet it to the top rail of the walls.", "They add an aluminum strip to secure the roof in high winds.", "Workers install reflective tape and l.e.d. lights where transport regulations require them.", "A rubber grommet around each light reduces vibration and prevents water infiltration.", "Workers complete the assembly by mounting the wheels and tires onto the axles.", "They add a spare tire under the gooseneck and a vinyl graphic decal on the side wall.", "After a thorough inspection, they give the trailer a mild acid wash to remove any grease and handprints.", "The factory can customize any trailer design.", "This includes higher windows for horses or installing troughs so the driver can give the animals food and water.", "Every trailer is designed for easy cleaning, which includes unloading the livestock, removing the bedding material and manure, as well as pressure-washing the floor.", "A hangar is a closed building structure designed for storing aircraft or spacecraft.", "They provide protection from direct sun exposure and bad weather.", "As aircrafts grew bigger, so did their hangars.", "Many hangars today use giant bottom-rolling doors.", "The bottom-rolling hangar door moves along rails embedded in the floor and top guide beams built into the ceiling.", "They use several smaller panels to construct the 184-foot-wide hangar door.", "An oxy fuel cutter carves door parts out of a carbon-steel plate.", "The torches heat up the metal, then blast it with oxygen.", "This creates iron oxide, which melts and flows out of the cut.", "The operator uses an iron rod to lift the machined parts off of the burn table.", "He cleans up the edges with an electric grinder and removes any iron oxide left over from the cutting process.", "The machined parts go to a cnc mill, which turns each round blank into a wheel.", "A carbide insert carves the rail's tread profile into the steel.", "The machine sprays coolant to prevent overheating, which would warp the finished wheel.", "Next, a machinist uses a smaller blank to make an upper-guide roller.", "The mill runs at a speed of approximately 200 rotations per minute.", "It quickly turns the round blank into a finished roller ready for assembly.", "A worker starts fitting rollers inside the upper guide head.", "He inserts them into machined holes in the steel housing and tack-welds them in place.", "He positions the larger rollers outside the upper guide head housing.", "These rollers will bear the load of the door.", "Using a metal sheet as a gauge, he sets the clearance between the roller and the housing then welds the parts together.", "A cnc drilling machine prepares to make the outside frame of the door panels.", "A pressure sensor on the drill moves its carbide insert back automatically as soon as it pierces the surface.", "Meanwhile, two welders assemble the bottom door truck on a welding jig.", "They weld a spacer to the main beam using an electric mig welder.", "They tack-weld the tube in place then bring in the side channel of the door truck assembly.", "They clamp the side channel tightly against the spacer tube.", "Then weld the spacers to the beam, making a clean, continuous weld.", "A worker sand-blasts the door truck assembly.", "He blows compressed air and sand to prepare the metal surface for painting.", "Using a spray gun, a worker applies corrosion-resistant metal primer on the door truck and leaves it to dry.", "Workers assemble the panels before the door leaves the shop.", "They use high-strength structural bolts to assemble the parts.", "Workers install the unitized operator assembly.", "It contains the engine powering the bottom roller wheels.", "A worker bolts the electrical control panel to the operator assembly frame.", "He puts the cabinet door in place and secures the hinge.", "Tightened brace cables keep the door square and prevent racking.", "They mount the upper guide on a telescoping assembly.", "They add the door's corrugated exterior panels, and it's ready to ship.", "At the push of a button, the assembled door slowly opens.", "Each panel rolls on the bottom rail and hangs from the top guide rail.", "The door opens wide enough to let the aircraft through.", "Playing make-believe is a common pastime for children.", "Research shows that playing with dolls and toy figurines can improve a child's creativity, communication, and social skills.", "This includes problem solving and empathizing.", "Whether it's an animal, person, or fictional creature, a toy figurine can be a passport to a fantasy world where imagination rules and the story plays out in the child's hands.", "The toy company designers study photographs or drawings of the creature they plan to create.", "Then they prepare a sketch of the figurine showing the physical characteristics, such as size, colors, and textures.", "Once the sketch is finalized, they use specialized software to transform it into a 3-dimensional model.", "Then a 3-d printer creates a plastic model.", "The company also employs traditional wax modelers.", "It may look like a slow process, but an experienced wax modeler can often sculpt a model faster than a computer.", "The company's engineers determine whether the toy should be produced in one piece or multiple parts.", "Then the modeler makes a wax or plastic model accordingly.", "This particular dino is divided into four parts-- head, body, jaw, and tongue.", "For each part, workers create a silicone mold, which will be used to make several copies in hard plastic.", "Workers place the model of the dino's head in a box then fill the box with silicone.", "It takes about 12 hours for the silicone to cure.", "Then they cut it open and extract the model.", "They use the vacated cavity to cast several hard-plastic copies of the part.", "The art department uses most of them to sample paint colors.", "One copy, however, goes to the company's tool makers, who use it to make the production mold.", "They bury the copy in putty up to the midpoint.", "They leave the top half of the copy exposed.", "Next, they set the half-buried copy in a metal form and fill it with plaster.", "Once the plaster hardens, they cure it in an oven for about an hour then they extract the copy.", "What's left in the plaster is a cavity in the shape of half the dinosaur.", "They fill the cavity with molten zinc, alloyed with copper, aluminum, and magnesium.", "Once the metal cools and solidifies, they break the plaster, revealing one half of the two-part metal production mold.", "They repeat the entire process to make the other half.", "Workers mount the two-part dino mold in an injection molding machine.", "The machine shoots hot, molten plastic into the metal mold cavity.", "The machine immediately cools the plastic then releases the figurine.", "The plastic is solid but still soft, so they dip it in cold water.", "This hardens it further.", "Next, artists hand-paint the figurines using both traditional and airbrushes.", "The paint is nontoxic and very durable.", "It's designed to flex with the plastic to prevent cracking.", "It also withstands abrasion because children often drag these toys along the ground.", "Once the paint dries, they assemble the toy.", "A worker glues the dino's tongue into the hinged jaw, snaps the jaw into the head, then glues the head to the body.", "The company performs safety testing on every new figurine designed.", "This tensile test makes sure a child can't pull or bite off a piece of the toy.", "Chemical analysis confirmed both the plastic and the paint are completely nontoxic.", "So this dino may look dangerous, but in reality, he's perfectly harmless.", "This ferocious beast is ready to hit the playground." ]

{ "things": [ "Foosball Tables", "Marseille Soap", "Laguiole Pocket Knives" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Table football was first patented by a british inventor in 1923.", "It became popular throughout europe with leagues forming by the 1950s.", "A decade later, an american working in west germany brought the game to the u.s., trademarking the german word for it, foosball.", "In france, the game of foosball is known as baby foot.", "This company produces ready-made, as well as custom-made tables like this one featuring biker players.", "Production begins at a foundry, where workers melt down bars of aluminum.", "An injection-molding machine shoots the molten aluminum into molds in the shape of players.", "A robot removes the casting from the injection machine.", "The mold yields four players, each one sporting the manufacturer's name on the front of his jersey.", "A worker places each casting on a press then, with one strike, separates the four players and cuts off excess metal.", "A computer-guided machine drills a hole in the center of each player, through which the rod will pass.", "Then the machine threads a hole through the player's back for the screw that secures the player to the rod.", "Another machine saws a 2-millimeter gap in the back to allow clearance for a screwdriver to tighten the player onto the rod.", "Once ready, the players move to the foosball table factory, where a worker sprays on a base coat of white paint.", "Once that dries, workers continue painting the players but, now, using an airbrush.", "They mask the player's body to paint only his head.", "The company offers a selection of skin tones.", "Then they mask the player with another stencil, covering the skin and exposing the shirt and socks.", "Next, they mask everything except the player's head and feet.", "A player can be brunette, blonde or redhead.", "They paint the shoes black then the player's eyes and mouth.", "Manufacturers construct the table out of solid beech.", "A computer-guided milling machine profiles the wood components, drills the required holes, and engraves the company name.", "Workers then assemble the parts, starting with the four sides, which connect with bolted steel rods and glue.", "After closing up the ends with wood panels, workers install wood support bars which will reinforce the table and, after a goal, direct the ball to the ball return tray.", "The table now goes to the paint shop where workers either stain the wood or leave it natural.", "For this model, they also spray red stain into the recessed stripes and logo.", "All tables receive a finishing coat of transparent varnish to protect the wood.", "They install the sloped ball-return panel.", "When a player scores, the ball rolls down the panel to an aluminum ball-return tray.", "After sliding the plywood table bottom into place, workers turn the table right-side up, mount the aluminum goal nets, and the scoring units right behind them.", "Then they lay the playing surface, made of green vinyl on pressed wood, on top of the wooden support bars.", "Wood trim around the perimeter holds the surface in place.", "A worker mounts the players for each line onto a hollow stainless-steel rod.", "Using a template to space them correctly, he bolts each player to the rod then attaches a rubber bumper to the players at each end to prevent them from slamming against the side walls.", "He inserts a narrower stainless-steel rod into the hollow bar to make it telescopic.", "After preparing eight rods of players, a worker installs them in the table.", "The telescoping handle end of the rod has spring-loaded bearing that fits in a hole in the table.", "He secures it from the outside.", "After bolting the opposite end, workers protect the top edge of the table with a plastic trim.", "After threading plastic handles to the telescopic end of the rods and mounting the tables on four sturdy, solid-wood legs, this foosball table is ready for kickoff.", "Marseille soap is a vegetable oil-based soap first handcrafted in the port city of marseille, france, in the middle ages.", "This gentle hypoallergenic all-purpose block soap became prized across europe for washing clothes, dishes, floors, and cleansing oneself.", "Marseille soap is crafted from just four traditional ingredients with no animal fats, colorants, perfumes or preservatives.", "It's still produced today as it has been for more than 600 years.", "The four ingredients are sea salt, water, on the right, caustic soda and either coconut oil, palm oil or, most often, olive pomace oil, the second oil extracted from olives after they've been pressed to extract virgin olive oil for consumption.", "A worker releases the required quantities of oil and caustic soda into a cooking cauldron, then brings the mixture to a boil while stirring for 1 to 2 days.", "The fatty acids in the oil react to the alkaline caustic soda, producing a thick soap paste containing glycerin, a natural compound.", "This transformation is known as saponification.", "Workers add more caustic soda and cook to 248 degrees fahrenheit for another day.", "They wash the paste with saltwater two or three times, each washing lasting half a day.", "This removes impurities and glycerin.", "Without glycerin, the soap has better detergent power to remove grease stains on fabric.", "Next, over the course of a day, the workers repeatedly rinse the boiling soap paste with freshwater.", "Then they let it set for 2 days.", "They reheat the paste for about 10 minutes at 158 degrees fahrenheit, just to resoften it enough to be pumped to a series of super heaters.", "The super heaters heat the paste to 230 degrees fahrenheit, liquefying it.", "As the liquid soap leaves the last super heater, it passes through a nozzle, which sprays it onto the walls of an atomizer.", "The atomizer cools the soap under a vacuum, solidifying it into a dry moldable consistency.", "Motorized blades then scrape the dried soap from the atomizer walls.", "The soap falls directly into an extrusion machine, which works much like a pasta maker.", "The machine forces the soap through small round dies as revolving blades chop it into noodles.", "As the soap noodles fall into the conveyer belt, the soap workshop chief inspects the quality by assessing the color, the aroma, and the texture.", "At the company's in-house lab, a technician conducts quality-control tests on samples drawn from each production run.", "In this test, he measures the percentage of pure soap.", "He weighs the sample, then heats it in a microwave oven for 10 minutes to evaporate all the moisture.", "This leaves only pure soap without water.", "He reweighs the sample to calculate the percentage of pure soap as well as the oil content, which must be 72%.", "The factory sells a portion of its marseille soap noodles to companies who mold their own soap bars.", "It also molds a house brand right here, compressing the noodles into a homogeneous paste that extruding the long continuous bar.", "An automated guillotine slices the bar into the selected shape.", "The conveyer belt ferries the cubes to the stamping machine, which stamps all six sides.", "Each cube bears the company's name and logo, the soap's oil content, and the savon de marseille designation, attesting that this is indeed authentic, traditionally made marseille soap.", "For centuries, people have migrated back and forth across the french-spanish border.", "The traditional laguiole pocketknife is a result of the mixing of these cultures.", "It's a blend of an arab-hispanic knife, called the navaja, with a southern french knife, known as the capuchadou.", "These are not pocketknives for camping trips.", "They're high end cutlery, perfect for slicing through delicious french cheeses.", "They feature the unmistakable wavy pattern of damascus steel.", "To recreate the legendary metal known as damascus steel, a cutler, who is an artisan who specializes in knifemaking, stacks alternating layers of nickel and carbon steel.", "He then uses a grinder to even the edges for the next step.", "He welds the nine layers of carbon steel and eight layers of nickel steel together.", "He begins the forging process by placing the layers in a coal-fired forge where they heat up to 1,472 degrees fahrenheit.", "Step-by-step, the layers will be forged into a single piece of damascus steel.", "An automated hammer pounds the layers, forcing them to bind to each other at the molecular level.", "As the powerful hammering process forces the layers together into a unified piece of steel, it also flattens out and lengthens the metal.", "The cutler can then break the piece in three places and layer them all together.", "This triples the number of layers from 17 to 51.", "The cutler will repeat this process again and again until the steel has around 300 layers.", "Here, a cutler prepares a specialized model of laguiole pocketknife, which will have a distinctive shape.", "He continues the forging process of heating and hammering.", "The carbon steel will give the knife its sharp edge, while the nickel will provide flexibility.", "This manufacturer uses the forged steel to create several different types of blades for its pocketknives.", "A cutler places the formed blades in an oven where the intense heat will help flatten them.", "Once a blade has cooled, a cutler cuts it to size, drills a hinge hole, and uses a belt sander to reduce its width to about a tenth of an inch.", "Next, a worker will heat and rapidly cool the blades to temper them before sharpening them.", "He then dips then into a solution of ferric chloride to reveal the unique wave patterns in the damascus steel.", "There's more to a pocketknife than just the blade.", "This manufacturer hand crafts each component of its knives.", "To create the bolster component, a cutler starts by heating a third-of-an-inch stainless-steel rod.", "Once the steel reaches 1,562 degrees fahrenheit, he then stamps it into a mold.", "The production process can stamp out 20 bolsters in just 12 seconds.", "Once they've cooled, a cutler spot-welds them to a blade.", "To shape the spring plate, which forms part of the folding mechanism, a cutler heats one end up to 1,562 degrees fahrenheit.", "He uses a specialized tool to stamp the top portion flat.", "This flat surface will be the starting point for cutlers to create the bee figure, an emblematic feature of laguiole knives.", "Workers start by reducing the surface to a triangular shape.", "Using a series of different files, the cutler carefully sculpts the bee's eyes, body, and wings.", "It seems that pierre-jean calmels, the inventor of the laguiole knife, used a bee symbol in 1829, and the cutlers have been using ever since to set the knife apart from other types.", "Cutlers shape the entire spring plate, and it takes more than skilled work with a few files to complete.", "Stay tuned to see how high-tech instruments refine the images before workers assemble the rest of the knife.", "Even the simplest one-piece knife requires 109 production steps to complete.", "In the 1820s, cutlers began crafting laguiole pocketknives in aubrac, france.", "The tradition came to an end after world war i but was revived in the late 1980s.", "Today, the artisans of aubrac blend time-honored craftsmanship with advanced technology.", "To carve each unique spring plate, a cutler starts by placing one in a vice.", "With the metal stabilized, the cutler can focus on carving with the aid of powerful magnifiers.", "The tungsten carbide drill bits he uses are no larger than four-tenths of a millimeter.", "No wonder the details on each spring are so precise.", "To temper the steel, the cutler heats it to 1,886 degrees fahrenheit for several minutes.", "Next, he cools it suddenly in a bath of oil.", "He will then heat it to 446 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour to complete the process.", "This manufacturer makes the knife-handles from different materials, including antlers, wood and bone.", "When making a handle from bone, a cutler starts by slicing it into sections with a specialized blade.", "He then cuts the slices into smaller sections that approximate the sides of a knife-handle.", "Cutlers can use the bone with its natural color or immerse it in a stain for several hours.", "All of the components for this laguiole pocketknife are complete.", "The cutler uses a belt sander to give the spring a light sanding.", "Next, using the same tool, he begins working the bone handle components.", "With the framework of the knife as a template, he carefully reduces both of the components to their required dimensions, achieving a perfect fit.", "With the metal as a guide, he uses a drill press to pierce holes in the bone.", "With the practiced hand of a skilled artisan, the cutler drills the famed shepherd's cross pattern by eye.", "The shepherd's cross is another signature of laguiole knives.", "The cutler connects the spring to the components known as scales, which form the internal structure of the knife.", "To join the parts, he inserts stainless-steel pins and hammers them flat on either side to hold them firmly in place.", "He inserts short lengths of thin steel wire into the holes drilled to form the shepard's cross.", "He now begins adding the bone side covers, which will form the knife-handle.", "He carefully screws the bone covers securely to the scales from the inside with three stainless-steel screws per side.", "He then snips off the ends of the screws that protrude.", "Now, he can install the damascus steel blade.", "He does this by inserting a stainless-steel pin through the hinge hole.", "Teflon washers will keep the opening and folding operation smooth and functional.", "The cutler uses a specialized clamp to grip the knife as he installs the pin at the back of the spring.", "This pin, together with the one that holds the blade, are the two essential elements of the laguiole knife mechanism.", "With the belt sander, the cutler now refines the handle, smoothing the pins, and rounding the edges of the bone covers.", "A final polish gives the bone a shiny finish that highlights the iconic shepherd's cross, an innovation introduced to allow shepherds to celebrate mass, even when far from a church.", "A cutler puts an extra fine edge on the finished knife with the help of a belt sander that has a fine-grit sandpaper.", "The cutler makes several passes on a piece of leather with a practiced hand to give the knife its final edge.", "This knife is now ready to join the legendary company of other laguiole pocketknives and peel a ripe apple or slice some aged cheese.", "Bon appétit." ]

{ "things": [ "Speed Skates", "Synthetic Rubber", "Cocoa Beans", "Bulk Chocolate" ] }

[ "The first ice skates were invented in northern europe about a thousand years ago when people began lacing animal bones to the soles of their boots to cross frozen water.", "In 1592, a scotsman invented an iron skate blade, and before long, the sport of speed skating took off.", "These elite-level racing skates are produced by a small company cofounded by a canadian speed skater, a three-time olympic medalist in short track.", "Every single pair is custom-made.", "After measuring a skater's feet, a technician applies layers of wet plaster bandages, the same way one makes a cast for a broken limb, only here, each foot cast is comprised of two parts.", "Each cast serves as the first-stage mold for a skate boot.", "The plaster bandages take 5 to 10 minutes to harden and dry, at which point the technician carefully removes the mold one part at a time, then reassembles it with elastic bands.", "He surrounds the mold, called a negative, with sand.", "He then pours liquid plaster into the negative to produce a positive mold.", "The sand provides counterpressure so that the plaster can't push the walls outward and distort their shape.", "The plaster fully cures in an hour or two, at which point the negative mold can come off.", "Then the technician mixes up some thicker plaster pigmented to make it easily visible against the dried, white plaster.", "He applies it in select areas, touching up imperfections and tweaking the shape of the mold.", "He files the toes and the rest of the contours smooth, producing the final shape of the boot.", "He labels the finished mold with the skater's name and puts it in the storeroom until it's time to begin constructing the skate boots.", "Construction begins with boot lining.", "They staple a piece of genuine leather to the mold, pulling taut because any wrinkles in the lining would irritate the skater's foot.", "Next, they glue on the various structural pieces, such as this ankle padding.", "It's made of memory foam so it gradually forms to the skater's ankle and holds the shape.", "The next step is the most technically critical because it determines the angle of the skate blade.", "They apply a epoxy-resin putty to the front and back of the sole and adhere two aluminum blade holders...", "Then prop up the boot as the putty dries over the next four hours or so.", "Once the putty's hard, they sand off the excess to lighten the skate and round out the remainder.", "Then they begin constructing the outside of the boot.", "First, they layer pieces of carbon fiber, a strong fabric commonly used in high-performance sports products.", "They tie the bottom piece around the blade holders with strong thread and bind the layers with spray adhesive.", "Next, they slip a plastic bag over the boot...", "Tie off the ends...", "And vacuum out the air.", "This tightly compresses the layers of carbon fiber.", "Now they inject resin, a type of liquid plastic, and distribute it evenly throughout the bag.", "The resin impregnates the carbon fiber.", "After a couple of hours, the resin dries and hardens, leaving the carbon-fiber boot stiff and durable.", "Next, they glue on the outside of the boot, made of vinyl.", "Once the glue dries, they remove the plaster mold and stitch the vinyl in place.", "They also take a vinyl lace cover, sew one side of it to the boot, and attach the other side with a hook and loop fastener.", "That way it hinges open and closed for lacing and unlacing the skate.", "The final step is to attach the inline wheels, or steel blades, to the blade holders.", "Synthetic rubber was invented in 1909, but the technology languished for a couple of decades.", "A shortage of natural rubber during world war ii spurred its development.", "A kind of elastic plastic, it was actually more resistant to temperature extremes than natural rubber.", "Synthetic rubber reinvented the wheel.", "We're talking about the rubber tire.", "Tires for all kinds of vehicles are now made from it.", "This manmade material is also used to make everything from garden hoses to golf balls.", "Manufacturing synthetic rubber is now a computerized process, one that takes place under the watchful eye of a control-room operator.", "He monitors numerous computer screens and live camera images.", "The plant itself is 437 yards long.", "There are a dozen or more enormous storage tanks for the raw materials, as well as several reactor units.", "The raw materials include a petroleum-based liquid called butadiene and solvent called hexane.", "They pipe these ingredients through columns to boil off any residual water, essentially purifying them.", "This is a laboratory demonstration of what happens next.", "They combine the purified butadiene and hexane and add a catalyst.", "The catalyst triggers a reaction that changes the chemistry.", "The mix becomes polybutadiene, a kind of synthetic rubber used to make tires.", "Adding another catalyst stops the reaction at just the right moment.", "The white, milky liquid that exits the tank is synthetic rubber.", "They now pump in chemicals to tailor the rubber for a specific use, in this case tires.", "The additives will increase traction and improve wear.", "A mechanized whisk stirs the additives into the liquid rubber.", "They pipe the synthetic concoction into insulated storage tanks.", "Inside, pumps mix it constantly so the additives don't settle on the bottom.", "Here's a close-up look at the liquid synthetic rubber in a laboratory beaker.", "It looks like a big vanilla milkshake, and it's about to be coagulated into crumbs.", "Here's where it all happens.", "This coagulation unit is like a big kettle.", "They pipe in the liquid rubber, a solvent mixture, and water.", "As they boil off the solvent, the rubber coagulates into crumbs the size of beans.", "The water remains because it has a higher boiling point.", "The mix of water and rubber crumbs bounces about in what's known as the crumb tank until it's time for more processing.", "They then pump the mix into a rotary sieve.", "As it spins, it drains off the water.", "They add more water to cool the rubber crumbs.", "The rubber and water mix gushes onto a conveyor which is a vibrating sieve.", "As the crumbs bounce along, the water drains off through the perforations in the conveyor.", "The synthetic rubber is now a lot like wet snow.", "Next, it's into the lab, where they aim a beam of infrared light through a sample to analyze the microstructure.", "If it's acceptable, production continues.", "A screw-like mechanism presses the wet rubber crumbs against a metal plate to squeeze out more moisture.", "Another trip on the next vibrating conveyor drains off droplets.", "Then it's into a quivering, spiral conveyor.", "As the synthetic rubber travels upwards on the spiral, hot air is piped in from the side to dry it.", "Now mostly devoid of moisture, but still sticky, the synthetic rubber crumbs head down a chute and into a baler machine.", "This machine uses pressure to compress the crumbs into big bales.", "The bales of synthetic rubber head down a conveyor towards a quality-control inspector.", "This inspector examines them for imperfections.", "Once he gives them the okay, they head to the packaging station.", "As they travel through a curtain of plastic film, machinery heat-seals it around them.", "These bales of synthetic rubber have taken about six hours to manufacture.", "And this purely chemical creation isn't much different from the real thing.", "Like natural rubber, it can be melted and shaped into many different things.", "Soon, this batch will be turned into tires, and that's when the synthetic rubber will really hit the road.", "Cocoa beans are the primary raw material for making chocolate.", "They come from the fruit of the cocoa tree, native to central and south america.", "The ancient mayans would grind them up to make a special beverage for marriage ceremonies and other rituals.", "Today, cocoa is cultivated in the rainforest areas of many countries in the tropics.", "These cocoa beans from costa rica were cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or fungicides.", "Farming cocoa organically requires meticulous care and maintenance of the crop, along with grafting techniques to help establish disease-tolerant tree varieties.", "The farmer cuts a budwood, a young branch about to bud, from a healthy, productive tree and grafts it onto a sucker growing from the base of a tree which is either diseased or old and unproductive.", "She cuts a slot at the top of the sucker, then wraps a plastic strip around the budwood to hold in moisture until the graft takes.", "Next, she cuts a pointed end on the budwood and inserts it into the slot she made in the sucker.", "Then she binds the union and covers it with a plastic bag.", "Bagging protects the graft against two potential extremes, dehydration and excessive rain, which causes rot or fungus.", "If the graft takes, the union seals itself in a month or even sooner.", "Strategic pruning strengthens the tree and keeps it growing low and in a shape that's easy to maintain and harvest.", "Before long, flowers begin to bud and bloom.", "Tiny beetles pollinate the flowers, after which tiny pods-- the tree's fruit-- begin to emerge.", "The pods grow and grow...", "And gradually change color.", "When the color transformation is complete, they're ripe for harvest.", "There are many varieties of cocoa trees, with pods of different colors.", "It generally takes about five months from first blooms to pod maturity.", "Come harvest time, they collect only the pods which are undoubtedly ready.", "If a pod isn't fully ripened, the cocoa beans inside will be acidic and bitter.", "They carefully cut the pod stem off the branch without damaging the tree in the process.", "The pod's rind is a little over an inch thick.", "It's rough and bumpy.", "They hack it open with a machete to remove the fruit inside.", "The fruit is made of a sweet, edible pulp encasing 30 to 50 large, white seeds.", "These are the cocoa beans.", "The beans and pulp go to the fermentation area, where workers lay them in boxes, or heaps, and cover them for four to six days.", "As heat under the cover builds up, fermentation kicks in.", "The natural sugars interact with oxygen, the pulp slowly breaks down, liquefies, and drains away.", "The color and chemical composition of the beans change, and they become less acidic and develop a chocolaty taste.", "The next step is to dry the beans.", "Workers spread them out on big trays and lay them out in the sun for about a week.", "Here's what a cocoa bean is like wet...", "Versus dried.", "The dried beans now go through a selection process.", "Workers examine them, removing pod remnants and any beans with mold or other imperfections.", "Beans which fail inspection are sold locally at a lower price or go to the compost heap.", "Beans that pass are weighed, bagged for export, and sold to chocolate makers.", "Depending on the size of the beans, which varies according to the cocoa-tree variety, it takes about 300 to 600 cocoa beans to produce one kilogram of chocolate.", "Chocolate owes its existence to the cocoa bean.", "The ancient civilizations of mexico and central and south america cultivated this seed to make a drink.", "The spanish conquest brought this chocolate drink to europe, but it wasn't until 1847 that a british company invented solid chocolate.", "This factory makes chocolate in various forms and sells it to companies which manufacture chocolate products for retail sale.", "It also supplies chocolate components, such as cocoa powder and cocoa butter.", "Most of the cocoa beans arriving here come from west africa, which grows 70% of the world's crop.", "A conveyor belt moves them through a cleaning system, a series of sieves that screen out twigs, stones, and other debris.", "Next stop is a micronizer, a revolving drum that heats the cocoa beans to loosen their shells.", "Then they enter a shell-removing machine called a winnower.", "Inside, successive rakes drag the beans across screens, pulling off large pieces of shell.", "Then a vacuum sucks away the remaining smaller pieces.", "Removing the shell exposes the inside of the cocoa bean, which is called the nib.", "The factory will roast the nibs to develop their flavor.", "50%-plus of the nib is fat, which is cocoa butter.", "To make chocolate, they'll combine processed nibs, cocoa butter, and sugar, along with milk powder if they're making milk chocolate.", "First, the factory processes the nibs by grinding them.", "The heat and friction activate the cocoa butter, producing pure liquid chocolate called chocolate liquor.", "The factory extracts some of the cocoa butter to sell it separately as chocolate-making ingredient and to use for in-house chocolate production along with other ingredients in various proportions.", "The dark-chocolate recipe, for example, calls for more chocolate liquor, sugar, and cocoa butter, but no milk powder.", "The recipe for unsweetened chocolate contains no sugar.", "The mixer blends the ingredients to the consistency of a very thick cake batter.", "The flavor is fine by this point, but the coarse texture needs to be smoothed out, so the chocolate moves to a refining machine, passing between a set of five rollers that reduce the particle size, so much so that within just minutes, the chocolate leaves the refiner as a fine, dry powder.", "But now it needs to be reliquefied, so the next stop is a machine called a conch.", "The friction and heat once again activate the cocoa butter, returning the powder to a liquid state.", "At this point, they add more cocoa butter, enough to reduce the viscosity to the exact thickness they need-- just a bit, for example, if they're making chocolate chips or much more if they're making a thin chocolate coating.", "For chocolate chips, the conch feeds a machine called a drop depositor.", "As the name implies, it deposits drops of chocolate onto a conveyor belt.", "The nozzle trays are interchangeable, so the machine can be set up to produce various sizes of chips, disks, or other shapes.", "The chocolate chips, still warm and soft, enter a cooling tunnel...", "Traveling for about five minutes through several temperature zones, which vary between 30 and 50 degrees fahrenheit.", "By the time the chips exit the tunnel, they're hard.", "A conveyor belt then takes them through a metal detector, a standard food-safety precaution.", "The factory also produces 10-pound, bulk-format chocolate bars.", "A depositor fills bar-shaped plastic molds.", "The conveyor transfers them to an elevator system, which moves through a cold room for about two hours.", "This constant motion ensures optimal air circulation, helping the cooling process.", "Chocolate shrinks slightly as it cools, so the bars pop out of the molds easily.", "To make the chocolate look as good as it tastes, the factory cools, then reheats the liquid chocolate before depositing it.", "This process, called tempering, promotes the growth of the most stable cocoa-butter crystals, making the surface of the chocolate smooth and shiny." ]

{ "things": [ "Nuno Felt", "Drum Crushers", "Kimchi", "Traditional Parquet Floors" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Nuno felt is an artisan-crafted non-woven fabric.", "Nuno is the japanese word for cloth.", "The technique bonds layers of wool and other types of loose fibers into a lightweight gauzy felt with contrasting textures.", "Each piece is a unique creation.", "Nuno felt is often made into striking featherlight pieces of clothing.", "Unlike fabrics which are made by weaving thread or yarn, nuno felt is made by interlocking and compressing fibers.", "The greater the contrast in the texture and luster of those different types of fibers, the more interesting the design.", "For this project, this artisan constructs the base of the felt out of merino wool roving, which is wool that's been cleaned, processed and dyed.", "She tears off short lengths of fibers and lays them down side-by-side, forming a layer.", "She lays another layer on top perpendicular to it.", "She builds up three to five layers this way, a technique called cross-hatching.", "This process interlaces the fibers, strengthening the base of the felt.", "Next, she takes pattern silk chiffon fabric that color coordinates with all the fibers she's using, cuts out squares and rectangles and lays them onto the wool base.", "It's critical to create the right balance of wool and non-wool fibers so that the wool will be able to grab and hold the layers together to form the nuno felt.", "She adds some mica.", "Mica is a shiny natural mineral which, in thin flakes like this, is practically weightless.", "Sprinkling a bit of mica onto the surface produces a sequin-like effect.", "The artisan adds some wisps of angelina, a shiny, hair-like polyester fiber which wool roving easily grabs and holds.", "Then she includes some variegated wool yarn, which is the term for yarn with a variation of color.", "It adheres to wool roving, silk and angelina.", "And for subtle texture, she lays in wool bouclé.", "Bouclé is yarn with continuous tiny loops.", "Once the layout is finished, the artisan sprays the materials with soapy water.", "Absorbing water makes the fibers more flexible.", "It also changes the ph level of the wool, making it more alkaline, which triggers the wool fibers to grab the adjacent fibers.", "Next, she wraps her design in bubble wrap and begins the process of felting the fibers with a combination of pressure, agitation and heat.", "First, she presses out trapped air with a palm washboard.", "The bubble wrap acts as a cushion, preventing the design from distorting.", "The artisan takes a foam cylinder and gently rolls up the piece, working out any wrinkles as she goes.", "She ties the roll with nylon laces, then rocks it back and forth from her elbows to her wrists.", "She does this a total of 1,000 times.", "At each stop, she unwinds the roll to smooth out the wrinkles.", "Once this process is finished, the artisan unwinds the roll to add what's called open work or lacework.", "She cuts small slits in the piece and gently pulls them to form oval openings.", "The wool is wet, so it stretches easily.", "Next, she amps up the agitation by rolling on a series of textured surfaces.", "Each change of texture hits the piece at different points, pushing out the air between the fibers.", "While the wet fibers continue to interlock and compress with rolling, the wool and silk elements of the design shrink at different rates, producing contrast in the surface texture.", "By the end, the piece, which started out being almost a 1/3 inch think, is now just 1/10 inch thick.", "After reshaping some openings, she applies the palm washboard one last time.", "Then, through the bubble wrap, the artisan agitates the fibers with an orbital sander.", "This friction generates heat, which further bonds the fibers.", "After a final touch-up of the openings, she gathers up the felt and gently rinses it in water with a bit of vinegar.", "This removes the soap which would damage the wool over time.", "The wash also returns the ph to normal, which closes the fibers and stabilizes the felt.", "After removing as much moisture as possible by rolling up the felt in a towel, she lays it on a counter to air-dry.", "Now, this handcrafted nuno felt shawl is poised to make a one-of-a-kind fashion statement.", "Drum crushers are machines that flatten bulky steel drums, the world's most popular shipping container.", "At a certain point, they can no longer be reused and need to be recycled.", "Drum crushers compress them into disks so that they can be economically transported to recycling facilities.", "This drum crusher wields 26 times more force than the average household trash compactor and can flatten steel drums in seconds.", "To make the drum crusher, a computerized plasma cutter carves out many of the parts from thick steel.", "The machine both cuts out the profile and makes holes for components.", "This particular part is a locator plate for the drums.", "At another station, a worker traces around a template, transferring the outline to partially machined parts below.", "These parts are the crusher's top and bottom panels.", "He grinds off flaky areas of the surface to prep the steel for welding.", "This process is time-consuming, so he works only within the outline.", "Next, workers saw steel tubes to specific lengths.", "The tubes will serve as forklift pockets for loading the crusher onto a truck or simply moving it around in a recycling plant.", "Another worker now sets up a fixturing system to hold the crusher housing panels in position for welding.", "He clamps the parts to the fixturing table.", "This first part is the bottom of the crusher chamber.", "He assembles the side supports and the top of the unit within the fixturing device.", "He clamps the supports at the corners.", "And with the structure now held together with clamps, he tack welds it and follows up with permanent welds.", "Next up is the back of the crusher chamber.", "It's been rounded to accommodate the cylindrical steel containers.", "Again, the worker tack welds it to the crusher structure.", "He then does full thick welds both from the inside and the outside.", "And after that, he'll add the locator plate to the base.", "He then welds structural supports to the crusher door.", "Turning the door to the other side, he installs horizontal reinforcements.", "This braces the door to withstand the substantial crushing force.", "After hinging the door to the chamber, the worker inserts the large latch into a support bracket and tack welds it.", "A powder coat paint job completes the housing.", "Workers now assemble the crusher's hydraulic power unit.", "After bolting a pump motor to the lid, the team flips it over.", "They insert a hydraulic pump into its housing on the lid's underside.", "They plumb the pump and attach a suction strainer to filter contaminants from the hydraulic oil.", "They flip the lid back to the top side.", "One of the workers screws a pressure relief valve to a fitting that connects to the pump on the other side of the lid.", "This valve will regulate the flow of hydraulic oil to ensure there's adequate pressure for the crusher's operation.", "If there's too much pressure, the valve will shut the crusher down.", "To attach the hydraulic power unit, a crane does the heavy lifting as a worker guides it into place at the back of the crusher chamber.", "Moving to the top, a member of the team installs the crusher cylinder.", "He bolts the retaining plate to the chamber.", "The substantial and hefty crusher head is next.", "Using a forklift, workers maneuver it into position on the shaft and then secure it with a thick steel pin.", "The head isn't complete without this pierce point.", "Fixed to the end of the crusher head, it will puncture the drum to drain residual fluids and release air for better compaction.", "Now complete, it's time to put this crusher to the test.", "And it easily flattens the steel drum.", "This flattened drum will be recycled into new steel that can be used to make many things, including more drum crushers.", "Kimchi is korean comfort food.", "This zesty blend of fermented vegetables has been part of the korean diet for at least 2,000 years.", "It's so valued by koreans that some even have special refrigerators for it in their homes.", "Like fine wine, kimchi must be kept at a specific temperature to be at its best.", "Full of stomach-friendly probiotics, kimchi is believed to be good for one's health, which is why demand is on the rise beyond korean borders.", "Making kimchi starts with a preparation of organically grown vegetables.", "There are many different recipes for kimchi.", "This one is vegan and less spicy than some other versions.", "The kitchen staff trims unwanted bits from carrots and scallions.", "They then peel wilted leaves off of napa cabbage, which is the main ingredient in kimchi.", "Its taste is sweeter and softer than regular cabbage.", "Over at the scrub station, a worker cleans the trimmed vegetables under cold running water.", "If he misses even a speck of dirt, it could interfere with chemical reactions during the fermentation process.", "This could sour the flavor of the kimchi and spoil the batch.", "Each vegetable must be pristine.", "The next member of the team shreds the carrots using an industrial food processor.", "Shredded bits of carrot will ferment quicker than big chunks.", "Scallions can't easily be shredded, so he dices them by hand.", "The kitchen staff carves the cabbage into fairly large strips.", "Because cabbage is thin, bigger strips will ferment at the same pace as the shredded carrots and diced scallions.", "The next ingredient is ginger, a spice that will add flavor and soothe the digestive system.", "Another worker transfers the shredded ginger to a porous cotton bag.", "She folds the bag a few times to create a packet and then places the packet under a press.", "The press squeezes juice from the ginger and extracts the ginger essence while leaving the stringy pulp behind.", "The worker weighs the ingredients, beginning with the shredded carrot.", "This is the largest ingredient after napa cabbage.", "She then measures the portion of scallions that the recipe calls for.", "She adds a scoop of celtic sea salt and checks the scale.", "Other ingredients include crushed garlic, chili flakes, and the ginger juice.", "She stirs the seasonings into the vegetables, and the ginger juice begins to saturate the scallion and carrot pieces.", "All the ingredients now come together in this mixer with a big dough hook.", "The worker adds the carrot and scallion blend to the napa cabbage in the base of the mixing bowl.", "She activates the mixer, and the dough hook folds all the elements together.", "Fermentation begins, triggered by the evenly distributed salt.", "Workers then transfer the mixture to special fermentation crocks and pack it down.", "Two half-circle ceramic weights add pressure to the salted ingredients.", "Juices flow and immerse the kimchi vegetables, creating an oxygen-free environment.", "The salt suppresses the growth of bad bacteria, allowing the good bacteria to flourish.", "Another worker pours water into a moat around the lid, creating a ring of water that acts as a kind of seal, one that will keep air out of the crock but will allow fermentation gases to escape.", "One week later, the kimchi is sufficiently fermented.", "It is now a living food full of good bacteria.", "A worker packs the kimchi into jars and weighs each container to confirm that the amount is correct.", "The jars must be completely full with no air space between the kimchi and the lids that could compromise its shelf life.", "She labels the jars and shrinkwraps a plastic collar around the lids.", "Once refrigerated, kimchi can last for up to 14 months.", "Well-preserved, it's practically always ready to be served.", "Parquet floors are a mosaic of geometric-shaped pieces of wood that form a repetitive block pattern.", "They date back to the palaces and grand homes of 17th century france, where they were welcomed as an easier to maintain yet still decorative alternative to the marble floors of the day.", "Traditional parquet floor patterns range from a simple paving-stone style to parquet de versailles, the complex pattern of large diagonal squares that debuted at france's versailles palace in 1864.", "To produce it, manufacturers begin with long planks of oak just over an inch thick.", "This particular company produces only custom orders and sizes the motif in proportion to the room.", "A worker first measures and marks the dimensions of the pattern pieces that will be cut from each plank.", "Then, with a circular saw, another worker cuts the required length and width.", "This yields several pieces which, together, will form the pattern's crisscrossing rectangles.", "A worker now runs each piece through a machine called a molder.", "Just one pass does four things.", "It thins the piece to just under an inch, squares all the sides, smooths all the surfaces, and it makes a groove on each side.", "This next machine removes an equal amount of wood from the top and bottom of one end of the piece to form a centered 1/4-inch thick projection called a tenon.", "When assembling the pattern, the workers will ultimately insert tenons into slots in adjoining pieces.", "These slots are called mortises.", "This machine cuts the mortises.", "The floor is an assembly of square panels, each one containing a set number of crisscrossing rectangles and diagonal squares within the frame.", "The frame pieces also have tenons and mortises.", "The squares, however, are different.", "Workers use a router to form a tongue on all four sides.", "The tongue fits into the groove on the rectangular pieces.", "Once the tongues are in the grooves and the mortises are in the tenons, not a single nail or drop of glue will secure those joints.", "They'll be held together the traditional way, with oak pegs.", "Each panel assembles like a puzzle.", "The 43 components fit together with a few taps of the hammer.", "A pencil mark indicates the nicer side of each piece of wood so that it can be placed face up.", "The tongues of the squares slide into the grooves of the crisscrossing rectangles, which join by mortise and tenon.", "The frame pieces attach to each other and to the perimeter of the interior assembly, also by mortise and tenon.", "A worker now transfers the assembled panel to a press which clamps it tightly together.", "Next, he drills two holes through each tenon...", "And then hammers a wooden peg through each hole to lock the tenon in the mortise.", "No one wants their antique-style parquet floor to look brand-new.", "So the next step is to lightly sandblast the panel's surface to make the wood look worn with time.", "Another worker goes over the panel with an electric sander to soften the surface for the next step, which is to randomly scatter some sand and work it in with the wood block attachment on the sander.", "This process creates and antique appearance and worn-in look.", "After brushing off the sand, the worker scratches up the surface with a rotating wire brush.", "The panel now looks like it could be from a centuries-old french chateau.", "The last step is to finish the wood.", "First, a coat of stain for color.", "Then a coat of oil to protect the wood from moisture.", "And finally, a coat of hot wax which gives the surface a rich luster.", "These steps also highlight the contrasting grains of the wood due to certain pieces having been cut from the tree horizontally and others vertically.", "This intricacy enhances the timeless beautiful of classic parquet flooring." ]

{ "things": [ "Wooden Matches", "Tillage Machines", "Telescopic Gangways", "Mabe Pearls" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Controlled use of fire by humans dates back several hundred thousand years, but the invention of matches is fairly recent.", "The first known use of matches dates back to the 5th century in northern china.", "And commercial safety matches were only invented in the early 19th century.", "You just need to rub a match head against the striking strip on the matchbox to start a fire.", "Matches come in a variety of matchbox formats.", "A linerboard paper roll feeds into a machine, passing under a hot iron to reduce the moisture level to 5% or 6%.", "An automatic paper roll match inner box machine like this one can produce up to 55,000 liners per hour through high-speed die cutting, folding, gluing, and forming.", "The speed of the process depends on the inner box's size and on the paper's density.", "The machine shoots out formed inner boxes on a conveyor at a dazzling rate of nearly 1,000 liners per minute.", "The conveyor then drops the formed liners into storage bins.", "An automatic sorting machine files the boxes in single rows and arranges them upright on the conveyors, feeding the filling machine.", "In the meantime, a worker feeds precut inserts to the outer box machine.", "High-speed die creasing and cutting tools automatically fold the inserts.", "As the folded liners run through the rollers, the machine forms and glues the box skillets.", "Each insert has two striking strips.", "In an industrial mixer, a worker pours gelatin capsules over potassium chlorate.", "Gelatin serves as a binder for the match head compound.", "The worker adds hot water before he starts the mixer to dissolve the gelatin, which combines itself with the potassium powder.", "The worker then adds silica granules, which act as a combustion-controlling agent.", "He rinses the sides of the mixer with water as the compound mixture reduces.", "After about 40 minutes, when the mixture is liquid, the worker adds red coloring as well as other compounds that make the match head burn more vigorously.", "On the splint production line, a worker inspects a batch of splintered aspen wood impregnated with ammonium phosphate to prevent afterglow.", "The splints run over perforated plates to shake off any residue or waste.", "Then, they go through a machine which automatically discards broken or undersized splints.", "The splints now reach the match-dipping line, where the perforated steel match bar runs down an endless chain.", "The automatic feeder inserts over 2 million splints per hour into the sockets of the match bar.", "The splints first get a paraffin coating.", "While a mixer keeps the match head compound liquid, the loaded match bar lowers the splints to dip their heads in.", "After 5 seconds, the match bar moves back up.", "And the head compound mixture flows down into the mixing pan to be renewed before another section of the match bar moves in.", "After dipping, the splints keep rolling down the match bar chain for drying.", "The chain loops up and down for about 1 hour, leaving the match head compound time to dry slowly and thoroughly.", "Once the heads are dry, the finished matches are ready for packaging.", "But first, the filling machine routes the outer and inner matchbox liners onto parallel conveyors.", "On a high-speed line, the machine can process at least 500 boxes per minute.", "The finished matches finally come off the match bar.", "And the filling machine places them into the inside liner.", "At this point, the machine processes about 200 matches per second.", "The filling machine pushes the inner liner to the outer skillet.", "The machine is calibrated to fill each box with a set amount of matches and reject the extra ones.", "Filled boxes come out on a packaging conveyor.", "You can find them in small cartons, medium-sized packages, or heavy duty crates.", "But it takes just a single match to light your fire.", "A tillage machine is a large tractor-pulled implement which tills the soil.", "Tillage can refer to deeply plowing the soil after a harvest to break up clumps and remove plant remains.", "Or it can refer to a shallow turning of soil to prepare the field for planting.", "This tillage machine is an agricultural multitasker.", "Its rotary disk blades turn the soil and chop up crop remnants.", "The harrow behind the blades rakes the soil.", "Then, the rolling baskets at the rear smooth and level it.", "The machine can be fitted with various blades designed for different soil conditions and crops.", "The first machine flattens the curve out of a just-unwound sheet of steel.", "Then, a press stamps the sheet with a die, cutting out circular blades each 4 1/2 feet in diameter.", "The steel is a proprietary formula engineered to withstand high abrasion and to be flexible enough not to chip when the blades hit rocks in the soil.", "After machining a sharp edge, they heat the blades and form them in a die, simultaneously quenching with water.", "This tempers the steel so that it holds the shape.", "After cleaning, the blades go through a vat of water-based paint, then a furnace to cure the paint.", "The paint coat is simply to make the blades look snazzy in the showroom.", "Once they actually hit the soil, it wears off, which is intended, as bare steel moves through the ground more effectively.", "Agricultural equipment plants like this one purchase the blades to install on the tillage machines they manufacture.", "This computer-guided plasma torch cuts the flat components of the machine's frame out of a thick steel sheet.", "Other parts are cut from steel tubes.", "Here, workers use a brake press to punch holes for assembly bolts.", "Once all the frame parts are ready, workers weld them together into frame sections.", "This is the main section.", "Here, they're welding a cut-tube part to a pair of plasma-cut parts.", "Once each frame section is welded, it goes to the paint room, where workers first sandblast the steel to clean off lubricating oil and other residues.", "They spray on primer and paint and put the frame section in an oven to simultaneously bake on both coats.", "Given that tillage machine's work outdoors, the paint is designed to protect the steel from sunlight and corrosion.", "Next, they install hydraulic cylinders on the main frame, attaching them with large bolts secured by washer-and-cotter-pin locking mechanisms.", "The cylinders, made of a steel that has anticorrosion chemicals baked into it, lift and fold the tillage machine before and after use.", "Workers pump hydraulic fluid through the cylinders to test them.", "They bolt the other frame section, called the subframe, to the front of the main frame.", "Then, to the front of the subframe, they install a hitch.", "This is what connects the tillage machine to the tractor.", "Not only does the hitch have to be exceptionally strong to withstand the pull of the tractor, it must also be flexible because the tillage machine runs over bumpy terrain.", "For the same reason, the main frame has two pivoting axles.", "Workers install two wheels with tires on each one.", "These tires are 3 feet in diameter.", "Tires can be larger or smaller depending on the overall size of the machine and where they're positioned on it.", "Workers now mount the bracket to which they'll attach the harrow.", "Then, they install the harrow and the rolling baskets behind it.", "These and many other components are mounted with sturdy steel u-bolts, plated with zinc for corrosion resistance.", "One last time, workers hook up the tillage machine to a hydraulic fluid pump for testing.", "There are two hydraulic circuits, each activated by a lever.", "One folds or unfolds the machine.", "The other raises or lowers it.", "This tillage machine is an agricultural triple threat-- blades to churn up the ground, harrow tines to rake it and heavy steel rolling baskets to level the farming field.", "Gangways bridge the gap between ship and shore to allow passengers or cargo to be loaded or unloaded.", "They're also known as gangplanks, hearkening back to the days when these bridges were simple wood planks.", "Today, telescopic gangways extend and retract automatically.", "Telescopic gangways can extend their reach or shorten it and change the angle, too.", "They'll also fold up for compact storage on the ship.", "These are gangways that can adjust to different circumstances.", "Each model starts with a computer design, one that takes an engineer up to 800 hours to devise.", "Once all the details have been worked out, production begins.", "Using a crane with air clamps, they transfer an aluminum plate to a laser cutting station.", "The gangway design has been loaded into a computer that guides the tooling to cut out parts according to the plan.", "In this case, it cuts out a panel that will be made into a framework for one of the gangway planks.", "Workers then serve up the panel to a computerized brake press.", "The press bears down on the part to make 90-degree-angle bends.", "This transforms the flat panel into the plank framework.", "Next, tools carve thicker aluminum into hinges for raising and lowering the gangway.", "A drill bores a hole in each hinge for the pin.", "With another bit, the machine sculpts a countersink profile around the hole.", "They're now ready to assemble the hinges and other components to the plank framework.", "A worker positions a reinforcing bracket on the framework.", "He clamps the bracket to a hollow metal cube to keep it correctly aligned to the framework.", "He welds the bracket to the framework from the inside and then assembles another bracket to the other side.", "He slides a metal subfloor into the top grooves of the gangway plank structure.", "This subfloor will support teakwood decking.", "He inserts flat bars between the framework and the subfloor to create a space for the installation of the teak.", "He welds the rails to the plank structure and then adds supports for wheels.", "The thick welds look a bit unsightly.", "So a worker grinds the seams smooth.", "He also abrades the entire metal structure to give it a brushed texture that paint will adhere to.", "Painting is an intensive process.", "They prime each gangway plank body three times with sandings in between.", "They also give the planks three coats of paint.", "This particular gangway is being custom-made for a luxury yacht.", "After assembling the teak decking to the planks, a detail person sands the surface.", "This ensures that the synthetic rubber caulking between the planks is flush to the wood.", "He caulks the space between the decking and the metal plank structure using more synthetic rubber.", "With a putty knife, he scrapes off the excess and forms a neat, concave profile.", "After a 24-hour cure, he removes the tape that's protected the metal frame and wood decking during the caulking process.", "They're now ready to assemble the planks into a gangway.", "They move the upside-down planks into position and then drive thick pins into the hinges to attach one plank to the next.", "He then installs the hydraulic cylinder that powers the folding mechanism.", "He links it to the hinges with a long, thick pin.", "He equips one section of the gangway with telescoping hydraulics that allow the gangway to extend and retract.", "He runs the hoses for the hydraulic fluids through the gangway into the cylinder.", "And he installs locking valves to ensure the cylinder stays in position when a load is applied.", "The gangway is now completely assembled.", "They secure one end in a thick concrete fixture to simulate the weight of the yacht it's been made for.", "This allows them to fully test the telescoping action and the load-bearing capacity.", "Seven months in the making, this gangway is now ready to go to any length to link ship to shore.", "A pearl forms when a foreign object enters the shell of a living mollusk.", "To protect its soft body from irritation, the animal coats the intruder with layers of iridescent nacre.", "Most pearls today are cultured pearls.", "They can be round, oval or, like mabe pearls, semispherical.", "Pearl cultivation started in 13th century china when people realized they could put foreign objects inside mollusks to encourage nacre growth.", "It's the mollusk's species and its home waters that determine the pearl's shape and color.", "Fake pearls have an unnaturally smooth surface.", "Natural pearls are slightly gritty and very delicate.", "Even gentle rubbing can remove the precious nacre layer.", "Mabe pearls are flat-bottomed, semispherical cultured pearls.", "They grow attached to the inner shell of a pearl oyster when a foreign object is implanted in a shell.", "In the nursery, oysters start their lives as tiny larvae.", "When the larvae are big enough, they can be released outside in the pearl culturing farm.", "The farm is actually a big raft structure that floats on the sea.", "Oyster larvae naturally attach themselves to natural or man-made structures, at which point they start growing their shell.", "This net acts as a trap for the developing oysters.", "Juveniles are moved to underwater cages, where they will grow for several months.", "The oyster on the right is about 6 months old.", "In another 6 months, it will be large enough to start growing a pearl, suspended on ropes underwater.", "To grow a pearl, each oyster must first receive a plastic nucleus.", "Workers use wedges and speculums to keep the shells open as they work.", "They gently move the animal to the side, looking for a suitable position for the nucleus implantation.", "The nucleus size depends on the size of the oyster.", "Following implantation, the oyster will start secreting nacre over the surface of the nucleus.", "Workers drill a hole in the oyster's hinge.", "This does not hurt the animal.", "They fasten each shell to a rope using stainless steel wire.", "Each rope holds between three and five oysters.", "They fasten those ropes to the raft structure.", "Oysters will spend at least another year underwater, feeding on plankton and growing the pearl.", "Every 2 or 3 months, they remove the oysters from the water to clean them.", "Tropical waters are rich in food and teeming with life.", "So each oyster becomes a microhabitat for smaller plants and animals.", "These organisms could prevent the oyster shell from opening and closing freely, hampering its feeding.", "Using a cleaver knife, they eliminate the thick crust of sea moss, barnacles, and other marine organisms.", "Once the oysters have grown to a suitable size, it's time to harvest the pearls.", "Using a thin paring knife, she opens the oysters and removes the animals from their shells.", "Mabe pearls are most often used in certain rings or earrings, where their dome shape is desirable.", "Using a diamond saw, they cut the shell around the pearl.", "After cutting, the nucleus will be removed and replaced with a mixture of resin to improve strength and luster.", "They use a grinding machine to shape the pearl.", "Then, they polish it to enhance its natural beauty.", "Jewelers working with pearls arrange them according to size and quality.", "This artisan is creating a tiara for an international beauty pageant.", "She uses a magnifying glass to control the quality of the various gemstones and pearls.", "For other jewelry pieces, they use spherical pearls, such as this south sea pearl.", "They insert a miniature screw in the hole.", "That screw is endowed with a proprietary double-lock system which secures the pearl in its setting.", "The pearl farmers have been growing pearls for three generations.", "Today, they farm three species of oysters and produce a total of about 25,000 pearls every year.", "Even though cultured pearls require human intervention, they are all real pearls.", "Their color, luster and shape may vary slightly.", "But each pearl is unique and naturally beautiful." ]

{ "things": [ "Fishing Reels", "Miniature Houses", "Kitchen Mixers" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Fishing reels...", "Miniature houses...", "And kitchen mixers.", "The chinese in the 12th century were first to wind excess fishing line on their rods before unreeling it back into the water.", "Today's reels have gears to quickly deploy and retrieve the line.", "They're made with lightweight, high-strength materials so you can catch bigger, stronger fish-- or at least try to.", "Antique reels are heavy and have just one speed.", "Modern reels have two speeds and fewer parts.", "To make a reel's frame, a computer-guided router cuts four openings in a cylinder made of aluminum.", "They let the angler-- the person fishing-- access the spool inside the frame to undo any knots in the line.", "Another cutting machine shapes a stainless-steel blank into a spindle, the inner part of the reel around which the fishing line winds.", "It also carves two pinion gears into the piece.", "The high gear retrieves line faster.", "The low gear gives more power to fight big fish.", "The machine's cutters are made of carbide, an extremely durable material.", "Even so, workers change them weekly.", "Another cutter carves the reel's main gears-- a high-speed and a low-speed.", "These main gears interact with the pinion gears to make the spool revolve.", "This lets the angler wind line back onto the reel.", "This cutter drills small indentations, part of the reel's drag system, which lets the angler adjust line tension to fight large fish.", "The next cutter engraves the company name into one of the reel's two side plates.", "Yet another cutter engraves the drag settings-- \"1\" through \"4\" and then \"strike\".", "Strike lets the angler fight fish weighing up to 2,000 pounds.", "Next, a process called anodizing.", "The side plates are dipped in a series of chemical baths that bind a gold-colored dye to their surface.", "Now time to assemble the fishing reel.", "First, they apply waterproof grease and lubricant to two safety catches that prevent an angler from applying too little or too much line tension.", "A worker then adds a bearing to support the spindle in the spool.", "He also installs what's called a click plate that makes clicking sounds when a fish takes the line.", "He adds a stainless-steel spindle sleeve and drag plate...", "And a sturdy synthetic washer.", "He then adds the spindle and pinion gears to the spool.", "The spool is now ready to go into the frame.", "Using a rotating clamp to steady the reel, another worker installs a stainless-steel fixture that attaches the reel to the rod...", "And installs the left-side plate with six screws.", "This metal spring and plunger enable the angler to change speeds from high to low with just the push of a button.", "A metal clip locks the mechanism in place.", "A little grease to the gearing, then a plastic cover, and the spool is fully assembled.", "He inserts it in the frame and installs a harness lug, used to attach the reel to what's called a fighting harness, worn to prevent a fish from yanking the rod out of your hands.", "Now the worker mounts the right-side plate.", "He adds a lever and a knob to adjust the drag settings.", "You turn the knob clockwise for more tension, counterclockwise for less.", "Next, he installs the stainless-steel-and-plastic knob you use to reel in the line.", "And finally, the button for switching speeds.", "He tests the drag lever and gears to check if they engage properly.", "He puts it into high speed to see if the safety catch prevents what's called free spooling, a glitch that could send a 1/2 mile of line flying wildly out of control and leave you \"reeling\".", "For hundreds of years, dollhouses have been hot property.", "At first, they were built to entertain the children of the wealthy, but eventually, mass production made these mini mansions widely available.", "And today, they continue to be great places for childhood fantasies to reside.", "Any home-building project is all about the details, but the details don't get much smaller than this.", "These dollhouses are miniature versions of actual homes, made to scale.", "They take a big sheet of plywood and slice it into smaller pieces.", "For a consistently accurate job, they use a saw guide, which positions the wood for a specific cut.", "There's a different guide for each dollhouse part.", "Using a hot iron, they brand the company name onto a foundation part.", "This dollhouse will be sold as a kit, and here, they demonstrate how to put it together.", "Back on the production line, they're milling the siding.", "This machine cuts furrows in wood panels to mimic a clapboard finish.", "Next, using a router, they cut window and door holes.", "And now the walls go up.", "Because this is a kit, each piece has to be a perfect fit, because, unlike a real construction project, they can't do recuts on-site.", "They install the second floor and tape it with ordinary masking tape while the glue dries.", "And now for the second story.", "It can take up to 100 hours to paint and assemble all the parts in a dollhouse kit, depending on how elaborate the design is.", "Next, they raise the roof.", "This victorian design has a two-part roof with a tower in the middle.", "They add weight to apply pressure while the glue dries.", "This machine's protective cover has been temporarily removed to show its inner workings.", "They carefully feed in a piece of pine.", "It cuts the board into little shingles, which fall into a bin below.", "Once the shingles are stained, they hot-glue them to the roof, following a grid that was penciled on in advance.", "They wrap the roof with tape to stabilize it while the glue dries.", "Back in the factory, four cutting wheels shape a piece of pine into moldings that will be used for trim on various models.", "The door now goes on.", "It's been trimmed with some of the molding we just saw being made.", "The windows also have some molding details.", "All this trim has been made on the same machine, using different cutters for the different profiles.", "This railing is a nice touch and will also provide support for the structure.", "All that's left is the interior decorating.", "Some people spend a small fortune on this stuff-- tiny toilets...", "Chairs...", "Even full kitchens in miniature.", "And in this model of president lincoln's home, the details are historically accurate.", "Now they carefully pack up all the pieces.", "Soon, they'll make some child's dream of home ownership come true, but first, somebody had better read the instructions.", "Whipping up a dessert used to take a fair bit of muscle power, until they invented a mixer with a motor in the early part of the 20th century.", "The first ones were very industrial-looking and not much like today's sleek models.", "But with this invention, the job of pastry-making has become a piece of cake.", "Today's mixers can whisk you into a world of the culinary arts.", "To make one, a machine straightens wire between a row of wheels.", "Computer-programmed forming tools make a total of a dozen bends to produce arc shapes, which will be used to build a whip attachment for the mixer.", "To assemble a whip, a technician fits the wire arcs into an aluminum hub, starting with the largest one and graduating down to the smallest.", "Underneath, a punch mechanism dimples the hub to fasten each wire to it.", "Here, they drop some dough hooks and beaters into a vibrating bowl full of metal nuggets.", "The friction polishes these zinc mixer attachments and gets rid of the sharp edges.", "Next, they thread a band of aluminum into a machine that bends it to the contour of the mixer.", "It's a piece of trim that carries the brand name.", "A bowl feeder now funnels hollow iron weights toward a system that threads wire through each of them.", "Mechanical arms pinch and bend the wire, making little hooks on the ends.", "Two of these weights will be used in each speed governor, a device that keeps the mixer's speed constant, despite changes in the load.", "To assemble the speed governor, they arrange a brass hub, spring, and a washer in a holding device...", "And then press-fit them together.", "They attach the two weights to the spring assembly, using the protruding wires.", "The speed-governor system is now complete.", "Here's how the governor weights fly out to regulate the mixer's speed.", "And now it's time to prepare the motor shaft.", "They lower this spinning steel cylinder to a revolving cutter.", "Lubricant keeps the cutter cool as it carves spirals into the end of the shaft.", "The spiraling grooves will allow the shaft to drive the mixer's internal gears.", "They install the shaft, with motor windings and bearings attached, into the mixer body.", "Next, they rivet electrical contacts to plastic control boards.", "These contacts will convey electricity to drive the motor.", "They deliver an electrical charge to the contacts to make sure they're working.", "Then they attach screws, nuts, and springs to complete the control-board assembly.", "The control board will work in concert with the governor weights to control the mixer's speed.", "For these mixers to really shine, they'll need a good paint job.", "To prepare the mixer parts for painting, they polish them on an abrasive belt.", "Then it's into the paint booth.", "This is a highly charged process.", "The paint has a positive electrical charge and is attracted to the zinc mixer parts, which are negatively charged.", "Now all the parts are in the mix.", "Coming up next...", "We'll show you how they all come together.", "Behind many a successful cook is a well-oiled machine that's made for speed, and that's the electric mixer.", "It produces the best results when the blades turn rapidly.", "If they turn too slowly, they won't mix the batter thoroughly, and that means your pastry could be a flop.", "To assemble this tilt-head mixer, they install a gear to drive the attachments.", "Next comes the stator, which creates the electrical field for the motor.", "A dab of oil, and then they mount the shaft and motor windings inside the unit.", "They slide two motor brushes into predrilled holes.", "The motor brush will supply electricity to the internal components.", "This bearing bracket holds the motor in place.", "They lubricate the front of it before installing the electrical control board.", "They wrap a trim band with the brand name on it around the outside.", "Next, they pour gobs of grease into the section of the mixer that will hold the gears.", "The gear section will be sealed so the grease can't leak out.", "They attach the other half of the unit that has some gears already fixed to it.", "They insert a drive pin in the shaft that moves the whisk and other attachments and screw the two halves together.", "They apply more grease to this section and then install the planetary gear.", "This gear will rotate the mixer attachments around the bowl.", "With a mallet, the worker hammers a pin to attach the planetary gear.", "He taps a decorative ring onto the outside.", "He mounts the motor unit to the base...", "And marks an identification number onto the bottom.", "Now they take the tilt-head mixer for a spin.", "And the next step is to adjust the speed.", "The technician installs a speed-setting tool in the hub of the mixer.", "While the gears turn, he checks the readout and tunes it up.", "Each mixer has to be able to make a dizzying 200 rotations per minute.", "They cap the hub.", "The final step is testing the beater.", "They check that it's correctly positioned above the bowl.", "One last polish, and it's ready.", "Over at another station, they're making a more commercial type of mixer, one with a bowl that lifts to the beater instead of a tilt-head that lowers to the bowl.", "They screw a base to a bowl-support piece.", "Then they attach the lower housing for the beater motor.", "As the mixer moves on a conveyor, they install the motor and gears.", "They add a generous squirt of grease to lubricate the transmission and then encase the top of the motor with more housing.", "Continuing down the line, they install the electrical speed controls, topping it off with more housing.", "They wrap the signature piece of trim around it.", "Using a probe, they check the wattage and speed.", "It passes inspection, and it's ready for packing.", "It's taken approximately 10 minutes to assemble this bowl-lift mixer, but it's been made to last a lifetime.", "And with such a range of attachments for these mixers, you can really go \"stir\" crazy." ]

{ "things": [ "Turf Grass", "Beef Jerky", "Wood Chippers", "Bowling Pins" ] }

[ "With commercially cultivated grass, you could have the perfect lawn in minutes.", "It comes in pre-grown sheets, fresh from the turf farm, ready to transplant.", "First produced in the middle of the last century, commercially grown grass continues to change the landscape and make the neighbors green with envy.", "Don't feel like sitting around, watching the grass grow?", "With commercially cultivated turf, there's no need.", "Upon delivery, workers simply unroll it and trim it.", "It's like installing carpeting, and this is, in fact, a living carpet.", "With regular watering, it will start to put down roots.", "It should take about three weeks to become established, and then it's time to rev up the lawn mower.", "It starts with a seed variety appropriate to the climate.", "This farm is in the american midwest, and that calls for a cool-season species, kentucky bluegrass.", "They compost grass clippings and leftover turf in a big pile and use it to enrich the farm's soil.", "Next, using an aerator, they punch holes in the soil.", "This loosens it, allowing nutrients and oxygen to infiltrate.", "Aerating also breaks up the rootstock left from the previous crop.", "Since grass is a perennial, a new crop will grow from these leftovers, and they'll only need to plant seed every three or four crops.", "After about five weeks, the grass has begun to sprout.", "A sprinkler system helps spur the growth.", "It's a central-pivot irrigation system, a wheeled tower that is 1,200 feet long, with numerous sprayers.", "It slowly circles the turfgrass field to give it a thorough soaking.", "Next up is the fertilizer.", "It will give the grass the energy it needs to flourish.", "The big three ingredients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.", "But the mix also contains micronutrients, like iron, zinc, and magnesium, for an extra boost.", "They fertilize the field four to five times a year, using a supersized version of a home rotary spreader.", "Pulled by a tractor, it flings fertilizer out the back to cover a lot of terrain very fast.", "An application of herbicide keeps the weeds at bay as the grass grows and the blades become denser.", "Once it's thick enough, it should resist weed invasion.", "They mow it three to four times a week, never cutting more than a third of the total leaf.", "Anything more would cause the grass to focus on repairing top growth at the expense of establishing a substantial root system.", "When an ordinary lawn tractor can't keep up, they bring out a mega version.", "It has three mower decks, each with three blades.", "It can mow an area the size of 10 american football fields in one hour.", "They leave the clippings behind for added fertilizer.", "It takes about 18 months for the roots to fully develop and form a thick mass.", "That means the turfgrass can now be harvested without falling apart.", "As the harvester moves forward, rollers at the front compress the grass.", "Behind the rollers, a wide blade cuts the turf at the roots, removing just 2/10 inch of topsoil.", "At the sides, spatula-like mechanisms lift the turf onto a conveyor.", "Once there, another blade cuts it into strips.", "The strips head up to a device that rolls them up like one would roll a sleeping bag.", "The conveyor transfers the rolls to a platform where a robotic arm with spears retrieves them and stacks them on a pallet, five at a time.", "When the stack is big enough, the harvester lowers the pallet of grass rolls onto the field.", "It moves on to continue harvesting.", "A forklift collects the rolled turf for shipment.", "This turf has been cut to order for same-day delivery.", "They'll install it fresh from the farm so it doesn't have time to dry out and turn yellow.", "This grass has been a year and a half in the making.", "It's now ready to transform a dusty yard into a lush, green one for instant curb appeal.", "If you're craving a snack that's portable and packs a good dose of protein, then some beef jerky might just hit the spot.", "Eating dried, cured strips of meat dates back to the ancient cultures of south america.", "Jerky may be an english mispronunciation of a native word for burnt meat.", "Beef jerky is no longer a means of sustenance but rather a popular snack food that comes in a variety of flavors.", "This premium brand is hand-crafted in small batches.", "The process starts with bee rounds-- a lean cut from the muscular hindquarter of the cow.", "There's just a bit of fat-- enough to give the meat good flavor.", "Workers put the beef rounds through a slicer, which cuts them into thin strips of identical width so that the jerky pieces come out as uniform as possible.", "The direction in which the slicer cuts, as well as the thickness of the slices-- 2/10 inch-- are calculated to maximize flavor and tenderness.", "The next step, marinating, will further tenderize the meat.", "Many large producers inject the marinade prior to slicing.", "This company marinates after slicing so that the marinade is sure to tenderize and flavor every single slice of beef.", "After loading a small batch of meat into a rotating drum, workers add the marinade ingredients-- a secret recipe consisting of both dry and liquid seasonings.", "The meat and marinade spin together for more than an hour.", "By the time the strips come out of the drum, they're drenched in marinade.", "After marinating for another 24 hours, they're ready to go into the smokehouse.", "Workers lay the marinated beef strips on stainless-steel rods.", "They space them well apart to enable the hot air to penetrate each and every one from all angles.", "Once they fill a rod, they hang it on a rolling rack.", "A rack holds 100 rods-- roughly 240 pounds of beef strips.", "Each rack goes into its own individual smokehouse, inside which two simultaneous processes occur.", "Water-soaked hardwood chips burn, slow-smoking the meat.", "The jerky also cooks slowly at low heat, no higher than 180 degrees fahrenheit, to maximize the flavor.", "The variety of beef jerky dictates the type of hardwood they use.", "For sweeter flavors, such as honey barbecue or teriyaki, they smoke with hickory or applewood, whereas for more savory or spicy flavors, they use mesquite wood.", "Over the course of 5 to 7 hours in the smokehouse, the circulated warm air gradually dries out and cures the meat, and the smoke from the wood infuses it.", "Quality-control technicians take samples from each fully-smoked batch and measure to make sure it's the required thickness of just over 1/10 inch.", "After workers cut the strips to between 2 and 3 inches long, the jerky enters an automated scale, which weighs out the quantity per package.", "Meanwhile, an automated packaging machine heat-seals the bottom and sides of printed plastic film, forming a pouch, then inserts a resealable zipper and prints on the lot number and best-by date.", "The machine then cuts apart each individual pouch and flushes the inside with nitrogen.", "This forces out fresh food's worst enemy, oxygen.", "Then, the machine drops in additional ammunition-- a tiny oxygen-absorbing packet.", "Now the pouch is ready to receive its allotment of beef jerky.", "In the smokehouse, the raw beef loses about three-quarters of its weight as the moisture inside evaporates and the fat cooks off.", "So one pound of raw beef yields only about 3 1/2 ounces of beef jerky.", "A conveyor belt transports the now-sealed pouches to the boxing and shipping area.", "Every 5 minutes, quality-control technicians take a sealed pouch off the line to measure the nitrogen and oxygen levels inside.", "Earlier on, they tested samples from every single batch coming out of the smokehouse to make sure the slow-cooking process killed off all the bacteria in the beef and dried it sufficiently to ensure this meaty treat has a minimum shelf life of 14 months.", "The wood chipper was invented in germany in 1884.", "Today's commercial-size chippers devour wood debris and even entire trees in mere seconds, spitting out chips that can be used as garden mulch.", "That's why the wood chipper is one fierce recycler.", "Whether it's a fallen tree or just a few broken limbs, a wood chipper will sink its teeth into the problem and transform it into something useful.", "There are different kinds of chippers.", "This one is drum-style.", "It has a feed wheel with serrated edges that pushes wood into the revolving drum.", "Inside, knives tear into the wood to chop it into little pieces.", "It's the forestry equivalent of a paper shredder.", "To make the chipping drum, rollers curl a rectangular sheet of steel to transform it into a cylinder.", "The gap between the rollers determine the cylinder's diameter.", "It takes a few passes through the rollers before one end of the rectangle meets the other and it becomes round.", "At the next station, a worker cuts four large rectangular holes into the cylinder, using a plasma torch.", "He staggers the location of the holes.", "Each hole will be equipped with a blade and a deep pocket for catching the wood chips.", "He now inserts those pockets into the slots and welds them to the drum.", "The staggered location of the blade pockets means that no matter where the tree branch ends up in the drum, it will come into contact with the chipper blades.", "Those blades will be installed later.", "Next, he welds the ends to the chipper drum.", "The ends have holes for a shaft and for accessing the inside of the drum.", "Then, the drum spins, and sensors pick up vibrations, which would indicate an imbalance.", "A computer analyzes the data and determines how much weight needs to be added to the drum and where.", "The technician locates the spot on the drum, using this gauge.", "Once he finds it, he marks it with a piece of soapstone.", "He then places a metal weight on the mark and welds it there.", "Like the tires on a vehicle, a wood-chipper drum needs to be balanced in order to run smoothly.", "Four super-sharp blades are installed horizontally above the blade pockets.", "He bolts them down tightly to withstand a spinning speed of 1,200 rotations per minute.", "Once the drum has been equipped with a shaft and a fan for moving the wood chips out, they lower the drum onto the base.", "A crane does the heavy lifting as a worker guides the shaft bearings into the mounts.", "He adds some upper housing to protect the bearings from debris.", "These bearings will need to be replaced after extensive use.", "The hood is next.", "It's equipped with a chute for ejecting the wood chips.", "They attach the hood to the base, and this encapsulates the wood-chipper drum to keep the chipping action under wraps.", "Moving to the other side now, they install the feed rollers and another chute.", "They activate the feed rollers manually and check the distance between them and the chipper drum to confirm that there's adequate clearance.", "With a crane again bearing the load, workers now steer the diesel engine towards the chipper and lower it into position.", "They thread a drive belt around the engine pulley and link it to one that's been attached to the drum's side bearings.", "They complete that installation and install the tires.", "They mask the tires with plastic to protect them as they now prime and paint the entire wood chipper.", "They use a polyurethane paint developed for american military vehicles.", "This tough finish will resist scratching as tree trunks and branches are dragged through it.", "They paint the wood chipper a brilliant orange so it will stand out on the work site.", "Once the paint is cured, they shield the drive belt with a metal cover, painted to match the rest of the machine.", "They transfer a vinyl decal onto the side.", "It conveys the make and model of the wood chipper.", "After nine days of work, the wood chipper is ready for action.", "Ripping big trees to shreds should be no trouble at all.", "Here's a somewhat striking statistic.", "An estimated 95 million people worldwide partake in the sport of bowling.", "One of the most popular variations is 10-pin bowling, in which you roll a big, heavy ball down a lane, aiming to knock down 10 large pins.", "The sport's international governing body dictates very strict and precise specifications for pin manufacturing to ensure pins worldwide react uniformly to the ball.", "As required, this bowling-pin factory uses hard maplewood with a moisture level within regulation range.", "Workers weigh the slabs and calculate which ones they'll group together to produce a regulation-weight pin.", "They glue together three slabs to form a starting block for a single pin.", "Then, they stack several blocks in a vise and clamp them tightly until the glue dries-- about 15 minutes.", "A few light taps with a rubber mallet separates any stuck-together blocks.", "Next, a custom-designed machine drills three holes in each block, hollowing out what will be the center of the bowling pin.", "This removes some weight and leaves space for the wood to expand and contract with humidity levels.", "One hole is at the bottom of the block for the base ring they'll later attach underneath the pin.", "They lay the block in a carousel vise and glue a small slab of wood to each side.", "After 12 to 15 minutes under pressure, the glue sets and the now-wider block comes off the vise.", "They transfer to another carousel, which runs it through a planer.", "This removes gobs of dried, excess glue and levels the top and bottom surfaces.", "Now on to another carousel, to receive wood slabs on the two remaining sides.", "After the glue fully cures for 24 hours, those sides also go through the planer.", "The block is now ready to acquire the bowling-pin shape.", "Workers mount the block on a lathe, via the hole on the bottom for the base ring.", "As the lathe spins, cutters gradually shave away wood, forming the pin shape.", "This whole operation takes about 45 seconds.", "The next machine saws off excess wood from the top and bottom, then drills and cuts those surfaces smooth.", "The machine inserts a nylon ring into the hole in the pin's base.", "Next stop, an injection-molding machine.", "It coats the entire pin surface in liquefied nylon, then quickly cools the nylon solid.", "This protects the wooden pin with a hard, durable covering.", "Now a weigh-in to make sure it falls within regulation range-- between 53 and 56 ounces.", "In the final operation, a printing machine spins the pin under an inkpad to apply decorative stripes.", "Then, another pad prints the manufacturer's logo.", "The ink dries to the touch in just 5 minutes and fully cures in 24 hours.", "Crafted from wood slabs in about 40 minutes, plus ink-curing time, these bowling pins are alley-ready." ]

{ "things": [ "Mountain Bikes", "Rice", "Lever Action Rifles" ] }

[ "In the late 1800s, the american military tried modifying bicycles to help infantrymen cross rough terrain.", "Cyclists continued experimenting, and the first mountain bike was created in 1978.", "The popularity of mountain biking has grown ever since.", "Mountain bikes are specially designed to perform on rough terrain.", "They have a suspension to help keep the wheels in contact with the ground, deep-treaded tires for added traction, and powerful disc brakes for safety.", "At the core of a mountain bike is the small, robust frame.", "It needs to be lightweight yet highly durable.", "The factory uses a test bench to simulate the effects of repeated impacts and vibration on the bike frame.", "Three days of testing can simulate 10 years of intensive use.", "The frame is made from tubes of aluminum alloy.", "Aluminum is lighter than steel and cheaper than carbon fiber, and it won't burst like carbon in case of a large impact.", "They cut each tube to the required length.", "They use jigs to get consistent dimensions and precise cutting angles.", "This will be extremely important when they assemble the frame.", "Each model and size of frame has its own welding jig.", "They start tack-welding the tubes in place.", "Then they proceed with the final welding.", "It's a delicate step because the tubes are very thin.", "After welding, the aluminum frame will undergo a heat treatment.", "First, the frames will be heated intensely, then quickly quenched in a cool bath.", "This makes the metal easier to work with.", "This next step is necessary because slight deformations are created in the frame during welding.", "Using precise measuring instruments and a rubber mallet to avoid denting the metal, a technician ensures the frame is perfectly parallel to the alignment table.", "It's not easy to align the shorter tubes, so he uses a longer rod for this task.", "After alignment, the frame will be heated one last time to harden the aluminum.", "Once the aluminum exhibits the right mechanical properties, it's ready for boring.", "This crucial procedure makes the inside of the hole perfectly straight and aligned with the frame's geometric design.", "In the painting department, they spray auto-grade paint, which then dries in an oven for 20 minutes.", "Next they use ink transfer tape to apply the logo on the bicycle frame.", "After that logo dries in the oven, they will finish with a clear coat of varnish.", "Everything must be perfect.", "When buying a new bicycle, most mountain bikers pay very close attention to the quality of the paint job.", "The bicycle is ready for the final assembly.", "The assembler starts with the rear shock absorber, which contains oil to dampen the suspension movement.", "This way, the suspension doesn't bounce up and down uncontrollably after an impact.", "The stiffness of that dampening is adjustable by the rider.", "The assembler links the shock absorber to the seat stay.", "He installs the handlebar and the stem on the steering column.", "Next he installs the rear brake caliper.", "This is a hydraulic brake, actioned by brake fluid that travels through a hydraulic hose.", "It's positioned on the frame in such a way that anchoring clips don't restrict its movement.", "Now it's time to install the crankset and the derailleurs.", "These are useful on technical terrain, where quick gear changes are key to successfully maneuvering trail obstacles.", "He installs the rear wheel.", "It's equipped with 10 cogs and a disc brake.", "Its deep-treaded tire will grip the ground of treacherous mountain paths.", "Now he screws in the front brake caliper.", "It takes about an hour to fully assemble the mountain bike.", "The fork provides the front suspension...", "While the rear suspension is connected to the rear wheel through a system of pivots at the back.", "As the wheel and pivots move back and forth, their movement is dampened by the shock absorber, helping to keep the wheel in contact with the ground.", "Mountain bikes are engineered to withstand the demands of off-road riding.", "Precise manufacturing and testing also ensure that the mountain bike will survive years of use and abuse.", "In many parts of the world, rice is the main grain.", "In fact, it is a food staple for nearly half of the planet's population.", "Native to asia, it has been grown and consumed for thousands of years.", "But today, machines do much of the harvesting and processing in order to feed the enormous demand.", "These perfectly formed kernels of rice are essentially a crop that has been allowed to go to seed.", "After about 150 days of growth, the rice seed is ready for harvest.", "Machinery strips it from the stalks and also suctions out some of the empty husks.", "Trucks transport the rice to storage facilities.", "They empty it into a grated opening at the receiving pit.", "The grates filter out some of the larger stalks and debris.", "From the pit, a chain conveyor moves the rice up to storage silos and into warehouses.", "Inside the storage facilities, fans blow air through the mountain of rice to lower the moisture content substantially.", "With the rice sufficiently dried, it's on to the processing plant.", "Here, a probe vacuums up samples from both the front and the back of the massive truckload.", "The probe delivers the samples to a lab.", "A technician first tests the moisture content to confirm that it's on target.", "He then transfers batches to a sifting bin to screen for bugs.", "He switches on a heat lamp to wake them up.", "He shakes the rice and scrutinizes.", "He also examines the tray underneath for tiny bugs that may have fallen through the holes.", "If he finds just one moth or beetle, the entire 5,500-pound truckload of rice will be rejected.", "Next the rice falls through perforations in rolling cylinders, screening out the straw which spills over the side.", "The next machine sifts out the remaining straw bits and any weed seed.", "It also suctions out empty rice husks.", "They're lightweight and pulled out with a weak vacuum.", "Finally, they remove mud balls.", "Free of contaminants, the rice now spills between two rubber rollers, one moving faster than the other.", "This shears off the husks.", "The rice and empty husks then cascade into another machine.", "This is a demo version of the actual production one.", "Weak suctioning pulls out the husks to separate them from the heavier rice.", "The dehusking process misses a few kernels, so next giant sifting machines screen out that rice.", "Still in husks, it's bigger and doesn't pass through the holes in the shaking trays.", "They dehusk that rice and mix it with the rest.", "Grinding machines now mill the rice to remove the bran.", "The bran spills out of perforations and is recovered for use in cattle feed.", "With the bran removed, the rice goes from brown to white.", "The final grinding polishes the rice to give it a pearly sheen.", "This is the unmilled brown rice.", "And here it is with the bran removed.", "During milling, some rice kernels are damaged.", "This spinning, dimpled cylinder now separates the broken kernels from the whole ones.", "The broken rice kernels fall into the dimples of the cylinder, and from there, into an internal catch pan.", "They'll be used to make cereal or beer.", "The whole rice now moves through a color sorter.", "Computerized cameras analyze it for dark imperfections and signal air nozzles to blast them out of the mix.", "Of course, there's also a market for unmilled brown rice.", "Now ready for packaging, a scraper moves it across a table and into plastic tubes below.", "Hot jaws seal the tubes at both ends, and this rice is in the bag.", "Brown or white, short or medium grain, there are plenty of options.", "Different types of rifles load the gun in different ways.", "A lever-action rifle has, as the name implies, a lever, which you move downwards to load the ammunition cartridge into the gun's chamber.", "When you pull the lever back up, it cocks the hammer and the gun is ready to fire.", "This italian company makes exact reproductions of the renowned winchesters produced in the u.s. starting in 1866.", "These lever-actions were a game-changer in that era, because you no longer had to reload your rifle one cartridge at a time.", "To make the barrel, the long tube through which the ammunition shoots, the factory starts with a bar of solid steel that's one inch in diameter.", "A computer-guided circular saw slices it into barrel-length pieces.", "Next a computer-guided drill bores through the center of each barrel-length bar.", "The drill is fluted, which provides a channel for a continuous high-pressure flow of cutting oil.", "This breaks down the metal shavings as the drill advances from one end of the bar to the other over the course of five minutes.", "A reamer gradually widens the bore to the required diameter.", "This takes 15 minutes.", "The diameter of the barrel is what determines a firearm's caliber.", "A rifle gets its name from the next operation.", "This specialized tool rifles the barrel, meaning it carves spiraled grooves into the barrel bore's smooth walls.", "This process takes twice as long as drilling and reaming combined.", "The grooves in the barrel put a spin on the cartridge's bullet as it exits the gun.", "Like the perfect pass of a football, this spin stabilizes the bullet, rendering it more aerodynamic.", "That makes the shot more accurate over a long distance.", "The next machine mills the outside of the barrel.", "This particular model has an octagonal barrel, so the machine mills eight sides.", "Another machine then makes threads on the back end so the barrel can later screw into the adjacent part of the rifle.", "A local foundry, meanwhile, forges the rifle's lever.", "Workers feed solid steel bars into a small furnace.", "The furnace temperature, a blazing 2,200 degrees fahrenheit, softens the steel in a matter of seconds.", "While the bar is still red-hot, they place it in a die and stamp it with a press to bend it.", "Then two more pressings in a different die form the bent bar into the basic shape of the lever.", "A fourth pressing, against a razor-sharp die this time, trims the perimeter.", "The roughly shaped lever is now ready for machining in the rifle factory.", "There, a computer-guided mill works at it for eight minutes.", "It meticulously shaves off bits of steel until the lever's shape is perfected.", "The mechanical section of the rifle is called the action.", "Like the lever, it's forged out of a steel bar.", "Then, over the course of an hour, it's machined to specifications by 100 different computer-guided tools.", "This operation not only finalizes the action's external shape, it also hollows out areas for the internal components, namely the rifle's lever-activated loading and firing mechanism.", "But before that assembly happens, the action takes a side trip to a metal treatment plant where it undergoes a two-step process.", "First it's submerged for three minutes in a hot-water bath with special salts which harden the steel.", "Then a quick dip in a second bath, where a coloring chemical gives the steel an antique finish.", "The action now returns to the gun factory to rejoin the rifle's other components.", "The action is the middle section of the rifle.", "The barrel screws onto the front of it, while the gun's wooden handle attaches to the back of it.", "When you pull the trigger, the hammer hits the firing pin.", "This strikes the cartridge, igniting the explosive primer inside.", "The blast propels the bullet out of the barrel of the gun.", "To assemble the rifle's firing mechanism, workers first attach the trigger and the hammer spring to a larger component called the trigger guard.", "Then they connect the hammer itself with a tight-fitting pin.", "The hammer spring provides resistance, allowing the hammer to hit the firing pin hard enough to fire the cartridge after it's cocked.", "Taking the action, they insert the bolt containing the firing pin, then the firing pin extension.", "This wedge piece links those two components.", "They insert the trigger guard into the action, coaxing it into the correct position with a few taps of a mallet.", "They attach the lever underneath the trigger guard.", "They mount a spring on each side of the lever to put tension on it.", "Then finally, they connect the lever to the firing mechanism with two sets of links.", "To cock the hammer and prepare to pull the trigger to fire, you pull down the lever, then pull it back up.", "After firing, you move the lever up and down again to eject the spent cartridge and reload and cock for the next shot.", "They finish assembling the action by attaching side plates, one of which has a side-loading gate for inserting the cartridges.", "The action has two threaded holes-- one for attaching the magazine to that holds the cartridges and the other for attaching the barrel.", "Its threaded end requires some top filing in order to meet the various strict specifications set out by the proofhouse.", "The proofhouse is responsible for ensuring that firearms conform to all manufacturing regulations.", "To attach the barrel to the action, they lock the barrel in a vise, then screw the action on to the threaded end.", "They use various tools and gauges to ensure the two parts are perfectly aligned and that the lever closes completely when pulled up.", "Next they insert what's called a check cartridge of the appropriate caliber into the chamber.", "This checks the internal spacing to ensure the ammunition feeds correctly and fires safely.", "Then they mount a temporary stock on the other end of the action and send the rifle to the proofhouse for performance and safety testing.", "There, technicians place it in an enclosed chamber, load ammunition, and fire twice.", "The proofhouse hand-punches markings onto the bottom of the rifle.", "These markings, recognized by the european economic community, officially certify that the firearm functions properly and safely.", "The gun factory contracts a woodworking company to produce the rifle's stock.", "It's made from a block of walnut.", "First workers trace a template that's in the basic shape of the stock.", "They saw along the trace line.", "This gives them a starting form, which computer-guided machines then refine.", "A mill progressively carves the detailed profile with a series of different tools.", "Then they mount the stock on a lathe, which rotates it against a sander to smooth the surface and perfect the shape.", "The stock has two holes in the back to which they attach an endpiece.", "The woodshop stains and varnishes the finished stock and sends it to the gun factory, where workers attach it to the action.", "After that, they mount the magazine tube to the action.", "When you feed cartridges into the side-loading gate, they drop into the magazine tube.", "Upon levering the rifle, a carrier pushes up one cartridge, which the bolt then pushes into the chamber, preparing the rifle to fire." ]

{ "things": [ "Wind Generators", "PVC Gloves", "Thermo" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Wind generators.", "Pvc gloves.", "Thermoformed glass.", "And fire trucks.", "Wind generators harness the power of the wind to produce electricity.", "As the turbine's blades revolve, they drive a rotor that generates power.", "This can charge a set of batteries or even feed a transmission grid.", "Wind power is a renewable energy source that doesn't pollute.", "This type of wind generator is a recreational model designed to power a boat or a cottage with up to 500 watts of electricity.", "To make the propeller, they lay a template on a plank of western cedar, a rot-resistant wood that's flexible and durable, yet lightweight enough for the slightest breeze to set it spinning.", "After tracing, they drill a hole at each end and in the middle, then remove the template and do a rough cut using a band saw.", "They put the template back in place, using those holes they drilled to align and secure it in place.", "Using a router this time, they do a precision cut.", "The plank of wood now has the contour of a propeller.", "The next step is to form the profile.", "To do that, they bolt the wood onto the right side of a specially designed device called a propeller-carving machine.", "On the left side is a model propeller.", "After adjusting the model to the proper angle, they start to cut.", "As the machine's roller runs over the model, it guides a shaver to carve the wood exactly like the model.", "It takes about eight passes to get the propeller's profile just right.", "You can see the profile well, once they've marked and cut off the excess on the ends.", "One side is flat, while the other is curved like an airplane's wing.", "Now they widen the hole in the middle of the propeller and sand off the ridges left by the carving using a low-pressure inflatable drum sander.", "It's the only type flexible enough to really get into the curves.", "Next they check the balancing.", "Watch how a mere penny can throw off this perfect equilibrium.", "Finally, a coat of waterproof epoxy paint-- the kind used on the hulls of boats.", "Now they assemble the alternator, the component that generates electricity when the propeller spins.", "They wrap insulation around what's called the \"proportional electronic regulator\" and then install it, along with wiring, into the alternator's casing.", "This regulator controls the electrical charge and current.", "The propeller spins this rotor shaft, creating an electrical charge that sends a current from the alternator to the batteries.", "Once the casing's bolted shut, they mount a cooling fan on the shaft's protruding axle.", "This fan will expel the heat all that spinning generates.", "Next they assemble the parts that make up what's called the \"lolly shaft\"-- the axis on which the propeller sits.", "This axis enables the propeller to pivot toward the direction of the wind without twisting the wires that run to the batteries.", "Finally, they connect the wires from the lolly shaft to the alternator.", "This rubber cover protects the connection from the elements.", "Now they assemble what's called the propeller governor-- a key component that prevents the propeller from overspinning and breaking down in high winds.", "When the propeller spins too fast, the centrifugal force pulls on these springs.", "This activates the braking flaps, generating drag to slow the propeller down.", "Again, precision balancing is critical.", "Otherwise, you'll have a damaging vibration.", "After applying the manufacturer's decal, they mount the propeller's rudder onto the back end of the wing generator's frame.", "On the other end, they install the alternator, followed by the propeller and propeller governor, both painted black to protect the waterproof coating underneath from the sun's damaging u.v. rays.", "Polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as \"pvc,\" is a durable material similar to plastic.", "Pvc gloves are waterproof-- even chemical-proof.", "All kinds of laborers wear them, from commercial fishermen to oil-refinery workers.", "Pvc gloves are comfortably flexible, yet sturdy.", "Production begins at the cutting station with stacked sheets of cotton flannel.", "Using a hydraulic cutting machine and a series of dies, workers slice through some 20 layers in one fell swoop, cutting out the pieces required to make cotton gloves.", "Those gloves will either be sold as is or used as linings for pvc gloves.", "The next step is to sew the pieces together.", "It takes a speedy seamstress just 30 seconds per hand.", "Next they sew on a wrist made of a stretchy, cotton-and-lycra knit.", "This seamstress works the wristing machine so quickly, we had to ask her to slow down so that we could actually see what she's doing.", "Throughout the sewing process, these cotton gloves have been inside out.", "This next machine turns them right-side in, transferring them onto a heated hand form.", "The machine then presses each glove onto the form.", "The gloves drop down to a conveyor belt below.", "It transports them to a worker, who inspects them and pairs them up-- left and right.", "Elsewhere in the factory, workers prepare the pvc solution.", "The recipe varies according to the glove model, but generally consists of coloring and five to eight different chemicals.", "They add in antibacterial, antifungal solution to combat odor from hand perspiration.", "To apply the pvc, workers slip a metal form into the thumb of each lining, then put the lining onto a thumbless hand form.", "If the hand and thumb forms were in one piece, it would be difficult to remove the stiff pvc glove without tearing.", "The linings go through what's called the singer-- a propane flame that burns off any dust or loose threads.", "Then it's into the pvc bath.", "The basin of liquid pvc moves upward, coating the liners.", "As the basin descends, the excess drips off.", "Then the gloves go for a spin under infrared lamps for 45 seconds.", "The spinning spreads the pvc uniformly so that it doesn't accumulate on the tips of the fingers, forming clumps.", "After a second coat, the gloves pass through a propane-fired furnace for about 20 minutes at 370 degrees fahrenheit, then through a cooling chamber for five minutes.", "For glove models with extra-strong grip, they blow pvc chips onto the first coat of pvc while it's still wet.", "When the gloves go through the furnace, the heat embeds the chips.", "After cooling, the gloves are dried and cured and ready to handle a hard day's work.", "Decorative glass objects can be blown or thermoformed-- two very different glassmaking techniques.", "In glass blowing, the artisan shapes hot glass by rolling it and blowing air into it.", "Thermoforming is more of a molding process, better suited for making flat objects.", "When you look at these magnificent pieces, it's hard to believe they begin as run-of-the-mill window glass.", "It comes in ready-made panels in thicknesses ranging from 1/10 to 4/10 of an inch.", "The first step is to measure the overall dimensions of the glass panel, then divide it into pieces, each slightly larger than the object it will become.", "They'll turn this panel into large decorative plates, so they divide it into three squares, each about 14 inches in diameter.", "They place each square over a paper pattern.", "Using a glass cutter, they score the shape of the plate.", "Then they apply pressure with a rubber mallet to separate the glass along the score line.", "They cut away the excess, breaking it off with a few gentle taps.", "Now they position the plate-shaped glass over a drawing and begin the artwork.", "First they trace the outline.", "Now they embellish the design and fill in the details.", "They use enamel paints specifically designed for painting on glass.", "Once the brushwork's done, they use a paint gun to apply the background colors and shading.", "The glass has been cut and decorated, but it's still perfectly flat, so the final step is to mold it using extreme heat, hence the term \"thermoformed\".", "The mold they use is made of fireproof materials designed to withstand high temperatures inside the oven, known as a kiln.", "They carefully lay the glass over the mold.", "They mold several different pieces at the same time.", "In the intense heat of the kiln, the glass will melt and take on the exact shape of the mold right down to the most intricate textural detail.", "These small pieces of glass will become the paint pots on this glass replica of an artist's palette.", "It takes an hour and a half for the kiln temperature to climb to a scorching 1,550 degrees fahrenheit.", "At peak temperature, they briefly open the kiln to make sure that everything is progressing well.", "The glass at this phase should be the consistency of taffy and glowing bright red.", "If it is, they can close the kiln and begin the cooling phase.", "Six hours later, the glass pieces have hardened into the shape and texture of the respective molds.", "These plates, spoon rests, and other pieces are cool enough to come out of the kiln.", "The beauty of thermoformed glass lies in the striking combination of transparency and vibrant color.", "Add to that the endless shape possibilities, and you've got truly functional art.", "There are different types of fire trucks.", "Pumpers hook up to fire hydrants, boost the pressure, then shoot water out through hoses.", "Ladder trucks elevate firefighters on either a ladder or platform.", "Rescue trucks have tools to cut through metal and clear obstructions.", "Early firefighters couldn't do much more than pass buckets of water from man to man.", "The 1720s saw the arrival of wagons carrying water tanks and hand pumps.", "Those newfangled pumps could spew out an impressive 60 gallons of water per minute-- about what you'd get from two garden hoses.", "The first horse-drawn fire trucks with steam-powered pumps went into service in 1852.", "Gas-powered trucks replaced them in the early 1900s.", "This pumper truck can deliver almost 1,600 gallons of water per minute.", "Mechanical engineers usually custom-design fire trucks to suit the particular needs of the fire department placing the order.", "The truck's body is made from sheets of marine-grade aluminum 2/10-inch thick.", "Following the technical drawings, workers cut the aluminum panels to the sizes required, notching certain corners at a 90-degree angle.", "Workers weld the pieces together to form what's known as the crew cab.", "The crew cab not only carries the firefighters, it also houses the control panel for the water system.", "Meanwhile, other workers measure and then cut pieces of aluminum to build the subframe that will support the crew cab from underneath.", "They weld the parts together.", "Installing the steps, workers leave a gap of about half an inch to enable water to drain down.", "They line the storage compartments with aluminum sheets, using a sander to make textured circles on the smooth surface.", "This pattern will camouflage the scratches that moving equipment in and out will inevitably create.", "They use a machine called a press brake to bend the sheets to the required shape.", "Then, using what's known as a punch press, they cut holes for the built-in lights, the door handles, and the various control knobs.", "Workers now assemble the pieces and make any necessary adjustments before painting, rather than after, to avoid damaging the finish.", "After this fine-tuning, they'll disassemble everything and send the parts to the paint department.", "After that, they'll put it all carefully back together.", "The full-scale assembly can now begin, starting with the water pump.", "It arrives here ready-made from the supplier.", "Next comes the crew cab.", "This one isn't for the pumper, but rather for a yellow rescue vehicle.", "The pipes that lead to and from the water pump go into a threading machine.", "The pipes are part galvanized steel, part stainless steel.", "Once they're threaded, they're ready to be screwed into the pump's water outlets.", "The drive shaft-- that long piece coming from the transmission-- performs its usual job of turning the rear axle when the truck is in motion.", "It also powers the water pump when the truck is parked, fighting a fire.", "This control box runs the fire truck's electrical system, including the flashing emergency lights.", "Each wire is color-coded, number-coded, and function-coded.", "Workers run the wires from the box to the control panel in the crew cab.", "Then they hook up the odometer, speedometer, and other dashboard indicators.", "They install water-pressure gauges, adapters for connecting the hoses to the water system, and pressure-release valves for adjusting water pressure.", "Lo and behold, a shiny, new fire truck built to a department's exact specifications.", "Only there's one thing the client didn't have to specify-- that it be painted fire-engine red." ]

{ "things": [ "Leather Wallets", "French Horns", "Soy Sauce", "Children's Ride" ] }

[ "The pocket wallet was invented in the 17th century.", "Europe had switched to paper money, and the gents of the day needed a handy way to pocket their cash.", "There's a slot for everything-- credit cards, i.d., and, of course, cash.", "And yet these wallets remain slim enough to fit into a trouser pocket.", "These fine handcrafted pocketbooks are made from high-grade vegetable-tanned leather.", "An employee selects a hide and arranges it on a work table.", "Then he chooses a die shaped like one of the wallet's inside pockets.", "Using this hydraulic press, he punches out the part.", "He cuts 11 different components for the wallet's interior, using a custom die for each one.", "He chooses tougher leather in a contrasting color for the wallet's exterior.", "He now measures the thickness of the interior components.", "Using what's called a skiving machine, he shaves them down to .", "7 of a millimeter.", "Another worker preheats an embossing machine.", "It hot-stamps a pocket part with the company name and the royal warrant logo, which signifies that the prince of wales purchases this company's leather goods.", "Using a different skiving machine, they shave down the edges of the exterior wallet parts.", "This thinner border will make the parts easier to assemble later.", "The next worker applies a water-based adhesive to a leather strip.", "It will reinforce the top of a fabric square.", "With this manual device, she turns the top edge to fold it in a straight line.", "This leather-trimmed fabric square will be used to create a credit-card pocket.", "She stamps a thin groove onto the leather trim to give it some definition.", "Next, she builds a credit-card slot with two of the squares.", "Using an awl, she scores a line in the fabric.", "The line serves as a guide as she stitches the squares together to complete the slot.", "She layers a third leather-trimmed block of fabric to create a second slot, then adds a leather panel that forms the third credit-card slot.", "She glues and tucks the excess leather over the back of the fabric pocket.", "Then she checks the alignment of the slots with a tool called a bone folder.", "The next worker sews the credit-card compartment together.", "There are two of these per wallet.", "They glue both compartments to the wallet's spine made of fabric and leather.", "This spine is called the bend section, because it bends to fold the wallet in two.", "She attaches the bend section to a divider for the money pocket.", "This divider is a bit longer than the assembled interior components, to facilitate the bending action.", "She glues a lining to the wallet's leather exterior.", "Here, she uses a special hammer to ensure the interior and exterior components of this wallet adhere well.", "Then she trims the corner of the rim to make it look neat.", "She rounds the corners of the wallet to give them a gentler profile.", "Now she stitches the assembly together, leaving the bill pocket open at the top.", "The next worker tucks a metal wedge under the rim to protect the rest of the wallet as she trims the rim close to the stitch.", "Removing these few slivers will make the wallet more flexible.", "She slides the bone folder into each credit-card slot to remove excess glue.", "Finally, a few dabs of leather preservative, and this luxury wallet is ready for retail with a price tag to match.", "The only question is, will that be cash or credit?", "The french horn has a four-octave range and distinctive mellow sound.", "As with other brass instruments, the musician plays certain valve combinations and alters lip tension to produce the right notes.", "However, on a french horn, the mouthpiece is relatively small, making this instrument one of the most challenging to play.", "The french horn is made up of 13 feet of coiled tubing, a set of valves, and a flared bell.", "To make the tail end, they shape a sheet of brass around a steel mandrel, then braze the edges together to form a tube.", "With a burnishing tool, an artisan rounds out the shape.", "Next, they lubricate a brass disk as it spins on a lathe.", "Using a variety of tools, they shape it into a bell.", "This plasma-weld machine fuses the bell and tail together.", "Back on the lathe, they trim the diameter of the bell...", "Then roll the edge into a rim called a bead.", "This reinforces the bell.", "Next, they fill the bell with a hot, tar-like liquid called pitch.", "Once the pitch cools, they put the tail into a forming block and carefully bend it.", "The hardened pitch provides support, preventing the tail from collapsing.", "They verify the bend against a template.", "Using the same technique, they shape the pieces that form the horn's tubing.", "Of all the brass instruments, the french horn has the most complex bends.", "These valve knuckles connect the tubes to the cases that will house the valves.", "Some french horns have three valves.", "This double french horn has four.", "Each valve case goes onto this alignment device, which pushes in the knuckles to the correct depth.", "After brazing the knuckles to the cases, they hollow out the case interiors with a cutter.", "Then they solder the valve cases to each other with connecting rings.", "They insert the tubing parts into the valve knuckles.", "These curved tubes are the horn's slides.", "The musician tunes the instrument by adjusting them in and out of the straight tubes.", "After soldering the straight tubes to the knuckles, they remove the slides for now to make other areas accessible.", "Then they solder this partially assembled valve section to the tail and bell.", "Now they apply buffing compound and polish the horn's interior surfaces.", "They polish the more accessible surfaces with a cloth buffing wheel.", "Then they wash off the compound and coat the entire surface in a protective lacquer.", "Now final assembly of the valve section can begin.", "They install rotors in the valve cases and levers to activate them.", "Unlike piston valves on a trumpet that move up and down, these valves rotate to direct air flow through specific tubing combinations.", "A lever connects to each valve via a rod and nylon cord.", "With the valve section now complete, they reinstall the slides, then do a final wipe-down to remove grease residue and fingerprints.", "This pristine finish complements the superb sound quality.", "soy sauce is a staple of asian cuisine, used as both a condiment and cooking ingredient.", "Its roots are in the seasonings of ancient china.", "Today, you can buy artificial or chemically enhanced versions, but authentic soy sauce is all-natural and made the traditional way, by brewing soybeans and wheat.", "At this small soy-sauce company, they use the centuries-old slow-fermentation method and just five ingredients-- soybeans...", "Water...", "Wheat...", "Sea salt...", "And yeast.", "They begin by pouring soybeans into a cooking device called a steam kettle.", "After thoroughly rinsing the soybeans twice, they fill the kettle with water...", "Then close the lid and boil the beans for four hours.", "Meanwhile, they pan-roast wheat in a skillet for about 25 minutes.", "Then they put the roasted wheat through a mill.", "The mill's steel rollers crack each grain into several pieces.", "This will enable the yeast to better penetrate the wheat during the fermentation process.", "When the soybeans are ready, they take them out of the kettle and spread them out in large trays to cool.", "When the beans cool to 91 degrees fahrenheit, it's time to add the wheat.", "After mixing everything thoroughly, they sprinkle on yeast and mix again.", "The ingredient proportions are key and therefore a company secret.", "To activate the yeast, they transfer the mix to shallow boxes and stack them for about 48 hours in a controlled incubation room.", "This process generates heat, which rises, so they have to gradually move boxes to lower racks to prevent overheating, which would kill the yeast.", "For the next stage, they make a brine by mixing fine sea salt with spring water.", "To give its soy sauce a distinctive taste, this company repurposes bourbon barrels from local distilleries to use as fermentation vessels.", "Traces of bourbon in the wood permeate the mix as it ferments, imbuing the sauce with a subtle smoky and sweet flavor.", "After dissolving the sea salt in the spring water, they add the soybean mix, creating a moromi, the japanese word for soybean mash.", "They blend for a few minutes then seal the barrel and leave it to ferment.", "For the first six weeks, once daily, they open the barrel and mix the moromi to aerate the gases that build up.", "This keeps the yeast active and helps develop the flavor.", "Then, after that, they open and mix just once a week.", "After 12 long months of fermentation, it's finally ready.", "They open the barrel and mix one last time.", "Then they empty the barrel onto a sheet of muslin lining the tub of a stainless-steel press.", "They fold over the sheet to enclose the moromi...", "Then lay down planks of wood to form a solid surface.", "The press applies six tons of pressure, forcing the planks downward against the moromi.", "This squeezes out all the liquid, which is the soy sauce.", "It exits through a hose at the base of the tub and moves on to be filtered and heat-pasteurized.", "The pressed moromi gets a new life as high-protein animal feed.", "While many soy sauces are mass-produced, this factory brews small batches at a time.", "A batch yields about 600 bottles, each of which workers here fill manually.", "They top each bottle with a plastic diffuser, which dispenses just a dash of sauce at a time.", "Then they twist on a plastic cap and slip a shrinkable plastic band over it.", "Using a heat gun, they seal the band tightly around the cap and bottle.", "Then the label, on which they write the batch code and bottle number by hand, a fitting finale for this signature soy sauce.", "Children's ride-on cars are, quite simply, fun to drive.", "These molded plastic cars come in hot colors and often have a friendly face on the front.", "These cars have character, and that's why it's often bumper-to-bumper at the neighborhood playground.", "There's nothing like that new-car feeling, especially when it's your first set of wheels.", "Like many toys, the appeal of the ride-on car lies with children's desire to emulate adults.", "And behind the wheel of their own little vehicles, a child can feel all grown up.", "Today's child-size coupes are synthetic creations.", "They start with plastic resin pellets.", "They mix in chemical additives and recycled plastic and grind it all into a powder.", "The powder funnels into a shaking sifter, which screens out large pieces the grinder missed.", "It then flows into a big blender.", "The plastic powder looks a lot like pastry flour, but not for long.", "The next ingredient is the colorant.", "There are various vivid hues to choose from.", "They pour a measured amount of red colorant into the blender, and a spiraling beater evenly distributes it, turning the white powder to red.", "They portion it into jugs, which then shuttle down a conveyor.", "They arrive at a carousel of molds of car shapes.", "A worker empties the jugs of colored plastic granules into them.", "These little grains of plastic are about to be transformed into car parts.", "They lower the lid, which contains the top halves of the molds.", "The mold cage then spins as it travels through an oven.", "The plastic inside melts, and the spinning action ensures it completely coats the inside of the molds to create solid parts with a hollow interior.", "The cage then rolls into a station, where a spray of water cools everything down and causes the plastic inside to solidify.", "The mold cage stops spinning, and a worker hooks it up to a crane, which lifts the lid.", "The powdered colored plastic has been transformed into ride-on-car parts, and it's taken just 35 minutes.", "Some parts fall out, and others have to be pulled out.", "But it's easy work, thanks to the mold's nonstick surface.", "Seepage during molding creates unwanted bits and nubs on the main car body that they trim off by hand.", "They also shave areas that appear uneven.", "Vents were formed in the molding process to release air in the core of the part.", "They now cap the vents to keep little fingers from getting stuck inside.", "They trim the car roof to improve its contours.", "This also gets rid of any rough edges, making it child-friendly.", "They fit company medallions into slots in the roof pillars.", "And they do a bit more trimming to improve the profile of the parts.", "Drills now work in concert to bore assembly holes into the main part of this coupe.", "An employee then blasts out the plastic shavings with an air nozzle.", "He applies a sticker with production information on it...", "And then does a final inspection.", "If he's satisfied with the quality, he applies another company logo.", "Now flames lick the plastic roofs and doors as they briefly torch them.", "They melt the surface just enough to give it a shiny veneer.", "At the end of the production line, they pack up all the parts of this children's ride-on car, from the roof pillars...", "To the tires...", "To the steering wheel.", "Everything fits neatly into one package.", "Then it will be up to mom or dad to assemble all the pieces of this ride-on car.", "It's a job that should take about 15 minutes or so.", "Then zoom away-- no driver's license required." ]

{ "things": [ "Sharpening Steels", "Bladder Pumps", "Ironing Boards", "Kayak Paddles" ] }

[ "A well-made knife is an essential tool in any kitchen.", "Having a sharp blade can be the difference between a perfect meal and a culinary nightmare.", "No matter how expensive the knife is, it will dull with use.", "A high-quality sharpening steel can restore any knife to its former glory.", "Professional-grade sharpening steels have an oval shape.", "The shape provides more surface area for efficient sharpening and allows pro chefs to hone their blades frequently as they work.", "The manufacturing process begins with a machine that quickly cuts rods of oval steel.", "From handle to tip, the finished sharpening steel will be 12.5 inches.", "A custom-made lathe grips the rods and guides them inside a cutting area.", "The lathe rounds off one end to fit inside the handle.", "It sprays the steel with cooling liquid to prevent overheating during the cutting process.", "Next, they use a device called a drawing machine.", "Ultra-fine teeth scrape the steel to create an abrasive sharpening surface.", "The grain of the abrasions runs parallel to the length of the steel.", "The steel is still soft enough for a stamping machine to punch in the company logo.", "In an oven, they heat the steel rods to 1,500° fahrenheit.", "Then, a machine dips the rods in a pool of saltwater, to harden them.", "The sharpening steel is now 20% harder than the average kitchen knife.", "A worker dips the components in a series of baths to clean them.", "Next, a machine with multiple nozzles blasts sand onto the sharpening steels.", "The sand cleans off the residue left over from the production process and prepares the steel for chrome plating.", "The chrome plating protects the surface from rust.", "An enormous industrial- strength dishwasher cleans the sharpening steels.", "Then, workers conduct a quality-control inspection of the abrasive sharpening surfaces.", "The sharpening steels have been changed from their original oval shape.", "Using a set of high-speed, specially calibrated sanding belts, a preprogrammed robot smooths and shapes the steel.", "The final piece has a polished and rounded look.", "A grinding machine carefully tapers the metal to give the steel its sword-like shape.", "It takes more than 50 steps to create a sharpening steel.", "A machining tool drills and taps the rounded end of the sharpening steel.", "This creates a threaded hole for attaching a handle.", "The handle includes a section that folds down, allowing it to double as a hook.", "A worker applies glue and installs two rivets to hold the wood section of the handle in place.", "The wood handle is carved out of a 100-year-old oak wine barrel.", "A worker carefully sands the edges of the handle, ensuring a smooth grip.", "Another worker applies a protective coating of wax to the wood handle.", "A worker installs the third and final rivet.", "It bears the company's logo.", "They install this rivet last so it's not damaged during the finishing process.", "After a final cleaning, the sharpening steels are ready to be packed up and shipped out.", "It takes a lot of slicing, chopping, and dicing to make a great meal, but, with a good sharpening steel, cutting is never dull.", "Environmental laws require many industries to monitor groundwater for contamination.", "An engineering firm is usually hired to collect the groundwater samples for testing.", "Some firms collect samples using a bladder pump.", "It's a small device that pumps water using pressured air.", "It's called a bladder pump because the flexible tube inside works like a human bladder connected to a catheter.", "When compressed, it forces the groundwater out of the pump and into the sample collection container.", "The pump is made from polyethylene because it's flexible and inert.", "The plastic is immune to chemical or biological reactions that could contaminate the water sample.", "The extruder melts the polyethylene pellets and forces the liquid through a tube-shaped eye.", "Then, it uses cold water to cool and solidify the poly.", "This produces a 1-inch tube.", "A razor cutter slices the tube into either 15- or 32-inch-long pieces, depending on the pump size.", "They use a different eye to produce a wider pvc plastic tube for the pump's housing.", "This tube goes on a computer-guided lathe, which cuts threads on the ends.", "The same lathe works with a computer-guided mill to shape the pump's top cap.", "It's also made from pvc plastic.", "They make the pump's bottom cap and bladder cap the same way.", "The lathe also carves a solid rod of stainless steel into a small disc-shaped weight.", "The weight helps the pump sink in the water and collect the samples.", "A technician preps the weights for engraving.", "He sprays them to hide their shiny surface.", "Without this masking, the laser would bounce off the surface, instead of penetrating it.", "He loads the weights into the computer-guided engraving machine, then starts it up.", "The laser engraves the name of the manufacturer, the pump's model number, serial number, and other product information.", "When the engraving is complete, he separates the weights and washes off the coating with water.", "Next, they make the air supply line.", "They mix 2% concentrated blue polyethylene pellets with 98% colorless ones.", "They use the same extruder as before to create a narrow tube; as well as an opaque polyethylene tube, for the pump's discharge line.", "Then, they combine the air supply and water discharge tubes with a heat-bonding machine.", "It bonds them in 6-inch intervals.", "This lets engineers in the field cut the tubes to the length they need.", "Now, it's time to assemble the bladder pump.", "They fit the top of the bladder into a cap that has a hollow center rod.", "They place an o-ring seal around another cap and attach that cap to the bottom of the bladder.", "The o-ring will prevent water from leaking out of the pump and air from seeping in.", "They insert a ball-shaped valve in the top cap.", "Then, they attach a hose bar for connecting the discharge line.", "They insert the bladder into the pump's housing.", "They connect an air supply hose barb next to the discharge hose barb.", "They place the weight on the bottom cap of the pump and insert another ball-shaped valve.", "They complete the pump by attaching the bottom cap to the bottom of the bladder.", "When engineers submerge the pump in a well, water enters through the bottom and slowly fills the bladder.", "They drive compressed air into the pump housing via the air supply tube.", "The pressurized air surrounds the bladder, squeezing it.", "This forces the lower ball to close off the bottom of the pump, trapping the water sample inside the bladder.", "The trapped water moves the ball at the top of the pump, which clears the exit route.", "Then, they send bursts of air to the pump in timed intervals.", "Each burst squeezes the bladder.", "This gradually forces the water sample to the top of the pump.", "It's then collected in a container on the surface.", "It helps to have a flat surface when you're ironing wrinkled clothing.", "The first ironing boards were simple wooden panels held up at ends by chairs.", "Folding legs were added in the 1860s, creating a standalone structure that could be collapsed for easy storage.", "This professional ironing board is equipped for every pressing need.", "Its heated surface ensures that every garment is expertly steamed or ironed.", "Each board starts with a hand-drawn design that includes detailed measurements.", "They upload the information to a computer.", "Computer-guided tools cut the ironing board surface out of steel.", "Then, they drill 300 vent holes.", "A machine melts and molds plastic under pressure.", "It creates 20 different parts, including this control panel.", "The plastic is a strong polycarbonate that won't deteriorate when exposed to the heat of an iron.", "The molded components include the ironing board's base structure and numerous body parts and attachments.", "A worker assembles the fan's motor.", "The fan will blow the fabric for easy steaming or suction the fabric to keep it on the board.", "He secures the fan shaft to the base plate and motor.", "He flips the structure over and installs a small fan for cooling the motor.", "He fastens the cooling fan to the shaft with a clip.", "Next, he inserts a metal base plate in the ironing board's molded plastic housing.", "He places an electric coil underneath the ironing surface.", "He bends the tabs on the plate around the element to secure it in place.", "He then makes the makes the electrical connections.", "He installs the perforated steel plate on top.", "Then, he screws the plate to the rest of the unit.", "He flips the ironing board over and tucks the fan into a molded plastic slot in the back.", "He screws the fan to the rim of the plastic compartment.", "He transfers the ironing table to a rack until the next step.", "When the worker's ready, he places the central body part over the fan and electronics.", "He attaches the wired control panel to the end of the ironing board.", "He drives large pins into it to secure it to the molded casing.", "He connects the the control panel to the fan, the heating element, the thermostat, and the temperature sensors.", "He tucks the wiring into the central body part.", "He attaches a latch for accessing the mechanics of the ironing board.", "Then, he screws a molded plastic side plate to the central body part.", "He closes the control panel, encasing the mechanics of the ironing board.", "He secures the legs to the central body part using a pivot mechanism.", "In this professional ironing board, the work surface folds and unfolds.", "The legs will remain stable at all times.", "He secures the legs with the molded plastic structure.", "He turns the knob on the pivot mechanism to set the board's height.", "He peels the protective plastic off of the perforated steel structure.", "He fits an elastic cover snugly over the ironing board.", "It's made of breathable, synthetic fabric and foam padding.", "The worker tests the ironing board.", "He sets plastic-covered pods on the ironing board.", "He activates the blow function and the plastic expands.", "Then, he activates the suction option and the plastic collapses.", "The tests confirm that the ironing board works properly, ensuring that these ironing jobs will go more smoothly.", "Kayaking with a proper paddle can make the experience more comfortable and more efficient for a longer period of time.", "Paddle designs are different for flatwater kayaking, versus whitewater kayaking.", "Within both those categories, there are many different blade shapes and shaft designs.", "This is a premium touring kayak paddle.", "It's designed to be stiff, strong, and very lightweight.", "The angle of the blades is called the feather angle.", "Kayakers can adjust the feather angle for wrist comfort and aerodynamics.", "The first step is to make the mold for the blade.", "It's comprised of many complex parts.", "Each one is shaped out of a block of copper or steel.", "This is a high-precision process.", "Producing a mold for just one blade style costs about $100,000.", "Once all the components are ready, workers assemble the mold.", "The corners have long alignment pins.", "The pins guide the mold as it opens and closes on the injection press.", "Workers mount the mold on the press, then load transparent nylon pellets into the hopper.", "They position a black reinforcement rib inside the blade mold.", "The press closes and injects hot, melted nylon into the mold cavity.", "Then, the press cools the mold and solidifies the nylon.", "The mold opens and ejects the kayak blade, which is now reinforced with the newly incorporated rib.", "This entire molding process takes 3 minutes.", "The press only molds a preliminary shape.", "Next, they clamp the blade to a template and start up a computer-guided router.", "The computer contours the blade to its final shape.", "Here's the blade before and after this step.", "The shaft is made of molded carbon fiber.", "Each paddle is comprised of two connecting sections.", "Workers prepare a right and left shaft piece for each paddle.", "They saw each one to the required length and cut orientation slots in the end.", "The orientation slots correctly position the piece, relative to the feather angle adjustment mechanism.", "They roughen the surface area with a belt sander to optimize adhesion.", "They apply a fifth layer of epoxy glue...", "Then insert the shaft into the blade.", "They wipe away the excess, then let the glue dry for 24 hours.", "Next, they assemble the feather angle adjustment mechanism.", "They place a nylon retaining cap on a spring and insert the spring into a nylon housing.", "They flip the assembly over and put it into an ultrasonic welder.", "Then, they place another retaining cap on the other end of the spring.", "The welder uses high frequencies to generate heat.", "The heat melts the nylon and quickly fuses the second retaining cap to the housing.", "They attach the part to the rest of the paddle.", "Then, they glue it into the right shaft piece.", "They wipe away the excess glue and attach the final section of the adjustment mechanism.", "They wrap tape around the mechanism to contain the glue.", "After the glue has dried, they connect the right and left sides of the paddle with the feather angle adjustment.", "They put it in the lock position, which is indicated by a white line.", "They apply a decal denoting the feather angles; then, a second decal, illustrating how to select them.", "A third decal with the brand name goes on the blade.", "Adjusting the feather angle is simple.", "First, you push the left and right shafts toward the middle and rotate them to the desired angle.", "Then, you pull them apart, to lock it in the new blade position.", "Some paddle models do not have feather angle adjustments, however, every kayak paddle this company produces separates into two pieces, to make transporting easier." ]

{ "things": [ "Kayaks", "Safety Boots", "Electronic Signs", "Cereals" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Kayaks-- we'll tip you off to how they're made.", "Safety boots-- we'll walk you through the manufacturing process.", "Electronic signs-- a sign of the times.", "And cereal-- we're milking this one big time.", "In days gone by, kayaks were made of wood and animal skin and used by people who hunted to survive.", "Fast-forward to today, and you'll see that kayaks have updated their image.", "Now they're marvels of molded plastic coveted by sports enthusiasts far and wide.", "A kayak is formed by the melting of plastic on a mold of nickel.", "This mold is made in two parts-- an upper and a lower section.", "The surface of the mold is perfectly smooth and has a mirror finish that guarantees an excellent luster.", "The graphics are laid on the mold before molding begins.", "This way, they're well-impregnated in the plastic.", "It's an operation that requires quite a bit of dexterity because, contrary to self-adhering stickers, these graphics can't be lifted off if they haven't been well-positioned.", "This is the yellow powder they're going to melt-- linear polyethylene.", "It comes in several colors.", "The amount of powder to be melted is determined by the kayak model to be made.", "At the same time, in other molds, they're going to fabricate other parts of the kayak, such as the baggage compartment cover, the central support, and the seats.", "The polyethylene is poured into the mold, which is then closed.", "All the other molds are closed, as well.", "Before entering the oven, the molds are securely closed with clamps to avoid any loss of polyethylene.", "The kayak mold is put onto a transporter and placed facing the oven.", "Because of the large dimensions of the craft, the oven had to be custom-made.", "The whole kayak goes in.", "The oven is 23 feet long and has a diameter of about 6 feet.", "The polyethylene melts at 550 degrees.", "To completely distribute the powder throughout the mold, it pivots on several axes.", "It turns on itself while the oven oscillates 30 degrees towards the front and rear.", "This procedure is termed \"rock 'n' roll\" and lasts 19 minutes.", "Cooking is now over, and the mold exits the oven.", "But the plastic has to cool in order to solidify.", "To do this, they place the mold in this cooling chamber.", "It must not be cooled too quickly or it deforms.", "A 16-foot kayak can lose up to 6 inches of its length.", "Now the cover of the mold is lifted off.", "Then they unmold the cover and the other small parts.", "The kayak is finally unmolded.", "Now they can proceed to machining it.", "While inspecting the kayak, they remove any plastic ridges left by the joint between the two halves of the mold.", "They now move to finishing.", "This begins with the screwing on of carrying handles.", "Here, they cut the opening for the baggage compartment.", "And then they install the trimming.", "The central support is positioned.", "It plays an important role because it links the bottom and top portions of the craft.", "All that remains now is to finish the baggage compartment.", "They attach fasteners, then put the cover in place and hold it down with a retaining strap.", "Finally, the kayak is packaged, ready for delivery.", "This company makes 12 kayak models of various dimensions.", "Here's a lesson we hope you won't have to learn the hard way.", "Drop a hammer on the job, and you might have a few broken toes to show for it.", "Enter the sturdy work boot.", "Lace on a pair, and chances are, your feet will survive even your klutziest moments.", "Work boots are made from cowhide that has undergone both mineral and finishing tanning.", "A waterproofing treatment completes the preparation.", "Let's follow the process.", "This machine is a shaver.", "It evens up the hide and opens its pores before it receives other appropriate treatments.", "They treat the hides in this retanning drum.", "Water, coloring products, and retanning products are at temperatures varying from 90 to 180 degrees.", "Hides are removed from the retanning drum.", "The leather will then be vacuum-dried for 2 minutes at a temperature of 160 degrees.", "Then, the hide will be hung for 24 to 48 hours.", "Here, the hide is stretched on a vacuum-drying plate.", "It's evened out to get rid of any creases.", "A hide measures almost 22 square feet.", "They'll need about 4 square feet of leather to make a boot.", "They begin cutting the boot parts.", "This punch, with the help of a press, cuts the different pieces of leather.", "They also cut brown fabric pieces-- the interior lining of the boot, made from a foam base and woven polyester fibers.", "This paring machine thins the edges before they're sewn.", "During the cutting, each piece of leather is identified by its size.", "They now begin assembly of the boot.", "The two sides of the boot are sewn together on this machine.", "Now the front part of the boot is assembled.", "Excess leather is progressively cut away.", "The eyelets-- made of steel, brass, or aluminum-- are then positioned.", "Here, they attach a foot mount on a form with tiny nails called tacks.", "The last is placed in the boot to facilitate the assembly of the front part.", "This carding machine removes any unevenness at the level of the lining before proceeding to the next step.", "They now install the tempered-steel toe cap.", "The lining is pulled.", "They insert the cap and fix it well in place.", "The leather is folded beneath the boot, the bottom secured with a tack, and the sides fastened with hot glue on this seat and side lasting machine.", "The boot front is now finished.", "We get a good view of the application of the hot glue.", "At this stage, they remove the last installed at the beginning.", "It's no longer needed.", "Now the sole will be installed.", "The heel core is of pine.", "It's put onto the sole, which will soon be secured into place.", "Here, they proceed with machining and welding of the rubber sole to the boot tip.", "It's called vulcanization, done at a temperature of 330 degrees.", "And the sole is solidly installed.", "This machine sands the edges of the sole to eliminate any vulcanization residue.", "They also apply a sealant.", "They now place an insole inside the boot.", "Here, they install the laces and stitch on the labels.", "The boots now leave for the packaging area.", "Building a pair of boots required no less than 123 different fabrication steps, including packaging.", "Each pair needs 330 feet of nylon, cotton, and polyester threads and over 10 square feet of thick and rugged leather.", "Take a stroll down tokyo's downtown drag, and you'll get the distinct impression that neon is passé.", "Today, electronic signs are all the buzz-- futuristic miracles of light, color, and animation that make the world their matinee screen.", "Digital electronic signboards are sometimes used as giant television screens or to post written messages.", "They come in different sizes-- from a few feet all the way up to many thousands of square feet.", "The creation of a sign starts with plans drawn by engineers and architects.", "Hundreds of plans are created by computer, among other methods, and require between two days or even a month of work.", "Millions of tiny lights, or light-emitting diodes called elements, make up the screen's surface.", "These elements are made of germanium, gallium nitrate, and silicon semiconductors covered with plastic.", "These elements have to be placed so as to form a matrix.", "Each of the 20 machines at this plant can install and solder 1,500 elements an hour.", "Lighting up an element requires only 10 to 20 milliamps, and they last for about 150,000 hours.", "All the wires are placed behind the matrix in the different electrical connections.", "This conceals everything behind the sign and shelters it from the weather.", "Depending upon the distance from which the sign will be seen, spaces between the elements vary from 1/10 of an inch to several inches.", "A workman now makes the electrical connections.", "The wires have to be solidly connected to resist shaking caused by movement of the signboard.", "The matrices must operate together and require controllers, which send information from one to the other.", "Thus, each group controls its own image.", "Each matrix has to be electrically powered and integrated to its own 5-volt element-illuminating connector.", "Sometimes the matrices are made up in two pieces-- one supporting the elements and the other having the components.", "In this case, it simply requires two cards to establish the contact.", "Now they connect the information cable that lights up and extinguishes the elements.", "Each matrix has two connectors-- one that supplies the electric current and the other that carries the sign's information.", "Here, they verify the functioning of each matrix.", "Then, they can begin to join matrices together to construct the signboard.", "We see here all the colors assembled as they will be on the screen.", "The boards are sometimes installed outside and are thus vulnerable to the weather.", "That's why they put on this rubber strip, which waterproofs it.", "The matrices are now assembled together.", "Then, 10 matrices are joined to make up a module.", "At this stage, they insert the signboard conductor.", "Then the wires are connected.", "These wires transmit electric current and all the information relating to the sign.", "The elements require a very low-voltage current-- about 5 volts.", "Each module is then provided with its own converter to maintain a steady voltage.", "Then all the modules are assembled in the signboard support.", "And the many electrical connections linking the different modules are made.", "This gigantic signboard is a composition of 35 modules and 12 matrices.", "The signboard is almost finished.", "They now check the color, the luminosity, and the resolution of the screen.", "The signboard is made of 120,000 electrical light diodes and took nearly 3 months of work.", "Each year, this company constructs hundreds of digital signboards requiring about 100 million lighting elements.", "If you aren't the type to rise at the crack of dawn and wolf down a hearty breakfast, chances are you eat a bowl of cereal or a granola bar on the fly.", "One of the best ways to beat the early-morning blahs, the goodness of cereal now comes in as many forms as our fast-paced lifestyles demand.", "Our breakfast cereals were born out of the religious beliefs of the seventh-day adventists.", "The seventh-day adventists are vegetarians who, in 1860, founded a sanatorium where patients were fed only cereals-- wheat flakes invented by dr.", "John harvey kellogg.", "His brother, william keith, saw a promising future and built the first flakes factory to market the product.", "His success would later be imitated by the famous charles william post of post cereals.", "The making of frosted corn flakes starts in this cooker.", "The corn kernels are cooked here for 2 hours and 20 minutes.", "Then the corn kernels are ground up.", "They're ground up by this endless worm screw.", "It also determines the number of pounds of kernels needed to make up a cereal recipe.", "The ground corn is next dried in a dryer unit, an important step before they're cooked.", "To give them their nice, flat shape, the corn kernels are crushed in the flake roller.", "Two rollers turn opposite to each other, and the kernels fall into the constricted space between them.", "The flakes fall onto this conveyor, and the next step will be cooking.", "The flakes arrive at the cooking oven.", "They're shaken to make sure they will be uniformly browned.", "The flakes exit the oven well-browned.", "They then fall into this chute and head in the direction of the next step.", "This vibrating conveyor sorts the flakes and retains only the right-sized ones.", "This drum mixes the flakes and sprays them with a sweet solution boiling at 445 degrees.", "The sweet solution is dried, and a rake uniformly spreads out the frosted flakes on the canvas.", "Now they add in vitamins.", "The cereals are placed into this rotating drum.", "The vitamins are sprayed onto the flakes by a series of jets.", "The cereals are now finished, and they head toward the packaging site.", "This packager fills the bags with cereal.", "It handles between 40 and 45 bags a minute before they head off for final packaging.", "This plant doesn't only make cereals.", "It also makes soft cereal bars.", "This kneader mixes the ingredients-- oat flakes, rice, and syrup.", "The preparation is mixed twice a minute.", "When well-mixed, the preparation is poured into a large container.", "They will now proceed with the molding of the bars.", "The contents of the bin are emptied onto a conveyor.", "And the mixture is spread out.", "Here, they add chocolate chips to the mixture.", "The mix is compressed to the desired bar thickness by this roller.", "The bar separator then divides the mix into 35 equal strips.", "And then a guillotine cuts the bars to their proper length.", "The bars continue circulating.", "This equipment is used to line up the bars and make the packaging process easier.", "Side by side, the bars are turned here so that they run one behind the other.", "This roller applies a delicious caramel fondant to the bars.", "This caramel fondant then cools and sets.", "They're now at the final stage of production-- coating with chocolate.", "About 400 pounds of chocolate are needed for the bar recipe.", "Now finished, the bars are ready for packaging.", "This machine individually bags the bars.", "Finally, they proceed with the packaging.", "These tasty bars will be enjoyed by children, as well as adults." ]

{ "things": [ "Steel", "Apple Juice", "Aircraft Landing Gear", "Cosmetics" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Steel-- the original heavy metal...", "Apple juice-- from the tree to the glass...", "Aircraft landing gear-- what you really need to score a touchdown, and cosmetics-- we'll tour a factory where they make it up as they go along.", "They call superman \"the man of steel\" because, flying and x-ray vision aside, he could bend solid steel with his bare hands.", "Thanks to its legendary strength, steel is used for everything from bridges and skyscrapers to household appliances.", "Steelmaking usually begins with a pile of scrap metal.", "Using this 11-ton electromagnet, scrap iron-- composed of crushed car bodies, electric appliances, cans, and other steel scraps-- is gathered up.", "This powerful magnet is able to lift 5 1/2 tons of metal.", "About 83% of this scrap will be transformed into bars of steel.", "This metal is then dumped into a basket which, by itself, weighs 35 tons.", "The basket can hold up to 65 tons of metal.", "And now they're going to melt the metal.", "This furnace reaches a temperature of 3,000 degrees, hot enough to liquefy the metal.", "It is heated by three electrodes and by four natural-gas burners.", "The contents of the basket are dumped into the furnace.", "Here, the pieces of metal come into contact with liquefied steel, which always remains at the bottom of the furnace.", "There's a reaction, and an aeration system draws out the smoke that's produced.", "At this high heat, the 66 tons of metal will melt in about 60 minutes.", "Then the cover is placed on the furnace.", "This liquid is composed of impurities that rise to the surface when the metal becomes molten.", "At this stage, a workman draws a sample of steel to determine its chemical makeup.", "And now they make use of a supersonic oxygen lance.", "This lance blows oxygen into the molten steel.", "This reduces its carbon content, homogenizes the mix, and speeds up the melting process.", "A ladle is positioned beneath the furnace.", "The molten steel will be transferred from the furnace into this ladle.", "The molten steel easily pours into the ladle.", "The ladle weighs 60 tons and holds 127 tons of molten steel.", "An overhead crane capable of lifting 200 tons carries the ladle filled with steel.", "Additives are introduced in order to obtain the correct steel tone.", "Here, the electrodes are taken out of the furnace ladle.", "A workman now opens the pouring nozzles of the distributor.", "It is equipped with four pouring holes.", "The molten steel runs into molds.", "It cools very quickly and begins to harden.", "Steel billets are produced in lengths varying from 15 to 35 feet.", "The billets are then cut to the desired length with a natural-gas torch.", "A pouring identification number is marked on them with a wax crayon.", "The difference between a steel billet and the nearly finished flattened product is clear.", "Flattening of the billets remains to be done.", "Before flattening begins, billets are placed in the furnace to be reheated for 2 hours at 2,000 degrees.", "Water jets cool the billet ejector.", "The billets are placed on the flattener, where powerful rollers compress them.", "This operation gives the billets the required shape and size.", "Water-cooled rollers crush the billets.", "Some billets go from a thickness of 5 inches down to 1/2 an inch, while other reduce from 6 inches down to 3/4 of an inch.", "At the end of production, bars move along at a speed reaching 22 miles per hour.", "Once they reach their required dimensions, the bars must be cooled.", "This cooling bed allows the steel bars to cool uniformly.", "A total of 440,000 tons of steel bars are made at this plant each year.", "Dump thousands of apples into a giant press, apply several tons of pressure, and what do you get?", "Apple juice, of course.", "And good thing it's made on such an enormous scale, when you consider how many people drink gallons of this popular juice every year.", "Here at rougemeau, they make apple juice mainly from mcintosh apples.", "Some 90% of juice production is done at harvesttime in october.", "A conveyor transports apples to an inspection location.", "Apples tumble in the reverse direction of the conveyor belt so that wet leaves and undesirable materials adhere to the belt.", "The apples are stored in silos for several hours.", "So the apples don't get too bruised in their descent, they're slowed down in this stepped chute.", "Juice making can now begin.", "Now they wash the apples.", "Since they use some apples that have already fallen to the ground, this first water bath must eliminate pebbles.", "A shower of cool water completes the washing process.", "The apples are cut into little pieces in this grinder and produce gratings.", "Enzymes are added, which break down the cellular structure of the fruit, allowing for maximum juice extraction.", "Next, the gratings are transferred into maceration reservoirs, where they'll stay for 60 to 90 minutes.", "Then they extract the juice.", "The gratings are pumped into a powerful hydraulic press.", "Inside the press, filter sleeves hold back the skins, seeds, and stems of the apples.", "Quality control is strict.", "At each stage of the process, they draw off samples of juice to evaluate its quality and to make sure that fabrication parameters are well adhered to.", "The juice is filtered a first time.", "The very smallest undesirable particles are held back by this sieve.", "The fabrication process continues.", "Juice flows from one stage to another via these immense reservoirs.", "The next step will be pasteurization.", "Juice enters this exchanger at 72 degrees and is heated up to 190 degrees, then cooled back down to 122 degrees.", "Enzymes are then added to hydrate the pectin and facilitate the second filtration.", "This is the ultra-filtration process, where filter membranes with microscopic pores retain the smallest of particles.", "The apple juice is now perfectly filtered.", "Its clarity is verified, as well as its flavor, color, and natural fruit-sugar content.", "Since juice is produced in october, it has to be conserved throughout the year.", "A portion of the production is stored in this sterile warehouse area to await being bottled during the year.", "Each reservoir can hold 29,000 gallons of filtered juice.", "No preserving agent is added.", "Now we move to the next stage, the filling of containers.", "These little drinking containers are filled at the rate of 100 a minute.", "The containers are then hermetically sealed.", "Two little sprays of hot glue are applied to the containers.", "This secures the straws to their sides.", "Another automated production line fills bottles with juice.", "They circulate in a row on this conveyor.", "Bottles are washed and disinfected with hydrogen peroxide in this white, sterile room.", "Then they're rinsed with sterile water before being carried to the filling location.", "Each minute, 120 bottles are filled with pasteurized apple juice and sealed with a cap in a sterile environment.", "Bottles are then labeled and sent to shipping.", "Between 20,000 and 40,000 tons of apples are transformed into juice yearly.", "Thanks to its perfect preservation, consumers can enjoy this juice at any time of the year.", "What goes up, they say, must come down, and when what's up is an airplane, you need dependable landing gear to get you back down safely.", "This critical piece of aircraft equipment is the product of expert mechanics combined with sophisticated technology.", "This heavy piece of steel is the undercarriage of a kc-135r airplane.", "A landing gear comprises a central shaft to which an axle and wheels are attached.", "They begin machining the shaft.", "This digital lathe machines the exterior surface of the part.", "Sprays of water and oil cool the part, which heats up due to friction.", "They're now going to pierce the shaft.", "This drill head will ream out the inside of the shaft.", "Alignment of the head must be perfect, so they're cautious with their work.", "The perforating gets under way.", "Turnings from the cutting are saved, and these will be sold to foundries, where they'll be recycled.", "We see here the cutting tool used to pierce the holes in the landing gear.", "To perforate the part, very sharp cutting tools are used.", "Here, they complete an attachment hole.", "The hole is enlarged on its sides, as required by this machine tool.", "The part is cooled with a mix of water and oil.", "Cutting is completed, and the hole is now cleaned out with compressed air so that they can proceed with a visual inspection.", "Here, three pieces are rough-cut at the same time by this machine.", "Because they'll be used in aviation, these pieces have to be machined to perfection.", "The machining of the shaft is now almost completed.", "This deburring unit polishes the machine's surfaces with a compressed-air tool and sandpaper discs.", "And now they have to verify the dimensions of the parts.", "This digitally controlled machine has three axes and does the verification with extreme precision.", "Here, another unit allows for the machining of parts with greater dimensions.", "This facility also reconditions used landing gears, such as this one from a boeing 707.", "They strip off the paint with a sandblaster to verify the condition of the parts with great precision.", "And here are those parts stripped clean.", "But a visual inspection is not enough.", "They can detect cracks by magnetic-particle concentration.", "They magnetize the part, and any cracks will become visible under ultraviolet light.", "Now it's time for the shot-metal procedure, where they spray steel balls onto the metal's surface to increase its resistance to fatigue.", "Before repainting the part, they first plate it.", "The part is immersed for 10 minutes in cadmium, which forms a protective coating on it that will resist corrosion.", "Then the part is quickly soaked in a weak concentration of chromic acid.", "Water, agitated by air jets, cleans away the chromic acid, and the part is rinsed with water another time.", "The part is now baked at 375 degrees over 23 hours to remove hydrogen induced during the plating process.", "Then the part is immersed in liquid nitrogen at -200 degrees before it's inserted in order to reduce its size.", "This collar is easily pushed on with a hydraulic jack.", "Reheating the collar makes it return to its normal size.", "Now the different components and the leakproof joints are inserted into the piston.", "The shock-absorber tube goes into the piston.", "This part absorbs the shock stresses when an aircraft lands.", "The piston is now slid into the cylinder, and they verify that the shock absorber is leakproof.", "Fabrication finishes with paint baked in an oven.", "Some six to eight months are required to make a new landing gear and between six to eight weeks to recondition a used one.", "Perfume, eye shadow, foundation, lipstick-- they're all products of a huge industry driven by our desire for beauty.", "Well, \"how it's made\" is about to show you how they manufacture cosmetics, and we assure you, we're not making this up.", "During archaeological excavations, mummies were discovered wearing makeup, the egyptian technique of enhancing eye contours with antimony, lead, and metal oxides-- all toxic, lethal substances.", "Greek women also adorned their cheeks with a dye made from lead oxide.", "In 1910, florence nightingale, under the name elizabeth arden, would change the whole makeup picture, launching the vogue for cosmetics without toxic agents.", "Cosmetics have been in existence since the dawn of time.", "There are many ingredients that make up a cosmetic formula.", "The industry heavily uses iron oxides to color its products in a multitude of attractive tones.", "Before moving into fabrication, each ingredient must be carefully and accurately weighed.", "These raw materials are often dry, such as powder, but can also be liquid and even oil or wax.", "Every ingredient will have first been approved by the quality-control laboratory.", "A single formula may contain over 50 ingredients.", "The other essential ingredient is water.", "The water used in making cosmetics is first purified by an inverse-osmosis system.", "When it meets strict company standards, it is put into a stainless-steel tank.", "Depending on the complexity of the recipe, between 4 and 10 hours of work are needed to make up a product.", "Let's begin with a bubble-bath recipe.", "A part of the recipe is prepared in an adjoining container to make certain ingredients more soluble.", "A stainless-steel screw propeller mixes all the ingredients thoroughly.", "All along its fabrication processing, the product will be subjected to many tests.", "Here, an acid-based neutralization-reaction test is performed with a color indicator.", "The bubble bath has to be colored.", "A fragrance and a color are added, for in this recipe, the final product will be mauve.", "Before the filling process, the quality-control and microbiology laboratories make sure that the product meets strict quality standards.", "Now it's on to the next step.", "This filler can simultaneously fill up to 12 700-milliliter bottles at a steady pace of 50 per minute.", "The fill level is adjusted electronically.", "Capping remains to be done.", "This capper positions and tightens the caps automatically.", "Urethane rollers apply the precise tightening force.", "The bottles now pass beneath a sealer via induction, which generates a magnetic field, heating the metal piece placed in the cap.", "When hot enough, it welds itself onto the neck of the bottle.", "Another product made here is the peeling mask.", "The mask is poured into this funnel, whose end is attached to the tube-filler pipe.", "The product descends via gravity.", "The filler pours the peeling mask into 50 tubes each minute.", "Then, with heat and crimping, the tube end is sealed, and the tube heads for packaging.", "Other products made here-- cologne and perfume.", "The liquid is drawn into the bottle by suction.", "This rotating filler operates with intermittent vacuum to fill 50 bottles a minute.", "Bottles are positioned beneath the 16 filling spouts that seal their opening to allow for the creation of a vacuum, which draws in the product.", "Now atomizer pumps are inserted.", "Handling two bottles simultaneously, this machine seals the pump, securing it around the neck of the bottle.", "We see the white sleeve aligning the pump, while the gray one tightens the pump.", "Then there are the sprayers.", "This machine applies the spray stoppers and, with a hammer, presses them onto the pumps of the bottles, which are now finished.", "And one final product-- roll-on deodorants.", "This machine fills 115 bottles a minute, handling 8 bottles at a time.", "A filling stem pours the product into the bottle, and here they place the roller ball at 115 per minute.", "Then the ball is lightly pressed into the cavity in which it turns freely.", "This plant makes over 1,200 different products and yearly sells 32 million items per year." ]

{ "things": [ "Statue Restoration", "Tripods", "Polish Sausages", "Welding Guns" ] }

[ "People have been crafting religious statues for years.", "But time can take a toll on these sacred works of art.", "That's where restoration experts come in.", "These professionals work small miracles to return statues to their former glory.", "This is a wooden sculpture of the christian messiah.", "It was originally crafted in the 15th century.", "But today, it's riddled with termites and broken.", "A major restoration has been its salvation.", "Now, this historic work of art is once again on display in an italian church.", "Like the messiah statue, this 18th century madonna is damaged.", "The plaster on her face is chipped.", "Her fingers are broken, and her robes are crumbling.", "First, the restorer dusts off some of the surface dirt.", "He uses a soft brush and gentle movements to avoid further destruction.", "Then, he prepares a cleaning solution.", "He mixes a low-acid, perfume-free soap with water.", "He uses mild soap because it's gentle on old plaster.", "He heats up the mixture to melt the soap.", "Then, he starts cleaning the statue.", "He applies the cleanser to the madonna's face and body.", "He lets it soak into the plaster for 7 to 15 minutes.", "He makes sure the statue doesn't absorb too much water because that would cause more deterioration.", "Next, the restorer wipes the statue down with a damp sea sponge.", "Centuries of dirt and grime come off.", "For serious stains, he combines alcohol and ammonia.", "He applies the cleansing mixture using a cotton swab.", "He lightly scrubs off the deep stains.", "The alcohol evaporates quickly so it's not on the surface of the statue long enough to do any more damage.", "This madonna statue is starting to look like her old self.", "The restorer uses rabbit glue for the next step.", "It's a strong and flexible adhesive that won't chip or crack.", "He dissolves some glue in distilled water.", "He applies it to the cloth exposed underneath the broken plaster.", "Then, he mixes a special plaster called gesso with the rabbit glue.", "The mixture is 80% plaster and 20% glue.", "He dabs the plaster mixture onto the glued sections to fill in the gaps in the madonna's robes.", "He repairs her chipped nose using a thicker version of the plaster solution.", "He applies it with a small spatula.", "After the first coat of plaster on the robes dries, the restorer adds another thicker coat.", "He adds more layers until he has enough material to work with.", "Then, he sculpts the robe's contours using a surgical scalpel.", "He blends the repair into the original plaster and sands it until it looks seamless.", "He mixes water-based paint to match the original colors.", "Then, he carefully covers the repaired sections, blending the old with the new.", "He mends the brocade by pressing gold leaf onto the border of the robes.", "The gold leaf sticks to the glue applied earlier, matching the original pattern.", "He seals the paint with carnuba wax-- it gives the surface of the statue a hard and resilient finish.", "It can take up to 4 months to restore a damaged statue.", "A sculpture that's hundreds of years old can look as good as new in just a few months.", "Then, churchgoers can enjoy it for centuries to come.", "Humans have been making three-legged objects for thousands of years.", "The third leg gives these structures extra stability.", "Some of the earliest photographs were taken with cameras mounted on tripods.", "In fact, the tripod has been called the most important photographic accessory ever invented.", "Early tripods were made out of wood.", "They were heavy and cumbersome.", "Their design and materials have improved over time to meet the needs of both hobbyists and professionals alike.", "Today's state-of-the-art tripod is lightweight, collapsible and equipped with precision adjustments.", "Contemporary tripods are made from aluminum tubes that have four different diameters.", "The tubes are electrowelded and anodized for precision, hardness and durability.", "A machine cuts the tubes to the required lengths.", "A press expands one end of the d-shaped tubes to keep the smaller diameters in place.", "Here are two of the different-sized diameter tubes.", "A worker inserts a tube into this machine.", "It uses a high-precision laser to etch the company's name into the aluminum.", "The laser process turns the etched aluminum white.", "They coat aluminum castings with powdered paint.", "The casting is part of a component called a spider.", "It connects the tripod's legs.", "Once painted, the components are taken to a cnc machine.", "The machine shapes the parts to the designer's exact specifications.", "A worker puts foam sleeves called leg warmers on two of the tripod's three legs.", "The sleeves allow photographers to easily handle the legs in extreme temperatures.", "The worker uses a pressurized air device to open the sleeve, then she inserts the leg.", "She uses a specialized machine to add the top hinge collar to the upper leg section.", "The parts were designed to work together and click neatly into place.", "Next, she applies the locking collars.", "When a photographer adjusts the legs, the locking collars will hold them in place.", "She threads a bolt through the collar ends and adds a quick-release lever to the assembly.", "Then, she fastens all the components in place.", "The levers are ergonomically designed and can be opened with one hand.", "She presses bushings into place on the upper collar to complete the leg assembly.", "Now, the tripod is ready for the next phase.", "But first, the worker performs a quick quality control check.", "She makes sure the legs slide in and out correctly.", "Then, she checks the locking collars.", "Next, she brings the legs together to form the tripod.", "She positions the bottom of the spider component on a specially-designed support mechanism.", "She installs the legs and caps them with the top of the spider, then she bolts everything in place.", "Next, a worker assembles the tripod head.", "This state-of-the-art component can be adjusted in three directions.", "She places plastic rings between the three main parts to ensure smooth and accurate adjustments.", "She installs leveling bubbles to help photographers accurately position their cameras.", "She adds the upper plate and the adjustment knobs.", "The plate screws into the camera, which conveniently mounts onto the tripod.", "The knobs also adjust for easy storage and transport.", "She labels a knob to indicate the scale of friction intensity.", "Once the entire head assembly is complete, a worker carefully threads it onto the tripod column.", "The final step in the assembly process is to slide the column and head down through the spreader.", "A worker checks to ensure the mechanism is working correctly, then tightens the locking knob.", "The finished tripod is lightweight, compact and durable.", "This tripod is ideal for both professionals and hobbyists.", "It'll keep the camera steady for anyone who wants to take portraits, profile architectural features, or capture panoramic landscapes.", "Polish sausage isn't necessarily made in poland.", "Also called kielbasa, the term refers to the style of sausage rather than its location.", "It's usually made entirely of pork, or a mix of pork and veal.", "The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic.", "These sausages might be made in canada, but there as polish as warsaw.", "This kielbasa is 100% pork, traditionally seasoned and cooked by natural wood smoking.", "This company uses the hind leg meat leftover from the hams they sell.", "Each sausage recipe calls for specific portions of lean, medium, and fat meat.", "Workers fill three separate meat carts with the required quantity of each.", "They grind the contents of each cart separately.", "The three types of meat are ground to different sizes.", "The lean meat will be the largest, and the fat meat will be the smallest.", "The small chunks of fat meat will fill the gaps between the large, lean chunks.", "They also add whole garlic cloves to the grinder with the fat meat.", "Then, they prepare a spice mix that includes garlic powder, white pepper, coarsely-ground white, red, and black peppercorns, and a proprietary blend of dried herbs and spices.", "They also add pickling salt as a preservative.", "They blend the spices, pork, and cold water in a mixer.", "The mixer also vacuums air out of the meat.", "This helps the seasoning thoroughly saturate the pork.", "It also makes the sausage denser and concentrates the flavor.", "They mix the ingredients for 15 minutes, then let it rest and marinate for several hours.", "After marinating, the meat is ready to be put into sausage casings.", "The casing is made out of hog intestine.", "The filling specialist controls the fill speed with a knee-operated lever.", "He applies the right amount of pressure with his fingers to stuff the fragile casing without tearing it.", "No two hog intestines are identical, so this process can't be automated.", "The filling specialist constantly adjusts the speed and pressure as he works.", "The filling specialist takes the finished casing and gently loops it over his arm.", "Then, he puts the loops on the rack of a smokehouse trolley.", "A fully-loaded trolley holds about 550 pounds of raw sausages.", "They roll the trolley into the smokehouse chamber, shut the door...", "And light the fire.", "They feed maple and hickory logs into a 10-foot fire pit located directly below the chamber.", "They monitor each sausage while it's smoking and adjust the heat exposure as needed.", "The smoking period lasts for 6 to 8 hours.", "The meat cooks at about 160 degrees to kill off all the bacteria.", "The smoke infuses it with additional flavor, naturally curing the sausages.", "After the sausages leave the smokehouse, they're cleaned with hot water.", "Then, the sausages are rinsed in cold water and sent to a blast fridge.", "This minimizes the amount of time the sausages are warm enough for bacteria to grow.", "The rapid cooling procedure eliminates the need for additional chemical preservatives.", "A worker cuts the sausage into 4 1/2-pound portions.", "He places each portion in the bottom tray of the plastic package.", "Before sealing the tray, a machine sucks out the air and replaces it with a mix of 80% nitrogen and 20% carbon dioxide.", "This extends shelf life because mold and yeast can't live without oxygen.", "The carbon dioxide also inhibits bacterial growth.", "The nitrogen fills the package to protect the sausage during transport.", "Every sealed package passes through a metal detector.", "Then, a scale weighs each package and prints out a label indicating the weight and the sell-by date.", "A sealed and refrigerated package of sausage can stay fresh for up to 35 days.", "Once opened, these sausages taste best if eaten within 7 days-- and even better with a little sauerkraut.", "Welding guns are regulars on \"how it's made\".", "They're used in many factories all over the world.", "They have copper claws that hold parts together with high force, then weld items together.", "The guns are designed to do precision work at a steady pace.", "A welding gun is designed to make the same weld over and over again.", "They're programmed to accomplish a repetitive task with pinpoint accuracy.", "Production starts with the gun's electrode caps, which are made out of copper rod.", "The rod uncoils and travels to a forming machine with a series of punches and dies.", "Mechanical fingers move the rod from one die to the next.", "The punches drive the rod into the die cavities to shape it into electrode caps.", "The electrodes come in thousands of different shapes and are made it many different ways.", "The make this electrode, automated tools taper a thick copper rod at one end.", "Then, a drill bores a hole in the other end for cooling water.", "Smaller electrodes are made of partially-hollowed blanks.", "They shave down the blank so that it will be able to weld in small areas.", "They also shape it so that the electrode cap will fit on top.", "They use another drill to make an entrance for cooling water.", "The entrance intersects with the hollowed part of the cylinder.", "Then, another machine bends the electrode into its final shape.", "Next, they make the shunt adapter.", "A worker uses a hydraulic machine to bend a copper bar around a die.", "He measures it to confirm that the dimensions are correct.", "A high-pressure water jet carves through a thick copper plate to create the welding arms.", "The water jet can precisely cut out the part without scorching the copper.", "At the next station, computerized tools shape a solid block of steel into a mount for the welding machine's motor.", "It's a substantial transformation.", "An employee bolts steel plates to the end of the copper arm.", "He places a washer over the plates and then tightens the bolts.", "He inserts the electrode in the other end of the arm.", "Then, he places the cap on and hammers it in place.", "The worker uses a crane to move the second weld arm into place.", "He aligns the holes and joins the arms with the temporary metal pin.", "The transformer delivers electricity to the electrodes.", "A worker attaches the robot welding arms to it.", "He replaces the temporary pin with a permanent one.", "Then, he bolts the arms to the transformer.", "Now, the welding gun is ready for the motor.", "He joins the motor to the arms and tightens the bolts on each side.", "The mechanics of this robot welding gun are complete.", "Now they need to add the plumbing.", "An employee cuts plastic tubing and connects it to the welding gun.", "The tubes will supply a constant flow of water to the gun.", "Without it, the gun would overheat and the electrode tips could melt.", "He bundles some of the hoses and ties them together for neater installation.", "They test every robot welding gun to confirm that it's fully operational.", "This gun is a slightly different version that the one that was just assembled.", "The technician also confirms that the tips have sufficient force for a good weld.", "Too much force could damage the tips.", "Too little force would result in a poor weld.", "It takes about an hour to assemble a robot welding gun.", "This gun is ready to leave the factory and be part of the action at another one." ]

{ "things": [ "Javelins", "Cuckoo Clocks", "Hearts of Palm", "Windshield Wipers" ] }

[ "The sport of javelin throw dates back to the olympics in ancient greece.", "The athlete sprints down a runway and just before reaching a line on the ground, hurls the javelin forward.", "For the throw to count, the athlete can't step over the line and the javelin has to land point-first in the ground.", "This modern javelin consists of a long, hollow tube and a point.", "The tube portion is called the shaft.", "This company uses strong, lightweight aluminum, but javelin shafts can also be made of steel or carbon fiber.", "The tube is 1.2 inches in diameter.", "It first goes into a taper machine, where forming dies narrow the back end to very specific dimensions.", "The taper profile varies by model but has to conform to international rules.", "After making the exact end of the taper, they slice off the excess tubing.", "The shaft is now its final length-- 7.2 feet for a woman's model and 8.5 feet for a men's.", "A straightening machine sandwiches the shaft between two hydraulic cylinders.", "They apply extreme pressure, straightening any large bends.", "This is just a preliminary straightening.", "The final one comes later.", "Next, working strictly by eye, a specially trained technician sands the shaft, fine-tuning it to a very precise diameter and weight.", "The javelin's point section is made of steel tubing that's a hair wider than the shaft.", "After tapering the front, they saw off the excess, making the point around 12 inches long.", "Now for the point's steel tip that jabs into the ground.", "They position it in a holder, place the point body behind it, then weld the two parts together.", "To make the point more aerodynamic, they sand down the weld line until it's flush with the surrounding steel.", "Using progressively finer grits of sandpaper, they polish away any imperfections until the point is perfectly smooth.", "Now for the final assembly.", "The shaft is sporting two coats of paint, and the point is nickel-plated to rustproof the steel.", "They mark how far up the shaft the point will go and slip it on temporarily.", "As the javelin pivots precisely where international rules dictate, they add pieces of lead until the javelin balances.", "Then all the components go on a scale to ensure their combined weight abides by international rules-- 1.3 pounds for a women's javelin, 1.8 pounds for a men's.", "Next they squirt a little glue inside the point and drop the chunk of lead inside.", "They drop in some knotted cord and ram it in with a metal rod.", "This packs in the lead so it won't rattle around.", "They use glue to adhere the point to the shaft.", "They drive home the point, so to speak, by throwing the javelin against a lead slab.", "The force of impact pushes the point into its final position.", "Now they recheck the javelin's overall weight.", "If it's underweight, they simply tape some sheet lead to the center of gravity, where the handgrip will hide it.", "Using a gauge to measure the grip's permissible length, they mark the grip position at the center of gravity, then mount the javelin on a lathe and coat the marked area in glue.", "They wind cotton cord around the shaft over the glue.", "Before cutting the end, they verify the length of the grip with the gauge.", "They apply two decals-- one bearing the company name, the other a safety warning.", "But no seal of approval just yet.", "The javelin still has to undergo a final straightening.", "This takes an expert eye and a small hand-operated press to straighten out any bends.", "It's all a question of aerodynamics.", "The straighter the javelin, the more likely it is to go the distance.", "The black forest region of southwest germany is world-famous for its cuckoo clocks, which have either one-day or eight-day movements, meaning that's how long they run on one winding.", "The standard feature is a little bird that emerges and cuckoos when the clock strikes.", "Some clocks also play music and have moving figures.", "the intricate carvings that decorate many cuckoo clocks start out as a block of linden, a soft wood that's easy to carve.", "An artisan first outlines the basic shape using a stencil and paint, then cuts it out with a jigsaw.", "Here he's cutting three blocks at once.", "To steady the piece, he mallets it to nails protruding from a block of wood.", "Then he begins carving, using up to 50 different knives to sculpt exceptionally fine detail.", "The clock cases these carvings decorate are made of pine or plywood, depending on the model.", "Often a case has no carving at all.", "Instead, an artist paints an elaborate design.", "Some cases feature a combination of painting and carving.", "The technical artistry is on the inside.", "The clock's brain, called the movement, is a system of brass and steel gears.", "It keeps time and triggers the cuckoo function.", "The components and configuration vary according to whether it's a one-day or eight-day movement.", "Workers sandwich the movement between two brass plates, connecting them at the corners with long screws.", "Then on the outside, the install the mechanism that times the chime.", "Next the steel wire on which the cuckoo bird will perch.", "Then last but not least, the reels that will move the clock hands.", "The factory runs every finished movement for two days straight to ensure it functions perfectly.", "The first part that goes on the clock case is the dial.", "They tack it with tiny nails.", "Next, the wooden cuckoo bird.", "They insert the movement's perch wire through a hole in its foot, then secure it with a screw so he doesn't fly off.", "After trimming his tail so he'll fit, they screw the movement, bird and all, inside the case.", "Next, the steel wires that operate the components that produce the cuckoo sound.", "We'll see them shortly.", "And, finally, the dial's wooden hands.", "Every cuckoo clock has two chains that regulate the speed at which the movement gears turn.", "As we see here in slow motion, an automated machine makes these chains one link at a time by first cutting, then bending pieces of brass wire.", "Each chain goes into the case through a hole in the bottom, then onto a wheel in the movement, then back out through another hole in the bottom of the case.", "\"s\" hooks go onto the ends.", "These will hold cast-iron weights that pull the chain.", "Workers rig up a small wire connecting the bird and the door.", "This opens the door when he comes out to cuckoo.", "as this demonstration shows, the bird's cuckoo is actually the sound of air pumping in and out of two miniature bellows.", "Before each cuckoo, the hammer on the end of this steel wire hits a tiny gong.", "The number of gong cuckoos indicates the hour.", "After connecting the bellows to the movement, there's just one step left-- running a wire from the movement through the bottom for the pendulum.", "The technical choreography can now begin.", "Winding up the clock raises the chain, pulling up the weight on the end.", "As the weight falls back down gradually, it pulls the chain, which turns the movement, which drives the hands of the clock.", "The pendulum regulates the pace.", "At this factory, a clock gets the seal of approval only after a two-day test run during which it must perform impeccably.", "It's this attention to detail, both artistic and technical, that makes these traditional german cuckoo clocks such timeless treasures.", "heart of palm is a vegetable that comes from certain species of palms.", "It doesn't grow on the plant the way fruits and vegetables usually do.", "Rather, it's the soft, edible inner core of the stems.", "Harvesting palm stems and then processing them to extract the heart is very labor-intensive, which is why this delicious vegetable is a delicacy.", "Life for this tropical vegetable begins in the farm's nursery, where they plant a palm seed in a pot of soil.", "After a couple of weeks, they transplant the seedling into a bag, and the seedling grows.", "Life in the nursery is one of routine-- scheduled feedings of fertilizer, regular weeding, and a daily shower.", "After about three months, that little seedling has matured into a plant that's strong enough to go into the field.", "Workers remove it from the bag gently, careful not to harm the roots.", "Then they plant it in loose soil.", "After about a year and a half of field growth, it's time for the first harvest.", "Using a machete, the harvester grabs and chops off the main stem.", "One of the remaining smaller stems will become the new main stem and be ready for harvesting in about six months' time.", "This cycle continues for about a decade.", "After cutting off the stem, the harvester strips the bark.", "This exposes a shell underneath that protects the palm heart at the core of the stem from damage and dehydration.", "Later the factory will slice off this shell like so to extract the heart.", "Once the stems arrive at the factory, they go into a basin of water immediately.", "This prevents dehydration.", "Next workers load them on a conveyor belt, lining the bases right up against the edge.", "Someone else, meanwhile, clicks a counter to tally the number of stems passing by.", "The conveyor belt transports the stems to a circular saw that slices off a portion of the base.", "Next workers slide each stem across a razor-sharp blade, slicing open the shell that encases the heart.", "With a quick twist, the shell comes off, and they place the heart on a conveyor above.", "Further down the line, the hearts run against another circular saw, which slices off what's left of the base.", "Next a row of saws spaced six inches apart cuts each stem into pieces.", "Now the hearts of palm are just the right size for packaging.", "In the field, the stems' bark and outer shell acted as a dirt barrier.", "Still, the hearts get a rinse in cold water before going into the jar.", "Each jar has to contain a specific weight and number of pieces, so it goes on a scale, and, if necessary, a worker adjusts the weight by swapping a piece for one of a different size.", "The jars now move onto a machine that fills them with brine, a special recipe of water, salt, and citric acid that acts as a preservative.", "The brine-filled jars then go into a hot-steam machine.", "It heats the liquid for about 10 minutes, almost to the boiling point.", "This forces all the air out of the hearts, preparing them for pasteurization.", "On the way to the pasteurization chamber, the jars pass through a capping machine, then under an ink-jet printer head, which applies the lot number and product expiration date.", "Now it's into the pasteurization chamber for an hour and a half.", "This intense heat, 207 degrees fahrenheit, kills off any microorganisms lurking inside the jars.", "After a one-week quarantine period to ensure the hearts of palm don't deteriorate in any way, the jars are ready for labeling.", "The brine and pasteurization combined give the sealed container a four-year shelf life, so whether served alone, in a salad, with pasta or rice, these hearts of palm are guaranteed to be as fresh as they are tasty.", "The first windshield wipers were invented in the early 1900s by a woman who got the idea from watching a trolley driver wipe the sleet off the windshield with his hands.", "After 1920, wipers became standard equipment on all cars.", "Today, even the space shuttle has them.", "These windshield wipers all have a rubber wiping blade.", "To make it, workers load natural rubber into a mixer that breaks it down into fine grains.", "Then they add powdered carbon to the rubber and leave it to mix.", "After several hours, a worker cuts the rubber away from the mixer and feeds it into a heat-treating machine.", "Next the natural-rubber strips enter an extrusion machine, which will combine them with the strips of synthetic rubber.", "The rubber extrudes through this steel die to form a continuous profiled band.", "The rubber band cools in a salt bath before it's cut into lengths, then split in half to form two wiping blades with a clean, sharp edge.", "The blades go through a spray of graphite to reduce friction, then drop onto a grate to dry out.", "The rubber is so smooth, it's hard to grasp, so workers must insert each blade by hand into an assembling machine.", "In the center of the wiper blade is an opening into which a machine will insert a metal tension strip.", "It serves to press the blade on the windshield and hold its shape.", "The machine applies pneumatic pressure to literally blow the strips through the length of the blades.", "This steel coil feeds into a stamping machine that repeatedly cuts and bends it to form brackets.", "These brackets connect the windshield-wiper blades to the wiper arm and give them the shape they need to wipe on curved windshields.", "The brackets come out of the machine in rows, still attached to the edges of the coil.", "Next, the rows of brackets dip into a vat of paint to receive a base coat, followed by two more coats of black paint that will protect them from corrosion for several years.", "Assemble all these pieces together, and you'll have this complete windshield wiper.", "Thanks to this machine, it's a fully automated process.", "First it sets a plastic joint on the smallest brackets, then clips them two at a time onto a larger middle bracket.", "Next the machine sets an adaptor onto the top-center bracket so the wiper can attach to a variety of car wiper arms.", "Finally, all the trays on which lie the assembled wiper parts come together as the machine proceeds with the final assembly.", "Four brackets held by joints branch out from the main center bracket.", "They hold the wiper blade in eight different places.", "This design allows a full range of movement to the wiper while applying an even pressure all along the blade-- the key to a clean wipe with no streaking.", "The completed wipers come off the assembler two at a time.", "Workers visually inspect the wipers and then test the performance of the blade against a rotating sheet of wet glass.", "They monitor the amount of friction the blade applies to the glass and gauge its durability.", "Finally, they test the wipers on an opaque black windshield that reveals just how well they work.", "With a life-span of more than a million wipes, they're surely the most reliable device on any car." ]

{ "things": [ "Fish Rubbings", "Clay Shooting Machines", "Almonds", "High" ] }

[ "today on \"how it's made\"...", "Fish rubbings.", "Clay shooting machines.", "Almonds.", "And high-end motorcycles.", "fishermen like to exaggerate about the size of their catches.", "In 19th century japan, fish rubbings were used for actual documentation.", "Fishermen coated the fish with non-toxic ink and rubbed it on paper to transfer the image.", "They called this form of record-keeping gyotaku.", "Over time, the practice of fish rubbings has evolved into an art form.", "Why paint a picture when you can print one using the real thing?", "The artist traces the outline of the fish onto a foam block.", "Following that outline, he cuts out a fish-shaped cavity.", "He sets the fish in the cavity.", "The foam will keep the fish level and stable during printing.", "He tucks paper wadding into the mouth to keep it open for a more interesting print.", "He also inserts wadding under the gill flaps to impede the flow of fluids from the fish.", "He props up the fins with pins and leaves them to dry overnight in this elevated position.", "This will give the rubbed image the illusion of action.", "He wraps cosmetic sponges around wine corks and tapes them at the base.", "These improvised ink applicators will eventually provide a smooth finish with no brush strokes.", "He makes one for each color, plus a few extra for blending.", "Next, he selects different ink colors to create a bluish green shade that's close to the one on the bluegill.", "He adds poppyseed oil to thin the inks a bit and blends it all with a palette knife.", "With the fins now dry and stiff, he removes the pins.", "With a metal probe, he pulls up a fin that hadn't been raised earlier.", "He places a paper towel between the foam support block and the fish.", "He pats a greenish black color onto the gills and tail using a foam brush.", "This process leaves some smears on the paper towel, but that's what it's there for.", "Switching to one of the improvised applicators, he applies the bluish green ink to the upper part of the fish's body.", "He dabs a yellow color onto the belly of the fish.", "He adds a bit of red to the chest because during spawning, it usually turns this color.", "He places a piece of paper under a fin as he coats it with green ink.", "Then he removes the paper towel that has protected the foam support block from smudges and places the fish back in the cavity.", "He lightly sprays a sheet of rice paper with water.", "This makes it easier to manipulate, as he drapes the damp paper onto the inked fish.", "He rubs the paper onto the inked fish to transfer the image.", "This takes skill and the right touch.", "Once he's finished, the artist peels the paper away from the fish and examines the rubbing.", "After the ink has dried, he lightly sprays the rubbing with water and then a water-based dye.", "The dye provides background color but doesn't affect the oil-based ink guard.", "He brushes wheat paste onto a second piece of rice paper.", "This paper will serve as an extra layer of reinforcement for the fish rubbing.", "He wets the rubbing thoroughly.", "An assistant slowly lowers the wet print onto the paper as the artist smoothes the rubbing, ensuring there are no wrinkles as it adheres.", "The image of the fish's eye doesn't transfer during rubbing, so he paints one.", "He defines the pupil with black watercolor and paints the iris yellow.", "The painted eye adds a soulful expression to the print.", "The fish rubbing is now ready to be mounted to a more rigid paper backing for extra support.", "He trims the borders, ensuring that they're symmetrical and the correct measurements.", "He then tapes the fish rubbing to the mounting board and signs it.", "With numerous and extensive dryings between steps, it has taken several weeks to produce this fish rubbing.", "Clay shooting machines launch the flying targets used in the sport of clay pigeon shooting.", "The saucer-shaped targets are called clay pigeons because they replace the original targets, live pigeons.", "Shooting machines can launch the targets at various intervals, angles and velocities.", "This company has been building clay shooting machines since 1927.", "Older models like this one were heavy steel clunkers that ran on high voltage, were difficult to move around and weren't terribly precise.", "Today's machines weigh from just 88 to 220 pounds.", "Not only are they easily portable, they run on just 12 volts and perform with great precision.", "The machine's sturdy base is constructed from thick steel.", "Its parts were cut by a computer-guided laser then welded together.", "The base design enables the machine to move both laterally and vertically.", "The first component the worker attaches to the base is the frame.", "Made of durable epoxy-coated cast aluminum, it supports all the machine's key components.", "One of them, the main shaft assembly for the throwing arm, is already installed.", "A technician connects the frame to the base with heavy-duty bolts.", "This slot in the frame allows the machine to tilt vertically, up to 65 degrees.", "He attaches a steel extension for the throwing plate across which the throwing arm moves the clay pigeon.", "This extension enables an optimal positioning of the throwing plate.", "Before installing the throwing plate, he installs the indexing shaft assembly.", "The indexing shaft is the finger that moves the carousel forward one column at a time.", "He mounts the steel throwing plate.", "It has three steel springs on its underside.", "One goes over the bolt, attaching it to the far end of the extension.", "The other two go over the bolt, attaching it to the frame.", "These springs keep the arm parallel to the throwing plate.", "Next, he screws the throwing arm to the main shaft assembly.", "He checks the gap between the arm and plate to make sure the arm makes contact with the clay pigeon at just the right level.", "If the alignment's off, he adjusts the height of the plate.", "Then he manually turns the main shaft to make sure the throwing arm rotates smoothly.", "The machine runs on a powerful electric motor that has an integrated gear train.", "The technician installs the motor on the frame beneath the main shaft assembly.", "Next, he attaches the steel arming spring which can withstand up to 440 pounds of pull force.", "Its sudden release generates the propulsion to launch the clay pigeon of a flying speed of more than 62 miles per hour.", "He mounts the support base for the carousel that holds the clay pigeons, then he screws the arming spring to the main shaft assembly.", "As the shaft swings back and forth, it stretches and releases the spring.", "He links the indexing shaft assembly to the motor's gear shaft.", "He installs the carousel, made of cast aluminum, on the support base.", "This model has a different type of motor design that enables the base to pivot automatically, launching random trajectories.", "This patented system increases the carousel's capacity.", "By clicking retractable extensions onto the rods that separate the columns, the operator can stack 50 percent more clay pigeons in the carousel.", "When the operator presses a button on the remote control, the throwing arm rotation begins.", "When the arm passes a specific point, the stretched arming spring releases, launching the pigeon.", "As the arm continues its rotation, the linked indexing shaft moves the carousel forward, dropping a new clay pigeon onto the throwing plate.", "When the arm comes full circle, re-stretching the arming spring, a sensor cuts power to the motor until the next press of the button.", "This entire cycle takes just 2 seconds.", "Almond consumption dates back to biblical times.", "They're even mentioned in the old testament.", "Around 100 a.d., the ancient romans showered newlyweds with almonds.", "This ritual came from the belief that they increased fertility.", "But today, it's the nutritional value of almonds that keeps us coming back for more.", "Almonds are a guilt-free snack.", "They're full of vitamins, minerals and protein.", "More than 80 percent of the world's almonds come from california where growing conditions are ideal.", "Upon arrival at a processing facility, the almonds are still encased in leathery hulls.", "They flow through equipment that combs out debris.", "The next machine, called a destoner, targets any rocks.", "Air blows through it to separate the lighter almonds from the stones.", "The almonds travel between a rubber roller and belt.", "This spins off the hulls and releases the almonds.", "The operator periodically examines the de-hulled almonds.", "Vibrating decks with slots sort the almonds by size.", "The system also shakes off hull material and vacuums it up.", "The almonds head to a gravity table for finer separation.", "The spent hulls and other material float to one side while heavier contaminants float to the other.", "The in-shell almonds tumble down channels.", "Cameras examine the shells for imperfections and look for contaminants, then a blast of compressed air knocks them out of the flow.", "These are some of the contaminants that have been removed.", "At another facility, machinery will now grade the almonds according to the condition of their shells.", "Once again, the almonds fall through the open air, and a computerized camera scans them for broken shells and other flaws.", "A compressed air gun then knocks the flawed almonds out of the mix.", "The almonds bounce along a vibrating grid and any kernels or missed shell fragments fall through.", "Finally, people sort through the almonds and reject any that don't have perfect shells.", "They also toss out any contaminants the mechanized sorting system missed.", "Some buyers will pay a premium for the best nuts.", "The almonds with broken shells will have the shells removed.", "These raw almonds are also sorted by size.", "They flow onto a vibrating conveyor.", "Further along, the conveyor has holes.", "The smaller almonds fall through these holes and into bins.", "The larger almonds continue forward.", "These larger kernels are worth more and will be sold separately from the smaller ones.", "As with the in-shell almonds, good looks are important.", "A camera photographs the cascading almond kernels, and a computer scans the images.", "The system knocks the less-than-perfect almonds out of the production stream.", "Next, the almonds head towards a robot.", "Along the way, another camera sends the images to a computer scanner.", "This one has been programmed to find chips, scratches and even small broken bits.", "The computer sends the coordinates of the damaged almonds to the robot.", "The robot then finds them and plucks them out of the mix.", "A human inspector now picks out any imperfect almonds that the robotic system missed.", "Their flaws are just superficial.", "They still taste the same, so these almonds will be processed into chocolate bars, almond butter or milk, baked goods and cereals.", "The perfect almond kernels travel forward.", "Just ahead, machinery moves cardboard boxes into an open position on a packaging carousel.", "Sprayers apply glue to the bottom flaps, and pushers close them, sealing the boxes.", "The almonds now arrive at a scale.", "It releases them into the boxes in approximately 50-pound batches.", "These big boxes of almonds will be shipped to other facilities to be processed into other products.", "Smaller amounts will be packaged for consumer use.", "A snack anyone can crack or enjoy pre-cracked, almonds are a natural and nutritious choice.", "No wonder they're consumed by the handful.", "During the great depression, motorcycles were an inexpensive transportation option.", "They were a cheaper way to get around town.", "But these days, a motorcycle can be an expensive machine.", "Not for the penny-wise, high-end motorcycles are engineered and crafted for the rider with discriminating tastes.", "This is not a standard mass-produced motorcycle.", "This performance cruiser takes things in a different direction.", "The high-end design is executed with precision, with most parts machined specifically for this bike.", "Production starts with a conceptual layout.", "The designer draws the motorcycle on a digital pad, producing a blueprint for the manufacturing process.", "The manufacturer uses aircraft-grade aluminum to make most of the parts.", "Computerized tools carve the solid aluminum into the desired shape.", "This part will be the motorcycle's belt drive cover.", "The carved patterns make it more visually appealing, and they reduce the cover's overall weight.", "The company builds the exhaust system using stainless steel.", "A technician welds the exhaust pipes together.", "He then attaches several spring hangers to the steel pipe assembly.", "The next part is an ignition coil mount.", "A ruby probe scans the part to find the center.", "Once it's been located, a software-driven cutter descends, and etches brand information and artwork into the black anodized aluminum.", "This steel structure will serve as the motorcycle's skeleton.", "The technician installs the 100-horsepower, fuel-injected v-twin engine.", "He then mounts the six-speed transmission system to the engine.", "It's equipped with a high torque shaft that's shorter than usual to make the system more compact.", "He bolts it in place.", "The steering stem has a framework at the base with three openings known as the triple clamp.", "He slides the stem into the tube on the frame and screws a bearing onto the top.", "He fastens it with a nut that will keep the bearing pressurized.", "He installs a second triple clamp on the top of the assembly.", "The center hole fits onto the nut.", "He secures it with a steering head nut.", "He inserts the suspension fork into the other two openings in the triple clamps and makes some adjustments.", "He places a carbon-fiber wheel between the fork tubes.", "He installs the axle that links the suspension to the front wheel hub and tightens the titanium nuts on the axle for a better fit.", "Next, he connects a six-piston brake system to the suspension fork and tightens the bolts that hold it in place.", "This completes the front wheel assembly.", "He now attaches the handlebars, complete with dashboard gauges, controls and side-view mirrors.", "He makes the final connections for the electronics.", "He encases the gauges and wiring with a part called the front cowling.", "The shape diverts air over the rider and away from his or her face.", "A two-piece gas tank will provide more capacity.", "The tanks have been carved from a solid aluminum bar, a process that's taken over 60 hours.", "The tank on the right side becomes part of the frame structure, providing additional strength.", "He loops belt drive pulleys around shafts to transfer power from the transmission to the rear wheel.", "The motorbike is now ready for the belt drive cover we saw produced earlier.", "While protecting the belt drive, this cover also gives the motorbike a distinctive look.", "He mounts the left foot peg to the frame through a hole in the pulley cover.", "This high-end motorcycle is now ready to hit the open road.", "Making it has taken 2 weeks.", "Preproduction fittings with the client have dictated the position of the foot pedals, handlebars, and the seat.", "It's been tailor-made for a precision ride.", "It costs more than many mid-range cars, but this high-end bike isn't for the budget crowd.", "It's for those who want a one-of-a-kind ride." ]

{ "things": [ "Orthodontic Retainers", "Orange Juice", "Retractable Saunas", "Sawmill Blade Knives" ] }

[ "Today, on \"how it's made,\" orthodontic retainers...", "Orange juice...", "Retractable saunas...", "And sawmill blade knives.", "After spending a fortune on braces to straighten your teeth, you don't want that new beautiful smile to shift back to its original position.", "So, orthodontists recommend wearing a retainer for several months after the braces come off, to avoid any shifting.", "Oftentimes, an orthodontist advises their patients to wear a retainer for about a year after their braces are removed.", "Retainers are custom-made for each person using a model of the patient's mouth.", "The orthodontist scans the patient's teeth and palate, and sends the 3-d images to a lab.", "A 3-d printer builds each model by printing approximately 750 layers of material, which takes about 4 1/2 hours.", "The printer prints resin and a support material.", "The support material prevents the model from shifting during the printing process, and provides structural support for the resin in complex areas.", "The support material is water-soluble.", "Once a model is printed, they soak it in water for 10 minutes, then remove the material with a pressure washer.", "A technician places the model in a vice.", "Using preformed clasp made of stainless-steel wire, she fits the wire around the first molar, bending it with pliers to fit snugly around the tooth.", "Then, she bends the end in a specific shape.", "This step will help to anchor the wire in the retainer's acrylic palate at a later time.", "She clips off excess wire, and repeats these steps for the opposite side.", "Once both clasps are in position, the technician secures them with sticky wax.", "Next, she assembles the front of the retainer, called the \"labial bow\".", "To do so, she bends a piece of wire against a form.", "Then, she marks where to bend the wire to create an adjustment loop on each side.", "The labial bow is secured to the model with wax.", "Using a pulse welder, a technician tacks the labial bow and the clasps together.", "He applies flux, a chemical that preps an area for soldering.", "He also applies a heat-shielding product to prevent the wires from overheating.", "Next, the labial bow is soldered to the clasps with a silver-based solder that's safe to wear.", "He steams off the wax, removes the finished retainer wire from the model, and polishes the solder joint.", "The retainer's palate is made of acrylic, and comes in multiple colors.", "A technician waxes the wire onto the model, then, applies the acrylic to the palate, embedding the ends of the wire.", "The acrylic is made up of liquid and powder, which react when mixed.", "She applies about three layers of each the the palate, producing an 1/8-inch thick mold.", "The excess acrylic is trimmed off with a knife.", "Then, she the model is placed into a pressure cooker for 10 minutes.", "The pressure removes air bubbles in the acrylic, while the heat speeds up the curing.", "When the acrylic is ready, the technician uses a steam gun to melt the wax holding the wire to the model.", "She removes the fully formed retainer off the model.", "She trims the acrylic with a grinding wheel to smooth out rough areas and refine the shape.", "With a hand tool, she smoothes the entire surface, so it won't irritate the patient's mouth.", "Another technician runs the acrylic palate against a muslin-rag wheel with pumice, a natural abrasive.", "This makes the surface glossy.", "He applies a greaseless polishing compound to another muslin-rag wheel, and polishes the acrylic to a high shine.", "Finally, he drops the retainer into an ultrasonic cleaning machine containing mild acid.", "The combination of acid and sonic waves removes the pumice and polish residues.", "Once the retainer has been rinsed with water and dried, it's placed it in a storage case.", "Now, it's ready to be shipped to the orthodontist.", "No one knows who came up with the idea of squeezing oranges to make juice.", "The popularity of orange juice increased dramatically in the middle of the 20th century, as techniques were developed to extend its shelf life.", "Today, many people start their day with a tall glass of o.j. in its purest form, orange juice fresh-squeezed and made with no preservatives or other additives.", "The appeal is indisputable.", "Fresh-squeezed o.j. contains vitamin c, and the flavor is authentic.", "Orange juice production starts in groves.", "The trees take several months to bear fruit, and are harvested in early november.", "Picking oranges a job that's done entirely by hand.", "An automated picking system could damage both the trees and the fruit.", "The picker uses a bag made of vinyl composite that's lightweight and heavy-duty.", "There are multiple types of juicing oranges.", "This one is called \"the hamlin\".", "Hamlin oranges are small and juicy, the trees they grow on are productive and resilient to cold.", "The picker plucks the fruit from the trees before they turn orange.", "They may be green on the outside, but they are still sweet on the inside.", "The fruits' size and condition are indications of maturity and flavor.", "As the picker empties the bag into a bin, he examines the oranges.", "Anything with tears or punctures may also have internal degradation, but superficial flaws won't affect the quality of the juice.", "The oranges are taken to a processing facility, and transferred to a sloped chute.", "The gradient of the chute prevents damage as the oranges tumble into a wash station.", "A sprayer rains soapy water onto the oranges as spiraling nylon brushes scrub and clean, while simultaneously moving them forward.", "After the wash, another sprayer rinses them off as the spiraling brushes continue scrubbing.", "The oranges transition to a roller conveyor that takes them up and under drying fans.", "As the oranges exit the dryer, an inspector checks them for any missed damage.", "The oranges then travel across more revolving brushes.", "The bristles on these brushes are gentler than on the first group.", "They buff the skin of the fruit, and remove any residual dirt.", "Finally, the oranges fall off the conveyor line into a bin.", "Now cleaned, the oranges can be juiced with no contaminants that could spoil either the product or juicing machinery.", "As a final precaution, the juicing operator performs one last inspection.", "If she's completely satisfied with their cleanliness and general condition, she loads the oranges into the extractor.", "There's no need to slice them beforehand.", "She feeds them to the juicing machine whole.", "The system feeds the oranges one at a time to the extractor.", "The extractor punctures the fruit, and metal teeth peel away the skin.", "It squeezes out the juice while simultaneously filtering out the seeds and the membrane between the flesh of the orange and the skin.", "The juice flows into a vat.", "A screen in the vat filters the pulp to the desired consistency.", "There are different filters for different amounts of pulp.", "The juice is bottled in jugs.", "The plastic jugs will accommodate any expansion of the unpasteurized juice due to fermentation.", "Instead of pasteurizing this fresh-squeezed juice, it is chilled immediately.", "The unpasteurized orange juice won't have an extended shelf life, but the trade-off is an unaltered flavor and color.", "Refrigeration will preserve the juice for a few days-- and after all, fresh-squeezed orange juice is a drink that's best served cold.", "There's nothing more relaxing than sitting in a hot sauna.", "Our ancestors figured that out at least 1,000 years ago.", "Today, saunas are a substantial part of finnish culture, but they also have a long history in other parts of the world, especially in korea.", "When you live in a city, it's hard to find the space to fit a sauna.", "Luckily, this retractable indoor sauna solves the problem.", "The manufacturer uses high-strength laminates from sustainably sourced wood products.", "Laminate wood is not only strong, it's torsion-resistant, which is an important factor when you're constructing something that will undergo significant shifts in temperature.", "To cut the laminate, a craftsman uses a chop saw, which contains a computerized system that positions the fenced tolerances within a tenth of a millimeter.", "At the next station, the craftsman positions the laminate so that a cnc machine can drill end holes before assembling a pair of dowels.", "Meanwhile, another craftsman preps several wood components for assembly.", "After placing them on an edge, he fills a set of open holes with high-strength glue.", "He assembles the laminate by inserting dowels into openings and gently hammering everything into position.", "This part will form the framework for one of the highly engineered insulated panels.", "The framework is placed into a press that exerts a calibrated amount of pressure to every side.", "This steps ensures a solid and durable connection at all points.", "This is high-performance insulating material.", "Thanks to specialized engineering, it insulates more effectively than many other sauna materials.", "This material also allows the manufacturer to maintain the sleek design of the sauna system.", "With the insulation in place, a craftsman feeds the panels into a precision planer, to ensure the wood contains a uniform thickness.", "A technician begins a process called \"frame-stability construction,\" this method adds a series of layers to each panel, including exterior sheathing, insulation material, a vapor barrier, and interior plywood paneling.", "These will add up to a thickness of only 30 millimeters, achieving a high-insulating value while remaining lightweight.", "A specialized adhesive is applied to attach each layer.", "Then, a customized press applies heat and pressure to bond all the layers securely together.", "After a quick inspection check, a technician carries the panels to a cnc milling machine, where they position it for trimming.", "The cnc machine gauges the dimensions of the panel, and runs a bit around the perimeter, trimming the edges to a uniform width at high speed.", "Once complete, the panels advance on conveyor belts.", "An automated machine uses an adhesive to add a veneer to the perimeter then, it applies heat and pressure to secure the bond.", "The process is known as \"zero joints,\" because it covers up the panel's visible joinery.", "The machine can apply a range of different veneers, depending on customers' specifications.", "The control panel allows users to customize the temperature and duration of a sauna session.", "Customers can also choose from a variety of pre-installed programs.", "Two drive buttons control the extension and retraction of the sauna.", "To extend and retract, the manufacturer custom-made this track-wheel system, the system includes durable guides, self-lubricating components, and industrial-strength ball bearings.", "A craftsman carefully joins the structured wall, ceiling, and floor panels.", "Thanks to precision machining, they fit together perfectly, making it easy to assemble the parts wherever a customer wants their sauna.", "Then, the craftsman installs the heart of the sauna.", "The manufacturer has engineered this compact powerful heater with a specialized finish that makes the usual safety guard unnecessary.", "Retractable saunas-- for the most efficient sweat possible.", "After years of carving wood into lumber, sawmill blades eventually lose their cutting edge.", "So, craftsmen are salvaging the discarded carbon steel, and making them into knives for hunting and outdoor use.", "When it comes to sustainability, this is a new kind of cutting edge.", "What was once an old sawmill blade is now a sleek, new brush-cutting knife-- proof that the future doesn't have to be dull for discarded mill blades.", "A sawmill blade lasts 5 to 10 years.", "But when it jagged edges wear thin, it can't cut logs anymore.", "Luckily, the carbon steel can be salvaged.", "A computerized high-pressure water tool cuts into a stack of three sawmill blades.", "In doing so, it carves out numerous knife blade blanks.", "The computerized tool also cuts holes for the handles and a tab for attaching the knife sheath.", "Next, the blades are transferred to a vibratory tumbler.", "The tumbler is filled with triangular ceramic stones and a soapy solution.", "For several hours, the vibrating stones smooth and clean the blades.", "Once complete, a technician secures the blades in a fixture with screws.", "The screws hold the blades down flat, and lock them in position for the next step.", "This tool's spiral bit carves into the steel to shave small amounts from around the edges.", "This improves the shape of the knife and ensures that the knife handle will fit perfectly on the tang.", "The trimming also removes the lines left by the water-jet cutting.", "One of the blades is placed in a fixture that holds the knife with the cutting edge in an upward position.", "A technician ignites an automated torch.", "The torch follows the blade, exposing it to intense heat.", "The torch doesn't touch the blade's spine.", "This selective heat treatment hardens only the blade.", "An operator places the blade into a bucket of quenching oil.", "This rapid cooldown completes the hardening process.", "Next, the cutting edge is beveled, and the entire blade is coated with a thermoplastic polymer, which provides a hard finish and prevents rust.", "Then, the knives are transferred to a laser-emblazoning chamber.", "Another technician closes the chamber doors and activates the laser.", "The computerized laser etches the company logo, the knives' model number, and other information into the steel.", "At the next station, a technician moves a blade against and abrasive belt held in by a special fixture along a track.", "This angles the blade precisely to the abrasive belt to grind the cutting edge and complete the bevel.", "This brush-cutting blade is now almost razor-sharp.", "He sharpens the tip of the knife by gentling pressing it against another abrasive belt.", "Next, he applies an abrasive compound to a buffing wheel.", "He presses the cutting edge of the knife against the wheel, and the abrasive compound works its magic, honing the edge to its final sharpness.", "He presses threaded fittings into the tang of the knife.", "He installs them so that the fittings protrude from both sides of the tang.", "The fittings in the tang have been spaced to match holes in a handle.", "This handle is made of composite glass and resin.", "There are two parts, one for each side of the tang.", "Due to the precision prep work, the two parts fit together perfectly as one.", "Screws hold the handle parts together.", "He dips the tips in a thread-lock solution.", "When the thread-lock solution cures, it stabilizes the screws.", "With multiple thread-locked screws, the composite handle now has a solid handgrip.", "It's taken several hours to transform a blunt sawmill blade into a sharp brush-cutting knife.", "Through recycling, steel that lost its edge now has a new one." ]

{ "things": [ "Rally Cars", "Pork Pies", "Floating Fountains", "Artificial Stone Ornaments" ] }

[ "A rally car is a compact vehicle that's had a radical makeover.", "It's been stripped to the steel core and completely rebuilt.", "International rally regulations govern the process.", "In the end, that efficient little vehicle becomes a lean, mean racing machine.", "Fresh out of the factory, this compact car is about to be ripped apart and put back together again.", "The rebuild will pump up the power and transform a quiet road car into a vehicle that roars on the rally racing circuit.", "Bold graphics will also make this compact car look fierce.", "As they dismantle the car, they get rid of some superfluous brackets and panels to shed weight.", "They blast off the paint.", "Then they weld a tubular steel roll cage to it to protect the driver and co-driver in a rollover or crash.", "The roll cage also stiffens the chassis for better handling on hard turns.", "They widen the back end slightly to accommodate an upgrade to a 4-wheel transmission and a larger fuel tank.", "Then they paint primer onto the modified body shell.", "They're now ready for the rear transmission.", "This will convert this compact car to 4-wheel drive.", "The technician bolts the transmission to the rear floor panel.", "Upgrading from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive adds traction and allows the car to handle more precisely.", "Now the seats.", "They're individual survival cells made of carbon fiber, a virtually indestructible material.", "It's also extremely light, and this helps offset the extra weight added by the rear transmission and roll cage.", "The new dashboard fascia is made of lightweight fiberglass and covered with a velvety fabric to block the reflection of light.", "With the dashboard in place, the car gets the steering column and wheel.", "The car is now ready for the fiberglass bumper.", "It's been redesigned slightly to accommodate new fenders that are flared for bigger tires.", "The technician then equips the rally car with heavy-duty dampers to absorb the shock of high-speed bumps on the rally course.", "He slides the stiff spherical bearings into the car shell and secures them.", "He links the dampers and the driveshaft to the hub carrier and bolts them into place.", "He inserts brake pads into lightweight aluminum calipers and mounts them to the rotors.", "This braking system is extra large for serious friction, allowing the rally car to be slowed efficiently when needed.", "Using a crane, they now lift the engine into the chassis.", "This is the original 1.6-liter engine, but seriously ramped up to boost performance.", "They've upgraded the pistons and camshafts, among other things, and added a turbocharger.", "This takes the compact-car engine from 90 horsepower to 300.", "Instead of a metal fuel tank, they install a rubber one.", "It's pliable and expands, so it's unlikely to split or crack in a crash.", "The rubber fuel cell fits perfectly under the trunk floor.", "Strapped to that floor is this little tool kit.", "They've lightened these tools by drilling holes into the handles.", "As the race heats up, so will the engine and its fluids.", "They custom-designed this u-shaped radiator to keep the power-steering oil cool.", "They tie it to the front of the supersized engine radiator.", "Without this substantial radiator system, overheating could kill the engine, and that would be the end of the rally for this car.", "The mechanics of the rally car have now been completely rebuilt.", "They now install windows.", "They use double-sided tape to bind the rear side windows to the car.", "Taping the windows means they can be easily kicked out in the event of an accident.", "The windows are made of shatterproof plastic.", "So there shouldn't be any cuts or scrapes when busting them out.", "Instead of painting the car, they glue on graphics from bumper to bumper.", "The graphics are made of plastic film that is much lighter than paint.", "The crew saves about 11 pounds by not painting the rally car.", "Saving weight and redistributing it for better handling, while adhering to tight weight regulations, is just part of the challenge.", "And a good finish in the rebuild shop could lead to a strong finish in the rally.", "British pork pie is made of chopped pork and pork jelly nestled inside a crust pastry.", "Mass-produced versions contain cured pork in a soft pastry.", "Premium pies are handmade with fresh, uncured pork inside a pastry that's hard and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.", "Among the best-known premium varieties of pork pies is melton mowbray, named after an english town which has produced this british snack since the 19th century.", "Only manufacturers situated within a defined radius of the town can legally call their product melton mowbray pork pie.", "And they have to follow the traditional recipe, which begins with blending hard bread flour.", "Then workers put lard into a pot of cold water...", "Sprinkle with sea salt, then bring the water to a fast boil, dissolving the lard.", "Then they add this hot mixture to the flour.", "They blend for a few minutes until the ingredients form a medium-soft golden dough.", "Unlike dough made with cold water, which bakes soft throughout, hot-water dough bakes hard on the surface, but soft within.", "They roll the dough into balls of approximately half a pound each...", "Then roll half the balls flat into a layer roughly 2/10 of an inch thick.", "With a round pastry cutter, they slice circles.", "Each one will be a pie top, called a lid.", "The other dough balls will later become the base of the pie, called the case.", "The pie filling is made from fresh pork shoulder, white pepper, and sea salt.", "They prepare the filling in small batches in order to better control the distribution of ingredients.", "After cutting the pork into small chunks, they sprinkle with salt and pepper...", "Mix by hand...", "Then form balls the same size as the pastry balls.", "In the assembly area, workers lay a plastic sheet over the hoop of a pie press to prevent the dough from sticking.", "They put a pastry ball in the hoop and cover it with another sheet...", "Then plunge a round metal die into the hoop to form the case.", "Now they drop a pork ball inside, pushing it down to force out some of the trapped air.", "They brush water onto the edge of the case to make it sticky.", "Then they apply the lid, lightly thumb-pressing all around to adhere it to the sticky edge of the case.", "Then with a different hand press, they score the perimeter of the pie...", "And gently run a wooden block across the top.", "This removes the excess dough without unsealing or ripping the pie.", "A ventilation hole in the middle lets just enough steam escape to prevent pressure from building up and bursting the lid.", "The steam that remains helps tenderize the pork.", "A pie decorator crimps the edge inward.", "Then the pies go onto a baking sheet and into the oven for an hour at just under 400 degrees fahrenheit.", "Earlier, workers prepared the pork jelly by boiling pigs' feet in a large pot of water...", "Then simmering for nine hours to release the natural gelatin from the bones.", "Now they strain the pot's contents to isolate this natural jelly.", "They've timed this perfectly so that the jelly is still warm when the pies come out of the oven.", "When they do, their pastry crust is a golden color.", "The pork, as meat tends to do, has shrunk during cooking, creating empty spaces inside the pastry.", "It's into those voids that workers now inject the warm pork jelly until it starts bubbling out the hole at the top.", "This indicates the jelly has filled all the nooks and crannies.", "The pies go immediately into a fridge set at 43 degrees fahrenheit.", "They remain inside for about 90 minutes until the jelly sets.", "From now on, the pork will remain moist thanks to this congealed jelly surrounding it.", "Each pie is wrapped in a see-through package bearing a \"best before\" date.", "Kept refrigerated, a pork pie stays fresh for about a week.", "You take it out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature before digging in.", "No self-respecting brit ever warms up pork pie.", "A floating fountain adds visual interest to a pond or pool.", "It continuously shoots water several yards high, producing ribbons of cascading water.", "A submersible pump generates the effect.", "And all you have to do is just sit back and enjoy the show.", "A floating fountain is a pleasant sight, but it's also practical.", "The constant pumping action aerates the water, preventing stagnation that breeds mosquitoes and causes algae growth.", "Production begins with the floatation ring, which they cast a section at a time.", "A worker pours a measured amount of plastic powder into the bottom half of a clamshell mold.", "The mold is attached to an arm that swings it into an oven and rotates it on two axes.", "The mold heats up.", "The powder melts and adheres to the walls of the mold, forming a hollow part.", "The mold now moves into a cooling zone, where it first rotates in front of a fan, then under a cool spray of water.", "The constant turning minimizes sagging or buckling in the plastic as the hollow part cools and solidifies inside.", "The mold opens, revealing a quarter section of the flotation ring.", "Stainless-steel inserts for attaching it to the other sections have been embedded into the plastic.", "They now mechanically push the hollow part underwater.", "This is a test.", "They pump air into it and check for bubbles that would indicate a hole.", "The fountain ring must be leakproof because water will eventually be added to it to level it.", "A worker now bolts the four quarters together using brackets and the steel inserts molded into the plastic earlier.", "Next, they focus on the framework for the submersible pump.", "A mechanical saw cuts the stainless steel parts to size, and a welder pieces them together.", "Another worker now attaches the completed framework to the brackets protruding from the bottom of the floatation ring.", "Using a press, they bend steel to create brackets to hold the fountain's lights.", "They bolt the light brackets to the pump frame in a position to illuminate the upward spray of water.", "They slide the long, tubular casing for the pump and its motor through brackets on the bottom of the frame.", "This is the pump.", "It's open to display the inner workings.", "Those steel disks are the impellers that will force water upward.", "The next employee applies pvc glue to attach a flange to the pump assembly.", "The flange will be used to connect the pump to the fountain's plumbing.", "He now inserts the pump and motor assembly into the casing.", "The motor has been hermetically sealed to keep water out.", "Using a special gripper, he pulls the assembly all the way through the tube to complete the installation.", "He spreads more glue onto the flange and attaches a pvc elbow that links it to the rest of the plumbing.", "The entire assembly is painted black so the fountain workings will seem to disappear underwater when viewed from the surface.", "With the assembly now flipped right side up, they install the lights.", "Then a worker screws a circle of eight brass nozzles onto a pvc base.", "These nozzles will split the flow of pumped lake water into a eight sprays and configure them in a circle.", "He tightens each nozzle to ensure the connection will withstand the powerful and perpetual pumping action.", "He places the nozzle assembly on the plumbing protruding from the fountain raft and twists the threaded ends together.", "The connection must be extremely tight.", "Another worker then rolls a sheet of perforated steel to build a tubular screen to filter the water as it flows into the pump.", "The screen fits perfectly onto the intake end of the pump and motor tube.", "With the floating fountain now complete, it's ready to be wired to the control panel.", "This panel will be positioned lakeside for onsite activation and programming of the timer.", "The floating fountain is now ready for launching.", "This particular one is a larger version of the one we saw being built, but big or small, it's all about going with the flow.", "Artificial stone is a cast material that looks just like sculpted natural stone.", "Since the early 18th century, manufacturers have cast stone in molds, producing beautiful garden and landscape ornaments, as well as architectural components designed to enhance buildings.", "Classical-style statues and other garden ornaments came into fashion in england in the 1700s.", "It was trendy for the upper classes to tour italy and admire ancient roman art and architecture.", "Not every noble was wealthy enough to haul home a solid stone antiquity by stagecoach, so english factories began producing facsimiles in artificial stone.", "The production process today is much like it was then, beginning in the studio, where a sculptor makes a plaster model of the ornament.", "This one's a copy of an antique bust of pan, the greek mythological figure.", "They use this intricately detailed model to make the production mold.", "After coating the plaster with a sealer, they cover the entire model with thin strips of clay, making certain divisions between strips to create the production mold's various sections.", "Over the clay, they apply six or so layers of fiberglass cloth saturated with resin.", "The resin cures, producing a 3/10-inch-thick multi-sectioned case around the clay-covered model.", "Next they open the case and remove the clay, which leaves a gap around the model.", "They close the case and fill that gap with their specially developed rubber.", "When the rubber cures, they open the case and remove the model, revealing a rubber mold that bears all the model's intricate details.", "They send this cased mold off to the production facility and put the model in storage until the rubber mold wears out and it's time to pour a new one.", "The artificial stone is a natural-looking off-white color.", "It's made of fine sand, white cement, and limestone, plus plasticizers, waterproofers, and a few secret ingredients.", "The factory adds stone pigments into the mix to produce terra cotta and other colors.", "A computer-controlled system feeds the ingredients into the mixer in all the right proportions, then adds a small amount of water to activate the cement that binds everything together.", "On the production floor, a caster repeatedly shovels a bit of stone mixture into the fiberglass-encased rubber mold, then, using both hand and pneumatic tools, compacts it in the mold.", "The quality of the ornament depends greatly on the caster's technique.", "The trick is to ram enough stone mixture into every nook and cranny of the mold, but not compact too much at a time, as this mold would produce unattractive layers in the finished ornament.", "They trowel the open side of the mold by hand and smooth the surface.", "The stone mix takes 24 hours to reach an initial set.", "Then, section by section, they unbolt the case and peel off the rubber mold.", "This may be artificial stone, but its surface texture closely resembles carved limestone.", "The final step is a vapor curing.", "The ornaments go into a chamber overnight.", "The steam forces moisture into the pores, curing the cement inside.", "This type of artificial stone is called dry cast limestone.", "Other ornaments are made of wet cast limestone, a mixture of similar ingredients, but in larger particle size and containing much more water.", "Because you can embed stainless-steel reinforcement bars in it, wet cast is the better material for making objects such as garden benches or large fountain bowls that require structural strength.", "Wet cast doesn't have to be vapor-cured because of its high water content.", "However, unlike dry cast, which is finished when it comes out of the mold, wet cast does require finishing.", "Workers have to grind away excess material that sometimes seeps out of the joints in the mold and hardens.", "The wet cast surface is smooth and sealed, so it's normally easier to clean.", "Dry cast stone, by contrast, has a textured surface and weathers to an antique look." ]

{ "things": [ "Mobile Concert Stages", "Mascara", "Continuous Miners", "Wood Gift Boxes" ] }

[ "The mobile concert stage was invented in canada in the 1980s.", "It uses hydraulics to fold into a trailer for transport and then unfolds upon arrival at the event venue.", "It takes 45 minutes for a crew to set up a mobile stage, and then it's show time.", "No stage?", "No problem.", "Just order a mobile hydraulic stage, and in less than an hour, you're ready to rock 'n' roll.", "The convenience means it has plenty of fans in the event-production industry.", "A mobile stage starts with the trailer framework.", "A worker saws aluminum beams to length.", "At the same time, another member of the team pieces together aluminum tubing for the roof.", "He welds the joints to complete the roof's skeleton.", "He then welds the trailer support structure together.", "With the girders assembled, the trailer's substructure is ready for the axles and wheels.", "Each axle can support 10,000 pounds of weight.", "They install hydraulic cylinders on each corner of the trailer.", "These cylinders are the extendable legs that will stabilize the stage trailer on the ground.", "Next up is a panel with valves to control the flow of hydraulic fluid.", "They bolt the panel to the back of the trailer and connect hoses to the valves.", "This network of hoses will circulate fluid for the hydraulics.", "They cover the valves and hoses with a metal plate.", "The plate has slots for control levers.", "They screw the levers to the valves.", "He then installs a hydraulic pressure gauge.", "The team now lowers the tank for the hydraulic fluid into the base frame and secures it.", "They run the hoses for the hydraulic fluid through a filter at the entrance to the tank.", "They're ready for the extendable supports for the stage mast.", "Using a forklift, they maneuver the parts into place at the ends of the trailer.", "They return to the floor and bolt six hydraulic cylinders into the framework.", "They'll be used to lift and lower the floors.", "The roof structure is next.", "A crane does the lifting, and a worker guides the panels onto the beams.", "They secure the panels with hinges, torquing them tightly.", "The team transfers the floor panels to both sides of the main chassis.", "The install leg jacks to support them.", "There are eight jacks for each floor panel.", "They install more hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering the floor.", "This mobile concert stage is ready for the outer skin.", "An employee glues fiberglass sheeting to the sides.", "A team then lays the plywood floors sheet by sheet.", "The plywood is marine-grade.", "It has a laminate composite surface.", "The laminate is textured for skid resistance.", "It's also waterproof for outdoor events.", "Once all the paneling is in place, this mobile stage is ready to go on tour.", "Eight weeks in the making, it will be a time-saver on the road.", "One way to enhance eyelashes is to coat them with mascara.", "Early mascaras were made of petroleum jelly and coal or soap cake tinted with black dye.", "Today's liquid mascara comes in a tube with an applicator brush built right into the cap.", "Mascara formulations vary.", "The basic ingredients are wax, water, pigment, and binders.", "Additional ingredients produce features such as water resistance.", "Every formulation is comprised of an oil-soluble phase and a water-soluble phase.", "To prepare this mascara's oil phase, a technician combines four types of wax-- carnauba, from a brazilian palm tree; candelilla, from a plant that grows in parts of mexico and texas; beeswax; and glyceryl stearate, an emulsifier which helps ingredients blend well.", "Next comes vitamin \"e,\" which conditions lashes and gives the mascara a smooth texture.", "After that is a chemical compound called pelemol d-2000, which makes the mascara water-resistant.", "The technician heats this oil phase of the formulation.", "Once the waxes begin melting, blends the ingredients.", "Wax is a thickener.", "This calculated combination of four different waxes produces a semiliquid gel that coats lashes with a shiny film.", "The technician now prepares the water-soluble phase of the formulation separately, first, heating up cold water, then adding an emulsifier.", "This will bind the water and oil phases when they're combined later on.", "Without an emulsifier, oil and water solubles would naturally separate.", "The next ingredient is a cosmetic-grade iron oxide pigment.", "The color is black because she's making black mascara.", "She blends the mixture until the color is uniform.", "Then she adds t.e.a. this organic compound balances the mascara's ph level so that it isn't too acidic or alkaline.", "Next, she adds a cosmetic powder to make the mascara silky and a chemical to provide additional water resistance.", "Finally, she completes the formulation by adding the oil phase to this water phase.", "Heating the mixture while blending prevents the waxes from solidifying.", "Before packaging, the factory's chemist runs quality-control tests.", "Using a viscometer to measure thickness, he makes sure the mascara isn't runny or gooey.", "He also tests the ph level.", "If the sample meets specifications, the lab gives the go-ahead to package the mascara, and a worker pours the batch into a filling machine.", "The machine continuously mixes the mascara and keeps it hot so that it remains liquid.", "Otherwise, the mascara would begin to cool and jellify and clog the filling nozzle.", "A mascara bottle typically contains about 2 ounces of mascara.", "As it cools in the bottle, it transforms into a semiliquid gel.", "She seals the bottle by pressing in a plunger-style plastic stopper.", "The stopper has a hole in the middle for inserting the brush applicator that's built into the bottle's cap.", "The lip of the stopper hole is designed to wipe off excess mascara as you pull the brush out of the bottle.", "This helps prevent the mascara from clumping.", "This manufacturer fills small orders manually, like this one for a private-label brand.", "Its automated production line is reserved for large orders.", "Regardless of quantity, clients specify the characteristics they want in their brand of mascara, such as lengthening or water resistance, and the manufacturer tailors the formulation accordingly.", "The continuous miner is always on the job.", "This machine constantly bores into deposits of coal, salt, or pot ash to break them into little pieces.", "Its invention in america in the 1940s was an earth-shattering development.", "The continuous miner is a force to be reckoned with underground.", "A spinning drum is spiked with tungsten carbide teeth.", "It tears into the rock face and spits the pieces out onto a conveyor.", "The continuous miner can remove 24 tons of minerals per minute.", "That's more than a human miner can dig in an entire day.", "The work is hard on the equipment, and, so, eventually, the continuous miner undergoes a complete rebuild.", "It starts with an extensive cleaning.", "After a steam wash, a worker aims a torch at the bolts of the drum.", "The heat causes the bolts to expand and move away from the hole.", "This makes it easier to pull them out, using a pneumatic impact wrench.", "Once all the bolts have been removed, the drum can be pried from the shaft.", "Once free, a crane lifts the heavy drum, and workers guide it to the next station.", "Here, a worker in protective gear blasts the drum with tiny steel shot.", "This removes any remaining dirt and grime.", "Some parts, like these centrifugal loading arms, are beyond repair, so they build new ones.", "Connected to a hub, these arms will move mined material onto the machine's conveyor.", "A worker reinforces each one with a wear plate.", "He then heats the wear plate and loading arm before welding them together.", "Preheating reduces the possibility of the weld cracking.", "They lower the loading-arm assembly into the machine framework.", "Then a computerized cutter carves a sheet of steel to make new access panels for the continuous miner.", "The slicing force comes from a pressurized mixture of water and garnet granules.", "No blade is necessary.", "The operator of the machine hoses off the filings.", "He retrieves the cut part with a magnet.", "Over to the conveyor part of the continuous miner now.", "They had built up the hole for the pivot pin because it had stretched from wear.", "A tool mills the built-up hole to return it to the correct diameter.", "The team then focuses on the main frames of the continuous miner.", "They weld the cracks and grind them smooth.", "Now beginning with the conveyor tail, a worker spray paints the continuous miner one piece at a time.", "Another member of the team inserts new plugs into an electrical control box.", "He bolts the panel, holding electrical controls to the machine casing.", "He then installs heavy doors that swing open so the electrical can be easily accessed.", "There are a total of 25 covers and doors on the continuous miner.", "Some protect hydraulic hoses.", "Others encase the wiring or gear boxes.", "They can all be removed if maintenance needs to be performed.", "It's taken several months for this massive overhaul, and they're ready to put this rebuilt continuous miner to the test.", "Using the machine's remote control, a technician checks the function of every component.", "With his approval, the continuous miner goes back underground to pick up where it left off.", "A product presented in a beautiful, high-quality, wooden box is sure to stand out.", "Companies use them as special-event displays or as corporate gift boxes.", "Because they're handmade, the boxes can be customized to showcase each product.", "Wood gift boxes make wonderful cases for spirit bottles, collectible coins, watches, or christmas ornaments.", "Not only do they display the product beautifully, they also protect the contents inside.", "Today, they're making a box with maple boards, which are cut on an automated saw.", "A mortiser's parallel blades cut square-shaped notches at the end of each plank.", "These will serve to finger joint the sides of the box later on.", "The pieces of wood are pressed against the corner so that the resulting fingers are perfectly aligned.", "The factory usually makes fingers that are 6 millimeters wide.", "Wider fingers would be unsightly, and thinner ones would be too fragile.", "They now prepare the top of the wood box.", "A press uses heat and pressure to stamp the company's logo on the surface of the wood.", "They brand the wood with a magnesium plate, heating to 840 degrees fahrenheit.", "The process takes just two seconds.", "Next, they assemble the sides, interlocking the pieces manually.", "They use a rubber mallet to avoid damaging or denting the wood.", "When the four sides are end to end, they apply a small amount of wood glue on the inside of each joint.", "They form the corners at a 90-degree angle.", "Once the box is assembled, a press will finish pushing in the fingers on each joint.", "When the box comes out of the press, they check the square.", "They apply wood glue for the bottom of the box.", "Since the bottom is less visible, clients sometimes choose plywood instead of solid wood to save on costs.", "They glue a solid maple top, and the boxes go into press for 35 minutes until the glue dries.", "After sanding, a router shapes the edge of the box's top.", "By changing the router-bit, they can create all kinds of decorative profiles.", "This one is simply rounded.", "They sand the whole box again with 120-grit sandpaper, and finish with 180-grit sandpaper.", "Now they can cut the box open, starting at the back.", "They create a wide angle so the lid can open freely on its hinges.", "Next, they make a straight cut through each of the three remaining sides, sawing the box in half.", "They separate the body from the lid, and the two match up perfectly.", "Each half of the box goes on an automated milling machine called a slotter.", "It cuts the slots in the wood on the back of the box.", "These slots will receive the hinges.", "The bottom of each slot is rounded to cradle the rounded ends of the hinges.", "These hinges are made of nickel-plated metal.", "They're designed to be pressure fitted, so they won't need any screws to stay in place.", "The worker uses a rubber mallet to insert the hinges in the body of the box.", "Once the hinges are aligned with the lid, he squeezes them tight, using the hammer again if necessary.", "The angled cut creates enough space for the hinges and helps to open the lid.", "They apply a coat of sealer, lightly sand the wood, and finish with a coat of lacquer.", "When the lacquer is dry, they install the magnetic closure in a pre-drilled hole.", "Another magnet goes into the lid, and that makes for a nice-closing box.", "They stick a piece of self-adhesive felt to the bottom of the box and trim the excess.", "Next, they line the box with foam in order to protect its contents.", "Some clients prefer thermoformed plastic trays molded to their product's specific shape.", "You can choose the size, shape, type of wood, color, and hardware of the box.", "The only limit is your budget and your imagination." ]

{ "things": [ "Clay Liquor Jugs", "Poultry Deli Meats", "NASCAR Engines" ] }

[ "The clay liquor jug is a product with an elicit past.", "In 19th-century america, this distinct stoneware jug was used to contain backwoods brew, moonshine whiskey that was produced under the cover of night to avoid scrutiny from the authorities so it could be sold tax free.", "Today they still uncork the little brown jug to serve up old-time corn whiskey.", "Replicas like this one add an authentic touch to the traditional brew.", "The jug starts with raw clay dug out of the ground and crushed into little particles.", "They also break up defective and damaged pottery and recycle it into the process so nothing is wasted.", "Next, a shaft with protruding knives mixes the clay with water and fortifying chemicals.", "When the clay reaches a doughy consistency, a vacuum sucks out the air pockets, and then machinery forces it through a dye to form a long log.", "In log form, the clay is easier to handle.", "The potter pulls off some chunks of clay and shapes them into patties.", "He presses the patties into molds of the top and bottom parts of the clay liquor jug.", "He inserts each mold in a holding ring and spins it.", "A wooden tool now sculpts the jug's top section from the inside.", "Clay migrates up the walls of the mold and takes its shape.", "The potter pokes a wooden dowel in the neck of the jug to round it out.", "As tools shape the lower body of the liquor jug, the potter sprays water on the rim.", "This makes the rim sticky, which will allow the bottom portion of the jug to adhere to the top.", "Still in the molds, he presses the two parts of the jug together, and the moistened clay bonds.", "Once the clay is dried, the next craftsperson pries it from the molds, and it comes out in one piece.", "She removes any unwanted bits and transfers the jug to the workbench.", "She levels the lip of the jug with a stick and spins the jug on a pottery wheel to scrape off surplus clay at the seam.", "She smooths down rough spots on the exterior surface with a wet sponge.", "At this point, the clay is still fairly supple and responds to moisture.", "Meanwhile, jug handles are taking shape in this tub.", "Steel paddles force the clay through holes in the bottom, producing ribbons of clay that will now be shaped into curved handles.", "The potter moistens one end of the clay ribbon and presses it to the neck of the jug.", "She must apply just the right amount of pressure, or it will fall off.", "She pulls the clay ribbon into a distinctive curve and presses the other end to the side of the jug.", "The curvature must be similar from jug to jug, and producing a consistent shape every time takes practice.", "At the glazing station, an operator tests a pump that spurts glaze upwards, creating a brief fountain of glaze.", "With a paddle, he swishes the solution around to keep the glaze particles suspended.", "Then he immerses the top of the jug in the liquid to give the clay liquor jug that familiar two-toned look.", "He pumps glaze inside the jug, giving it a leakproof lining that will allow it to hold liquids.", "The next worker stamps product information on the side of the jug using ceramic inks.", "Next, they prepare a different glaze.", "The worker dips the bottom portion of the jug in it, and it appears to completely obscure the carefully applied product information.", "But when the glaze dries, it will become transparent, and the stamp will be visible again.", "The next worker scuffs off the glaze on the base to keep the jug from sticking to the shelves in the kiln.", "They fire the whiskey jugs at around 2,200 degrees fahrenheit for eight hours.", "This hardens the clay and deepens the glaze.", "It's taken a total of 19 steps and one week to transform a couple of lumps of clay into a little brown jug.", "And it's sure to add a touch of nostalgia to cocktail hour.", "Man cannot live by bread alone.", "But add a few slices of chicken or turkey deli meat, and you've got a meal.", "Poultry deli meat is a popular alternative to corn beef or salami, and that's because it's less fatty any way you slice it.", "When it comes to making deli meats, it's all in the seasoning.", "From fiery southwestern turkey to hot-sauce-marinated chicken, they really know how to spice it up.", "They begin with plenty of filtered water.", "It will be used to disperse the specially formulated seasonings.", "There's a different blend for every product, and they include salt and different herbs and spices.", "They add honey because this is a honey maple recipe.", "And while that's all being mixed, they check the temperature of the raw poultry to confirm it's in the safe range.", "If it's even slightly off, there's a risk of bacterial growth, so the whole batch would have to be rejected.", "But this poultry has been well-chilled.", "The stitch pump machine's long steel needles repeatedly inject seasoning solutions into the breast meat.", "Excess liquid drains through the conveyor as the chicken is transferred to a holding area to marinate for at least two hours.", "Next, numerous lumpy rollers massage the chicken and break down fiber to tenderize the meat.", "Then, in a tumbler, metal paddles vigorously knead the meat.", "This tenderizes it even more and releases a natural protein that will eventually bind several breasts into one big piece.", "Meanwhile in the turkey kitchen, workers shape and season previously marinated meat and apply strips of bacon to the top.", "The employee arranges them in a crisscross pattern for full coverage.", "He dusts it with a mix of seasonings and then wraps it in thick plastic.", "Once enclosed in the plastic, he can press the turkey breast into a more perfect shape.", "For a different flavor, they drench some turkey breast in a spicy southwestern marinade.", "After folding the turkey meat to the desired shape, the worker adds salsa and seasonings to complete the recipe.", "A little more hand shaping and it's ready for the oven.", "Back on the chicken line, it's the same idea but with a different twist.", "Chicken breasts are too small to shape by hand, so they funnel them into thermoformed plastic molds.", "As the molds move forward, a worker sprinkles spices onto the meat while another swabs juices to test for pathogens as part of a quality-control program.", "Equipment heat-seals the plastic molds and then cuts them free from the matrix.", "Then they're on their way to the smoke oven.", "They spend six hours smoking at 165 degrees fahrenheit.", "The protein released earlier by kneading causes the chicken parts to adhere and take the shape of the mold.", "Once they've been temperature checked, it's on to the next station.", "Here, workers peel off the cooking mold and drain the excess juices.", "Then the molded breasts go through a fryer.", "The hot canola oil browns the outside of the chicken meat for a more appealing and tasty effect.", "Meanwhile, workers swish other cooked chicken breasts in hot buffalo-wing sauce to really kick up the spice a few notches.", "And after extra seasoning, the chicken travels through a long arc of electric heat rods.", "This is a special convection oven.", "Fans blow the heat from the rods onto the meat to complete the cooking process.", "By now the turkey deli meat has also been thoroughly cooked and crisped.", "They transfer the turkey-filled bags to clam-like devices that close around them.", "Inside, a vacuum sucks out the air to shrink the packaging around the turkey and keep it fresh.", "It has taken about eight hours to produce this poultry deli meat.", "Refrigerated, it should last about 35 days, unless there's a hungry crowd.", "Nascar, an acronym for the national association for stock car auto racing, is one of the most popular spectator sports in north america.", "Nascar vehicles are modeled after certain american-made four-door passenger cars, but with far more powerful engines.", "No overhead camshaft engines on this track.", "For tradition's sake, nascar rules require an overhead valve engine, an older type of configuration also known as a push rod engine.", "Designing the engine takes about a year and a half.", "It culminates in a detailed computer model, an anatomical rendering of the engine in full detail, right down to every last nut and bolt.", "The computer model guides a stereolithography machine to produce a plastic prototype of each engine component.", "The machine repeatedly outputs paper-thin layers of photosensitive liquid resin, which an ultraviolet laser instantly solidifies.", "Over the course of several hours of resin layering, their prototype component takes shape.", "Technicians test it in conjunction with other prototype components and make any necessary adjustments to the design.", "Then, computer-controlled machining equipment produces a metal prototype.", "When every component has gone through this process, the engine design gets the go-ahead to move into production.", "The factory first casts the basic shape of certain components in a mold, then machines that shape to its final form.", "Here, computer-guided hones finish the engine's eight cylinder bores, the chambers in which the power-generating combustion cycles will occur.", "Technicians take very precise measurements to ensure the bores' diameter and roundness meet specifications.", "Then they flip the engine block upside down, oil the crankshaft bearings, position the crankshaft on those bearings, and lock it in with bolted-on caps.", "As the pistons inside the cylinders move up and down, they rotate the crankshaft, driving the clutch and transmission, which propel the racecar.", "With this little black component called a wrist pin, they join the piston to a connecting rod.", "Next, they fit two rings on the piston.", "The top one seals the cylinder, maximizing the pressure inside, which optimizes combustion.", "The bottom ring skims excess oil off the cylinder walls between combustion cycles, which prevents the car from burning oil.", "After inserting a piston all the way down into the cylinder bore, they grease the upper portion to prepare for measuring the compression ratio which must comply with nascar rules.", "The compression ratio refers to the volume of space in which the piston compresses the gas and fuel mixture entering the cylinder.", "To take this critical measurement, they raise the piston all the way to the top dead center point, then verify the positioning with gauges.", "They seal the top of the cylinder with a see-through plastic plate.", "Then, with a syringe, inject alcohol into the space in between.", "The markings on the syringe tell them how many ccs-- cubic centimeters-- filling that space requires.", "This volume measurement indicates the compression ratio.", "The higher the compression ratio, the more horsepower the engine produces.", "They repeat this test with each cylinder.", "They flip the engine block upside down and put each piston's connecting rod in the corresponding position on the crankshaft.", "Then lock the piston in place with bolted-on connection caps.", "Now the technician closes up the bottom of the engine.", "Meanwhile, a device called a profilometer inspects the camshaft.", "The camshaft moves the intake and exhaust valves at the top of each cylinder, allowing the fuel and air mixture in and the combustion gases out.", "This testing ensures the camshaft is straight and that its surface is slightly rough so that lubricating oil will cling to it.", "The engine build is now about halfway there.", "In a push rod engine, the camshaft is located, as we've just seen, above the crankshaft.", "It opens and closes the valves with a system of lifters, rods, and rocker arms.", "In the more modern overhead camshaft configuration, the camshaft sits on top of the cylinders, moving the valves directly.", "Building the nascar engine continues with the installation of this aluminum motor plate by which mechanics will mount the engine in the car.", "Next, the timing belt, which links the camshaft to the crankshaft, ensuring they turn in sync and maintain the correct timing.", "At the core of the belt is a woven material that's five times stronger than steel.", "Other technicians use a gauge to measure how much force it takes to compress the valve springs.", "This quality-control check ensures that spring tension is within a specific range.", "Each cylinder has an intake valve and an exhaust valve.", "Technicians use a compression tool to squeeze a spring over each one.", "Then they secure the spring with a locking clip.", "The valves are located in the top section of the engine, called the cylinder head, that technicians now bolt on to the engine block.", "Next, they assemble the push rod system by which the camshaft opens and closes the valves.", "First, rocker stands.", "Then push rods.", "These insert into lifters which connect to the camshaft.", "And finally rocker arms.", "One end of each arm goes on the push rod.", "The other sits on the valve.", "When the camshaft turns, the system opens and closes the valves.", "Technicians close up the cylinder head with a valve cover.", "Next, they install the engine cooling system, starting with a water manifold.", "After mounting a cover to protect the cam belt from rocks and other debris, they install the water pump.", "It circulates cold water through the engine to prevent overheating.", "Having absorbed the heat, the water exits the engine via the manifold, then travels to the radiator which cools it back down.", "Then the pump, driven by this pulley, sends the water back into the engine to repeat the cycle.", "Next, technicians mount the alternator.", "It generates electricity to run the engine and other components, such as the air-conditioning, the dashboard gauges, and fans which cool the brakes, tires, and rear end.", "This belt drives both the alternator and water pump pulley.", "Next, technicians install the oil pump.", "It sucks hot oil out of the engine, sends it to the oil radiator for cooling, then pumps it back into the engine.", "Now the distributor.", "It sends electricity from the alternator-charged car battery to the spark plugs.", "The spark plugs fire, igniting the fuel and air mixture in each cylinder, producing a mini explosion that drives the piston.", "This component, the intake manifold, feeds the air and fuel mixture to the cylinder intake valves.", "The carburetor regulates the mixture ratio by metering the right amount of fuel to the amount of air coming in.", "Technicians install the numerous parts that make up the clutch.", "Next, the starter ring, which engages with the starter to fire up the engine.", "Finally, they mount the bell housing, a cover that protects the clutch from debris and connects the engine to the transmission.", "The factory hooks up every engine it produces to a testing machine.", "The machine starts up and runs the motor, analyzing some 300 performance criteria, from revolutions per minute to fuel flow.", "At the same time, three remote-controlled cameras shooting from different angles enable technicians to zoom in and view on a monitor anything they need to visually inspect.", "All this to ensure the engine they've built will have a winning track record." ]

{ "things": [ "Wooden Bowls", "Chainsaws", "Stackable Potato Chips", "Jet Compressor Blades" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Wooden bowls...", "Chain saws...", "Stackable potato chips...", "And jet compressor blades.", "There was a time when bowl making was a cherished trade passed down through generations of woodworkers.", "But today, with so much mass-produced tableware, handcrafted wooden bowls have become a specialty item, and this centuries-old traditional craft is practically a lost art.", "Each of these exquisite bowls is made from a solid piece of hardwood-- beech, maple, walnut, or cherry.", "Logs arrive at the bowl mill fresh from the forest, so they're still very damp, and that's an advantage because the moisture lubricates the cutting tools.", "The first step is to divide the log into blocks with a chain-saw operator measuring and inspecting as he goes.", "Defects such as knots or scarring dictate the length of each block.", "Any cracks or other flaws are marked with a red crayon.", "Next, a rip-saw operator uses different-size bowl patterns to determine the best way to cut the block.", "The goal is to get the biggest bowl-size pieces possible without including any defective wood.", "Each bowl-sized piece is called a bowl blank.", "This block is large enough to yield three blanks, each of which will produce a 17-inch bowl and a series of progressively smaller bowls that nest inside it.", "The blank is mounted onto a woodworking lathe.", "From this point on, production is entirely dependent on the lathe operator's skill.", "As the block spins, he carves out the bowls using a series of specialized knives designed and forged at this very mill.", "First he uses this curved knife to shear off the outer portion of wood.", "It takes great expertise to know exactly how to angle the tool and when to pull it out and release the wood shavings and prevent a jam.", "After two or three minutes, the exterior bark shell has been sheared off.", "The bare wood that's left represents the outside of the largest bowl that he'll mill from this blank.", "With a finer blade, he sculpts the wood to just the right thickness and smoothes the surface.", "Now he switches to a smaller curved knife and cuts into the wood.", "This forms the inside of the largest bowl and the outside of the next smaller one.", "The lathe worker repeats the smoothing and cutting process with progressively smaller knives, making bowl after bowl at a rate of about one a minute.", "This one bowl blank produces four nested bowls, the smallest measuring about nine inches in diameter.", "The bowls are steamed for about four hours to draw out the sap and hydrate the pores of the wood uniformly.", "Once a bowl is dry-- about a month later-- workers even out the top rim on a sanding table.", "Then, using a belt sander, they smooth the outside and inside surfaces.", "A motorized saw shaves off the bottom of the bowl, giving it a flat base on which to sit and a place to inscribe the company name.", "Businesses can order custom-made bowls featuring their company logo.", "Artists burn the design into the wood or paint it on.", "The bowls now go for a bath in food-safe mineral oil.", "This nourishes the wood, preventing dryness and cracks.", "Oiling also brings out the natural beauty of the wood grain, and because all raw wood is unique, no two bowls are ever alike.", "Up next...", "High-tech production at a chain-saw factory.", "It's loud, it's powerful, and it rules the forest.", "The chain saw has revolutionized the logging industry by replacing simple muscle power with mechanical might.", "The chain saw can fell a tree and quickly turn logs into lumber.", "Production begins with the plastic housing.", "Three aluminum inserts must be molded into the housing to provide solid anchors for other parts.", "A robot picks up the inserts one at a time and delivers them to an injection molding machine.", "Then it places the inserts into a mold at the front of the machine.", "The machine injects melted plastic into the mold to make the chain saw's engine cover.", "During the molding process, the metal inserts become integrated into the housing.", "It takes just seconds to transform these plastic pellets into a chain-saw engine cover.", "The robot carries each engine cover to an automated cutter that removes any unwanted bits of plastic.", "The scraps drop into a bin below.", "The hot covers cool for about 10 minutes.", "Then the robot moves them to the next station.", "There's one more piece of plastic housing-- the fuel tank.", "The sonic welder melts and fuses it to the engine cover using high-frequency vibration.", "Now it's time to move on to the engine and install a spring system for the starter cord.", "The two-stroke engine slides into the plastic casing.", "And a spark plug is popped into place.", "After the crankshaft is lubricated, the chain saw's automatic oiling system is installed.", "The carburetor is attached, along with a pull-cord starter system.", "This saw gets an air filter.", "Then the chain bar's stud bolts are dipped in adhesive and screwed into the inserts molded into the plastic housing.", "The rear handle goes on...", "Along with a safety-release trigger.", "The front handle is screwed into place.", "And the oil line gets a filter attachment that lubricates the bar and chain.", "That will strain out any impurities.", "Next, workers install bearings and the crankshaft clutch system.", "The clutch is the link between the engine and chain.", "When it's engaged, the chain will move around the cutting bar.", "The engine is now ready for a test run at typical speed-- 8,000 rpm.", "Technicians adjust the carburetor so that it mixes the right amount of gas and air and check the exhaust to make sure it doesn't exceed pollution standards.", "Workers attach the company's logo and other operational information.", "Then the brake system goes into place.", "Finally, the metal bar and chain blade are packed in a protective sleeve.", "Once the saw's chain blade is installed, the owner has a power tool with teeth for almost any job.", "When we return...", "Get the skinny on stackable chips.", "It's a snack that's made to stack.", "Unlike other chips that come in irregular shapes and sizes, these chips have a uniform concave shape that allows them to tightly interlock and fit neatly in a tubular container.", "The process for making these tubes starts with big rolls of plain brown paper and foil-backed paper that help keep the chips fresh.", "The streams of paper travel across rollers that apply a coat of glue.", "The paper layers then twist around the mandrel that's turned by a big belt.", "The belt also presses the glued layers together.", "Next, the label paper gets a coat of glue.", "This helps it stick to the paper on the mandrel.", "A camera photographs the white edging on the label paper, then relays its location to a set of circular knives.", "They make a precise cut just below the white edging.", "Cued by the camera, the carriage then moves the knives into position for the next cut.", "You the tubes then head into a turning station...", "A box with a pathway inside that flips the tubes right side up.", "Hot metal heads curl the tops to accommodate lids.", "A roller pulls foil-backed paper into a cutter that punches out the lid shapes.", "Little vacuums take the lids to the tubes and heat-seal them on.", "Plastic lids go over the paper ones.", "The lidded tubes are now turned upside down, ready to be stacked with chips.", "The chip recipe is 1/3 water to 2/3 potato flakes with a little cornstarch mixed in.", "A conveyor delivers the mix to an auger, which disperses it.", "Then it sets out on the production line.", "Using four tons of pressure, the mix is rolled into one long potato sheet.", "A rotary cutter then punches out oval shapes.", "A device pulls away the scrap dough, leaving flat, uncooked chips.", "This scrap dough goes back into the chip-making process, while the potato chips head for the fryer.", "As they travel through the fryer, rolling molds give the chips their uniformly concave shape, making them more easily stackable.", "The chips spend 11 seconds in hot oil, crisping.", "Then they travel under blowers to get rid of excess oil.", "The chips get a coat of seasoning, then do a backflip off one conveyor and onto another, falling into neat piles.", "A worker inspects the rows of chips.", "Then it's onto another conveyor that shakes them up to loosen the stack.", "They travel over scales to be portioned out for packaging.", "Automated spoons shove the chips into the open ends of the tubes.", "Guides tap the tops of the tubes to nudge the chips into position.", "Grippers then lower the stacks of tubes to a station, where spinning heads force metal bottoms onto them.", "Now they're ready for shipping.", "It takes about 20 minutes to make a tube of stackable chips, but it takes less time to polish them off.", "Up next, jet compressor blades that really make the cut.", "Compressor blades are key components in a jet's engine.", "Thousands of them whirl inside the engine, rotating 400 times per second and whipping air into small hurricanes.", "Large compressor blades made of titanium compress the air in front of an engine's turbo chamber.", "In the back of the chamber, smaller blades made of nickel alloy compress it even more.", "The air heats up to more than 1,000 degrees, then combines with jet fuel, creating a powerful mix that explodes out the back of the engine.", "The blades start off as metal pellets called slugs.", "A ceramic layer prevents their surfaces from oxidizing when exposed to intense heat.", "The slugs are heated for 15 minutes in an 1,800-degree oven.", "Meanwhile, a robot sprays lubricant on two dies inside a press.", "The robot retrieves the slugs and loads them in the first die.", "The press applies over 1,000 tons of pressure to preform the metal.", "The robot then transfers the slugs to the second die, where they take the initial shape of the blade.", "The blades are dipped in water to cool.", "Another robot cleans the metal burrs off the edges.", "The blade is now an airfoil.", "Robots will shape the rounded base of the blade, called the dovetail, later.", "The airfoil has gone from this to this.", "After a new ceramic layer is applied, the blade is heated again.", "Each heating and cooling cycle tempers the metal, making it more resilient.", "Almost 1,800 tons of pressure gives the airfoil its final shape.", "A trimmer shaves off the excess metal.", "The searing heat has turned the protective ceramic layer into glass.", "That will come off later.", "It's taken an hour to shape the blade's airfoil.", "The dovetail, that nub on the right, is next.", "But first, this measuring machine inspects the airfoil.", "If any measurement is off by just half the thickness of a human hair, the blade doesn't make the cut.", "This casting machine will encase the airfoil in a matrix, a coating that protects the airfoil during work on the dovetail.", "The matrix is molded from liquid tin and bismuth.", "It solidifies into a metal cast around the airfoil.", "The future dovetail sticks out at the end.", "The cast is then loaded into what is called a broach machine.", "Its series of teeth carve the dovetail into its final shape.", "Now the cast can come off.", "A worker loads it onto the removal machine, and a hydraulic cylinder hits the cast at its weakest point, breaking it in half.", "The finished airfoil emerges unscathed.", "A dot-matrix machine punches identification numbers onto the blade.", "Next, the blades are submerged in a fluid that penetrates any flaws in the metal.", "This inspection is critical because even the tiniest nick can spell disaster when a jet's engines are working at full speed.", "Inspectors examine the blades under a black light.", "This one's perfect, but spots of fluorescence on this one indicate microscopic cracks and weaknesses.", "This one gets rejected.", "The dovetail gets two strips of rubber silicone that ensure an airtight seal when the dovetail slides into the slot on the compressor drum.", "A final check, and the blades are now ready for takeoff." ]

{ "things": [ "Belts", "3D Metal Printers", "Detectable Warning Panels", "Model Stirling Engines" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made,\" belts...", "3-d metal printers...", "Detectable warning panels...", "And model stirling engines.", "Belts have been worn with different types of garments since the invention of clothes.", "Made to cinch your waistline, this accessory is worn with pants, shirts, robes, or dresses, making a fashionable addition to any outfit.", "Durable and flexible, leather is the classic material used for belt making.", "This production facility manufactures stylish, high quality belts at top speed.", "A designer creates a belt pattern on her computer and sends the design electronically to the in-house laser etching machine.", "A craftsman places a cowhide on a large table.", "He examines the hide for any flaws and carefully marks each one.", "The cowhides are made from meat industry byproducts, and most are sourced from italy.", "A device scans the shape of the hide and the craftsman digitally marks the location of the flaws.", "A specialized cutting machine uses the marked information to create an efficient series of cuts.", "This process results in a high quality product with minimal waste.", "Another technician sorts the various belt lengths into containers, preparing them for the next step.", "The cutting machine is capable of slicing up to 2,400 belts per day.", "The cutting machine creates straight, sharp-edged strips.", "The technician feeds the belts into a machine that bevels the edges at the rate of 6,000 per day.", "At the next station, a series of small suction devices quickly lift and place each belt on a conveyor system.", "A stamping machine accurately cuts the shape of the belt tip and the holes for the prong.", "The craftsman stacks a group of belts and packs them tightly together, then he dyes the edges with ink and sands them down.", "These steps complement the edge dyeing machine process, which can add color to the belt edges.", "Then the belts are transferred to a drying machine.", "The edges must be completely dry before they move to the next step.", "Powered by world war ii jeep engines, a rotating wooden drum tumbles the belts, while simultaneously burnishing the leather.", "This type of machinery comes from italy's famous leather working region.", "This imported machine, from milan, rapidly punches out the pattern of perforations, which make up the belt's signature design elements.", "Since the machine's die is less than 20 inches long, the complex pattern along the belt can't be stamped at once.", "Instead, the machine punches out a section at a time resulting in a production rate of 1,400 belts per day.", "A laser etching machine burns a second pattern into the leather surface.", "This pattern was created by the designer prior to production.", "At the next station, a craftswoman fills the holes of a specially crafted two-part metal die with nail heads.", "The nail heads are made of zinc with a brass finish.", "Using a press, an operator places the die in a waiting repository.", "She removes the top half, ensuring that all of the holes are filled with nail heads.", "Then she turns the belt around and places it over the die before sliding the belt inside the press.", "The press affixes the nail heads to the leather.", "Before attaching the buckle, the belts go through a process called skiving.", "This device shaves off a section of the leather so that when it's folded over, it won't be too thick.", "A loop is attached on to the end of the belt, followed by a buckle.", "The craftswoman uses the loop to temporarily hold the buckle and tag in place.", "The tag contains the belt's size, price, and brand information.", "Another craftswoman sews the belt buckle and tag in place, using 69 weight thread and a bar tacking stitch.", "This facility manufactures nearly 10,000 belts per day.", "This intricate leather fashion accessory might be a cinch to wear, but not to make.", "3-d printers generate metal parts for spacecraft, cars, and medical devices, to name a few.", "3-d printing technology allows for the production of complex design structures which can't be achieved using traditional manufacturing methods.", "The 3-d metal printer could truly break the mold.", "Thanks to advancements in technology, it's now possible to print metal parts.", "This 3-d printer melts and layers metal powder and a part materializes.", "This part will become a rocket nozzle heat exchanger.", "At the core of the 3-d metal printer is the deposition head, which feeds and melts the the metal powder.", "So far the designing process has taken hundreds of hours.", "Tools guided by the design software transform a brass cylinder into the nozzle cone.", "The profile of the nozzle cone can vary slightly, depending on the parts the 3-d metal printer will be used to produce.", "Next the powder inlet component is added.", "Metal powder will flow through this part to a mixing chamber and, eventually, the nozzle cone.", "Computerized tools cut angled channels, delivering different metal powders to the mixing chamber with an angular velocity, creating a vortex to help blend the powders.", "The part has been nickel plated and fasteners are installed.", "The technician aligns the laser delivery channel to the powder inlet part, and screws them together.", "The laser will melt the metal powder as it flows through the inlet.", "She installs latches on the rim of the powder inlet part and tightly torques the screws that hold them in place.", "Using the latches, she locks the mixing chamber to the inlet.", "The latches will help make further assembly and disassembly of the 3-d metal printer head a snap.", "Next, a laser nozzle is screwed onto the mixing chamber.", "Then, the technician places the main nozzle cone over the laser nozzle and connects the threaded rim to the mixing chamber.", "The deposition head is now complete.", "Next, another the technician mounts the laser system to a vertical axis in the printer housing.", "He runs coolant lines for the laser and attaches the deposition head, screwing it in place with a threaded brass collar.", "The laser system and deposition head are now integrated.", "First, the powder feeder is assembled with a substantial base to accommodate a feed drive system.", "The technician installs the feeder shaft in the upper half of the base.", "Then, he screws a disc to the shaft.", "The disc will spin to move the metal powder into the printer head system.", "He slides a spring on to the shaft which helps maintain its position.", "Then, he connects the upper half of the base to the bottom half.", "He installs an inlet for carrier gas that will be used to move the powder through tubing to the printer head.", "He assembles windows to a lid.", "They'll provide a view of the metal powder swirling in the feeder disc, so that any problems can be identified.", "He press fits the hopper cone into a ridged hole in the lid.", "He attaches the hopper to the cone.", "He clamps the feeder motor to the hopper using long screws, which seals the hopper and turns it into a pressure vessel.", "The resulting pressure will help force the powder through tubing to the deposition head.", "He installs the lid and hopper assembly on the base.", "Once assembly is complete, the technician sets the base on a mount, sliding protruding pins into corresponding holes in the lid.", "This completes the powder feeder.", "The powder feeder now ready to supply the raw material for 3-d printing.", "An operator connects it to the printer and pours metal powder into the hopper.", "The system delivers the powder to the printer head.", "The dispensing and melting of the metal powder, as well as the layering, are all controlled by a computer generated program.", "This 3-d printer can manufacture a part in a few hours, so you can sit back and watch it materialize.", "Detectable warning panels are cautionary signals for the visually impaired.", "Their specific pattern of domed bumps are detectable by touch or with walking aid equipment.", "They also serve as warning systems at intersections or on transit platforms, alerting all people to proceed with caution.", "For the visually impaired, these little bumps on the road aren't a problem.", "They're a solution.", "Embedded in surfaces at intersections, detectable warning panels help people find their way through touch.", "Making a fiberglass polymer version of the panels starts with a carefully calculated formula.", "Technicians add pigment to resin paste keeping a close eye on the scale to confirm the amounts are correct.", "Next, a chemical thickener is added, this ingredient will increase the viscosity to a syrupy consistency.", "Then the ingredients are blended together.", "The agitation from the blender causes the mixture to heat, starting a chemical reaction which will eventually cause solidification.", "As the mixture thickens, it turns a vivid color that people with compromised vision can still perceive.", "The technician gauges the temperature to confirm that the chemical reaction isn't too advanced.", "Then, the mix is set aside, so technicians can prepare other ingredients.", "Rams punch the bag of mineral fillers to break up any clumps as they flow into a hopper.", "Stearic acid is added to cut the thickening.", "A computer dispenses the mineral filler and resin into a large mixing tank.", "An operator adds an inhibitor to delay the chemical reaction as the mixing blade blends the ingredients into a paste.", "Zinc stearate is added to the mixture, which will allow the completed panel to release from the mold.", "Glass bundles, known as rovings, then unwind.", "A blade chops them into toothpick sized pieces.", "The pigment mixture, which has been blended into the resin paste, flows on to a plastic liner.", "Shards of glass fall down on to the yellow resin mixture.", "As the machine pulls the mixture forward, the liner takes the glass-encrusted resin to the next stage.", "More resin and a top plastic liner, create an encasing with the glass in the middle.", "Rollers squeeze the encasing together, forcing the resin to flow around the glass shards.", "The material is compacted to the desired thickness.", "Then, the glass and resin material cures for 24 hours.", "This allows the materials to thicken, so it can be cut into panels.", "A circular cutting wheel moves on a carriage across the mat slicing it to length.", "The mats are retrieved from the machine and stacked.", "The plastic liners on both sides are still intact.", "Next, the material is weighed to confirm the specified amount.", "If more is needed, a technician will adjust accordingly.", "He then peels off the liners.", "The glass and resin material are transferred to a heated mold.", "The mold applies 500 tons of hot pressure.", "The material liquefies and flows into the crevasses of the mold, forcing air out.", "As the bumpy panels take shape, a chemical reaction causes the material to solidify.", "A worker trims the freshly molded panels to give them a cleaner line.", "And sands the edges smooth.", "He clamps the panel to a fixture at both ends.", "The clamps keep the panel in position and prevent it from bending.", "As mounting holes are drilled into the panel.", "The technician uses an air gun to blow off drilling residue and dust.", "This detectable warning panel is now ready for installation.", "Two craftsmen pipe adhesive into channels at the back of the panel.", "The panel is installed in a recessed part of the curb and screwed into anchors in the concrete.", "For people with limited vision trying to navigate their way around, these tactile panels will make a difference they can feel.", "A stirling engine produces power by circulating hot and cold air, or other types of gas, at different temperatures.", "Heating expands the gas, while cooling contracts it.", "These alternating reactions move up to four pistons at a time, driving the machine and the pulleys attached to the engine.", "This german company manufactures model stirling engines and accessories, like this marble tower.", "The engine parts move by a closed loop of air that circulates inside the engine, expanding and contracting as it repeatedly heats and cools.", "A specialist designs the engines and produces digital renderings for each component.", "The dimensions must be accurate within 1/1,000 of a millimeter.", "A computer guided turret machine shapes the engine's cooling cylinder out of a solid piece of brass.", "Heat escapes brass quickly, making it ideal for a component to rapidly reduce its hot air temperature.", "The cooled air contracts, producing a vacuum that draws the engine's working piston downward.", "When reheated, the air expands, pushing the piston up.", "This repetitive motion drives the crankshaft.", "The cooling cylinder has fins to help diffuse heat, a hole on top for the working piston and another hole on the side for the displace piston.", "After cleaning the cylinder with compressed air, a technician performs a quality control check.", "First, he inserts multiple test pins into the hole for the working piston until one is the right fit.", "This tells him the diameter measurement.", "Using a digital caliper, the technician measures a series of aluminum working pistons until he finds the one that's the correct size for the hole's diameter.", "He inserts the piston into the cylinder, then holds the cylinder upside down.", "If the piston falls out slowly, it's the right size.", "The fit must be precise to prevent the circulating air from leaking out of the cylinder.", "In the assembly area, another technician superglues a crankshaft ball bearing into each of the engine's stainless steel side frames.", "She glues the displace axle to the displace piston.", "The part should fit loosely in the cooling cylinder to allow the air to flow around it, while moving back and forth between the engine's heating and cooling zones.", "She inserts the displace piston into the side hole of the cooling cylinder.", "Then the heating cylinder is mounted over the piston.", "The heating cylinder draws heat generated by the flame into the engine.", "She attaches it to the cooling cylinder with four screws.", "A connecting rod is attached to the working piston and the piston is inserted into the cooling cylinder.", "Next, the technician mounts one of the side frames to the cylinder, attaches a rocker arm to the side frame, then puts one end of the crankshaft through the side frame's ball bearing.", "She attaches the second side frame, by inserting the other end of the crankshaft through its ball bearing.", "She mounts what has been assembled so far on to a wooden base plate, then she connects one end of the rocker arm to the working piston's connecting rod.", "The other end of the rocker arm is joined to the crankshaft connecting rod, which is connected at a 90-degree angle to both the rocker arm and the crankshaft.", "On each end of the crankshaft, a heavy brass flywheel is mounted.", "The flywheels increase the momentum of the engine.", "To power an accessory with the stirling engine, one end of a drive belt is run around a pulley on the accessory, and the other end of the belt around a plastic drive wheel.", "The finishing touch is an engraved brass identification plate.", "Here's how this engine works.", "First, the burner case is filled with denatured alcohol and the wick is attached.", "The burner case is placed under the heating cylinder, light the wick, and let the engine preheat for 10 to 15 seconds, then turn a flywheel to kickstart the engine.", "The flame heats the air inside the heating cylinder.", "The hot air expands into the cooling cylinder, causing the cylinder to cool and contract.", "This moves the working piston up and down, turning the engine's crankshaft." ]

{ "things": [ "Sanders", "Solid Terrain Models", "Stucco", "High" ] }

[ "Most experts will tell you that the key to the perfect paint job or wood-refinishing job is to prep the surface properly before applying the paint or wood stain.", "That requires sanding to remove old finishes and to level uneven areas.", "The easiest way to do that is with a motorized sander.", "Professional-caliber sanders are typically pneumatic, meaning you plug them into an air compressor.", "Air-driven tools are more powerful than tools than run on electricity.", "This type of sander is called a straight line, because the pad to which you attach sandpaper moves in a straight line back and forth.", "Many of the tool's components are made of powdered metal, then machined to exact dimensions on a computer-guided lathe.", "Powdered metal is iron powder that's compacted with high pressure and heated in a furnace to bond the particles into a solid part.", "Sometimes they further strengthen the powdered metal by infusing it with copper in the furnace.", "Using an induction welder, which heats the metal with an electric current, they fuse a powdered-metal gear to each end of a steel shaft by melting on silver.", "This constructs the sander's timing driveshaft, the regulating component that makes each stroke of the sanding pad just under an inch long.", "Heating the metal softens it, so they now cool the timing driveshaft in oil.", "This quenching hardens the component.", "Meanwhile, they coat a sheet of aluminum rectangles with industrial-strength contact adhesive.", "Each rectangle is a base for a rubber sanding pad.", "The rectangular pad, which they coat with the same adhesive, is 6 1/2 millimeters thick, the same dimensions as the base with identical holes for the mounting screws.", "Once the adhesive becomes tacky, they mate the base to the pad.", "Using a small pneumatic press, they force out trapped air to ensure a thorough bond.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they paint the recessed lettering of the polished aluminum plates, two per sander, which bear the manufacturer's name.", "Once all the remaining components are prepared, technicians begin the assembly.", "First, the motor's piston.", "They place the piston rack in an arbor press and push a plastic piece onto each end.", "Then, on each end piece, they mount a piston ring made of a proprietary wear-resistant material.", "They insert the now-assembled piston into the sander's aluminum motor block.", "The ring creates a tight seal to prevent air leakage.", "Next, a technician installs the timing driveshaft and the idler gear shaft, pressing the gears of both into the piston rack's teeth.", "The powdered-metal counterweight goes on each side to balance the piston rack, then guides made of that proprietary material to align and lubricate the counterweights.", "A second set of anti-wear guides goes in the lower part of the motor block.", "These help balance the sanding pad.", "Then the start of the valve system, which controls the entry of compressed air into the sander.", "At the front of the motor block, they install a paper gasket to prevent air leakage, then seal it with an aluminum end plate.", "Continuing with the valve system, they install the components, which control the timing of the pistons' back-and-forth motion.", "After sealing the top with a cap, they install the air-valve block, then the handle, which contains the inlet to which the air compressor connects.", "The handle squeeze trigger is mounted to the cap above the handle.", "They install the counterweight for the pad.", "Here, you can see the two shafts the piston rack rotates.", "Workers connect them to an aluminum drive shoe, which will move back and forth.", "A pair of side rails holds the drive shoe in place.", "Where the air exits the tool, they install a muffler made of porous plastic.", "Finally, when the technician screws the base to the drive shoe, the chain is complete.", "Compressed air moves the piston, which rotates the shafts, which moves the drive shoe holding the rubber pad with sandpaper.", "This pneumatic sander is ready to level and smooth a surface in seconds flat.", "A solid terrain model, \"stm\" for short, is an exact, three-dimensional, miniature replica of a geographic area.", "Stms are indispensable tools for museums, visitor centers, and for planning everything from industrial projects to military operations.", "To create a solid terrain model, the first step is to gather data via satellites and aircraft.", "Two types of data-- color photographs of the surface showing the precise location of vegetation, rock, buildings, and so on, and elevation measurements, taken with lasers and other equipment.", "A cartographer digitally merges the black and white elevation diagrams with the color photos and adds artwork for roads and place names.", "He produces a 3-d computer model of the area.", "This model will guide the machines that manufacture the physical model out of a block of polyurethane foam.", "Foam is a durable material and lightweight, making the model easy to transport.", "A computer-guided cutting machine first shapes a ledge around the block's perimeter.", "This is for mounting the model on a frame.", "Then the machine reads the computer model's elevation files and carves a miniature replica of those elevations into foam.", "The machine first does a rough cut.", "Then-- and this takes much longer-- it carves the fine details.", "Depending on the complexity of the terrain, cutting the elevations into the foam can take just a few hours or several days.", "When the cutting's finished, the technician cleans off the foam dust with compressed air and a brush.", "The foam goes into a spray booth where it first receives a coat of primer to seal the porous surface, then multiple layers of special coatings to make images printed on the surface sharp and vibrant.", "Once the coating's dry-- that takes about a day-- technicians put the model into a custom-designed inkjet printer, which reads the computer model's photograph file.", "Just like an ordinary printer, this printer produces a multitude of shades from just four basic colors-- black, yellow, magenta, and cyan.", "The jets pass just a few millimeters above the model, emitting one microscopic drop of ink at a time at precisely the correct location.", "The end result is a miniature replica of what the surface looks like in real life.", "Other workers, meanwhile, construct a sturdy frame for the model by gluing, clamping, and nailing together four lengths of oak.", "This frame will protect the model from damage and make it easier to lift and move.", "Once the glue dries, they remove the clamps, and with a saw, trim each corner to a 45-degree angle.", "Then they round the edges with a sander.", "They complete the frame by protecting the wood with a coat of clear polyurethane.", "When that dries, they spread glue onto the frame's inside edge.", "Then they position the model so that the ledge along its perimeter sits on top of the frame.", "After printing, they spray the model with clear polyurethane or lacquer.", "The protective finish allows people to now touch the model without damaging it.", "Sometimes, an area they're modeling has buildings, bridges, or other structures.", "When that's the case, an engineer designs a computer model of the object.", "Then, guided by this model, a 3-d printer produces a physical model out of plastic, building the miniature replica from the bottom up one thin layer at a time.", "These mountaintop castles in portugal are the finishing touch on this model that's set to go on display at the local tourist center.", "Solid terrain models are a creative and valuable tool for educating people young and old.", "By translating complicated technical data into a unique and scientifically sound visual aid, a solid terrain model delivers a fascinating bird's-eye view from the ground.", "Stucco is one of the oldest construction materials on the planet.", "The earliest formulations date back to ancient greece and mayan mexico.", "Stucco has stuck around, and as an exterior siding, it's come a long way.", "Modern stucco is more attractive and offers better protection.", "Whether cement- or acrylic-based, stucco always starts out as a sticky paste, and that's the great thing about stucco.", "In this wet and gooey form, it can be worked as it's applied to the exterior of a building to achieve a variety of textures.", "It hardens to provide a tough exterior that shields the building against the elements.", "To mass-produce cement stucco, they start with tons of silica sand.", "They unload it into a conveyor and elevator system, which delivers the sand to silos for storage until needed.", "They select sand with various grades of coarseness for different stucco finishes.", "They mix it with cement, lime, and other ingredients to create the stucco base.", "A technician demonstrates how the ingredients come together using this research lab mixer.", "She blends all the ingredients dry, achieving a consistency that's similar to cake mix from a box.", "Cement stucco is sold in dry form.", "Water will be added to liquefy the ingredients on the job site.", "In this demonstration, she also adds pigment.", "With the stucco pre-colored, there's no need to paint the building.", "To mass-produce cement stucco, they use this mega-mixer.", "The operator adds three or four different pigments to create a custom color in the dry stucco batch.", "Large paddle blades spiral vigorously.", "Usually, this is a closed operation, but they've opened it up for our camera.", "After three minutes of mixing, the dry stucco mix is ready for scrutiny.", "An employee takes a sample and sends it to the quality control lab for evaluation.", "At the lab, the technician weighs the stucco mixture and adds water.", "He keeps an eye on the scale to ensure that the amounts are proportionate.", "He mixes them and visually checks to confirm that the pigment and raw materials are well dispersed.", "Acrylic stucco, on the other hand, calls for an entirely different recipe.", "They use calcium carbonate instead of silica send and acrylic as a binder instead of cement.", "They mix it with water and sell it wet in a bucket instead of dry.", "To color it, they use a computerized tint machine, similar to what you find in a paint store.", "They load the machine with liquid pigments and enter a color formula into the computer.", "It mixes the pigments to produce the exact color.", "And it releases the precise amount needed.", "They blend the color into the acrylic stucco, and the batch ends up looking like blue mud.", "It's now ready to apply to a home.", "No prep required.", "They also sell acrylic stucco with no color at all.", "It's called tint base.", "The pigments will be added on the job site, where they can be adjusted if needed.", "An airtight seal keeps the stucco in its viscous state.", "Acrylic stucco dries quickly, like paint, while cement stucco takes 28 days to totally cure into a more durable finish.", "Over on the cement stucco line, a rotating machine handles all the packaging.", "A suctioning device pulls a paper bag into position under a spout, which then fills it up.", "It takes just 8 seconds to fill a 90-pound bag.", "That works out to over 1,300 bags per hour, enough material for 30 houses.", "The machine transfers the bag to the conveyor belt.", "This stucco is now ready to provide a strong finish to building projects.", "Applied to a building's exterior, stucco can be textured to suit the homeowner's taste, and it will harden to provide the building with a tough skin.", "That's why stucco continues to be part of the urban landscape.", "An industrial roll-up door opens and closes at least three times as fast as your average residential garage door.", "That means machines and products can be moved in and out quickly.", "These heavy-duty rubber doors are also engineered for a good seal, so they're weathertight.", "In many workplaces, doors are always opening and closing.", "A high-speed roll-up door is designed for heavy traffic.", "Coal mines, parking garages, and large food freezer rooms are just a few of the places you will find them in action.", "They start with rubber panels.", "Their number and size depends on the width of the door being manufactured.", "Workers brush high-strength epoxy onto the edges to bind the panels together.", "The epoxy will take a couple of hours to cure, so there's time to smooth out the air bubbles by applying pressure to the seams with a heavy roller.", "After the epoxy cures, they map out areas with masking tape to contain glue for the application of extruded rubber strips.", "The horizontal one is a stiffener, and the vertical strips at the sides are wind blocks.", "They'll secure the curtain to the building even in bad weather.", "The employee also applies synthetic fabric to both sides to prevent wear.", "He adds reflective yellow strips to the front and back to make the black rubber door visible at night.", "A machine now drills holes in a steel tube.", "This tube is the header that the rubber curtain will be rolled up on to.", "The holes will be used to attach the curtain to it.", "He tack-welds axles onto both ends of the tube.", "The axles will be attached to mounting plates, so these are critical welds.", "He measures the axles to confirm that the assembly is level and won't wobble.", "Satisfied, he welds them permanently to the steel tube.", "Next, he assembles and welds the side frame for the rubber curtain.", "He assembles a hinge cover to the front of the frame, creating a compartment for the curtain that can be opened when needed.", "Then it's on to the paint booth.", "Here, an employee primes the frame components to protect them from rust and then gives them a coat of paint.", "A worker assembles the bottom beam now.", "He bolts an aluminum track for the rubber edging to a heavy steel frame.", "He screws the box for the wireless transmitter that opens and closes the door to the beam.", "Two workers now pull the rubber edging through the aluminum track.", "The edging is equipped with an electric safety wire to detect movement and abort a door closing.", "This will keep the door from hitting anyone who walks under it.", "It's now time to pull everything together.", "The team screws the rubber curtain to the steel tube, making use of those pre-drilled holes.", "They move down and position the bottom beam on the curtain.", "They attach it to the curtain with numerous nuts and bolts.", "They roll up the rubber curtain to prepare for assembly to the mounting brackets.", "With the attachments, the curtain now weighs over 1,100 pounds.", "A crane transfers it to the end mounting plates and holds it steady while workers slide the end brackets onto the axles.", "They build a steel support structure around the brackets and the rolled-up curtain.", "They attach the motor to one of the axles.", "This roll-up door is now ready for delivery.", "Two days in the making, it's ready for whatever comes its way." ]

{ "things": [ "Lace", "Antique Frame Replicas", "Orchids", "Unicycle Wheel Hubs" ] }

[ "Lace began as a fringe fabric.", "Back in the middle ages, it was handcrafted by european women to trim fashion finery.", "The ladies' fingers got a break with the advent of lace-making equipment in the 19th century.", "With mass production, lace moved from the fringe to the mainstream.", "In the material world, lace used to be a luxury, handcrafted for decorative rather than practical reasons.", "Machines now produce lace quickly, and you don't have to be wealthy to afford it.", "To manufacture lace, hundreds of nylon and polyester threads unwind simultaneously into a separator.", "It arranges the threads in a configuration for manufacturing and keeps them from tangling as they move forward.", "To maintain the formation, the the threads pass through a comb-like apparatus.", "Still in that neat configuration, the threads wind around a large spool.", "This spool is known as a ground beam because the threads on it will be used for the lace's ground, or mesh.", "These smaller spools supply the threads for the pattern.", "They all unwind into the lace-making machine, which will interweave them to create a pattern on the ground.", "Here's how it happens.", "A long thick card with holes punched into it defines the pattern and guides a system of hooks and needles.", "It's called a jacquard card, and the technology has been around for two centuries and was actually the inspiration for computer technology.", "Each hole on the card corresponds to one hook, and the hooks are attached to these guide bars.", "If the hook encounters a hole in the jacquard card, it loops a thread, and if it encounters the solid card, it stops.", "The guide bars shuffle back and forth to move the hooks in concert with needles and weave the design on the ground.", "This is the lace-weaving action in slow motion.", "The punch-card system allows for the same pattern to be woven repeatedly without error.", "It's all perfectly choreographed, and this complex lace design comes together quickly with no snarls.", "The result is a thing of beauty-- an intricate floral pattern on a mesh background.", "The lace rolls by inspectors, who scrutinize the needlework for flaws.", "It then heads into a station with high-speed knives.", "They cut the loose threads that run between the floral patterns on the front of the lace.", "A worker finishes the job by hand, removing what the knives miss.", "Here you can see the difference the trimming makes.", "The mesh between the needlework is now completely transparent.", "They mend the lace when needed, and then it's into a dying machine to add some color.", "After rinsing, the now bright-yellow lace travels over bars under tension to wring out the water.", "The lace, still damp, lands and accumulates in a bin, which they wheel over to a finishing machine.", "The finishing machine is equipped with rollers.", "The first ones remove the curl from the lace.", "The others take it through a chemical bath for a treatment that both softens the lace and prevents shrinkage.", "A trip through a dryer removes the water from the fabric and cures the finishing chemicals.", "Now complete, the lace exits onto a network of rollers.", "The final one swings the fabric to and fro so that it lands neatly folded for transfer to the packaging line.", "Heavy industrial machinery has produced this delicate lace in a matter of minutes.", "They roll it and wrap it, and it's on its way to the fabric store or another factory.", "No ordinary textile, the factory-made lace will add beauty to things of necessity like curtains, a tablecloth, or a dress.", "Its sheer good looks will add visual appeal to these ordinary items.", "It's important that the frame around a painting be stylistically consistent with the period in which the artist created the work.", "When you're dealing with a centuries-old painting, however, the original frame has often been replaced with a newer one.", "The solution is commissioning an historically accurate antique replica.", "When a painting's original frame is lost, a specialist can produce an exact replica or a historically accurate alternative.", "Basswood is the wood of choice because it's relatively soft and even-grained.", "First, they saw the length required for the frame.", "Then they plane the sides to smooth the rough edges.", "Next, they saw the piece to the required dimensions.", "Once pieces for all four sides of the frame are cut, workers set up a machine called a molding planer.", "As its contoured steel blade spins, they run each piece against it, carving the blade's profile into the wood.", "The workshop has thousand of blades, each with a different profile.", "They all began as a flat bar of steel, which the shop milled to shape following a profile drawing.", "Once each side is contoured, workers saw the ends at 45-degree angles...", "Then cut a slot in each one.", "They spread glue in the slot and over the entire surface, then insert a beechwood biscuit.", "The biscuit goes in just halfway.", "They insert the other half into the glued slot of the adjoining frame piece.", "Once the glue dries, the master carver gets to work.", "With a pencil, he draws the frame's design onto tracing paper, then lays the paper upside down on the replica and retraces the design, which transfers it in graphite onto the frame surface.", "Then he turns to his arsenal of 40-plus chisels and begins carving out the design.", "Each chisel has a different shape and sized tip and therefore makes a very specific type of cut.", "He first cuts straight down along the outline to sever the wood grain.", "This prevents the angled cuts, which follow, from splitting the wood beyond the outline.", "Interchanging chisels, he repeatedly removes small chunks of wood until the design emerges.", "He clears away the wood chips with a wire brush.", "Now the master gilder takes over, brushing on up to 20 coats of gesso-- a traditional mixture of water, calcium carbonate, and a very flexible glue made from rabbit skin.", "Flexibility prevents cracking when the wood expands and contracts.", "He brushes on four coats of another traditional mixture called bole.", "The ingredients-- ultra-fine particle clay, water, and, again, rabbit-skin glue.", "Bole provides background colors.", "It also provides a cushion between the gesso layer and the gold leaf.", "Next, a coat of what's called gilder's liquor-- a combination of water, alcohol, and either gelatin or rabbit-skin glue.", "Then he cuts a piece of gold leaf-- a sheet of genuine gold a mere 1/10,000 of a millimeter thick.", "He applies it with a fine brush made of squirrel hair, which he has lightly oiled.", "As soon as he taps the frame, the water in the gilder's liquor grabs the gold leaf, pulling it away from the oil, adhering it to the bristles.", "This is the tricky part, because too much oil on the brush or too little water in the gilder's liquor can hinder this delicate transfer.", "Next, the master gilder rubs select areas with a polished agate, a natural stone.", "This burnishing process compresses the gold leaf, making it smooth and shiny.", "Now he'll make the frame look old.", "He removes some gold from the high points to create the appearance of wear.", "Then he applies a tinted glaze to simulate patina-- natural darkening that develops over time due to the accumulation of airborne dust and dirt.", "He works in the glaze with a brush to distribute it strategically so that the fake patina looks perfectly natural.", "For this frame, he uses 23-karat gold leaf.", "Gilders will also use 6-, 12-, 14, 18-, and 22-karat leaf to achieve different shades of gold.", "The higher the karat, the yellower the color, due to the greater proportion of gold in the composition and lesser proportion of copper and silver alloys.", "Orchids are a standout.", "Their exquisite beauty even caused a frenzy in the mid-19th century when wealthy british collectors hired orchid hunters to search the world for new species.", "Today, the fascination with orchids continues, and cultivating them is a growing industry.", "In thailand, orchids grow wild, but the wild orchids have been tamed.", "They've been hybridized and domesticated to satisfy a global demand for this fantastic flower.", "At this farm, cultivation starts with bud cuttings, mixed with nutrients and water in glass bottle.", "The bottle provides a germ-free growing environment, keeping the cuttings disease-free as they grow into baby orchids.", "This takes a year or more.", "When the plants have developed a strong root system, they're ready to come out into the world.", "The worker deposits the baby orchids in a tub of clean water and swishes each one around to give their roots a good rinse.", "She transfers the baby orchids to a perforated plastic basket.", "A wad of coconut fiber soaked in water provides the next growing environment.", "The worker places the roots of each baby plant in one of the wads.", "She wraps the fiber snuggly and ties the wad.", "She places the fiber-wrapped orchids in growing cells.", "The team waters and fertilizes them for four to six months.", "The orchids grow to midsize, and the plant's root system flourishes.", "The plants are now ready for the next phase of growth.", "They transfer the mid-sized orchids to coconut husks.", "The husks act as a kind of plant pot and growing media in one.", "They absorb water to provide a constant supply to the plants.", "The plants grow on the husks.", "No soil is needed.", "In nature, orchids flourish on tree bark or cracks in rocks, and coconut husks are the next best thing.", "Overhead, a nylon-fabric roof diffuses sunlight to simulate conditions found in a shady rainforest.", "Too much light and the heat would harm the plants.", "Gardeners regularly observe the growth of the orchids.", "They're on the lookout for disease or other problems.", "Not all of the plants will thrive.", "They'll lose about 10% of the crop.", "They fertilize and water the orchids over a period of several months.", "Many of the plants are hybrids, created by crossing species to achieve a certain color or shape or to improve the plant's vigor.", "With thousands of species available in nature, the potential combinations are never-ending, and the results are always stunning.", "With the orchids in full bloom, it's time for the harvest.", "Workers cut the orchids at the base of the stems, with an eye to making them approximately the same length.", "In the packing room, they tweak the length of the stems until each bunch is perfectly uniform.", "They make this final cut on an angle.", "This creates a larger surface for absorbing water so the orchid will stay fresh longer.", "They sort the flowers by the size of the bloom.", "They insert the stems in plastic capsules that contain a flower-food and water mixture.", "This should maintain the orchids' freshness during shipping.", "It's time to wrap up each stunning display.", "The plastic sleeve will preserve them on the journey ahead.", "This particular orchid is a hybrid species known as mokara.", "Extremely desirable, cut mokara orchids should bloom for up to three weeks.", "En route to the airport in a climate-controlled truck, they'll soon be on an international flight.", "Thai orchids are sold around the world.", "Chances are they'll end up at the center of a big event in someone's life, and whether it's a wedding or a birthday, these stunning orchids will add something special to the party.", "The key part of a wheel is its hub, the central point to which all the spokes attach.", "It's comprised of a body which receives the spokes and houses an axle and bearings.", "If the wheel has a gear system, then those gears and a clutch are also integrated into the hub.", "This is the only commercially available unicycle with a gearing system.", "Located on the wheel hub, it enables the rider to push a button to shift from regular gear into high gear and reach 25 miles per hour-- twice the speed of a regular unicycle.", "The geared wheel hub contains six identical small gears, rotating around a large central gear.", "The central one is called the sun wheel and the small ones, planetary gears, because they revolve around the central gear the way planets revolve around the sun.", "Each of the small gears begins as a disk-shaped steel blank.", "A conventional, 1950s-era gear-cutting machine cuts teeth into it as a shower of oil washes away the shards of metal.", "The oil also cools and lubricates the tool so that it doesn't overheat or jam.", "After about 30 seconds of machining, the blank is a fully shaped gear.", "An even older machine, circa 1930, mills a larger blank into the central gear.", "However, because this gear is bigger, cutting the teeth into it takes much longer-- about two minutes.", "Once all the gears are machined, they, along with the hub's other steel components, undergo a complex heat-treatment process to strengthen the steel.", "Elsewhere in the factory, workers assemble the two halves of the clutch, the component which locks into regular or high gear when the rider shifts.", "Using a cylindrical tool called a broach, the machine grooves in the center of the clutch.", "Slots on the axle will fit into these grooves.", "Next, they unscrew the two halves of the clutch and mount eight hollow pins in each one.", "In one half, they also install three longer alignment pins and a greased spring inside each hollow pin.", "Then they thread the two halves of the clutch onto the axle, aligning the axle slots in the clutch's grooves and the pins on one half with corresponding pins and holes on the other.", "After fastening the halves together once again, they mount the six planetary gears on a ring called the planet carrier, then install it on the axle.", "The spring-loaded pins on the clutch click into corresponding slots on the planet carrier.", "These slots are engineered to fit the pins with no more than .", "01 millimeters of clearance.", "After securing the planet carrier to the axle with a retaining clip, they insert ball bearings with a spring in two holes on opposite sides of the axle.", "A retaining ring holds these spring-loaded bearings in place.", "Meanwhile, a laser engraver etches the company logo and product identification on the wheel-hub body.", "The body is made of high-strength aluminum that's undergone an electrochemical treatment to make it corrosion-resistant.", "They mount the hub body on a hydraulic press and insert the sun wheel, surrounded by a large ball bearing.", "Then they activate the press, which forces the sun wheel into the body.", "They install the body on the axle, positioning the sun wheel right in the center of the planetary gears.", "A cover protects the gears from dust, dirt, and precipitation.", "On the opposite end of the body, they install additional bearings and affix a cover with nine screws.", "Now the shift buttons-- a chrome-plated one for shifting down, a gold-plated one for shifting up.", "Both screw into a shaft running through the center of the axle.", "The two spring-loaded bearings workers inserted in the axle earlier hold that shaft in place.", "This cross-section model shows how everything comes together.", "The shift button moves the shaft, which moves the clutch to lock into the selected gear.", "In regular gear, pedaling one revolution makes the wheel turn one revolution.", "When the rider shifts to high gear, pedaling one revolution makes the wheel turn 1 1/2 revolutions.", "The unicycle moves 50% further as a result of the same action.", "Riders use the regular gear for climbing and the higher gear for flat or downhill terrain.", "They hit the shift button with their heel or ankle while pedaling-- a quick, slight movement that won't throw them off balance." ]

{ "things": [ "Springs", "Pavers", "Pianos" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Springs...", "Pavers...", "And pianos.", "A spring is a flexible metal device that returns to its original shape or position after it's stretched, squeezed, or twisted.", "Springs were first used in clocks during the 16th century and, starting in the late 1800s, in chair seats and bedding.", "Today springs pop up all over.", "They're crucial components of modern technology.", "Different types of springs include compression, on the right, and extension, on the left.", "During use, these torsion springs will twist at one or both ends.", "Workers start with rolls of steel cord.", "The cord diameters range in size depending on the type of springs being made.", "A machine called a dereeler unwinds the roll, feeding it to a computer-guided forming machine.", "This forming machine forces the cord through a channel, shapes it into a coil, and then cuts it into segments.", "Small wheels and a metal shaft guide the cord into shape.", "These are torsion springs for use in the automotive industry, which relies heavily on a variety of springs.", "The average car, for example, has about 350 of them.", "A cone-shaped yellow sensor detects the correct angle of each spring.", "A good reading is required so the machine can move the next spring forward through the channel to be formed.", "This machine can produce up to 2,000 springs per hour, depending on their size.", "Here another larger forming machine creates extension springs that are over 6 inches long.", "A mechanical arm grabs the coil and chops it into segments after it's formed in a channel.", "As the coil emerges, another mechanical arm steadies it to prevent it from vibrating.", "This keeps the spring tension constant, enabling the machine to produce at top speed.", "In slow motion, you can see how the machine grabs the coil's first ring and bends it to form a hook.", "This all takes place as the coil emerges from the channel.", "A vise then secures the last ring on the end of the coil, while another arm twists it to make the spring's other hook.", "Slowed down, you see how two arms surround the coil being held in the vise.", "One arm then grabs the last ring while the other arm twists it upward.", "This machine makes compression springs-- a model with tapered ends that's often used in seat belts.", "A metal probe detects the correct length of the springs after they're formed.", "The machine has four rotary shafts called cams.", "A computer ensures each spring has the desired specs.", "The springs are also heated to relax the metal.", "This gives them the ability to retain their shape after flexing.", "Another machine creates longer, thicker torsion springs.", "It shapes the cord into a coil with a shaft and then passes it over a tube to steady it.", "This ensures the spring will have the required tension.", "Springs can be as thin as a human hair or as thick as a broom handle.", "Train wheels, for instance, include some of the industry's thickest compression springs.", "This machine makes another type of spring, often called wire forms.", "They're flexible steel cords curved or bent at an angle.", "These ones, shaped like a \"w,\" are used in ovens.", "Here, a worker places a spring into a machine that makes its hooks.", "He uses an adaptor to avoid hurting his fingers.", "He places each one individually because specs for springs can vary by minute amounts.", "This company makes some springs with hooks made of two rings instead of one.", "Clients order them this way because the hooks are more durable.", "Custom orders for springs can range from just a few to many thousand.", "This is another type of wire form.", "It'll be used in a firearm.", "A worker assembles it by hand because it's so intricate.", "After joining two base pieces, he places them into a small die.", "Using a foot pedal, he controls the die to bend the segments and complete the assembly.", "To check the compression spring's tension, a worker tests it with a weight gauge.", "The correct tension varies depending on what the client wants.", "A 1 1/2-inch long spring, for example, might need to withstand 5 pounds of tension when compressed to 1 inch.", "To test an extension spring, workers just add hooks to the weight gauge.", "Whether they're extension, compression, torsion, or wire form, and whether they're inside pens or satellites, springs prove that some old ideas definitely still work.", "You could say that interlocking concrete pavers came out of the rubble of world war ii.", "In post-war holland, there weren't enough clay pavers to rebuild city streets, so the dutch began making concrete pavers.", "The germans refined the technology and exported it to north america, and they found a quick road to success.", "These pavers are solid, and the interlocking design disperses weight, easing the load on the road.", "To make these pavers, a conveyor belt delivers concrete sand to a weigh belt that weighs the coarse sand as it falls onto it.", "The weigh belt carries the sand forward, while another conveyor belt unloads stone chips to be weighed.", "These chips are no longer than an 1/8 inch.", "The ratio of sand to stone chips varies depending on the type of paver being made.", "The weigh belt transports the stone chips forward along with the coarse sand.", "Both are en route to the skip hoist.", "They spill off the conveyor into the skip hoist, which is essentially a bucket on rails.", "Cables pull the loaded bucket upwards.", "It stops about 30 feet up, just above a big concrete mixer.", "A trap door opens and dumps the sand and stone chips into the mixer.", "Six giant steel paddles mix and then rotate and mix again, while cement is added automatically through several nozzles on the side of this enormous mixing bowl.", "Making pavers is a bit like baking cookies.", "Too much or too little liquid in the batter, and it won't bake properly.", "Water is added until the consistency is just right.", "Nozzles also shoot a pigment into the mix to tint it.", "The mixture looks dry and crumbly, but the recipe gives it just enough moisture to form the concrete.", "Now a filling wagon spreads the mix over a steel mold containing up to 50 paver-shaped cavities.", "The mold presshead applies 11 tons of vibrating pressure.", "This pulsating force compacts the mixture in the paver mold and removes any air pockets, which could weaken the pavers.", "Hydraulic cylinders lift the mold, leaving the pavers on the press board.", "The press board slides out, and the mold once again gets filled in and makes another 50 paver stones.", "It only takes about 10 seconds to mold, compact, and release a batch of pavers.", "The press boards filled with pavers slide into a rack.", "A hydraulic chain hoist lifts each board into a large holding rack.", "There, a special moving wagon, called a finger wagon, picks up all the boards from the rack in just one move.", "The electrical wagon moves along a rail to a curing kiln, where it's almost 100 degrees fahrenheit.", "The pavers actually generate the heat, due to a chemical reaction from the combination of cement and water.", "About 12 hours later, the finger wagon carts the pavers out of the kiln.", "They are now 70% cured as a result of the chemical process that binds the cement, sand, and gravel, causing the pavers to harden.", "The rest of the curing will happen over the next 28 days.", "The pavers are now sturdy enough to handle, so four steel arms with rubber pads move in and straighten the stones on the board.", "These alignment arms are hydraulically driven.", "They arrange the concrete pavers so they interlock snugly.", "Now hydraulic clamp arms lift the pavers off the board and begin to pile them up.", "They're making a cube of stone.", "This stacking machine is called a cuber.", "It packs 9 or 10 layers of pavers on top of one another to make this cube.", "The cube is actually called a bundle.", "It will be strapped and shipped out to the jobsite.", "These concrete pavers will be on the road soon building and rebuilding our streets.", "Piano keys were once made out of ivory.", "This sought-after material isn't used anymore because it's banned to protect elephants who were killed for their ivory tusks.", "Pianists now play plastic keys, but the techniques involved in manufacturing a piano haven't changed much and still rely on handcraftsmanship, just like a century ago.", "beautiful music is a triumph, but so is the piano itself...", "Made of inner and outer rims, a soundboard, treble and bass bridges over which the strings are stretched, and a heavy cast-iron plate.", "To make a piano rim, automated rollers spread glue onto sheets of hard rock maple, coating both sides.", "Then they layer the glue-soaked sheets 5 to 8 deep, depending on the model of piano.", "Workers feed the wet layers of wood to a rim press.", "An impact wrench, powered by compressed air, turns the clamp screws.", "The screws bend the wood into a piano rim form.", "They measure the pressure on the layers with a torque wrench.", "Steel arms reach across the wood, holding the shape while the glue dries.", "After 24 hours, workers loosen the machine's grip, and the rim now holds its contour.", "Now it's into what's called the conditioning room for more drying out.", "The piano rims stay in this warm, arid room for 30 days.", "It's time to make the bracing structure.", "They place glued struts inside the rim, then apply pressure with a clamp.", "The framework remains in this embrace for an hour while the glue dries.", "This piano will have a tension resonator for extra support.", "Steel turnbuckles attach to a center hub.", "A worker tightens the turnbuckles with a wrench.", "Then he thumps it to make sure it's tight and won't rattle.", "Next, they'll install the soundboard made of spruce and the two bridges.", "Strings will straddle the bridges and transmit vibrations to the soundboard, which is the amplifier of the piano.", "A worker glues ribs onto the soundboard.", "He lowers wooden clamps over each rib to apply pressure while the glue dries.", "That takes about an hour.", "Next, he thins the ribs around the edges with an automated stagger-tooth shaper cutter.", "This will allow the soundboard to resonate freely when the piano is played.", "Now they position the soundboard in a bridge press.", "Then they place a bridge-locating fixture on top of the soundboard.", "This device holds the bridge in place while it's glued to the soundboard.", "After the two bridges are glued down, they lower the soundboard onto the piano rim.", "Then they hoist a cast-iron plate onto it.", "It's a critical fitting.", "If they don't get it right, the piano will never function properly.", "Then the plate is removed for finishing.", "A worker cuts notches in the bridges, which are now topped with a lubricant.", "This very sharp chisel cuts through the hard maple like butter.", "Each notch will cradle three piano strings, giving them the freedom to vibrate.", "Now they roll glue onto the outside case of the piano, which is made of rosewood veneer on maple.", "They fit it snuggly over the rim structure.", "A mechanical clamp holds it in place for an hour while it dries.", "Then they stand the entire piano on its side.", "Spinning cutters shape the arms that sit next to the keyboard into an elegant curve.", "This is called a vertical stroke sander.", "A worker runs it along the side of the piano to smooth out the wood.", "After a black polyester paint is applied, they buff it up with this electrical cloth polisher.", "Then they hand-rub a mirror glaze cream into it until you can really see yourself in this half-finished piano.", "To play a piano, you need time to practice and lots of money because a grand piano can cost about the same as a luxury car.", "And like a luxury car, when you lift the top of a grand piano, you'll see that a lot has gone into its construction.", "the bass and treble bridges are now fixed to the soundboard of this half-finished piano.", "Then to add glamour, they spray gold paint on the cast-iron plate.", "The next step involves the pin block, which holds all the stress.", "It bears 45,000 pounds of tension from the strings and transfers it to the iron plate.", "He drills into the maple pin block, through holes in the iron plate over it.", "The holes are for the tuning pins, hence the name-- pin block.", "They unfurl pieces of steel wire from big coils.", "Using a vise grip, the worker twists the end of the wire into a neat loop.", "Then he hooks it onto a hitch pin on the back side of one of the bridges, making sure it runs between the guide posts over the bridge.", "Now he threads the wires through another guide called an agrafe.", "Using wire cutters, he snips the wire to the exact length that he needs.", "Then he wraps the wire on the tuning pin using a device called a stringing crank.", "He taps it into a hole in the pin block.", "Then, using a pneumatic hammer, he drives the tuning pins into the pin block.", "Now the string stretches from above the bridge to the pin block.", "Each string is under a tension of up to 425 pounds, again, a force that will be kept in check by the heavy cast-iron plate.", "Now he places little felt-covered blocks called dampers above the strings to stop them from vibrating when a note is played.", "Using pliers, he makes parallel bends in the damper wires, so they're aligned.", "He pounds the key frame, checking for gaps that could cause knocks under a pianist's vigorous blows.", "He smoothes out the gaps, shaving off bits of wood with a strip of sandpaper attached to a handle.", "Now another worker presses the piano keys in between steel guide pins that have been installed in rows on the key frame.", "She uses an air cylinder to push the backcheck into the end of a piano key.", "The backcheck is a piece of wood covered with felt and buckskin that will catch the piano's hammer after it strikes a string.", "It's time to make those hammers.", "She glues the felt-covered top onto a thin piece of hornbeam, a species of very strong wood.", "When a pianist hits a key, it will catapult the hammer into the string, and that produces a note.", "Now she aligns the hammers to be perfectly parallel, using a plastic square as a guide.", "This is called \"squaring it up\".", "Next, she sands the tail of each hammer with a file so there'll be no sharp edges to damage the backcheck.", "Then she attaches the hammers to the top of the keyboard with screws.", "Now she places weights on each key and then gently taps the rail to get the hammers moving.", "She's testing the amount of effort it would take for a pianist to push each key down.", "This is called \"the weigh off\".", "After she determines how much weight is needed, she marks a place on the side of the key and drills one or two holes.", "She plugs each hole with a piece of lead.", "In a process called swedging, she pushes a divot into the lead so it expands and fits snugly into the key.", "The lead will counterbalance the weight of the hammers and give the key the required amount of weight.", "Next, this technician checks each hammer and each key, making subtle mechanical adjustments so they move smoothly and fluidly.", "It's the piano's first big tune-up.", "He fine-tunes the hammer action by using a let-off tool to adjust the driving mechanism.", "The piano is now ready for the hands of a skilled pianist and the ears of an appreciative audience." ]

{ "things": [ "Padlocks", "Hair Clippers", "Wooden Shoes", "Synthetic Leather" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Padlocks...", "Hair clippers...", "Wooden shoes...", "Wooden shoes...", "And synthetic leather.", "And synthetic leather.", "As long as there have been thieves, there's been a need for locks.", "Padlocks date back to roman times and were likely first used to protect cargo in transit.", "Thousands of years later, the padlock continues to keep burglars at bay.", "The modern padlock's strongest feature is its lock body.", "The process begins with a stack of 24 steel plates that are laminated together, the same technology that's used to make doors for bank vaults.", "A punch press cuts and shapes pieces of steel into caps that will be riveted to the lock bodies.", "The rivets tumble down a feeder.", "While below, an operator places a lock body and a cap into a fixture.", "A powerful press then drives the rivets into the assembly, securing the top cap to the lock securing the top cap to the lock body.", "Body.", "At another station, cutters contour steel rods so they'll fit into the lock body's holes while lubricant keeps things while lubricant keeps things cool.", "Cool.", "The finished rods are now ready to be shaped.", "Workers load them into a form press.", "This machine bends the steel as easily as you could bend a pipe cleaner to make a u-shaped shackle.", "Then the shackles roll into a furnace for tempering, a process that makes the steel even stronger.", "After a little more machining, the shackle is ready to be installed.", "This shackle will need to move up and down as the lock is opened and closed.", "And that's where these ball bearings come in.", "Two of them are slipped into the lock cavity.", "Lubricant gel aids the process.", "Workers use it to grease the inside of the lock while they push the ball bearings to either side of the cavity.", "A cylinder extension is inserted between the ball bearings, then a protective casing and bumper slide over the lock.", "Now it's time for final assembly.", "A machine loads copper-plated shells onto mandrels.", "Plugs, pins and springs funnel into the lock assembly station.", "A device installs pins and springs in a lock shell.", "The shell slides onto a brass plug.", "A key-shaped groove is cut into the plug, transforming it into a lock cylinder.", "A carbide cutter notches the matching keys.", "There are tens of thousands of key profiles.", "This sorting station holds just a few.", "The keys and lock cylinders are all numbered.", "This worker matches them up, making sure there are two keys making sure there are two keys for each lock.", "For each lock.", "She selects a padlock and pushes one of the lock cylinders into it.", "Then she tops it off with a retention plate.", "A machine press fits the plate to the bottom of the padlock.", "This secures the lock cylinder.", "A spring for the shackle is inserted, and the bottom cap goes on next.", "Then the entire assembly is riveted together.", "Each key is tested to make sure it matches.", "A computerized system opens and closes a randomly selected padlock thousands of times to make sure it's up to the job.", "The lock also has to hold up to force.", "Weights are dropped to replicate a hammer blow.", "And the padlock withstands the strike.", "This day's work is done.", "It's time for the folks at the factory to \"lock up\" for the day.", "Up next, making the cut at a up next, making the cut at a hair-clipper factory.", "Hair-clipper factory.", "The electric hair clipper was invented in 1919.", "It was the first clipper with a motor in the actual unit, allowing the barber to cut hair allowing the barber to cut hair at quite a clip.", "At quite a clip.", "Hairstyles may change, but this device is still on the cutting edge.", "These days, hair-clipper casings are made out of heavy-duty plastic.", "An automated mold melts and shapes the plastic material into shapes the plastic material into casing parts.", "Casing parts.", "Meanwhile, a robot picks up brass contacts and places them in fixtures.", "A plastic switch is then attached to each contact.", "A blast of air sends the assembled piece to a bin.", "Here, a robot slides a plastic spool onto a mandrel, then anchors copper wire to it.", "The wire is wound around the spool more than 2,000 times to make part of the electric relay that will drive the blades.", "Police keep the wire fed at an police keep the wire fed at an even tension.", "Even tension.", "Next, robots work on the clipper's lower casing.", "One installs a blade slide for adjusting the blade, and another attaches the lever that controls attaches the lever that controls that slide.", "That slide.", "An automated screwdriver fastens everything together.", "The clipper assembly is then on its way to have a metal arm installed.", "This piece will move the cutting blade.", "And for that, it will need a couple of springs.", "Next, the switch assembly goes in.", "And then the arm is screwed into place.", "Workers install a screw for adjusting the power setting.", "And now they fit the copper wire coil into the lower housing where it will drive that metal where it will drive that metal arm.", "Arm.", "A power cord is run from the switch to the coil.", "And now the clipper's inner workings are complete.", "Over at another station, a punch press stamps out clipper blades.", "The blades are toothless to start.", "But after a good washing and heat treatment, they head over to another station to get some to another station to get some teeth.", "Teeth.", "A worker pops a blade into a fixture to hold it steady, then a jagged cylindrical cutter carves the teeth.", "Coolant keeps the process from overheating and compromising the overheating and compromising the integrity of the steel.", "Integrity of the steel.", "Each hair clipper has two blades.", "The first one has cutting teeth which moves over the second, a larger, stationary blade that ensnares the hairs so that they can be cut.", "Next, the company's logo is printed on to the clipper's lid.", "And the lid is attached to the casing that holds the electrical components.", "Workers mount the blades on the head of the clipper for that double-edged cutting action.", "And finally, each clipper is tuned for optimum performance by adjusting that power screw that was installed earlier.", "These clippers come in a kit that includes some additional accessories for those consumers who want to try their hand at a little home grooming.", "Now these electric hair clippers are ready to get buzzing.", "With those sharp blades, they'll make short work of any \"hairy\" make short work of any \"hairy\" situation.", "Situation.", "Coming up, the art of the wooden coming up, the art of the wooden shoe.", "Shoe.", "Call them the poor man's answer to the rubber boot.", "Centuries ago, farmers chipped out holes in wooden blocks to keep their feet dry.", "Over the years, the blocks were refined into inexpensive but durable footwear.", "Today they're most commonly associated with the history and tradition of the netherlands.", "How they're made remains as basic as the shoe itself.", "Most wooden shoes are crafted from poplar, a wood that's easy to carve and generally free of knots, so the wearer won't knots, so the wearer won't encounter any splinters.", "Encounter any splinters.", "A worker feeds pieces of poplar into a band saw, careful to toss any pieces with defects.", "The blade slices the wood into blocks called blanks.", "The factory uses vinyl patterns like this one to create the shape of the shoe.", "There's a pattern for each size of every clog style.", "A worker locks the pattern into a duplication machine called the shaper, then right next to it, shaper, then right next to it, two blanks.", "Two blanks.", "As this tracer moves over the shape of the pattern, the wheel on the left copies its movements exactly, its blade shaving the exactly, its blade shaving the wood as it moves up and down.", "Wood as it moves up and down.", "There's only one pattern loaded, yet the machine carves out a pair of shoes.", "That's because the wheel on the far left spins in the opposite direction.", "So as the blade saws away, it's creating two mirror image copies.", "That allows the machine to carve out both a right and a left shoe out both a right and a left shoe simultaneously.", "Simultaneously.", "Now for the instep.", "A worker positions the blanks on to what's called a dual-action boring machine.", "The center rod is called a tasker.", "Its rolling head follows the curves inside the pattern.", "Spoon bits on either side of it copy the tasker's movements, gradually carving out the inside of the shoes.", "Now workers shift the angle so the spoon bits can get in deeper, boring all the way to deeper, boring all the way to the front of the shoe.", "The front of the shoe.", "All that carving makes for a lot of wood chips.", "After a drying period, the toe knobs are cut off with a band saw, and the clogs are inspected saw, and the clogs are inspected for any flaws.", "For any flaws.", "A disk sander grinds down the knob on the heel and refines the shape of the toe.", "The shoemaker uses a barrel sander to smooth out the opening then they switch to a balloon sander.", "This sander has an air-filled sack inside it that flexes to the shape of the shoe.", "Now for the final step.", "An artist lays carbon paper on the shoe and a pattern on top of that.", "Then she traces the pattern.", "The carbon sheet transfers the the carbon sheet transfers the design to the wood.", "Design to the wood.", "Now she goes over the design with a woodburner.", "She changes tips and varies the temperature according to the size and depth of the lines she's burning.", "This design commemorates holland-- holland, michigan, that is.", "The artist now uses water-based paints to enhance the scene with paints to enhance the scene with color.", "Color.", "She applies three coats of a water-based varnish to preserve the artwork and help keep the the artwork and help keep the shoes clean.", "Shoes clean.", "While most clog-wearing farmers opt for a plainer version, true clogaholics appreciate a little pizzazz.", "But they'll leave crafting the clogs to the experts, because they've got some pretty big shoes to fill.", "When we return, the know-how when we return, the know-how behind faux cow.", "Behind faux cow.", "Is it leather or is it pleather?", "It's not always easy to spot the fake.", "Synthetic leather, or pleather, can look and feel very much like real cowhide.", "It may not be the genuine article, but today, plenty of good-looking products are made good-looking products are made from this popular material.", "From this popular material.", "The recipe for synthetic leather begins with a petroleum-based plasterizer dumped into a mixing tub.", "An ultraviolet-light stabilizer is added to provide protection from the sun's rays.", "And then a flame-retardant solution for a little fireproofing.", "Powdered vinyl is added until the mix reaches the consistency the mix reaches the consistency of pancake batter.", "Of pancake batter.", "Next, different dyes are poured into another tub, following a formula for a specific shade.", "The liquid-vinyl mix is then piped into the tub with the piped into the tub with the coloring agents.", "Coloring agents.", "Now a big roll of paper with a leather-like texture unwinds into the coating machine.", "As tinted liquid vinyl flows into the machine, a mixing arm agitates it, and rollers below apply it to the paper.", "The vinyl-coated paper then travels through an oven.", "The vinyl hardens, taking on the paper's texture.", "This first layer is a thin one to establish the surface grain.", "A second batch of vinyl will contain a thickening agent.", "That's why they call it \"the foam\".", "It will give the fabric shape it will give the fabric shape and structure.", "And structure.", "Workers pour this second vinyl concoction into the coating machine, which rolls it on top of the first layer.", "The double-layered vinyl then travels through another oven.", "The heat activates the thickening agent causing the second layer to expand.", "Once the expanded vinyl is hardened, it gets a fabric backing.", "A machine then peels away the paper to reveal the textured first layer.", "Sometimes a pattern is printed onto the vinyl to make it look burnished or two-toned.", "Then workers mix a solution to build up the material's durability.", "Rollers apply it to the synthetic leather, finishing off this production run.", "But this pleather isn't quite ready to be shipped out.", "Samples from every run undergo a battery of tests.", "This machine rubs the fabric up to three million times to see how it wears.", "Then there's a stretch test.", "A weight is fastened to a strip of synthetic leather.", "The weight pulls the swatch to double its length, but it doesn't tear, which means this fabric has a lot of give.", "Next, a trial by fire.", "To pass this test, the fabric must self-extinguish in two seconds.", "And it does...", "Thanks to the flame retardant thanks to the flame retardant that went into production.", "That went into production.", "Next, a cutting is placed in a framework...", "And heated in an oven to and heated in an oven to increase its pliability.", "Increase its pliability.", "A vacuum mold sucks the fabric to its form, proving this sample also has some thermoplastic qualities.", "You can't do this with real leather.", "With so many prints, textures and colors now in production, this product seems to have everything \"covered\"." ]

{ "things": [ "Storage Sheds", "Industrial Fans", "Parchment Paper", "Climbing Walls" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Throughout history, people have needed a place to store their personal belongings.", "Early storage sheds were basic huts.", "Today, factories produce substantial structures that can be easily assembled from a kit.", "This means finding extra storage space should be no problem.", "Storage sheds provide a home for things that don't belong or fit in the house.", "They're made from plastic panels embossed with a wood grain.", "Making one starts with a computer design.", "Once they have a plan, machinery rolls into action.", "High-density polyethylene plastic flows into a big mixer.", "Some of the plastic pellets are new material, while the rest are pellets recycled from previous processing.", "This is called regrind.", "An automated scale measures out the correct amounts of ingredients as they enter the mixer.", "They add a cooling accelerant and a colorant to the polyethylene pellets.", "Thorough mixing ensures that the final product will be evenly colored and have structural integrity.", "A vacuum pump moves the blend out of the mixer and through a network of pipes along the factory ceiling.", "The pipes deliver the polyethylene mix to a machine called a blow molder.", "It will blow melted plastic into a two-part mold-- in this case, a floor panel mold.", "The blow molder melts the plastic into a tubular shape.", "The plastic emerges hot and malleable.", "In manufacturing lingo, this is call a parasin.", "The mold closes around the parasin as little needles pierce and inflate it.", "The parasin swells against the walls of the mold, taking its shape.", "The mold embosses a tread design on one side and a ridged one on the back for strength.", "A long, automated clamp extracts the hollow panel.", "At this point, the plastic is partially cured but still hot.", "When the panel is ready to be handled, a team trims the overflow.", "This material is called flash.", "The flash is warm and has a taffy-like consistency.", "The team leaves it to cool and firm up before feeding it to a grinder.", "The grinding process produces the pellets known as regrind that will be used to make more panels.", "Next, the team cuts slots and tabs that will be used for assembling the floor panel to the walls.", "They stack the panels.", "It's quite a pile.", "They manufacture several thousand panels a day.", "Now, it's over to another blow molding machine.", "This one creates roof panels, complete with cedar shingle detail.", "Once again, they trim the flash and grind it up to make new panels.", "Very little polyethylene goes to waste.", "The next machine molds door panels with a tongue-and-groove beadboard look.", "Although all of the shed panels are made of plastic, they look like a variety of materials: cedar shakes, siding, beadboard, and even treaded vinyl flooring.", "A worker randomly pulls panels off the production line for testing.", "She verifies that the assembly holes are the right size.", "She also weighs and measures the panel to confirm it meets specifications.", "Another member of the testing team dabs gel onto the panel in various locations.", "This gel allows an instrument to measure the thickness of the plastic.", "Once the panels pass the tests, it's time to pack up the kits.", "There are 15 to 20 panels per kit.", "Employees pack the parts in the order that they are to be assembled.", "On the computer, the parts come together in seconds.", "But in the real world, it takes up to three hours to assemble this plastic storage shed.", "However, it's a lot easier than building one from scratch.", "And in the end, you have a place to store things.", "Industrial fans are extra large to provide air circulation in a large factory or a warehouse.", "They whip up a breeze to keep workers cool, and in the process, they clear the air of dust and other harmful particles.", "Almost 3 feet in diameter and a body tough enough to survive a run-in with a forklift, this is no ordinary fan.", "It's an industrial fan.", "They're designed to circulate air in large spaces like warehouses and factories.", "Production starts with the motor.", "A worker slides the fan's aluminum hub onto it.", "Then, he inserts wing-like blades known as airfoils into notches in the hub.", "Using a hammer, he taps the ends to set them in the hub.", "He places a part known as a taper lock into a hole in the center.", "The taper lock will fasten the motor shaft to the hub.", "He screws the lip of the lock to the hub.", "He confirms that each screw has been set to the desired torque.", "Next, he installs a blast-reinforced plastic cone on the hub.", "This one secures the ends of the blades in the hub.", "He snaps a cap onto the center of the nose cone.", "Now, he transfers the motor and hub assembly to a mount that's in a heavy-duty plastic ring.", "He adds an upper mount and screws it to the lower one.", "This completely encases the motor and hub assembly.", "He trims the outer ring of the fan with rubber molding.", "The rubber will reduce vibration noise.", "He lowers a steel yolk onto the plastic surround and attaches it with a screw.", "He wires a speed control mechanism to the fan motor and fastens it to the outside of the plastic surround.", "He installs a plate with a control knob on the front of the speed control mechanism.", "He screws on two metal screens to the fan's yolk.", "This forms a safety cage around the fan.", "He plugs the fan into a power source and turns it on to test its function.", "Satisfied that it's in good working order, he tightens the screens to the yolk.", "A two-person crew bolts a wheeled pedestal to the stem of the fan.", "They set the 108-pound fan upright.", "It's now ready to circulate.", "Designed to move large volumes of air, this industrial fan generates a considerable breeze inside a factory.", "To make an industrial ceiling fan, they use long, aluminum airfoils.", "Their wing-like profile will generate lift to produce more air.", "A punch cuts holes to assemble them to a hub.", "A worker then attaches the main fan assembly to the end of a long post in order to facilitate the installation of the long airfoils.", "He activates a lift that raises the hub assembly, then slides the airfoils onto spars that protrude from the hub.", "This ceiling fan has 10 airfoils.", "He reinforces the installation with boomerang-shaped metal retainers.", "High-strength bolts secure the retainers and airfoils to the spars.", "He attaches plastic winglets to the ends of the airfoils.", "The winglets will direct air downward.", "He installs a trim ring on the hub.", "This completes the assembly of the industrial ceiling fan.", "Using a remote control, he tests its operation at multiple speed levels.", "From this vantage point, it seems pretty cool.", "Lining a cooking or baking pan with culinary parchment paper instantly makes cleanup a whole lot easier because nothing sticks to the pan.", "With parchment paper, there's no need to grease the pan with messy butter or oil.", "This culinary parchment paper comes in a standard sheet roll or an assortment of specialty shapes.", "It's heat resistant to a temperature of 450 degrees.", "Making paper begins with pulp, which is pulverized wood.", "This parchment paper manufacturer uses eucalyptus because it's a sustainable resource.", "They mix the pulp with water in a huge, industrial mixer.", "This special recipe of eucalyptus fibers produces tan-colored paper.", "Once the consistency is just right, they pump the soggy pulp out of the blender and into a machine that spreads it evenly across a metal mesh belt.", "The water drains through the openings in the mesh.", "By the time the pulp rolls into the first drum of the next machine, it is formed into a sheet of paper.", "Sprayers rehydrate what's trimmed off the edges so it can be recycled.", "The paper travels through a long line of heated rollers.", "They squeeze out the remaining water and dry the paper.", "A high-resolution scanner looks for imperfections as the paper exits the machine.", "Workers unwind the bolt and conduct a visual inspection against backlighting.", "Next, the bolt undergoes the first of two critical operations, which transforms this regular paper into culinary parchment paper.", "First, the sheet passes through two baths in a proprietary water-based solution.", "This eliminates air pockets and renders the paper heat-resistant.", "After a series of rinses, another long line of heated rollers squeezes out the rinse water and dries the paper.", "The next station sprays both sides of the sheet with food-grade silicone, then bakes on the coating in a gas-fired dryer.", "Silicone withstands heat up to 1,500 degrees, so even at the highest cooking temperatures, there will be a barrier that prevents food from sticking to the paper.", "Silicone also repels water.", "This is the paper before the treatments make it heat-resistant, nonstick and waterproof.", "And here's how the paper performs after those treatments.", "Because it's waterproof, you can wet the paper to make it malleable enough to line a pan of any shape.", "The factory cuts the bolts to consumer widths, then shrink-wraps and ships them to factories that supply restaurants and supermarkets.", "Here, machines unwind the bolts, then wind specific lengths of parchment paper onto cardboard tubes.", "Winding a 165-foot roll takes just three seconds.", "The factory also applies its logo to the paper at regular intervals.", "However, that operation is top-secret.", "The automated packaging equipment tapes down the edge to prevent unraveling, then places and seals the roll in a cardboard box.", "The machine stamps the box with a lot code so, if a problem arises, the factory can trace the roll back to the large bolt from which it originated.", "This parchment paper, cardboard tube, and box are all made from sustainable resources.", "The box edge is rigid enough to tear off a sheet, so there's no need for an unrecyclable metal cutting edge.", "You can throw the used parchment paper in your compost bin or rinse off the food remnants and put it along with the box and tube in your recycling bin.", "A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet.", "These walls mimic the experience of outdoor rock climbing but in a more controlled environment, allowing people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to climb.", "A climbing wall can have a flat surface, studded with hand holes that the climber grabs or steps on.", "Or it can be what's called rock-realistic, designed to look like a natural rock wall.", "That type can also have hand holes, or just cracks and fissures like the real thing.", "The factory builds the wall structure out of thick steel bars.", "Workers weld them into frames.", "Each frame will hold a panel that's one portion of the wall face.", "They reinforce the corners of the frame with gusset plates.", "Each frame is a distinct size and shape.", "To make the panels for a flat-surface climbing wall, workers trace the frames on plywood or engineered wood particle board.", "After spray-painting the corresponding part code, they cut out each panel to match the wall plan.", "Then they screw in t nuts.", "These nuts have a larger-than-standard flange for extra strength.", "They screw a bolt in the middle of the t nut to protect the threads from the cement finish they will spray onto the wood.", "To make a rock-realistic wall, they mold cement panels to attach to the steel frames.", "To mix the cement, they combine ice and liquid polymer.", "Ice keeps the cement from overheating in the mixer.", "The polymer is a binding agent.", "It also makes the cement flexible so the wall doesn't crack or chip.", "While they mix the cement ingredients, they monitor the temperature with an infrared thermometer.", "Correct temperature is critical for the cement to properly set.", "They pour the cement through a sieve to filter out large pieces.", "Then, they pump the cement into a spray gun.", "With slow and even strokes, they shoot the cement onto a silicone mold of the mountain face.", "After brushing it into the mold's nooks and crannies, they spray two more coats.", "This time, they simultaneously shoot a gun that chops and sprays fiberglass string to reinforce the cement.", "They compress the fiberglass-reinforced cement with rollers to even out the thickness.", "Then, they embed rebar loops.", "Rebar is a steel rod used for reinforcing cement.", "They embed thick, steel rods 1 to 2 feet long along the perimeter.", "Then, they let the cement set overnight.", "The next day, they extract the panel from the mold.", "A cement panel like this can weigh more than 600 pounds.", "They knock off jagged edges with a mallet and check for any weak areas caused by air pockets.", "After drilling numerous holes for the hand-hold t nuts, they grind the edges smooth.", "They weld the wall panels to their corresponding steel frame and fill gaps between panels with cement.", "When they're building a flat-surface wall, they spray a cement finish on the wood, then a coat of paint.", "Once the paint dries, they mount the hand holds.", "They're made of molded polyurethane.", "Then, they attach the wall panel to the steel frame with a nail gun.", "Flat surface walls are more versatile because they can hold far more t nuts than rock-realistic walls.", "The more t nuts, the more locations for hand holds.", "This enables a gym to create a greater range of climbing routes, suiting both experienced climbers and rookie mountaineers." ]

{ "things": [ "Dial Thermometers", "Hummus", "Spent Fuel Containers", "Straw Sombreros" ] }

[ "In the world of temperature-gauging, the dial thermometer is a lot easier to read than a glass-stem thermometer.", "A needle points to bold numbers on a dial, and even from a distance, it only takes a quick glance to confirm an initial impression that things are heating up.", "All the highs and lows are plain to see on the face of a dial thermometer.", "It often comes with lengthy tubing to measure temperature from afar.", "It's a handy feature for power plants and heating and refrigeration systems.", "To begin, rollers straighten very narrow metal tubing.", "Then a blade cuts it to length depending on the application.", "As the blade makes the cut, a mechanism pries open the ends.", "Next, a worker inserts a fitting into a much wider tube that will become the thermometer's sensor bulb.", "He secures the tube in a fixture and welds the narrow tubing machined earlier to the fitting on the end of the bulb.", "With the bulb and tubing now linked, production moves to the next stage, the making of the burden tube, which is a kind of a spring.", "A worker cuts flat, wafer-thin tubing to length.", "Down the line, they clamp the flat tubes in a device that's on a track.", "It moves past an arc welder that melts and closes one end of the flat tubes.", "Here's a before-and-after comparison.", "A worker now encloses the tube in a die and drives a pin into its open end.", "This widens and redefines the opening from inside and outside.", "He slides it over another pin and activates a mechanical punch press.", "This fine-tunes the shape and dimensions of the opening.", "The next worker clamps the tube in another device.", "He operates a roller to wrap it around a mandrill, bending it into a \"c\" shape.", "This completes the thermometer's burden-tube spring.", "The next worker clamps a bracket to the bottom of the burden tube.", "He inserts a small piece of connector tubing in the burden-tube hole and applies liberal amounts of a flux compound.", "The flux prevents tarnishing of the metal as he melts silver solder to braise the parts together and to seal the opening.", "Now a test.", "He pumps gas into several burden tubes and immerses them in water.", "If no gas bubbles out of the tubes, it means the tubes are perfectly sealed.", "The gas pressure also causes the tubes to spring into action.", "It's this action that will move the pointer on the dial of the thermometer.", "The next worker attaches a brass connector to the tubing.", "He braises them together to create a solid bond.", "He folds the braised parts into the curve of the burden tube and pushes it into place with a mechanical press.", "He installs the gear assembly that will translate the linear movement of the burden tube into the rotational movement of the thermometer pointer.", "He screws the dual-temperature dial to the burden-tube assembly.", "The more detailed and extensive the scale, the bigger the dial.", "This one is mid-sized.", "And now everything comes together as he tethers the sensing bulb, along with a short fill tube, to the back of the burden-tube assembly.", "Using a braising torch and solder, he seals the connection.", "He then steam-cleans the braised joint.", "He buries the bulb in a hot sand bath that causes any moisture in it to evaporate.", "Through the fill tube, he fills the bulb with nitrogen gas.", "To calibrate the thermometer, he plunges the sensing bulb in boiling water and adjusts the pressure of the nitrogen gas until the dial reads 212 degrees fahrenheit.", "The fill tube's job is now done, so he crimps it to seal it off.", "He tests its accuracy by immersing the sensing bulb in numerous controlled baths, each one a different temperature.", "And if it's on the mark, he encloses the inner workings in the stainless-steel case.", "He protects the joint with a special metal spring...", "And snaps a clear window to the case.", "A gasket between them ensures a dustproof seal.", "He screws a part called a well to the sensing-bulb connector.", "The well will protect it in high-pressure situations.", "And this dial thermometer is now ready for the ups and downs of temperature-gauging.", "Hummus is the original snack food.", "People have been eating this chickpea dip for thousands of years.", "Countries from the mediterranean to the middle east lay claim to its invention.", "But one thing is beyond dispute-- as an appetizer or side dish, hummus has real staying power.", "Hummus is a vegetarian form of protein, which could be why more and more people are choosing to take a dip.", "The word \"hummus\" is actually arabic for \"chickpea,\" which is of course the main ingredient.", "The chickpeas arrive at the factory in dried form.", "They ride a conveyor upward and then spill down onto a long, vibrating tray.", "It shakes out heavier contaminants like pebbles or twigs.", "The contaminants fall into a bin below, while the chickpeas bounce off the tray and into a tub of filtered water to be rinsed.", "Still dripping wet, it's onto a conveyor with perforated buckets.", "The water drains from the chickpeas as they're transferred to big tanks.", "Each tank holds thousands of little chickpeas.", "They add clean water and soak the chickpeas.", "After 14 hours in the tank, they swell to twice their size and soften up.", "They pump the softened chickpeas into big trays, which they stack on a cart.", "Then it's into a huge, cylindrical steam cooker that's been preheated to around 255 degrees fahrenheit.", "They bake the chickpeas for just over half an hour.", "This softens them even more and darkens the color.", "From dried beans to soaked and then cooked.", "They now transfer the cooked chickpeas to the next conveyor, and they're on their way to being ground to a pulp.", "This is the grinder, now being reassembled after cleaning.", "It has two sharp-toothed, circular blades.", "One is stationary, and the other revolves.", "A big turn screw will force the chickpeas through these toothed blades to grind them up.", "A quick test confirms this grinder is in working order.", "Meanwhile, the chickpeas have arrived at a hopper above the grinder.", "As the chickpeas spill into the hopper, they add water and a blend of sunflower and olive oil, followed by salt, garlic, and other dry ingredients.", "The chickpeas and other ingredients flow into the grinding device below and are turned into a paste.", "The next ingredient is tahini.", "It's a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds.", "Three powerful pumps pulverize the tahini to evenly disperse the particles so it can now be blended with the chickpea mix.", "Big, steel blades revolve to thoroughly mix all the ingredients in a tank and produce hummus.", "For different-flavored hummus, they add red pepper, more garlic, or other ingredients.", "After the blended product is pasteurized, a technician takes samples for lab testing, for mold, shelf life, and other tests.", "She also does her own taste test.", "If the flavor seems even slightly off, they'll put the product on hold and tweak the ingredients.", "But this batch gets the nod.", "Meanwhile, plastic containers are queuing for a fill-up.", "Machinery moves them forward toward piston fillers.", "The pistons push the creamy hummus out of nozzles and into the tubs.", "Now filled to the brim with hummus, the tubs travel under a sheet of plastic film.", "Hot, round irons melt the plastic to seal it to the rims.", "Suctioning devices swoop down to apply the lids, and the hummus heads towards a roll of adhesive-backed labels.", "A sensor detects the approach of the tubs and triggers a device with little air jets to slap the labels on the lids.", "This hummus production has gone very smoothly indeed.", "Spent fuel containers are designed to take the heat, the kind caused by the most radioactive of waste-- used nuclear fuel.", "These fuel rods are too dangerous to be casually disposed of, but encased in special spent fuel cannisters, the risk should be contained.", "Nuclear waste sits in a holding pattern, and that means storing it in massive cylinders until there's a way to dispose of it.", "These containers start with a big, rectangular sheet of stainless steel.", "A special circular cutter carves a beveled edge onto it.", "They feed it to rollers which curl the sheet into a cylinder.", "It takes four trips through the rollers to really round it out.", "They tuck a template inside the curve to check the radius.", "Next, a welder joins the neatly beveled edges to complete the cylinder.", "This cylinder will be the outer wall of a cannister.", "The cannister will fit inside a big cylinder called an overpack.", "Its outer shell is just under an inch thick-- about the diameter of a quarter.", "As you can see, building a container to hold used nuclear fuel is a many-layered process.", "The next step involves the lid, made of multiple steel disks with concrete placed between the steel layers like a sandwich.", "Incredibly, high-pressure water jets easily cut through the thick steel to produce the disks.", "A computerized tool cuts a groove profile along the edge of each disk.", "They also machine the top of each disk to the correct profile and then measure to confirm it's exactly right.", "Next, a computerized laser slices through more stainless-steel plating to produce long, narrow panels.", "Each is designed to fit together to create a grid of storage cells inside the cannister.", "They line each panel with an aluminum alloy that's neutron-absorbent, and they place a piece of steel sheeting on top of that.", "They weld the steel sheeting to the steel panel, encasing the neutron-absorbent material.", "Working within a metal framework for guidance, they weld four of the lined steel panels together to create a fuel-cell grid for one used nuclear fuel bundle.", "They then build a 68-cell grid.", "With that complete, they're ready to piece together all the parts of the spent fuel cannister.", "They first lower the inner shell onto the base plate.", "The shell is held steady by a supportive structure as they weld it together at the seams.", "Moving inside, they install numerous bars to support the fuel-cell grid.", "With the cannister now wrapped in plastic to keep it clean, an automated cutter gradually shaves down the rim to trim it to the correct height.", "Precision is everything.", "Using a level and a laser, they ensure that the trim job is even and exact.", "Once they're satisfied, a crane carries the fuel-cell assembly over to the cannister and then suspends it above the open cavity.", "It dangles briefly as workers inspect the assembly.", "They give it the thumbs-up, and the crane then lowers the fuel assembly into the cylinder.", "It's a snug fit, with about 4/10 of an inch of clearance between the inner assembly and the wall of the cylinder.", "This technician inserts a camera into each cell of the grid and scrutinizes the image.", "He's looking for any debris that could hamper the installation of the nuclear fuel bundles.", "Both the cylinder and the fuel cells have been meticulously cleaned, but the camera inspection confirms they haven't missed anything.", "So it's time to put a lid on this nuclear-waste cannister.", "It's a trial fit.", "The lid will be permanently welded to the cannister later once the used fuel rods are safely inside.", "The cannister will then be placed inside the overpack, with concrete poured between the walls.", "That should keep the hazards of nuclear waste entombed indefinitely.", "The word \"sombrero\" is derived from the spanish \"sombra,\" which means \"shade\".", "The expansive brim of these mexican hats is designed to cast a wide shadow over the face, neck, and shoulders.", "Fancier sombreros are made of felt.", "Regular ones are woven out of straw.", "this workshop makes traditional, straw sombreros in many styles.", "This model's called a winston.", "This one, an americano.", "Here's the speedy, after the cartoon mouse speedy gonzales.", "And the casidy.", "These sombreros are hand-crafted.", "The straw is white palm leaves purchased from a supplier in the region.", "First, workers soak a bunch in water for a minute or so to soften them up.", "Then, using a needle, they tear strips about 2/10 of an inch wide.", "Then they take three strips at a time and braid them together into a single strand.", "They intertwine several braided strands, making a long, braided straw rope.", "Then they feed this rope into a manually operated press.", "The press flattens the rope until it's just about 4/100 of an inch thick.", "This flattening makes the coarse rope soft enough to sew.", "With the raw-material prep work done, hat construction can begin.", "They take the rope and wind it in concentric circles, sewing one circle to the next.", "They first make a flat base, then turn the base on its side and keep sewing until they've formed the cup-- the part of the sombrero that sits on the head.", "They place the cup over a form to check the size.", "Then they resume sewing on more straw rope, working outward now to form the hat's brim.", "Brim width varies by style.", "They measure to make sure it's the correct size.", "Once the sombrero is finished, they boil water, pour in gelatin...", "Stir until it's completely dissolved...", "Then soak the hat for about a minute.", "The gelatin penetrates the straw fibers.", "Then they hang the sombrero out to dry in the sun for about three hours.", "The workshop has a steel mold for each sombrero style it produces.", "Workers place the sombrero on the appropriate one in a hot press, then close the press for three minutes.", "The heat and pressure combined form the straw to the mold's shape.", "The heat also hardens the gelatin, locking in the shape permanently.", "Many sombreros have a decorative band encircling the base of the cup.", "This band, called a scarf, is hand-crafted, typically out of leather, or like this one out of magee, a fiber from the stalk of a tropical plant native to mexico.", "A few dabs of glue hold the scarf in place.", "Once a sombrero is finished, the workshop tags it with a certificate stating the model and serial number.", "Sombrero shapes can vary significantly, but they all share a common characteristic-- a wide brim to protect from the blazing sun.", "Certain models have an extra feature-- a cord or leather drawstring so the hat doesn't fly away in windy weather." ]

{ "things": [ "Steel Safes", "False Teeth", "Airplanes", "Maple Syrup" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Steel safes...", "False teeth...", "Airplanes...", "And maple syrup.", "The first bank safes were made of wood reinforced with sheet iron.", "Thieves would just smash them open.", "Then came safes made of solid iron.", "Thieves would just blow them up.", "But then, to the crooks' dismay, came safes made of steel.", "It all starts with sheets of solid steel up to 1 1/2 inches thick and an automated machine with an oxygen-and-gas-fueled flame.", "The flame slowly cuts the plates that will form the walls of the safe.", "The cutting creates gases that are doused with water.", "A welder with a manual version of the same flame frees up the plates with a few last cuts.", "Then, using a large magnet, they stack the plates.", "Each one is labeled so the workers will know in what order to assemble them.", "They're assembled by a welder who uses a machine called a mig welder.", "The welding wire is made of several different metals.", "It rolls off a spool as needed.", "Elsewhere in the factory, a semiautomatic saw cuts flat bars of steel.", "These bars will form the frame that will surround the steel plates.", "Meanwhile, another machine, called a turret, fashions steel bars into moving parts for the locking mechanism and also into hinges.", "That milky liquid is a lubricant.", "Normally, you see raw material move on an assembly line from tool to tool.", "This is just the opposite.", "The steel bar stays on the turret from start to finish.", "The tools come and go.", "Workers take pieces of sheet metal cut into shapes by laser and bend them in a press to make various parts and mechanisms.", "Meanwhile, the large steel plates they cut earlier go into a hydraulic press to make them perfectly flat.", "It's finally time to put all the components together.", "They construct the frame in an assembly jig, then insert the plates for the sides, top, and bottom.", "Using the mig welder again, they fuse the pieces together.", "They measure the angles, then use a giant clamp to square the safe.", "Finally, they install the plate for the back of the safe and weld the joints.", "They stand the safe upright and grind down the welding lines until they're smooth.", "This factory also produces what's called a composite safe, made of soft materials such as copper, aluminum, and low-grade steel.", "But it has a cement core, making this safe harder to break in to.", "The finished safe gets three coats of paint.", "Then, in the finishing department, they install the mechanical or electronic locks and locking mechanisms, as well as the internal time-lock mechanism.", "The time lock allows access to the safe only at certain times of day, such as a bank's business hours.", "Even if someone picks the outside combination locks, the door won't open outside those set hours.", "The machines that sterilize medical instruments use ethylene oxide, a highly toxic gas.", "Now there's a new method that's safer, more effective, and less expensive.", "This new machine uses ozone as the sterilizing agent.", "Ozone is a form of oxygen.", "Until the 1800s, false teeth were made of animal bone, ivory, or actual human teeth.", "They came from poor people, who sold their teeth, and from dead bodies.", "Today's dentures are usually ceramic.", "They start by heating a sheet of wax over a flame.", "They press it onto a rough plaster model of the patient's mouth, sent in by the dentist.", "The lab technicians use this model to prepare what's called an impression tray, what the dentist will use to make a rubber mold to cast the dentures.", "They apply an acrylic material over the wax lining, forming a handle so they'll be able to remove it afterwards.", "Once the acrylic hardens, they pull it out of the model and discard the wax.", "The dentist fills this new acrylic tray with rubber to take a final impression.", "The lab uses the hardened rubber as a negative mold of the patient's mouth.", "They fill it with plaster to make a new, more precise plaster model.", "Then they use the new model to make the part of the dentures that fits on top of the patient's gums.", "They take special orthodontic acrylic and press it into the model to form what's called the baseplate.", "Then they heat a sheet of wax to form a rim on the base.", "This new acrylic-and-wax model now goes back for another fitting in the patient's mouth.", "The dentist takes a series of measurements to show the lab exactly where to place the teeth.", "The model goes back to the lab, where technicians select the teeth that'll best suit the size of the patient's mouth.", "They install the teeth one by one into the model's wax rim.", "Then they send the model back to the dentist for the final fitting.", "The dentist checks that everything is centered and that the patient's bite is properly aligned.", "If the model fits well and looks good, the lab can finally begin to manufacture the dentures.", "They position the model in a special holder called a flask, then attach channels through which acrylic will later be injected.", "This acrylic will replace the wax holding the teeth in place.", "But first, to get rid of the wax, they have to cast a plaster mold to hold the teeth in place.", "Once the plaster dries, they submerge it in hot water for five minutes to melt the wax inside.", "They rinse the plaster mold with warm water to remove any wax residues.", "Then they apply what's called a separator, a chemical that will keep the acrylic from sticking to the plaster mold-- just like greasing the pan when you're baking.", "They position a cylinder of acrylic right over the flask.", "Using an air-pressure piston, they force the acrylic into the plaster mold.", "They submerge the mold in boiling water for 35 minutes to harden the acrylic.", "Once the flask has cooled down, they break the plaster.", "The false teeth are now securely rooted in acrylic gums.", "A bit of finishing, and they'll be done.", "An ultrasonic bath gets rid of any remaining plaster.", "They polish the acrylic with pumice, then shine it up with a polishing compound.", "The set of false teeth is finally ready.", "When a patient doesn't need a full set of dentures, just a few teeth, they get what's called a partial-- made much the same way, but hooked on at either end to the patient's natural teeth.", "Aviation was once the exclusive domain of commercial and military pilots.", "Not anymore.", "Today many amateurs get their pilot's license and take to the skies in light aircraft not for a job, but for the sheer pleasure of flying.", "To construct the body of these light aircraft, they start with two types of cloth, one woven from glass fibers-- fiberglass-- the other from carbon fibers.", "Carbon is a chemical element that's stronger than steel.", "Both materials go through a laminating machine that coats them with an epoxy resin.", "To begin forming the various parts that make up the body, workers lay strips of the laminated fabric into molds.", "The engineering plans dictate the precise positioning of the strips, which is critical for strength and durability.", "They lay in carbon-fiber cloth where they need to have extra strength without additional weight, areas such as this-- the passenger compartment of the cockpit.", "To make the fuselage, they sandwich a foam core less than 1/2 inch thick between two layers of the fiberglass cloth.", "The foam also insulates against heat, cold, and noise.", "Workers coat the edges and joints with resin, filling any voids.", "Once all the fabric is in the mold, it's time to vacuum-bag it.", "First, they cover everything with a layer of perforated plastic, then with a breather cloth, which looks like a white wool blanket.", "Then comes another layer of plastic.", "They attach a vacuum to suck out all the air.", "The excess resin exits through the tiny holes in the plastic and soaks into the breather cloth.", "Now that the mold is airtight, it can begin to cure.", "They put it into an oven at 40 degrees celsius for 8 hours.", "Once the molds come out of the oven, workers install the internal structure.", "Then, using the same epoxy resin they used earlier to laminate the fiberglass and carbon-fiber fabrics, they bond the tail's upper and lower shells together.", "They do the same with the wings.", "The parts are left to cure overnight.", "The next day, they finally come out of the molds.", "Next stop, the trim shop.", "Workers remove the excess fiberglass and cut out the windows.", "The parts go back for a final curing.", "The oven is around 175 degrees.", "18 hours later, out they come for painting.", "Workers sand the parts and coat them with an epoxy primer.", "The finish coat is polyurethane, which resists weathering.", "Meanwhile, other workers assemble and test various components, such as the electrical system.", "A computer guides a machine to cut all the metal parts, such as the instrument panel.", "The cutting machine doesn't have a blade, but rather a sand-and-water jet that's powerful enough to cut through metal.", "A certified aircraft welder prepares the engine mount, the base that will hold the engine in place.", "It's made of high-grade carbon steel.", "At the final assembly stage, workers install the engine and other previously assembled components into the fuselage.", "Workers position the wiring and plumbing, then hook them up.", "They screw on the wing tips, which already have their navigational lights.", "An avionics technician powers up the airplane for the first time to function-test everything.", "The final inspection takes place where it really counts-- in flight.", "How do maple trees make sap?", "They accumulate starch during their growing season.", "With the spring thaw, enzymes transform the starch into sugar.", "When the trees absorb water through their roots, it mixes with that sugar to make sap.", "Long before the white man came to north america, the native indians revered the maple tree.", "In early spring, they'd pierce its trunk with a tomahawk, then place a wood chip under the hole to channel the sap into a bark container.", "Then they boiled the sap over a fire in clay pots.", "The indians introduced maple syrup to the european settlers.", "Today most producers use tubing instead of sap buckets-- no more trudging through the snow from tree to tree.", "The time to collect sap is in the early spring, when the maple trees are still dormant and when the temperature hits 3 or 4 degrees above freezing.", "The freeze-and-thaw cycle alters the pressure inside the tree and starts the sap flowing.", "The first step is to tap the trees.", "They drill a hole 1/2 inch in diameter, 2 inches deep, then gently insert a spout made of metal or plastic.", "It's important not to damage the bark.", "That not only harms the tree but also lets air in the sap, which ruins the flavor.", "You don't see too many sap buckets around anymore.", "Today sap is pumped through polyethylene tubes to larger collector tubes...", "Then into the pumping station.", "Sap is 97.5% water and only 2.5% sugar.", "To transform the sap to syrup, they have to boil it down.", "It takes 35 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup.", "When the tank fills up, the sap is automatically pumped to the sugar house into a stainless-steel tank.", "The more advanced producers use a specialized machine that partially concentrates the sap by reverse osmosis.", "This more than triples the sap's natural sugar level and means they'll have less boiling to do.", "From there, the sap flows to the evaporator.", "They heat the sap to the boiling point and keep it boiling however long it takes to evaporate 66% of the water.", "If the water evaporates too slowly or too quickly, that'll adversely affect the color, flavor, and texture of the syrup.", "However-- and here's where expertise is everything-- there's no set cooking time.", "Experienced maple-sugar producers can tell when it's ready just by looking at it.", "They test the sugar level using a device called a hydrotherm.", "When the syrup is just right, they run it through a pressure filter to remove calcium residues and other impurities.", "They store the syrup in steam-cleaned barrels.", "The lab at the central warehouse tests a sample from each drum.", "Using sophisticated instruments, technicians classify the color from dark to extra light.", "They also assess the quality.", "Lower-grade syrup is for industrial use, higher-grade for the retail market.", "They pasteurize the syrup, then put it into huge stainless-steel storage tanks.", "The tanks are vacuum-sealed with a nitrogen barrier to preserve the flavor and color and to prevent fermentation.", "It also keeps the syrup from crystallizing.", "The lab then uses an instrument called an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to analyze the syrup's mineral content, making sure it meets market standards.", "Next, they warm the syrup in stainless-steel heaters...", "And run it through industrial-sized filters.", "This step ensures the syrup will be perfectly clear.", "Then, just before bottling, they heat the syrup again, this time to 180 degrees.", "This not only sterilizes the bottles but also guarantees the syrup will have a 4-year shelf life.", "Maple syrup is high in sugar but has somewhat fewer calories than honey or brown sugar.", "It's 100% pure and natural, and it's a good source of three essential nutrients-- calcium, potassium, and magnesium." ]

{ "things": [ "Paper Fans", "Walnut Oil", "Copper" ] }

[ "The oldest existing chinese fans, made of woven bamboo, date to the 2nd century b.c. the folding fan was invented in japan between the 6th and 9th century.", "Fans were typically made of paper or silk, and famous artists were often commissioned to paint them.", "The traditional asian fan-- an object of beauty with a practical purpose.", "The structure is comprised of bamboo sticks, called ribs.", "The paper surface is called the leaf.", "In this fan workshop in northern thailand, they begin with narrow poles of locally harvested bamboo.", "With a sharp knife, workers cut them to the approximate length of the ribs, then split them down the middle.", "Using traditional blades, they shave each bamboo strip to the shape of a rib.", "Ribs are typically about 7/100 of an inch thick and perfectly flat so that they can smoothly slide on top of one another.", "Workers drill a hole in each rib 2 to 3 inches above the base, depending on the fan size.", "Then they assemble the ribs on a bolt.", "The number of ribs and their length are what determine a fan's size.", "The two ribs on the extremities are wider and thicker than the others and are rounded on the outside.", "These are called thumb guards because you flick your thumb on them to open the fan and they guard the ribs in between from damage.", "To make the leaf, they begin by spreading the ribs, spacing them out evenly.", "They lay this onto white cotton and cut out the semicircular shape of the leaf with the fabric extending 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches beyond the rib tips.", "This fabric will be the leaf's structural backing, giving the paper rigidity and strength.", "They make that paper just as their ancestors did-- mixing the fibrous bark of the mulberry tree with natural dyes-- the marigold flower for yellow, for example, or, as we see here, the root of the madder plant for vibrant red.", "They mix the dyestuff with the mulberry bark fibers, then gather a thin layer of dyed fibers onto a rectangular mesh screen.", "They keep repeating this process, adding layers until they build up the paper thickness they need.", "Then they let the fibers dry in the sun into a finished sheet of paper.", "When the paper's ready, they cut a piece to match the shape of the cotton backing and iron them together.", "The two layers naturally adhere to each other, thanks to the paper's moisture and a compound in its fibers, called lignin, which acts as a natural glue.", "They fold the leaf in half and trace a template in the shape of the lower section of the fan, where no paper is required.", "Then they cut this part off.", "They brush homemade glue made with white flour onto the parts of the ribs that will be in contact with the leaf.", "They lay the ribs on the paper and, with an upward sweeping motion, press them down, at the same time wiping away the excess glue.", "Next, they trim the leaf, leaving about 7/10 of an inch beyond the tips of the ribs.", "They glue the edge...", "And fold it back over the ribs.", "Then they trim the edges along the thumb guards.", "Now for the most delicate step of the entire process-- folding the fan for the first time.", "Each fold is permanent and will give the fan its form, both open and closed, so precision is everything.", "Now the fully constructed fan is ready for decoration with water-based acrylic paints.", "Sometimes the customer requests a certain theme or scene, but usually it's left to the artist's creativity.", "The artist can manipulate the paints to produce a range of effects, modifying with acrylic gels, media, or pastes to create the bold effect of oil paint and diluting with water to varying degrees to create a transparent effect much like watercolors.", "The final touch is what's known as piping-- paint applied through a cone-shaped tip to produce a raised line.", "This highlights the artwork with raised details.", "The paint becomes water-resistant once dry, protecting the artwork from damage and ensuring this ancient objet d'art will always be simply fantastic.", "Walnut oil has a distinctive, mild, nutty flavor and aroma.", "It's also nutritious because it's high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for brain function, reduce inflammation, and may even help lower the risk of heart disease, arthritis, and other chronic conditions.", "Walnut oil is sometimes used for sautéing, but it's more often consumed cold, typically in salad dressings.", "Walnut oil for nonculinary purposes goes through a refining process which removes the flavor.", "Walnut oil produced for gastronomy is unrefined, so it retains its nutty taste and scent.", "Walnut oil has one ingredient and one ingredient only-- english walnuts.", "The oil factory buys them from the supplier already shelled.", "Production methods are much the same as they were 150 years ago.", "The first step is to shovel the walnuts into a grinder.", "The grinder pulverizes this combination of full kernels and broken pieces until everything's fairly uniform, roughly 1/10 of an inch in size.", "Next step-- roasting.", "Workers pour the ground walnuts into a cast-iron kettle on a gas burner.", "For 30 minutes or so, a rotating arm continuously stirs them to ensure they roast evenly.", "Roasting enhances both the flavor and aroma.", "The shelled walnuts have gone from large pieces to ground pieces to roasted pieces.", "Now they're ready to have the oil squeezed out of them.", "This cast-iron expeller press dates back to the early 1900s.", "Workers line the bottom with a mat made of natural fibers.", "This will prevent the walnuts from leaking out under pressure.", "After loading the press with the walnuts, they close it up and set the press in position.", "Then they release the piston.", "It descends and applies 2,800 pounds per square inch, crushing the walnuts and expelling the oil in the process.", "The oil exits the press through small slots around the perimeter, flows down to a trough, which channels it to a spout, which pours it into a collection vat.", "4 1/2 pounds of nuts yields 1 quart of oil.", "What's left in the press is walnut meal.", "It's used by pastry chefs to add a nutty crunch to cakes.", "It's also sold to farmers who use it for cattle feed.", "The extracted oil, meanwhile, moves on to the last phase of the process-- filtration.", "The filter press is comprised of 16 grooved plates made of food-safe plastic, with paper filters in between.", "Workers compress the plates and filters...", "Then start up a powerful pump, which forces the walnut oil from one end of the press to the other.", "Along the way, the filters trap all the miniscule particles of walnut, wax, and other natural materials, clarifying the oil.", "This process takes a few hours, at the end of which the once-cloudy oil is clear.", "Packaging walnut oil in clear glass bottles would look appetizing but would actually shorten the product's shelf life.", "That's because walnut oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which, while good for you, are sensitive to light.", "Therefore, walnut oil is traditionally bottled in tin.", "After the automatic equipment fills the tin container, workers loosely apply a snap-on cap, which the next machine presses into position.", "Last stop-- labeling.", "As the tin spins, the machine wraps it in an adhesive-backed label, neatly aligning the label's seam with the welded seam on the tin.", "Now the oil's ready to drizzle a rich walnut taste onto your pasta, grilled meat or fish, or salad.", "Humans have been making things out of copper longer than any other metal.", "Archaeological digs around the world have unearthed copper vessels, tools, weapons, and jewelry dating back at least 10,000 years.", "Fast-forward to today and copper is one mineral we still really dig.", "Peel back the layers of modern civilization, and there's a lot of copper.", "It's used for electrical motors and wiring, high-tech gadgetry and plumbing.", "The metal known chemically as cu is essential to modern living.", "Pure copper is rarely found in nature.", "It usually occurs with other elements, like iron and sulfur.", "To mine the copper-bearing rock, a huge drill chews into this arizona terrain.", "It drills around 130 holes at least 50 feet down.", "A truck pumps explosives into them.", "It's a powerful mix of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil.", "A mine worker lowers the electronic detonating devices into each of the 130 holes.", "From a safe distance away, he actives the detonators, staging the explosions milliseconds apart.", "It's an explosion sequence designed to fracture as much of the copper-bearing rock as possible.", "Shovels scoop up the blasted rock, lifting 55 to 88 tons in one bite.", "The rock is less than one half of 1% copper.", "Freeing the copper from it involves different techniques.", "The technique depends on whether the ore is iron-oxide-based or sulfide-based.", "To process copper from oxide ore, they pile the rock in specially prepared leeching areas.", "They irrigate the rock with a diluted sulfuric-acid solution.", "Over months, the solution percolates down and dissolves the copper.", "The copper solution drains into a pond.", "A pump transfers this solution to the plant.", "In this channel, the copper solution binds with an organic agent and floats to the top.", "They add an acidic solution that increases the concentration of the copper and makes it electrically conductive.", "They transfer the copper solution to a series of tanks that contain starter sheets of pure copper, called cathodes.", "They pass an electrical current through the tank, and the copper migrates to the cathodes.", "At the outset, the cathodes are wafer-thin, but over a period of 10 days, they thicken substantially.", "They're now an inch thick.", "Each one weighs about 275 pounds.", "The purity is now 99.99%.", "That's important if the copper is to be processed into electrical products.", "Freeing copper from the sulfide rock is more difficult.", "It starts in a massive tumbler, called a sag mill.", "Inside, steel grinding balls smash wet rock to pieces.", "Exiting the mill, the smashed rock travels over a perforated conveyor to screen out smaller, pebble-sized rocks.", "These smaller rocks continue on to different grinding mills.", "The larger rocks circle back to the sag mill for another round.", "Once all the rock has been sufficiently ground, they add chemicals which coat the copper particles and mix in a frothing substance.", "The slurry flows into floatation tanks.", "Air blasts create bubbles that the chemically coated copper minerals attach to.", "The bubbles carry the minerals to the top of the tank, and they overflow.", "After filtering the overflow, they have a concentrate that's now 25% to 30% copper.", "They transfer the concentrate by rail to a smelter facility.", "Here, it goes into several large beds.", "Each one is the size of two basketball courts.", "They add silica sand, creating a layer cake of sand and copper concentrate.", "The silica sand is known as a flux.", "It will serve as a purifying agent as the concentrate is smelted.", "In the intense heat of the furnace, the silica sand melts to form a slag that absorbs the iron and other unwanted minerals.", "The slag floats up, and the copper sinks.", "Its purity is now 60%.", "Then it's into a second furnace, where they up the copper content to 98%.", "Coming up, there's much more to the story of copper.", "There are networks of copper in the walls of modern buildings-- wires and pipes that supply utilities and keep the household humming.", "Hidden behind drywall, it's easy to overlook the contribution of this thermally and electrically conductive metal.", "But behind the scenes, copper is a big player.", "With the copper now extracted from the ore, they pour the residue onto a heap.", "This molten slag flows down like lava from a volcano.", "As it cools, it becomes part of the landscape.", "Meanwhile, in the smelter, a crane delivers the fiery liquid copper into another furnace for further purification.", "Inside this furnace, the purity level increases from 98% to 99.4%.", "The molten copper flows out of the furnace and into rotating molds.", "The molds shape the copper into big, rectangular slabs, called anodes.", "The slabs will serve as positively charged electrodes in the electrorefining process that's still to come.", "That process will take the purity level up one last notch.", "The copper begins to cool in the molds.", "A sprayer douses them with water to speed the cooling process, and the copper hardens into the anode shape.", "A hydraulic cylinder pops them out of the molds.", "Then a carrier system retrieves them and takes them for a rinse.", "This gets rid of any traces of a nonstick substance applied to the molds earlier for easy release of the copper slabs.", "Hooks formed during the molding make it easy to rack up the slabs for shipment to a texas refinery hundreds of miles away.", "At the refinery, the copper slabs shed any lingering impurities in this tank as an electrical current is applied.", "The current causes the copper to gravitate to thin starter sheets.", "The impurities fall to the bottom.", "The copper deposited on the starter sheets is 99.99% pure, the purity level required by wire manufacturers.", "They load it into a furnace that's essentially a tall shaft.", "Midway down, the pure copper melts and flows to the bottom of the furnace.", "From there, they transfer it to an insulated metal channel, which keeps it molten as it now travels into a vertical mold.", "This mold shapes it into rectangular forms known as copper cakes.", "Copper cakes are used for manufacturing things like copper sheeting and plumbing parts.", "Fresh from the mold, the copper cakes are roughly 20 feet long.", "A conveyor serves them up to a circular saw that slices them to lengths required by the customer.", "Stacked and labeled, this pure copper cake is now ready to ship to the manufacturer.", "They also process pure copper into rods, a form more suitable for manufacturing electrical wiring.", "Molten copper moves through an opening in a mold, and, cooled by water, the copper forms a continuous rectangular bar.", "These grooved rollers will now take it from rectangular to round and reduce the diameter substantially.", "As the copper travels through the grooves, it becomes a 3/10 of an inch thick copper rod.", "The rod exits, and the machine loops it into coils.", "They land neatly onto a steel spool.", "Machinery compresses the copper coil, squeezing it down so it will take up less space when it's transported.", "There's one last squeeze from an overhead press.", "And an employee ties the tightly coiled copper with extra-strong plastic banding.", "From the earth's crust to the factory floor, it's been quite a journey.", "Shipped to manufacturers, it will now be drawn into electrical wiring, and the future is sure to be high-voltage." ]

{ "things": [ "Fishing Line", "Industrial Mixers", "Natural Baking Soda", "Tow Trucks" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Early fishing lines were made of vines and braided horsehair.", "But today, fishermen rely on braided synthetics to reel in their catch.", "With a higher tensile strength than steel, these lines are unlikely to snap when they hook the big one.", "This fishing line may be thin, but that doesn't mean it's not strong.", "It's made of a synthetic called ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.", "This same synthetic is used in milk jugs, water pipes, and even bulletproof vests.", "To make these fishing lines, numerous microfibers are braided into a single, tight cord.", "An employee starts by threading fibers through needles.", "She pulls the needles through spring-loaded devices.", "The devices keep the fibers at an even tension as they unwind onto small bobbins.", "These bobbins are designed to fit in the braiding machines.", "The machines are called maypole braiders because the spools spin like dancers around a maypole.", "As they spin, they weave the strands into a tight braid.", "There are 4,500 braiding machines in operation at this factory.", "Producing a tight braid is slow work.", "It takes about 10 days to braid a 7,500-foot section of fishing line.", "Big spools overhead slowly revolve to take up the braided polyethylene line.", "At the same time, a worker fills a metal tank with hot water...", "And adds yellow dye to it.", "A pump at the bottom of the tank keeps the water moving to evenly distribute the dye.", "He stirs it a bit while he inspects the mixing job.", "They heat and pressurize the dye in a tank filled with fishing line.", "The dye penetrates all of the strands for an even dye job.", "These fishing lines go through a different process.", "They unwind through metal eyelets into a tray of yellow silicone resin.", "This proprietary resin makes the line abrasion-resistant.", "It will be less likely to break if dragged across a surface like a rock.", "Next, the line travels through an oven to cure the resin.", "It travels over a series of tensioning rollers as it exits.", "Then, the line goes through an abrasive eyelet, which removes external contaminants.", "Finally, it's rolled up by a spool.", "Now it's over to a test station.", "A technician clamps a piece of fishing line in a testing apparatus.", "It pulls the fishing line from both ends until it breaks.", "A gauge measures the line's breaking point.", "It snaps at 118 pounds of pressure, exceeding requirements.", "With the test piece of fishing line approved, an automated system now transfers the line to retail-sized spools.", "It loads about 450 feet of line onto each one.", "A worker applies a label with product details and packages it in a cardboard box.", "It takes about 17 days to braid, color, and process a single spool of synthetic fishing line.", "Strong but very thin, it can be cast and reeled in with ease.", "If the fish take the bait, they may not be able to get away.", "The applications for industrial-grade mixers are limitless.", "From construction and recycling to food processing and medical supplies, mixers chop, crush, and blend any combination of dry and wet materials into a variety of products or compounds.", "This mixer consists of a bin called a u-trough and an agitator.", "It's controlled by an interface module with simple start and stop buttons.", "The agitator shaft is the main component.", "Its arms and paddles turn at a speed of 10 to 50 rotations per minute.", "A discharge valve underneath the u-trough controls the unloading of the mixture.", "First, a hydraulic 40-ton press roll-forms a carbon steel sheet.", "The sheet rolls back and forth under the press until it takes a \"u\" shape.", "An overhead crane brings the sheet over to the end plate for welding.", "A worker spot-welds the sheet to the end plate.", "Then, he makes a continuous weld on the end plate along the inside and outside of the sheet.", "A high-definition plasma cutter burns paddle shapes into a stainless-steel plate.", "The extreme heat of the plasma cuts right through the steel, making very precise lines and angles.", "Then, the paddles go to a forming press.", "The 150-ton press pushes the plate down on a die.", "Steel is a formable metal, so it can bend without cracking or breaking.", "A slight curvature in the paddles will maximize the lifting and scooping effect of the agitator.", "A machinist turns the agitator main shaft.", "It takes a very hard and resistant material to machine such a massive steel shaft.", "This tungsten carbide insert can resist high temperatures and maintain a sharp cutting edge.", "The machinist measures the diameter.", "He cuts a groove into the end of the shaft using a stagger-tooth side-mill cutter.", "This groove, called a keyseat, is designed to lock the agitator to the mixer's drive gearbox.", "Machining of the agitator requires extreme precision.", "The shaft must fit into the drive gearbox and match its drive key slot.", "A worker assembles arms and paddles to an agitator shaft mounted inside a u-trough.", "He bolts the arms onto the shaft.", "He tightens the nuts with a pneumatic torque driver and assembles paddles to the arms.", "Both the paddles and arms are angled.", "Machine slots in the paddles allow clearance adjustment.", "Next, a worker rotates the assembled shaft and arms to check the clearance between the paddles and u-trough walls.", "A welder creates a solid stainless-steel agitator shaft for a larger mixer.", "He welds the base of the arms to the shaft and grinds down the welding profile to obtain a uniform shape.", "Welded agitators are often used in food processing because they make cleaning easier.", "Now, workers attach an electric motor to the mixer.", "They mount the drive assembly on the agitator shaft.", "A taper bushing centers the drive gearbox on the shaft.", "Fasteners secure the bushing in place, locking the agitator shaft into the drive.", "A worker installs a safety grate on top of the mixer and closes the covers.", "Then, he installs air-pressure regulators.", "These supply air to the main shaft seals.", "Air purge seals prevent product loss or contamination.", "Air lines connect the pressure regulators to both ends of the main shaft agitator.", "The mixer fits on a support frame for easy access to the discharge valve.", "It's equipped with clamps, safety latches, and a control panel, which includes an emergency stop button.", "Baking soda is a white crystalline powder.", "When added to dough, it reacts with the acidic ingredients to form bubbles, giving cakes and cookies a light and fluffy structure.", "It's also used in livestock feed, fire extinguishers, and detergents.", "Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate.", "It can be produced through a chemical process, or it can be mined from the ground.", "Large mineral deposits exist in northwest colorado, left behind as lakes evaporated millions of years ago.", "Mine operators dissolve the sodium bicarbonate underground using hot brine.", "The brine is a mix of the minerals and water left over from prior processing.", "They pipe the higher-concentration brine to a processing facility about a mile away.", "The brine collects in a holding tank outside and flows through pipes into the facility as needed.", "Inside, a technician tests the liquid and confirms that the level of sodium bicarbonate is adequate.", "Then, the brine flows through several tanks, where heat exchangers gradually cool it.", "This causes the sodium-bicarbonate brine to crystallize, making the granules larger and heavier.", "The crystals sink to the bottom of the last tank.", "This forms a mixture of brine and crystals.", "They pump this mixture into a device called a hydroclone.", "The hydroclone spins out the brine through the center.", "The crystals gravitate to the sides and sink to the bottom.", "This creates a sodium-bicarbonate slurry.", "It has a meringue-like consistency.", "The slurry is about 40% sodium bicarbonate at this point.", "A lot of water has been removed, but there's still work to be done.", "As the dewatering continues, the system recaptures spent liquid and pipes it back into the mine to dissolve more minerals.", "The slurry goes for another spin, this time in a centrifuge.", "It wrings out more water, transforming the slurry into something called wet cake.", "Wet cake is 95% sodium bicarbonate.", "Next, the wet cake travels to a mixer that blends dry sodium bicarbonate powder into it.", "The dry powder brings the moisture content down to 3%.", "Next, the wet cake makes a quick trip through this dryer to remove the remaining moisture, leaving pure baking soda.", "The baking soda now shakes through three tiers of vibrating screens.", "The crystals are sorted by size, producing several different grades.", "From brine to powder, it's been quite a journey.", "It's time to determine how this naturally mined baking soda measures up.", "A technician dissolves some of the baking soda in water.", "He adds an acid to neutralize the sodium bicarbonate.", "This allows him to measure its purity.", "He also places the different grades of baking soda in a screening device.", "It vibrates to shake the granules through perforations, verifying that the crystals have been correctly graded by size.", "With the lab's approval, this baking soda is ready for the marketplace.", "A robotic arm picks up the bag and transfers it to a fill station with a scale below.", "The scale signals when there's 55 pounds of baking soda in a bag, prompting the fill nozzle to shut off.", "These 55-pound bags will be sold to commercial bakeries and companies that use large amounts of baking soda daily.", "It will no doubt rise to the occasion.", "When an 18-wheeler has an accident or construction equipment breaks down, you need to call in the big guns to haul it away for repair.", "Large tow trucks are equipped with specialized tools to recover and transport massive vehicles.", "This tow truck can haul a vehicle as large as a semitruck.", "The towing apparatus is called the underlift.", "This is one of four outriggers.", "These legs stabilize the tow truck when the using the recovery boom.", "This extendible boom is equipped with dual-wire ropes and hooks to retrieve a vehicle that's gone off the road.", "These hydraulically powered towing and recovery machines are made up of 2,500 parts cut from steel sheets.", "The parts are cut by one of two types of computer-guided machines-- a high-pressure water-jet cutter, as we're seeing here, or a laser cutter.", "Workers position the parts in an assembly fixture...", "Then tack-weld them together.", "Tack welding is an initial welding in select spots, just to hold the parts together until a robot does the final welding.", "Next, workers sandblast the welded component.", "This preps the surface for painting.", "They apply one coat of epoxy primer...", "Then one coat of polyurethane automotive paint.", "The paint dries in about two hours and fully cures in about two days.", "Workers hook up all of the hydraulically powered components to this testing machine.", "If everything functions properly, workers connect permanent hydraulic lines.", "To assemble the recovery boom, they install hydraulic cylinders that will move it up and down, a winch that winds and unwinds the thick wire ropes, and an enormous ring gear that enables the boom to rotate 360 degrees.", "Then, they attach the extendible boom.", "It's secured with massive steel pins.", "Workers also attach he underlift at the back and the four stabilizing outriggers underneath.", "This completes the towing and recovery unit.", "Now they attach it to a prebuilt truck.", "Steel mounting plates are bolted to the truck's frame.", "The towing-and-recovery unit is then welded to those plates.", "Workers bolt aluminum tool cabinets to the side of the truck's frame.", "Inside the cabinet, they make the wiring connections for the emergency lights and other electrical components.", "They install the electronic control panel that the driver uses to operate everything.", "The control panel monitors oil temperature, hydraulic pressure, and other important indicators.", "They also install a set of control handles to give the driver the option of manual operation.", "Once everything is hooked up, they perform a quality control inspection.", "This factory makes several models, ranging from a light-duty tow truck...", "To one like this, designed to haul the heaviest trucks and machinery." ]

{ "things": [ "Pharmaceutical Blister Packs", "Deli Slicers", "Oysters", "Weathervanes" ] }

[ "While the pill bottle isn't yet passé, we're seeing many medications being sold in blister packs-- those cards on which each pill is lined up in a row and encased in a packaging bubble.", "To take your medication, you simply press the blister and push out the pill through the breakable backing.", "Blister packaging prevents moisture and air from coming into contact with the medicine.", "The package is comprised of two layers-- typically, an aluminum foil sheet called the lidding and a pvc plastic sheet with rows of blisters.", "Once the manufacturer designs the packaging format, the engineering department tailor-makes the tools to produce it.", "This computer-guided mill creates the die that will form the blisters in the pvc sheet.", "They mount the die on a machine called a thermoformer.", "As the pvc sheet enters the machine, an oven heats it up, making it soft and malleable.", "The die then strikes it, imprinting the pattern of circles.", "A split second after the forming station closes, a blast of air forms the circles into raised blisters.", "Refrigerated plates then sandwich the sheet, setting the new shape.", "The pills arrive at the packaging facility in bulk containers.", "Workers sift off any pill dust that may have formed, give the pills a preliminary inspection, then load them into a large hopper.", "If they were shipped with any moisture-absorption packets, an employee now removes and discards them.", "The hopper feeds the packaging machine.", "The blister sheets move through open side up so that the pills fall right in.", "Rotating brushes and paddles dispense the pills into the passing cavities, which are designed to fit no more than one pill per blister.", "An inspector fills any empty blisters while a sophisticated vision system detects any broken or chipped pills, flagging them to be rejected later.", "The blisters enter a seal station, where they're mated with the foil lidding.", "One side of the lidding is printed beforehand with product information.", "To make the printing plate, technicians mount a blank rubber mat on a cylinder.", "As the cylinder revolves, a powerful laser cuts away at the rubber until the information to be printed appears in raised lettering, just like a traditional rubber stamp.", "They transfer this rubber plate to the packaging line's printing station, where the rubber plate picks up ink and rolls it onto the lidding.", "The ink dries by the time the lidding reaches the sealing station, where lidding and blister sheet meet.", "The next station simultaneously applies pressure and heat.", "This activates an adhesive on the lidding, heat-sealing the sheets together.", "Then, refrigerated plates cool the surfaces to set the adhesive.", "Here a die punches the hole through which the blister pack will lock into a childproof case.", "Then another die punches the individual blister packs apart.", "Vacuum arms transfer the packs to a single-file conveyer belt, dropping any packs which the vision system identified for rejection.", "This automated arm sets childproof cases on a track moving in parallel to the conveyer that holds the blister packs.", "Then a loading arm slides a blister pack into each plastic case, mating the hole in the pack to the case's internal lock.", "Finally, an applicator places an adhesive label, bearing all the required identification and safety information onto each passing case.", "Random samples undergo a series of quality-control checks.", "In this test for water- and air-tightness, technicians submerge the blister pack in blue dye and apply a vacuum.", "Any dye penetrating the pack would indicate a hole in a blister or a flaw in the seal between the plastic and lidding.", "Should a particular medication require extra protection, the blister pack can, for example, be made of light-resistant materials or contain an extra moisture barrier.", "Invented in holland in 1898, the deli slicer launched a revolution behind the meat counter.", "No longer was it necessary to carve meats and cheeses entirely by hand.", "With a turn of a crank, the deli slicer produced precise cuts in a jiffy.", "The modern deli slicer is powered by electricity, with a manual override for the carriage that delivers food to a spinning blade.", "Production begins with a cast aluminum base.", "A worker installs a cam mechanism that is part of a system for adjusting the thickness of the slice.", "He threads wiring, connected to an on/off indicator light, through holes in the base.", "Then he screws an index knob onto the shaft protruding from the cam mechanism installed earlier.", "An important warning label comes next.", "Then he seals the gap around the blade shaft with silicone and removes the excess with soapy water.", "Next up is the wiring for the slicer motor.", "She clamps the wires together and bolts the clamps to the inside of the aluminum base.", "She inserts the on/off switch and the plastic trim, then attaches a device that will slide to adjust the gap between the gauge plate and the blade, thereby controlling the thickness of the cut.", "The deli slicer is ready for the slide rod and carriage sub assembly that will deliver food to the spinning blade.", "The carriage will move across a track that she now attaches to the lip of the base.", "She tests the carriage assembly to confirm that it's on track.", "The next worker secures the blade motor to the wiring with bolts.", "He connects the motor to the blade shaft with a drive belt.", "Operating the motor allows him to observe the drive belt and pulleys in action, confirming that they operate smoothly.", "Once the gauge plate is installed, they move on to making the blade.", "Computer-guided cutters slope the steel surface and carve a precise bevel onto the rim.", "It goes from a rough blank to a precisely shaped blade in just minutes.", "The next worker etches the company logo and production date into the blade metal.", "Another lathe pre-sharpens the blade to the point where it could cut through something as fine as several thousandths of an inch.", "A worker slides the blade onto the drive shaft and secures it in place with a nut.", "He now checks the alignment of the gauge plate in relation to the blade.", "He turns the thickness mechanism to close the gap and checks it again.", "With a dial indicator, he measures the position of the blade even more precisely.", "This tool confirms that the blade is in the exact position for cutting and that it won't lose that position once activated.", "This deli slicer comes with its own sharpening system, a grinding wheel in protective casing.", "He mounts the grinder and activates it to hone the edge to razor-sharpness.", "When the blade cuts through tissue paper cleanly, it's ready for real slicing action.", "A worker screws the arm for the sliding tray to the carriage.", "He uses a spacer disc to establish the correct distance between the food tray and the blade.", "He sets the food tray on the arm and checks the gap between it and the blade.", "Once the two are correctly aligned, he removes the spacer and latches the safety guard to the blade.", "And now for a test, verifying that the tray doesn't drag or scrape against the blade guard.", "Below, they've installed rods to move the carriage on the track.", "The system can be manually operated or driven by a second motor.", "Finally, a worker cleans the slicing machine until it gleams.", "At 135 pounds, this deli slicer is no lightweight, so they use a crane to lower it into the packing box.", "Hefty and heavy duty, this deli slicer should have what it takes to cut it at the meat market.", "Oysters are a versatile shellfish.", "You can bake them, boil them, smoke them, or eat them raw right from the shell.", "Over the years, wild oyster stocks have declined due to overfishing and pollution.", "So today, 95% of the oysters we consume come from oyster farms.", "Oysters are filter feeders, meaning they draw seawater over their gills to trap and eat the phytoplankton-- microscopic aquatic organisms.", "An adult oyster can filter more than five quarts of seawater per hour.", "Oyster farms are located in or by the sea because the oysters need to feed off seawater to survive.", "The hatchery keeps the oysters in upwellers-- mesh-bottom buckets sitting in seawater.", "Oysters can reproduce once they're six months old.", "However, the ideal breeding age is between two and 10 years.", "At breeding time, workers put the oysters into breeding trays, oscillating the temperature between 68° and 86° to stimulate spawning.", "The females squirt out eggs, the males squirt out semen, and 16 hours later, the fertilized eggs hatch larvae.", "Right from birth, the oysters feed on a blend of the phytoplankton they'd eat in the wild.", "The hatchery dilutes this plankton mix in seawater and pumps it to the oyster containers.", "Marine biologists manage the ponds in which the hatchery grows its phytoplankton supply.", "The larvae are so tiny, you can't see them in the water.", "They're visible only under a microscope.", "Right from the time they hatch, they already have a shell and can swim.", "By about the two-week mark, they've grown to the size of a speck, about 1/64 of an inch long.", "However, now they act like miniature adults and stay put.", "The hatchery keeps them in suspension in circulating water so they have an ample supply of food and oxygen.", "As they grow, they're transferred to progressively larger bottles.", "By the time they're four to six weeks old, they're ready to leave the hatchery and move to the oyster farm.", "The farm floats in a harbor.", "The baby oysters arriving are a tiny fraction of an inch long.", "They go into upwellers.", "Pipes circulate seawater, and the babies filter-feed on the natural phytoplankton.", "Over the next six weeks or so, they quadruple in size to about 2/10 of an inch in length.", "Workers then pack them in plastic mesh bags, stack the bags on metal racks, and suspend the racks in the sea.", "The oysters live like that for three months, getting transferred into progressively larger mesh bags as they grow.", "Halfway into it, the oysters are this big-- about 8/10 of an inch long.", "By the end of three months, they're double this size, grown up enough to leave home and venture out into the real world.", "Workers lay them on the sea floor and leave them for six months to reach harvest size, which is determined not by length anymore, but by weight-- just under three ounces.", "To finally harvest the oysters, they lower a custom-built machine that's part dredger, part conveyer.", "It generates jets of water that blow the oysters off the sea bed onto the conveyer.", "They travel up out of the water into the boat.", "That conveyer dumps the oysters onto another conveyer that leads to the picking station.", "There, workers select the correct size oysters and put them into baskets.", "Whatever they leave on the conveyer-- smaller oysters, rocks, and such-- continues to the end and drops back into the water.", "Of course, the harvesting machine misses some three-ounce oysters.", "Those remain on the seabed sometimes for years, growing larger like this guy, weighing about 2.2 pounds.", "Prior to sale, the harvested oysters go through a cleaning process called depuration.", "For 42 hours, they sit in tanks filled with seawater sterilized by ultraviolet light.", "The oysters draw this clean water through their gills.", "This flushes out all the bacteria.", "Thanks to this depuration process, it's safe to eat raw oysters.", "It's taken a good 18 months to grow from microscopic organism to dining delicacy, which has a refrigerated shelf life of about a week.", "Long before satellites and doppler radar, people relied on weathervanes for storm tracking-- a folk-art figure balanced on an axis turns with the wind to indicate both its direction and speed.", "Though more ornamental than practical, it's still a great way to find out what's in the wind, weather-wise.", "As it swings with prevailing winds, a weathervane offers important clues.", "Northeast winds, for example, could mean a storm is brewing.", "Learn to read the signs, and the weathervane offers up-to-the-minute weather information.", "To make a weathervane the old fashioned way, a craftsman starts with a sheet of soft copper.", "It can be easily cut, bent, and shaped.", "Using electric shears, he slices the copper to the appropriate size.", "Then he clamps it to a steel mold of a rooster body and head.", "With a rubber mallet, he now carefully pounds the copper into the crevasses of the mold.", "This is a critical first shaping of the copper, and he has to hit it with just the right amount of force.", "If he's too heavy-handed, he could break or tear the copper.", "Too little force, and the shape won't properly transfer to the metal.", "With a basic rooster shape now established, he reaches for an air hammer that's equipped with a plastic tip.", "It beats the copper into the mold thousands of times per minute.", "This transfers finer details, like feathers.", "And with its smooth plastic tip, the air hammer inflicts no damage.", "It takes less than 20 minutes, and the rooster comes to life in copper.", "He unlocks the clamps and removes the molded copper rooster.", "He'll make another one just like it for the other side of the weathervane.", "This will distribute its weight correctly and make it look good from all angles.", "He then pounds copper into the shape of the rooster's tail.", "It has generous plumage for just the right balance.", "With a band saw, he slices around the molded shapes to remove the excess copper.", "This liberates the molded rooster from the matrix.", "He now trims the rooster with a set of clippers to give it a cleaner edge.", "Using long clippers, he snips copper from inside the beak.", "This opens it up.", "Once the ragged bits have been trimmed, he's ready to match the two sides of this weathervane rooster.", "He secures it in a vise and cleans the seam with a solution called flux.", "He tacks it with solder and then checks the evenness of the seam.", "When the two molds match perfectly, he solders the entire seam.", "This weather rooster is now ready for its tail.", "It will give the weathervane a larger surface on one side, offering greater resistance to the wind.", "This will cause the front of the weathervane to point into the wind.", "He inserts the weathervane axis through the rooster's foot, into the cavity, and it emerges from the back of the neck.", "He pounds the top of the shaft flush to the surface and then solders it in place for a permanent installation.", "For some extra pizzazz, he slides a decorative copper ball up the turning rod, resting it just below the rooster foot.", "He secures it with solder.", "He now cuts out the feathered end for an arrow.", "It's known as the fletching, and it will help balance the weathervane.", "He turns the crank of a press to roll numerous creases into the fletching.", "The creases mimic feather lines.", "He solders the feathered end to the pointed shaft.", "It has a hole for installing it onto the weathervane's turning rod.", "As the weathervane spins with the prevailing wind, the arrow will point in its direction.", "A waddle below the beak and a comb atop his head, and this rooster is ready to rule the roof.", "Exposure to the elements will weather the copper and give it a blue-green patina.", "For customers who don't want to wait a few years for this to happen, instant results can be achieved by applying a special acid.", "Depending on its complexity, a copper weathervane can take up to two days to build.", "With luck, it could last a century or more.", "Like the weather, predicting a weathervane's long-term viability is not an exact science." ]

{ "things": [ "Amphibious Vehicles", "Putters", "Model Ships", "Drumheads" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Amphibious vehicles...", "Putters...", "Model ships...", "And drumheads.", "A vehicle is amphibious when it travels on land and water.", "This one's used mainly by hunters and fishermen, but also by utility companies and the military.", "Wide, rugged tires easily trek through mud, snow, and bushes.", "When the vehicle's in the water, the tires' deep treads also function as paddles.", "This eight-wheel model can carry six people on land and four in the water.", "Buoyancy requires a lighter load.", "They begin production by welding 8 steel sections together to make the driver's seat, then 12 other parts for the vehicle's main frame.", "This frame will later house the seat, a gas tank, the battery, and a storage box.", "Next, a worker assembles what's called the axle hub.", "A robotic press punches five bolts through the components to fuse them.", "This design keeps the hub lightweight and strengthens the axle for driving on rough terrain.", "Next, a worker inserts what's called the axle shaft through the hub.", "A robotic welding machine then fuses the shaft to one side of the hub.", "After he flips it, the machine welds the shaft to the hub's other side.", "This company uses a robot for this important step because it's faster and more precise.", "Here, a worker reveals some of the vehicle's secrets to functioning in water.", "Each axle's bearing has rubber and steel collars called flanges.", "They form a waterproof seal over the axle.", "The worker greases these flanges to lubricate them and to keep dust and water from infiltrating.", "He inserts one of 16 gaskets between the flanges.", "They're made of cork to keep moisture out and grease from escaping.", "After adding another flange and a gasket, he applies a liquid compound to rustproof the steel shaft.", "Here, a computer-guided cutting tool carves teeth on a steel ring to create one of the vehicle's 17 gears.", "Lubricant cools the heat this generates so that the machine doesn't overheat and break down.", "When the cutting's complete, robotic arms remove the gear and replace it with a new, unshaped ring.", "The gears range from about the size of a coin to the size of a dinner plate.", "Here's how the shift lever changes the gears from neutral to low to high and into reverse.", "And here's how the clutch will transfer power, via a component called the input shaft, into the transmission.", "A worker hooks up the transmission to the engine, then he slides two clutches onto the input shaft.", "He attaches each one with a bolt and two washers, then connects the engine to the transmission with a rubber drive belt, encircling the clutches.", "Two brake calipers connect the brake system to the transmission.", "Now he tests the drive belt, clutch system, engine rotations, brakes, and steering.", "The wheels don't turn.", "The driver steers the vehicle by slowing or braking either set of wheels and skidding to one side.", "To make the vehicle's lower body, they take a sheet of polyethylene, a heavy-duty plastic, and heat it in an oven.", "After 4 1/2 minutes at 450 degrees fahrenheit, the sheet emerges, softened by the heat.", "An aluminum mold drops down, and a vacuum-forming machine stretches the plastic around it, sucking out the air from between the two.", "After the plastic cools for 4 1/2 minutes, the machine lifts the mold, leaving a cavity about the size of a large bathtub.", "Two workers then move the lower body to an assembly line.", "They insert the vehicle's main frame, now painted black.", "Then, on the outside, they mount four extensions that will carry the vehicle's two front and two rear axles.", "These will enable the axles to withstand greater punishment.", "They install eight drive chains onto sprockets on the axle shafts, then two more linking the transmission to the components that propel the vehicle-- what's called the drive system.", "A worker then attached an end plate to complete the link.", "Workers lower the 26-horsepower engine into the carriage and attach it with three bolts.", "Next, the polyethylene upper body, and then the wheels.", "They test the drive chains for tension and sprockets for vibrations.", "The wheels are twice as wide as most car wheels but 10 times softer, to cushion the ride.", "On land, this $16,000 vehicle travels up to 21 miles per hour.", "Top speed in the water is only 3 miles an hour.", "But, hey, it's easier than swimming.", "Golf players in 17th-century scotland were the first to hone their game by using differently shaped clubs for specific tasks.", "Today, you use what's called a putter to gently roll the ball into the hole using the fewest number of strokes.", "The club's high-tech, streamlined design is crucial to any golfer's putting strategy.", "This company uses a robotic tester to spot-check its putters for quality.", "The club passes if the balls roll along a straight line into the hole.", "That means the putter's striking with just the right impact.", "Production begins with bars of aluminum, a metal that's lightweight and easy to sculpt.", "A band saw slices them into 4 1/2-inch-long pieces.", "Each piece will become a putter head, the part of the club that hits the ball.", "A computer-guided cutting tool sculpts the heads by shaving away up to a third of the aluminum.", "The machine first mills one side of the head into tiny steps.", "Another cutting tool then shapes this area into a smooth curve.", "The process takes 10 minutes.", "Then the four-sided platform revolves, and the cutter begins working on the next putter head.", "Another milling machine carves blocks of copper-nickel alloy into what's called the insert.", "This part will fit into a cavity in the putter head, making the area that strikes the ball firm yet resonant.", "It's why the golfer feels the impact reverberate through the putter-- what's known as feedback.", "This device performs random quality checks of the insert cavities in the putter heads.", "A vise holds the head as the probe gauges the cavity's width and depth.", "Next, these chunks of copper go into a chemical bath with putter-head models made of different metals.", "The material from which a putter head's made determines the weight and feel of the club.", "This 10-minute bath removes any contaminants from the surface of the metals and coats the heads in copper.", "This ensures that the plating they're going to get will stick.", "After that, the heads are plated in a different metal.", "This determines how the club looks.", "For this, chunks of mat-finished nickel go into a second chemical bath.", "They'll provide one of this company's four finishes, ranging from mat to shiny.", "During this 15-minute step, a mechanical arm occasionally shifts the rack to disperse the chemicals and thoroughly plate the heads.", "To fit the insert, a worker first positions the head in a vise.", "He applies four drops of epoxy glue inside the rim of the insert cavity.", "This provides additional bonding once they force the inset all the way in.", "After placing the insert in the cavity by hand, a worker uses a press to force it inside.", "They cover the press with paper so it won't scratch the insert, which must be flush with the surface of the head.", "Any air under the insert escapes through a hole underneath, where they'll insert the club shaft.", "A worker first applies glue inside the hole, then he inserts the shaft and secures it to a template with rubber bands.", "The shaft is made of stainless steel.", "They usually come in standard lengths of 33, 34, and 35 inches.", "They're set at the angle most players prefer-- 18 degrees.", "The next step is to mount a handgrip at the top of the shaft.", "First, a worker wraps the top in double-sided tape.", "Then he pours water over the tape to dilute the glue on its surface.", "This will enable the grip to slide on more easily.", "He pours water inside the grip, as well.", "The grip is a rubber sleeve that's just under 10 inches long.", "Once lubricated, it shimmies over the shaft for a snug fit that lasts up to three years.", "He lines up the flat part of the grip at a 90-degree angle with the flat part of the putter head.", "This helps the player strike the ball properly.", "Next, a worker colors the club's engraved logo.", "Using a tiny nozzle, she applies minute amounts of epoxy paint inside the groves of the design.", "She controls the amount of paint with a foot pedal that released pressurized air into the nozzle.", "This company makes putter heads in some fairly luxurious materials, including beryllium copper.", "That's one for players wanting a club with a softer feel and who don't mind paying up to $500 to get it.", "Model ships are made for naval gazing.", "They're representations of real ships.", "Some are built meticulously to scale with extreme attention to detail and are truly museum pieces.", "You can buy model ships preassembled or in kits.", "But be careful.", "These are truly delicate works of art.", "The portlandsteamer sank in the atlantic in 1898, all lives lost.", "But its image survives in models.", "To make a model like the portland, the worker selects some wooden pieces from a stock room.", "Model ships are actually made of thousands of parts, big and small.", "These are just a few, and some are to be cut down.", "A computer guides a laser beam as it carves the larger, flat pieces of wood into many parts.", "They'll be components for the ship's deckhouse.", "Next, a worker shapes a hull, or main body, using a machine called a duplicating carver.", "Holding the machine's stylus on the left, he traces around a master shape.", "This motion guides two routers on the right as they chisel into basswood, making exact copies of the master hull.", "To make resin parts, they mix polyurethane with some plasticizer and pour it into a mold.", "A chemical reaction causes it to harden.", "This take up to a half-hour, and then they pull a newly shaped lifeboat out of the mold.", "Next, a worker cleans up another mold.", "It's to be used to shape cast-metal anchors.", "He places the mold in a centrifuge and pours a melted mix of tin, antimony, and copper into it.", "The centrifuge spins, and this causes the metal to fill the cavities in the mold and solidify.", "He opens the mold and finds the anchors formed like spokes around the hub.", "It's anchors away as he snips them free.", "Now a worker sands smooth the bottom of the hull.", "Then he positions the first of the ship's five decks.", "He glues wooden spacers between the decks.", "A special glue that dries in about 10 seconds allows him to work quickly as he builds the tiers.", "Next, he submerges a deckhouse sidepiece in water to soften the wood.", "He cuts the little tabs to free other deckhouse parts from a matrix.", "After that, he carves out the center of two of the pieces.", "Then he glues a block between them and applies more glue to the edges.", "He bends the deckhouse side, which is now wet and supple, around the structure.", "The moisture causes a chemical reaction in the glue which strengthens it.", "After he positions the deckhouse starboard side, he sticks a strip of clear acetate to the back of a band of windows.", "The acetate simulates glass.", "He paints the front of the windowed wall white and then turns it around to paint red curtains on the acetate.", "Other detailing has been laser-etched into the wood.", "He glues the wall of windows between deck tiers, and the look is authentic.", "He positions paddle wheels on each side.", "These have 57 wood paddles held in place by brass radials.", "Remember the anchors cast in the centrifuge mold earlier?", "He now positions some on the ship deck.", "Then he prepares the lifeboats.", "The larger plastic one goes on the upper deck.", "This golden eagle is the finishing touch.", "Here, another worker rigs up a four-masted schooner.", "Using surgical clamps, he pins the ropes down so they don't get in the way.", "Then he measures a piece of decking to make the top of the deckhouse.", "He glues it to a base...", "And then positions it on the ship.", "Next, a jeweler's lathe spins a piece of brass as a worker manipulates a cutter, milling parts for the ship's bell.", "Once it's mounted, this ship model is ready for everyone to admire.", "A drum's playing surface is called the drumhead.", "It's the part of the instrument that vibrates, creating sound.", "Some drumheads are still made the traditional way, from animal skin.", "But a natural skin is very susceptible to temperature and humidity changes, so most drummers today prefer heads made of modern, synthetic materials.", "The drumhead surface is often called the skin because, traditionally, it was made of calfskin.", "This synthetic skin is a flexible plastic film called polyethylene terephthalate, the same polyester-based plastic they use to make soft-drink bottles.", "Workers load several sheets of it into a press that applies 75 tons of force onto sharp, circle-shaped dies, pushing them upward through the film sheets.", "The die-cut film circles become the skins.", "A skin could be made up of just one film circle or several taped together.", "Workers assemble the layers using a vacuum turntable.", "The suction keeps the bottom film steady while they apply tape to its outside edge and then adhere another film on top.", "Each layer is called a ply.", "The more plies a skin has, the more bass frequencies it'll produce.", "Now the skins go onto a computer-guided drill press.", "The machine drills tiny holes all along their perimeter, about 1/8 of an inch in.", "The holes are roughly the size of a nailhead.", "They're spaced about 1/4 inch apart.", "The next machine heats the edge of each film to soften it, then applies pressure to mold it to shape.", "The skin comes out with a fluted edge, like what you see on a paper cup.", "This shape keeps the tension even when the musician tightens the skin to tune the drum.", "Meanwhile, this roll-forming machine uses a series of pressure rollers to gradually shape an aluminum strip into a hoop.", "The hoop will hold the skin tightly over the drum's body, called the drum shell, creating the tension you need to produce sound.", "This machine also imprints tiny dimples onto one side of the strip.", "When the factory later glues together the skin and hoop, this rough texture will improve the bond.", "Now the machine folds the edges of the strip inward to create a channel on the inside of the hoop.", "That's where the glue will go.", "Once the machine finishes forming the hoop, a small, built-in circular saw cuts the end.", "A worker then loads each hoop onto a rotation soldering jig, positioning the ends together.", "The rest is all automated.", "A glob of silver solder on the joint...", "Then natural-gas torches fuse the hoop closed.", "After water cools off the hot metal...", "The jig ejects the finished hoop.", "Drumhead hoops can be as small as 6 inches or as large as 40 inches in diameter.", "Finally, it's time to fit the skin into the hoop.", "This is the tricky part, because the film must be perfectly level and centered.", "Otherwise, when you tighten the skin to tune the drum, the short side would tighten before the rest, and that uneven tension would throw the tuning off.", "So they do this critical assembly step on a specially designed table, placing the skins on circular vacuum fixtures that are perfectly level.", "As suction holds each one steady, a robotic arm runs glue in the hoop's channel all the way around.", "The glue drains downward through the tiny holes along the skin's perimeter, then dries, anchoring the skin securely in the hoop.", "Some drumheads go on to get a textured coating.", "By adding weight, the coating muffles the higher sound frequencies, enhancing the lower ones.", "This produces a warmer, deeper tone.", "It also produces that swooshing sound when jazz drummers play softly with brushes.", "Once the coating dries, a pad-printing machine stamps on the company name.", "Only about 30% of drumheads on the market are coated.", "The rest are what's known as clear heads.", "And that's how drumheads are made." ]

{ "things": [ "Wood Windows", "Woven Cashmere Fabric", "Plastic Recycling Machines", "Architectural Glass" ] }

[ "When it comes to windows, there's a variety of materials to choose from.", "Wood windows are typically the most expensive option, but they are also the most versatile.", "They can be constructed in any style, stained any shade, or painted any color.", "Wooden windows can be custom made to match the home's existing windows.", "This style is called a traditional double hung.", "Its upper and lower sections open independently of each other.", "Manufacturers make windows from a variety of woods.", "This company uses mahogany, a premium rot-resistant hardwood.", "This computer-guided saw cuts pieces of wood to the required length.", "The next machine, called the jointer, squares the edges and smoothes the surfaces.", "Now, they mill each piece to the final shape.", "A vacuum holds it steady while a computer-guided router works at it from all angles.", "The router uses up to 33 different tools from its on-board magazine.", "This piece will be part of a curved window.", "One tool cuts the basic shape, another tool profiles, and the other bores holes for the dowels.", "Twelve different tools later, this is the final shape.", "An assembler pours glue in the holes...", "Then inserts wood dowels.", "Their unique shape allows the glue to surround the dowel, maximizing adhesion.", "Using the dowels as a guide, he connects the two vertical pieces of the window, the rails, with the horizontal pieces, the stiles.", "This forms the window's sash.", "He clamps the sash in a hydraulic press.", "It's calibrated to join the parts together with just the right amount of pressure.", "He dries the glue with a radio-frequency heating device.", "They return the piece to the computer-guided router for the final milling.", "This sideways saw cuts a slot down each side for weather stripping.", "For double hung windows, another tool cuts openings along the edge.", "These openings will hold weighted cords that counterbalance the sash.", "Then, they put the finished sash through a sanding machine.", "The machine removes tool marks and preps the surface for a paint primer.", "They install the muntins, short pieces inside the sash that form decorative squares.", "First, the horizontal muntins, then the vertical ones.", "Each square will contain its own pane of glass.", "They sand the muntins by hand to smooth the surface for finishing.", "Then, the sash is sprayed with a water-based primer.", "Once the primer dries, the sash goes to the glazing department.", "This is where they cut the glass panes to size.", "Windows can have single, double, or triple panes, separated by an aluminum spacer bar.", "This is a single-pane window.", "The glazer applies a bead of caulk to the inner ledge of the sash...", "Then sets the glass on it.", "He secures the glass in place by one of two methods-- either by driving in tiny, flat nails called glazing points, or by caulking the perimeter and applying small moldings called glazing beads.", "The glazing beads are fastened to the sash with small nails.", "Once the glass is secure, the worker removes the excess caulk, cleans the glass, and inspects it for any marks or scratches.", "The final step is to install the hardware.", "It varies by window style.", "A double-hung window has a bar lift on the bottom and a latch that locks together the two sashes.", "You release the latch to open either one.", "Once the sashes are installed, they can be painted to match any home's exterior.", "The art of weaving has been around since the stone age.", "Traditional weavers use techniques and designs that reflect their cultural origins.", "Today's fashion industry has built on this tradition to produce fine wool garments.", "Designers keep a record of the fabrics they have created over the years.", "They pin samples in books based on quality, colors, and patterns for their customers to choose from.", "This is what cashmere goat hair looks like when it arrives at the wool mill.", "Short fibers, called flocks, go through a carding machine.", "This machine opens up the fibers and mixes colors together.", "The carding process removes impurities and reduces the fibers to a flat layer.", "The machine combs and twists the layer of fiber in preparation for spinning.", "The spinner separates the layer into threads and winds each one on bobbins of over 40 pounds.", "An operator loads yarn into a dyeing machine.", "The entire fiber-drying process takes about two hours for a reel this size.", "Uncarded locks of hair called wool tops are used to make worsted yarn.", "A worker feeds the ribbon-like thread into a blending machine.", "The blending process merges twelve threads into one large strip.", "The machine re-combs and twists the blended fibers, then spins them into a single strand.", "The coning machine winds the single thread around a cone by pulling it through a tensioning device with a series of spindles underneath.", "This machine can comb 20 pounds of wool in about one hour.", "Another spinning machine slowly unwinds worsted-wool bobbins.", "It accelerates as the threads run through a tensioning device and onto spindles.", "Even though the machine processes dozens of bobbins simultaneously, this process will last several hours.", "The set of threads that will make up the woven cloth is called the warp.", "Hundreds of parallel threads wind up on this roll, called the warping machine.", "These rolls can stretch several miles long.", "The warp is now ready for weaving.", "This shuttle loom holds the warp under tension while it interweaves the over and under threads using two sets of weaving needles.", "This moving part, the beater, keeps the fabric under tension as it comes out of the loom and onto the cloth beam.", "This rapier loom can weave fabrics four or five times faster than an automatic shuttle loom, and about 200 times faster than a hand-operated loom.", "The completed fabric goes to quality control.", "A worker performs a visual check, looking for any defects in the fabric.", "If she finds a broken thread, she repairs it by hand.", "Using a sewing needle, she replaces the broken thread with a new one.", "Once the fabric passes quality control, it goes through a two-hour cleaning process.", "Then, the cloth rolls through a steaming machine before accumulating at the end of the production line.", "The finishing process for a woven cloth can take up to a week.", "Designers study the fabrics and choose arrangements to make a collection.", "They mark selected patterns with codes and cut out samples.", "Then they make a sample booklet of their fabrics for customers to choose from.", "The fabric collection changes twice a year, providing a wide variety of styles suited to the season.", "Plastic is a convenient form of packaging, but can be harmful to the environment.", "Most plastics don't decompose, so they litter the landscape forever.", "Machines called granulators can help ease this pollution problem.", "They grind the plastic waste into tiny chips that can then be recycled.", "Granulators greatly reduce the amount of waste we humans produce.", "Instead of throwing plastics like these milk crates away, they can be tossed in a granulator.", "They chop the waste into little pieces, which can be used to make new plastic containers.", "Making a granulator starts with star-shaped rotors that will hold and rotate the blades of the granulator.", "A worker machines the center hole of the rotor so that it will fit a steel shaft.", "Employees slide the shaft through the center of the rotor.", "Multiple rotors are machined and installed on the steel shaft.", "The rotors are spaced evenly apart.", "A member of the team welds the rotors to the shaft.", "These welds will stop the rotors from sliding out of position during grinding.", "Next, steel blades are exposed to intense heat for 12 hours.", "Once they're red hot, an employee plunges them into cooling oil.", "This removes stresses and strengthens the metal.", "Next, a grinding wheel refines the shape of the blade so it will fit nicely to the rotors.", "It also hones the cutting edge until it's extremely sharp.", "They transfer the rotor-and-shaft assembly to a metal cradle.", "This rotor system is smaller than the one assembled earlier.", "It also has triangular rotors designed to chop up plastic jugs.", "A worker screws six blades to the rotors.", "He then attaches four blades to the casing, placing them at different angles than the rotating blades.", "Together, these blades will chop plastic very effectively.", "But, the gap between the blades needs to be fine-tuned.", "A worker adjusts the gap to the optimal width.", "Now, it's over to the granulator's lower casing.", "A rotating blade shaves the edges to specification.", "The next worker spray paints the outer-casing parts.", "This protects the steel from rust.", "After the paint dries, they install the blade system in the outer casing and add a wire-mesh screen.", "The screen acts as a sifter, allowing only plastic small enough for recycling to travel through the holes.", "Now, the upper housing is lowered onto the blade unit.", "A long hinge is added into the holes so the plastic granulator can be opened for maintenance.", "They give the blade system a test spin, and it turns freely.", "Another employee assembles a hopper for the granulator.", "He drapes a steel curtain over the opening to keep in any flying plastic chips.", "Using a crane, the team lowers the hopper onto the granulator.", "They confirm that the two components are correctly aligned, and bolt them together.", "Next, a 50 horsepower motor is installed below the blade shaft.", "Then, they loop a pulley from a flywheel on the blade shaft to the motor.", "Now, the workers cover the pulley system and motor with the steel housing.", "Then, a drawer is installed to collect the plastic chips as they fall.", "They're now ready to power up the granulator.", "Every machine is tested before it leaves the factory to confirm that it's fully functional.", "This plastic granulator is now ready to take on the growing problem of plastic waste.", "Glass lends a sparkle to any interior.", "From a bathroom sink to a staircase, architectural glass is both functional and artistic.", "The glass can be either handmade or mechanically formed.", "It's called architectural glass because an architect usually designs its aesthetic features and the objects the glass will be paired with.", "This company fuses multiple sheets of glass, each about a quarter of an inch thick, to create a finished product of any thickness.", "For example, this soon-to-be kitchen countertop uses 5 sheets of standard glass.", "Grabbing one at a time with handled suction cups, they gently place it on a pneumatically operated cutting table.", "They measure and cut the correct size using a square angle with a diamond tip blade.", "Diamonds are the only material that can cut glass.", "This kiln is a specialized oven for baking glass.", "A craftsman sprinkles white powder onto the base of the kiln.", "The powder will leave a texture in the sheet of glass.", "Next, he sprinkles ground-up, colored glass across the glass sheet to give the kitchen countertop a unique color scheme.", "They sandwich the glass with another sheet of glass, repeating this coloring process with each of the remaining layers.", "Once the last sheet of glass is put in place, they clean the top surface.", "Now, it's time to close the kiln and bake the glass.", "Inside the kiln, the five layers fuse into one unit.", "At another kiln, a stack of glass has been fused together and is ready for the next step.", "Workers open the kiln and carefully transfer the newly formed glass countertop onto a rolling cart.", "They take the counter to the polishing machine.", "With stones and water, the machine grinds down the edges until the layering is no longer visible.", "The finished glass countertop is strong enough to span over nine feet without structural support.", "And because of the heating-and-cooling process, the glass is now scratch-proof and chip-resistant.", "You can even chop food directly on the surface.", "At a different kiln, they're making a sink.", "First, they use a textured glass stamp to press a pattern in the powder.", "Then, they place three layers of glass over the pattern, carefully aligning the edges.", "After baking, the three layers are fused into one thick circle of glass.", "The bottom of the glass has taken on the pattern of the powder, leaving a unique look.", "This will be the outside surface of the sink.", "They place the glass over a sink-shaped mold in a different type of kiln.", "Over several hours, the glass melts into the sink-shaped mold.", "Once the glass cools, they extract what is now a sink.", "They carefully measure and mark where the drain hole goes, then they drill the hole with a diamond bit.", "This generates a lot of heat, so they must continuously cool the bit with cold water.", "Otherwise, the tool could overheat and jam.", "The glass sink is finished.", "They use the same technique to produce glass sinks in various colors and shapes.", "Sometimes, these sinks are even integrated with glass countertops.", "Countless other interior-design components can be made from architectural glass." ]

{ "things": [ "Graphene", "World's Smallest Car", "Force Testers", "Composite Cans" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "In 2004, british scientists extracted a substance called graphene from graphite, which is the material used to make pencils.", "They won the nobel prize for this discovery and left their mark on physics history.", "Scientists continue to explore graphene's extraordinary potential.", "These silicon chips are dyed with thin flecks of carbon, known as graphene.", "Just one atom thick and transparent, graphene can sniff out chemicals in the air and disease enzymes in blood.", "This lab manufactures graphene using a process known as chemical vapor deposition.", "A technician loads a capsule containing a copper foil sheet into a furnace.", "He screws a cap on the end of the capsule and shuts the furnace.", "He activates a system that uses argon gas to drive out oxygen.", "When the furnace reaches about 1,800 degrees fahrenheit, methane gas and hydrogen are added.", "A reaction occurs that deposits graphene onto the foil.", "Graphene can't be seen with the naked eye.", "A technician applies tiny gold contacts to a silicon wafer and then submerges it in solvent to rinse off the excess gold.", "The remaining gold bits serve as electrical contacts.", "A dip in acetone cleans off more of the loose flakes, and a final rinse in alcohol removes the rest.", "Using a diamond-tip scribe, he scores the silicon wafer and breaks it along the score lines, creating rectangular chips.", "Another technician deposits liquid plastic onto the transparent graphene on the copper foil.", "He locks the foil in a machine called a spin coater.", "It spins at 3,000 r.p.m. this spreads the plastic evenly across the graphene film on the foil.", "It also accelerates the plastic's curing process.", "He then separates the plastic-coated graphene from the copper foil.", "To do this, he clips a wire to set of tweezers.", "Using the tweezers, he picks up a small piece of the plastic, graphene, and copper sandwich and plunges it in the water.", "The tweezers apply an electrical charge through the copper, causing bubbles to form in the water.", "These bubbles lift the graphene and plastic film away from the copper.", "The graphene now clings only to the plastic backing.", "He scoops the plastic-backed graphene square out of the water using a large piece of plastic.", "To remove contaminants, he immerses the square in a series of solutions.", "In the last solution, he slides the square off the carrier.", "And the square floats freely.", "He picks up the silicon chip with tweezers and uses it to retrieve the floating graphene and plastic square.", "It now sits on the silicon chip.", "After taping metal stencils over three of the graphene-covered chips, he suspends them above gold pellets in a machine known as the evaporator.", "He closes the evaporator, then turns up the heat.", "A vacuum pulls the gold toward the stencils as it evaporates.", "The gold and exposed graphene adhere to one another as they cool and solidify.", "The technician removes the stencils from the chips, revealing gold horizontal runners between the gold contacts.", "He transfers the chip to a plasma etcher.", "He activates the chip, and plasma gas floods the chamber.", "The gas strips off any graphene that's not protected by gold.", "Only the gold contacts and gold-covered graphene runners remain on the chip.", "Solvent dissolves the plastic backing on the graphene runners, taking the protective gold with it, leaving only graphene.", "The technician now has a graphene sensor chip.", "It's time to test its sensory powers using antibodies for a certain disease protein.", "The antibodies attach to the surface of the graphene.", "She tests the signal from the chip to confirm that it reads the protein correctly.", "This graphene chip is ready to act as a high-tech sixth sense.", "The world's smallest car has held the guinness book of world records title for more than 50 years.", "Designed and manufactured in the u.k., it's about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide.", "It fits one driver but no passengers.", "Intended as a commuter vehicle, the world's smallest car travels up to 40 miles per hour.", "Technicians craft the body in molds section by section.", "First, they spread an epoxy resin in the customer's color choice.", "Once the resin cures, they lay a sheet of fiberglass matting and impregnate it with resin.", "This bonds the matting to the gelcoat layer.", "Narrower strips of matting are applied around the perimeter.", "Certain areas are reinforced with a more porous fiberglass matting to absorb more resin.", "Finally, a second layer of fiberglass matting and resin is set over the entire mold.", "The molds cure for a day.", "When they're ready, the body sections are extracted from their molds.", "This is the main section.", "The gelcoat forms a smooth and shiny finish on the sturdy fiberglass underneath.", "Using a saw equipped with a small blade, technicians smooth the edges of the fiberglass.", "Elsewhere in the factory, technicians weld together the car's lightweight aluminum gas tank.", "It holds 1 gallon of gas.", "They drill a hole through it...", "Then weld on the filler tube and screw on the cap.", "The car runs on three wheels-- two at the front and one driven by the engine at the back.", "Technicians assemble the wheel hubs, then mount them onto the triangular suspension of the axle.", "They flip over the steel chassis and install the disc brakes on each wheel.", "On the rear wheel, they mount a sprocket, which allows the engine to drive a chain that rotates the wheel.", "They connect the shock absorber on the rear wheel to a mount underneath the body and install hydraulic brake lines and brake calipers on all three wheels.", "They bolt the wheels and tires onto the wheel hubs.", "Each tire is about 6 inches in diameter.", "After installing the one-cylinder engine in the middle of the body, technicians bolt on the chassis.", "They connect the shock absorber on the rear wheel to a mount underneath the body.", "They install all the electrical components, such as the headlight, the brake lights, the turn signals and the wiper.", "The car can be ordered with an electric engine, in which case they install four 12-volt rechargeable batteries.", "The car has a rack-and-pinion steering system.", "The steering column is attached to a circular gear, called a pinion.", "When the driver turns the steering wheel in one direction, the pinion moves in that direction along the rack.", "The rack is a track with teeth, connected by rods to the front wheels.", "It moves and turns the wheels, steering the car.", "The vehicle is mechanically complete.", "Now, they install the windshield and windows, sealing the aluminum frames with silicone.", "Inside, they mount the steering wheel and the dashboard, which houses the speedometer, turn signal light, and high beams.", "They hang the door, which has been fitted with chromed hinges and a handle.", "The style is consistent with the 1960s design of the car.", "They finish the job with the installation of a vinyl driver seat, gas tank, and windshield washer fluid reservoir.", "The world's smallest car is ready to hit the road and make a big impression.", "Force testers pull and compress products to their breaking point.", "They're used in labs and factories to evaluate a product's quality.", "A force tester verifies that an object meets the manufacturer's required specifications.", "Force testers are built to pull and compress.", "Here, a tester arm bears down on a pencil.", "It determines how much force can be applied before the pencil bends or breaks.", "Measurements are displayed on a screen.", "In the 1930s, basic force gauges were attached to cranes to measure a product's strength.", "Today's force testers are high-tech.", "They have digital displays and computerized controls.", "An assembler starts by screwing brackets into a steel base for the main computer board.", "The computer board comes next.", "He uses nuts, called standoffs, to raise it above the steel plate.", "This creates an air space between the two, preventing electrical shorting.", "Throughout the assembly, the technician wears an electrostatic discharge band on his wrist.", "This arrests static electricity to prevent damage to the parts.", "He screws the motor drive board to the force tester base and moves on to the next batch of parts.", "They include the power supply board, a mechanism to turn the unit on, and an emergency stop assembly.", "He routes the wires for the power switches and installs the push buttons.", "He connects a ribbon cable to the main circuit board.", "Then, he attaches the other end of the cable to the motor drive board.", "This allows them to communicate.", "Finally, he completes the power supply connections.", "Another member of the team assembles a vertical support rail to an aluminum base.", "This rail is the backbone of the tester.", "It supports the force arm and the track it moves on.", "He attaches the track to the support rail.", "Using an alignment tool, he slides the shuttle into the grooves of the track, then confirms it moves freely.", "He's ready to mount the force arm to the shuttle.", "A long, threaded rod, known as a lead screw, is fastened to the force arm.", "The lead screw rotates, allowing the force arm to move up and down.", "He lowers an aluminum cover over the force arm assembly and secures it to the base.", "One side of the casing is open.", "He'll install an accordion-style rubber curtain to it later.", "Next, he threads a rubber belt around a pulley, which is attached to the end of the lead screw.", "He installs the motor and wraps the other end of the rubber belt around the motor pulley.", "The motor drive assembly turns the lead screw to move the force arm.", "The base is now mounted with the electronics to the force tester frame.", "After connecting switches that limit the force arm's range of movement, he installs an encoder on the motor to provide feedback on speed and power.", "The electronics are covered with a tough plastic casing.", "Next up is a slotted table.", "He clips a computer tablet to the tester.", "An adjustable bracket is attached, which is used for changing the screen's position as desired.", "A force tester doesn't just bear down on things.", "It also pulls things apart.", "A technician conducts a pull test on a piece of nylon cord.", "He activates the force arm.", "The force arm pulls the cord as it grips the base.", "The tester measures the peak force required to pull the cord apart.", "The results are displayed instantly on the control screen.", "There are different force testers for different applications.", "But the purpose is always the same-- pull and compress objects in order to test their limits.", "One of the ways a manufacturer can package a product is in a composite can.", "It's a cylindrical container made of cardboard with a moisture barrier lining.", "Composite cans are less expensive to produce than glass or metal containers.", "And they're recyclable.", "Many products are packaged in composite cans, everything from automotive grease to parmesan cheese.", "The cans are cardboard with an interior lining that prevents it from absorbing moisture.", "The top can be a sifter, a pull-tab cap, a ring and plug, or peel-off foil.", "To make composite cans, they begin winding a strip of thin paper over a long steel rod, called a mandrel.", "The machine applies glue to the top of the strip.", "Simultaneously, two strips of cardboard wind off rolls and pass over a glue applicator, which coats their underside with adhesive.", "Then these overlapping twin strips wind around the coated paper-wrapped mandrel.", "The adhesive binds the layers, producing a two-ply cardboard tube with an interior moistureproof lining.", "The machine pushes the tube off the mandrel to an automated circular saw.", "The saw cuts the tube into shorter pieces.", "They fall into a bin, which feeds the labeling machine.", "Suction cups pick up the sheet of labels and run it over a glue roller.", "It applies adhesive to the back side.", "A vacuum carpet carries the label onto another set of mandrels.", "The machine slips the tube onto the mandrel, then wraps the label around the tube.", "Next, knives cut the spinning tube into seven cans.", "The can-making line has been slowed by our camera.", "At the regular output speed of 250 cans per minute, all you'd see is a blur.", "A pusher moves the cans toward a device called an upender, which stands each can upright.", "The cans then spin through a gluer, which applies a bead of adhesive along the top rim.", "Meanwhile, another station lines up the closures in single file.", "These cans are for parmesan cheese, so the tops are plastic sifters.", "They go one by one onto a carousel.", "The tops align with cans on another carousel with perfect timing.", "A plunger pushes the top about a 1/2 inch into the glued rim of the can.", "As the cans exit the machine, a conveyer turns them upside down.", "The cans reach the end of the line, where workers stack them on shipping pallets.", "The parmesan cheese producer will receive them like this-- open end up, ready for filling.", "To make the metal bottom for the can, a punch press stamps circles out of a strip of tin that's been coated with a food-safe lacquer.", "The gold-colored coating prevents the tin from rusting when it comes into contact with the moisture in the cheese.", "The next machine uses forming rollers to shape the rim that will grip the can.", "This production line is making composite cans for grease cartridges.", "Mechanics use them in a device similar to a caulking gun.", "For this product, the cardboard tube has a plastic-coated liner.", "The liner is heat-sealed to the cardboard to prevent grease from leaking out.", "The closure is a rigid aluminum top that you remove with a pull tab.", "This machine, called a seamer, crimps the metal edge tightly around the can's rim.", "As the cans exit the machine, a computer takes measurements of each top.", "If it doesn't meet specifications, the machine ejects the can from the line.", "The cans that pass inspection continue on to the packaging area, where an employee does one last visual inspection before shipping to the grease manufacturer.", "Once a composite can is empty, the cardboard can be separated from the metal and tossed into a recycling bin." ]

{ "things": [ "Potash", "Leather Bracelets", "Wild Rice", "Hex Key L Wrenches" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\": potash, leather bracelets, wild rice and hex key l-wrenches.", "Potash is used primarily as an agricultural fertilizer.", "It's extracted from underground by either conventional mining or by injecting hot brine into the formation to dissolve potash in salt crystals.", "It then pumps the solution back up and separates out the potash in settling ponds.", "Potash is potassium chloride, the chemical compound kcl.", "It can be processed into a granular agricultural fertilizer or into a higher grade product for industrial use.", "At this canadian potash mine, the deposit lies just over a half a mile underground.", "The ore is comprised of three materials: kcl, clay and sodium chloride, the chemical compound nacl, better known as table salt.", "The big machine manufacturers use to cut the face of the rock is called a continuous miner.", "It has two rotors, each with three arms.", "Each arm has six pairs of bits with carbide tips that grind the face of the rock, flaking off the ore.", "The rotor arms sweep the ore into the machine, which feeds it off the back onto bridge conveyors, a series of conveyor belts that lead to a main conveyor belt.", "Miners fasten sheets of polymer to the rock above to erect walls which direct the flow of fresh air that's pumped down into the mine for ventilation.", "The bridge conveyors transfer the ore to a main conveyor.", "At this particular potash mine, up to 10 machines work simultaneously at different locations.", "All those main conveyors, nearly 22 miles of moving belts, converge at the skip, a gigantic elevator bucket which hoists up to 49 tons of ore at a time to the surface and dumps it into a storage bin.", "A conveyor transfers the ore to the mill for processing.", "First the ore tumbles down a series of vibrating screens.", "Smaller particles drop through the openings and move on to the next station while larger particles stay on top where they are whisked off with the flow of brine into a crusher.", "The finer particles flow to the fine flotation tank while the larger ones sink to the bottom, drain out, then travel to the course flotation tank.", "The particles are treated with chemicals.", "Over the course of five minutes in flotation, the chemical treatment makes the kcl particles attach to air bubbles and rise to the surface.", "In the course flotation tank paddles skim the surface, pushing the floating kcl into a collector.", "The clay and nacl particles drain out the other end.", "Similarly in the fine flotation unit, the kcl particles attach to air bubbles and rise to the top where they overflow into a collector.", "The collected potash then goes through a centrifuge and a dryer to remove all the moisture.", "The dryer feeds this vibrating screening machine, which separates the kcl particles into three categories.", "Oversized particles go back to the crusher.", "Undersized particles go to machines which compact them into boards then break the boards into new particles which then go back to the vibrating machine for another round of screening.", "The final product size particles go directly to the shipping warehouse.", "This granular potash is the type used as agricultural fertilizer.", "It's kcl concentration is 95 percent because there's some residual clay and nacl.", "Technicians regularly test product samples to verify the kcl content.", "They grind each sample into a find powder and compress it inside a stainless steel cap to form a pellet.", "Then the workers load the pellet into an x-ray fluorescence analyzer.", "The pelletized sample absorbs that energy then releases energy as fluorescent radiation.", "The analyzer measures the fluorescent radiation to determine the sample's concentration of kcl.", "The mill also processes potash for industrial use.", "This higher grade potash with a kcl concentration of 99 percent is a white powder manufacturers make it by dissolving the 95 percent kcl granular potash in hot brine to remove more of the residual nacl and clay.", "Then workers crystallize the potash by evaporation and cooling.", "The result, potash that's almost pure kcl.", "Handcrafted leather bracelets are an unconventional jewelry choice.", "Traditional bracelets are chains or bangles made of metal or stones.", "But these fit like a cuff and are eclectic in design.", "Each one is an original.", "So the wearer can express individuality.", "Handcrafted leather bracelets are substantial pieces designed to draw attention to the wrist.", "They can also complement an outfit in a big way.", "Making one starts with a strip of stainless steel that will serve as the bracelet's base.", "The artisan bends it by hand into a round shape.", "Using pliers she closes the gap a little more.", "This bracelet is meant to be large, so the loose fit seems right.", "She sorts through a collection of leather pieces and ideas for the design begin to take shape.", "She selects a piece to cover the inside of the bracelet.", "She draws an outline of the bracelet on paper to create a pattern and she cuts it out.", "She sticks the pattern to the leather.", "Using a utility knife, she follows the pattern to cut the shape in leather.", "The edge of a triangular ruler serves as a guide for a straight cut.", "She peels the cut leather away from the paper pattern and applies a textile adhesive to the back of the leather.", "She curls the leather and inserts it, glued side down, into the steel bracelet form.", "She applies pressure for a strong adhesion.", "For the bracelet's outer materials there are many colorful options, from dyed exotic leathers to luminous semi-precious stones.", "She sorts through the different leathers and stones, looking for inspiration.", "She selects a quartz stone and a piece of fish scale leather.", "Once tanned, fish skins can be surprisingly tough.", "She cuts the fish leather to size using a paper template of the front of the steel bracelet base.", "She wraps it around the bracelet band to check the fit.", "She applies glue to the back of the quartz and then positions the stone in the center of the leather.", "The glue tacks it in place while she now stitches a beaded surround to permanently secure the stone to the leather.", "She selects special beading needles for this.", "The heads of these needles are tiny enough to pass through the mini beads.", "She'll use beading cord made of a tough polyethylene to string and stitch the beads.", "For the first three rows she uses silver beads that are two millimeters in diameter.", "She pulls the beading snug to the quartz stone as she stitches the beads to the fish leather.", "In addition to securing the stone, the beaded surround also serves as an embellishment to it's beauty.", "She completes the three rows of silver beads and switches to glass beads.", "At 1.7 millimeters diameter, they're a little smaller and trickier to work with.", "She pulls the thread through the eyelets of the beads a total of for times to form a tight pouch around the perimeter of the stone.", "She now applies strong glue to the steel exterior of the bracelet base.", "And it's time for the next decorative elements, black lace.", "She glues the lace to the base so that the flowery border overhangs.", "She now spreads glue onto the back of the fish leather.", "She wraps the leather around the lace-covered base and presses it firmly to it.", "She then stitches silver beads around the edges to join the leathers and encase the steel base.", "The beaded stitching matches the quartz stone surround for another decorative touch.", "This handcrafted leather bracelet is now complete and ready to add something completely different to someone's jewelry collection.", "Wild rice is the grain harvested from four species of aquatic grasses that grow in many freshwater lakes in northern united states and canada.", "Historically, indigenous people harvested this plentiful and nutritious food which they considered to be a sacred gift.", "Wild rice was a vital food source for thousands of years.", "It also became a valuable commodity, which indigenous people exchanged with fur traders who traveled the territory by canoe and needed portable, nutritious food that didn't spoil.", "Beds of wild rice plants still grow today in the shallow areas of rivers and lakes.", "People still harvest the rice by traditional means, in a canoe using two cedar flails and winnowing baskets.", "The baskets are made from bark pieces laced together with dried roots of black spruce trees.", "Harvest time is usually in early september, once the plants are protruding from the water at least half a yard or so.", "Paddling through the rice beds would uproot the plants so one person propels the boat with a forked pole while the other gently bends the plants over the canoe with one flail and gently knocks off the mature kernels with the other.", "The harvested kernels pile up at the bottom of the canoe.", "Harvesting wild rice is a delicate operation.", "You have to knock just hard enough to dislodge the kernels, yet not break the plant stalks.", "Each kernel is comprised of a fibrous hull encasing a rice grain.", "Back on land, harvesters transport the harvested kernels by a winnowing basked or a grain sack.", "The harvesters dump them onto either birch bark sheets, a tarp, or smooth bedrock then spread them out to cure in the sun.", "Sun curing takes anywhere from several hours to several days depending on the weather.", "The next step is to parch the kernels over an open fire.", "This evaporates addition moisture, enabling the rice to be stored indefinitely without spoiling.", "It also gives the rice a roasted nutty flavor.", "For centuries indigenous people parched the kernels on a woven willow rack above the fire, letting the rising heat and smoke permeate the rice.", "Once the trade began with the europeans, the indigenous people began using cast iron kettles set directly on the flames.", "Fresh rice grains are green and flexible.", "After parching they're brown or black and snap cleanly into two when bent.", "Next comes threshing, removing the grains from the hulls.", "Harvesters cool the kernels in the basket, then pour them back into the parching pot.", "Before acquiring cast iron implements, indigenous people would pour their kernels in a hole in the ground lined with wood or animal hide.", "Threshing doesn't require any special handcrafted tools, just a pair of feet.", "The pressure of each step forces the rice grains out of their hulls.", "This is what the rice looks like before threshing and after.", "The last step is winnowing, separating the rice grains from the now-empty hulls.", "There are two traditional techniques: repeatedly flipping the rice in a single winnowing basket like this or pouring it from one basket to another.", "The movement creates wind that blows away the feather-light hulls.", "Eventually only the rice grains remain in the basket.", "Today, instead of deerskin pouches, harvesters store wild rice in containers or plastic bags.", "The grains range in color depending on the body of water from which they were harvested and how long after harvesting the grains were parched.", "Wild rice is high in protein in fiber, low in calories in fat, contains all essential amino acids and is rich in b vitamins, potassium and phosphorous.", "Hex key l-wrenches are designed to turn screws and bolts that would otherwise be tricky to reach.", "They have ball-shaped hexagonal heads that take an angled approach to installing threaded fasteners.", "The long arms of these l-shaped wrenches also extend the user's reach into tight spots.", "Hex key l-wrenches often come in sets to provide tools for almost every job, big or small.", "Making these wrenches starts with 13-foot long steel bars formed to a hexagonal profile.", "A technician tests the short piece to confirm it could be bent without breaking.", "The steel must be hard, yet elastic.", "A diamond-tipped tool presses into another piece.", "The depth of the indentation is a measure of the steel's hardness.", "After the steel passes all tests, workers slice the just over 13-foot long bars into smaller lengths using a die cutter with a hexagonal profile to prevent any distortion of the shape.", "Each steel piece then spins in a lathe as a computerized tool carves a gentle slope into the end.", "This is before and after the contouring.", "A second computerized tool shapes the end rounder to create a sphere shape that retains the hexagonal angles.", "An automated loader serves up the steel pieces to a spiral copper heating element.", "The element heats a specific spot on the piece to 1,112 degrees fahrenheit to soften it.", "A mechanized tool then bends the steel at this softened point to give it an l shape.", "The hex key l-wrenches have now taken shape.", "In the next operation, workers heat treat the wrenches to make the steel even harder.", "Workers fire the parts in an electrical furnace, quench them in oil and then heat them in a second furnace that's not as hot as the first one.", "The heat treatment strengthens the steel but leaves a residue.", "A wash and then a sand blast cleans them up a bit, but the wrenches are quite tarnished looking so it's into a vibrating machine with ceramic stones and polishing solution.", "This cleans and brightens the steel.", "A magnetic conveyor extracts them from the mix and takes them to a revolving drum.", "Here the wrenches bounce around with corn grains that absorb residual moisture from the polishing.", "What a difference the cleaning has made.", "On racks now, the wrenches take a dip in different nickel and chrome baths.", "The rack delivers an electrical charge to the parts, which attracts the nickel and chrome.", "The metals coat the wrenches for a shiny rust-proof finish.", "Next a device spins the wrench in front of a sensor.", "The sensor detects and crookedness in the wrench's long arm.", "If needed, he straightens the steel with a special tool.", "The wrenches are now ready for a spray of powder coat.", "It will provide a durable finish and the color will indicate the wrench's size.", "After powder coating a robot transfers the wrenches to a printing station.", "A mechanized tool nudges the wrenches forward to put them in alignment.", "Another robot moves in.", "It picks one of the wrenches and moves it under a printing pad.", "The pad stamps brand information and a serial number on the wrench.", "The robot retrieves the wrench and places i on a conveyor.", "They now make the plastic holders for the wrenches.", "This machine melts and molds plastic under pressure to produce them in seconds.", "A robot removes the plastic holders from the machine and deposits them in a bin.", "A worker now places two of the holders under a laser.", "He lowers the protective shield and the laser etches company information onto the plastic.", "Another member of the team inserts the color-coded wrenches into the correct slots in the holders.", "They now have a full kit of hex key l-wrenches.", "It should have all the angles covered." ]

{ "things": [ "Aluminum Pots and Pans", "Artificial Limbs", "Peanut Butter", "High" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Aluminum pots and pans, artificial limbs, peanut butter, and high-intensity light bulbs.", "There are several different ways to manufacture aluminum pots and pans.", "Some factories have giant machines that simply stamp out or mold the cookware, while other factories use a technique called metal spinning.", "To make cookware that's safe for food use, the aluminum must be pure-- no other metals mixed in.", "It all starts with a round aluminum sheet called a blank.", "They stamp the pot size and the company name on what will be the bottom of the pot.", "They clamp it onto a lathe, centered against what's called the chuck-- a metal mold shaped like the inside of the pot they're going to spin.", "The lathe spins at 2,000 revolutions per minute.", "Guided by computer software, the spinning tool-- a round wheel made of special plastic-- pushes against the chuck, stretching and shaping the aluminum blank much the way potters stretch and shape clay against their hand on a pottery wheel...", "Except that metal spinning works sideways, not up and down like pottery.", "The machine trims off excess aluminum as it rounds the edges.", "The factory has no use for these very sharp metal leftovers, but it doesn't throw them out.", "Aluminum is difficult to mine and, therefore, very expensive, so scrap aluminum is sent off to be recycled into other products.", "After the final trim to the finished size, another trimmer moves in to take the sharpness off the edge.", "It's taken 4 minutes to spin this 8 1/2-gallon pot.", "Now it comes off the lathe.", "They punch out handle holes...", "Then rivet on aluminum handles.", "The pot is now finished.", "Items that aren't as large and heavy are spun on a hand lathe.", "This is where you need an experienced metal spinner because this trade isn't a mechanical science.", "You've got to have a feel for it.", "Besides cookware, many other aluminum products are spun on a lathe.", "This is a light reflector-- that round aluminum fixture that covers light bulbs in factories, stores, and arenas.", "When working the hand lathe, the metal spinner uses what's called a scissor tool.", "It's the equivalent of the plastic wheel on the automated lathe.", "As the blank spins, he moves his tool further and further down to stretch the aluminum into the right shape.", "This is a sausage funnel.", "And this will be the inside tube of a cake pan.", "He makes the body of the cake pan on a different lathe using a variety of tools to get a variety of effects.", "This beading tool creates an edge, for example.", "Almost all metals can be spun, though some are better suited for the technique than others.", "Aluminum and steel are very formable metals, so they provide the best results.", "Can a baking ingredient be the answer to global warming?", "Researchers have found a way to transform harmful carbon dioxide into harmless sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.", "They mix co2 with water then force it through plastic balls treated with an enzyme from alfalfa.", "Today's artificial limbs are a far cry from the wooden leg of yesteryear.", "They look very realistic.", "And thanks to advances in prosthetic technology, artificial limbs function more and more like the real thing.", "They start by measuring the amputee's stump-- what doctors call the residual limb.", "First, they measure the circumference at different points...", "Then the diameter at different points.", "They protect and lubricate the residual limb by coating it in petroleum jelly.", "Then they immerse it in algin, a gelatinlike substance that comes from algae.", "After about 5 minutes, they remove the residual limb.", "The algin has already begun to stiffen and maintain the limb's shape.", "A couple of hours later, it's stiff enough to be used as a negative mold.", "They pour in plaster of paris then insert a metal rod.", "The rod is what will later allow them to mount the dried plaster to work on it further.", "The plaster takes about an hour and a half to harden.", "They cut off the algin.", "Then, using sandpaper and files, they refine and smooth the surface.", "This plaster copy of the residual limb will now be used as a positive mold to cast the artificial limb.", "Sometimes they use a different technique to make the positive mold.", "They build a negative mold using strips of plasterized cloth, much the same way they make a plaster cast when you break your leg.", "Then a scanner takes a detailed 3-dimensional reading and programs it into a computer.", "A technician then makes any necessary modifications.", "They put a plaster block on a cutting machine.", "The computer guides the blade to carve out the positive mold.", "With either technique, once the positive mold is ready, they can make the artificial limb.", "The process they use is called lamination.", "First, they cover the mold in fabric socks-- some made of nylon, others of a material that contains fiberglass.", "They layer 6 to 10 socks in all, depending on how rigid they want the artificial limb to be.", "Then they coat the socks with a liquid resin made of either polyester or acrylic.", "Here they're using acrylic tinted to look like caucasian skin.", "It's important to ensure the surface is evenly soaked.", "It's a meticulous process that takes about an hour.", "The acrylic solidifies in about an hour.", "Polyester takes about 12 hours.", "They then break the plaster mold inside, leaving a durable plastic shell called a socket.", "That will be the basis of the artificial limb.", "The socket connects to another plastic shell containing the mechanics, or, like this artificial leg, the mechanism can be modular and covered in just a skin-colored foam.", "If the muscle at the site of the amputation still emits a good electrical signal when contracted, the patient can get a myoelectric prosthesis.", "It has an electrode that captures and amplifies the signal, triggering the artificial hand to open and close.", "As early as the 1400s, africans made peanut stews.", "Peanut butter, as we know it today, was invented in 1890 by an american doctor.", "He used it as a protein substitute for people whose teeth were so bad they couldn't chew meat.", "The best peanuts for making peanut butter are runner peanuts.", "Because they're uniform in size, they roast more evenly than peanuts that vary in size.", "They arrive at the peanut-butter factory already shelled.", "To make an 18-ounce jar of peanut butter, it takes 20 ounces of peanuts.", "That's about 1,100 peanuts.", "The first step is to roast them.", "The nuts travel through a hot-air roaster heated to 399 degrees fahrenheit.", "The shaking motion moves them around so they roast evenly.", "Almost 4 tons of peanuts go through this roaster per hour.", "When they come out, they've turned from white to light brown.", "Next, they go into another machine, which fast-cools them at room temperature using suction fans that circulate air quickly.", "This rapid-cooling process is critical.", "It halts the cooking and prevents the peanuts from losing too much oil.", "Next, the peanuts go through a machine called the blancher.", "It removes the outer skins by rubbing them between rubber belts.", "Then it splits the kernels and removes the heart of the peanut, which has a slightly bitter taste.", "But what's discarded doesn't go to waste.", "The skins go to farmers for pig feed, and the hearts go into bird feed.", "The peanuts land in a big stainless-steel hopper.", "From there, they drop down into the grinder to be ground into a paste.", "At this point, the other ingredients go in-- salt, sugar or another natural sweetener, and a small amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil, which acts as a stabilizer to keep the peanut oil from separating and floating to the top of the jar.", "Peanut butter contains no artificial coloring or artificial sweeteners.", "It has no preservatives either, yet doesn't need to be refrigerated.", "The peanut butter is finally ready.", "All that mixing has heated it up to 140 degrees fahrenheit.", "It goes through a cooling system to bring it down to 100 degrees.", "Now it can go into jars.", "Peanut butter is a healthy, protein-rich food with plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.", "It has no cholesterol, but it does contain fat.", "The good news is that more than 80% of that fat is unsaturated-- in other words, good fat that may actually help lower certain cholesterol levels in the blood.", "The bad news is that the rest of the fat content is trans fat, or bad fat.", "It comes not from the peanuts themselves but from the hydrogenated vegetable oil that's used as the stabilizer to keep the peanut oil from separating.", "If you want to avoid that, you can eat all-natural peanut butter, which doesn't contain a stabilizer.", "You'll just have to stir the peanut oil that collects at the top of the jar.", "Once the jars are filled with peanut butter, they go through the capping machine.", "The caps have an aluminum seal inside.", "As the caps pass through a heat machine, the seal drops down and adheres to the top of the jar, creating an airtight seal.", "A machine prints the production date and the expiration date.", "These unopened jars of peanut butter will stay fresh for one whole year.", "A household light bulb creates light through a metal filament.", "A high-intensity industrial light bulb uses not only a metal filament but also coils, electrodes, and mercury vapor.", "It's more durable but needs a cooldown period before relighting.", "In 1809, a british chemist invented electric light.", "Over the next few decades, other inventors produced electric lamps and bulbs, but the light didn't last very long.", "The big breakthrough came in 1879, when thomas edison invented a carbon filament that burned for 40 hours.", "Then, just a year later, he produced a bulb that burned for more than 1,200 hours.", "That finally made electric lighting feasible.", "They start by making the coil support.", "Later, they'll thread the filament through the support.", "They take a glass rod about a half an inch long and heat it up enough to insert a pin just 1/1,000 inch thick.", "The pin is made of tungsten, a hard metal that won't melt under high heat.", "The rod and pin go into a machine that heats the glass and pressures it into a mushroom shape.", "They insert 3 or 6 wires just .", "0005 inches thick, depending on the model of light bulb.", "They cut the wires to the required length, which also depends on the model.", "Then they curl the ends into little circles.", "The coil support is finished.", "Next, they build the mount onto which several other parts will be assembled.", "They weld on the arc tube-- a quartz tube containing a coil, electrodes, gas, and mercury.", "Next, they weld on the bimetal switch, which cuts the current to the coil and the arc tube.", "Then they weld on the coil support they prepared earlier.", "They bend the coil support down to receive the filament, which is made of tungsten.", "Now they weld one end of the filament to the mount and feed the other end through the little circles of the coil support...", "Then weld it to the other side of the mount.", "The mount is now fully assembled.", "Next, they apply a specific amount of pressure to the bimetal switch to calibrate it.", "They submerge the finished mount in alcohol to remove any dust or other contaminants.", "They let it dry for 10 minutes then apply a liquid called zirconium getter.", "This draws moisture away from the filament.", "It's finally time to put the mount in the glass bulb.", "The sealing machine cuts off excess glass from the bottom then melts what's left until it attaches to the mount.", "How will this light bulb work?", "The electric current travels through the filament to the coil inside the arc tube.", "The coil warms gases, which then vaporize the small amount of mercury.", "The mercury vapor then conducts the current from one electrode to another, creating light.", "The bulbs are made into different shapes and sizes.", "A machine blows air in the hot glass while a mold creates the form.", "A special flame lets the glass cool slowly so it won't become brittle from the stress.", "They print the wattage and voltage on the bulbs, then run them through an oven at 932 degrees fahrenheit to draw out any humidity or impurities that may be caught inside.", "Then they go through what's called the tipping torch.", "It seals in nitrogen gas, which prevents the filament from overheating.", "Now the bulb is ready for its first test-- a 10-minute burn to make sure it operates properly and there's no air inside.", "Finally, it's time to attach the socket.", "They apply cement on the base then hook up the bulb.", "The bulb passes through a flame that cures the cement.", "The next machine cleans the socket with acid...", "So it can be soldered at two points.", "The finished bulbs are put aside for 48 hours then retested before being shipped out." ]

{ "things": [ "Oil Pressure Sensors", "Large Format Printing", "Heavy Equipment Simulators", "Head & Neck Restraints" ] }

[ "In motor vehicles, an oil pressure sensor is a critical part of the engine.", "As oil lubricates, cools and cleans the motor, this sensor constantly measures the pressure and signals a problem before it causes serious damage to the engine.", "Screwed to the engine block and connected to the car's computer, the sensor can detect the smallest change in oil pressure.", "The computer relays the information to the gauge on the dashboard.", "It allows the driver to tell at a glance if there's a pressure problem under the hood.", "To manufacture motor oil sensors, a robot picks up a perforated ceramic board and transfers it to a carriage.", "The carriage shuttles the board into a screen printing machine.", "It squeegees palladium silver paste onto it, creating a pattern for a sensor around each of the holes.", "The silver will serve as an electrical conductor.", "A trip through a long oven bakes the silver paste onto the ceramic.", "Then it's back to the screen printing machine.", "This time, the squeegee applies a green glass glaze onto the silver.", "The pattern leaves some of the silver exposed for the attachment of components like capacitors and diodes.", "A robot then applies those components faster than you can blink an eye.", "The next robot transfers terminals to the sensors.", "To align the prongs of the terminal with exposed silver on the sensor, the robot takes a picture and sends it to the computer.", "The computer then guides the positioning.", "It all happens in a flash.", "Once the terminal has been soldered to the sensor, another robot dispenses adhesive around the components.", "This seals the circuitry from the oil that will flow through the center hole.", "The next robot places a silicon chip on the sensor, covering and sealing the center hole.", "This chip will react to changes in oil pressure.", "Another robot bonds the silicon chip to the circuitry using aluminum wire that's thinner than a human hair.", "This completes the electrical connection.", "An employee now inserts the ends of the sensors in a fixture and breaks them along score lines.", "This separates them into strips of five.", "She transfers the strip to a machine that bends the terminals to a precise shape.", "She snaps the ceramic along more score lines to separate the strips of five into single sensors.", "Next, she connects the terminals to posts in plastic housing.", "After soldering them in place, she folds the rest of the sensor over them.", "She then places brass shells in a carrier.", "She inserts two rubber o rings in the shells-- a large one and a smaller one around the center hole.", "The robots take it from here.", "The first one picks up the sensor assembly, and using a camera as a guide, transfers it to the brass shell.", "Then it's over to a press and crimp station.", "The top tool applies pressure to compress the o rings as forming tools crimp the shell around the sensor.", "An applicator coats the threads of the brass shell with sealant.", "When dry, this sealant will enhance the sensor's fit to the engine to prevent oil leakage.", "A test hit probes each sensor, performing a full electrical evaluation.", "It also applies air pressure to test for leaks.", "After passing the test, the oil sensor is complete.", "Businesses looking to advertise will often commission a printing company to produce a large poster or banner.", "The quality of large format printing is better than ever thanks to digital technology.", "Commercial equipment can typically print a banner up to 16 feet high by 150 feet wide.", "If the required size is larger, it's printed in sections, then joined together.", "A prepress technician preps the clients' design for printing-- adjusting colors, sectioning, and adding a bleed.", "This is a blind border around the design because the machines can't print all the way to the edge.", "Then it's time to load a roll-to-roll printing machine with weather resistant vinyl mesh.", "They feed the leading edge of the roll into the machine and pull it through the output end.", "This aligns the vinyl so that the printing won't come out crooked.", "They slip a cardboard tube over the roller which will receive the printed vinyl and tape on the leading edge.", "If this job required printing on a ridged material, they'd be using a flatbed printer rather than the roll-to-roll.", "Both machines print with ink-jet technology, similar to a home computer printer.", "However, rather than using dye-based inks, they're typically solvent-based.", "They're designed to withstand outdoor conditions for three to five years.", "The machine uses the standard ink-jet colors-- black, yellow, cyan, and magenta.", "It also includes light cyan and light magenta to provide additional shade variations.", "The machine has 12 print heads, 2 per color.", "Each head has 256 nozzles.", "Once daily, they're put through a full cleaning procedure to prevent clogging.", "The print head moves back and forth across the vinyl.", "The computer guides the individual nozzles to deposit dots of ink at specific spots.", "All those colored dots together form the printed design.", "The first 6 inches the machine prints are a color bar test to make sure that every nozzle is working properly.", "The printing of the actual design follows.", "The printed vinyl banner exits the machine and winds around the receiving roller.", "Then they mount the roll onto another machine, which trims off the excess vinyl and the bleed with rotary blades.", "When the banner is compromised of sections, workers connect them.", "First they align the edges, then they bond the joint temporarily with masking tape.", "They flick a switch to project laser lines, which indicate the width and center of the weld.", "The weld will permanently connect the sections on the reverse side.", "Turning the banner facedown, workers align the joint with the center line.", "A magnetic strip secures the banner to the table to prevent it from shifting, and a vacuum pulls the banner taut.", "At the same time, a hot air welder fuses the joint with heat-activated adhesive tape.", "Then they flip the banner faceup again and remove the temporary tape.", "The last step is to reinforce the perimeter with webbing-- the material used for seat belts.", "This gives the banner a nice finished edge.", "It also creates a strong border in which to secure grommets for hanging the banner.", "Workers apply the grommets manually with a pneumatic press.", "A banner typically has a grommet every 24 inches, plus 3 in each corner.", "To hang the banner, you run bungee cords through the grommets, pull taut, then hook the ends to plates affixed to the building facade.", "A few screws for reinforcement, and you're done.", "Wind passes right through the tiny holes of the vinyl mesh so the banner doesn't billow.", "When you're learning how to operate heavy equipment, one wrong move can cause damage or injuries.", "That's why it's becoming more common to train on a simulator, which can replicate real-life scenarios from typical maneuvers to emergency situations.", "Whether learning to operate a crane, backhoe, or excavator, it's safer for a trainee to make rookie mistakes at a virtual work site.", "The instructor simply installs heavy equipment controls and loads the appropriate software.", "Then the simulator is all set to replicate how the equipment maneuvers.", "A heavy equipment simulator begins life as a series of 3-d technical drawings.", "Mechanical engineering technicians plug in the details of the customer's order, including foot pedals and joysticks to control the equipment's various movements.", "Then assembly can begin.", "Following the plans, technicians build the steel motion platform which replicates the movement of the cab.", "Its base has wheels for rolling the simulator from one location to another.", "This drive controls the three actuators which raise, lower, and tilt the platform.", "Once the technicians have installed and wired up all three actuators, they install the platform cover.", "Next, they mount the height-adjustable seat.", "At its base, enclosed in a bellow, is a pneumatic suspension system.", "This enables the seat to realistically bounce or jerk in response to the action being simulated.", "Meanwhile, another technician assembles the simulator's control box.", "He mounts the joystick controller and connects its wiring to a cable inside.", "The cable leads to a connector on the base of the box.", "That connector simply plugs into the motion platform right next to the operator's seat.", "The box attaches securely with large screw knobs, making it easy to disconnect and switch to different kinds of simulations.", "The foot pedals are mounted to a separate platform.", "Technicians attach it to the motion platform with two screws.", "Like the control box, the idea is to be able to switch this pedal platform easily for a different one.", "The simulator's cab is now fully assembled and it moves just like a real one.", "The virtual view from the cab, spans five l.c.d. screens to give the trainee a realistic perspective of the work site.", "After installing the screen supports, workers mount the screens.", "The configuration mimics the window layout of the typical cab.", "The simulation runs on software that's designed in-house.", "However, the client can further customize the program for a specific make and model of heavy equipment or to simulate specific scenarios that might arise on a particular work site.", "The simulator has five different computers.", "Three of them run the seat movement, the screens, and a small touch screen to the trainee's right.", "That screen displays the buttons, knobs, and levers of the heavy equipment's dashboard.", "The fourth computer calculates the physics of the simulated environment such as the excavator's digging movement and the corresponding soil movement.", "The fifth computer manages the training scenarios.", "For instance, an instructor can program adverse weather conditions to make the exercise more difficult.", "To simulate a different piece of equipment, the instructor simply switches the joystick and pedals if necessary and loads the appropriate software.", "In the simulator, the trainee has the same perspective he or she would have in the real-life cab.", "Three reflective markers on the helmet enable an infrared camera mounted above the screens to track the trainee's head movements.", "This prompts the software to display the corresponding view.", "Tragedy on the racetrack led to the development of the head and neck restraint in the 1980s.", "Investigations had revealed a deadly trend in motor sports.", "With the driver's body restrained, the head moved violently in a crash, causing fracture to the base of the skull.", "Clearly, more restraint was needed.", "Attached to a helmet, a head and neck restraint is designed to save the racer's skull.", "It has become required equipment in many racing organizations.", "To make these restraints, they mix plastic and carbon fiber pellets.", "The carbon fiber fortifies the plastic, which is made from castor bean oil instead of petroleum products.", "A machine melts the mixture and injects it into a mold under pressure to produce the base structure for the restraint.", "The operator breaks off what's known as the sprue-- plastic that's solidified in the channels leading to the mold.", "He trims the plastic and carbon fiber overflow from around the edges.", "This overflow is known in the industry as \"flash\".", "He hangs the parts to cure over a 24-hour period.", "The next day, the employee clamps the part in a jig and activates computerized tools.", "The first one drills holes for tethering restraint to the helmet.", "Another trims it to its final size.", "An automated hot knife now cuts nylon tether material to the correct length.", "Then it's over to a computerized sewing machine to stitch the tether around a chrome fitting.", "The stitching pattern has been designed by an engineer to withstand the force of impact.", "The operator then stitches on a label, which says the tether's design has been sanctioned by both american and european racing organizations.", "Next, using a dye powered by bursts of air, a worker punches out shoulder pads from cushion foam.", "The next member of the team slides the shoulder pads into casings made of fire-resistant cotton.", "It's a snug fit, and without a special installation tool, the job wouldn't go smoothly.", "By folding the pad into the tool and then inserting it into the long case, there are no bunch ups.", "Some head and neck restraints are adjustable so drivers can find a more comfortable fit.", "They assemble those restraints in three pieces with the adjustable fittings in the joints.", "The employee then paints adhesive primer onto the base structure of the head and neck restraint.", "He coats most of the plastic and carbon fiber surface with it.", "He applies neoprene padding to the primed surface.", "The padding is adhesive backed and it bonds instantly.", "He attaches the tether to the back of the restraint with plastic clips and screws.", "Using hook and loop tape, he secures the shoulder pads to the other side of the restraint's yoke.", "Another worker applies more certification labels.", "They signify that the actual structure of the head and neck restraint meets standards.", "They now test a randomly selected restraint.", "A hydraulic arm pulls the tethers until the restraint snaps, mimicking the force of a violent impact.", "The restraint withstands more than what's required and breaks in the right place.", "Next, an employee attaches a head and neck restraint to the helmet using the tethers.", "Two crash dummies put the restraints to the test.", "The one on the left isn't wearing a restraint while the right one is.", "Steady nerves and a steady head could save a racer's life, and a head and neck restraint definitely improves the odds." ]

{ "things": [ "Electrophoretic Displays", "Dry Erase Boards", "Air Rifles", "Quartz Countertops" ] }

[ "Electrophoretic technology mimics the effect of ink on paper.", "The screens reflect light, unlike conventional back-lit displays that emit light.", "Also known as e-paper, this technology has changed the way we see our screens.", "Mobile devices, e-readers, smart watches, and credit cards all contain electrophoretic displays.", "With its print-like readability and bluetooth capability, it's easy to see the attraction.", "To make an electrophoretic screen, polyethylene film is placed on a sheet of glass, which holds the film as its processed.", "Production takes place in a filtered room, to keep the area contaminant-free.", "Inside the room, robots move the glass carrier through processes that transform the film into the backplane.", "The backplane is the main structure of the screen.", "It carries the organic transistors that drive the electrophoretic display.", "Machinery builds up micro-thin layers of metal, organize solutions, semiconductors, and isolators.", "This spin coder evenly spreads the material across the film.", "Nozzles apply an organic solution that acts as a booster for the semiconductors.", "The spin coder closes and rotates the glass carrier to spread the deposited material by centrifugal force.", "The automated system adds layers of semiconductors, electrical isolators, and metal.", "A rinse of de-ionized water cleans the coated film, and a blast of air blows off the water.", "Rollers apply gentle pressure to ensure the film sticks to the glass even when positioned vertically.", "Once the photoresist chemical has been applied, the film goes into an exposure chamber.", "A patterned mass is placed in front of the film to block out lighting in some areas.", "The exposure defines the structure of the metal layers so that, when combined with the other materials, they'll serve as transistors.", "The backplane film is removed from the glass carrier.", "Now the film is ready for the electronic-ink-sheet placement.", "A technician places the backplane in a laminator.", "He uses a camera to magnify and position the backplane.", "A vacuum in the laminator chuck holds the backplane in place.", "He places the electronic ink sheet on the chuck beside the backplane and peels off the liner, exposing the adhesive.", "Then the ink sheet and the backplane are fused together.", "A roller presses the assembly for full adhesion.", "Once the lamination process is complete, a technician removes the screen from the chuck.", "This is the backplane before and after the electronic ink lamination.", "An automated system bonds the electronics to a circuit board that's attached to the display screen.", "The system mechanically seals the circuit board.", "Polymer resin is applied for stability.", "U.v. light cures the resin.", "This is the electrophoretic display before and after the electronics have been added.", "This particular display screen will be an e-reader.", "They load a graphic with black strips onto the screen.", "The strips serve as reference points, as a printer applies a combination red, green, and blue filter.", "The filter adds the option of colored text or pictures.", "The primary colors can be combined to create other shades, expanding the visual possibilities of the electronic ink.", "A machine bends a sample screen repeatedly to confirm that the sample is flexible enough to be formed into a bracelet or credit card.", "Additional tests are conducted to confirm that the electrophoretic display has the desired clarity and color.", "Display patterns can be sent from a phone to a bracelet that has an electrophoretic screen.", "With electrophoretic technology, there are many different ways to enjoy screen time.", "A dry-erase board is a non-permanent surface most commonly used in professional or classroom environments.", "You simply write on the board with the dry-erase marker and use a specialized cloth to wipe away the markings.", "These effective tools are an easy way to get your message across.", "Dry-erase boards are also known as whiteboards.", "The boards wipe perfectly clean due to its non-porous surface and the dry-erase ink.", "Dry-erase ink contains release agents which prevent the pigments from permanently adhering to the surface.", "Green and black dry-erase boards can also be used as chalkboards, while gray and low-gloss white double as projection boards.", "The surface material is a porcelain-coated steel sheet-- flexible enough to be rolled up, but also pressure sensitive.", "To start, the roll is mounted on a cutting machine.", "A technician programs the machine to cut the roll to a specific length based on the board's dimensions.", "Workers verify the length and check that the piece is square.", "The surface material will be applied to one of seven types of substrate, ranging from cardboard to medium-density fiberboard known as mdf.", "The next step is to cut the large sheet of substrate-- in this case, mdf-- into board-size pieces.", "Another technician enters the length and width into the cutting machine.", "Once complete, the machine ejects the substrate, which is now cut to the exact size of the board.", "Next, the substrate is put through a hot-glue machine.", "The machine applies polyurethane adhesive to what will be the back of the dry-erase board.", "As the substrate exits, a sheet of foil is applied to the glued surface.", "The foil prevents moisture from entering, which would warp the substrate.", "The board moves through two steel rollers which flatten the foil and press out any trapped air.", "Next, the surface material is applied to the other side of the substrate.", "A craftswoman uses an air hose to clear away any dust from the side of the board.", "Once cleaned, the board goes through the glue machine.", "The porcelain steel sheet is placed on the glued surface.", "Technicians work carefully to ensure they don't touch the pressure-sensitive surface with their fingers.", "Then the board moves through the steel rollers to press the porcelain steel flat and remove any trapped air.", "Once 50 boards are stacked, technicians put them in a press for half an hour, until the glue cures.", "In another part of the factory, a machine cuts material to create the board's frame.", "It punches \"v\"-shaped notches in a length of aluminum trim.", "The trim bends at each notch to form a wraparound frame.", "Some boards come with a marker tray that runs along the bottom.", "To make these trays, a technician cuts board-length pieces from a piece of \"l\"-shaped metal trim.", "Since the tray ends are sharp, a technician attaches plastic covers for protection.", "He secures the plastic end covers with screws on both ends of the part.", "Meanwhile, technicians peel off the protective film covering the writing surface.", "Then they flip over the board to assemble the parts from the back.", "This model doesn't have the traditional wraparound frame.", "Instead, it has a frame comprised of four straight \"c\"-shaped pieces that fit over the board's edges.", "To add stability, technicians attach screws through the trim into the substrate.", "Once assembly is complete, the dry-erase board is placed into a box, ready to be shipped to a business or classroom near you.", "Air rifles are not toys.", "They're serious weapons.", "Used primarily for hunting, air rifles should only be handled by trained, licensed professionals.", "Chemically, air rifles use one of three types of power depending on their design, all of which utilize compressed air instead of an explosive charge.", "Handling air rifles should always be treated in a serious manner.", "It is very important to follow proper storage and operating safety guidelines to ensure it does not go off accidentally.", "Air rifles are made out of pre-machined parts for the trigger assembly.", "To build one half of the trigger housing, a craftswoman uses a jig to align the end pieces to the side plate.", "Then she screws the parts together.", "She attaches the release latch to the inside of the trigger housing and installs a base for the trigger shoe.", "She hooks one end of a spring to the side plate, and the other end to the release latch.", "A second spring links the first spring to the trigger-shoe base.", "Next, a lever is installed which releases the firing pin.", "Once the trigger shoe and the trigger are attached, the assembly is complete.", "This part absorbs the recoil effect from firing.", "A technician inserts the recoil spring in a cylinder and adjusts the tension.", "He slides the recoil assembly into the bolt housing.", "The bolt housing seals the end of the gun barrel.", "He installs the recoil system and the housing, a lever for cocking the rifle, and inserts a lever pin.", "This end screw will enable the user to adjust the cocking position.", "He attaches the firing pin and the spring system...", "And builds the air-pressure regulator by joining metal rings with rubber seals to create the housing.", "He stacks washer springs on a shaft.", "He inserts the assembly into the regulator housing and attaches an air-pressure adjustment mechanism to the end.", "Using a special measuring device, he connects the regulator to an air cylinder.", "The cylinder feeds compressed air to the pressure regulator.", "The measuring tool indicates the regulator's performance.", "If needed, he'll adjust the pressure setting.", "A technician inserts the pressure regulator in the firing chamber housing and places a rubber seal in another opening, followed by a spring.", "The spring will open and close the one-directional valve that supplies compressed air to the firing chamber.", "Once the valve is installed, he joins the firing chamber to the recoil assembly.", "The two units are held together with substantial screws.", "Assembly of the air rifle's mechanics are now complete.", "A metal cover is screwed on top of the trigger system.", "Meanwhile, automated drills bore into steel cylinders to convert them into rifle barrels.", "A technician aligns one of the barrels to the firing chamber.", "Using a spacer tool, he tweaks the barrel's placement against the firing chamber and tightens the bolt to the barrel.", "The trigger system is run through a test using a special machine that measures the force it takes to open the valve.", "An inspector fires the air rifle to measure the pellet's velocity and the accuracy of the shot.", "He adjusts the tension on the firing-pin spring.", "He loads the rifle again and fires it once more to confirm the accuracy of his adjustments.", "Another technician attaches the stock, also called the shoulder stock, to the rifle.", "He screws the compressed-air cylinder to the pressure regulator, securing it in place.", "Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth.", "It's no wonder artisans are crafting this plentiful crystal, mixed with polymer resin, into kitchen and bathroom countertops.", "These engineered countertops have low porosity, are resilient, and can be enhanced by pigments, sparkles, or other minerals.", "Quartz countertops offer more creative designs than other stone surfaces.", "Some are fused with flecks of mother of pearl, metal for a more dramatic look...", "Or speckled with materials like glass, porcelain, and granite for visual effect.", "Quartz rock arrives at the factory broken up into small, sharp-edged crystals.", "They're stored in outdoor bins until production.", "The crystals tumble into a hopper that follows them into the factory.", "The glittery quartz crystals cascade onto a conveyor, heading to a rinsing station.", "The crystals enter a revolving drum, known as the tumbler, and are tossed in the fire burning inside the drum.", "The intense heat removes residual moisture and sanitizes the crystals.", "Then the crystals are transferred to sifter machines.", "The sifter machines shake the crystals through screens fitted with smaller mesh.", "The particles flow into separate bins.", "The ingredients for the quartz countertop formula are loaded into feeder bins.", "The formula calls for a black countertop with shiny flecks and green undertones.", "The ingredients include two different sizes of quartz crystals-- green glass and mirror chips.", "A computer releases specific amounts of the ingredients into a hopper.", "As the hopper opens, a conveyor takes the ingredients to a blender.", "Black pigment is mixed into the blender, along with powdery filler quartz.", "The mix is over 90% quartz.", "A polymer resin will act as a binder and add strength.", "Down the line, a large mold moves into position...", "And an overhead mixer disperses the quartz blend into the mold.", "The mixer repeats the process twice to build up the materials to the desired thickness.", "Then the mold vibrates, shaking the mixture into a more level state.", "This will be the back of the quartz countertop.", "For additional strength and flexibility, nylon mesh is added to the countertop mixture.", "A device pulls the mesh over the mix.", "Once it's aligned with the mold contents, the machine drops the mesh into place.", "An automated dispenser spreads granulated limestone, filling any voids in the countertop mixture.", "Next, the ingredients are placed in a kiln for two hours.", "A blade scrapes off the loose limestone from the slab backing.", "Polishing heads studded with industrial diamonds will now give the top of the slab a serious shine.", "Simultaneously, an operator adjusts the tension of the polishers.", "The polishers spin as water flows across the countertop to produce the desired level of gloss.", "This particular quartz slab is about 1/4 inch thick.", "Its thin, flexible profile means the quartz can be shaped to different structures if needed.", "A technician preparers the transfer of pattern onto a white quartz slab.", "He drapes a long sheet of paper, pattern side down, onto the slab and tapes it to the work surface.", "He activates a heat press, which turns the ink on the paper into a gas that penetrates the resin in the slab.", "The pattern becomes intrinsic to the engineered stone.", "With this process, any design can be part of a slab, including some that give the illusion of marble.", "But unlike marble, engineered quartz won't stain.", "With quartz countertops, the possibilities are almost endless." ]

{ "things": [ "Kitchen Accessories", "Central Vacuums", "Papier" ] }

[ "When it comes to kitchen accessories, many cooks choose to forgo metal, plastic, and silicone in favor of a more classic material, wood.", "Wood is not only elegant, it's lightweight and very durable.", "And its look fits in with traditional, contemporary, or modern kitchen decor.", "Rolling pins, meat mallets, cutting boards, trivets are some of the many items this czech company makes out of beech, a hard and durable type of wood.", "The first step is to dry out the logs.", "This prevents the wood from expanding and contracting with humidity changes and eventually cracking.", "The factory air-dries the logs outdoors for about seven months, then heat-dries them in a kiln for three to four weeks.", "When the moisture level is down to between 8% and 10%, the wood is ready.", "Each log first goes through a large automated hacksaw.", "It slices vertically, cutting the log into several pieces of the specific thickness required for the kitchen accessory in production.", "Next, a dimensioning saw cuts the pieces to the required length.", "The final saw cuts the pieces to the required width.", "To make a cutting board, they run one edge of the cut piece through a gluing machine.", "Then, they assemble the pieces edge-to-edge in a press.", "The number of pieces they put together depends on the size of the cutting board they're making.", "After an hour clamped under pressure, the pieces bond into a large panel.", "Workers then cut the panel into the smaller pieces, each of which will become a cutting board.", "A computer-guided milling machine cuts the shape of the cutting board, which, in this case, is a model with a recessed middle designed to catch crumbs.", "They submerge the cutting boards in vegetable oil, then let them air dry for a day.", "Oiling nourishes the wood, which prevents it from drying out.", "The oil also enhances the color and brings out the beauty of the wood grain.", "To make rolling pins, workers feed the cut wood through a planer.", "It finalizes the dimensions to 2.8x2.8 inches wide by 10.2 inches long.", "Then they mount several pieces at a time onto a machine which has multiple lathes.", "As each lathe spins over the course of about 30 seconds, successive tools turn the wood to a cylindrical shape...", "And sand the surface.", "One cylinder at a time, workers drill a half-inch hole right through the middle.", "Meanwhile, a small lathe turns 1.2x4.2-inch blocks of wood into rolling-pin handles.", "Workers saw off excess wood at the outer end of the handle...", "And sand the area flat.", "The finished handle goes into a revolving barrel of varnish for about an hour.", "All the parts are now ready and assembly can begin.", "After giving the ends a quick sanding, they hammer a nylon ring into the hole on each side of the pin.", "The ring diameter is slightly larger than that of the hole so it locks in.", "Next, they insert a zinc-coated steel rod all the way through, position the rolling pin in a press, fit a handle on one protruding end of the rod, then a second handle onto the other end.", "They activate the press, which forces the handles all the way onto the rod.", "The pin rolls smoothly thanks to the nylon rings.", "These kitchen accessories showcase the natural beauty of wood, wood that's fsc certified, meaning it comes from a forest that's managed according to standards of environmental protection.", "A central vacuum doesn't have to be pulled or carried from room to room and up and down stairs.", "Its power unit containing the motor and dirt receptacle is mounted on a wall, usually in the basement or garage.", "This stationary unit connects to plastic ducts that run inside the walls to inlets in different parts of the home.", "You plug the attachment hose into the nearest inlet and the central power unit suctions the debris through the wall ducts.", "Being stationary, weight isn't an issue.", "Therefore, central-vacuum motors are larger and more powerful than those in portable vacuum cleaners.", "A factory makes the main body of the power unit out of a steel sheet about 4/10 of an inch thick.", "A press punches out the openings required for the various components.", "A forming roller rounds the sheet into the unit's circular shape.", "They close the circle by tack-welding a few key spots.", "Then, they weld the entire length.", "This continuous seam makes the unit air tight for optimal suction and to prevent the collected dirt from escaping.", "They use the same material and technique to form the sides of the power unit's large dirt receptacle.", "Then a hydraulic press rolls a rim at the top, making the receptacle safe for the user to remove, empty, then put back in place.", "They make a rim on the bottom edge as well, sealing it over the bottom plate of the dirt receptacle.", "Then they put the power unit's main body on a hydraulic press and shape a rim that connects to the dirt receptacle.", "Next, they make a support for the motor and tack-weld a mesh basket under it.", "The basket supports the vacuum cleaner's filter.", "The power unit's main body goes on top of the dirt receptacle.", "The motor support and filtration basket fit inside.", "And a cover goes on top.", "Now the unit gets a coat of high-quality epoxy paint.", "The application system is electrostatic, meaning it charges the unit with a negative current and the powder paint particles with a positive one.", "This magnetically draws the particles onto the unit in an even layer.", "Then 45 minutes in an oven bakes it on for extra durability.", "They seal the connection between the dirt receptacle and the power unit main body.", "This must be airtight for two reasons-- to prevent air from leaking through, which would lessen suction power, and to prevent collected dust from escaping.", "Next, they line the main body's motor compartment with soundproofing foam.", "An adhesive backing holds it against the compartments walls, and dabs of liquid adhesive secure the corners.", "They install a filter on the outside to capture carbon dust.", "Carbon dust is a fine black dust which electrical motors emit.", "Now they apply decals bearing the series name and model number.", "They use a laser level to position them perfectly straight in just the right spot.", "Back to the motor compartment now.", "The electric motor sits on this rubber-foam gasket and rubber legs, both of which absorb vibration.", "They also prevent metal-to-metal contact between the motor and body, the secret to the vacuum's quiet operation.", "Whereas portable vacuum cleaners have a lightweight motor with a single fan, this motor is a large, heavy-duty, long-life steel motor with three fans.", "The electronic components go into the neighboring compartment.", "Then workers use a variety of equipment to test suction, voltage, and other specifications.", "They connect an lcd display on the outside, cap the compartments with a motor-cooling insulated disk, then the unit's cover.", "The factory's lab selects a certain percentage of units at random for quality-control testing.", "During operation, the lcd screens on both the power unit and hose handle display the power level.", "They also indicate when the unit needs technical maintenance, when to empty the dirt receptacle, and when to remove and wash the filters.", "They're a bold option for people looking to go a bit wild with their home decor.", "Large, colorful animals made of paper-mache-- inanimate, exotic pets that make quite the conversation piece.", "Sold in galleries or upscale design boutiques, each creature is a unique work painted by an artist.", "These large-scale paper-mache animals are hand-crafted by artisans in tonala, mexico, a town renowned for colorful, decorative arts.", "They cast the animal shape in plaster and fiberglass molds.", "There's a two-part mold for each of the animals' main body parts.", "The artisans dampen pieces of recycled cardboard...", "Then glue them onto the walls of the mold cavity.", "They continue until they've fully lined the cavity five layers thick, three layers if it's a small-sized animal.", "Then, they close the mold and set it aside to dry.", "Depending on the size, this takes from three to six days.", "Then they open the mold and extract what is now a hollow cardboard shell of the body part.", "They assemble the animal by adhering all the body-part shells, reinforcing the joints with strips of newspaper.", "Then they paper over the entire surface to even it out.", "The paper dries in 3 to 12 hours, depending on the size of the animal.", "Next, they mix together talc, water...", "Glue...", "And wet cardboard.", "This recipe produces a thick adhesive paste that they spread evenly over the entire animal.", "The paste takes about 40 minutes to dry and harden.", "Then they apply a second coat.", "When that dries, they water down the paste to a thin, runny consistency and apply a third coat.", "Once that dries, they send the animal to the detailing department.", "There, using the thick paste, artists sculpt and apply raised body and facial features.", "Once the paste detailing dries, they sand the entire animal to prep for painting.", "In the art department, they first apply a primer coat, white or beige.", "This seals the surface.", "Once the primer is dry, they paint the animal's background color.", "Now the true artistry begins.", "Using water colors, artists make the animals come alive with expressive eyes and fanciful features.", "No stencils or predetermined designs.", "The artists follow their imagination and create a unique work of art.", "The last step-- four coats of transparent lacquer in either a high-gloss or matte finish.", "The lacquer dries hard as a rock, forming an impenetrable, protective layer over the paint.", "The paper-mache surface is now durable and moisture-resistant.", "These hand-crafted animals are sought after by collectors around the world, which might explain why it's a jungle out there.", "When the pressure is on, that's when a lot of machines really perform.", "We're talking about the kind of pressure that comes from hydraulic fluid as it's pumped through cylinders.", "From crane claws to snowplows to a lot of manufacturing equipment, hydraulic cylinders are truly a driving force in the world.", "This is fluid power in action.", "Pressurized fluid pumped into cylinders does all the heavy work, making this forklift actually lift.", "Production begins with the cylinder barrel.", "A band saw cuts steel tubing to the correct length.", "Then computerized tools carve a solid cylinder to transform it into the piston rod.", "It's this rod that will be moved by hydraulic pressure to transfer force to a machine like the forklift.", "The tools cut threads in one end and also carve various diameters.", "This will have a cushioning effect as the machine the cylinders powers cycles down.", "The other end of the rod will be attached to the piston which is now taking shape as a special tool bores through the center to create a threaded hole.", "Using a special gauge, a worker measures the hole's dimensions to confirm the piston rod will fit into it exactly.", "Another computerized cutter then carves grooves on the outside wall of the piston.", "With the piston now complete, they install a web of sealer rings on both it and the cylinder head, which has been machined in a similar fashion.", "These sealers will prevent leaking of the pressurized fluids as the piston rod moves through the center holes of these parts.", "This blue sealer will also act as a wiper, removing dirt from the piston rod and keeping contaminants out of the cylinder.", "This \"o\" ring installed on the outside of the cylinder head will stop fluid leakage between it and the cylinder barrel.", "With the sealers installed, a worker now lubricates the mouth of the cylinder head.", "This allows for the a smooth installation of the part to one end of the piston rod.", "He then slides the piston onto the other end of the rod and secures it with a nut.", "He tightens the nut to the rod using an impact gun.", "Production now returns to the cylinder barrel as a robot welds a cap onto it.", "The opening fitting adjacent to it was installed earlier to attach the hose that delivers the fluids.", "The worker now clamps the cylinder barrel in a device to stabilize it.", "He lubricates the threaded open end so he can easily slide a metal sleeve into it.", "This sleeve prevents snags so those critical sealer rings remain intact as he now inserts the piston-rod assembly into the barrel.", "Once the piston is safely in the barrel, he removes the sleeve.", "He then shoves the rod further into the barrel and screws the cylinder head to the threaded lip.", "Using a spanner wrench, he tightens the assembly to the required torque.", "He dabs adhesive onto a screw.", "He inserts the screw in the cylinder head.", "The adhesive dries and expands to lock the screw tightly in place.", "They now etch the client name, part number and other information onto the assembled cylinder using a computerized engraving tool.", "This cylinder is now ready for fluid-- hydraulic-grade oil specifically formulated to operate under pressure.", "The technician attaches hoses to the cylinder to fill it with pressurized oil.", "As the pressure builds at one end, the piston rod extends.", "He then supplies fluid to the other end and the rod retracts.", "He runs a finger around the fittings and sealers to check for leaks.", "He gives this hydraulic cylinder the all-clear.", "After a good wash, a worker spray-paints the hydraulic cylinders to protect the metal against rust.", "Now complete, these hydraulic cylinders are ready to leave the factory.", "They'll soon be under a lot of pressure to keep machines and mechanisms operating.", "But it's the kind of pressure they've been made for." ]

{ "things": [ "Grapples", "Flavorings", "Dog Sleds", "Athletic Shoes" ] }

[ "At many work sites, grapples do all the heavy lifting.", "Dangling from crane booms, these huge mechanized claws move mountains of material one load at a time.", "Some are equipped with powerful electromagnets for gathering small bits of metal along with the large ones.", "Not much can escape the grasp of the mighty grapple.", "A magnet at the center pulls metal from the scrap heap, while four fingers dig into the pile.", "It then transfers the load of steel for recycling.", "It actually takes some of that recycled steel to make a grapple in the form of steel plate.", "A computer-guided flame burns through the steel to cut out the various part shapes.", "It will take approximately 50 pieces in a range of shapes and thicknesses to make one grapple.", "A press brake repeatedly rams one of the parts while an operator adjusts it forward between thrusts.", "The process curls the part to give it a claw-like profile.", "It's the basic shape of a grapple finger.", "Using a template, he checks the curvature to confirm it's on target.", "He'll curl four fingers per grapple.", "Meanwhile, a welder pieces together the grapple's core, working within a special fixture that allows him to assemble it precisely.", "After he tack-welds them together, it's over to the robot.", "It does the permanent welds as the core slowly rotates in a special device.", "They hoist the welded grapple core over to the magnet and feed its main wire up through the core.", "They lower the core, and it fits onto metal dowels protruding from the magnet.", "This allows them to align the two precisely.", "They thread high-strength bolts into the dowels to secure the assembly.", "Next, they place a turntable bearing on the grapple's top flange.", "This bearing is an important part of the claw-rotator mechanism.", "They fasten the bearing's outer ring to the flange with numerous bolts, torqueing each one tightly to withstand the spinning action of the bearing's inner ring.", "As demonstrated here, the bearing turns in both directions to give the grapple's claw movements a lot of flexibility.", "A worker now lowers the upper rotator assembly onto the turntable bearing.", "This assembly holds the rotator's motor and the manifold that feeds hydraulic fluid to the cylinders that power the claw.", "They now slide the hydraulic cylinders into their slots and lock them in place with pivot pins.", "They install a total of four cylinders.", "Each one will power one grapple finger, and together, they'll open and close the grapple claw.", "They connect the hydraulic feed lines to the cylinders and reinforce the connection with a four-bolt flange that can handle the pressure of the hydraulic fluid.", "They guide each steel finger into slots in the grapple core and align them correctly.", "They slide a pivot pin into the attachment holes to link the two.", "This pin will also act as a kind of hinge as the finger opens and closes.", "They fasten the pivot pin to the grapple with a nut that's split in one spot.", "This split enables it to be squeezed tightly around the large pin with a small bolt.", "They attach the hydraulic cylinders to the claw fingers with more large steel pins.", "And they're now ready to power the grapple claw and test the gripping action.", "The four tines, or fingers, open and close in unison.", "The tips mate correctly.", "There's no overlap.", "They roll paint onto the company emblem, and this grapple claw is now ready for the jobsite.", "It weighs 4.5 tons, and just dropping it on a car will crumple it like a piece of tissue paper.", "It takes about 150 hours to manufacture a grapple claw that can get a grip on the really big jobs in a matter of seconds.", "Whether it's boysenberry in your muffin, hazelnut in your coffee, blue cheese in your salad dressing, or spearmint in your chewing gum, the source is usually a prepared flavoring.", "Food and drink makers typically approach a flavorings company to custom-design and produce whatever flavor they need.", "Not only do flavoring companies produce ingredients for commercial use, they also manufacture stand-alone flavoring products for retail sale, such as those syrups you squirt into coffee, fountain drinks, and other beverages.", "In the company's research and development laboratory, flavor chemists create each recipe, drawing from an elaborate arsenal of ingredients.", "If they're designing an orange flavoring, for example, they might combine orange essence and orange peel with extracts from other citrus fruits, tweaking the proportions until they achieve exactly the taste they're after.", "This chemist is designing flavoring for a soft drink.", "He pours a specific amount of his trial recipe into water, then carbonates the mix by adding pressurized carbon dioxide.", "Then he bottles the drink and sends it to the client for approval.", "Once the client gives the okay, plant technicians mix a production formula, following very precise weights and measures set out in the recipe.", "Once they combine the formula's key ingredients, they add them to the liquid fillers-- such as fruit juice and water-- and solvents such as ethanol.", "The solvents trigger molecular changes that transform the oil-soluble key ingredients into a water-soluble state.", "Without this conversion, the finished flavoring would simply float on top of any liquid to which it's added.", "At several points throughout the process, the company's quality-control lab performs an array of tests to assess color, flavor, viscosity, and other characteristics.", "The last ingredients to go into the production formula, when the recipe calls for them, are colorings.", "Sometimes a client wants a powdered flavoring rather than a liquid one.", "So chemists develop a liquid recipe that a machine called a spray dryer can process into a powder.", "In the production plant, workers pour the required quantity of production formula into a large processing kettle.", "They add whatever additional ingredients the recipe may call for, and if required, heat the mix.", "If they're making a powdered flavoring, then from the kettle, they pour the liquid into a mixer containing water, gums, and starches.", "These keep all the ingredients evenly blended.", "Then they open a hatch and drop the mix directly into the spray dryer.", "The machine uses high pressure to transform the liquid into a fine mist, then heat to dry the mist particles into powder particles.", "They put the powder into a machine called a ribbon blender and add whatever dry ingredients the flavoring recipe calls for.", "Then mixing blades slowly blend all the powders together.", "The plant sends a sample from the blender to the quality-control lab.", "Among other tests, lab technicians put the sample under a microscope to analyze the particle size, which indicates how thoroughly the ingredients are blended.", "Exiting the ribbon blender, the finished flavoring passes through a vibrating screen, a magnet, and a metal detector.", "The packaging equipment weighs a specific quantity and dispenses it into cartons lined with polyethylene.", "A suction hose vacuums what dusts up in the process, because airborne powder is an explosion hazard.", "The plant sends a sample from every batch it produces back to the lab.", "Trained testers smell and taste the sample and compare it to the model lab batch.", "The testers flag any production sample that's even the slightest bit off the mark, in which case they alert the flavor chemists, who then diagnose and fix the problem.", "This procedure, along with the various quality-control measures throughout the production process, ensures taste consistency, which is absolutely critical, whether the prepared flavoring is an ingredient in a commercially produced food or beverage or a retail flavoring that you squirt into or sprinkle onto a drink or snack.", "For centuries, dog-driven sleds were a lifeline across the frozen north, delivering medicine and other supplies to far-flung communities.", "Today, aircraft and snowmobiles have mostly taken over that work, and dog-sledding has become a sport.", "And a well-made sled is behind every winning team.", "A dog-sled race is an endurance test for the dogs, the driver, and the sled itself.", "A good sled is both flexible and sturdy enough to go the distance.", "At this factory, they make sleds from white ash.", "A worker angles the ends of vertical bars so they can be fitted to the sled's top rail and handlebar.", "These bars are called stanchions.", "He shapes the other end of them so they'll fit into grooves in the sled's runner.", "All the parts of this sled are designed to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.", "A worker now screws aluminum rails onto the bottom of the two runners.", "He slides plastic strips into those aluminum rails, which gives the runners a smooth base for gliding over ice or snow.", "He secures the plastic strips at each end with screws.", "The crew is now ready to assemble all the pieces of the dog sled.", "They attach metal screw eyes to the runners.", "They'll thread rope through them when they're ready to tie the parts of the sled together.", "All the parts of the framework fit into notches made specifically for them.", "The location of those notches has been precisely mapped out.", "If one is even a fraction of an inch off, the sled would collapse like a house of cards.", "They measure the space between the runners to confirm they're perfectly aligned, and now tie the joints together with nylon rope.", "These ties are called lashings, and there are 22 of them on this dog sled.", "Historically, lashings were made of moose hide, but nylon is tougher.", "They cut the rope with a hot blade, which seals the fibers so that they won't unravel.", "They tie the midpoint joints together...", "And the focus then moves to the dog-sled handlebar.", "A worker glues strips of ash together.", "The strips are thin so they can be easily bent, allowing him to curl the glued layer around a u-form.", "He clamps the wood to the form, and the glue cures for three hours.", "It hardens into the u-shape, creating the dog-sled handlebar.", "He secures the handlebar to the dog sled with the nylon lashings.", "The team then assembles the bed of the sled.", "They clamp the slats into place, and then screw them to the framework.", "They install the sled's front bumper, called the brushbrow.", "Next, a worker cuts off the metal bead of a bicycle tire and discards it.", "He uses the remaining tire tread to create foot pads by wrapping it around pieces of thick plastic and screwing it into place.", "He installs a treaded pad on each runner to keep the driver's feet from slipping off.", "Then they install an aluminum bar brake.", "These pivot bolts will allow this bar brake to be raised when not needed, and lowered to engage the metal talons.", "He loops a bungee cord on each side of a cross bar and burns off an end.", "He hooks the other end of the cord to the brake.", "This simple bungee-cord mechanism will enable the dog-sled musher to activate the brake.", "He heat-shrinks rubber tubing around the base of the cord to protect it.", "They now weave the back of the sled, using nylon cord to create a basket for carrying things.", "It's big enough to hold a tired animal.", "The worker then loops and ties the bridle to front stanchions beneath the sled.", "He forms a \"v\" as he threads it from the back of the sled to the front.", "He paints urethane onto the wood, and even over the lashings.", "This will protect them against wear.", "It's taken about three days to make this traditional basket dog sled, and now it's ready to mush.", "Athletic footwear dates back to ancient times, but the concept gained traction with the development of treaded rubber soles in the early part of the 20th century.", "These rubber-soled shoes were lightweight, comfortable, and hit the ground quietly, earning them the name \"sneakers\".", "Design improvements have broadened the appeal of athletic shoes.", "People wear them everywhere.", "The athletic shoe has definitely gone main street.", "Using a hydraulic press, this employee forces a die through synthetic fabric to cut out patterns for the upper part of the shoe.", "At the next station, he punches out leather toe tips.", "The toe tip is one of numerous cut-outs that add shape and structure to the synthetic upper.", "After arranging the tip parts on a nonstick tray, this worker places strips of thermal resin onto them.", "She drapes a nonstick sheet over the tray, then slides it into a hot metal press.", "The resin melts into the leather to stiffen and strengthen it.", "Another worker stamps the model number onto the heel cutout.", "Then it's over to the sewing department, where a worker stitches a reflector onto the athletic shoe upper.", "Other accent pieces call for more intricate stitching, so she arranges the parts on a computerized platform.", "The platform moves back and forth, allowing the needle to do a perfect job of stitching the accent pieces to the upper.", "This stitching would be difficult to execute manually.", "Once some of the more substantial pieces have been applied to the shoe, it's time to sew on a reflective logo, and the needle is once again guided by computer software.", "This athletic-shoe upper is now ready for its resin-fortified leather toe tip.", "She stitches it in place, and then pieces together the collar and sews it to the back of the shoe.", "She installs thick foam padding on the inside of the collar, and then turns it right-side-out to tuck the padding neatly inside and hide the seam.", "Putting on the collar has obscured the top lace holes, so she clears them with a compressed-air punch.", "Down the line, more computerized needles embroider brand information onto the tongue panels.", "The next worker sews a liner and padding to the panel, again working inside-out to hide the seam.", "Another worker then stitches a fabric base onto the athletic shoe.", "She applies a rigid plastic to the heel.", "That adds structure and support to the back part of the shoe.", "Further down the production line, a worker tugs the shoe onto a foot form called a last.", "They heat it to make it malleable enough for this machine to pull it to the shape of the last.", "At the same time, nozzles apply cement to glue the overlap to the fabric base.", "Then a machine heats both the upper and the rubber sole.", "The heat activates glue applied to the sole earlier and also prepares the upper for bonding to that sole.", "They initially use manual force to press the two together, and then the shoe is subjected to mechanized pressure.", "Inside this machine, a rubber bladder expands to force the two together for a complete seal.", "The shoe then gets a foam insole with an arch support.", "The worker laces it partially and then pairs it up with the other shoe.", "An inspector examines the pair for defects.", "It has taken about 21 minutes to make this pair of athletic shoes.", "And they should be able to take a real workout." ]

{ "things": [ "Custom Shoe Trees", "Clay Targets", "Squeeze Chutes", "Composite Boat Propellers" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Custom shoe trees...", "Clay targets...", "Squeeze chutes...", "And composite boat propellers.", "Shoe trees are a device placed inside leather shoes to preserve their shape.", "They also absorb foot perspiration by wicking away leather-damaging moisture from the inside of the shoe.", "Shoe trees are a worthwhile investment because they extend the life of footwear.", "Shoe trees can be purchased at any price.", "Some are mass produced and inexpensive, while others can be handcrafted and custom ordered like these from a small workshop in france.", "The customer can select their preference of tree style as well as the type of wood and color.", "A craftsman uses a model in the customer's size and marks its length on a piece of wood.", "Using a band saw, the craftsman cuts the wood to the marked length.", "He saws one side flat to be able to lie the piece on its side.", "Then he traces the general shape of the model and saws along his previously marked lines to remove excess wood.", "Once complete, the block is roughly shaped like the model.", "Next, the block is mounted on one side of a pantograph, a milling machine that copies the form of one object to shape another.", "He mounts the model on the other side of the pantograph.", "Once the machine is turned on, both model and block begin rotating.", "The machine's tools, a tracer and a cutter, are linked.", "As the tracer runs across the model, the cutter moves in identical carving motions across the block.", "By the time the tracer finishes, the block is an exact copy except for those extra inches on the ends for mounting the block to the machine.", "The craftsman takes the copy off the pantograph and uses the sanding belt to remove any excess wood.", "He repeats the process to make a second copy.", "The craftsman measures and marks where he'll drill a hole on each piece of wood.", "For this style, he drills a hole right through the wood.", "Next, he measures the front of the customer's shoe and measures the length of each shoe tree.", "He does this to ensure that he has the correct dimensions.", "If the shoe tree is longer, he marks how much wood he needs to remove.", "Then he uses a template to create the top opening and traces the design on to the wood.", "With the band saw, the craftsman cuts along the marked line.", "The top opening is now complete.", "He drills holes in the bottom of each shoe tree to hollow it out.", "The drill bit is replaced with a different tool, to carve out the remaining wood in the cavity.", "With another tool, he smoothes the the surface of the bottom and top openings.", "With a band saw, he slices the shoe tree in half to create a hinged style.", "On each piece, he makes markings for the hinge, which will connect the two parts and cuts out a notch.", "After drilling holes for the hinge screws, he files the notch smooth and attaches the polished brass hinge.", "To ensure there are no rough edges, the craftsman sands the shoe tree.", "Depending on the style, the craftsman may apply a stained wood finish or a coating of liquid wax.", "Finally, the shoes are ready to be shipped back to the customer with the custom shoe trees rooted firmly inside.", "Clay targets are made to be destroyed the very first time they're used.", "Manufactured in multiple colors, these inverted saucers are used as practice targets and can be launched by hand or through automated machines.", "Also referred to as clay pigeons, these targets are not actually made of clay.", "They're made with pitch, a ceramic-type material, or resin.", "Since the 1920s, this french company has been producing clay saucers for both target practice and competitions, including the olympics.", "The founder invented the first automated target molding machine in 1947.", "Pitch targets are made from petroleum pitch, a substance derived from crude oil, and calcium carbonate, commonly known as talc.", "Talc is the filler while petroleum pitch is the binding agent, which solidifies into a hard, brittle material.", "The talc arrives at the factory heated at 176 degrees fahrenheit.", "A technician transfers the talc from the truck to a heated storage silo.", "A screw conveyor moves the talc from the silo to the blender tank, mixing it with the pitch.", "The petroleum pitch arrives to the factory heated to 392 degrees.", "The pitch is transferred to a heated storage silo and pumped into a blender.", "Every 10 seconds, 22 pounds of petroleum pitch and 64 pounds of talc are released into the blender.", "The materials cool as soon as they leave the heated silos.", "A gas boiler reheats the ingredients in 509-degree oil.", "The hot oil circulates in pipes around the blender, heating the pitch talc mixture to about 390 degrees.", "This process changes the consistency to a paste.", "The paste flows from the blender to the automatic molding machine.", "This valve cuts the flow at regular intervals to time the injections into the target-shaped molds.", "The machine compresses the paste while cooling it with water so that it solidifies.", "A transfer distance moves the targets on to a conveyer belt one at a time.", "As they move to the next conveyer belt, the molds are flipped right-side up.", "Even though the molds are still hot, they've remained soft and pliable.", "As the targets continue to cool and harden, a separating device lines them up for the conveyer belts that go to the paint chambers.", "The paint is made primarily of carbonate and biodegradable powdered pigment.", "A technician pours a pre-measured amount of water...", "And a bag of pigment into a mixer.", "The mixer combines the ingredients together.", "Once the water and pigment have blended together, a pre-measured amount of carbonate is added to the mixer, along with a binding and thickening agent.", "After additional blending, the paint is ready.", "The targets move from the conveyer belt onto spinning holders, which carry the targets through the paint chamber.", "Inside, a sprayer coats the spinning targets with paint.", "The targets exit the chamber wet and cooled.", "Another separator divides the targets on to two conveyer belts, which carry them through a hot-air tunnel for 30 seconds to dry the paint.", "The conveyer belt feeds the targets to a machine, which piles them in stacks.", "Clay pigeons can be manufactured in several sizes.", "Olympic regulation size is the largest, containing a width of four inches.", "A smaller target is used for training purposes and contains a width under four inches.", "Regardless of their size, all targets are engineered to remain stable in flight while following the intended trajectory.", "And, finally, shatter when shot.", "The average cow weighs up to 2,000 pounds.", "During medical procedures, due to its size, a device called the squeeze chute is used to hold a cow steady.", "The walls of this stall immobilize the animal, allowing a veterinarian access to administer treatment.", "A squeeze chute holds an animal still for medical and other procedures so that no one gets hurt.", "The key to the design is a front gate that closes around the animal's head and a cage-like structure with a squeeze wall that contains the rest of the body.", "Production starts with a big coil of steel.", "As it unwinds, rollers straighten the steel and the blade cuts it into sheets.", "The sheets move to a laser-cutting station.", "The laser cuts out the same part multiple times, producing many parts from one sheet.", "The part that's produced is a component of the side exit gate.", "The steel is formed into tubing.", "An operator loads the tubing into a bending machine.", "The machine wraps the tubing around dies, shaping it into one of the chute's access hoops.", "The machine cuts the ends of the hoop and ejects it.", "An automated system transfers the hoops to a rack.", "A technician arranges the hoops on the upper half of one of the chute's side frames.", "The jig serves as a template for the placement of the hoops.", "The bottom of the hoops are welded to hinges on the frame.", "These clips are for opening or locking the hoops.", "He welds one to the top of each access hoop.", "The operator can reach through the hoops to gain access to the animal.", "The hoops can also be opened if needed.", "Another technician assembles a panel to the bottom of the second side frame.", "He welds clips to the top so the panel can be opened for access to the lower part of the animal.", "He hinges the panel to the base of the frame.", "Next, an operator uses a machine to bend steel tubing against a circular form.", "After the first bend, the operator repositions the tubing so the machine can make the second bend in the specified location.", "The tailgate frame has taken shape.", "With the frame and a jig, a technician installs vertical bars and diagonal linkages and welds a metal shield to the lower half.", "This part keeps the cow's hooves safely inside.", "Meanwhile, holes have been drilled in both ends of the chute floor.", "They'll be used to move one wall inward to tightly contain the animal.", "Then the chute's skeleton is constructed.", "Using a hoist, a technician transfers the tailgate to the structure.", "The technician guides the top on to the squeeze chute framework and welds the structure together.", "Next, he attaches the squeeze wall to the structure.", "He opens the tailgate to test the clearance and assembles a steel panel to the lower half of the squeeze wall.", "He mounts the other side panel with the exit gate to the structure.", "He places hinges into the tailgate frame and welds the panel to the frame at the top.", "To verify the side gate is operating smoothly, the technician pulls the lever.", "Then he opens the tail gate to check its clearance.", "He moves the squeeze side to various settings, making adjustments if needed to ensure that the squeeze wall is properly aligned at each notch.", "Next, the entire structure is dipped in a paint vat, providing the structure with even coverage.", "The head gate has been especially contoured to hold the animal's head in position.", "Then a worker slides rubber grippers on to the operating handles.", "This squeeze chute is now ready to assist veterinarians and ranchers with a safe way to lock an animal into position.", "Until nearly 30 years ago, boat propellers were normally made of steel or aluminum.", "Today, developers have since tested the waters with composite propellers.", "Made from nylon resin and fiberglass, composite propellers are light weight and don't corrode.", "And, in certain models, broken blades can even be replaced.", "Composite propellers provide boaters with another way to move on the water.", "These props are the latest way to convert rotational motion into thrust.", "Production starts with a computer design.", "This one is for a houseboat propeller.", "The design will drive the machinery that manufactures the molds.", "Pellets that are half fiberglass, half resin are placed in a dryer to remove moisture.", "An operator takes a sample of the dried pellets.", "First, he weighs the pellets.", "Then he heats them to evaporate any additional moisture.", "The change in weight indicates how much moisture has been removed.", "These two-part metal molds form the pellets into propeller blades.", "This process takes just a minute and a half to complete.", "A technician starts a molding machine that melts the pellets.", "A large feed screw forces the molten material into the mold.", "The composite material solidifies, and the operator removes the newly formed propeller blade.", "The process leaves a piece of unwanted material known as the sprue.", "The sprue is composite material that hardened as it flowed into the mold.", "Once cut, it falls into a bin to be recycled into the next composite propeller.", "The trim propeller is now a functional part.", "Next, composite material is molded around an aluminum core to create the hub.", "A band saw cuts an extruded bar of aluminum to size.", "Each piece will serve as one core.", "Using a tool with a sharp-curved blade, the technician trims the rough bits left behind by the saw.", "These rough bits are known as burrs, so this process is known as deburring.", "Once the edges are smooth, the technician attaches clips to the three wings.", "These clips will be used to center the core in the mold.", "The technician slides the core into the mold.", "The clips hold it in a precise position.", "Then the machine is activated.", "The machine allows molten fiberglass and resin material to flow into the mold cavity and encapsulate the aluminum core.", "It also forms channels for the insertion of the propeller blades.", "A computerized milling machine moves the hub into position for trimming.", "A drill cuts into the center to widen the hole.", "The next operation called broaching will carve teeth into the hole, which will help connect the hub to the motor shaft.", "A machine pulls a spiraling tool called a broach through the center hole of the hub.", "The tool carves through the composite layer and into the aluminum core to cut the teeth.", "Here's a close-up look at those teeth.", "Now it's time for all the parts to come together.", "An assembler slides the blades into grooves in the hub.", "The grooves help hold the blades in place.", "Using a hammer, the assembler makes sure the blades are connected accordingly.", "Finally, a part called a rear cap is attached.", "For an inside look, the propeller has been cut open.", "The cut-out reveals how the composite material has become one with the aluminum core.", "And now a test.", "The technician attaches a chain to a blade.", "Using a hydraulic ram, he applies pressure.", "He measures the breaking point.", "At 1 1/2 tons of force, it's significant.", "This composite boat propeller has taken about 20 minutes to produce.", "Once attached to the motor shaft, it should last for years.", "Now this boat is ready to provide boaters with a ton of fun while out on the water." ]

{ "things": [ "Railway Bridge Ties", "Membrane Filters", "Hydraulic Post Drivers", "Bi" ] }

[ "The deck of a railway bridge is typically built of wood-timbers called bridge ties.", "They're bolted to steel support beams located on concrete piers over the water or gully below.", "The rails on which the train travels are bolted to the wooden ties.", "Wood absorbs the noise and vibration of the passing train.", "The load the railway bridge will carry determines the size of its ties.", "To calculate the load, engineers factor in the number of tracks, volume of traffic, weight of the transported cargo, and whether the bridge is straight or curved.", "A curve will put additional stress on the structure.", "The wood of choice is oak because it's hard and strong.", "When the logs arrive at the sawmill, they come face-to-face with a menacing-looking device called a debarker.", "A conveyor moves the shipment toward the debarker, then drops a single log in front of it onto spinning rollers.", "The rollers rotate the log, while the debarker makes its way from one end to the other.", "It chews off the bark with its sharp-toothed blades.", "What the debarker shaves off is put to good use.", "The bark gets processed into gardening mulch and they burn the sawdust in the wood-fired boiler that runs another part of the plant.", "Next, one log at a time drops into a mobile carriage that runs it through a circular saw.", "The carriage has sensors which detect the log's extremities and report its dimensions to a console located in the operator's cab.", "The operator interprets the data.", "Using a joystick controller, he flips the log into whichever position maximizes the yield.", "The first few runs trim off the rough surface and square the shape.", "The next runs cut boards, which the sawmill sells to flooring plants.", "This continues until the log is the exact dimensions of the bridge tie.", "Again, nothing is wasted.", "The sawmill processes the cutoffs into wood chips, which it then sells to companies that make particle board, strand board, and similar construction materials.", "The sawmill stacks the ties for transfer to the bridge mill next door.", "The role of the bridge mill is to frame the bridge, also known as dapping.", "That's the process of making the specific holes and notches in each tie for attaching it to the steel beam on which it will sit.", "At the bridge mill, the bridge layout supervisor processes one tie at a time.", "He carefully reviews the engineer's blueprints, which assign a number to each and every tie.", "These numbers specify precisely where the saw has to cut notches and where the drill has to bore holes.", "The locations of these notches and holes vary, depending on the tie's position on the bridge.", "So, he must follow the blueprints meticulously.", "After measuring and marking it all out, he sends the tie to the dap saw.", "The operator sets up each cut, lining up the mark with laser-lights, which indicate the location and the cutting depth of the blade.", "The notches are just the right size to fit over the steel beam on which the tie will lie.", "Next, a worker using a drill press bores holes for hook bolts, which go through the tie to secure it onto the steel beams.", "Each tie receives a metal identification tag, which includes the bridge and tie numbers.", "On each end, workers nail on a mesh plate, made of rust-proof galvanized steel.", "The plate has teeth designed to grasp and hold together the wood fiber to prevent the end from splitting.", "After nailing the id tag to one of the end plates, workers force in both plates with a press.", "The tie's last stop is the adjacent treatment plant.", "They spend 24 hours inside a high-temperature, high-pressure chamber which penetrates them with a creosote-borate solution.", "This protects the wood from rot and insect damage and extends the tie's life-span from about a decade to at least 25 years.", "When filtering liquids, it's all about thinking small.", "Membrane filters can separate the tiniest solids from fluids, which purifies the liquids and recovers the solids.", "Once separated, the two substances may then be reused so that nothing goes to waste.", "Membrane filters can turn murky water clear, almost magically.", "To demonstrate, a technician installs a spiral-wound membrane in the housing of a pumping system, which is a small-scale version of what you would see in a factory.", "She turns on the tap, and water flows into a tank.", "She adds latex paint to purposely sully the water.", "The system pumps the contaminated water through a strainer and then the membrane filter while meters measure the flow.", "Within minutes, the paint has been filtered out, and the water is clear.", "The making of a membrane filter begins with polypropylene mesh.", "An automated system unwinds the mesh and cuts it to length.", "These mesh sheets will be used as spacers.", "They'll create gaps for the liquid to flow through the filter and over the membrane.", "Next, the system cuts sheets of polyester fabric.", "These will form channels through which the filtered material will travel.", "These sheets are known as permeate spacers.", "An employee stacks the polyester fabric sheets.", "Using high-frequency sound waves, she welds one sheet to the next at just one end.", "She layers and welds a total of 15 sheets, and then applies double-sided tape.", "The tape is for attaching the packet to a central tube, and it will also serve as a guide to correctly align it.", "Next, the membrane soup flows into a long trough.", "It's a mix of melted plastics and solvents.", "Paper backing unwinds into the trough and is coated with the soup on one side.", "The coated paper then travels through two quench tanks, and the plastic components solidify as the solvents are drawn out.", "The exiting solvents create a unique core structure in the remaining white plastic membrane.", "The membrane now travels by a light box, which illuminates any visual defects.", "An applicator also drips a preservative onto the membrane.", "A team unrolls the membrane onto a work table.", "They lay a sheet of the polypropylene mesh, which we saw cut to size earlier, on the membrane.", "The employee then cuts the membrane to twice the length of the mesh.", "They fold the membrane over the mesh, creating a membrane envelope.", "The mesh serves as a pathway for fluid to flow between the membranes.", "Meanwhile, another worker applies epoxy to perforated plastic tube.", "He attaches the permeate spacers to it with the double-sided tape, giving the epoxy time to cure for a permanent seal.", "He and a colleague apply more epoxy to the perimeter of the bottom sheet.", "They transfer the membrane envelope to it and continue to layer, making a permeate fabric and membrane sandwich.", "The worker then winds the glued layers snuggly to a perforated plastic core, forming the spiral membrane filter.", "He tapes the multi-layered wad from one end to the other.", "The tape holds everything tightly in place as the epoxy cures overnight.", "They leave the tape on after the cure, and a machine winds epoxy-drenched fiberglass rope around the entire filter.", "As the epoxy cures, the rope will form a hard shell around the membrane filter.", "Partway through, they apply the label with a company name.", "The operator captures the glue runoff during the wind.", "And it's a wrap, so he cuts the rope.", "From the side, you can see the flow channels between the layers.", "Concentrated contaminants will travel through them and out.", "The filtered liquid will seep into the core and exit, clearly improved.", "The invention of the hydraulic post driver in the 1960s allowed workers to drop their shovels and sledgehammers and let a machine do the job of pounding fence and sign posts into the ground.", "When it comes to labor-saving inventions, this one is definitely a striking example.", "The post driver raises hefty fence or sign posts into position, and then slams them into the ground.", "Inside a vertical case, a hydraulic system drops a 300-pound weight to drive the post, and then lifts it for another hit.", "This machine does the work of two or more brawny humans with just one person at the controls.", "To make it, they start with a vertical case for the weight.", "A high-precision plasma torch cuts steel into a rectangular shape and makes holes for components.", "They insert the rectangle into a break-press repeatedly to bend it into a three-sided part.", "The profile includes flanges for welding it to the back wall of the case.", "He fits the part to the back wall and welds them together, completing the post driver case.", "An employee builds the post driver weight working within a weld fixture.", "It's a box-shaped weight, and he welds it at the seams.", "He taps the corners between the welds to maintain a tight configuration.", "This 300-pound weight can later be filled with steel shot to make it even heavier for greater impact.", "The next worker assembles yellow steel jaws to a hub to produce the grapple.", "This is the part that grips the fence post and raises it into position.", "He sticks a danger label onto the hub to warn people to stay clear of these powerful jaws.", "He attaches a hydraulic cylinder, which will make the jaws open and close.", "He connects the cylinder to the grapple jaw.", "Next, they move on to the metal plate that will be used to mount the post driver to a vehicle, like a skid-steer loader.", "It includes a hydraulic mechanism for tilting the fence post left or right.", "The employee installs a control valve next to the cylinder and links the two with hoses.", "He'll also connect the grapple and weight hydraulics to this valve.", "Back to the post driver case now-- it's been painted, and they're ready to install the hydraulic motor.", "The worker connects it to the sprockets and chains that will lift the weight.", "He pins the sprockets into place and installs tensioning rods on either side.", "Next, a cover plate protects the sprockets.", "The tensioning rods protrude through it.", "He slides springs onto those tensioning rods and compresses the springs to maintain the tension.", "He now attaches the grapple to the post driver case.", "He locks it into place with a long pin.", "He links the grapple hydraulics to the control valve.", "And it's ready to grab big fence posts and hold on tight.", "They attach the metal mounting plate to the post driver case.", "The work table tilts back to move the post driver into an upright position.", "With the help of a crane, the next worker moves the weight into position and lowers it into the case.", "He slides a pin into the top end to keep the weight from falling out when the post driver is on an angle.", "One day in the making, this hydraulic post driver is ready for years of heavy labor, taking over for humans so they don't have to move a muscle.", "A biplane is a vintage-style aircraft with two pairs of wings sitting one above the other.", "The top wings are typically raised above the fuselage with vertical struts bracing them to the bottom wings.", "Dating back to the earliest days of aviation, they're still popular for performing aerobatics.", "A biplane's lower wings have ailerons, which bank the airplane to the right or left.", "On the plane's tail, elevators pitch the plane's nose up or down while a rudder steers it left or right.", "A propeller provides the propulsion.", "The plane has four wings.", "Each wing has two spars, wooden beams at the front and rear, which form the perimeter structure.", "A craftsman skillfully fashions these spars out of sitka spruce.", "This wood is exceedingly light, yet exceptionally strong, making it one of only a few woods approved for structural use in airplanes.", "After sawing the wood to the spar's shape, he mounts attachment plates made of sitka spruce and mahogany plywood.", "These are the end struts, steel vertical bars which will connect the upper and lower wings.", "He finishes the spar by refining its contour, first with a hand plane, then an electric plane.", "Using strips of sitka spruce, he constructs 15 structural ribs for each wing.", "He begins with long strips, which have been soaking in water for a week to make them pliable.", "He inserts one end into a curved fixture and leaves the strips to dry.", "When he removes them a couple of days later, they have a permanent aerodynamic curve.", "He glues two curved strips together to form the perimeter of one rib.", "In between, he glues short diagonal strips called trusses.", "He reinforces both sides of each intersection with a rectangular piece called a gusset.", "An assembler mounts the 15 ribs crosswise on the front and rear wing spars, then installs three aluminum tubes called compression ribs.", "These absorb air load hitting the spars, keeping the wooden ribs from flexing under pressure.", "The craftsman connects the compression ribs with criss-crossing metal rods.", "After applying more glue to critical areas, he nails an aluminum trim over the front spar and nose of the ribs.", "This is called the leading edge.", "It's the first part of the wing to hit the wind, so it takes the brunt of the air load.", "Finally, he laces reinforcement tape through the ribs in an x pattern.", "The completed structure now moves to the covering department where technicians drape it in heat shrinkable polyester fabric.", "They cut the fabric to size, glue it to the wing perimeter, and heat the surface with an iron to shrink the fabric until it's taut.", "Then, they stitch over the glued areas with polyester cord.", "They brush on a chemical which seals the pores of the fabric.", "This primes the surface to receive a spray coat of polyurethane paint, which is a special formulation designed for aircraft bodies.", "Technicians construct the fuselage frame out of high-strength steel alloy tubes.", "They use an electric torch to slightly melt adjoining pieces so they fuse to each other.", "Because there's no filler metal bonding the pieces, the welds don't add any weight to the structure.", "After painting the frame, technicians install aluminum floor panels and bulkheads.", "In the tail, they add lighter weight bulkheads made of mahogany plywood and sitka spruce.", "Then it's time to bolt the engine to the front of the fuselage frame.", "The engine drives a propeller made of either wood, aluminum, or a composite material.", "Painted aluminum body panels cover the frame.", "Technicians install the fuel tank between the front cockpit and the engine.", "Then they bolt the wings to the fuselage.", "Vertical steel struts connect and reinforce the two levels of wings bolting to those attachment plates on the wing spars.", "Next, technicians mount the painted aluminum ailerons, the tail, with its elevators and rudder made of painted fabric over welded steel, and then the engine cover.", "They install a windscreen and instrument panel for each cockpit.", "The front screen can be replaced with a cockpit cover to keep the pilots warm when flying in cold weather." ]

{ "things": [ "Zip Line Brakes", "Silk Fibre Lamps", "Round Balers", "Comfort Shoes" ] }

[ "Many thrill-seekers find zip lines exhilarating.", "But without the proper braking system, they can quickly become terrifying.", "Magnetic brakes are hands-free and engage automatically.", "So there's no need to panic.", "Just hang on, enjoy the ride, and let the brake take care of the landing.", "In early human history, zip lines were used to transfer supplies across dangerous terrain.", "Today, zip lines are popular with tourists and adrenaline junkies all over the world.", "As the rider approaches the landing, the brake engages using magnets that induce eddy currents instead of friction.", "This creates enough drag to stop the ride.", "To make a zip line brake, they start with a drum.", "It's made of zinc-coated steel to prevent rust.", "A worker sends off the zinc so they can add the magnets.", "He hammers locating pins into the metal.", "He applies adhesive to the sanded areas, then places magnets onto the adhesive.", "He uses steel pins as a guide.", "As the adhesive cures, the magnets bond to the metal.", "Next, he applies a bonding agent to a shaft bearing and inserts it into the hole in the center.", "Using a hydraulic press, he drives the bearing further into the hole.", "These rotor arms will spin in the magnetic field to create the braking force.", "A worker fits gears into two plates and bolts the plates to each side of the rotor assembly.", "He tests the rotor arms and slides the rotor gears onto the shaft already installed in the brake drum.", "He opens the rotors and spins them.", "He adds a ring of magnets to surround the rotors in a magnetic field.", "Satisfied with the fit, he removes the rotor assembly from the drum temporarily and clips springs to the rotor.", "These reaction springs will cushion the braking action.", "Now a worker reinstalls the rotor device in the brake drum.", "He places the magnetic ring back on top.", "The strong magnetic attraction secures it to the assembly.", "The next part is a large ring with more gears inside it.", "He hammers and then screws it in place.", "He spins the assembly again to confirm it's functional.", "He installs the final two gears on the end of the shaft.", "This completes the core of the zip line brake.", "Another employee stitches a nylon hand grip to tough, synthetic webbing.", "When this webbing is pulled out of the brake, it will set the rotor arms in motion to create the eddy currents that are the braking force.", "After protecting the brake core with a metal plate, a worker puts the unit in a plastic case.", "He installs a plate on the shaft for the webbing to sit on, then loops the webbing around it.", "He also places a drum on top for the retraction spring.", "He applies silicone adhesive around the drum.", "This secures the aluminum base plate.", "He now inserts the retraction spring.", "He caps the spring with a metal plate and reinforces the clips with metallic tape.", "Using a crank, he winds more of the webbing into the brake.", "He tightens the metal shackle that holds the two sections of webbing together and winds the rest of it into the device.", "He inserts a guide roller for the webbing and adds a two-part retaining clip.", "He secures the clip with a rounded metal pin.", "This next part is a plastic insert for the top of the case.", "He screws a nut onto the shaft to lock down the insert.", "He places the top half of the case onto the brake assembly and secures it to the lower half.", "He snaps a dust cover onto the case.", "They're now ready to test this zip line brake system.", "A motor pulls out the webbing to simulate different body weights and different zip lining speeds, while a computer analyzes the brake's performance.", "With magnetic zip line brakes, riders can come down at a wide range of speeds but still slow down at the same rate, ensuring that everyone has a fun but safe ride.", "Silk fibres can be creatively crafted into a variety of artistic objects, from paper to fabric or even items like lamps.", "The fibres are translucent, so they can take bright, white light and diffuse it into warm, beautiful mood lighting.", "This lamp doesn't have shades.", "Instead, it has natural-looking silk flowers which conceal its lights.", "The lamp base is made of branches.", "To create this functional artwork, the artisan begins with a roving.", "A roving is a bundle of fibres harvested from a silk moth caterpillar's cocoon.", "They've been cleaned and straightened.", "She places the roving in a nylon mesh bag, then submerges it in a specially formulated dye.", "She heats the dye to 185 degrees, then sprinkles in more powdered dye to produces splashes of bolder colors.", "After a couple of minutes, she removes the roving...", "And rinses off the excess dye.", "She hangs the roving on a rack until it's completely dry.", "Roving is typically spun into thread to make silk fabric, but this artisan has a different technique.", "She spreads a sheet of tulle on her work table.", "Then she gently separates the fine, hair-like fibres and lays them out on the tulle.", "Each pile will be turned into a flower for the lamp.", "She folds over the tulle to create a barrier that keeps the fibers from sticking to her hands.", "She prepares the fibres for the textile medium she'll apply next, a polymer adhesive.", "She saturates each pile with water containing a few drops of dishwashing detergent to open up the fibres.", "Then she sponges up the excess water and soaks up any other remaining moisture with a towel so the medium does not become diluted.", "Now she's ready to apply the polymer adhesive.", "As the fibres absorb the medium, they fuse together, forming a sheet of silk fibre paper.", "After folding back the tulle, she begins molding each paper into a flower.", "She spreads the paper over a balloon and lets it dry overnight.", "With a few simple steps, she has transformed a colorless roving into colorful sheets of moldable silk fibre paper.", "The next day, she pops the balloon.", "The silk fibre paper holds its round shape.", "Using the textile medium again, she glues her silk fibre flowers to juniper branches.", "She secures them with a needle and thread, matching the thread color to the silk so that it blends in.", "She further sculpts the flowers with a stitch or two in select spots.", "And dabs textile medium on the thread to secure it.", "Then she glues in a second, slightly smaller flower, creating two layers of petals.", "She takes some fibres she dyed green and glues them under the blooms to form wispy leaves.", "Finally, to turn this sculpture into a functioning lamp, she places a battery powered l.e.d. push light in the center of each flower.", "The lamp needs no inner wiring and doesn't need to be plugged into an outlet.", "You simply press the middle of each flower to turn its hidden push light on or off.", "A simple sculpture by day, and a gentle light by night.", "Round hay balers automatically roll hay into large bundles.", "They can also wrap the rolled hay in twine or plastic.", "This american invention allows farmers to put down their pitchforks and leave the work to the machines.", "The invention of the round baler was a farming breakthrough.", "Round bales of hay stayed drier than square ones.", "Making a round hay baler starts with a computerized fiber-optic laser.", "It cuts steel sheaths into the shape of the side panels and makes holes for hardware and machine components.", "Once the cuts have been made, workers remove the leftover materials.", "They'll be recycled into new steel sheets.", "Next, the baler side panel goes to a computerized hydraulic folder.", "It bends the edges of the panel to prepare it for assembly.", "With the side panel clamped in a fixture, a worker slides bolts into a part called the doubler plate.", "This plate will be used to reinforce the panel.", "He welds the heads of the bolts to the doubler plate.", "The bolts protrude up so bearings and other parts can be attached later.", "He adds other reinforcing parts, supports for rollers, and a box for twine.", "Then it's over to the paint department.", "They prime and paint both sides of the panel with an epoxy finish in order to protect the steel from corrosion.", "After the paint dries, cranes lift two panels over to a fixture that holds several baler rollers.", "Workers insert the ends of the rollers into holes in the side panels.", "They add an auger for moving the hay away from the sides of the baler.", "They secure all of these components with bolts.", "Next, they install a belt-tightening assembly.", "The bars will hold the hay-shaping belts at the correct tension.", "After adding a bearing to the bottom feed roller, a worker installs sprockets.", "He also loops chains around them.", "The sprockets and chains will drive the 14 rollers in the baler.", "The next part is known as the hay pickup, because its steel teeth lift hay from the field and into the baler.", "It fits on the front of the machine.", "Now a worker installs the wheels.", "He brushes a lubricant onto spindles and inserts them in the wheel axles.", "Bolts secure the spindles to the axles.", "Then he mounts the wheels to the spindles and locks them in place with nuts.", "Once the two wheels are installed, a crane lifts the machine into an upright position in order to install the rear chamber.", "A crane lowers the rear chamber onto the baler assembly.", "As the hay is shaped with a round bale by the machine, it will gradually expand in this chamber.", "These rubber belts will roll the hay into round bales.", "The team loops them around tensioning rollers, arranging them closely together.", "A worker joins the ends of each belt by pushing steel pins through riveted lacing.", "An employee applies vinyl decals to the outside of the baler.", "The decals display the company name and the machine model in bold graphics.", "The machine is equipped with hydraulic cylinders so the rear chamber can be raised and lowered.", "A technician syncs the tractor cab monitor to sensors added to the baler during the assembly.", "The sensors indicate the position of the back gate, the status of the bale wrapping equipment, and the moisture level in the hay.", "After a complete operational check, this baler is ready to give farmers or ranchers a break by automatically creating round bales of hay.", "With footwear, extremely comfortable used to mean extremely ugly.", "Not anymore.", "Today's comfort shoes don't look anything like they used to.", "They can be just as stylish as any other shoe, but also provide sturdy, cushioning foot support.", "These comfort shoes come with two interchangeable insoles.", "One is an anatomically shaped footbed with good arch support.", "The other is a reflexology footbed that massages your feet while you walk.", "The top of the shoe is made of leather.", "An operator spreads the cowhide on a cutting table and positions a part-shaped steel die over it.", "With a press, he forces the die through the leather.", "The die has blades on both sides, so after cutting a part for the right shoe, he flips it over and cuts the same part for the left shoe.", "They stencil on guide marks for stitching and stamp on a production number.", "Due to the natural variations between hides, they cut parts for a pair of shoes from the same piece of leather.", "A production number keeps the parts from being inadvertently used on a different pair of shoes.", "They place the part under a template and run it through a lateral knife.", "This thins the leather where it will overlap adjoining parts so the thickness of the upper shoe is uniform throughout.", "They apply reinforcement fabric to the most wear-prone areas of the shoe.", "This machine bonds these adhesive factory enforcements with pressure and heat.", "Now sewers begin assembling the upper.", "They glue the parts for the lining together because stitches that are on the inside of the shoe can sometimes irritate the foot.", "The lining is made of soft calf leather, except for a small piece of rougher goat leather at the back to grip the heel.", "They sew in the lining one section at a time.", "This is the rear section of the upper, called the heel cap.", "After sewing one side, they insert a foam padding to cushion the back of the foot.", "Then they fold the lining over to encase the padding.", "This machine punches holes and embeds eyelets into the upper.", "Then a sewer attaches two more parts of the upper, the tongue and the vamp.", "Another sewer finishes the upper by stitching on the vamp ring.", "They put the upper into a mold on a forming machine.", "The machine works like an iron, applying both heat and pressure to form the heel cap into the perfect shape.", "The next forming machine uses the same process to round the toe cap.", "Now a sewer stitches a hole to the upper.", "Then they steam the upper and insert a last.", "A last is a foot-shaped plastic form that matches the specific shape and size of the shoe.", "They place the upper into a heat setter.", "The heat forms the upper to the shape of the last.", "They roll out wrinkles and flatten any bulges with heat and pressure.", "They place the upper in a template of the shoe's outer sole and trace the top.", "They grind the leather below that line.", "This roughens the surface to help with adhesion.", "They apply heat-activated glue to the roughened area and the sole, which is made of molded polyurethane.", "They let the glue dry.", "Then they activate the glue with a heater and join the upper and sole.", "They place the shoe in a vacuum press.", "The press sucks out the air while drawing the upper and sole tightly together.", "Next, they add an anatomically shaped footbed insole.", "It's made of a moisture absorbing combination of cork and latex with leather on top.", "Then they lace the shoes and insert cardboard to support the shape during transport.", "They spray the upper with a chemical solution that makes the leather water-resistant.", "The second set of insoles goes in the shoe box.", "These shoes are designed with enough room to insert a custom orthotic device, if needed." ]

{ "things": [ "Bead Wire", "Mini Pepperoni", "Irrigation Sprinklers", "Leather Gloves" ] }

[ "The bead is the lip of the tire that fits to a wheel rim.", "High-tensile steel wires inside the bead pull the tire tightly and uniformly to the rim.", "These bead wires provide stability so the wheels can start turning.", "These bronze-coated steel wires are the muscle in the bead of a tire.", "They're a source of hidden strength that we don't usually think about.", "But without them, tires wouldn't properly grip the rim, and riding on wheels would be dangerous.", "Production starts with coils of high-carbon steel.", "A forklift slides the coils onto metal cones.", "A worker cuts the ties around the wire.", "Then the cone moves into an upright position on the carousel.", "A motorized system uncoils the wire and pulls it up through the cone.", "At the top, a guide positions the wire to enter a descaler.", "The device has a revolving sandpaper belt which smoothes and refines the wire.", "Next, the wire travels through a channel filled with powdered soap, which acts as a dry lubricant.", "Then, the system pulls the wire through a series of dies, each with progressively smaller openings.", "The process is called drawing because it draws down the diameter of the wire, stretching it longer and thinner.", "The process reduces the wire's diameter by almost half.", "A carriage lifts the thinner wire onto a spool that winds it up.", "The table the spool sits on turns to deliver the wire to the next operation.", "The spool of wire is one of 40 that now unwind simultaneously at a controlled speed.", "Large cones keep them separate so they'll be ready for the next stage of the journey-- a trip through a long oven.", "It's heated to an incredible 1,800 degrees.", "Inside, intense heat recrystalizes the microstructure of the wires.", "This reduces brittleness.", "Then spools take up the wires.", "The wires take a dip in a tank filled with hot water and phosphate solution.", "A floating foam blanket keeps the solution hot.", "The phosphate solution and a subsequent rinse lubricate the bead wire for the next process-- a second drawing that squeezes the wire even longer and narrower.", "The holes in a series of dies become progressively narrower to reduce the wire's diameter even further.", "After each trip through a die, a drum winds up the wire.", "Each drum turns a little faster than the one before it.", "That's because longer wires need to be wound up quicker to prevent slack in the system.", "This final drawing process brings the wire's diameter down to less than 1 millimeter.", "The bead wires are now at the correct width.", "Next, the bead wires receive their bronze coating.", "Bronzing the steel wires allows them to adhere to the tire rubber.", "After the bronze solution dries, two rollers straighten the wires.", "Then a spool winds up the bead wire.", "They produce bead wire in different thicknesses and metal coatings for a variety of tire sizes.", "They test the wires before they leave the factory.", "If it can withstand up to 1,500 pounds of force before it breaks, then it's ready to be shipped to the tire factory.", "Once they're installed in rubber tires, these bead wires will be an important source of strength, doing their part to keep your vehicle moving forward safely.", "Mini pepperoni makes a great portable snack.", "It's made of red meat or poultry.", "This protein-packed snack can alleviate even the most serious hunger pains.", "The meat sticks are fermented and dehydrated, so they don't need to be refrigerated.", "This brand of mini pepperoni is made entirely of pork.", "It comes in a variety of flavors, each made with different seasonings.", "First, they prepare the raw meat.", "They combine different cuts in specific proportions to attain their target meat-to-fat ratio.", "The meat comes from the pig's back, shoulder, and belly.", "The butcher loads the pork into an automated grinder.", "It grinds the pork until it's the right texture for mini pepperoni.", "The meat was frozen, then partially thawed before entering the machine.", "As a result, the pork grinds cleanly.", "The seasoning recipe includes paprika, cayenne pepper, dextrose, anise, and salt.", "They also mix in sodium nitrate, a preservative that prevents bacterial growth and gives the meat a cured flavor.", "They load the ground pork into a mixer and pour in some lactic acid bacterial culture, which will kick-start fermentation later.", "Next, they add the seasoning mix and a premeasured amount of concentrated liquid paprika.", "They continue mixing for a couple of minutes, distributing the ingredients evenly.", "Then they transfer the ground pork from the mixer to a meat buggy.", "They roll the meat buggy over to the filling machine...", "And empty the contents.", "A worker loads a tube of sausage casing.", "The casing is made of bovine collagen.", "The filling machine pumps out 1.6 ounces of ground pork then twists the casing between each one to form a link.", "The machine feeds 25-link chains onto a hanging line.", "The line spaces them out to preserve their perfect sausage shape.", "One casing tube makes 100 links.", "Next, they ferment, smoke, and dry the meat.", "Workers hang three dozen 25-link chains on each smokehouse rack.", "Then they roll the rack into the smokehouse.", "First, they humidify and heat the links to approximately 77 degrees, triggering fermentation.", "The lactic acid bacterial culture starts feeding on the dextrose in the seasoning.", "The process increases the acidity in the meat, preventing harmful bacteria from growing.", "It also produces a fermented flavor.", "After about 14 hours, they lower the temperature and humidity to halt fermentation.", "Next, they start up the smoke generator, which they've loaded with maple and beechwood chips.", "They run several smoking cycles until the links change color and acquire a slightly sweet and smoky taste.", "Then they raise the heat again to cook the meat thoroughly.", "Finally, they dry the links in a temperature and humidity-controlled room for a couple of days.", "Workers separate the links and put 10 into the bottom of each tray.", "The trays go into a vacuum-packing machine, which sucks out the air then seals the top with plastic.", "The pepperoni is tested by an in-house lab before packaging.", "They confirm that the moisture content is sufficiently low and the acidity reading is sufficiently high.", "If it is, the final product is considered shelf-stable, meaning that it isn't perishable and doesn't require refrigeration.", "Where mother nature fails, a center-pivot irrigation system can succeed.", "If you can't afford to wait on the rain, these systems can water your crops.", "They're essentially a huge sprinkler on wheels that pivots around a central point in a slow, circular path.", "Developed in the 20th century, center-pivot sprinklers have become a staple on large farms.", "They can be up to a half-mile in length and sprawl across fields, ensuring there isn't a dry spot in sight.", "They custom-design each sprinkler for the field it will be irrigating.", "Then, they transform flat, high-strength steel into a water pipe for the sprinkler system.", "The steel travels between forming tools and then a series of rollers.", "They curve the steel upwards, taking it from flat to cylindrical.", "More rollers squeeze the pipe to close the gap.", "Then an automated induction welder can fuse the joint.", "A carbide blade trims excess metal from the welded seam.", "The metal is collected on a spool to be recycled.", "Next, they douse the pipe with coolant.", "A plasma torch then moves along the pipe to cut it into 40-foot sections.", "The pipes fall off the cutting line and roll into a holding area.", "After the pipes have been inspected for flaws, a team clamps flanges to the ends.", "These flanges will be used to link the water pipes in the field.", "They weld the flanges to the pipes.", "Next, the welder uses a plasma torch to cut outlets for sprinkler heads.", "He welds a threaded fitting onto each outlet.", "The water pipe is complete.", "They'll use dozens of these pipes for a single irrigation system.", "Next, a progressive die stamps hook plates from steel.", "Hook plates hold the spans of the sprinkler together.", "They also keep the sprinkler flexible as it moves.", "Robots weld mounting plates and other parts to a pipe, creating a base for the sprinkler system's wheeled towers.", "Then they dip all the parts in molten zinc.", "The zinc hardens as it cools to give the pipes a glossy, rust-proof finish.", "Next, an employee assembles the sprinkler heads.", "She screws a weight to the plastic sprinkler body to stabilize it.", "Then she snaps on a spray nozzle.", "The nozzles come in various sizes for different applications.", "Finally, she adds a pressure regulator.", "The next member of the team lubricates the wheel rims with soapy water.", "Then he installs the rubber tires.", "The tire size and tread are selected based on expected field conditions.", "These tires should allow the sprinkler system to rotate freely.", "They ship the parts of the sprinkler system to the field.", "They arrange the pipes on the ground in the correct configuration...", "And set all the structural components beside them.", "Then they start assembling the immense sprinkler system, beginning with the triangular supports for the water pipes.", "They hoist the ends of two pipes onto the supports and bolt them at the flanges.", "They repeat this process until the structure stretches across the field.", "A crew member screws the sprinklers to hoses.", "He connects the hoses to u-shaped fittings screwed into the pipes.", "Next, they complete the electrical wiring.", "Then they roll the wheels to the end towers and bolt them to the gear motor hubs.", "It takes a full day to assemble a center-pivot sprinkler system in the field.", "By tapping into an underground source, the system can pump out water through the sprinkler heads.", "During a drought, this irrigation system can provide a long, cold drink for crops on a hot summer day.", "Gloves have long been a part of human history.", "Up until the middle ages, most people ate with their hands.", "So, ancient romans wore silk or linen gloves to protect their hands from hot food.", "Today, leather gloves are mainly used to provide warmth, but they can also make a fashion statement.", "These gloves are made of high-quality lambskin.", "The tanneries process the hides to make the leather smooth, supple, and very durable.", "The gloves are then handcrafted in france.", "Making a fine pair of leather gloves starts with a master glove-cutter.", "Cutting expertise is just as important as the quality of leather they use.", "First, he adds water to make the leather supple.", "Then he stretches the skin in a single direction.", "This prevents the glove from stretching and losing its shape after it's made.", "He uses a rectangular template to make indentations in the leather, then cuts them with shears.", "He produces two rectangles, one for each glove in the pair.", "He stretches the leather again.", "A master glove-cutter knows how to optimize the natural stretch in the skin.", "He deliberately leaves room in certain areas for comfort and eliminates stretch in other areas to preserve the glove's fit.", "Using the template again, he marks and makes his final cuts.", "The rectangle is for the section of the glove that covers the hand, called the trank.", "He marks the glove size with a white pencil.", "He follows the same procedure to cut pieces of leather for the other parts of the glove.", "They include the thumb, the pieces that go in between the fingers called the fourchettes, and the decorative trim.", "He uses a die to cut each part.", "There's a separate die for each part of every glove model.", "There's also a different die for each size.", "The cutter places a few pieces into a trank die.", "Then, he covers the leather with a resin block to prevent damage from the press.", "The press quickly cuts the pieces.", "Then, all the cut pieces are sent to the sewing department.", "The head seamstress makes a paper pattern.", "This model has three rows of stitching and three circular openings on the back of the hand.", "She places the pattern on the leather then uses talc to transfer the design.", "She uses specialized tools to punch out the openings and perforate the stitch holes.", "Then another seamstress sews the glove together.", "She starts with the three rows of decorative stitching.", "They form three raised lines and stretch the round openings into ovals.", "The rest of the glove is machine-sewn.", "The seamstress turns the trank inside out and stitches the fourchettes to the fingers.", "Then she sews on the thumb and the trim on the cuff.", "She finishes off the cuff with an engraved rivet.", "Another seamstress attaches a silk jersey lining to the inside of the glove.", "There are also linings made of cashmere, wool, fur, and polar fleece.", "She hand stitches the lining to the leather in each fingertip.", "She turns the glove right-side out, using a wooden tool to gently push out the fingers.", "A final seamstress slips the gloves onto heated hand forms.", "She rubs the leather with a downward motion to manually iron out all the wrinkles.", "The packager wears a pair of cotton gloves to ensure the leather remains pristine.", "These leather gloves were artisan-crafted using century-old techniques and nothing more advanced than a simple sewing machine.", "Now they're ready to stylishly warm up even the coldest hands." ]

{ "things": [ "Rubber Balls", "Motion Chairs", "Montreal Smoked Meat", "Motorized Scooters" ] }

[ "today on \"how it's made\"-- rubber balls.", "Motion chairs.", "Montreal smoked meat.", "And motorized scooters.", "A lot happens when an inflated rubber ball hits the ground.", "The rubber compresses and quickly snaps back to its round shape.", "That snapping back makes the ball bounce.", "In addition, the air inside the ball acts as a tightly coiled spring increasing the rebound.", "When an inflated rubber ball falls to the ground, it bounces back, and players catch it on the rebound.", "This type of ball is at the heart of many games, from basketball to soccer to volleyball.", "At the core is an inflated rubber bladder.", "Making it starts with a sheet of natural rubber.", "The factory worker folds it in a specific configuration.", "He places a die on top and activates a press to force it through the layers, which cuts out the shape.", "He now has the bladder of a sports ball.", "He brushes an adhesive around the hole in the bladder and inserts a plug.", "Another worker inflates the rubber bladder as she places it in a spherical chamber.", "It heats and cures the rubber for 5 minutes at a temperature of 284 degrees fahrenheit.", "The rubber bladder spins on a revolving cylinder, causing it to take up nylon threads.", "The threads twist around the bladder and form a layer that both strengthens it and keeps it round.", "The material that will form the exterior of the ball is made using colored synthetic rubber, natural rubber, magnesium carbonate, and mineral oil.", "Once it cures, a worker rolls it into thick sheets and slices it to a specific width.", "He folds it several times.", "This blue rubber will be used for volleyballs.", "The folded rubber now travels between a series of rollers.", "They flatten it and press it extremely thin, and it becomes both lightweight and formable.", "An automated blade slices the rubber into shorter pieces.", "A metal pattern cutter will now be used to cut the rubber into strips, which will fit together to form the outside of the ball.", "These particular strips are for a basketball.", "The worker places the pattern on several pieces of rubber.", "A press forces the sharp-edged pattern through the rubber to cut out fish-shaped strips that are designed to fit around the round bladder.", "She lines the two halves of a bonding shaper with the strips.", "She inserts the bladder and re-inflates it.", "She closes the bonding chamber and activates it.", "Inside, heat and pressure cause the strips to stick to the bladder.", "To make a medicine ball, which is used for exercising, a different pattern cutter is used.", "The forming process is the same, but this ball has a unique visual impact very different from that of the basketball.", "Back at the basketball station, a worker applies the brand name to the outer skin in two places.", "Glue helps the decals stick to the rubber.", "This mold will now transfer a pattern onto the rubber ball while also baking the lettering into it.", "Another worker places the ball in the mold and pumps more air into the bladder.", "He closes the lid.", "The mold applies heat and pressure to emboss the pattern onto the rubber.", "The lettering has penetrated the rubber, and the worker peels off the decal plastic.", "Another worker replenishes the air that's been lost to make the ball completely full and round.", "The ball is now ready to receive its stripes.", "The worker paints black rubber into grooves that were formed during embossing.", "This rubber quickly cures to become part of the ball.", "Another worker inserts a fill valve into the hole.", "Then, mechanical fists squeeze the ball to deflate it.", "This prepares it for packaging.", "With the valve inside, it can be easily re-inflated by the customer.", "A worker wraps it in plastic and ships it to the retailer.", "Making this rubber basketball has only taken a couple of hours, but it should be able to take a lot of knocks and bounce right back.", "Having a desk job doesn't mean one has to sit still.", "With a motion chair, the office worker can keep moving while staying seated.", "The support structure is engineered for flexibility, so while sitting, a person can bounce, tilt, and sway.", "Motion chairs redefine the act of sitting.", "The stem is springy, and the connection to the seat is elastic.", "This allows the office worker to be active while sitting.", "Making a motion chair starts with glass-reinforced plastic, which is a strong and lightweight material.", "These granules will be used to make the core of the seat.", "A robot inserts a steel fastener in the center of the seat mold.", "The mold closes, and the machine melts the plastic and injects it into the mold.", "The plastic quickly solidifies around the steel fastener, and it becomes part of the seat core.", "A robot with suctioning grippers pulls the convex-shaped seat core out.", "A worker assembles a height-adjustment lever in the hole beside the one for the seat stem.", "A molded plastic top completes the seat core.", "He anchors it to the core with numerous screws, so even with heavy use, the top should stay firmly in place.", "He visually inspects the seat core and confirms that it looks solid.", "Cushioning foam and fabric complete the seat.", "A worker assembles roller mechanisms that will facilitate the vertical movements of the chair's stem.", "Using a special assembly tool, she presses the plastic roller and two end brackets on a metal cylinder.", "She then applies an index to an aluminum support column that serves as a guide for setting the tension of an outer spring.", "She inserts the roller mechanisms in slots at the other end of the column.", "Strips of fabric tape keep the rollers in place.", "An air cylinder presses the outer sleeve onto the column so that it sits above the tension index.", "A screw between the inner and outer cylinders keeps them in position.", "Next up is a compression part for setting the position of the outer seat spring.", "A worker slides a metal ring between the compression part and the support column.", "He inserts a gas spring into the double-walled seat stem.", "He now slides the outer spring onto the assembly.", "He installs a plastic casing over the gas spring.", "Then he puts the seat stem inside a press chamber.", "He adds a top collar to the center of the gas spring as well as a snap ring.", "He activates the press, and it squeezes everything together.", "Next is a stand with flexible rubber parts that will make lateral movement possible while sitting.", "The worker attaches the flexible stand to a circular base.", "He confirms that holes for rolling casters or gliders in the base are the correct dimension.", "He screws a dial for setting lateral movement onto the protruding fastener.", "He secures it with a nut and tightens it.", "He covers the nut with a rubber cap.", "A tester will now evaluate the motion chair's performance.", "He attaches the stem to the base, and he fastens the seat to the protruding rod.", "He sits down and bounces around to test the range of movement.", "These tests are done intermittently to confirm that the the product consistently meets requirements.", "This motion chair is now ready for shipping.", "The packer plugs a hole in the base ring.", "This hole is for attaching an optional backrest.", "He applies a sticker with the product name.", "All of the parts of the motion chair can be easily assembled on location.", "Designed to discourage rigid sitting and encourage movement in any direction, it will compel the person using it to use his or her core muscles and be less sedentary on the job.", "With the motion chair, it just may be possible to get fit while you sit.", "For at least a century, montreal's jewish delis have been serving smoked meat on rye.", "The exact origins of this particular deli meat are a matter of debate with many claims to its invention.", "The juicy details have been lost to time, but montreal smoked meat continues to have an enduring appeal.", "A cross between corn beef and pastrami, montreal smoked meat has attracted a foodie following around the world.", "Montreal smoked meat starts with brisket, which is a cut from the cow's upper chest.", "A worker thaws the previously frozen briskets in a refrigerator for 10 hours.", "A team slices off the biggest chunks of fat using round, air-powered blades.", "The excess fat will be shipped to another factory and used to make soap.", "The workers use a sharp butcher's knife to remove smaller pieces of fat, leaving just enough for flavor.", "Next, they prepare the brine.", "Along with salt and sugar, there's a secret recipe of spices that includes peppers, mustard seed, allspice, and cinnamon.", "The operator combines the salt and sugar with ice-cold water in a high-speed mixer.", "The spices have been premixed in water to produce a spice concentrate.", "The next worker loads the trimmed briskets onto a conveyor.", "It takes the briskets under an array of long needles that inject the brine into the meat repeatedly.", "Laced with brine, the briskets then fall into a bin.", "A worker transfers the juicy briskets into a vacuum tumbler.", "It pulls air from the chamber, causing the briskets to absorb more brine.", "The tumbler tosses the briskets for 10 hours, massaging the brine into the meat.", "A layer of protein also forms on the surface.", "This holds the brine in place.", "In the meantime, a worker mixes the ingredients for the dry rub.", "It's comprised of the same spices that were used in the brine along with clumps of fresh garlic.", "After the briskets have been well marinated, the operator adds the dry rub.", "He turns on the tumbler for another half hour.", "The dry rub mixture coats the surface of the meat.", "This system is an alternative to rubbing the spices onto the briskets by hand.", "It's faster and very efficient.", "Coated with smoked meat spices and injected with flavorful brine, the briskets are now ready for roasting.", "An employee rolls racks of the spicy briskets into a huge oven.", "The briskets steam-roast at 210 degrees fahrenheit for 8 to 10 hours, but the workers don't actually smoke the briskets.", "It's the spices and brine that give them that montreal smoked meat flavor.", "After the briskets have been chilled, workers transfer them to plastic bags and place them on a conveyor.", "Moving forward, a vacuum-sealing head drops down to shrink-wrap the plastic to the meat.", "The vacuum seal and the smoked meat spices combined give the meat a long shelf life.", "Refrigerated, it will stay fresh for up to 45 days.", "This plant ships the entire brisket to restaurants.", "At the restaurant, they will re-steam and slice the brisket before serving.", "Next, the smoked meat is pre-sliced to sell in supermarkets.", "An automatic meat slicer carves it into thin pieces in seconds.", "A worker retrieves the sliced smoked meat and sets it on a tray.", "Transferred to a weigh station, workers divide the slices into 6-ounce portions.", "Then they roll up the smoked meat slices.", "A worker places the rolled meat into plastic pouches on a rack.", "The racks move forward, and a vacuum sealer applies a top film, creating little packets of sliced smoked meat.", "After a quick bake to pasteurize the meat, he puts six packets into compartments on a conveyor.", "A pusher moves the six packets of smoked meat into an open box.", "The system seals the ends of the boxes.", "Workers weigh the box of smoked meat slices.", "It has taken about 30 hours to produce this batch of montreal smoked meat.", "It's time to slice it thin and pile it thick between slabs of mustard-slathered rye.", "Now, that's a deli lunch, montreal-style.", "A motorized scooter is a souped-up version of an ordinary scooter.", "Instead of propelling the wheels by pushing off the ground with one leg, an engine does most of the work.", "Some motorized scooters are kids' toys, but others are sturdy vehicles suitable for commuting, utility, and recreation.", "This motorized scooter has wheels large enough and tires wide enough to drive on any surface, even off road.", "The manufacturer contracts this factory to make the frame components.", "Machines cut hollow steel tubes to the required length.", "Then workers program an automated bending machine to bend each one to the required shape.", "They make five tubular frame parts per scooter, strictly following the technical drawing supplied by the manufacturer.", "The scooter company subcontracts the frame assembly to another factory.", "There, a welder mounts the components on a jig, which positions them correctly while he welds them together.", "The non-tubular, flat-frame parts are prepared in house, cut from sheet steel by a computer-guided laser cutter.", "These flat crossbars support the footboard on which the rider stands.", "This flat plate supports the battery, and these arms support the rear wheel and motor.", "After applying a coat of anticorrosion paint, workers install the side reflectors and the knob that secures the battery.", "The paint is baked on for maximum durability.", "The scooter manufacturer subcontracts the wheel rims to another factory that specializes in high-precision metal spinning.", "A worker there mounts an aluminum disk onto a computer-guided lathe, positioning it right next to a rim-shaped steel mold.", "Two rollers push and stretch the disk over the mold, forming the aluminum to the rim's shape.", "Another worker mounts the rim on a manual-spinning lathe to finish the shaping.", "First, with a cutting knife, he trims the edge.", "After lubricating the edge with soap, he uses a forming bar to turn it inward to form a lip.", "Then, with the forming roller, he stretches the lip to shape a flange.", "Back at the scooter factory, a worker begins installing the vehicle's silent electric motor.", "Its cable will plug into the electronic module that runs the motor, accelerator, and battery.", "The motor is actually located inside the hub of the rear wheel.", "This mounting ring holds it in place.", "He installs a brake disc on top of the motor and another on the front wheel.", "A mechanical cable connects each handlebar brake lever to the brake calipers.", "When the driver pulls the levers, the brake calipers clamp the discs to the wheels, stopping rotation.", "Now the final assembly-- workers bolt the rear wheel to the frame's support arms.", "They insert the height-adjustable fork, made of steel and aluminum, into the steering column.", "Next, the worker installs the handlebars, which have a thumb-operated accelerator throttle, an lcd monitor and two hand brakes, each with a mechanical cable for the calipers.", "Each hand brake also has one electrical cable.", "He connects the throttle line and the electrical cables to the monitor.", "Then he connects the monitor to the controller.", "When the rider brakes, the controller also cuts power to the motor, which allows the scooter's 48-volt lithium ion battery to regenerate.", "This screw knob holds the battery securely against the battery support plate.", "He connects the battery to the controller, then the mechanical cable from one hand-brake lever to the front brake calipers and from the other hand brake lever to the rear calipers.", "Charging the battery takes four hours when plugged in to a regular household outlet, and a full charge lasts 31 to 37 miles.", "The scooter can climb an 11% incline and reach a top speed of 20 miles per hour." ]

{ "things": [ "Ice Cream Cones", "Tent Trailers", "Shoe Polish", "Pliers" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Ice-cream cones...", "Tent trailers...", "Shoe polish...", "And pliers.", "The ice-cream cone is the original edible container.", "Invented over a century ago, it adds crunch to the melt-in-your-mouth taste of ice cream.", "And it's one container that doesn't end up in the trash can, so you could say it adds a bit of virtue to the guilty pleasure of the double scoop.", "The first ice-cream cones were rolled waffles.", "And today's cones are simply modern versions of that.", "Waffle-cone batter starts with a lot of dark brown sugar.", "Caramel coloring is added...", "Along with some secret flavoring ingredients.", "Water is piped into the blender.", "It's ice cold to keep the batter from getting too sticky.", "A computer controls the addition of flour from a tank on the floor above.", "Vegetable oil is added as a giant beater mixes all the ingredients.", "The batter then flows out of the blender and into a refrigerated tank.", "An agitating blade keeps the blend at the consistency of pancake batter.", "Next, nozzles deposit batter onto baking plates that look like moving waffle irons.", "Top plates flip down, and the baking plates roll through a glass heated oven for a quick bake.", "The top plates lift up, revealing the cooked waffle patties.", "Automated arms help transfer the patties to rolling tools.", "The tools grab the patties and twist them into cones.", "The cones fall down a chute and ride an open elevator up and down to cool and harden.", "The waffle cones slide down another chute and move into lanes on a conveyor.", "Automated fingers help guide them into paper jackets.", "A computer with a camera eye counts the cones and sends a message to a machine that stacks them in the right increments.", "Here, a technician activates a device that pushes on a ball inside a cone to test the cone's breaking point.", "Looks like this waffle cone can hold up to some heavy licking.", "Over in the sugar-cone department, the baking-plate system is designed differently.", "It makes patties that are fan-shaped and have a flat edge.", "This shape, along with a firmer batter, means sugar cones are stronger than waffle cones, so they're a more popular choice for hard ice cream.", "Packers stack the cones in styrofoam trays.", "Then the packages travel through a curtain of high-density, polyethylene film.", "A heated sealer finishes the wrapping job.", "An x-ray machine sends information about the contents to a computer that counts the cones and alerts inspectors to any problems.", "Next, automated arms pick up cartons and open them so the packs of cones can be inserted.", "But there's still one more cone variety in the works-- colorful cake cones.", "Cake cones are less sugary than other varieties and have a more cake-like texture.", "Batter is pumped into upright molds.", "Cake cones are shaped differently from waffle and sugar cones, because they have flat rather than pointed bottoms.", "Metal cores plunge into the molds to complete the shape.", "This action also enhances the cake cone's flaky texture.", "The cones are baked as they pass by a gauntlet of gas heaters.", "Then it's down a chute and off to the packaging station.", "Unlike the other cones, cake cones come out flaky and crispy without a cooling-down period.", "A mechanical arm picks up paper sleeves and drops them in front of the cones.", "These cones are now on their way to an ice-cream stand near you, where they'll be used to scoop up ice cream lickety-split.", "When we return, building a tent trailer from the bottom up.", "Tent trailers allow you to travel without reservations.", "Who needs a hotel if you can park the pop-up?", "Besides, you don't get fresh air and campfires at a hotel.", "Tent trailers have been around since the early part of the 20th century.", "And you could describe them as an overnight success.", "Today's tent trailers are equipped with modern conveniences that would make anyone a happy camper.", "Workers begin production by welding tubular steel components together to establish a solid framework.", "Once it's painted, plumbed, and partially wired, wheels are bolted into place.", "The water-storage tank goes in next.", "Then aircraft-grade steel cables are strung from corner posts to a central bar.", "This bar is called a \"whiffletree\".", "Cranking up the whiffletree will cause the cables to lift the corner posts, raising the trailer's roof.", "The trailer is wheeled to the next station, where workers lower a vinyl-covered wooden floor onto the chassis...", "And secure it with screws.", "Then they connect a cluster of wires to those already installed on the chassis to run things like kitchen appliances and stereos.", "The interior front wall is riveted to steel bulkheads and the trailer chassis.", "More wiring is threaded through the bulkheads to the trailer's side lights, and then the exterior panel is installed.", "Workers slide the roadside panel over the lift posts and secure it.", "The curbside exterior panels come in two pieces to create a space for the trailer door.", "Corner molding completes this assembly.", "Next, workers move inside and install the framework for some bench seating.", "They install the lower cabinetry for the kitchenette, then join it to the upper cabinet with a long, metal hinge for easy pivoting.", "A mini fridge is inserted in the lower cabinetry, and this folding kitchenette is complete.", "This is the pull-out platform for one of the mattresses.", "It slides into channels in the exterior walls.", "But there's a lot more work to do before anyone can take a nap.", "The trailer's tent is made out of water-resistant fabric.", "The five sections are sewn separately, then zipped together at an inspection station.", "Inspectors scrutinize every seam for flaws.", "Once the tent passes inspection, it's fit onto the trailer one section at a time.", "Now it's time for a little roofing.", "The trailer's roof is made by sandwiching together many materials.", "And that takes a lot of industrial adhesive.", "The glue is rolled onto these plywood slats.", "These foam insulation boards also get a generous coating.", "Workers place the glued foam onto the roof's fiberglass outer skin.", "They position the wooden slats along the perimeter and add bands of metal for more reinforcement.", "The final layer is vinyl-coated plywood.", "It will be the ceiling of the trailer.", "A large roller compresses the glued layers together.", "After grooves and notches have been cut into the roof, it's wired up, and 12-volt interior lights are installed in the ceiling.", "Trim is added to the roof's edges along with a gasket to keep it watertight.", "The roof's flaps are folded in a tray-like configuration, and the corners are capped.", "Workers are now ready to raise the roof and install the tent.", "The assembly is inserted into grooves in the trailer ceiling using a pneumatic hammer.", "This tent trailer is now ready to pop up anywhere.", "It can accommodate a small family and is equipped to feed them outdoors or inside.", "It even comes with a screen door, because you never know when adventure will come knocking.", "Coming up, a production line you can really take a shine to.", "Mud and scuffing have long been the bane of shoes and boots.", "In mediaeval times, wax was used to soften and waterproof leather footwear.", "But it had a dull finish.", "It wasn't until the early 20th century with the invention of shoe polish that footwear really started to shine.", "All it takes is a bit of polish and a lot of elbow grease.", "A vigorous brushing can enhance the job and help transform shoes from drab to fab.", "Shoe polish starts with mineral spirit solvent and different combinations of carnauba wax.", "The waxes go into a melter, where they're heated to 260 degrees.", "The mixture cooks for 15 minutes, while beaters keep everything blended together.", "This is dye fluid in a deep-black shade.", "In another tank, the dye fluid and waxes are added to the solvent blend.", "Agitators mix it for three minutes.", "Tin-container bottoms tumble down a chute and up a magnetic conveyor belt.", "A worker flips the tins right-side up then pushes them onto another conveyor.", "Once they're lined up, they're ready to be filled.", "Automated arms space the tins as they arrive at the filling head.", "The filling heads inject hot, liquid shoe polish into the tins.", "The polish is precisely doled out so there is no spillover.", "The polish now needs to solidify, so the tins travel through a cooling tunnel.", "When they emerge, the polish is a thick paste.", "Workers perform a breaking-strength test to be sure the final product has the right consistency.", "The polish-filled tins now funnel onto a conveyor that merges with a lid feeder.", "The feeder lowers the lids onto the tins.", "A compression wheel presses the lids in place with just the right amount of force.", "And this polish is now ready to shine.", "There's a different packaging system for liquid shoe polish.", "A blow molding machine forces hot air into plastic to form containers.", "Then the mechanized rack holding the containers rotates and places the newly formed bottles on another conveyor.", "It moves them under a flame, which melts the rough edges.", "Revolving conveyors move under filling heads, which pump in liquid polish.", "Workers insert valves into applicators.", "Then this machine press-fits the applicators onto the polish-filled containers.", "Using hydraulic pressure, another machine snaps clear domes onto the applicators.", "Rollers affix labels onto both sides of the bottles.", "The bottles then move through an inspection station.", "A mirror helps workers scrutinize the labeling job.", "A technician now takes a preliminary reading of the gloss on some leather.", "He applies some paste polish and rubs it in with a horsehair brush.", "He takes another reading, and the gloss on this leather has increased by a factor of 2, which means this polish passes muster and is ready to add some high luster to your footwear.", "When we return, plier production-- the gripping truth.", "Pliers date back to around 2,000 b.c. ancient drawings show greek gods with pliers at the forge.", "Today, forgers still make pliers, but these days, they use automated tools to shape the metal.", "Without them, a lot of electricians, plumbers, and mechanics would be out of a job.", "Pliers have three basic parts-- handles, a rivet, and jaws.", "All the parts are made from steel that metal workers forge into shape.", "First, a powerful electric furnace heats the steel red hot in just a few seconds.", "Then a metal worker sets one sizzling rod at a time on a forming die.", "A massive die forger hammers the rod against the die with tons of force.", "It takes up to four strikes on separate impressions for the rod to acquire the die's shape.", "Then the forging is placed onto a press that trims off any excess steel.", "Two forged rods are needed to make one pair of pliers.", "This pair will be for gripping, so the next step is to machine the teeth into the jaws.", "Workers set the plier halves into the broaching machine.", "Its tiny cutters, dozens of them, shave away steel under a shower of lubricant.", "When the cutters pull away, the jaw of each plier half now has a nice set of teeth.", "The factory must heat-treat the steel to harden it, a process called \"austempering\".", "The plier halves travel through a gas-fired furnace for about 2 hours at a blazing 1,500 degrees.", "Then the steel is dunked in salt water to cool rapidly and evenly.", "The teeth on these pliers will have to take a lot of abuse, so they get a laser-heat treatment to make them even harder and more durable.", "Now the pliers are ready for assembly.", "For gripping pliers, a worker inserts a single piece ribbon and joins the two halves.", "He then sets the joint onto a machine that spins at high speed, generating the force and friction needed to set the rivet.", "Cutting pliers are also held together with a rivet, but the setting process is different.", "The parts go into a press that applies both heat and pressure to secure the rivet firmly.", "Next, workers insert the cutting pliers between two stone grinding wheels.", "Again, lubricant prevents the steel from overheating as the wheels wear down the rivet until it lies flush with the plier surface.", "The cutting pliers go into a gas oven for another two hours of heat treating, a process called \"martempering\".", "When they come out, they cool in an oil solution rather than the salt solution that cools the gripping pliers.", "Steel is a finicky material, so it's critical to manage the heat-treating process meticulously.", "Otherwise, the metal will be substandard.", "After heat-treating, the pliers go into a bath of rust inhibitor that helps protect the steel from corrosion and lubricates the riveted joints.", "A robotic arm runs one pair of pliers at a time against a grinding belt, polishing all surfaces except the handles for a sleek finish.", "Then a laser engraves the company logo and product number.", "Automated bars now lower hundreds of pliers handle deep into a tank containing liquid vinyl.", "No messy drips here.", "Before dipping, the factory heat the pliers to help this coating stick to the steel.", "Next, the pliers go into an oven.", "The heat hardens the protective coating, cushioning the handles so they're easier on the hands.", "Whatever their shape or size, pliers are a toolbox essential for anyone looking to ply their trade." ]

{ "things": [ "Steamer Baskets", "Three" ] }

[ "People have been steaming food for thousands of years.", "Once upon a time, steamers were made out of clay pots with perforated floors.", "Today, we've come up with all sorts of metal and plastic innovations.", "The traditional bamboo steamer is a perfect balance between the old and the new.", "Perfected by generations of craftsmen, traditional bamboo steamers are lightweight, strong, and durable.", "They look like simple cooking tools, but building them requires enormous artisanal skill.", "The craftsman buys lengths of bamboo from local farmers.", "He uses a traditional planer he crafted himself to smooth the bamboo joints.", "A customized chopper tool helps him split the bamboo lengthwise.", "He inserts a bamboo stick to hold the split open.", "After removing the chopper, he pulls on the stick to split the entire length of the bamboo.", "The craftsman splits the sections again.", "To assemble the steamer base, the craftsman will split the bamboo into 32 pieces.", "The cover will require 128 pieces.", "A custom-made knife knocks down the intersections of the bamboo.", "For the steamer's cover, the craftsman splits the bamboo horizontally.", "Next, the craftsman uses this slicing tool to cut the wood.", "He sets the desired width and slices a thin sheet of wood lengthwise.", "He uses this section of wood to form the base of the steamer and slides a bamboo ring over it to hold it in place.", "Then he punches small holes with a drill...", "And reinforces the joint with stainless steel wire.", "The installation process begins.", "First by installing a series of inner rings which will serve to reinforce the structure of the steamer and to support multiple levels of steamers inside it.", "The craftsman uses special techniques to ensure that each joint is perfectly aligned for maximum strength.", "Working almost entirely by hand with skills acquired over time, he meticulously creates a strong, yet lightweight piece of kitchen equipment.", "The basket still needs a bottom to rest dumplings in.", "The craftsman begins building the basket floor by custom fitting a series of rugged cross pieces.", "He ensures that each piece fits perfectly before proceeding.", "Then he inserts thin, more pliable pieces of bamboo to hold the cross pieces in place.", "Next, he lays the final layer on top, placing the pieces with their outer sides facing up to form a smooth surface for food to sit on while steaming.", "With the floor of the steamer in place, it's time to secure the upper pieces by binding them to the support pieces.", "To do this, he threads a stainless steel wire through the cracks, twisting the ends tightly to the base.", "Then he gives the inner support rings under the steamer floor a few taps, securing them in place.", "The basket's base is now complete.", "Next, the craftsman begins weaving the bamboo pieces together that will form the cover.", "He uses a traditional pattern called a twill weave.", "Then he inserts paper before adding a second layer of bamboo.", "The paper will help prevent steam from escaping the basket too quickly.", "He then snaps in a series of carefully sized reinforcements to keep the layers in place.", "Finally, he custom fits another interior ring under the reinforcements to hold everything together, tapping it carefully into position.", "The steamer cover is now complete.", "A three-wheel motorized scooter provides the rider with more stability than a two-wheeled scooter.", "By utilizing three points of contact with the ground, this scooter is less likely to skid or fall over when making a sharp turn, or while driving on an unpaved surface.", "This high-end, three-wheeled scooter has the look and comfort of a motorcycle without the high price tag.", "It can reach speeds of up to 85 miles per hour and travel about 186 miles on a full tank of gas.", "At the factory, mechanics begin assembling the engine by pressing two ball bearings into the left side of an aluminum crankcase.", "They insert a third ball bearing that's assembled to the gear shaft.", "Then the crankshaft is installed on the opposite end.", "In between the two cases, a gasket is mounted to prevent oil from leaking out.", "Mechanics fit the right side of the crankcase to the left side and bolt them together.", "They place one end of the drive chain around the crankshaft, and then another.", "This gear is installed for the oil pump.", "As the crankshaft rotates, the interior of the engine is greased with oil.", "This gear rotates the crankshaft, which starts the engine.", "And this gear, assembled to a generator, goes on the crankshaft.", "When the generator rotates, it provides electric current to run the scooter's lights and other electrical components.", "Technicians close up the right side of the crankcase with a cover...", "Install the water pump...", "And cap the generator.", "Next, mechanics install reduction gears onto the ball bearings that were placed in the left side of the crankcase.", "Reduction gears lower the rotation speed of the crankshaft to make it more manageable for the drive shaft which turns the wheels.", "A pulley-based automatic transmission system called a cvt is assembled.", "It's powerful, fuel-efficient, and runs smoother than a standard, gear-based, automatic transmission.", "Technicians attach the piston to the piston rod and place it into the engine's single cylinder.", "The bottom of the piston rod is linked to the crankshaft.", "They place an aluminum cover over the transmission and install the cylinder head, which is equipped with several sensors for fuel injection and other functions.", "Next, mechanics mount the rear wheel onto the drive shaft.", "This aluminum swing arm supports the wheel and engine.", "The steel frame is pained black and is engraved with the scooter's vehicle identification number.", "Technicians bolt the frame to the front of the engine and to a pair of shock absorbers at the back.", "They install part of the front suspension system, one on each side of the frame.", "Then they mount the three wheel hubs and install each integrated brake disc with a brake caliper.", "Back to the front suspension system, mechanics connect a shock absorber to each triangular arm.", "They install the handlebars, brake levers with hydraulic cables, and switches for the lights, signals, and horn.", "Once the ignition switch and vinyl seat is built in, mechanics install the rear lights and turn signals, the l.e.d. headlights...", "And mount the three wheels and tires.", "The last step is to run the scooter through a series of tests.", "The test evaluates the functionality of the lights, turn signals, front and rear brakes, acceleration, and the accuracy of the speedometer.", "There is no question this scooter provides a ton of stability.", "With a front suspension system designed to keep both front wheels on the ground, the rider is guaranteed a smooth and enjoyable ride.", "A conservatory is designed to let in sunlight.", "It's often referred to as an extension of the home, allowing people to enjoy the warmth of the sun without ever having to step outside.", "A prefabricated conservatory can be assembled in three days, so you can quickly have an indoor place in the sun.", "Producing a prefab conservatory starts with a customized computer-generated design.", "First, a designer selects the parts for the framework.", "This piece of vinyl cladding will be part of a decorative ridge.", "Then all the materials are placed on racks.", "There can be 50 to 500 pieces, depending on the size of the conservatory.", "Using a circular blade, the metal cutter trims aluminum components to various lengths and angles, according to his measurements.", "Another designer welds aluminum parts to build a gutter system.", "He makes tight welds for waterproof joints.", "Next, a team assembles the frame to confirm that the parts connect together.", "If successful, the framework will be taken apart for reassembly on site.", "After the roof's ridge beam is set on stands in the center of the frame, technicians bolt one end of a load beam to the eaves and the other to the elevated ridge.", "More beams are added to create a truss system to support the roof.", "The stands supporting the ridge beam are removed.", "A designer measures and maps out roof panels on polycarbonate.", "The polycarbonate has a hollow, waffle structure that gives it insulating properties.", "He cuts out the panels according to his measurements.", "After sealing the edges with felt, the panels are mounted to the roof.", "Vinyl cladding on the exposed structural bar secures the panels.", "The designer tapes the vinyl with a hammer to flare it against the polycarbonate.", "Then he installs the vinyl ridge gap.", "The elaborate, molded finials make a statement while stopping water from dripping into the top of the roof.", "He peels off the protective liner to reveal the translucent polycarbonate panels.", "On another production line, an automatic saw cuts vinyl components for the walls at the specified length.", "Routers carve holes for hardware.", "Saws cut notches in specific locations, enabling them to join the rest of the building framework.", "A technician arranges the vinyl posts and beams in a thermal welder.", "The machine melts the parts where they intersect and fuses them together.", "Each part of the wall frame is welded separately, and then joined together.", "The welding leaves the seams a bit rough, so a machine trims off any excess vinyl.", "A circular saw moves in and cleans up the exterior corners.", "To customize the color, designers spray the wall frame with an acrylic paint that chemically bonds to the vinyl to prevent chipping.", "Back to the white frame.", "A team inserts a glass panel in the ridged rim.", "Strips of vinyl around the edges hold the glass in and keep water out.", "The team assembles a factory display model.", "The wall panels are installed into grooves on the frame and connected by aluminum posts.", "Next, the doors are installed.", "A technician tightly pulls the wall frames to the aluminum posts using nylon composite devices.", "Vinyl casings cover the posts and any nylon locks.", "Using a crane, the team lowers the roof onto the structure and bolts it in place.", "The conservatory is complete.", "Now it's time to relax while sitting indoors.", "People have used copper pots and pans for thousands of years.", "Copper is an ideal heat conductor, allowing food to be cooked quickly and evenly.", "Copper pots allow for more precise temperature control, which means dinner is less likely to be served burnt.", "In the culinary world, copper is a precious metal.", "Besides being a great conductor of heat, copper pots look good on the cooktop.", "To cut out a round blank, a craftsman places a centering disk on a copper sheet.", "He links it to a plasma torch using a metal spindle.", "The spindle holds the torch at a specific distance so that, as the torch cuts out the circle, the radius is exact.", "The coppersmith ensures that the cutout is as close to the edge of the copper sheet as possible to minimize waste.", "Next, he examines the circular blank.", "The plasma cutting has left the edges frayed, so he smoothes them by clamping the copper blank in a lathe.", "He taps the blank with a rubber mallet and centers it between the clamping chucks.", "The coppersmith uses a tool to check that the blank is positioned correctly.", "Then he adds oil to the cutting tool and moves it against the spinning blank.", "It trims the circumference, creating a cleaner edge and removes any flaws.", "He files the rim of the copper blank to make it smooth and even.", "Using sandpaper, he finishes the edge.", "With the imperfections removed, the copper blank is formed into a sauce pan with sloping sides.", "Two craftsmen press a roller against the copper blank so that it conforms to the shape of a mold.", "That's part of one of the clamping chucks.", "This process is called metal spinning.", "While one craftsman moves the roller across the copper blank, the other applies pressure.", "This shaping method takes eight to ten rounds.", "Finally, the pan has taken shape, but the forming process has left fine lines on the surface.", "So as it continues to spin, the coppersmith smoothes it down.", "He applies lubricant to a cutting tool and trims the rim of the saucepan.", "This gives the pan the desired height.", "The cutting leaves the edges very sharp, so he files them down again.", "The copper saucepan is ready for the cast-iron handle.", "Cast iron has less thermal conductivity than copper, so the heat from the pan will travel more slowly up the handle.", "The craftsperson clamps the handle to the saucepan.", "This holds it tightly in place as he drills rivet holes through both the iron handle and the copper pan.", "The craftsman removes the clamp and bolts the handle to the pan temporarily.", "This stabilizes it for the drilling of the second rivet hole.", "A rivet is inserted in the second hole from the inside of the pan.", "The coppersmith heats the tail of the rivet to soften it.", "Then the pan is transferred to an anvil.", "Using a pneumatic hammer, the coppersmith flattens the first rivet, removes the temporary bolt, and installs the second rivet.", "He heats the pan over a flame and melts a tin bar to the bottom.", "He spreads the molten tin up the sides of the pan using a rag that's been soaked with a flux chemical.", "The flux cleans the copper and allows the tin to flow more smoothly.", "The tin lining will prevent acidic foods from leeching raw copper into the food.", "The heat from the tinning flame has caused some discoloration.", "The coppersmith removes the stains by using a cotton buffing wheel and polishing compound.", "As he continues, the polishing takes the copper to a high sheen.", "This copper saucepan is now ready for the stovetop.", "But first, the craftsman pounds a steel stamp into the bottom of the pan, imprinting it with the company logo.", "For cookware that only takes a couple hours to make, a copper pan can last for decades.", "And if it's well cared for, it won't even show its age." ]

{ "things": [ "Witness Samples", "Pressure Washers", "Bee Hives", "Cast Iron Cookers" ] }

[ "today on \"how it's made\"...", "Witness samples.", "Pressure washers.", "Bee hives.", "And cast iron cookers.", "Special coatings applied to optical glass change the way it transmits light, so that it becomes more or less reflective or even electrically conductive.", "Testing beforehand on little glass discs known as witness samples bears witness to the quality of the coatings.", "With witness samples, it's all about the optics.", "They must be flawless on the surface in order for optical coatings to be applied and properly evaluated.", "A diamond drill cuts solid cylinders out of a block of optical glass.", "Each one is an inch in diameter.", "A worker glues the cylinders together to a glass plate.", "This keeps them in a tight pack so that they can be cut into discs.", "The worker suspends the cylinder pack above a grid of piano wire.", "The wire moves back and forth to grind a silicon carbide slurry into the glass cylinders, to cut them at intervals about a tenth of an inch.", "The sliced cylinders then go into a hot bath for 15 minutes.", "This dissolves the glue.", "The glass discs separate, and are released from the base plate.", "The worker rinses each disc individually to remove any remaining glue.", "She sets the discs on a cardboard surface to dry.", "Once loaded into slots, a robot collects the disc using suctioning fingers.", "The robot inserts a disc into a suctioning clamp, and nudges it to further establish it there.", "A diamond cutting wheel meets up with the disc held in the clamp, and machines a bevel into the disc.", "A technician places plastic carriers with disc-size slots on a pad in a polishing machine.", "The carrier's gear-style teeth intermesh with teeth on the machine's hub and outer frame.", "She transfers the glass discs to the slots in the carriers.", "The upper polishing pad descends, and the carriers rotate as the pads buff the discs on both sides.", "The glass goes from frosty to transparent.", "She rinses off the polishing compound.", "Then, for an intensive cleaning, an automated rack system lowers the discs into a series of tubs.", "In the first one, they undergo another rinse.", "In the next tub, a special cleaning solution has been added to water-- one that won't leave a soapy residue.", "Sound waves bubble through this washtub to gently scrub the disc.", "After another rinse, it's into a dryer.", "It blows hot air onto the glass samples to dry them without leaving streaks.", "A worker tests one witness sample from every production run.", "Both a camera and a laser scan the sample, and a computer analyzes the information.", "The witness samples are now ready for coating.", "The technician loads the sample into fixtures in the coating machine.", "Using a lift, he elevates the fixtures to the top of the coating chamber.", "He inserts small crucibles of coating material in the base of the coating machine.", "The materials are metal oxide compounds that make glass less reflective.", "For demonstration purposes, the chamber remains open, and he sets the fixtures in motion.", "As they spin, the coating materials will be heated to the point of evaporation, forming a cloud that will condense on the samples at a certain thickness.", "The technician closes the chamber, and the process begins.", "An intense electron beam heats the coating materials.", "Once the coatings have cured to the glass, they can be evaluated.", "A computerized machine takes measurements to confirm that the reflective properties are correct.", "The witness sample has done its job, and the coatings are ready for production.", "Armed with a pressure washer, it's easy to get carried away and go on an outdoor cleaning spree.", "It can be used to wash down the driveway, clean the siding on the house, remove dirt from the deck, wash the car, and much more.", "A pressure washer contains an electric motor, which drives a pump that propels water at high pressure down a hose, and out a trigger-operated nozzle.", "The machine's mechanics and electronics are hidden from view by a two-part plastic cover.", "The two main parts of the electric motor are the rotor and the stator.", "To make the stator, this automated station winds 1,640 feet of copper wire-- or, for certain models, aluminum wire-- then inserts the winding into the slots of a steel cylindrical frame.", "The rotor is also a steel cylinder.", "It will sit inside the stator, attached at one end to the motor shaft.", "When the power washer is turned on, the a/c current passing through the stator winding creates a rotating magnetic field.", "This turns the rotor, driving the motor shaft, which drives the pump.", "At the next station, a worker prepares the stator's electrical connections, securing them with a cable tie.", "She contains and protects the copper winding with tape.", "Then, the stator moves on to receive the rotor.", "On another assembly line, a worker mates the guide for the motor's three pistons with the aluminum cylinder head and the motor, now in an oil-filled aluminum housing.", "The motor drives a rubber plate which moves the pistons, which move various internal components that pressurize the water.", "A worker places a new stator on the carrier to prepare it for motor assembly.", "Then on the pumpset, he installs a plastic water inlet pipe.", "He places the bottom section of the motor housing around the new stator that's heading to the motor assembly.", "The automated handling system removes the completed pumpset and transfers it to another carrier, which transports it to the final assembly line.", "A worker installs a rubber tube, which keeps water out of the motor.", "He pulls the stator electrical connections through it, then installs a watertight plastic box containing all the electronics and the power switch.", "He plugs the power cord into the circuit board inside the box, then screws down the stator's ground wire.", "A worker connects both power and water.", "Then a test machine automatically runs the unit through all the functions.", "Remember that two-part plastic cover?", "An injection-molding machine makes the parts in separate operations-- a yellow top and a black bottom.", "The automated handling system extracts the part and places them on a carrier headed to the pad printer.", "The printer stamps the model name in quick-dry ink on the top cover.", "Workers will later attach the company name to the front of the machine.", "The next station takes the top to the final assembly line, where the handling system turns it upside down and places the pumpset inside.", "At the next stop, a worker installs a guide for the machine's water hose, then positions the bottom cover.", "An automated machine screws the covers together.", "Another worker installs a galvanized-steel axle and two rugged plastic wheels.", "He applies a decal with safety instructions, plastic wheel covers, and a 33-foot-long rubber water hose wound on a plastic reel.", "The pressure washer then goes off to the packaging area, where it's boxed with the handle, accessories, and detergents.", "In the product-development stage, a sound engineer tests the prototype at a sound lab to make sure the noise the pressure washer emits isn't too loud and shrill.", "He runs the machine amid nine microphones, each positioned three feet away in a different direction.", "To pass the test, the noise must be a low bass-range hum.", "To operate the pressure washer, the user connects a garden hose to the water-inlet pipe, connects the handle to the machine's hose, turns on the water and power, then pulls the trigger to spray.", "For centuries, beekeepers used dome baskets called skeps as hives.", "But to harvest the honey, the skeps had to be destroyed.", "In the mid-19th century, they came up with a box hive with removable frames.", "Bees built their honeycombs on the frames, which beekeepers could remove without destroying them.", "A hive is home for thousands of bees.", "The queen resides on the bottom level.", "Worker bees have the run of the house and move around making honey.", "Construction of this beehive starts with the inner cover of the hive.", "A worker cuts a piece of pine plywood to the correct dimensions.", "He places the plywood in a jig, and carves an oblong-shaped hole into it using a hand-held router.", "This hole will provide both ventilation and an upper exit point for the bees.", "For the body of the hive, he uses cypress wood because it's resistant to insect damage and rot.", "With a table saw, the worker trims one edge of the wall panel, taking it from rough to smooth.", "He cuts a little more off the other side of the panel to make it the correct width.", "This gives this side a clean edge, too.", "A circular saw automatically carves a drawer pull into the panel.", "This pull is known as a handhold.", "There will be handholds on all sides of the hive box for easy access.", "The panel, front-side down now, rides a conveyer to the next operation.", "Numerous saws cut long grooves along the bottom and the sides of the panel.", "This creates joints that will fit the hive panels tightly together.", "A worker stacks the panels to await the next stage of assembly.", "Meanwhile, at another station, the next worker notches pieces of wood to make a part called the entrance reducer.", "It's the doorway to the hive.", "It will allow the bees to enter, but keep intruders like mice out.", "He makes a wide entranceway on one side and a narrower one on the other.", "A worker then cuts tongue-and-groove joints in wood that will be used for the bottom and the cover of the beehive.", "Moving to the beehive stand, he cuts a 45-degree angle on both sides of a piece of wood.", "This part will serve as a landing strip for the bees.", "A team slices a sheet of galvanized steel to the desired length.", "Using a press brake, a worker bends the edges of the sheet against a die.", "This forms a cover that will fit over the roof of the hive.", "At another station, a worker pipes glue along the inside groove of the roof frame.", "He arranges the tongue-and-groove boards in a tight interlock and inserts them in the glued groove of the frame.", "He applies pressure to further entrench them, and drives nails into the wood frame to secure the boards.", "He fits the metal cladding over the wood roof.", "It's been made to fit like a glove, so it takes a bit of maneuvering.", "He now joins four of the panels to make a box.", "And thanks to the grooved joints, the corners fit together neatly.", "He glues them, and then secures the joints with nails.", "This assembly will be the brood box that houses the queen bee.", "He now builds the frame for the inner cover of the hive ceiling.", "He applies glue to the frame.", "He inserts the cover and pounds it to drive it further into place.", "It's now time for the final assembly.", "They install the floor on the stand and position the entranceway piece at the front.", "The brood box is next.", "They hang frames with starter honeycomb beeswax on the inner ledges.", "They place a wire mesh excluder over the brood box to keep the queen bee out of the upper chamber.", "The smaller worker bees will be able to move through it to deposit honey on more honeycomb frames.", "They stack the inner cover on top, followed by the metal-clad roof.", "This empty hive will soon be a-buzz with activity and honey.", "humans have been cooking over fire with iron implements since, well, the iron age.", "Today, most outdoor cooking requires some type of appliance.", "And because of iron's superior ability to retain and diffuse heat evenly, a cast-iron cooker is sure to get everyone fired up.", "This cast-iron cooker may look like an ordinary barbecue, but it does so much more than grill.", "It also slow-smokes, caramelizes, sears, and even bakes.", "To produce the cast iron, the company buys scrap pieces of new steel from steel mills and from factories that use steel to make their products.", "Manufacturers heat the steel in a pre-heat furnace.", "This evaporates any residual moisture and speeds up melting in the main furnace.", "The main furnace operator adds a powdered chemical that solidifies the impurities so that he can scoop them out.", "He also adds carbon, silicon, and other alloys to transform the steel into iron.", "The molds are made of a sand, clay, finely ground coal, and water mix compressed at high pressure.", "The molten iron causes the moisture in the mold to evaporate.", "The resulting steam escapes through vent holes at the top.", "This machine lowers the top half of the mold over the bottom half.", "The furnace empties the molten iron into a ladle, which contains additional alloys.", "A worker positions the ladle over an opening at the top of the mold and pours in the molten iron.", "After about two hours, he breaks the sand mold and extracts the casting.", "Workers use a sledgehammer to break off excess metal.", "The cast-iron parts are still encrusted in sand, so workers load them into a shot-blasting machine.", "Shot blasting is like sandblasting, except instead of sand, the machine pummels the surface with tiny steel balls.", "The shot-blasting cycle thoroughly cleans the surface.", "The surface is still quite rough, however.", "So workers refine it with hand tools, hammering off any remaining excess metal and grinding the surface smooth.", "The top half of the cooker has a handle on the front and half a hinge on the back.", "The bottom half has the other half of the hinge.", "A worker drills a hole through each hinge half for the shaft that will connect them.", "He drills holes in the fire box that will let in air to feed the fire.", "Using a template and laser cutter, he cuts an opening in the bottom for the ventilation-draft door.", "He drills mounting holes around the vent, and installs the draft door.", "Its perforated hole cover lets air in.", "Its solid sliding door shuts it out.", "The air intake feeding the fire regulates cooking temperature.", "The cooker sits in a hand-crafted steel cart.", "A welder places the parts for the cart's frame in an assembly fixture, which positions them correctly.", "After welding the frame, he files down the welds so that they'll be virtually invisible once the frame is painted.", "This computer-guided lathe machines the cart's cast-iron wheels to the final dimensions.", "The sand molds used to cast the wheels were designed using century-old patterns for cast-iron pulleys.", "Once workers have mounted the two wheels, the cart goes off to be painted.", "Then, a worker installs shelves made of either stainless steel, hardwood, or composite decking planks.", "Workers bolt the bottom half of the cooker to the cart.", "Then they lower in the fire box, which holds the fuel for cooking.", "The recommended fuel is hardwood lump charcoal.", "Next, a worker mounts the cooker's temperature gauge.", "Then he installs the top vent.", "It consists of two cast-iron discs which rotate to let in more air or less air.", "Having adjustable ventilation at both the top and bottom of the cooker enables more precise temperature control.", "They position the top of the cooker over the bottom, and mate the two hinge halves with the steel shaft and two stainless-steel springs.", "Fiber gaskets ensure good seal when the cooker is closed over the cast-iron grates.", "Those grates are reversible, with one side higher than the other, providing a choice of cooking heights above the fire." ]

{ "things": [ "Plasma Gems", "Special Effects Snow", "Piano Restoration" ] }

[ "These gemstones aren't mined.", "They're made from garbage.", "Using plasma technology, organic waste can be turned into energy, and inorganic waste can be made into a hard black glass.", "Artisans then turn the glass into beautiful jewelry.", "Black jewels glitter like genuine gemstones and are as hard as quartz.", "But they aren't precious or even semiprecious.", "They're pure garbage.", "They're called plasma gems because of the plasma technology that creates them from waste.", "This patented system converts almost any type of waste into clean energy without creating any harmful byproducts.", "The process produces two useful materials-- energy and a hard black glass that artisans can cut into gemstones.", "The process begins by shredding waste and placing it into the system's plasma reactor.", "Inside the reactor, two electrodes generate an electrically-conductive gas.", "These plasma arcs create temperatures exceeding 2,900 degrees, converting the carbon-based matter into a gas that can be used to produce electric power.", "At the same time, the plasma arcs melt the non-carbon-based matter, such as glass, metal, and ceramics.", "The gas fuels engines that produce electric power.", "Once melted, the waste separates into two layers.", "Metal oxides float to the top, and metals sink to the bottom.", "The company casts the metals into ingots, which go to a recycling facility.", "The metal oxides seen here solidify into glass rocks as hard as granite.", "The company sells these glass rocks to artisans who use it to make gemstones for jewelry.", "First, the artisan grinds a chunk of the rock down to a smaller starting shape with a flat side.", "Then she glues on a brass dowel called a dob stick.", "She activates the glue with a u.v. light.", "She returns to the grinding wheel to further reduce the size of the stone and round it as much as possible.", "Then she mounts the dob stick on a fastening machine.", "She presses the stone against an abrasive disc called a lathe to file down the diameter.", "The lathe's surface is made of diamond dust.", "It's the only material strong enough to cut through hard black glass.", "The artisan measures the stone numerous times as she works, ensuring the diameter is consistent all around.", "Once the diameter is perfect, she adjusts the dob stick diagonally and begins cutting symmetrical facets that will reflect light.", "You cannot set this machine to cut and polish at an exact angle, so the artisan has to work by feel, sensing how hard she must press the stone against the disc.", "She checks her work with a magnification loupe to make sure all the facets meet at a precise point.", "Once she finishes faceting the bottom of the stone, she glues a dob stick to the top of the stone.", "Then she removes the first dob stick by softening the glue with a propane torch.", "Now the artisan begins faceting the top of the stone, called the crown.", "Once the sides are faceted, she flattens the pointed top, forming what's called the table.", "She repositions the dob stick horizontally to polish a flat edge around the middle called the girdle.", "She removes the dob stick and cleans off any glue residue with acetone.", "She carefully centers the stone in a sterling-silver pendant.", "The pendant is being held upright in a wad of shellac.", "She uses a prong pusher to bend the prongs securely over the girdle, then rounds off and softens the prongs with a file.", "To remove the pendant, she softens the shellac over a flame, then submerges the pendant in acetone to remove any shellac residue.", "On the hardness scale used in gemology, plasma gems are equivalent to many varieties of quartz.", "Not bad for garbage that would otherwise be in a landfill.", "Mother nature does not deliver on cue.", "So when a film or television script calls for flurries, they use a snow machine to generate fake snowflakes.", "The flakes are actually tiny soap bubbles that look surprisingly realistic on camera.", "It's a sweltering day outside, but inside on the film set, it's winter.", "These soapy flakes look like real snow.", "They hang around just long enough to show up on screen before they evaporate.", "To create these snowflakes, workers start with the same chemicals that are used in soap and shampoo.", "A chemist combines the chemicals in a big mixing vat and adds purified water.", "This produces a snow-making concentrate.", "A machine pumps the concentrate into jugs.", "Each jug contains enough base material to make it snow for up to 16 hours.", "Now work begins on the snow-making machine.", "A worker drills holes into the back of the snow head using a template as a guide.", "He threads plastic tubing and wires through the front part of the snow head.", "The wires are for a blower, and the tubing will be used to deliver the snow solution.", "He applies silicone caulking around the rim and places the blower in the cavity.", "This blower will introduce air to mix with the snow solution.", "The caulking acts as a sealant to keep the air from escaping.", "Next, he routes the wiring and tubing through the back part of the snow head.", "Then he joins the two components.", "He secures the two components with eight long bolts.", "He encases the wiring and tubing in a polymer jacket that shrinks when heat is applied.", "Next, a worker carves a hole in the center of a pre-manufactured blower guard.", "He inserts the snow head in the hole so that the blower guard surrounds the back.", "He ties the wiring and snow-solution tubing to the guard.", "Next, he maps out screw holes and drills them into a big fan that will blow the fake snow around.", "He screws in brackets that will be used to hang the machine high above a movie set.", "He installs a metal guard in the front of the fan...", "And attaches more brackets to the side.", "These brackets act as a holder for the snow-solution pump.", "Now he assembles the snow-head unit to the fan.", "He ties the snow-solution hose to the snow-head nozzle using wires.", "He flattens the wires to the nozzle and covers them with vinyl tape.", "He fits a specially-designed fabric sock over the nozzle.", "Liquid snow will be forced through the pores of the sock to form fake snowflakes.", "He connects the snow-solution tubing to the pump and pulls the wiring through the top of the fan.", "Next, a metal box that contains the controller for the electronics must be installed.", "He runs the snow-solution tubing through it and makes all the necessary wiring connections.", "The controller box is lowered onto the fan assembly and screwed in place.", "He installs a weight on the end of the snow-solution tubing.", "The weight will keep the tubing submerged in the snow-solution container.", "This snow machine is now fully assembled.", "It's over to the test station.", "Here, a technician runs it for hours.", "He checks that it generates a sufficient number of snowflakes and that the flakes are the right size and shape.", "With his approval, these machines are ready to whip up a snowstorm when the director says \"action\".", "A piano is a complex instrument.", "The inner workings operate with exact precision.", "Regular maintenance is required to ensure its longevity.", "But even with proper care, a piano deteriorates with age.", "This is where a talented team of specialists come in to restore a piano to its former glory.", "a piano that's untunable, has sticking keys, or malfunctioning pedals is a pianist's worst nightmare.", "These problems are quite common in older pianos, and the only cure is through a major restoration.", "After decades of use, wood, leather, and wool felt components naturally deteriorate.", "Metal pins develop cavities, screws rust, dust and dirt inhibit moving parts.", "An old piano may require anything from minor touch-ups to a complete rebuild.", "It takes up to two days just to take apart the piano.", "This component, called the action, is the heart of the instrument.", "It has thousands of parts, including 88 piano keys and the felt-covered hammers the keys activate.", "Behind the action is the damper action.", "The dampers stop the strings from vibrating, ending the piano note.", "The restorers begin removing the dampers.", "Every component must be laid out in an organized fashion.", "This is so they know how to reassemble the instrument.", "They separate the keyboard frame from the action.", "The self-contained part that remains is called the action stack.", "Like the dampers, the other wooden parts of the action stack deteriorate with age.", "The felts are usually worn, and everything's caked in dust.", "The restorers replace these components with custom-made replicas.", "After cleaning and polishing the ornate brass structure, they begin reassembling the action stack.", "Next, the restorers remove and discard any worn parts on the keyboard.", "They clean the wood thoroughly and install replacement parts as needed.", "The black keys are made of ebony wood.", "They can be refinished to look brand-new.", "Older white keys are covered with ivory, which is no longer used.", "So instead, they install new synthetic coverings made of white acrylic or a similar material.", "The steel and copper piano strings have rusted, tarnished, and fatigued with age.", "The tuning pins can no longer maintain the tension on the strings.", "This can change the sound of the instrument, so both the strings and tuning pins must be replaced.", "The piano will also receive a new pin block.", "The pin block is a laminated piece of wood that holds the pins in place.", "To access the pin block, they have to remove a heavy cast-iron plate.", "The plate holds the strings at a tremendous amount of tension.", "Once they've removed the plate, they can take out the pin block.", "They restore the ornate cast-iron plate by stripping off the old paint finish with chemicals.", "Then they prime, repaint, and apply a protective coat of clear polyester.", "Back in the reconstruction area, a restorer removes the piano's wooden soundboard and its support structure.", "They use these original parts as a template for the new ones.", "If the action is the heart of the piano, then the soundboard is its soul.", "When the strings vibrate against the soundboard, it resonates with sound.", "On every soundboard, the strings pass over a wooden bridge staggered by pins.", "The height and positioning of the bridge and pins are critical for producing fine tone.", "After removing the pins, the restorers use the old bridge to make a template for a new one.", "Now they install all of the replacement parts-- soundboard, bridge, bridge pins, pin block, and tuning pins.", "They install the newly-refurbished cast-iron plate and are ready to perform some cosmetic restoration.", "A piano's wooden cabinet or case is constructed from hardwood.", "To give the piano the look of fine furniture, the surface is covered in a thin layer of fancier wood such as mahogany, rosewood, or walnut.", "This veneer usually requires restoration in older pianos.", "Over time, paint peels and varnish darkens.", "There's often fading from exposure to direct sunlight or cracking due to dry indoor air.", "To restore the veneer, they begin by using a chemical stripper to remove the old finish.", "Once they've stripped the piano-case parts down to the bare veneer, they sand away any imperfections.", "Then they apply aniline dye.", "It's a type of stain that penetrates deep into the veneer and enhances the grain of the wood.", "Several coats of clear lacquer are applied over the aniline dye.", "This piano was originally black, so they sand, stain, then paint the wood black.", "They apply several coats of paint, letting each one dry overnight before sanding the surface and applying the next coat.", "After the final coat, they let the paint cure for two weeks, then do a fine sanding.", "To make the painted surface glossy, they use a high-speed buffer and a series of progressively-finer polishing compounds.", "This is a slow and painstaking process.", "It takes two or three days to complete work on a concert grand piano like this.", "With the 20-plus parts of the case now refinished, the restorers are now ready to reassemble the piano.", "They start by hooking the looped end of each new string onto a hitch pin.", "Then they run the string over the bridge to the opposite end of the cast-iron plate, winding it around a tuning pin.", "Restorers must wear gloves while restringing.", "Natural oils and perspiration on the hands can tarnish the wires.", "Next, they install the refurbished dampers.", "The original wood has been sanded and refinished.", "They also have new felts and new wires.", "The dampers go into a brand-new damper action.", "The restorers make minute adjustments and alignments, a meticulous process that can take a few days to complete.", "But that's nothing compared to regulating the larger and more complex action, which can take several weeks.", "They make more than a dozen precision adjustments to each of the 88 notes.", "After they reinstall the action, they bookend the keyboard with wooden cheekblocks.", "These are the originals, stripped, sanded, and stained.", "The cheekblocks help align the keyboard so that the hammers strike in the right place.", "The restorer checks the action one last time to ensure it's performing perfectly.", "Then he's ready to tune the piano.", "He weaves a strip of wool cloth through the strings to mute all but the one string they're tuning.", "once he's tuned all the strings, the inner workings of the piano are as good as new.", "restorers finish reassembling the piano case and give it a final dusting.", "Except for the legs, all of the piano-case parts have a solid wood core covered in a newly-restored veneer.", "This veneer isn't just for aesthetics.", "It prevents the wood core from expanding and contracting with changes in humidity.", "restoring an old piano is part technical challenge, part labor of love.", "After many weeks of hard work, this instrument looks and sounds just as it did in its heyday." ]

{ "things": [ "Car Engines", "Flour", "Recliners", "Envelopes" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Car engines...", "Flour...", "Recliners...", "And envelopes.", "Car engines work by internal combustion, a process that happens in each of the engine's cylinders.", "Air and a drop of gasoline enter the cylinder.", "The piston moves upward, compressing the mixture.", "The spark plug ignites the gasoline causing an explosion that drives the piston downward, powering the engine.", "Engine components are housed in what's called the engine block.", "It arrives at this plant partially made.", "Here, they finish it off by machining the cylinder bores, the holes in which the pistons move up and down.", "The tool carves a crisscross pattern on the cylinder bore walls.", "Lubricating oil will cling to the grooves in this pattern enabling the pistons to move smoothly.", "After machining, the engine block travels upside down to the engine assembly line.", "When it arrives there, a scanner records the block's traceability code, a barcode that enables the factory to track the block through every stage of production.", "As the engine block travels down the line, error-proofing devices ensure that each component is installed properly.", "Elsewhere in the factory, the crankshaft is slowly taking shape.", "The crankshaft is a bar that's rotated by the up-and-down motion of the pistons.", "As it turns, it transfers power to the transmission.", "The crankshaft starts out as a roughly shaped steel forging.", "Robotic arms pass it down the line from station to station until, 20 tooling machines later, it's fully formed.", "Now they install a steel disc with teeth called the reluctor ring.", "They heat it and press it onto the crankshaft.", "As it cools, it shrinks to a tight fit.", "This ring helps time the combustion cycle.", "As it spins, its teeth pass in front of a sensor, which reads the crankshaft's position and tells the engine to fire the spark plugs at precisely the right moment.", "Now they balance the crankshaft.", "If it's off-kilter, the engine will vibrate.", "A computer analyzes the spin and determines whether they need to drill out metal at certain points to achieve equilibrium.", "Back on the engine assembly line, the engine blocks are still upside down.", "A robot lubricates the four bearings on which the crankshaft will turn, then it drops the crankshaft into position.", "The pistons come next-- six per engine because these are six-cylinder engines.", "The pistons are made of aluminum.", "Robots install them into the cylinder bores of the engine block.", "A steel connecting rod attaches each piston to the crankshaft.", "Now workers can close up the back of the engine block.", "A robot applies sealant to the rear cover.", "They bolt it on manually with a tool called a multi-spindle torque gun.", "On another line, they assemble the two heads that'll cover the top of the engine block.", "This robot is applying sealant to spark plug tubes before inserting them into the heads.", "The heads cap off the cylinder bores.", "They provide each cylinder with a spark plug and four valves-- two for allowing the fuel mixture in and two for releasing the exhaust.", "The black tubes running front to back are the cam shafts, the components that open and close those valves.", "There are four per engine.", "A robot applies sealant and then bolts a cover onto the front of the engine block, the head, and a component called the timing chain.", "This chain connects the crankshaft to the cam shafts so that they rotate in unison.", "This ensures the valves open when the pistons are in the right position.", "Finally, they spin the engine mechanically to make sure the components function properly.", "The grain most commonly ground into flour is wheat.", "Flour mills use high-protein or hard-wheat species to make bread flour and lower-protein or soft-wheat species to produce cake and pastry flour.", "All-purpose flour is a compromise with medium protein.", "As soon as the wheat shipment arrives, a grain probe vacuums up samples from throughout the load.", "If the samples pass quality inspection, the mill gives the truck the go-ahead to dump the wheat onto an underground conveyor.", "From there, the grain goes into a cleaning machine, where a system of sieves removes impurities such as straw, sticks, and grain dust.", "The wheat then goes into storage silos until milling time.", "The protein content of wheat varies by species, so the first step is to blend together the right varieties of wheat for the type of flour they'll be making.", "From the blender, the wheat goes through a second, more intensive cleaning system that removes the tiniest of impurities, such as weed seeds and dust.", "On the way to the milling machines, a scale tracks production quantities.", "This mill's vertical-production line is five stories high.", "Gravity carries the wheat downward through a succession of milling machines.", "Each one grinds the grain between steel rollers and then sifts it.", "Particles too large to pass through a sieve continue downward into the next milling machine and so on.", "By the time the wheat hits the last machine, anything that's not fully processed gets vacuumed up to the top to begin the cycle again.", "Mills make white flour by grinding only the wheat kernel's soft inner part, called the endosperm.", "This requires removing the bran, the kernel's hard skin, and the germ, its seed.", "That separation begins as soon as the wheat kernels enter the very first milling machine.", "Rollers break off the germ and bran and crush the endosperm into pieces called semolina.", "Sifting removes the germ and loose bran pieces, but much of the semolina remains covered in bran particles.", "So between each milling station is a purifier, a machine that uses controlled air currents to float the lighter bran above the heavier semolina, enabling sieves to separate the two components.", "The semolina goes through repeated grind, sift, and purify cycles until it's completely clean.", "Only then can it be finely ground into flour.", "The ground semolina passes through a series of sieves.", "This ensures it doesn't leave the final milling machine until it's been ground to the right powdery texture.", "There are three main types of white-wheat flour.", "Bread flour has high protein, enabling dough to rise well and bake to a firm texture.", "Cake flour has low protein, which produces a crumbly texture.", "All-purpose flour is the compromise-- its medium-protein content makes it suitable for baking both bread and cakes.", "By the end of production, the flour mill has produced three distinct products-- bran, used for animal feed and baking...", "White-wheat flour...", "And wheat germ for the health-food market.", "Leftover by-products go into livestock feed.", "In the mill's quality-control lab, they bake the product for which the flour is designed and then examine its appearance, texture, and taste.", "They use specialized equipment to calculate the volume, the density, protein, and moisture contents.", "With baked goods destined for retail sale, like these cookies, it's especially important to measure the dimensions.", "If dough overexpands, the cookies won't fit in their package.", "Just prior to packaging, the mill enriches its white flour with vitamins and minerals.", "This replaces the vitamins and minerals lost when the milling process removed the bran and germ.", "They shake the bags to settle the flour.", "Bagged flour in various sizes goes out to supermarkets, restaurants, and commercial bakeries, while tanker trunks ship bulk flour to large industrial bakeries.", "The first reclining armchair was introduced by the la-z-boy company in 1928.", "Today, many companies make motion furniture, as the industry calls it, and the term \"recliner\" no longer refers to just armchairs.", "You can buy reclining couches and even reclining sectionals.", "This factory makes reclining chairs and couches in both fabric and leather.", "The furniture construction is the same, regardless of the material, but leather upholstery requires a few extra steps.", "They begin by inspecting the hide, marking serious defects with one color of tape and minor imperfections with another.", "A computer-programmed cutting machine scans and registers the tape markings, then automatically cuts and discards the defective parts.", "It cuts upholstery pieces for hidden areas, such as the undersides of seat cushions, from the imperfect leather and visible parts from flawless leather.", "Once all the pieces are cut, they sew together the back, seat, and arms.", "Then, they stuff the arms and back.", "They position the open end against a blowing machine that fills it with polyester fiber.", "Workers weigh each part before and after filling.", "This ensures they've blown in the right amount of fiber and that both arms have equal filling.", "Next, they'll fill the seat with foam.", "A compression machine squeezes it, then a worker sprays on silicone lubricant.", "This enables the seat cover to slide on easily.", "Foam is made of a chemical mixture, the formulation of which determines the density-- the higher the density, the higher the quality.", "Elsewhere in the factory, they cut the frame components from plywood using a computer-guided band saw.", "These long pieces will form the seat frame.", "A 3-seater couch has 3 separate frames, enabling each seat to recline individually.", "A machine lines one side of each piece with steel spring clips.", "A worker then dabs the ends in glue and assembles the pieces, reinforcing them with long, glue-coated staples.", "As the staples enter the wood, friction-generated heat melts the glue.", "The glue then dries, securing the staples.", "Now comes the step known as \"springing the seat\".", "They hook five thick, steel springs into the spring clips, then hammer the clips closed to lock the springs in place.", "They connect the springs with a plastic-covered wire so that, when you sit on the seat, all the springs react in unison.", "They assemble the frame pieces for the arm, using glue and glue-coated staples, plus a few screws at strategic points.", "They screw the arm to the seat and begin upholstering.", "First, a layer of felt to cushion the springs, then wood, cardboard, and foam to form the rounded shape of the armrest.", "After lubricating with silicone spray, they slip on the leather and staple it in place.", "They upholster the backrest and sides in the same manner.", "The reclining mechanism arrives at the factory with the sides preassembled.", "Workers install the connecting pieces, then a bushing that reduces the noise the mechanism makes.", "Finally, they install a spring to control the recline speed.", "They screw the mechanism to the seat frame...", "Then hook up the operating handle and test it out.", "To cover the back of the furniture, they attach metal tacking strips to the leather...", "Then turn the edge under and hammer the tacks into the frame, using a pneumatic hammer.", "The last step is to attach the back to the seat.", "There's the detachable flap at the bottom, providing access to a locking spring inside.", "The locking spring lets you remove the back if you have trouble getting the furniture through a doorway.", "At this factory, workers are encouraged to lie down on the job, but only to inspect the furniture.", "After examining the fabric and sewing, they assess the comfort and test the reclining motion.", "Talk about a cushy job.", "We rip it open with barely a thought, more anxious to read its contents than to take a moment to truly appreciate its form and function, and then we ruthlessly discard it.", "The humble envelope just doesn't get much respect despite its distinguished 4,000-year history.", "As early as 2,000 b.c., the babylonians baked special clay wrappers to transport documents.", "Eventually, people made envelopes from lighter materials, such as animal skins and leaves.", "By about 1,000 a.d., it became the custom to simply fold a letter and seal it with a drop of wax.", "But everything changed in 1837 with england's new penny-postage system.", "To mail a letter, the sender now had to buy a postage-paid paper wrapper that folded into an envelope.", "One of the many envelope styles this factory makes is a 12-by-18-inch envelope made of natural-colored kraft paper.", "A machine, appropriately called the sheeter, cuts the roll into 21-by-25-inch sheets.", "A worker selects the cutting die for this style and installs it on an automated press.", "As each stack of sheets passes underneath, the press applies 11 tons of pressure, forcing the die right through like a giant cookie cutter.", "The shaped sheets are called \"envelope blanks\".", "Workers now load the blanks into the feeder of an automated piece of equipment called a blank-sheet envelope-folding machine.", "As we see here in slow motion, revolving steel blades first make scorelines, four in all-- one down each side, creating the envelope's side flaps, one across the top, creating the seal flap, and one across the lower end, creating the bottom flap.", "Folding blades hold the paper down along the scorelines, while arms push up from underneath, folding the side flaps toward the center.", "Just before the flaps meet, the machine runs a line of glue down their edge.", "The flaps adhere to each other, forming the center seam that runs down the back of the envelope.", "The machine then glues the bottom flap and folds it closed.", "You can see in slow motion how it also applies glue to the seal flap at the top, keeping that flap open so that the glue will dry.", "The sender has to just remoisten the glue to seal the envelope.", "The finished envelope exits the folding machine and enters another machine that counts them and stacks them upright.", "This more sophisticated piece of equipment is called a web-roll envelope-folding machine.", "They feed the roll of paper directly into the machine and, as we see here in slow motion, it does everything from cutting, scoring, folding, and gluing the blanks to counting the finished envelopes.", "For this style, a die even punches out an address window in the front of the envelope.", "This all-in-one machine goes through all the steps at lightning speed-- 20 envelopes per second.", "The thin, transparent film that covers the address window is usually made of polypropylene.", "The machine cuts it to size and glues it to the envelope.", "This machine doesn't have folding blades to hold the paper down along the scorelines.", "Instead, the blanks roll through a series of rotating cylinders with air holes.", "A suction system vacuums the blank to the cylinder while the operation is being performed, then releases the vacuum to transfer the paper to the next cylinder, where it's vacuumed on for the duration of the next operation.", "Internal-mail envelopes are opened and closed repeatedly, so they don't have a lick-and-stick seal flap like regular envelopes do.", "As we see here in slow motion, an automated machine rivets a cardboard button to the back of the envelope.", "At the same time, it rivets another button, with a piece of string, to the flap.", "Envelope factories use many different types of paper, from top-quality vellum to kraft paper.", "With printing equipment incorporated right into the folding machines, they can print return addresses, even elaborate custom designs." ]

{ "things": [ "Gut Strings", "Absinthe", "Belt Buckles", "Lever Locks" ] }

[ "The instruments in the violin family have a distinct sound created in large part by the type of strings they have.", "While there are strings made of synthetic materials or metals on the market, traditional strings are made of a specific part of a certain animal.", "Stay tuned for the details.", "Playing an instrument in the violin family takes guts-- literally.", "That's because the instrument's four strings are made of sheep intestines.", "The two thinner, higher note strings are made of plain gut.", "The two thicker, lower note strings have a gut core wrapped in silver wire, then silk thread wound around the extremities.", "The intestines, each roughly 65 feet long, come from local slaughterhouses and arrive already emptied, cleaned, and salted.", "The first step is to soak them in cold water for one to two days.", "This starts a controlled, very smelly decomposition which helps loosen up the intestines' components.", "Next, using a half piece of wood cane, the string maker scrapes off the outer layers of fat and mucosa membranes.", "Then, five times a day for a week, he softens the gut in an alkaline potash bath and pulls it against a handmade copper thimble.", "This gently scrapes away the waste remnants until the gut is a tube of pure, transparent muscle, at which point he slices it with a splitting horn into two gut ribbons of differing widths.", "The thinner, right one for making violin strings, the thicker, left one for making cello and double bass strings.", "During the scraping phase, guts sometimes break apart.", "Rather than discard these pieces, the string maker knots them together to produce full-length strands.", "The string maker's assistants cut the gut ribbons into 23-foot lengths and bleach them for four days.", "This prevents the gut from turning brown.", "Then they count out the number of strands required to produce the various size strings-- from six to make the thinnest violin string all the way up to 120 to make the thickest double bass string.", "They tie the ends in a loop and hook them up to a twisting machine, then turn the machine's crank and tightly twist the gut ribbons together to form one strong, single string.", "Then, since the guts have begun to dry out a bit, they rehydrate the string to restore a consistent level of moisture.", "Then they twist it again and transfer it, along with additional strings, to a drying frame.", "There's no set drying time.", "They monitor each string individually around the clock.", "As a string dries, it shrinks in diameter but grows in length, creating slack.", "So, they repeatedly remove and retwist until it dries completely, at which point it stabilizes.", "This drying and retwisting process can take up to seven days.", "The string is ready when it's hard and stiff and slightly yellowed.", "At that stage, they rub it with horsehair-- the traditional equivalent of coarse sandpaper.", "It makes the string smooth and even throughout.", "Next, they fine-polish the string with abrasive, dried grass in a cloth that's been moistened with olive oil.", "Some string makers use almond oil and pumice or powdered glass as the abrasive.", "They sever the strings from the drying frame and cut them to standard lengths.", "These strings will be for a child-size violin, so they're 100 centimeters long.", "To produce the correct sounds, the instrument's two lower-note strings must be considerably thicker than the others.", "The problem is this thickness in gut alone would produce a dull sound, so they wrap the string in sterling silver wire-- silver being seven times denser than gut.", "This gives the string the right sound and a loud, brilliant tone with minimal thickness.", "Next, for decoration, they wrap the top and bottom of these gut-core strings with silk thread.", "On a violin string, the silk runs about a centimeter long on each end.", "On a longer cello string, like this one, about 5 centimeters.", "The finished string is ready to be inserted into its retail packaging.", "There are less expensive synthetic strings on the market, however, particularly for early music, many musicians prefer the sound and feel of traditional gut strings-- made by hand today just as they were centuries ago.", "Absinthe is a strong alcoholic drink with a colorful history.", "During the late 1800s and early 1900s, drinking this anise-flavored spirit was the rage among european bohemians.", "Conservatives of the day saw it as dangerous and immoral and succeeded in getting absinthe banned in several countries.", "The traditional way to drink absinthe is to pour one part into a glass, straddle a specially designed slotted spoon holding a sugar cube over the glass, then, very slowly, drip three to five parts ice water directly onto the cube, dissolving the sugar into the diluting spirit.", "This transforms the drink from clear to cloudy and draws out the subtle flavors and aromas of the herbal ingredients.", "You can do this with a single glass or several using a traditional absinthe fountain-- a large mounted glass vessel which dispenses the ice water through multiple spigots.", "This 180-year-old french distillery makes both white and green versions of absinthe.", "Each is made from a different combination aromatic plants.", "However, for both, the primary ingredients are green anise and grand wormwood.", "Both also contain fennel.", "The white absinthe has more of it.", "And only green absinthe contains additional plants, such as petty wormwood, hyssop, mint, and chamomile.", "The distillery workers pour the recipe ingredients into a copper still.", "They pump in highly concentrated alcohol made from white grapes.", "The plants soak in this alcohol base overnight, gradually imbuing the alcohol with their respective flavors and aromas.", "This process is called maceration.", "The next day, distillation begins.", "They heat the still with pressurized steam.", "After about 45 minutes, the spirit reaches the boiling point, and a floating gauge monitoring its alcohol level slowly rises and flows out the neck of the still.", "However, what comes out during the first 10 minutes or so has to be discarded.", "It's white, oily, and has a 90% alcohol level.", "What follows is the good stuff-- crystal clear, with an average alcohol level of 78% to 80%.", "This streams steadily out of the still for about three to five hours, followed by a weak tail-end flow that they discard like the first flow.", "Then they dilute this distilled spirit with water to reduce the final alcohol level of this white absinthe to 60%.", "To make green absinthe, before that final dilution, they pump the white absinthe through a burlap bag containing a specific plant-- the identity of which the distillery won't divulge.", "They let the plant soak in the absinthe for a specific length of time.", "This draws out the plant's chlorophyll, which colors the spirit bright green.", "Then they dilute with water to obtain the target alcohol level of 62%, slightly higher than white absinthe.", "That extra bit of alcohol helps preserve the chlorophyll.", "In the distillery's in-house laboratory, quality-control technicians test a sample from each batch to verify the alcohol content.", "Absinthe contains about 20% more alcohol than most spirits.", "The lab monitors the level of thujone, a chemical compound in wormwood, the drink's second key ingredient.", "Thujone content is regulated to varying degrees in many countries.", "The european union permits up to 35 parts per million, for example, while canada, no more than 7 parts per million.", "The distillery, therefore, bottles several versions of absinthe, tailoring the wormwood portion of the recipe to the export destination.", "White absinthe has a strong anise taste, well balanced with wormwood, whereas green absinthe, containing more plants, has a more complex flavor.", "While white is typically bottled in clear glass, green is always bottled in dark-colored glass.", "That's because chlorophyll, the plant pigment that produces the green color, is highly sensitive to light.", "Without dark glass shielding it from exposure, the green absinthe inside would turn yellow and eventually brown.", "This would have no effect whatsoever on the taste, however, the potent drink known in 19th-century france as la fée verte, the green fairy, would lose some of its magic.", "There are reports of archaeologists finding evidence of belts and buckles dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries in britain.", "Decorative belt buckles appear to have been worn for the first time as symbols of status in the 1500s throughout regional spain.", "Today, hand-engraved belt buckles are prized not only as fashion accessories but as inspired examples of workmanship and art.", "The buckle maker welds small stainless steel rods together to form the back of the buckle.", "After placing them in a welding fixture, he precision-welds them.", "Using another fixture, the buckle maker adds a center pin to the back of the buckle.", "After precision-welding it into place, he melts the tip of the stainless steel pin into a smooth ball.", "This locating pin centers the belt in the buckle.", "The buckle maker uses a jeweler's saw to cut the shape of the buckle from heavy gauge solid sterling silver.", "He stamps the company logo into the back of the buckle.", "Using pure silver, he solders the welded rods onto the back of the buckle, along with a stainless steel keeper tongue.", "He uses a jeweler's saw to cut out initials, using the font, material, and size selected by the customer.", "The buckle maker uses a soldering gun to apply solder to the back of the letters, which are made of gold fill, a thin layer of gold on top of brass.", "He carefully positions the initials on the sterling silver buckle, which has been covered with flux for the soldering phase to come.", "Too much solder on the back of the letters, and it could flow out onto the buckle surface.", "Heating the belt buckle causes the solder on the back of the letters to attach firmly to the sterling silver surface.", "The attachment process happens very quickly.", "With a polishing compound and cloth polishing wheel, he gives the buckle a brilliant shine.", "The buckle maker hand-engraves the buckle using assorted engraving tools.", "He uses a shading tool to add depth to lines.", "He follows guidelines drawn in felt pen.", "The pattern engraved is chosen by the customer.", "The belt maker rolls out a piece of tan strap leather.", "Using a gauge knife, he cuts the width of leather needed to make the belt chosen by the customer.", "The belt maker uses a variety of tools to cut and shape the leather.", "He cuts the tip of the belt.", "He places the leather in room-temperature water for about five minutes.", "When bubbles stop rising, the leather is saturated.", "After the leather has dried, he transfers a pattern from the design strip to the leather.", "Stamping tools allow him to stamp intricate designs.", "Using a swivel knife, he cuts to a depth of between a quarter to a third of the way through the leather.", "The initial pattern has been carved.", "With a beveler, he deepens and shapes the carved lines.", "He chooses a bar backgrounder to create leaf in the background.", "With a swivel knife, he makes the final decorative cuts.", "The belt maker applies dye to the background sections of the carved leather, completing the most intricate part of his work.", "He stamps in the maker's mark.", "Using a piece of sheepskin, he applies an oil finish to the belt.", "A thin paste highlights the cuts and gives the belt an antique finish.", "A final tanned coat waterproofs the belt and helps protect it.", "He makes holes in the belt.", "The belt has a bend in it where the buckle will be attached.", "With chicago screws, he attaches the buckle firmly to the belt.", "Ideally, the belt and buckle complement each other.", "Strong and stylish, meticulously handcrafted belt buckles and belts have managed to make a clear fashion statement out of belt-tightening.", "The lever lock was invented in the late 18th century by an englishman.", "At the time, the ward lock, with its simple, concentric plate mechanism, was the main kind of lock in use.", "It was medieval technology and fairly easy to pick.", "The lever lock took security to a whole new level.", "More than two centuries after their invention, lever locks are still on security duty.", "The mechanism hasn't changed much, except instead of two levers, there can be many inside.", "They fall into slots, locking the bolt until a key lifts the levers.", "This lever mechanism is very rugged.", "It will continue to function even if dirt or moisture infiltrates the lock.", "It's why many armed forces will only use this kind of lock.", "To make the two halves of the lock body, they uncoil a narrow band of heavy steel.", "Rollers straighten it.", "Then a punch press shapes and cuts out the part.", "Four punches produce a fully formed part.", "The front half includes the side flange, the keyhole, a post, and rivet holes.", "The parts tumble with wood chips, and the friction removes unwanted bits called burrs.", "The chips also absorb residual oil from punch pressing.", "They punch out the lock levers and other parts.", "They plate all 23 parts with yellow zinc.", "Next, rivets funnel into a network of tubing.", "They tumble four at a time into an assembly device.", "There are different-sized rivets to fit different-sized holes.", "The delivery system pushes the rivets up through holes in the assembly device.", "A factory worker places the back of a lock body on the rivets, and a hydraulic press squeezes them into place.", "He keeps a stash of rivets at the workbench in the event that the tubing doesn't deliver.", "The back of the lock body is now ready to receive the lock mechanism.", "There are 240 different lever combinations.", "The next worker determines which one to use.", "She places the bolt lever in the casing and slides all the other levers onto a rivet.", "There are a total of six levers in this particular padlock.", "Some locks have more, some have fewer.", "The more levers there are, the tougher the lock is to pick.", "She wraps a metal spring around a rivet...", "And then hinges the shackle to a third post.", "She sets the back half aside and assembles the keyhole cover to the front part of the lock.", "She winds a spring around a post and places the cover over it.", "The spring will allow the cover to be swung open and shut.", "A rivet secures the keyhole cover.", "She now brings the two lock body halves together, so the rivets from the back protrude through the front.", "She flattens the rivets to hold the parts together.", "The next part is the clevis.", "It's a u-shaped attachment for a chain to make the lock easier to hang onto when not in lockdown mode.", "Another worker now categorizes the locks in separate boxes, according to the key code.", "He leaves a key code i.d. card in each box.", "When transferring a lock for painting, that i.d. card goes with it.", "This system prevents mix-ups, so that later they'll be able to make keys to match.", "They spray the locks military green and give them four coats for corrosion resistance.", "It's time to rev up the key cutter.", "There are 240 key profiles to match the 240 lever lock combinations.", "The operator sets the blades in the desired sequence and carves the keys to give them the right geometry.", "With the correct profile, the key lifts and lowers the levers in the lock to open and close it.", "A standard padlock comes with two keys.", "If the owner loses them both, the lock will usually need to be replaced.", "That's because the keycode is never written on the lock body to avoid tipping off thieves.", "The technician confirms that both keys work, and this lever padlock is now ready to thwart criminals and safeguard possessions." ]

{ "things": [ "Surfboards", "Stickers", "Sandwich Cookies", "Concrete Roofing Tiles" ] }

[ "Surfing is an ancient polynesian pastime, first documented by europeans in the 18th century.", "In the 1920s, the sport spread from hawaii to the beaches of california.", "Back then, surfboards were made of solid wood.", "Today, they're made of lightweight synthetic materials.", "Serious surfers have their boards custom-made and engineered for the types of waves they'll be riding.", "At the board's core is a piece of polyurethane foam with a wooden strip down the center.", "The factory's shaping specialist inspects the board and checks the foam for defects.", "If all is well, he cuts the board to the right length.", "Then he chooses a board shape template from his library and traces it.", "Then he saws along his pencil line.", "Using a planer, he refines this starting shape to the customer's specifications.", "When he finishes, he checks to make sure everything's symmetrical.", "Next, he shapes the edges.", "With a power sander, he flattens and smoothes out the surface then follows with a fine sanding by hand.", "Before releasing the foam core to the next department, he checks the dimensions-- thickness, contours, and the smoothness.", "A lamination specialist preps the board to receive its first layer of fiberglass.", "He masks the top, called the deck, to shield it from the resin he'll now apply to the bottom.", "He lays down the first fiberglass cloth, leaving a 3-inch overlap along the perimeter.", "Next, he spreads polyester resin that's tinted to whatever color the customer ordered all over the fiberglass cloth.", "He folds the overlap onto the deck...", "Then grinds the corners flat.", "He flips the board deck-side up and trims the overlap.", "Next, he covers the deck in two layers of fiberglass.", "In between them, he pours clear polyester resin then positions company logos printed on rice paper.", "The resin soaks the paper, embedding the logo.", "Then another layer of resin-coated fiberglass.", "Once that dries, he applies yet another coat of resin on both sides of the board.", "Using a router and template, he cuts a hole for the box that'll hold the surfboard's fin.", "He fills the hole with black resin then inserts the fin box.", "Now a sanding specialist takes over.", "He grinds the box flush, which opens its fin slot.", "Then he gives the board an overall sanding to smooth the surface.", "Next stop is the paint room.", "The painter uses masking tape and an acrylic paint pen to decorate the surfboard with black pin lines.", "Once they dry, he masks the board and air-brushes in a white pin line.", "Once dry, he applies a finishing coat of resin over the entire board.", "Now a polishing specialist steps in.", "After a fine sanding, he buffs the entire board with polishing compound, producing a slick high-gloss finish.", "The factory ships the board to the surfboard shop, where the customer chooses a fin from the many models available.", "The fin screws into the fin box, and, dude, the board is ready to go.", "Stickers have long been used in merchandising.", "But in 1979, they took a crafty turn with the introduction of decorative stickers.", "Sticker art soon became a popular hobby, allowing anyone to engage in a little creative embellishment.", "Stickers can be used to accent greeting cards, photo albums, or add a certain flourish to any project.", "Every sticker begins with a work of art.", "The artist transfers the image to a computer and manipulates it until the desired effect is achieved.", "Next, a sheet of photopolymer goes onto an exposure machine.", "The technician places a negative of the art on top of the photopolymer sheet.", "He pulls plastic over the two and closes the machine's lid.", "Inside, a vacuum pulls the negative to the photopolymer.", "Intense ultraviolet light transfers the art to the photopolymer in seconds.", "He makes several photopolymer printing plates, each one a variation of the original artwork.", "They will be used to layer pattern and color.", "Before they can print, they have to make the art stand out from the background.", "This machine removes material surrounding the transferred images using a special chemical and a heavy-duty brush.", "Because the images were hardened during the exposure, they withstand the chemicals and abrasion.", "The process leaves the images slightly raised against a clear backdrop and ready for the printing press.", "They wrap the printing plates around cylinders.", "The press operator examines the seam under a magnifying glass to confirm that the edges are perfectly aligned.", "He loads the cylinder into the printing press.", "Then he pours yellow ink into a reservoir below.", "And it's time to roll the printing press.", "Rollers transfer the ink to the printing cylinder, and it prints the art onto adhesive-backed sticker paper.", "They use a different printing plate for each color to create variations in the design.", "As a result, each of these hearts ends up looking different.", "It's all about layering color and pattern to give the sticker artists plenty of options.", "Next, the press operator prepares a cutting cylinder.", "It cuts around the designs, but only penetrates the top layer of the sticker paper.", "Rollers pull off the surrounding material.", "They wind it up for recycling offsite.", "Only the stickers remain on the backing, but they aren't ready for the scrapbook just yet.", "First it's over to another press, which hot-stamps foil to the designs.", "This process is carefully choreographed.", "A sensor on the press detects the hearts which are to be given the metallic finish.", "Those get shiny swirls, glossy ribbons, or other trimmings while others are left untouched.", "The next machine cuts the stickers into sheets.", "Then it's over to a packaging machine where an operator loads the sheets into a hopper.", "Wheels with little grippers collect the sheets and drop them in piles of two onto a backer car.", "The packaging machine then wraps plastic film around the stickers and seals the package with a static charge.", "A hot knife then cuts and seals it at both ends.", "When it comes to other designs, there's no shortage of choices, giving sticker artists of all ages plenty of ways to express themselves.", "Early in the 20th century, an american biscuit company introduced a cookie sandwich.", "It was two chocolate cookies with rich vanilla icing at the center.", "This sandwich cookie created an instant sensation, and almost a century later, it hasn't lost its appeal.", "People still crave this sugary fusion of crunch and cream.", "Dipping the sandwich cookie in milk is a tasty tradition, and whoever started it must have been one smart cookie.", "Sandwich cookies start with pure granulated sugar.", "This worker heaves bags of it into a mixer as he prepares to whip up the batter for the wafers.", "He adds two kinds of cocoa.", "The combination will give the wafers the desired taste and color.", "A premix of salt and other ingredients follows.", "A specially formulated canola-oil mixture will transform these dry ingredients into a batter as huge beaters blend everything together.", "They add water, and the batter starts to look like a bubbling chocolate soup.", "They add dry ice, which chills the batter as it evaporates.", "The lower temperature is key as they add flour to thicken the batter into a dough.", "The dough will turn out less crumbly than it would have been if it had been kept at room temperature.", "A premix of leavening ingredients goes in next.", "One final mix, and this chocolate dough is ready to go.", "The worker shovels it onto a grate, which protects his fingers as he presses the dough down into a molding machine.", "This machine shapes the dough into cookie wafers while pressing intricate designs and the brand name onto them.", "It churns out an impressive 5,000 chocolate wafers an hour.", "The freshly molded cookie wafers now move from the silicon conveyer to a steel one.", "It takes the wafers into a gas oven, where they travel in a continuous loop for several minutes to receive an even baking.", "After that, fans cool the wafers to the desired crispiness.", "The chocolate wafers then move to another conveyor, which feeds into a series of chutes.", "Then the wafers travel over ramps designed to make them fall into a certain position.", "One row lands plain-side up, and the next lands with the embossed side up.", "This correctly orients them to be sandwiched around a cream filling.", "It's a high-speed operation, as a cylindrical pump deposits the vanilla cream on the plain side of the wafers.", "The cream-coated wafers head over to the next station.", "Here, machinery moves the top wafers onto the cream-coated ones.", "The cookies move up for the count.", "Mechanical fingers separate them into bunches of 11.", "Then grippers swing into action to move each little bunch forward.", "They release the cookies neatly into plastic trays.", "The trays full of sandwich cookies move on to the wrapping station.", "Here, metallic film unwinds and wraps around the trays.", "Hot jaws move in to seal the package at both ends.", "Finally, they're shipped to retailers.", "But once these sandwich cookies are in the pantry, it might be tough to keep them under wraps.", "In moderate climates, tile roofs are the norm.", "The tiles are typically rounded and terra-cotta in color, characteristic of mediterranean architecture and made of clay or concrete.", "Today, concrete roofing tiles come in a wide variety of colors and styles from traditional to contemporary.", "While concrete roofing tiles can emulate wood or asphalt shingles, they have a far longer life span-- more than 50 years.", "The tile-making process begins with smooth sand from natural sand deposits combined with sharp, jagged sand made from pulverized rock.", "The factory regrinds any concrete tiles that failed quality control and adds them to the mix, as well.", "Technicians analyze the composition of the mix, measure the moisture, and assess the silt content.", "Too much silt will weaken the concrete.", "They measure silt by shaking the sand in a test tube.", "Heavier particles settle to the bottom, water at the top, and silt in between.", "The amount of silt must not exceed 10%.", "The sand mix runs through a vibrating screen, which filters out large objects, such as rocks and sticks.", "To make concrete, you mix sand with cement.", "The cement-truck driver hooks up a hose to blow its contents into a huge silo.", "From the silo, the conveyor system metes out a specific amount of cement into the sand.", "It's critical to get the ratio just right.", "Roof tiles come in a choice of colors.", "They tint the concrete a specific shade by pumping in natural iron-oxide pigments and water.", "A cement screw mixes everything until it's evenly blended.", "The concrete is now ready to be molded into roof tiles.", "This machine sprays the aluminum molds with vegetable oil, which will make it easy to extract the finished tiles.", "The concrete drops into an extrusion machine, which squeezes it out in a continuous sheet onto the passing molds.", "Knives descend, cutting the sheet to tile lengths.", "This is what the process looks like in slow motion.", "Real-time production moves at a rate of 110 tiles per minute.", "The tiles now run past rollers that finish the edges nicely.", "Then an ink-jet printer applies product information along with the date and time.", "The next stop is a giant oven.", "The factory meticulously controls the temperature and humidity inside so that the concrete dries and cures properly.", "The tiles come out of the oven, depending on their size, 5 to 24 hours later.", "An automated separator extracts each tile from its mold.", "The conveyor then sends the empty molds back to be refilled with wet concrete.", "Nozzles spray sealer onto the top of the tiles.", "This will force moisture and calcium to exit thorough the bottom, preventing discoloration on the tile's surface.", "Workers do a final visual check, removing any tiles with cracks or other flaws.", "Automated equipment stacks and straps 36 to 39 tiles into a group called a sleeve.", "The factory subjects random samples to rigorous quality-control testing for strength...", "Permeability...", "Even hail.", "To pass this test, the tile must be left unscathed by a 2-inch ice ball flying at 35 yards per second.", "This fire-safety test ensures that heat or flames can't penetrate the tile.", "Roofs made of concrete tiles can even withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour, making them ideal for regions prone to hurricanes." ]

{ "things": [ "Carpets", "Drinking Water", "Laser Eye Surgery", "Acoustic Guitars" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made,\" carpets, drinking water, laser-eye surgery, and acoustic guitars.", "People use the words \"rug\" and \"carpet\" interchangeably, but they're not the same thing.", "A rug covers just part of the floor.", "A carpet goes wall to wall.", "Today most carpets on the market are made of synthetic materials.", "The first step is to make the carpet yarn.", "They start by feeding bales of nylon or polyester fiber into the opening and blending machine.", "The carding machine then untangles the individual fibers, lining them up in neat rows, then gathering them into wider bands.", "The bands go into cans.", "From the cans, they go into a machine called a drawing frame...", "Which draws out five threads to make one rough, loose thread.", "That thread goes onto spools.", "Then they twist threads from two spools to make a stronger and thicker thread.", "Next they twist two of those threads together to form a two-ply yarn.", "To ensure the two plies don't untwist, the yarn goes through a heat-setting machine at almost 270 degrees fahrenheit.", "The continuous heat permanently sets it, much the way a curling iron sets hair.", "After 45 seconds of heat-setting, the yarn is rewound on spools.", "Those spools then go to the tufting department, where the carpet-making begins.", "A standard 144-inch-wide carpet is made from 1,440 spools of yarn.", "Each spool feeds into a plastic tube, which feeds into the tufting machine, where the 1,440 lines of yarn feed 1,440 tufting needles.", "The needles stitch the yarn into a canvas backing made of polypropylene.", "With slow motion, you can see the yarn being hooked on the canvas then cut underneath into carpet pile.", "Up to 12 needles work each inch of canvas.", "The result is a pile carpet in the standard 12-foot width.", "Next they dye it.", "For multicolored carpets, they use a machine called a chromojet.", "It works much the way a computer ink-jet printer does, forcing streams of dye in different colors into the carpet fibers.", "The more complicated and colorful the design, the more often the machine passes over the carpet.", "For solid-color dyeing, there's a mixer in each dye reservoir to keep the color even.", "They soak the carpet for four hours in a hot bath of dye and water heated to 212 degrees fahrenheit.", "Another method uses heat and air pressure in an autoclave.", "What the bath method does in four hours, this method does in just 30 minutes and with more carpets at a time.", "Once the dyeing is finished, they apply a water-based glue to a polypropylene backing then put the backing over the original canvas backing, locking the carpet fibers in place.", "Then it's on to what's called the marriage roll, a roller press that marries the two backings together.", "After a quick run through an oven to make the water and the glue evaporate, they cut the finished carpet into rolls.", "A standard roll is 100 feet long.", "Researchers have invented a pollution-free car that runs on hydrogen.", "The research team modified the standard car engine to burn hydrogen instead of gasoline.", "Now they have to figure out how to prevent the hydrogen tank from blowing up in a collision.", "Drinking water that's fresh, clean, and crystal-clear is something many of us take for granted.", "We might not give it a second thought, but between the source and our tap, a lot happens to make that water fit to drink.", "Our water may come from mother nature, but it's far from pristine.", "It starts its journey to the treatment plant through a water-intake pipe.", "On the wall of that pipe, about 6 1/2 feet down, is a 6-inch hole.", "Covering that hole is a metal grill designed to keep out large debris, such as tree branches.", "The water flows to the pumping station, where it goes through a preliminary screening.", "A giant revolving screen removes fish, garbage, and grass.", "Once they remove the debris, a low-pressure pump moves the water into the treatment plant.", "The untreated water, called raw water, is dirty and smelly.", "They first add a powerful form of the chemical element carbon called activated carbon.", "It absorbs contaminants such as solvents and pesticides.", "That rids the water of bad taste and odor.", "From there, the water then goes through a series of mixing tanks.", "The first tank holds a chemical called aluminum sulfate.", "It acts as a coagulant, a substance that thickens liquid into globs.", "In the raw water, the aluminum sulfate forms tiny, sticky globs called flocks.", "Bacteria, mud, and other impurities stick to those flocks.", "Then the flock-filled water moves on to the second mixing tank.", "The second tank holds a chemical called polymer, which is essential to the next step of the process, called sedimentation.", "Five pipes inject the water with superfine particles of sand, called microsand.", "The polymer coats the sand, making it sticky.", "The grains of sand then stick to the flocks in the raw water, weighing them down even more.", "The water then flows into a settling tank, where the flocks, because they're heavier, settle to the bottom.", "You can see the result in this demonstration.", "The water is finally clear, but it's far from drinkable because it's still full of bacteria, viruses, and other organic matter.", "So, on to the next step-- filtration.", "The water flows onto the top of the filter then trickles downward, passing through a layer of anthracite, a type of coal, then through a layer of sand.", "This filters out any remaining particles, which then flow to the middle.", "But the water is still teeming with bacteria and viruses, so it has to be disinfected.", "They add 1.9 milligrams of chlorine for every 4 cups of water, enough to kill off those germs and bugs.", "Then they add a mineral called silicate to prevent calcium buildup from blocking our water pipes.", "The treatment plant sends water samples to a government inspector, who continuously monitors the water supply to ensure it meets safety standards.", "The amount of chlorine remaining in our drinking water is 20 millionths of an ounce per liter.", "The chlorine gas the plant uses is highly toxic.", "Should any leak out, emergency teams would have to evacuate a 6-mile radius.", "So the plant stores the drums of chlorine in a high-security area.", "It's taken about 45 minutes to turn raw water into treated water.", "Now these electric motors will pump it through underground pipes, right to your tap.", "Short-sightedness, far-sightedness, and astigmatism are all due to light not focusing precisely onto the retina.", "Surgeons can correct this by using a laser to reshape the curvature of the front surface of the eye, called the cornea.", "The surgeon operates on one eye at a time.", "He cleans the eye, the lid, and the lashes with antiseptic...", "And administers anesthetic drops to freeze the eye and lid.", "He opens the lid wide with a speculum then rinses the eye with a saline solution.", "Everything's frozen, so the patient doesn't feel a thing.", "Next-- antibiotic drops to prevent infection.", "Before every operation, the surgeon tests the equipment.", "He fires the laser on a metal plate to test its energy level.", "The surgeon administers a few more anesthetic drops...", "Then inspects the microkeratome, the device he'll use to lift a very thin layer from the outer surface of the eye.", "He also measures the patient's cornea using an ultrasonic instrument.", "The cornea must be a minimum thickness for it to be safely reshaped.", "The surgeon uses the speculum again to prop the lid open.", "Then he begins the operation.", "He marks the eye with sterile ink, reference marks he'll use later.", "Next he positions a metal ring around the cornea.", "The ring is attached to a suction pump so it clings to the eye.", "Like holding a tomato steady while you slice it, it holds the eye steady while the surgeon cuts the tissue.", "The surgeon lubricates the eye with sterile water then mops up the excess water with a small, absorbent sponge.", "Then he takes the microkeratome and slips it into grooves in the metal suction ring.", "In a matter of seconds, the device moves across the eye, cutting open a flap of tissue, the same way a carpenter's plane shaves a layer of wood.", "The surgeon uses a sterile sponge ring to keep tears from contaminating the cornea.", "He folds back the flap of tissue, exposing the cornea.", "He mops up the excess liquid...", "Then starts up the laser.", "Meanwhile, a tiny sponge keeps the flap moist.", "The laser, an invisible light, fires in pulses-- 50 pulses per second.", "Each pulse vaporizes an area of corneal tissue 100 thousandths of an inch thick.", "The laser has been computer-programmed beforehand so it knows exactly how to reshape the cornea to give most patients 20/20 vision.", "In less than a minute, it's done.", "The surgeon removes the sponge and then using those little ink marks he made earlier as reference points, folds the flap back to its original position.", "If the flap isn't precisely where it was before, the patient will have distorted vision.", "Using a syringe that flushes the area with sterile water, the surgeon carefully smoothes the flap the same way you'd smooth out a tablecloth.", "Then he removes the sponge ring.", "Within 45 seconds, the negative pressure inside the cornea sucks the flap back on.", "The flap literally seals itself.", "With a sponge, the surgeon dabs up any excess water.", "He applies antibiotic drops as a preventive measure then inspects the microkeratome again before moving on to the other eye.", "He takes the speculum off, tapes the eye closed, then performs the same operation on the other eye.", "When that's done, the surgeon uses a high-powered microscope to make sure the flaps are wrinkle-free.", "The patient wears protection shields until the next morning then overnight for a week.", "The best guitars come from trees about 800 years old, trees with enough rings in their trucks to provide wood with a tight and straight grain, wood flexible enough to vibrate, yet strong enough to withstand the pull of the guitar strings.", "The guitar traveled from north africa to europe with the moors, who invaded spain in the 8th century.", "In time, the guitar became the signature instrument of spanish flamenco music and the trademark of the singing cowboy.", "In the 1930s, the acoustic guitar debuted as a jazz instrument.", "By the 1960s, as the electric guitar took over rock 'n' roll, the acoustic guitar remained a staple of the folk-music scene.", "They use spruce or cedar because those woods are lightweight and vibrate well.", "Using a 30-ton press that works like a cookie cutter, they punch out the shape of the guitar.", "The size of the sound hole affects how the guitar will sound-- the larger the hole, the more treble, the smaller the hole, the more bass.", "Then they glue on a wood inlay decoration called a rosette.", "Next they make the sides of the guitar.", "They first immerse wood pieces in boiling water for about 15 seconds...", "Then place them in a heated press to make the curve.", "The press applies heat from both the top and the bottom for about a minute.", "Then they connect the two sides with blocks of wood made of either mahogany or poplar.", "One is glued and clamped at the bottom, the other at the top.", "Then they glue on and clamp a wooden lining which will connect the sides to the top and back.", "Those little cuts give it flexibility around the curves.", "Then with a hand router, they carefully notch the lining to receive four wooden braces to support the back of the guitar.", "Strategically placed braces help the top of the guitar withstand the tension of the strings.", "They also equalize sound frequencies by controlling vibration differently at different spots.", "After a vacuum press makes the bracing adhere evenly, they glue on the top and bottom.", "The body of the guitar is now assembled.", "It goes into a press, then a drying rack for several hours.", "Next they glue on a plastic binding to protect the guitar's edges.", "Then comes a fine sanding.", "Next a machine with a special sensor measures the precise angle at which the body and neck of the guitar will later be attached.", "The angle is critical for sound quality.", "It drills the holes and sands the pieces accordingly.", "Next they apply lacquer-- four to eight coats, depending on the finish.", "The fingerboard is made of rosewood or ebony.", "The metal frets separate the halftones on the musical scale.", "An adjustable rod goes inside the neck.", "This lets the neck adapt to the different tensions that different types of strings require.", "They glue the fingerboard on the neck...", "Then vacuum-press it to make sure it adheres evenly.", "Next they install the machine heads on which the strings will be wound.", "The rod in the neck slips into a groove on the body.", "The neck is then bolted and clamped until the glue dries.", "Next they glue on the bridge, securing it with temporary screws and a clamp.", "Then they glue on the headstock nut, a hard, plastic piece that spaces the strings evenly.", "Next comes the saddle, then the bridge pins, which lock the strings in the bridge.", "Finally they string the guitar using an electric winder.", "Because of all the glue-drying time, it takes three weeks to make a guitar.", "The wood will become suppler the more the guitar is played, so as the guitar ages, the better it will sound." ]

{ "things": [ "Drill Bits", "Photo Booths", "Stamps" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Drill bits...", "Photo booths...", "And stamps.", "Drill bits are attachments you fasten to drilling tools.", "A taper-point drill narrows to a point so the threads of the screw grab the wood.", "A countersink makes the top of the hole the same diameter as the screw head so that the head lies flush or below the surface.", "A plug cutter removes a round piece of wood with which you plug the hole afterward to hide the sunken screw.", "Countersinks and plug cutters start out as steel bars.", "To make a countersink, this computer-guided tooling machine uses what's called a center drill to pierce a starting hole, then switches to its main drill, which bores right through.", "Next, it uses what's called a rough turning tool to shape the countersink's angled nose, then its body.", "The machine now switches to a milling cutter.", "This tool shapes the countersink's four blades.", "A cross-drilling tool bores a hole for the two screws that'll hold the countersink to the drill.", "A tap cuts threads into the hole.", "Next, a tool called a dovetail cutter sharpens the blades.", "Then, finally, a cutoff blade removes the tool.", "The same machine makes plug cutters.", "Its center drill makes a starting hole, but this time, the main drill doesn't bore right through.", "It stops at the depth that the plug cutter is designed to cut.", "Just as before, the rough turning tool shapes the body, and the milling cutter sculpts the four blades.", "Some plug cutters on the market have fewer blades.", "This company makes four so the cutter will clear the wood chips more efficiently when it tunnels into the wood.", "After the dovetail cutter sharpens the blades, a tool called a boring bar refines the hole in the center, making it the proper size.", "Another turning tool now forms the shank, the stem of the plug cutter that you insert into the power tool.", "Then the cutoff blade slices the tool off.", "Now for some manual touch-ups.", "First, they grind the plug cutter against an abrasive wheel to remove excess metal from the cutoff.", "Then they do what's called side-chipping, grinding the sides of each blade to a particular shape that'll clear the wood chips.", "Here's how the plug cutter looks before and after grinding off the excess and before and after side-chipping.", "And now for making the drills to which the countersinks attach.", "It all starts with a tapered piece of steel because this will become a taper-point drill.", "Straight drills begin with a straight piece.", "A mechanical arm inserts this drill blank, as it's called, into a computer-guided grinder.", "The machine has two wheels made of boron nitrite granules, a natural material that's tough and abrasive.", "The first wheel shapes the smooth blank into lengthwise spirals called flutes.", "A second wheel then grinds sharp cutting edges on the flutes and shapes the tip of the drill to a point.", "Back to the countersinks now.", "The steel is still relatively malleable, so a worker runs each one through a stamping machine that imprints the size of the tool and the company name.", "Whereas the drills are made of a different type of steel that's already hard enough, the countersinks and plug cutters must undergo a heat-treating process to harden-- about 20 minutes in a fiery oven along with a secret recipe of chemicals.", "The intense heat-- 1,750 degrees fahrenheit-- transforms those chemicals into gases which then permeate and harden the steel.", "After cooling in warm water and oil for about 15 minutes, workers submerge the tools in an industrial-strength cleaning solution that removes all the oil grit, then a bath in acid to remove soot from the oven.", "Then, finally, 20 minutes in a blackening solution, the ingredients of which are, again, a closely guarded company secret.", "This last step is purely cosmetic.", "So, how do the three drill bits we've seen all work together?", "First, you use the plug cutter to make the plug.", "Then you pop out the plug with a screwdriver.", "Next, mounting the countersink, that black tool, onto the taper-point drill.", "You drill a hole for the screw.", "Then you drive the screw into the hole, sinking it below the surface.", "Then you cap the hole with a plug.", "These tools come in an extensive range of sizes and grades for both amateur and professional woodworkers and for industrial machines.", "Photo booths were first introduced in the 1920s in the united states.", "Today, the small, private cabins still enable us to be kooky in several snapshots or one large picture.", "The booths are quaint reminders of our pop culture, but they use the latest technology to make portraits worth treasuring.", "This model simulates a painting or a drawing based on the photo it takes of you.", "To customize the preassembled cabin, a worker applies stickers to the outside.", "These advertise local businesses or the booth's eventual location, such as a shopping mall or amusement park.", "Inside, there are five shelves for equipment.", "Two layers of plexiglass glued together will act as safety glass, protecting the equipment from vandals.", "It fits over an opening in the wall that divides the seating area from the camera and a tv monitor.", "The worker installs a metal plate in another opening.", "It will cover the coin acceptor and give the booth operator access to the money people pay to have their photo taken.", "The coin acceptor attaches to brackets on the back of the door.", "They'll program it to accept tokens or specific currencies.", "A black-and-white photo usually costs $3.", "Color is $5.", "This 15-watt bulb provides some light for your photo.", "It goes in a panel that fits into the wall.", "Next, a motorized tripod to hold the camera.", "In this model, they use a digital camera with an 8-millimeter lens.", "\"up\" and \"down\" buttons on the control panel adjust the camera angle.", "A computerized voice from a speaker will prompt you to make selections.", "A fan attaches to the ceiling to vent the cabin and keep the equipment from overheating.", "And two 40-watt florescent lights will provide most of the frontal lighting for the subject.", "Another 15-watt light behind a frosted panel provides some diffuse light.", "The booth's power panel has connections for up to 19 pieces of equipment.", "Here, a worker plugs in the camera...", "Then a tv monitor...", "And an ink-jet printer.", "Software will process the photos, and the printer will print them on photo-quality paper.", "A plexiglass window protects the 15-inch monitor that's used for viewing and making selections.", "Two other monitors fit in windowed panels on the outside of the cabin.", "The monitors all connect to the computer and show the same images at the same time, including what stage of development your picture is at.", "They install a dispenser that sells optional cardboard frames for your portrait.", "Money from these sales falls through a slot into a metal coin box inside the cabin.", "The dispenser holds up to 100 cardboard frames, each large enough to hold one portrait measuring 8 by 11 inches.", "If the dispenser is out, a sign reading \"out of frames\" drops into the tray.", "For security, the two doors enclosing the equipment each have two key locks, one at the top and one at the bottom.", "The worker installs four signs on the cabin roof.", "They're plexiglass boxes with vinyl posters and florescent lights.", "The cabin's curtain lets you make goofy faces in private, but is short enough to let people know you're in there.", "Inside the cabin, the control panel helps you guide the camera.", "You press \"up\" or \"down\" to adjust the camera angle.", "Then you choose one of three photos the camera has captured.", "The computer bases its portrait on this photo.", "You can tell it to make a caricature, a simulated work of art, or four small portraits in different artistic media.", "You can choose an oil painting, a pencil sketch, or a drawing in charcoal or pastel.", "Now you've got a masterpiece starring you.", "The world's first postage stamp was introduced in england in 1840 as part of a major reform of the postal system.", "Until then, the letter recipient had to pay the postage.", "This first stamp was called the penny black because it cost one penny and featured queen victoria's profile on a black background.", "Today's postage stamps feature all types of illustrations.", "A graphic artist produces a design concept, working the computer cursor like a paintbrush on canvas.", "The concept goes to the postal service's design authority for approval.", "Once approved, the design goes to the printing company.", "The printer produces one type of stamp using two different types of printing presses, one of which requires an engraved printing plate.", "The company's master engraver draws his artistic interpretation of the concept using photographs of real subjects for inspiration.", "Then he paints his drawing in watercolors.", "The shading is key because it indicates where the engraving will have depth.", "This helps him envision the end product.", "Once he's happy with the result, he scans the image into a computer and shrinks the digitized image to the actual stamp size.", "Then he lays a sheet of clear acetate over the reduction.", "With a tool called a point, he etches the main elements into the sheet.", "This etching process is known as scribing.", "Now he tapes the scribed sheet onto a piece of soft steel.", "He lifts the sheet and coats the metal surface with beeswax.", "Then he lays the sheet down again and, rubbing with a burnishing tool, transfers the scribed image to the wax coating.", "Now, under a microscope that magnifies the image seven times, he etches the design using what's called a pointing-in tool.", "Then he sharpens another tool called a lozenge graver.", "With that, he deepens the etched lines of the design's focal point.", "This adds depth, which will make the deer appear almost three-dimensional on the finished stamp.", "Once complete, the engraving will be copied multiple times onto a plastic master plate.", "Workers coat the plastic with silver so that it will conduct electricity, then submerge it into a bath containing baskets of nickel.", "They run an electrical current in both the bath and plate.", "This dissolves the nickel and draws it onto the plate in a thorough and even coat.", "With a nipping tool, workers remove the excess nickel along the perimeter, then extract their nickel printing plate.", "Then they plate the nickel plate in chrome.", "Now it's ready to go on to the intaglio printing press, a specialized machine used to print only select elements on certain types of stamps.", "We will explain why later.", "This machine, meanwhile, produces the templates for carving what are called chablons, the rollers on the intaglio press that transfer ink to the printing plates.", "Here, the machine traces a pattern for one of the stamp's intaglio elements, guiding a router on the other end to reproduce it in half the size in thick plastic.", "At another machine, meanwhile, a worker makes the chablons.", "He takes several ingredients-- what they are is a closely guarded company secret-- and pours them into a roller forming machine.", "The mix heats to about 350 degrees fahrenheit, and over about an hour and a half, it thickens and hardens.", "Now an automated router machine with multiple heads goes to work.", "Following the plastic template, the heads carve away at the rubber, leaving behind a raised design in the shape of the elements the intaglio press will print.", "It's this raised area that transfers the ink to the printing plate.", "Why do they print some parts of a stamp using one type of press and other parts of it using another type?", "Simple.", "Off-set printing presses are widely available, so if the entire stamp will be printed using that technology, counterfeiters would have it easy.", "Intaglio printing presses, on the other hand, are harder to come by, making fake stamps harder to produce.", "The sheets first run through the offset press.", "It prints one color at a time, making a separate printing plate for each color.", "The plate is wrapped around a cylinder.", "As it revolves, the plate transfers or offsets the ink image to a rubber cylinder rotating against it.", "As that cylinder turns, it transfers the image to the paper passing underneath.", "A postal-service official inspects the press output.", "Using a magnifying glass, she scrutinizes the color and print quality, circling any problem areas for the press operator to investigate and correct.", "Now the offset printed sheets move on to the intaglio press.", "The intaglio's chablon rollers spread ink over the printing plate the factory produced from the engraving.", "The ink fills the recessed lines of the image.", "The press runs the plate against the paper sheets, transferring the image.", "Intaglio printing leaves the ink slightly raised above the surface of the paper.", "This gives the image height, a third dimension.", "Once again, the inspector checks the result.", "It's up to the press operator to correct any error.", "The cause can be as complicated as a printing plate problem or as simple as a speck of dirt in the machine.", "The printing now done, a worker loads the stamp sheets into a computer-guided perforating machine.", "Grippers pull the sheets forward one section at a time.", "Down comes a die with rows of steel pins, each just a fraction of an inch in diameter.", "They punch through the sheet, framing each stamp with tiny holes spaced less than 1/16 of an inch apart.", "The machine knows just where to punch these perforations by reading the line of florescent ink that runs along the borders of each stamp.", "This ink, called tagging, is visible only under ultraviolet light.", "Tagging also plays a role later on.", "The automated machines that process mail at the sorting plants are programmed to scan for tagging.", "They reject all envelopes without it.", "Those letters are either missing a stamp or bear counterfeit postage.", "After stacking the perforated sheets, workers trim them down to the finished size, usually sheets of 10 called panes.", "Their trimming machine is appropriately called the guillotine, but unlike the head-chopping version, this one slices with a sideways shearing action.", "That puts less wear on the blade.", "The machine holds the stack in place with more than 8,800 pounds of pressure so that it doesn't budge under the weight of the blade.", "The blade rings in at almost 71 pounds.", "Now it's time to group the panes into manageable-sized packs for post offices and other stamp retailers.", "This machine is called a vacuumatic counter because it uses suction to draw the panes across a paddle wheel which counts them.", "This stack adds up to 503 panes, so the worker removes three to make an even 500.", "The counter inserts a tab between every 50.", "Some stamps go through what's called bursting, the process of manually separating pairs of stamps for different post office product lines such as gift sets.", "Some burst stamps go onto first day cover envelopes, one popular collector's item.", "An automated pad picks up the stamps and runs them against a wet roller that activates the adhesive on the back.", "After a worker positions an envelope against the guide bar, the pad places the stamps in a precise spot and applies even pressure over them so that they'll lay flat and adhere securely.", "Many stamps are still the old lick-and-stick type printed on paper that's coated with a moisture-activated adhesive on the back side.", "However, the most commonly issued stamps, known as definitives, are printed on what's called pressure-sensitive paper.", "That's a technical term for peel-and-stick-- no water or saliva required." ]

{ "things": [ "Wood Slat Baskets", "Bells", "Gyroscopic Stabilizers" ] }

[ "Today on \"how it's made\"...", "Traditional wood slat baskets are containers used to carry and gather food during a harvest.", "They're also used in retail settings to display produce, providing the consumer with a farm-fresh marketing aesthetic.", "Since the 1800, farmers have used wood slat baskets to hold and transport food.", "Today, they still come in handy at harvest time.", "Wood slat baskets are made out of american sweet gum trees.", "First, the freshly cut logs are sprayed with water so they don't dry out and decay.", "One at a time, spiked rollers grab the logs and turn them, as knives shave off all the bark.", "The de-barked log rolls down a conveyor to be cut to the specified length.", "The wood spins on a lathe as a blade cuts into the wood, producing long, thin sheets.", "Technicians pull the sheets forward and stack them.", "The sheets move through rollers.", "The rollers feed the stack to a long guillotine-type blade which chops them into slats.", "Once all of the slats have been cut, the slats are stacked and checked for quality.", "Technicians use these patterns to configure the wood slats and form a web.", "The technician distributes the slats in a specific order, which will add strength when the web is formed into a basket.", "He uses a staple gun to place staples into the center of the web to hold it together.", "At another station, workers evaluate and grade narrower strips of wood that will be formed into bands to hold the baskets together.", "Then, using a basket machine, technicians form the web into a basket.", "The machine wraps bands around the basket and staples them to reinforce the shape.", "In seconds, the basket takes shape.", "Once it's complete, the baskets are removed from the machine and placed on a conveyor belt.", "At another station, technicians build a basket with a base made of solid wood.", "This base will provide the basket with additional strength.", "Workers arrange slats to build the basket.", "Automated staplers secure the slats to the solid-wood base.", "Bands are attached to hold the basket together.", "A technician places the rim of the basket into a machine that drives thick wire into the basket.", "The machine's formers bend the wire into a handle and cut the ends.", "The technician turns the basket over for a matching handle on the opposite side.", "The baskets now take a slow trip through a dryer.", "This step removes the majority of the moisture in the wood.", "Once complete, the produce baskets slide down a steel slope.", "A technician evaluates their quality and stacks them accordingly.", "Next, the lids are constructed.", "Technicians place wood slats in the slots of a conveyor.", "This positions them to be formed into squares, known as mats.", "The conveyor takes them forward, and a device creates staples from wire, punching them into the mats to secure the arrangement.", "Meanwhile, a worker prepares the lids' hoops.", "First, he steams gum wood strips, which makes the wood pliable.", "Then he tucks one end of the wood into the revolving wheel of the machine, which shapes the wood into a hoop.", "The ends are then secured with staples.", "An assembler fits the hoop around a circular platform...", "And places the mat on top.", "The platform rotates as a stapler attaches the hoop to the slats.", "The mat must now be trimmed flush to the hoop so that it will fit more neatly on the rim of the basket.", "To do so, another assembler places the corners of the mat under a semi-circular blade, chopping off the excess wood.", "The wood slat lid is now ready to be put on the basket.", "A device bends wire into a loop that will be used to fasten the lid to the basket.", "This factory can make up to 6,000 wood slat baskets a day.", "That's a lot of empty baskets to fill.", "For thousands of years, we've used bells to make noise.", "The concept behind them is simple.", "A clapper or hammer strikes the bell wall creating vibrations that disturb the air.", "The disturbance causes the ringing sound.", "It's not high tech, but it can be high-pitched.", "Every bell has a distinctive ring.", "From the festive jingle of sleigh bells, to the clang of the boxing bell that marks the beginning of a fight.", "Even the cow bell has a sound that's not quite like any other.", "The bell's shape and the material it's made from affect the ring's pitch.", "To make a cow bell, an assembler uses two flared steel components to form a cone.", "He inserts a handle between the two parts at the top...", "And welds the seams of the bell shell to hold the two parts together.", "Then he welds the handle to the cow bell body.", "The handle contains a small loop that extends inside the bell body to hold the clapper.", "This strip of steel is about to be transformed into sleigh bells.", "An upper die forces the steel strip into dies on a rotating platter.", "The dies form the metal into a shape that resembles an open flower.", "Ball bearings funnel into a shoot.", "The ball bearings land in the open flowers on the platter.", "The upper die closes the petals of the flower creating a round sleigh bell.", "The rattle of the interior ball bearing will create the sound.", "A device pops the bell out of the die and the sleigh bells fall into a bin.", "Once the sleigh bells are plated with nickel, they are ready for rattling.", "At another station, a boxing bell begins to takes shape.", "An assembler transfers the bell to a punch that cuts a hole in the center.", "The punch forces it on to a form that contours the area around the hole.", "Oil keeps the metal lubricated as it's forming.", "The gongs tumble around in a machine with vibrating ceramic stones, detergent, and water.", "The stones scrub off the oil and rub off rough edges.", "After about 10 minutes, the gongs emerge smooth and clean.", "They land in the tub of ground corn cobs.", "The corn absorbs residual water as it pulsates in this vibratory machine.", "A technician places the gongs in an oven.", "This heat treatment rearranges the crystalline structures of the steel and hardens it.", "Making the steel more resilient will also make the gong sound more resonant when struck.", "The gongs are sprayed with a powder coating.", "When baked on, the powder particles will form a protective skin on the metal and provide the gongs with a uniform finish.", "A powder coat is sprayed on the bell's baseplate, and an adhesive-backed company logo is applied to the back.", "Posts have been installed on the front for assembling the other parts.", "A brass lever for operating the bell hammer and the mechanism that will swing it, called a dog.", "The assembler rivets the dog to the lever and hooks one end of a spring to the mechanism.", "He fastens another spring to the hammer and then hooks the end to the baseplate.", "He installs the hammer on one of the posts.", "Using a push nut, he secures the hammer to the post.", "He hooks the lever spring on the baseplate and slides the lever onto a post just under the hammer.", "Another push nut locks the lever in place.", "The assembler pulls the lever, examining the movement, adjusting accordingly.", "He now adds the gong, aligning the center hole to the threaded post in the middle of the backplate.", "He screws on a fastener to hold the gong in place.", "He pulls the lever to confirm that the hammer hits the gong and makes a noise.", "Finally this boxing bell is now ready for the ring.", "at the turn of the 20th century, gigantic gyroscopes were used to stabilize ships.", "Even though they were effective, the devices were large and heavy.", "Today, gyroscopes are smaller, lighter, and are highly effective stabilizers.", "The boat on the left has a gyroscopic stabilizer that counteracts wave action.", "Different boats require different sized gyroscopes.", "This complex device includes a flywheel and a hydraulic brake which controls its movement.", "A large hammer forge has pounded the flywheels into this shape.", "The process begins on a cnc lathe that shapes this aircraft quality alloyed steel to perimeters with very small tolerances-- roughly one third the diameter of a hair strand.", "The shafts, or bearing journals, are put into a machine which form the axis on which the flywheel will spin.", "A diamond wheel grinds the journal to the specified size and shape.", "Once complete, the flywheel is balanced.", "A state of the art balancing machine i.d.s exactly which spots need adjustment.", "Highly trained technicians carefully grind off small quantities of steel in the identified spots before putting the object through more tests.", "With tolerances of just a fraction of an ounce, even a tiny particle of dust can throw off the flywheel's balance.", "A probe locates this aluminum cast hemisphere so that a machine can begin processing it.", "The hemisphere will form one half of the enclosure that will house the flywheel.", "It must be precision machined so that it can form a perfect airtight seal.", "Made of aluminum to decrease overall weight, the airtight enclosure is one of the crucial elements of this gyroscope.", "Once it's completely sealed, all the air will be vacuumed out and helium will be pumped in.", "Because helium is so much lighter than air, the flywheel will be able to spin much faster due to radically diminished friction.", "Machining with horizontal and vertical cnc tools and a vertical grinder brings the bearing housing within reach of the required parameters.", "A technician attaches the vacuum valves which will allow air to be removed from the enclosure.", "Then he installs some of the sensors that carefully monitor the gyroscope's status.", "He applies a specified torque to tighten the component in place.", "A generous amount of grease is applied to the large o-ring that fits perfectly into a groove in the lip of one hemisphere.", "The o-ring will ensure a vacuum tight seal when the two hemispheres of the enclosure come together.", "These heavy duty eye bolts form an attachment point for lifting, which helps move the gyroscope in and out of position.", "Once everything has been put together, the technician connects the flywheel to the enclosure.", "He begins bolting an inner and outer set of retainer rings in place.", "These rings will support the flywheel assembly.", "Faster spinning in its vacuum containment will allow the gyroscope to achieve the same stabilizing effect as a much larger, heavier flywheel spinning at a slower speed.", "The technician joins the sub-assembly to the second hemisphere, carefully lifting and lowering it into place before bolting the enclosure securely together.", "But the gyroscope stabilizer isn't done yet.", "It still needs to be mounted to a specialized foundation assembly.", "Early attempts to use gyroscopes for stabilizing boats weren't successful because the gyroscopes were too big and heavy.", "But thanks to some state of the art technical innovations, a new breed of lighter, smaller gyroscopes can easily keep a boat deck steady, even in rough weather.", "A technician uses a specialized device to measure three important factors of the flywheel's performance.", "Concentricity, eccentricity, and clearance.", "This means he's checking to see if the component is spinning smoothly and consistently without any wobbling.", "He spins the flywheel slowly on its axis, evaluating the meter accordingly.", "The gimbal shaft will allow the sphere to tilt back and forth, stabilizing the boat.", "A technician installs a set of steel dowel pins that will hold the brake cylinders in place.", "He uses a press to install the spherical bearing and urethane that will permit the sphere to shift its axial rotation and absorb vibration.", "With the bearing and protector in place, he mounts the gimbal shaft securely to the gyroscope enclosure.", "A total of 10 heavy duty bolts are tightened to the specified torque value.", "Next, the technician installs the cover and bolts it in place, sealing the enclosure and fully rounding out its exterior.", "Once the valve is installed, he checks for leaks by spraying helium outside of the enclosure.", "This meter will register the presence of helium if the lightweight gas sneaks in through any cracks.", "This magnetically mounted sensor will allow the technician to conduct final trim balance, ensuring a vibration-free operation.", "It's vital to keep vibration to a minimum to make sure that the gyroscope provides a smooth, stable boat ride.", "Now it's time to attach the cooling components.", "When the flywheel spins at 9,000 rpms, it generates heat.", "Sea water mixed with glycol is used to keep it cool.", "The enclosure will sit in a framework known as the foundation, which is made of cast aluminum.", "Once the gimbal shafts are set within their lower housings, which are situated on either side of the foundation, a technician installs the upper housings and bolts them securely in place.", "This aluminum section of the foundation will support the hydraulic brake arm, a key component of the gyroscope's function.", "The brake support piece also doubles as a support structure for the heat exchanger, which is an important element of the gyroscope's cooling system.", "The technician installs the brake arm cylinder.", "This helps the gyro perform in all weather and at all speeds.", "He installs the hydraulic lines for the brake system.", "They manage the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the cylinders.", "The solenoids that make up the major elements of this assembly dictate braking pressure to the hydraulic cylinder.", "The drive box controls the brake, the start up, and speed of the flywheel and the angle sensors, which detect the roll rate and angle of the boat.", "The drive box receives data from the rest of the gyroscope.", "This wiring harness serves as the conduit of information to and from the components of the unit.", "Once assembled, the technician installs the remaining support arm on the other side of the gyroscope.", "Before the assembled gyroscope gets its aluminum cover piece, it must undergo a thorough factory assessment test.", "The test ensures that it's fully functioning and meets all design parameters.", "There is no question that gyroscopic stabilizers help maintain level heads on deck." ]

{ "things": [ "Custom Knee Braces", "Ductless Air Conditioners", "Window Film", "Motorcycle Exhaust Systems" ] }

[ "If you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, your doctor might prescribe a knee brace.", "Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage cushioning the knee joint wears out, causing bone to painfully rub on bone.", "A brace relieves some of that pain by realigning the leg to shift weight off the knee joint.", "This dual-action knee brace rotates the foot, which moves the thighbone, the femur, off the most painful area of the shinbone, the tibia.", "It also creates what's called a distraction, pulling the femur and tibia slightly apart to further reduce stress on the joint.", "The brace is custom-made for each patient.", "An orthotist takes the measurements by passing a sophisticated 3-d scanner approximately 12 inches above and below the knee.", "The scanner translates the data into a 3-d computer image with highly specialized medical-device software, then processes that image into anatomical blueprints for a 3-d model.", "The computer then reads the plans and guides this carving machine to create the model from a block of high-density foam.", "The carving process takes about 10 minutes.", "The finished model is an exact replica of the patient's leg, which technicians now use to construct a brace that fits the patient perfectly.", "After wrapping the model in plastic film to protect the surface and marking the main anatomical landmarks of the knee, they lay a thick foam band over the tibia and begin marking where they'll install the two articulation hinges, which rotate the foot and distract the femur and tibia.", "This template is for the lateral hinge, the primary rotator.", "It's situated on the outside of the leg.", "Next, taking an aluminum bar and bending it on special tools, the technicians form the brace's tibial crossbar, the band that crosses the shin and holds the two hinges.", "The foam band takes up the space of a silicone lining that will go under the tibial crossbar-- critical cushioning to prevent pressure points that can cause skin irritation.", "Once the cross bar fits perfectly, they reapply the template and mark where rivets will attach the lateral hinge.", "Then, using the same metal bending tools they used to shape the crossbar, they contour the hinge to follow the shape of the leg.", "They attach the lateral hinge to the tibial crossbar with copper rivets.", "Copper is a soft metal, so they can compact it to produce a solid joint, which won't loosen up over time with repeated use.", "At the other end of the crossbar, they affix the medial hinge, which produces the distraction.", "When the knee is extended, this hinge lengthens the brace by approximately 3/4 of an inch, pulling the tibia and femur slightly apart to eliminate pain.", "It's time to mold the plastic shell, the upper part of the brace that fits onto the thigh.", "First, they soften a foam sheet in a low-temperature oven and wrap it around the model.", "This takes up the space of the fabric lining that will go under the plastic.", "After covering the foam in a cotton heat barrier, they soften a plastic sheet in the oven, wrap it around the model, staple the ends together, then coat the surface in talc, which prevents their gloves from sticking when they apply pressure.", "Once the plastic cools, they trace the shell's shape and cut it out.", "Then, they wrap it in a protective vinyl finish, heating the material so that it becomes sticky and adheres to the plastic.", "They also wrap the tibial crossbar in vinyl.", "Then they apply a strip of velcro to the underside, where they'll later adhere padding.", "They install a cover over each hinge to protect the mechanism.", "Then they cut a fabric lining for the upper part of the brace.", "It adheres to the plastic with velcro so that it's removable for washing or for replacement when worn out.", "The brace applies the greatest amount of pressure at the tibial crossbar, so they line the crossbar with silicone padding for comfort.", "The pad attaches to the velcro strip.", "The brace fastens to the leg with three adjustable straps and works only when the knee is extended, which is when osteoarthritic pain hits the most.", "The ductless air conditioner, invented in japan in the 1970s, transforms homes into cool spaces.", "This system consists of an outside condenser and refrigerant lines that run to a fan in the wall.", "In homes without ductwork, it provides cooling without renovations.", "No central air?", "Ductless air conditioners, also known as mini-splits, are a cool option.", "To manufacture the condenser, they start with copper tubing.", "It will be used to make the coils that cool and condense the refrigerant.", "A machine unwinds six reels of tubing simultaneously and pulls them between rollers.", "They iron out the kinks.", "Little rotating knives cut the tubing to the correct length.", "The cut tubes exit into a device that bends them around a mandrill.", "This creates hairpin bends in the center of each tube, and they end up looking like big copper bobby pins.", "Next, a sheet of aluminum feeds into a progressive die.", "A press moves up and down to drive the metal into the die.", "With each stroke, the aluminum is shaped into a part known as a fin.", "They'll use a hundred or more fins in one air conditioner coil.", "The fins fall out of the press into neat stacks.", "A worker slides metal rods into the stacks to maintain the alignment of the fins and adds a steel end plate.", "She now inserts the hairpin copper tubing following a precise pattern.", "The fins will act as a kind of web for the tubes.", "They're an important part of the coil, allowing heat from the refrigerant gas to be dissipated more quickly.", "Next, a press drives mandrills into the tubes, expanding them so they'll fit tighter to the fins.", "The coil has really taken shape.", "At the next station, they load it into a hydraulic bending machine.", "It bends one section of the coil around a metal form.", "This gives the coil a more curved profile on one side so it will fit in the condensing unit later.", "They close the open end of the copper tubes with u-bend connectors.", "They brace the connectors to the tubes for a leakproof fit.", "This ductless air conditioner coil is now complete.", "They're ready to test it for leaks.", "A technician pumps compressed air into the unit to simulate refrigerant.", "By using compressed air, they're playing it safe, because unlike refrigerant, it won't damage the environment if they're actually is a leak.", "Once the coil is full of compressed air, he immerses the part in water.", "Air bubbling out would indicate a leak that needs fixing.", "A worker keeps a close watch on each coil as it floats by for signs of trouble.", "They're now ready to assemble the entire condenser.", "The team screws the compressor to the base.", "They install the coil and attach a motor and fans to cool the refrigerant.", "The next part is the filter dryer.", "It contains chemicals to remove moisture and filter out contaminants.", "They install the wiring and control panel for the compressor and fan motor.", "The team connects the pump to the coil to suction out air and create a vacuum inside, creating a perfect environment for the refrigerant gas.", "He closes the service valves and sends the ductless air-conditioning unit down the production line to be charged with refrigerant.", "After that, all that's left is the packaging and the installation.", "On a hot day, all the consumer needs to do is grab the remote control and activate the ductless air conditioner for some cool air.", "Developed in the 1960s, window film is a product with transparent benefits.", "Applied to the windows of vehicles and buildings, this tinted film lets light in while shutting out some of the sun's harmful rays.", "And depending on the darkness of the tint, it also provides a measure of privacy.", "Tinted window film allows drivers to see things in a different light, one that can be a lot less harsh.", "Not only does the tinting mean less squinting, it also reduces the amount of heat that permeates the vehicle's cabin.", "This film will also hold glass together if it shatters.", "Because dark tints can make it hard for the driver to see the road or to be seen, the use of window film is regulated in many jurisdictions.", "The laws vary depending on the region, so the factory makes different window films for different markets and applications.", "There are numerous formulations for the tinted coatings.", "It all starts with the acrylic adhesive that will hold the layers of plastic film together.", "The adhesive will also serve as the base for the tint and other additives.", "The technician thins the adhesive with solvent, which will make it easier to blend in the other ingredients.", "Those ingredients include chemicals to absorb ultraviolet rays...", "Initiators to make the mix cure faster...", "And finally the colorant.", "It's carbon-based, and as a result, it's highly soluble and disperses well.", "Achieving the right shade of colorant is truly an exact science, one that started beforehand in the lab.", "A technician mixed up test batches combining one or more dyes with the adhesive base until satisfied with the results.", "Once the adhesive has been mixed, they add a chemical catalyst to activate it.", "They're now ready for the plastic film.", "There are various grades and thicknesses.", "The type used depends on the type of window film being manufactured.", "The plastic film unwinds over rollers into the coating machine.", "At the same time, the tinted adhesive flows into a pan in the machine.", "A roller soaks up the adhesive and applies it to the plastic.", "The coated film travels over a narrow cylinder with fine grooves etched into it, and the excess formulation collects in the grooves and drips back into the tank.", "This gets rid of the excess and ensures an even application.", "The film then moves through a long dryer, and the heat causes the coating to cure.", "The film exits under a glare of blue u.v. light.", "The light activates the initiator chemicals in the adhesive to further cure the coating.", "Next, a second plastic film unwinds and meets up with the coated one.", "They travel between rollers that apply heat and pressure to laminate the two films together.", "A computerized system checks for defects, and a worker does a double check as the film passes in front of a bright light.", "After a third film, mounting adhesive, and release liner have been applied to the product, a technician tests a sample.", "She pulls it off a piece of glass, and a sensor measures the amount of force it takes.", "The test confirms the window film grips the glass adequately.", "The production run gets the green light, so next blades trim the sides and cut it to width.", "The width of the film can be customized to the job.", "At the end of the cutting line, a worker slides a plastic core onto a cylinder.", "He sticks the end of the window film onto that core.", "He activates the cylinder, and it revolves to wind the film up onto the core.", "Sold in rolls, the film will later be cut for an exact fit to various windows by an installer.", "Window film comes in a range of colors with a variety of characteristics.", "The choice is up to the customer.", "But no matter what, window film is sure to change one's view of things.", "Motorcycle racers typically replace their bike's standard exhaust system with a high-performance one, which emits exhaust gases faster, clearing the way for new fuel and air to enter the engine's combustion chamber, generating more power and better traction, which produces greater speed on the racetrack.", "This high-performance, aftermarket exhaust system isn't any louder than your standard exhaust system, yet it delivers up to 30% more power due to its more efficient design.", "Rather than steel construction, it's made primarily of titanium, which is more durable and weighs half as much.", "The exhaust system has two main components-- the muffler, which dampens sound, and the header, which routes exhaust gases from the engine to the muffler.", "The header's tubing is made from a super-thin strip of titanium that's six inches wide.", "It enters a forming machine, in which 14 stations of rollers apply tons of pressure to progressively curve the edge of the strip upward until they meet at the top.", "The formed tube, two inches in diameter, then enters a chamber.", "Inside, a welder heats the top until the edges fuse together into a solid seam.", "After the 330-yard-long tube exits the welding chamber, a powerful, carbide guillotine blade chops it into several shorter tubes.", "Then, workers mount each of those shorter tubes onto a computer-guided machine, which bends it to the shape required for several exhaust systems.", "Workers then separate each system's tubing with a circular saw.", "Like the guillotine before, the saw has a carbide blade.", "An ordinary steel blade isn't hard enough to saw through titanium.", "A welder assembles the tubes to the other header components, among them the collar and flange, which connect the header to the engine...", "And the bulbous resonance chamber, also made of titanium.", "It does a pre-muffler sound dampening.", "Once the parts are welded and inspected, the header is finished.", "They begin assembling the muffler by joining the two halves of its resonance chamber.", "The parts must fit with a tight seal to prevent exhaust gases from leaking out.", "They set the resonance chamber on a welding fixture, take a ring made of perforated titanium, and weld it to the chamber opening.", "This ring allows a specific amount of gases to enter the resonance chamber at a time.", "Next, they weld a sound-absorption tube to the resonance chamber.", "They wrap the sound-absorption tube in a fiberglass blanket.", "The muffler's housing is made of a titanium sheet which a machine shapes into a cannister.", "At each edge, they peel back the film protecting the surface from scratches, then, with an automated welder, join the edges with a strong seam.", "Then they remove the protective film entirely and electrically charge the cannister in a mild chemical solution for about a minute.", "This anodizing, as it's called, changes the color of the titanium and hardens the surface, making it more durable.", "After attaching an aluminum mounting bracket to the cannister, they insert the sound-absorption tube, then secure the cannister to the resonance chamber with screws.", "They apply the manufacturer's sticker, and the muffler portion of the exhaust system is finished.", "To install the exhaust system, you bolt the header to the motor, which is toward the front of the motorcycle, then mount the muffler to the other end of the header.", "The muffler bolts to the bike chassis via a bracket on the cannister.", "Now the bike is ready to hit the racetrack." ]

{ "things": [ "Robotic Hunting Decoys", "Canned Tomatoes", "Scoreboards", "Lassos" ] }

[ "The latest taxidermy trend is motion.", "Today many museums and nature centers feature wildlife models that move.", "These robotic replicas look so lifelike that hunters use them as decoys and game wardens set them out to catch poachers in the act.", "Activated by remote control, the robotic decoy's head turns and its tail wags.", "More elaborate models have additional moving body parts.", "The decoys can be set up directly on the ground or installed on a track system, which moves it along as though it is walking.", "At the decoy factory, they begin by waxing a two-part fiberglass body mold.", "This one's for a deer.", "Waxing the mold cavity will make it easy to extract the casting.", "Next, they put steel reinforcement bars in the legs.", "The bars stick out the bottom of the hoofs as stakes to prop the decoy on the ground.", "They apply the other half of the mold and clamp around the perimeter to hold the two parts together.", "They prepare the mold for the deer's head the same way, then pour in a bit of liquid casting material.", "They pour about three quarts of it into the body mold...", "And clamp on the head mold.", "This casting material is expanding polyurethane foam.", "It begins swelling immediately and within two minutes reaches full expansion, transforming from a liquid to a flexible solid.", "Over the next hour and a half, the foam cures to a hard, inflexible state, at which point they remove the clamps and extract the casting.", "Some foam seeped out between the two halves of the molds and between where the head meets the body, producing seams which workers now sand flat.", "Using a round drill bit, they make one-inch sockets for eyes.", "Then, with a miniature router bit, they drill out nostrils.", "They glue a glass eye into each socket with a bit of wet clay.", "When the clay dries, the eye is set securely in place.", "No faux fur for these decoys.", "Workers scrape any remnants of flesh off a real deer hide, then wash the hide and apply a preservative.", "Then they slip the hide over the foam deer.", "They fit the fur to the form snugly using a combination of staples, glue, and stitching.", "Once the deer is fully dressed, it is put aside for four to six weeks.", "This gives the preservative ample time to penetrate and do its job, which is to dry and harden the hide.", "This is essential to ward off insects and prevent the hide from decomposing.", "The taxidermy phase of production is now complete.", "Now off with his head...", "Because it is time to install the robotics, which will make the head move.", "The first step is to drill out a cavity inside the neck.", "This creates a pocket in which to install the plastic housing which contains the robotic components.", "The first of those components is a compact motor.", "It drives this hard plastic gear.", "Next, the receiver for the remote control...", "Then a aa battery pack that powers both the motor and the receiver.", "All this goes into the neck pocket.", "They drill out a cavity in the head and install a gear and shaft.", "The final step is to mount the head on to the body, inserting the shaft into the gear on top of the motor.", "So now when the motor runs, it rotates the gear, which turns the shaft, which moves the decoy's head.", "Each moving body part has the identical mechanics, its receiver corresponding to a dedicated switch on the remote control.", "The remote works for more than 3/10 of a mile away.", "You can even program it to put the decoy through a pre-set motion routine.", "Often considered to be a veggie, the tomato is actually a fruit.", "It is developed from the ovary of the plant and it has seeds.", "It is also the most popular one on the planet.", "Mechanization of canning in the last century has made that possible, ensuring that tomatoes are preserved when they are ripe and ready.", "All you need is a can opener to unlock the juicy flavor of the field tomato.", "There are more than 2,000 varieties.", "For canning purposes, they grow a type with a thick skin and firm consistency so machinery can pick and sort them without damaging the flesh.", "Rotating clippers cut the vines as the harvester drives over the crop.", "Once cut, the plants ride an elevator belt up into the harvester.", "Inside the harvester, metal prongs shake the tomatoes to free them from the vines.", "An electronic color sorter rejects the green ones.", "A conveyor transfers the red, ripe tomatoes to a trailer traveling alongside the harvester.", "Once they have a load of 24 tons, they deliver the tomatoes to the canning factory.", "Here they fill the trailer with water to float the tomatoes out through a door at the side.", "The tomatoes land on a slatted conveyor.", "The water, dirty from residual soil, drains away through the slats.", "The tomatoes land in a clean, water-filled channel, and here any rocks sink to the bottom and are removed.", "The tomatoes float on into a big tank where jets churn up the water for more gentle cleansing action.", "The tomatoes then head up to a sorting line.", "They travel over metal bars and smaller tomatoes fall through the gaps.", "They will be used to make tomato juice.", "The others fly forward past 60 tiny cameras that detect pale or yellowish tomatoes.", "Pneumatic fingers knock those tomatoes out of the batch.", "It all happens in less than a second.", "Looking for a damaged or broken fruit now, humans inspect the tomatoes.", "They send any rejects to another part of the factory to be used to make juice.", "The rest take the plunge into a very hot bath.", "This scalds the tomatoes and loosens the skins.", "The tomatoes then travel on a moving bed of rubber disks, and this gently pulls the skins away from the tomatoes.", "A spray of water washes away the skins and they fall through the rubber disks so there is no mess to clean up after peeling.", "The now-peeled tomatoes wash up on to another conveyor where sprayers give them another rinse.", "This conveyor controls the flow of peeled tomatoes into the processing room by metering the produce as it moves forward.", "Ahead, the dicer awaits.", "It has three sets of cross-cutting blades for some serious slicing action.", "The tomatoes tumble down a shoot into the dicer and are quickly chopped into small cubes.", "The diced tomatoes ride by workers who pick out pieces that aren't perfectly red.", "They also remove any core pieces.", "Exiting a cleaning station, the cans cue up for a fill-up.", "Ahead, the diced tomatoes flow into metal pockets.", "This portions them out for the cans.", "The pockets rotate forward to meet the cans now moving in sync below.", "The bottoms of the pockets open to release the contents into the cans.", "And it all happens with perfect timing.", "They add hot tomato juice and flavorings...", "And lids advance towards the open cans.", "They land on top and a machine crimps the lids to the cans, creating a double seam for a complete seal.", "Now in airtight cans, the tomatoes head into a hot oven for a quick cook.", "This sterilizes them, eliminating the need to use preservatives.", "The cans are now ready for labeling.", "They spin across wheels that apply glue to the sides.", "They roll over paper labels that adhere to the glue-covered cans.", "Here is the labeling action slowed down for the camera.", "The label contains brand and nutritional information as well as the exact time of production.", "This means it can be traced if there is ever a quality issue.", "It has taken about one hour for these field tomatoes to be harvested, canned, and labeled, preserving a taste of summer to be enjoyed year-round.", "In every sport, fans need to know the score.", "In the early days, scorekeepers climbed ladders to scrawl numbers on a chalkboard.", "By the time they were done, the score might have changed, and it was time to start again.", "Modern scoreboards serve up the numbers in an instant.", "Today's digital scoreboards light up within seconds of a game change, delivering results fast and leaving fans cheering in the stands.", "They start with the front of the board.", "A computer program guides a plasma torch to cut out precisely-sized slots in a sheet of high-grade steel.", "The slots will house the illuminated numerals and indicators like arrows.", "A worker then feeds narrower strips of steel to a press that bends back the edges to create tabs.", "These strips will serve as the sides of the scoreboard, and the tabs will be used to install them.", "Using a special compressed air tool, a worker clinches the tabs to the back of the scoreboard.", "This tool punches and stretches the steel to interlock it, joining the parts without using screws, rivets, or welds.", "He fastens four strips to the back panel.", "He then attaches the plasma-cut front panel to complete the basic structure of the scoreboard.", "The next worker sprays a powder-paint coating on to the entire scoreboard.", "Then it is into a giant convection oven for about 14 minutes to cure the powder paint.", "The result is a tough powder-paint skin that will make it possible for the scoreboard metal to weather the elements.", "They are now ready for working parts like l.e.d. light-studded digit boards, a data transmitter and receiver.", "He connects the receiver to the power source and installs it inside the cabinet.", "He pulls the antenna through a hole so it protrudes from the front, and he bends it out of the way for now.", "There are several light-studded digit plates on a scoreboard.", "Each can flash any number.", "He wires them in a loop, interconnecting them in what's known as a daisy-chain configuration.", "He also plugs in a ribbon-style cable to link the digits to the scoreboard's processing module.", "He inserts the digits in the slots on the front and shields them with a sheet of transparent polycarbonate.", "He screws a metal framework around each digit assembly to secure it.", "He confirms that the wiring is good and that all the numbers light up.", "He connects the wireless computer processing module to the numbers and also wires it to a power source.", "He mounts the module to a panel that will then be installed through the back of the scoreboard cabinet.", "An evening inkjet printer reproduces the company logo on adhesive-backed paper followed by some fierce-looking team graphics.", "Later, a weatherproof coating will be applied to the paper graphics.", "They also use vinyl decals.", "The worker peels away the unwanted material from around the lettering.", "This is called weeding.", "After transferring the decals to applicator tape called the pre-mask, she carefully positions the grouping on the front of the scoreboard.", "Satisfied that it's in the perfect spot, she tapes it at the top.", "She then peels off the backing, and the letters cling to the pre-mask.", "Using a squeegee, she presses the decals to the metal board, smoothing any messy-looking bubbles or buckles.", "She removes the tape...", "Then lifts the pre-mask very carefully so as not to lift any of the decals in the process.", "With all the lettering now in place, the numbers on the board will mean something to the crowds in the stands.", "They equip the scoreboard with a speaker and horn that will sound off in the event of a touchdown.", "And no need to run cable from the scoreboard to the keyboard.", "It is operated by remote control.", "Using that system, a worker now tests all the functions of the scoreboard.", "This test is thorough and takes about 20 minutes.", "When it is done, he declares the scoreboard ready for game action.", "Today's sports scoreboards come in any shape or design the customer desires.", "When it comes to drumming up a little team spirit, a modern scoreboard can be a game-changer.", "A lasso, also called a lariat, is a classic cowboy tool designed for catching running cattle.", "On one end, there is a moving noose you throw over the animal's head.", "This loop tightens around the neck or horns safely stopping the animal in its tracks.", "Working a lasso requires tremendous skill...", "So much so that rodeos typically hold roping contests and feature performances of jaw-dropping maneuvers.", "The ropemaker starts by looping five nylon threads around a bushing mounted on a traveling box.", "He ties the end onto the first of three spinning eyes...", "Then runs the five threads around the bushing and the second spinning eye, then back to the bushing.", "He then hops on his cart and drives the traveling box to another traveling box, pulling the threads for this lasso to a length of 15 yards.", "He transfers the threads from the bushing to a spinning eye on this second traveling box...", "Then pulls the threads back to make the other half of the rope.", "When he arrives at the starting point, he loops the threads through a third spinning eye.", "Then he pulls all the threads to equal tension, cuts them from their spools, and ties them off.", "This completes what's known as the stringing process.", "Next comes the twisting process.", "A motor turns the three spinning eyes, twisting the 10 threads on each one into a strand and the three strands together into a lasso rope that's around 2/10th's of an inch in diameter.", "The twisting force pulls the two boxes toward each other.", "The ropemaker puts a certain amount of weight in each box.", "That determines the stiffness of the rope, which can range from extra soft to medium hard.", "A rope this length takes about five minutes to twist.", "The ropemaker now wraps the end with electrical tape so that the rope won't unravel when he cuts it loose.", "He pulls the rope at the center to release some tension...", "Then just beyond the taped end snips the strands free.", "He knots them, then trims the ends with a hot blade that slices the nylon threads by melting them.", "He lays the rope in piping-hot wax.", "It seeps into the nooks and crannies, permeating the threads deep inside, setting the twist.", "After suspending the rope for a while to let the excess wax drip off, he connects it to a pulling mechanism inside a heated room, or, in summertime, outdoors under the hot sun.", "Stretching for a couple of days pulls out any waves, ensuring the rope lies perfectly straight.", "Next, he cuts off the knot and unravels just enough rope to tie a knot for what's called a hondo.", "That's the eye in the rope which lets him build the loop that catches the animal.", "On the other end, he ties a different type of knot, one which will keep the rope from unraveling.", "Using pliers and a vice, he pulls both knots tight...", "Slices off excess with the hot blade of the rope cutter...", "Then burns the ends with a propane torch to seal them.", "Now, he ties the hondo.", "The hondo slides along the rope, loosening and tightening the loop.", "He hangs the hondo on a hook and, using a specially designed wheel, pulls it tight.", "Then he sews a piece of rawhide into the eye of the hondo.", "This piece of leather is called the burner.", "It prevents the eye from burning through, meaning wearing out, as the rope slides through it.", "He bangs it with a hammer to seat it in the rope grooves...", "Then stamps the company name on it and marks the rope's stiffness.", "Lassos come in various degrees of stiffness for different types of animals and purposes, such as roping cattle by the head or by the heels." ]

{ "things": [ "Multi" ] }

[ "Having a multi-tool on hand is like having a toolbox in your pocket.", "It contains anywhere from 5 to 21 basic implements, from screwdrivers and scissors to can openers and pliers.", "They all fold in and out of the handles, forming a case that's compact enough to be carried in your pocket.", "This multi-tool contains 14 different tools, including scissors, a knife, wire cutters, two types of pliers, three different screwdrivers, and much more.", "Most of these tools and the handle into which they conveniently fold are made of stainless steel.", "The strip of stainless steel winds off a reel and moves through a 300-ton punch press.", "It works like a giant cookie cutter, striking a series of dies against the passing metal, progressively stamping out, in this case, one part of the multi-tool's two-part handle.", "17 strikes later, it's fully formed and ready to go through a heat-treatment process to strengthen the stainless steel.", "Next, a polishing robot runs the handle against a grinding wheel.", "It does so with specific programmed movements which produce a delicate lined pattern on the metal surface.", "Certain tools, like knife blades, are made of premium steel that is too hard for the press to punch through, so they have to be cut out by a computer-guided laser.", "The laser's heat literally melts through the metal.", "The knife blades go into a polishing machine, where they vibrate among ceramic stones for several hours.", "This smoothes out the rough edges by abrasion.", "A magnet then removes the blades from the machine.", "The knife blades, still dull at this point, go onto a motorized table that runs them back and forth under a grinding wheel.", "This finalizes the dimensions.", "The two jaws that form the plier head are cast in steel.", "Workers assemble them with a spring...", "A pin...", "And a rivet.", "Then a robot performs a two-stage polishing, first against a grinding belt with the rough grit, then against one with a finer grit.", "The plier head is at last ready to be assembled to the multi-tool's two-part handle.", "They align the holes of the handle with holes of the plier head, slipping a spacer in between.", "They put a pin and screw fastener through the aligned holes to connect handle to head.", "Back to the knife blade now.", "Until this point, the blade's cutting edge has been dull.", "Now a robot sharpens it against two grinding wheels.", "This is what the knife blade looks like before...", "And after.", "With the handle and all 14 tools formed, heat treated, and polished, and the pliers connected to the handles, final assembly can begin-- the remaining tools stacked together inside the two handles with the stainless-steel ring to fill up the excess width.", "The assemblers thread a rod all the way through the holes of the base of the handle and tools to hold the alignment until they secure the setup with the stainless-steel pin and rivet.", "They repeat this process in the other handle with the remaining tools, except for the knife blade and scissors, which go in later.", "They apply a few drops of thread lock to immobilize the pins in each handle.", "A bronze washer makes the handle housing the knife blade open smoothly to prevent injury.", "They install a safety cover on that same handle to shield the sharp knife when it's not in use.", "Now the knife blade itself.", "They rivet the scissors to the other handle, and the assembly is finished.", "This multi-tool, with its 14 different implements, is ready to be folded up and tucked in a pocket or unfolded, offering up the right tool for the task.", "Jojoba oil isn't actually an oil.", "It's a liquid wax from the seed of the jojoba plant, native to the sonoran desert areas in arizona, california, and mexico.", "Jojoba oil is a common ingredient in soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, eye makeup, lip products, and color cosmetics.", "Cosmetics manufacturers buy refined jojoba oil from a processing facility.", "Jojoba in its natural state is golden and has a slightly nutty odor.", "Once refined, it can be rendered colorless and odorless.", "The jojoba farm takes selected cuttings from mature jojoba shrubs, roots and grows them for 18 months to 2 years in a greenhouse, then transplants them into the fields.", "The wind carries pollen from the male plants to fertilize female plants, after which the female seed starts developing.", "Each seed is housed inside a hull that gradually dries out and separates, dropping the seed to the ground.", "The fallen seeds are mature for harvest.", "The mechanical harvester works like a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking the seeds off the ground, along with a lot of sand, twigs, and rocks.", "The harvester then dumps its collection into a large hopper that feeds an elaborate seed-cleaning machine.", "In it, the seeds and debris move from conveyor to conveyor through a series of vibrating screens, each made of increasingly smaller mesh.", "The process gradually sifts out smaller and smaller bits of debris...", "Until only the seeds are left.", "They go into huge polyethylene bags, then off to the processing plant where workers empty the bags into a holding area called a seed pit.", "From here, conveyors take the seeds to the presses.", "The liquid wax is contained within the hard, white flesh, called the cotyledon.", "They expel the liquid wax with conventional expeller press.", "A long screw conveyor feeds the seeds into the press, then crushes them against a shaft.", "This forces out the liquid wax that makes up about half a seed's weight.", "The mashed seed-solids, called cake, are put to good use.", "Some are used for compost.", "Some will be processed into exfoliates-- abrasives used in face and body products to remove dead skin cells.", "Meanwhile, a second screw conveyor moves the expelled liquid wax into a holding container, and from there, a pump pushes it through a filter press.", "This press consists of several plates and frames, each one covered with a filter cloth.", "As the liquid wax passes through, the cloth catches the last remaining solids.", "This buildup of seed particles and other minute debris is biodegradable waste.", "To make exfoliates, machines grind the cake into particles, then vibrating sifters divide the particles by size.", "What's too big or small goes back to the farm for compost.", "The extracted liquid wax isn't yet fully refined.", "It's still cloudy and yellowish, so workers add natural powdered absorbents, then filter them out.", "This clarifies the jojoba oil to its finished state.", "The company lab runs extensive quality tests on every batch.", "Technicians analyze several criteria, including color, odor, and chemical composition, ensuring the oil meets strict product specifications.", "As the jojoba oil flows from storage tanks into shipping drums, it passes through a final ultra-sensitive cartridge filter that removes any minute particles that might have slipped through the filter press.", "This processor makes two varieties of refined jojoba oil-- one golden, with a mild, nutty aroma, the other, colorless and odorless.", "The texture and consistency are identical.", "Manufacturers buy whichever variety better suits their product.", "String puppets, also known as marionettes, are an ancient form of performance.", "It's not known exactly when or where the first string puppets made an appearance, but it was thousands of years ago.", "Today, they've still got what it takes to entertain audiences worldwide.", "digitized characters may rule in the movies, but onstage, there's no doubt that string-animated ones can still dazzle audiences.", "A few movements of the puppeteer's hands, and some fantastical characters are brought to life.", "Behind the scenes, making these marionettes is a major production.", "Each one is painstakingly hand-crafted in a process that takes weeks.", "It all starts with an idea.", "The puppet maker draws several sketches of the character, tweaking the features until he's satisfied.", "He then draws a full-scale version of the marionette.", "Referring to that scaled drawing, he sculpts the head in clay, building it into a wooden framework known as the armature.", "The clay is oil-based.", "It doesn't dry out as fast as the water-based kind, so there's time to tweak the sculpture and perfect it.", "Lines drawn for reference make it easier to position the nose, eyes, and mouth.", "He defines the mouth a little more to give it a petulant expression.", "He smoothes the top of the clay head, using a looped sculpting tool and his thumb.", "With a caliper tool, he constantly compares the dimensions of the sketch to the sculpture to ensure the head won't end up too large or too small.", "Once the lips and other features have been smoothed out, he prepares to make a plaster mold of the sculpture.", "He divides the head into four sections, and he outlines a trap door at the back of the head for easy access later.", "He now inserts metal shims along the dividing lines.", "He's essentially building walls to contain molding plaster.", "The shims will also ensure that the plaster, once hardened, can be removed from the clay sculpture in four intact pieces.", "The plaster has been mixed to the consistency of cake batter.", "He scoops a generous amount into a walled-in section of the clay sculpture.", "The plaster generates heat as it hardens and sets.", "It then cools for about half an hour.", "He removes the shims that surround it.", "He then uses those shims to wall-in the next section.", "He adds more plaster to build up this part of the mold.", "When all four sections are complete, he gently chisels them at the seams to separate them.", "He opens the mold and removes the sculpture.", "Its image has been transferred to the inside of the mold.", "The sculpture is no longer needed, and he's ready to cast the puppet head, using the mold.", "For that, he uses plastic-infused cloth squares, softened by solvent.", "He transfers the squares to the mold sections and layers them papier-mâché style.", "A release agent applied to the mold keeps the squares from sticking to it as they begin to adhere to each other, and, in the process, conform to the mold's curves and crevices.", "With squares now applied to all four sections, he puts the mold back together and joins them at the seams.", "After 10 hours, it's time for the big reveal.", "All those little squares are now one solid marionette head.", "The casting looks pretty rough at this point, so he covers the entire surface with plastic wood.", "What a difference sanding the plastic wood makes.", "He then paints the head and cuts holes for the eyes and mouth.", "From the inside of the puppet head, he attaches springs to enable the mouth and eyes to open and close.", "Over in the paint department, with every stroke of the brush, the puppet becomes a more colorful character.", "Coming up next, the marionette gets its moving parts, and, of course, they come with strings attached.", "With their string-operated limbs, marionettes can imitate almost every human or animal gesture.", "The more joints and strings the puppet has, the wider the range of movement and the more lifelike the character becomes.", "Before the head of the penguin puppet can be attached to the body, it just needs a few more dramatic touches, like curly fur.", "Yes, in the fantasy world of puppetry, anything is possible-- even fur on a penguin.", "He traces the pattern on the reverse side of the furry fabric and cuts it out from that side, too, to prevent any snipping of the fur on the front.", "He stitches the darts together to conform to the shape of the penguin head.", "This process must be repeated for each fur-covered part.", "He checks out the fit and confirms that it achieves the desired effect.", "Satisfied with the results, he moves on to the eyelashes.", "He traces the pattern onto rubber and cuts the lashes out.", "To accentuate the eyes, the lashes are substantial.", "He inserts a pair of lashes into slits in each wooden eyeball.", "From head to toe, no detail is overlooked.", "Here, he glues rhinestones to shoes for some serious onstage bling.", "He's now ready to build the torso and limbs of the marionette.", "He traces the pattern of those parts onto blocks of poplar wood and then carefully cuts them out with a band saw.", "This particular part is a hand for the penguin character.", "The initial cut is rough and needs fine-tuning, so he chisels away at it to remove excess wood and define the shape.", "He files it with a rasp to round the profile.", "It takes about five hours to produce just one puppet hand.", "The other parts receive an equal amount of attention, because with ball-and-socket-style joints, each limb must fit smoothly to the next.", "He attaches the two limb segments with a hinge made from a kind of fiber board-- the same material used to make steamer trunks.", "He confirms that the joints will move freely under the costume.", "When the marionette body has all its moving parts, it's time to stretch those limbs.", "So they suit him up and thread the strings from the puppet to the correct spot on the controls.", "The control bars are shaped like an airplane.", "They're known in the world of puppetry as an airplane control.", "The thread they use is fishing line because of its strength.", "They run nine strings or more, depending on the complexity of the marionette.", "Some of these strings are for support, some for movement, and others for effects like nose growing or ear wiggling.", "Of course, the string placement is crucial for proper movement.", "With the strings strung and well knotted, the marionette body comes to life.", "And now the defining moment.", "They attach the head to the body.", "It's a good fit.", "This new character is almost ready to meet his audience.", "All that's left is to run the strings for controlling his head and facial expressions.", "And a little accessorizing.", "They now manipulate the strings to check his limb dexterity and the movement of his mouth, eyes, and eyebrows.", "This marionette is now ready for the stage.", "Between shows, he reclines.", "After all, you can't always be on.", "Incredibly, it takes up to 1,500 hours to create each one of these marionettes.", "After all that work, they're ready to cue the talent." ]

{ "things": [ "Police Badges", "Muffins", "Car Washes", "Pressure Gauges" ] }

[ "Ever since the days of the american wild west, badges have been a way to tell the good guys from the bad.", "Sheriffs don't raise posses to maintain law and order anymore, but a badge continues to be a powerful symbol, and simply flashing one can still stop a suspect cold.", "The badge comes with the uniform.", "It identifies the officer's rank and unit.", "So it's an accessory that makes a statement.", "Each one is custom-made.", "The client spells out the specifications on an order form, right down to the metal finish and the color of the lettering.", "This machine delivers a powerful punch to cut sheriff star shapes from a coiled sheet of brass.", "They place a star shape in the steel mold of a press.", "It applies about 170,000 pounds per square centimeter to make an impression on the badge.", "A punch press trims the ragged edges to make it look neater.", "A mechanical stamper then inscribes the company name on the back of the badge.", "This computerized engraver then marks the rank and other information on the front.", "They apply a couple of dabs of silver solder to the back of the badge.", "It's the substance that will hold the catch and pin joint in place.", "They blast the back of the badge with a torch, and it reaches a temperature of over 1,400 degrees fahrenheit.", "This causes the solder to melt, fusing the parts to the badge.", "They then position the badge under a hydraulic press.", "Like a steel fist, it punches the badge to give it the correct curvature.", "Here they spray a mix of water and tiny glass beads onto the back.", "This is called wet blasting, and it makes the finish cleaner and more textured.", "A technician now hooks the pin in the joint that was soldered onto the badge.", "He slides the assembly onto a rivet automatically served up by this machine.", "The machine applies pressure to expand the rivet and lock everything in place.", "The pin now fits in the catch, which will enable the badge to be fastened onto the police officer's uniform.", "Next, they brush enamel into the engraved lettering.", "The enamel is a mix of glass and water, which comes from an ancient metalworking technique called cloisonné.", "They fire the badge in a kiln, and the glass enamel melts into the lettering.", "After it hardens, they grind the enameled sections against a stone to expose the inscriptions.", "They then polish the badge to a mirror finish.", "This automated rack immerses the badges in a electroplating solution to give the brass a protective layer of nickel.", "They plate some badges with 24-karat gold.", "Now they apply a strong adhesive to the back of a medallion...", "Then attach it to the center of the badge.", "The medallion has an official emblem.", "It's specific to the police force's jurisdiction.", "They adjust the catch and its hardware to ensure it moves freely and is in good working order.", "After all, no officer wants to lose his or her badge.", "They give it a shine and check for surface imperfections.", "And now it's ready to report for duty.", "It takes three weeks to make one of these police badges, and they should be good for a lifetime of service.", "The word \"muffin\" appeared in britain around the 11th century.", "In victorian times, muffins were bought in the street from the muffin man, made famous in the popular children's nursery rhyme.", "In america, cooks began to experiment with english muffin recipes, and the modern muffin was born.", "These muffins are a lot like homemade, except to make this many, you need some pretty big equipment and a heap of ingredients.", "At this commercial bakery, they make them with flour, then add salt, baking powder, and a prepared mixture of dry ingredients.", "Finally, they add vanilla flavor and start up the barrel mixer.", "It's a big one-- large enough to hold a ton of batter at least.", "Next, they add oil and water, then vegetable shortening.", "Now here come the blueberries.", "They go into the mix once they're thawed.", "Berries are delicate, so workers take care to pour them out slowly, weighing each bucket to add just the right amount.", "Down below, workers pour out close to a ton of batter from the mixer.", "That's a whole lot of batter.", "Just one batch makes about 7,000 muffins.", "They cover the trough to protect the batter until it goes on to fill baking pans like these that can hold 54 muffins, each with its own paper liner.", "A conveyor advances the pans towards a machine called a batter depositor.", "Prepared batter pumps in from the trough and into the pans as they pass below it.", "The depositor fills the pans one row at a time, measuring out the batter by weight.", "At the next station, blueberries pass through a funnel equipped with a turning gear and drop right onto the muffin tops.", "A bar placed across the conveyor blows filtered air to remove any stray berries from the pans as they advance to the gas oven.", "A metal arm pushes them right in to bake for about 30 minutes.", "The oven, open on both sides, has dampers to keep in the heat.", "The muffins come out of the oven baked a golden brown.", "The pans cool for a few minutes and then continue on to a custom-designed machine that's pretty handy.", "It removes the muffins from the pan and packages them all automatically.", "Suction cups seize cardboard flats two at a time and push them onto a tray former.", "The forming head pushes down on the preglued cardboard and voilà-- out comes a perfectly square box that falls right onto the conveyor belt.", "Pans full of baked muffins follow alongside on another conveyor.", "At the next stop, suction cups lift the muffins out of their pans.", "With military precision, they set them down into neat rows in the cardboard boxes that wait on the back conveyor.", "The conveyor carries the filled boxes to a station where they're covered, top and bottom, with a sheet of clear plastic.", "Heated blades cut and seal the plastic at both ends.", "Then the boxes pass through a heat tunnel that shrinks the plastic snugly over the trays.", "They're now ready for shipping to customers in the food-service industry.", "On another line, preprinted plastic film wraps the individual muffins as they flow along the conveyor.", "Rotating brushes keep them moving forward while blades come down to separate the continuous roll into individually wrapped muffins ready for retail sale.", "Blueberry, bran, pecan strudel, lemon poppy.", "With so many flavors to choose from, why not try some of each?", "The best car washes tackle everything from road grime and dead bugs to bird droppings that eat away at the paint and metal of your vehicle.", "Car washes help you preserve your investment and increase its resale value.", "They save you time and help you feel proud about the vehicle you're driving.", "A state-of-the-art car wash can be an eye-opening experience.", "Assorted soaps and waxes clean and pamper every part of the vehicle like never before.", "This effective, yet gentle, cleaning power is made possible using the latest car-cleaning technology.", "It starts with welding together the steel frame that travels inside the bay of the car wash, then adding the steel and fiberglass walls.", "Using a milling machine, the worker then makes the wheels on which the frame travels.", "The machine first prepares the center hole where the axle goes, then makes a groove in the wheel so it can ride on a track.", "Before long, a steel blank becomes a finished drive wheel.", "He then welds the wheel onto a drive shaft.", "He places the wheel assembly in the bottom of the steel frame and bolts it in place.", "He then connects a hydraulic motor to the end of the wheel assembly and makes sure it couples together perfectly.", "Here a worker puts together the brush assembly that cleans the sides of the vehicle.", "The brushes are made of material called poly-flex.", "It comes cut to various lengths so that it gets into those hard-to-clean places.", "Poly-flex won't trap in dirt particles.", "It's smooth and very gentle on the vehicle.", "The finished side-brush assembly consists of seven alternating columns of poly-flex.", "A worker puts together the pneumatic regulators and gauges that control many aspects of the car wash, including the brush assemblies and the distribution of soaps and waxes.", "He then bolts the hydraulic pump to the frame.", "He screws on the system's hydraulic filter...", "Then connects the hydraulic pressure line and makes certain it's secure.", "The hydraulic power system moves the car-wash frame and rotates the brushes, but a computer controls everything.", "He hooks up the system wires that connect to the computer.", "The computer makes it possible for the car wash to run without an operator.", "Workers then install the rack that supports an overhead curtain.", "A worker attaches a shaft to the rack...", "Then a heavy-duty bearing.", "When the bearing assembly is in place, he secures the rack to the frame.", "He tests the rack to make sure its computer-controlled pneumatic cylinders manipulate the overhead curtain correctly.", "He tests the oscillating high-pressure nozzles.", "Then he makes sure the wheels move the frame properly.", "He turns on all the brush assemblies that clean and polish the car and makes sure they spin and oscillate in perfect harmony.", "The definitive test, of course, is an actual car wash that proves the system works flawlessly and that every part of the vehicle gets the best washing and waxing possible.", "After a quick drying, this vehicle drives out of the car wash sparkling clean.", "Life without pressure gauges would be pretty rough.", "Figuring out everyday things like oil pressure, air pressure, and blood pressure would be almost impossible.", "Without pressure gauges, we'd even have trouble taking a proper shower because getting the correct water pressure in our homes would be a hit-and-miss affair.", "For a pressure gauge to be trustworthy, whether it's measuring gases or liquids, it must be exceptionally well-made and accurate.", "To start, a worker loads an aluminum faceplate into a printing press.", "It applies a colored scale used for measuring pressure in pounds per square inch.", "The type of scale it prints depends on the measuring unit being used.", "Then a worker puts a copper tube into a bending machine that bends, cuts, and flattens sections of the tube.", "The amount of flattening and bending determines the pressure range the gauge can measure.", "Each piece becomes a pressure-sensing tube known as a bourdon tube.", "Then a worker cuts lengths of brass that he machines into connectors.", "They will link the bourdon tube to an inlet pipe.", "He melts zinc solder in the connector's receptacle, and he mounts the bourdon tube in the correct position.", "He fills the gap between the connector and the bourdon tube with solder.", "Then he flushes the heated piece with water to cool it down, sealing the tube in place.", "He puts the cooled piece on a mounting fixture and solders the other end of the bourdon tube to the gauge's internal mechanism.", "He seals the gap and cools it down.", "Then he puts the finished pieces, or pressure-system assemblies, as they're now called, into a cleaning machine.", "Its hot, soapy water washes away any dirt and loose solder particles.", "The pressure-system assemblies then go on to a leak-testing machine that pushes air into the tubes.", "A stable pressure reading indicates there is no leakage.", "Another worker takes a gear mechanism, which controls the mechanical movement inside the gauge, and places it on the connector.", "A machine screws the gear mechanism in place.", "He then takes the gear's connecting link and rivets it to the pressure-system assembly.", "He fits the pressure-system assembly inside a protective stainless-steel housing.", "A machine screws it all together.", "Next, a worker calibrates the assembly.", "She loosens up the connecting link slightly to prevent friction, puts on the indicator needle, and runs a test.", "After a bit more adjusting, she puts the faceplate and the indicator needle back on.", "She ensures the gauge reads accurately at three key positions and then screws the faceplate onto the gauge.", "A final test confirms it is calibrated properly.", "Then she puts a glass cover over the faceplate and adds a steel ring to hold it in place.", "A crimping machine evenly folds the ring's edge until it makes a perfect seal.", "Now she fills the gauge with glycerin.", "Glycerin lubricates the internal mechanical parts and increases the lifetime of the gauge.", "Glycerin also absorbs vibration well, which helps the indicator needle remain stable during operation.", "A worker completes the pressure gauge by sealing off the fill hole with a rubber plug.", "But, of course, not all gauges are built the same way.", "As accurate and dependable as a swiss watch, a trustworthy pressure gauge also has a pretty face." ]

{ "things": [ "Pasta Dies", "Blueberries", "Composting Toilets", "Surge Arresters" ] }

[ "today on \"how it's made\"...", "Pasta dies.", "Blueberries.", "Composting toilets.", "And surge arresters.", "Industrial pasta machines produce noodles by extruding dough through a die.", "The die has holes in it, which are shaped to produce a specific type of pasta.", "As the dough comes through the holes in a continuous stream, a knife cuts the pasta to the correct length.", "This industrial pasta die produces fusilli, up to one and a half tons of it per hour.", "And this is just a midsize die.", "The largest ones can produce four tons of pasta per hour.", "The die block is made of a bronze-aluminum alloy.", "A computer-guided machine drills holes for inserts through which the pasta dough will be extruded.", "The front of the block is then chrome plated to protect against the sharp knife that cuts the extruded pasta off the die.", "The next step is to make inserts that go in the holes in the block.", "An insert is comprised of male and female parts and a nonstick plastic lining.", "A computer-guided mill cuts the linings from a plate of nonstick plastic.", "Another computer-guided mill machines the female part of the inserts in a more than quarter of an inch-thick brass plate.", "Then a worker places a lining in each female part.", "He taps it into position with a mallet and punch.", "The plate then goes back on the mill, which cuts an extrusion slot in the lining.", "The slot shape determines the pasta shape.", "A mill machines the male part of the inserts in another brass plate.", "A worker detaches the male parts from the plate with a punch and mallet.", "He detaches the lined female parts the same way.", "Then he assembles the male and female parts by forcing one onto the other with the help of a steel punch.", "He finishes the die insert by cutting off the protruding excess plastic with a blade so that the lining is flush with the top.", "The factory makes die inserts in thousands of different shapes-- some standard, others in the client's custom-made pasta shape.", "This computer-guided lathe makes brass locking rings which will secure the inserts in the block.", "Now, final assembly begins.", "A worker places the block face-down, and from the back drops an insert top-first into each hole.", "Next, he places a locking ring in each hole.", "Then, with a hydraulic press and punch, he forces down each locking ring to within approximately 1 millimeter of the insert underneath.", "In this position, the ring holds the insert in the hole but doesn't prevent it from spinning within the hole.", "The next step is to adjust the inserts to make their orientation uniform.", "He inserts a pin into each insert slot.", "Then he rotates the pin to rotate the insert.", "Once the insert orientation is correct, he forces the locking ring down all the way to immobilize the insert.", "Once he has all the inserts oriented the same way, he sands the chrome-plated front of the die, first with a medium-grit disk, then with a fine-grit sandpaper.", "The die surface must be smooth as silk for the knife to slice off the extruded pasta cleanly.", "He verifies the width of every extrusion slot with a gauge.", "This ensures every piece of pasta will be the correct thickness.", "Then on the back of the finished die, he stamps the manufacturer's name.", "The die is ready to be mounted on an industrial machine that extrudes dough into perfectly shaped, ready-to-boil pasta.", "Blueberries are one of nature's healthiest foods.", "They're low in calories, packed with vitamin c, and full of antioxidants.", "And freezing blueberries doesn't compromise any of that nutritional value.", "North and south america grow most of the world's blueberries.", "The length of the harvest varies by climate.", "In the south, it spans april to september.", "Further north, mid-june to mid-august.", "At this state-of-the-art blueberry farm, a mechanical harvester straddles the row of blueberry plants and shakes the leaves with vibrating fingers.", "The berries fall to a sloped floor below and roll down into side conveyor belts.", "The belts dump the berries into onboard bins which trucks transport from the field to the on-site packing plant.", "The plant has two separate production lines-- one for berries to be shipped out fresh, and this one for berries to be shipped out frozen.", "Workers empty the bins into a hopper, which feeds the berries onto a conveyor belt.", "A vibrating conveyor belt then ferries the berries under a blower that suctions up loose leaves and twigs.", "Then the blueberries tumble down a waterfall.", "Stones and debris settle in the ledges.", "The berries land in a wash tank.", "Most of the ripe ones sink to the bottom while most of the unripe ones float on top where workers can easily scoop them out.", "The berries exit the wash tank with fewer unripe ones among them.", "The mesh belt vibrates to gently shake off water.", "Then it runs the berries through the first of two color sorters.", "The machine's camera is preset to ignore the color blue and detect only green and red.", "Whenever a green or red berry passes, the camera sends a signal to the computer identifying its exact location so that one of the 136 air jets blows it off the belt to a collection trough below.", "The ripe blueberries fly over the top onto a conveyor belt that takes them to the freezer tunnel.", "The temperature inside is minus 29 degrees fahrenheit.", "Five to 7 minutes later, the berries exit the tunnel frozen solid.", "Workers perform a final visual inspection.", "After passing through a metal detector, the berries drop into a preprogrammed scale that weighs out the specific quantity being packaged.", "Meanwhile, in an on-site lab, government-trained inspectors pull samples off the line every 20 minutes for grading, which they determine by assessing factors such as color, aroma, and defects.", "The frozen berries go into a freezer until shipped out by freezer truck.", "The fresh berry production line is similar to the frozen line, minus the wash tank and, of course, the freeze tunnel.", "However, the color sorters on this line are even more high-tech.", "Not only are they set to detect red and green berries, but they also have a firmness detector, which by bouncing each berry on a pad can identify blue ones too soft to have at least a 12-day refrigerated shelf life.", "Air jets blow those soft berries off the conveyor so they can be transferred to the frozen-berry line.", "The rest continue to a final visual inspection.", "The fresh berries are ready for packaging.", "This electronic fill machine is preset to weigh out the specific quantity they're packaging, in this case, nearly 2-pound containers.", "It drops that quantity of berries into an awaiting plastic container.", "The final stop on the packaging line is the flat-seal machine.", "It applies a printed plastic film to the top of the container, melting and bonding it to the perimeter without a touch of heat.", "The film has ventilation holes because fresh berries require air.", "From here, the containers go off to a refrigerated warehouse to await shipping to the store by refrigerated truck.", "And provided they remain refrigerated, the blueberries remain fresh and juicy for 10 to 12 days.", "There's a new john in town.", "Composting toilets are the greatest thing since indoor plumbing.", "In fact, they don't need any plumbing at all.", "So they can go where traditional toilets do not.", "They are little waste treatment machines.", "They turn the unpleasant business of sewage into something more agreeable-- garden fertilizer.", "This composting toilet works a bit of magic with sewage.", "It transforms the solids into compost and makes the liquids disappear.", "Making these toilets starts with a composting tank.", "A worker sprays fiberglass into a mold of the tank.", "Then he and another member of the team press out air trapped between the fiberglass and mold surface.", "Once the part cures, a blast of compressed air loosens it from the mold.", "And he lifts it out.", "It's a bit ragged around the rim.", "So they do a basic trim.", "He drills holes in the tank for installing fittings.", "Using a pneumatic circular blade, he slices a hole for the compost drawer.", "And he grinds the rim to precise measurements.", "He screws two overflow fittings into a threaded hole on the back of the tank.", "He seals the fittings with epoxy from the other side of the tank wall.", "This epoxy seal will prevent leaks.", "Moving down the line, another worker sprays adhesive on the bottom of the composting tank.", "He presses an aluminum panel to it.", "This panel will radiate heat from a heating element he installs over it.", "It will heat the evaporation chamber in the tank to dissipate liquids.", "He places fiberglass insulation over the heater and encases it with a molded fiberglass cover.", "He wires the heater and installs a thermostat that will regulate the heat and also shut off the system if the temperature drops below or exceeds the threshold.", "He turns the composting toilet tank right-side-up to await further assembly.", "Meanwhile, another worker assembles the fan for exhausting the evaporated fluids and any odors.", "He inserts the motor shaft in a hole in the fan door so that it protrudes inside.", "He then screws the motor to the outside of the door.", "Next, he assembles the centrifugal blower to the motor shaft.", "He installs a plastic shroud.", "It surrounds the fan, protecting the blades' interacting airflow.", "At the next station, a worker prepares the drum in which solid waste will be converted to compost by aerobic decomposition.", "He fastens a stainless steel screen to an opening in the drum.", "Liquid waste will drain through this screen and into the evaporation chamber.", "Once evaporated, the fan will expel it through the vent stack.", "He now places the drum in the tank, bearings elevated, so it sits just above the evaporation chamber.", "He fits a plastic top to the tank and screws the two components together.", "He inserts a metal shaft with gears, engaging them with grooves on the outside of the drum.", "He inserts the fan into an opening at the back and secures it.", "He wires the fan to the power source.", "He installs a cover to protect the wiring.", "And he connects the shaft to a handle at the front.", "It rotates the drum to mix the contents and introduce air so that the aerobic microorganisms will thrive.", "After electrical and other tests, a worker installs the drawer for the finished compost.", "She fastens the seat to the base with nylon nuts and bolts with caps.", "She inserts a plastic liner in the bowl.", "And this completes the composting toilet.", "By turning human waste into compost, things will eventually end up smelling like roses.", "Electrical systems are vulnerable to voltage spikes from lightning or switching surges.", "Surge arresters take over in these high-voltage situations.", "When lightning strikes, surge arresters handle the fallout.", "They divert the ensuing power surges to the earth, where they won't cause damage.", "At their core are discs that act as switches.", "They turn on and off to divert voltage spikes.", "The discs are known as m.o.v.s, which is short for metal oxide varistors.", "A worker loops fiberglass strapping onto aluminum endcaps to prepare the casing for the m.o.v.s.", "He places a spacer on one end of the end caps.", "He then packs numerous m.o.v.s on top, equipping this arrester to divert a 60,000-volt power surge.", "He adds more spacers to fill in any gaps because the m.o.v. stack has to sit tight within the casing.", "With the stack complete, he loops more fiberglass strapping around the m.o.v.s to complete the casing.", "He torques the set screw to compress the stack.", "The set screw also pushes back the end caps.", "This pulls the fiberglass strapping tighter.", "He now clamps the surge arrester assembly between two mandrels.", "He ties a resin-reinforced thread around the fiberglass loop at one end.", "He lowers a guard as a safety precaution.", "The mandrels then spin the surge arrester module as a computer-programmed dispenser winds the thread around it to strengthen it.", "It creates gaps between the windings.", "This will allow sparks and fumes to escape in the event of a power overload.", "With the winding complete, he cuts the end and tucks it under the last winding.", "He hangs the module on a rack conveyer, which takes it into a chamber.", "Here, a tank filled with an adhesive-promoting solution rises up and immerses the module.", "This leaves a coating that will help silicone rubber housing bond to the module later.", "He removes the hook used to hang the module on the rack conveyer and installs mandrels at both ends to be used at a later stage of processing.", "He sets the module between the rungs of a chain-driven conveyer.", "It takes it through an oven set at 302 degrees fahrenheit.", "This cures the resin in the thread, causing it to harden around the fiberglass strapping.", "It also preheats the surge arrester module in preparation for the next process-- the molding of the outer housing.", "Using the mandrels, he locks two of the surge arrester modules in a platform and slides it under a mold press.", "A lift takes it to the press.", "It injects silicone rubber into the mold.", "And using pressure and heat, it forms insulating jackets around the arrester modules.", "The primer coating enhances the adhesion of the silicone rubber to the modules.", "He clips off unwanted bits of silicone rubber from the molded housing and cleans up the ends with a wire brush.", "Surge arresters come in a range of voltage ratings for different electrical systems.", "He now lubricates the threaded bolt holes in one end.", "He aligns those holes with the ones on a terminal connector.", "He bolts the connector to the surge arrester.", "He installs a base on the other end.", "This base will allow the arrester to be mounted to the ground to send excess voltages to the earth.", "He now puts the surge arrester to the test.", "He connects electrodes to the terminal connector and to the base.", "He runs different voltages of electricity through the arrester and confirms that it adequately discharges them.", "This surge arrester is now ready to join others on the grid, forming a defense against lightning strikes and power spikes." ]

{ "things": [ "NASCAR Car Bodies", "Hurley Sticks", "Tube Power Amplifiers", "Thermal Coffee Pots" ] }

[ "The first stock cars were souped-up family sedans.", "But today, they're custom-built for the racetrack.", "Each car body must match the contours of templates set by nascar, the national association of stock car auto racing.", "On the racetrack, the shape of a car can give it an aerodynamic edge over the competition, so in nascar races, car bodies must have uniform curves.", "The regulations put the focus on driver skill and make the race a fair one.", "They mold some of the car's body parts from a carbon fiber and kevlar material.", "First, a technician applies a release agent to a mold for the car's front end.", "Then he sprays a paint undercoat into it.", "This undercoat will eventually transfer to the completed panel.", "A computerized cutter slices the carbon fiber and kevlar fabric into strips.", "It produces 22 pieces, each one cut to fit a different section of the mold.", "The technician rolls epoxy resin onto the fabric one strip at a time.", "Once the strip has been completely coated, he transfers it to the mold.", "He tucks the fabric into the contours and smooths out any big wrinkles.", "He layers the strips three deep in a crisscross configuration for structural integrity.", "A co-worker covers the carbon fiber with perforated plastic.", "They add layers of absorbent polyester and thick plastic, which they glue to the edge of the mold.", "They insert a fitting and connect a vacuum, which sucks out air and excess epoxy resin.", "The polyester material soaks up the resin as it flows through the holes in the first plastic layer.", "This both smooths and compacts the carbon-fiber layers.", "Then it's into a hot oven to bake for three hours.", "This activates the epoxy and combines the layers of carbon fiber and kevlar fabric.", "An employee removes the completed stock-car panel and inspects it.", "Then it's over to a weigh station.", "At just under 8 pounds, the part is lightweight yet virtually shatterproof.", "Meanwhile, at another factory, work begins on the stock-car chassis.", "They build it from square steel tubing that's super strong.", "An employee welds the pieces together to create a support structure for the car.", "At the next station, a worker forces narrow steel tubing against a spiral bit to carve notches in it.", "This tubing is for the roll cage, the structure that protects the driver if there's an accident.", "The notches will help form better joints.", "He grinds the rough edges, creating a smooth surface to weld the tube to the rest of the roll cage.", "Once complete, the team transfers the roll cage to the main frame of the chassis.", "They tack-weld it before doing the final welds.", "The next part is called the rear clip.", "It holds the fuel tank and has mounts for the rear suspension.", "With the car framework now complete, a technician scans it using a digital measuring probe.", "The scan confirms that the dimensions are correct.", "They now assemble the various steel and carbon-fiber body parts to the stock-car framework.", "They measure the completed car body by laying template grids on it.", "The biggest one sits over the center of the car.", "They pull a gauge through the gaps between the templates and the car body.", "The gap cannot exceed the tolerances set by nascar.", "They often must tweak the shape of a body part to meet regulations.", "Once the car has been painted, they apply headlight decals where the real ones usually are.", "Real headlights would add too much weight and pose a safety risk if they shattered.", "It's taken three weeks of intensive work, but this stock-car body is now ready for the mechanics.", "Things are about to pick up speed.", "The game of hurling has been played in ireland for at least 2,000 years.", "Players swing a stick called a hurley to hit a ball the size of a hockey puck into a net.", "Winning takes skill, quick reflexes, and, of course, the luck of the irish.", "Pass the ball and pass on the tradition.", "Hurling is a game that's older than the recorded history of ireland.", "In ireland, hurleys are still made the old-fashioned way-- by hand in small shops.", "Ash is the wood of choice.", "They use only the part of the tree near the root because the grain flows in a natural curve there, making the stick less likely to break during play.", "The hurley maker slices the trunk into planks that are one inch thick.", "He'll make one hurley from each plank.", "He stacks the planks and then picks through them to select one for shaping.", "He scrutinizes the curve of the grain on the boards.", "It needs to be suitable for the size of the hurley he'll be making.", "His selection made, he places a see-through plastic pattern on the board.", "The transparency allows him to find the curve of the grain and position it within the striking surface of the hurley.", "He draws an outline around it with a pencil.", "After a rough cut and some initial shaping, he re-pencils the pattern and cuts it with a band saw.", "The striking surface of the hurley is called the bas.", "It's the most substantial part of the stick.", "He sculpts the stick to various thicknesses with a planer.", "He keeps it thick at the bas and thins it at the stem to give the stick some elasticity when striking the ball.", "This will allow the player to hit the ball farther.", "He sands the edges to make them more even.", "He tapers the bas to the very end, creating a sloped surface so the ball can be picked up easily.", "He then switches to a finer grid abrasive belt and sands the handle and the rest of the stick until it's super smooth.", "Next, he cuts steel banding to a length that's a little more than twice the diameter of the bas.", "He loops the band around the end of the bas and clamps it snugly to it.", "He drives large nails into the band to puncture it.", "He hammers smaller nails into those holes and all the way through the wood.", "He clips the protruding nails.", "He then flattens the cut ends to turn the nails into rivets.", "He folds the ends of the looped band together at the rim of the bas and nails them to the wood.", "Now securely attached, the steel band will reinforce the hurley at its most vulnerable point-- the end of the striking surface.", "Not every player wants their hurley banded.", "This is an optional feature.", "He now winds rubber tape just under the handle for better gripping.", "He continues to twist it partway down the stick because players sometimes grip it there with both hands.", "He finishes the wrap at both ends with electrical tape, which has stronger adhesive backing.", "It will prevent unraveling of the rubber tape.", "It's taken about 20 minutes to craft this hurley stick.", "How long it will last is anyone's guess.", "There's no warranty on hurleys, and it's sure to break at some point because hurling is a rough game.", "Some players go through several hurleys in one season.", "It doesn't matter if you lose a stick as long as you win the game.", "In an audio system, the amplifier is the component which makes the sound louder and sends it to the speakers.", "While most amps on the market are powered by transistors, many audiophiles swear by tube amplifiers, which use older vacuum-tube technology.", "many believe that tube amplifiers produce a warmer, more natural sound.", "This factory makes the amp's main chassis from a sheet of polished stainless steel.", "A computer-guided punch press cuts openings for the power switches, control knobs, and other components.", "The press prepares eight chassis per sheet.", "Workers separate them with a few strikes of a mallet.", "Then they place them one at a time in a bending machine called a press break.", "Once they position the sheet with the help of metal guides, they activate a foot pedal, releasing 90 tons of pressure to bend the edge of the sheet.", "Then they remove the adhesive film which has been protecting the mirror-finish surface of the chassis.", "They clean off any remaining adhesive residue with alcohol.", "Then they put the chassis into an offset press.", "Using a silk-screen printing process, it labels the controls and connections.", "Next are the speaker terminals, which connect the speaker wires to the amp.", "These connectors are made of gold-plated brass, which are nonmagnetic metals.", "Magnetic ones would react to the electric current and cause distortion.", "The terminal's circuit board, installed next, carries the amplified signal from the main circuit board to the speaker terminals.", "They install and connect the power switch and the circuit board for the vacuum-tube illumination.", "This indicates the tube's status.", "Meanwhile, this machine winds strands of copper wire around plastic bobbins to begin making the amp's output transformers.", "Output transformers match the amp's circuitry to the electronic specifications of different types of speakers.", "The number of wires, their different gauges, and the number of revolutions around the bobbin create this unique compatibility.", "After taping the wires to prevent unraveling, they join, then solder the ends to additional wiring.", "They will later connect to the amp's main board.", "A fiberglass sleeve insulates the connection.", "They place the bobbin in a lamination machine.", "Laminations are thin plates of carbon steel.", "The machine stacks them all around the bobbin.", "Then workers put a bolt in each corner to hold them together.", "They place the laminated bobbin in an aluminum housing and pour in hot black tar.", "This immobilizes the laminations so they won't rattle when the amp is amplifying low frequencies.", "Then workers install the two output transformers into the chassis, along with a third transformer to power the amp.", "They take the amp's main circuit board, plug in ceramic sockets for the vacuum tubes...", "And solder the sockets' leads to the board.", "Then, after feeding the transformer leads, they mount the main board in the chassis, screwing it to posts to hold it in place.", "Then they connect the transformer leads.", "They plug the vacuum tubes one by one into the sockets.", "The tubes are made of glass with a heat-resistant base.", "The interior contains a combination of metals but no air, hence the term vacuum tube.", "The amp has 11 tubes in all-- seven small ones to power input signals from a source such as a cd player and four big ones to power output to the speakers.", "Then they attach the chassis' ventilated bottom cover made of painted steel.", "They affix decals to differentiate the output transformers from the power transformer.", "L.e.d. lights turn green when the amp is powered up and ready to deliver that warm, natural sound that many believe only traditional vacuum tubes can produce.", "People generally like their coffee either hot or iced, hence the need for the thermal coffee pot.", "Pour in hot coffee, and the pot holds in heat, keeping the coffee at that temperature for a good half-hour.", "The trick to a thermal coffee pot is in the construction.", "Both the body and lid have a double wall, two layers of stainless steel.", "Between them is a tiny gap just 5 to 6 millimeters.", "The air in this gap insulates the inner wall, trapping the heat inside the pot.", "They start with a stainless-steel sheet just 1.2 millimeters thick.", "The first step is to cut it into smaller pieces on a mechanical press.", "To make the coffee pot's body, they cut it into strips, then each strip into squares measuring 8x8 inches.", "Then they put each square in another mechanical press.", "It stamps the square onto a circular die, which cuts it into a disk.", "They'll now use this disk to make the outer wall.", "They run the disk through a lubricator that coats the surface with oil to aid the next step on a machine called a hydraulic deep drawing press.", "The machine's molders draw the flat disk into a three-dimensional shape.", "This stretches the stainless-steel fibers to a very fragile state.", "They strengthen the piece by what's called thermic normalization, heating the metal to 1,800 degrees fahrenheit, then letting it cool to room temperature.", "This process restores the original molecular structure of the stainless steel so it can be shaped further without breaking.", "But first, they even out the jagged rim with a trimmer.", "Then they return the wall to the deep drawing press outfitted with a differently shaped molder.", "The second drawing tapers the wall to a more rounded shape and forms a base to make the bottom perfectly flat.", "Then it's back to the trimmer, outfitted with a different tool this time, to smooth the rim.", "They repeat the same steps to make the coffee pot's inner wall.", "The deep drawing press pulls the stainless-steel disk into a slightly different shape with a lip protruding to one side.", "They heat the wall in the induction oven to restore the molecular structure before shaping the metal further.", "Then they place the wall in a mold and release a press.", "This shapes the protruding lip into a spout.", "Then they transfer the wall to another press, which stamps it with a die, cutting off excess metal.", "They check to make sure that the inner and outer walls fit together properly.", "If everything is fine, they polish both walls inside and out.", "A little polishing paste applied with a sisal brush on the polishing wheel has the surfaces glistening in no time.", "The surface is now perfectly smooth and ready for welding.", "The first part they weld is the coffee pot's stainless-steel handle.", "They shape it with two strikes of a press, then polish.", "They use a spot welder to fuse the handle to the pot's outer wall.", "Then they turn the wall upside down to stamp the manufacturer's logo into the bottom.", "Now the assembly.", "They place the inner wall on a fixture, then the outer wall over it.", "A press pushes the inner to the correct depth.", "Then they weld along the rim of the outer wall, fusing it to the inner one.", "The coffee pot's lid also has double walls for insulation.", "They weld a hinged lever to the lid and the adjoining part of the hinge to the coffee-pot body.", "Then they gently hammer a pin through the hinge, riveting the ends of the pin so that it can't fall out.", "After a thorough cleaning in a dishwasher, the coffee pot is ready to use." ]