Fun
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*Unconventional Datasets for Creative Machine Learning Exploration.*
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{
"things": [
"Office Chairs",
"Vinobrew",
"Reconditioned Sander Drums",
"Lithographs"
]
} | [
"thomas jefferson, one of america's founding fathers, came up with the first swiveling mechanism for office chairs.",
"Decades later, charles darwin added small wheels, called casters, to his chair to roll it around the study as he worked on the theory of evolution.",
"Today, office chairs still swivel and roll.",
"The office chair has become a status symbol.",
"Executive versions have kingly dimensions.",
"They're extremely plush and have serious lumbar support.",
"Using a hydraulically powered machine, a worker bends 14-gauge steel tubing to form the bottom cushion frame.",
"He joins the ends and welds steel bars to the middle.",
"The bars will support the mechanism for adjusting the position of the seat.",
"He hooks s-shaped steel springs from the front to the back of the seat frame.",
"These sinuous springs will eventually provide a flexible web of suspension in the seat.",
"He positions the rods laterally and clips them to the springs for additional stability and support.",
"The office chair seat frame is now complete.",
"Next, a worker builds the chair's back frame.",
"The frame includes a spine lumbar support, armrest attachments, and other parts.",
"He grinds burrs and other rough spots from the steel.",
"In the upholstery department, another worker smoothes a leather hide so that it sits evenly on the cutting table.",
"He cuts out the patterns following cardboard templates.",
"As he cuts, he works around the natural flaws in the hide, making calculated decisions to minimize waste.",
"By cutting carefully, he'll be able to get all the leather he needs for one chair from this large hide.",
"That's important because color and grain can vary from hide to hide.",
"Using pieces from the same one will give the chair a consistent look and texture.",
"Once all the leather pattern pieces have been accumulated, another worker cuts foam cushioning for backing.",
"The density of the foam in the chair varies.",
"He uses more rigid foam for the chair's contoured cushioning so it will hold its shape.",
"Another worker selects softer foam for the part of the chair that the occupant's back will rest against.",
"He cuts slits into this softer back padding.",
"This creates channels that will ultimately become a design feature.",
"Using chalk, he draws lines onto the corresponding leather that match up with the slits in the foam.",
"A worker aligns the chalk lines in the leather with the slits and puckers the leather as he sews the backing to it.",
"This forms a ribbed pattern in the upper half of the chair upholstery.",
"He stitches the padding flat to many of the other pattern pieces.",
"This particular part is a side panel for the back of the chair.",
"Returning to the upholstery with the ribbing now, he sews contoured casings to each side.",
"To complete the back of the chair, workers add a chipboard panel and encase the structure with foam, then cover it with the leather upholstery.",
"Once the chair seat has been upholstered, an employee installs a plastic cover to enclose the back.",
"He screws a sliding plate to the base.",
"This mechanism will work in conjunction with the plate to slide the seat forward and backward, depending on legroom needs.",
"It also has features for adjusting the tilt and height of the seat.",
"The hydraulic cylinder for adjusting the seat height is next.",
"The cylinder also doubles as the chair's stem, and it swivels to allow the seat to rotate 360 degrees.",
"He attaches the aluminum base to the cylinder.",
"He snaps the casters into slots in the aluminum base.",
"He equips the back of the office chair with an automobile-style headrest.",
"The prongs fit into the brackets in the chair frame.",
"Finally, he locks the armrests into the frame.",
"This office chair is now ready to make someone's desk job a lot more comfortable.",
"Vinobrew is just what the name implies-- vino, meaning wine, and brew, referring to beer.",
"This hybrid beverage is part of a fledgling trend by some adventurous breweries and wineries to merge their two otherwise separate worlds of alcohol and create a unique drink.",
"This vinobrew is made from port-style sweet wine, dark strong beer known as stout, and another ingredient that's brewed-- coffee.",
"This concoction is the collaborative creation of a winery, microbrewery, and coffee producer.",
"The microbrewery grows some 20 different varieties of hop plants whose flowers contain the resins and essential oils that give beer its bitter and aromatic characteristics.",
"To begin the beer-making process, the brewmaster fills a tank, called a mash tun, with water, then ignites a burner.",
"When the water heats to around 150 degrees fahrenheit, he pours in a blend of different types of malts.",
"Malts are cereal grains such as barley or corn which have been soaked to kick-start germination, then, once sprouted, dried with hot air to halt germination.",
"Stirring the malt into the hot water activates enzymes that convert the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars.",
"After an hour or so, he transfers just the liquid, called wort, to the boil kettle and gradually adds different varieties of hops.",
"He brings the wort to a boil to kill off bacteria and sterilize it.",
"Next, he cools the wort and transfers it to the fermentation tank.",
"Then he adds yeast.",
"Over the next 10 to 14 days, the yeast consumes the fermentable sugars in the wort, converting them into alcohol and producing carbon dioxide gas, which creates bubbles.",
"This process transforms the wort into beer.",
"At the coffee company, the hot coffee beans must be cooled quickly after coming out of the roaster so that they don't overcook.",
"This perforated cooling pan stirs the beans to help dissipate the heat, then a commercial coffee grinder grinds the beans into coarse-ground coffee.",
"To prepare coffee for the vinobrew, a worker puts grounds into a filter bag, saturates the bag with cold water, then submerges the bag in water, letting the grounds soak for about 16 hours.",
"Then he pours the coffee into a large jar.",
"At the winery, winemakers harvest and press the grapes, add yeast and ferment them, then age the port wine for at least 2 years in oak barrels.",
"To prepare to make vinobrew, the winemakers test samples from different barrels for acidity and sweetness to help decide which wines to potentially use.",
"The winemaker and the coffeemaker then experiment with amounts of those wines and different cold-brew coffees made from various types of beans.",
"The brewmaster also joins in, measuring out beer.",
"This process is as much art as science.",
"For each batch of vinobrew, the respective makers play with a selection of ingredients and with the proportions, tasting and smelling the samples to evaluate aroma, sweetness, bitterness, and acidity.",
"What they try to create is a harmonious blend of the three elements, a new flavor without the taste of any one element dominating the others.",
"Once they pin down the winning formula, they replicate it on a large scale for production.",
"The winery pumps the selected wine from storage tanks into barrels for transport to the brewery.",
"At the brewery, the brewmaster pumps the required amount of wine from those barrels into a blending tank.",
"He pours the required amount of cold-brewed coffee into the blending tank.",
"Then he pumps the required volume of beer into the tank.",
"Beer makes up the largest proportion of the recipe, followed by wine, then coffee.",
"After blending the ingredients in the tank, the brewmaster pumps the vinobrew into a beer keg.",
"Then he injects carbon dioxide gas to add more carbonation.",
"When you pour a glass of vinobrew, the bubbles rise to the top, producing foam known as beer head.",
"But while this might look and feel like regular beer, one sip tells you that vinobrew is uniquely different.",
"To refinish a hardwood floor, one has to sand it with a floor-sanding machine.",
"After a few thousand hours of operation, the machine's drum, which drives the sandpaper, wears out.",
"The contractor can either replace it with a new one or send the worn one out to be reconditioned.",
"This company specializes in reconditioning worn sander drums, that means restoring them to like-new condition.",
"A drum can be reconditioned as many as eight times before it has to be replaced.",
"The first step is to grind off what's left of the aluminum drum's worn rubber surface.",
"It gets worn down due to the drum rotation speed of up to 2,600 revolutions per minute and often gets damaged by running over protruding nails or carpet tacks.",
"A worn drum doesn't hold the belt of sandpaper taut, which causes the machine to slip to the left and right, rather than sand smoothly in a straight line.",
"A worker places the drum on a press to detach the arbor shaft, which attaches the drum to the sanding machine.",
"When the drum was new, its aluminum sides were freshly painted.",
"That paint is now mostly worn away.",
"Sawdust and rubber residue fill the drum's nooks and crannies, so a worker places the drum inside a sandblast cabinet and puts his hands through gloves that reach inside.",
"He holds the drum in one hand, a sandblasting nozzle in the other, and in a few minutes, the drum is pristine.",
"But it still has an ever-so-thin layer of rubber remaining, so another worker mounts the drum on a lathe and shears off the rubber with a knife.",
"Then he passes the knife again, removing a mere tenth of a millimeter of aluminum.",
"This exposes a new smooth aluminum surface.",
"Then a worker cuts a sheet of brand-new rubber to the exact length needed to cover the circumference of the drum.",
"The rubber is nearly two-thirds of an inch think, roughly twice the thickness of the worn layer they grinded off.",
"After clamping it down flat, the worker applies an adhesive designed for rubber.",
"Then he sprays an accelerant onto the drum's primed surface to strengthen its bond with the rubber.",
"He lets the accelerant dry for 6 hours, then spreads a second coat of adhesive on the rubber and wraps it around the drum.",
"Twenty-four hours later, with the adhesive cured, another worker mounts the drum on a lathe and trims off the excess rubber from both sides.",
"He then sands the trimmed edges to make them perfectly flush with the sides of the drum.",
"The drum goes back on the grinder now to finalize the overall diameter of the drum.",
"Using a ruler, a worker adjusts a measuring instrument, called a caliper, to the diameter measurement.",
"He then grinds down the rubber a bit at a time, spot-checking with the caliper regularly.",
"The worker stops grinding once the caliper check tells them the drum diameter is correct.",
"If a sanding drum isn't perfectly balanced, it vibrates and disfigures the floor, so a worker mounts the drum on a balancing machine.",
"He applies a band of masking tape and draws a black line on the tape to give the machine a reference point from which to start measuring.",
"As the machine rotates the drum, a sensor measures velocity on both sides simultaneously.",
"If the velocity is inconsistent on either side, he balances the drum by adding or reducing weight on the problem side.",
"To reduce weight, a worker drills a hole to remove aluminum.",
"To add weight, he fills the drilled hole with tin, a metal that's far heavier than the aluminum he removed.",
"The final step is to repaint the sides.",
"A worker masks the rubber with a template then sprays the aluminum with rust-inhibiting metal paint.",
"Now this main component of a floor sander is as good as new, ready to bring a worn wood floor back to life.",
"Lithography was discovered when german playwright alois senefelder had no paper handy for writing a laundry list.",
"So he wrote it down on a stone using a grease pencil and stumbled onto a new method of printing, one that relies on the chemical aversion of grease and water.",
"Lithographs can rival paintings for detail and mood.",
"They have a unique visual quality, and that's why making them hasn't become a lost art.",
"A lithograph starts with a flat limestone slab.",
"The artist confirms the same thickness all the way around the slab.",
"She now resurfaces the stone using a grinding tool called a levigator.",
"She wets down the surface of the stone and the levigator to allow the levigator to move freely across the stone during grinding.",
"The artist sprinkles silicon carbide grit on the stone.",
"She spins the levigator across the stone and, together with the grit, it grinds off the top layer.",
"This process removes the previous drawing and preps the stone for the next one.",
"She finishes the grinding with a finer abrasive to give the limestone a smooth finish.",
"Once the residue has been rinsed off, the stone is ready for a fresh image.",
"She brushes a natural gum, called gum arabic, around the edges, creating a border that will be receptive to water but not the printing ink.",
"This process makes a non-image area.",
"The artist marks up a piece of paper with a crayon made of wax, charcoal, and clay.",
"She places the paper on the stone, crayon-side down, and sets a drawing upside down on top.",
"She tapes the drawing to the stone.",
"She now follows the lines of the figure on the paper with a pencil, pressing firmly.",
"This transfers the drawing to the stone and creates a reversed image on it.",
"The artist simulates specks of snow, with a technique called stippling, with gum arabic and a brush.",
"She fills in the drawing using a greasy crayon.",
"The stone picks up and holds the greasy substance.",
"These crayons come in varying degrees of hardness.",
"Once the artwork is complete, she dusts the image with rosin which is a tree sap powder, followed by a talc powder.",
"This will ultimately protect the image during etching.",
"The artist then brushes gum arabic onto the art to protect the stone from the corrosive nature of the etching material, a mix of nitric acid and gum arabic.",
"This mixture alters the surface of the stone so that the image areas will attract ink, and the non-image areas will repel it.",
"She places a sheet of paper on the print stone and applies lubricant to the bottom of the scraper bar on the press.",
"She spreads more lubricant onto a tympan, a thin sheet of durable plastic, that she's placed on the paper-covered print stone.",
"This allows the stone to slide under the pressure of the press.",
"The artist moves the sliding press bed forward so that the lithography stone sits directly under the scraper bar.",
"She turns the mechanism to tighten the bar to the stone.",
"She moves the press bed forward to test the pressure of the scraper bar.",
"She confirms that the pressure is sufficient for printing but not too tight.",
"Satisfied, she removes the tympan.",
"She washes the crayon from the stone using highly refined mineral spirits.",
"What remains is a ghost of the image.",
"The artist then rubs a petroleum-based substance onto the stone that will serve as a base for the ink.",
"The substance attaches to the image on the stone.",
"Using a big leather roller, she picks up oil-based ink.",
"An assistant dampens the stone with a wet sponge.",
"The artist transfers the ink to the damp stone.",
"The greasy parts of the stone pick up the ink while the wet parts don't.",
"The assistant moistens the stone again.",
"The artist places a sheet of print paper cut to size over the image.",
"She covers the stone with clear plastic tympan.",
"The press bed rolls forward until the stone sits directly under the scraper bar.",
"The preset bar applies the exact pressure needed to print the image onto the paper.",
"The artist carefully lifts the paper, revealing a perfect mirror image of the art.",
"Using the same stone, she can make hundreds more, each one a work of art."
] |
{
"things": [
"Giant Valves",
"Sardines",
"Barographs",
"Disposable Diapers"
]
} | [
"Valves control the flow of liquids and gases through pipes and tubes.",
"They're so much part of our lives, we hardly think twice about them.",
"But a faulty valve in an airplane or chemical plant could be catastrophic.",
"Valves must be precision-made and trouble-free, whether it's small enough to fit inside the human body or as big as a car.",
"Many gate valves use handwheels to control the flow.",
"Turning this wheel opens or closes a gate or wedge inside the valve body.",
"This giant 11-ton gate valve works the same way.",
"It will receive an internal gate or wedge that starts and stops the flow of liquids or gases.",
"First, an automated horizontal boring mill prepares the valve body for assembly and for a controlling mechanism.",
"It takes a controlling mechanism or motor, not a handwheel, to open and close a wedge that weighs about 3,300 pounds.",
"An automated drill pilot drills the flange of the valve body.",
"This centers the holes used for the bolts that will connect the valve cover.",
"A technician double-checks to make sure the holes are in the right place.",
"Then an automated spade drill starts penetrating the flange.",
"Coolant prevents the steel from heating up and removes steel chips from inside the perfectly centered holes.",
"Meanwhile, the wedge is ready.",
"A propane torch preheats the wedge for the plasma-arc welding machine.",
"This machine hard-faces the sealing surface of the wedge, a process that ensures minimal wear.",
"Hard-facing creates three rows of weld beads, which will be machined smooth.",
"Before installing the wedge, a technician inserts a seat ring into the valve body.",
"A seat ring helps ensure precision fit with the wedge.",
"The ring fits into the grooved body cavity.",
"Then the technician sets another seat ring into place.",
"Before the wedge goes in, a semiautomatic welding machine welds the two seat rings into place using a rotating positioner.",
"Then a lapping machine inserted into the valve body polishes each seat ring to guarantee their finish is flat and smooth.",
"Next, a crane lowers the machined wedge into the body cavity.",
"Using a gauge, a technician verifies the gap.",
"He repeatedly checks to see what adjustments the wedge may need to ensure a tight shutoff.",
"Another technician installs a sealer gasket to prepare the valve body for the cover or bonnet.",
"Now he begins final assembly.",
"A fully adjusted wedge with the stem attached fits perfectly in between the two seat rings.",
"This stem will connect to the controlling mechanism that opens and closes the valve.",
"A crane lowers the bonnet with attached yoke assembly onto the body.",
"Its studs fit exactly into the holes that were drilled into the valve's flange at the start.",
"A technician readies all the bolts for machine tightening.",
"Then he greases the top part of the stem.",
"He lowers the controlling mechanism onto the stem, and he screws it into place until it's flush with the yoke, the top part of the bonnet.",
"A technician then bolts the controlling mechanism onto the yoke.",
"Finally, another technician spray-paints the fully assembled gate valve with a protective coat of corrosion-resistant paint.",
"Precision-made gate valves are expertly crafted.",
"They come in all shapes and sizes and are equipped with controlling mechanisms or handwheels.",
"From refineries and nuclear power plants to submarines and aircraft carriers, gate valves are helping our world run safely.",
"The health benefits of eating fish are always under study.",
"Today, it's said that most fish, like sardines, are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.",
"If you want to make healthy eating choices, you need to stay informed, so seeing how these little guys end up on your kitchen table is a good way to start.",
"Sardines from the pacific coastal waters off of costa rica are freshly packaged in a variety of tasty flavors.",
"It starts when sardines are put into a vat of icy water to keep them fresh.",
"The temperature of the fish must be kept below 41 degrees fahrenheit to avoid spoiling.",
"The fresh sardines then go through a machine that deposits the fish onto sorting lanes.",
"Each lane allows a certain sized fish to fall through the gap onto a chute below.",
"Sorted as small, medium, or large, the fish drop into the proper container.",
"Then workers load a specific size of sardine into a machine that removes the scales.",
"Removing the scales takes 3 to 11 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.",
"Once done, there is no mistaking a sardine with or without scales.",
"Workers then place descaled sardines onto trays that take them into a cutting machine.",
"They arrange the sardines on the trays in such a way that blades inside the machine will cut off the heads and tails.",
"A look inside the cutting machine shows how it removes the heads and tails and sends them on their separate ways.",
"It also cuts open and cleans out the bodies of the sardines and readies them for packaging.",
"The packing cans travel by conveyor to a work station, with their bottom side up and open.",
"They fill the cans manually to decrease the possibility of introducing foreign matter into them.",
"The worker draws on his experience to estimate the required weight, then stuffs and trims the fish to fill the cans one by one.",
"To be sure each can is exactly the right weight, he weighs and adjusts the amount in each tin.",
"In only a matter of minutes, he completes a set of cans.",
"Then another worker turns the set over and sends the open-bottom cans into an oven that cooks the sardines at about 212 degrees fahrenheit.",
"After cooking for about 25 minutes, a worker turns the set of cans over again and transfers them onto a conveyor system.",
"All the cooked sardines gradually funnel into a single file, and depending on the product, a filling machine treats them to oil or a specific flavor of tomato sauce.",
"The filling machine overfills the cans with sauce, but a flute hidden inside the machine removes just enough sauce to put the lids on properly.",
"The machine pressure-seals the lids onto the cans so that when they exit the machine, they're airtight.",
"The traveling cans then enter a machine that washes them in about 194-degree water and makes them spotless.",
"Pallets of cans then go into a chamber that sterilizes the product to keep it fresh.",
"Then the cans go into a labeling machine that applies a thin coating of glue and precut paper labels onto each one.",
"The finished product comes out of the machine with an attractive full-color label, ready to ship to the customer.",
"Sardines come in a variety of flavors with easy-to-open packages that maintain the freshness of the fish.",
"Ancient civilizations tried to forecast the weather by observing cloud patterns or even using astrology.",
"Today, we rely on instruments like the barometer or the barograph, which automatically records on paper the variations in atmospheric pressure.",
"High pressure indicates good weather.",
"Low pressure means bad weather is likely.",
"This barograph has three main parts-- the recording arm, the cells that react to atmospheric pressure, and a rotating drum.",
"To make the drum's lid, a die-press operator stamps out a 3½-inch disk from a long strip of brass.",
"He cleans off the grease from the die press and places the disk on another press to form an edge.",
"To make the drum, he cuts a 4-inch-long cylinder from a brass tube.",
"Next, he places the drum on an arm that rotates at high speed.",
"He etches fine lines into the brass using steel wool.",
"Thanks to a handy rotating device, all the drums get an even coating of protective lacquer so the brass doesn't corrode.",
"The barograph's mechanism rests on a solid brass plate that's 8½ inches long by 5 inches wide.",
"A worker greases each one and then places them on a press that punches out the holes for the fastening screws.",
"Next, he places the plate in a metal holder and buffs it with a rotating polishing brush.",
"He applies wax to the brush to help achieve a perfect mirror finish.",
"Now workers use a fine grade of sandpaper to polish the solid brass arms that will hold the working parts in place.",
"Then they line them up on a board and buff them with a polishing brush.",
"How do they get those parts so shiny?",
"By washing off any machine grease before polishing them.",
"Putting the barograph together is precision work.",
"Laid out before the assembler are all the working parts she will need.",
"She begins with an arm, inserts a brass screw, then sets in a second arm and attaches them to the baseplate.",
"These hollow metal cells are the key to the mechanism.",
"Air pressure makes them expand and contract.",
"The barograph records this movement to measure high and low pressure systems.",
"The cell stack is put in place on the baseplate.",
"Then they add the lever system that connects the recording arm to the paper.",
"This lever system connects to the arm, raising and lowering it so the felt pen at the tip can record changing air-pressure levels on the drum's rotating chart.",
"The assembler inserts tiny pins to hold it together.",
"Inside the drum's base is a battery-driven quartz clock, which maintains a steady rate of rotation.",
"Now she wraps the chart around the drum and attaches a brass clip to hold it in place.",
"The drum rotates once over a seven-day period, so slowly that the movement is invisible to the naked eye.",
"There's a gear system inside the drum, which rotates it once it's set on the axle.",
"A brass screw holds it in place.",
"Now the worker puts the mechanism on a mahogany base.",
"She screws it into place, then covers it with a glass and mahogany housing.",
"Brass hinges and a closing mechanism hold the housing firmly in place and provides easy access.",
"A quality controller places the barograph into a pressure-sealed chamber to check its accuracy.",
"He compares the barograph's recordings to gauges outside the chamber that measure the changes in air pressure that he applies inside the chamber.",
"This weekly chart shows hour-by-hour recordings of air-pressure variations measured in hectopascals, a unit of atmospheric pressure.",
"Barographs are available in a variety of designs, from modern to traditional brass and mahogany models that any sailor would be proud to own.",
"Parenthood has many joys, but a dirty diaper isn't one of them.",
"And that's why we have disposable diapers.",
"They were first introduced in the 1940s for travel use.",
"It took several years for the idea to catch on.",
"But when it did, diaper duty was never the same.",
"Many would say disposable diapers represent a change for the better, helping parents make the best of a messy business.",
"They start with superabsorbent polymer particles, which drop into a forming chamber.",
"Pulp unwinds into the same chamber.",
"A spray of water helps suppress any static electricity that could interfere with processing.",
"Inside, the pulp mixes with the polymer particles.",
"The result is this fluffy absorbent material that will be the diaper core.",
"This rotating drum has a vacuum that shapes the fluffy material into padding.",
"Another vacuum drum then merges the padding to a moving web of fabric.",
"Guides fold the fabric around the padding, and a hot adhesive seals it.",
"At this debulking station, rollers compress the padding, making the diaper core slim enough to comfortably fit a baby.",
"A cylindrical cutter slices the diaper core to size.",
"At another station, plastic film winds around guides and merges with another stream of fabric.",
"Machinery glues the layers together to form the diaper's back side.",
"Next, equipment pulls elastic bands into other layers of fabric to make leg cuffs and outer gathers on the top portion of the diaper.",
"The elastic will ensure the diaper fits snuggly, preventing leaks.",
"Each diaper will be equipped with a set of these front tabs punched out by this rotating die.",
"This cylinder applies stretch side panels to the top part of the diaper, which has the leg cuffs and gathers.",
"The absorbent core now meets up with the back side of the diaper.",
"And then the other layers come together and adhere.",
"A computerized system monitors the assembly.",
"Incredibly, it takes less than a quarter of a second for all the layers of the disposable diaper to be assembled.",
"The diapers now travel past guides that fold down the tabs and side panels.",
"The diapers are then cut into individual units.",
"Again, belted rollers compress the completed diapers.",
"Paddles then fold them in half.",
"Conveyor belts relay the folded diapers to a carousel.",
"Finger paddles separate them and position them for packaging.",
"Sensors count the diapers as they move toward compression arms that squeeze the required number together.",
"A pusher swoops in to slide the diapers into a bag.",
"Vacuum arms open the bags right on cue.",
"Hot bars seal the package full of diapers.",
"It then moves down the line to be packed into boxes for shipping.",
"Each disposable diaper has a phenomenal capacity to absorb liquid, and the key is those polymer particles.",
"They act as tiny gel sponges, expanding to hold many times their weight in fluid.",
"Cut open a wet diaper, and you'll discover the liquid has turned the solid particles into gel.",
"The proof is in the weighing.",
"For example, this dry diaper comes in at about an ounce and a half.",
"When wet, it weighs over 18 ounces.",
"And that's the bottom line."
] |
{
"things": [
"Sawhorses & Toolboxes",
"Sorbet Pops",
"School Buses"
]
} | [
"When it comes to construction, renovation, or simply repairs, whether you're a seasoned pro or a do-it-yourselfer, having the right tools makes the job easier.",
"Sawhorses support the piece of wood you're cutting, and a toolbox keeps your implements organized and portable.",
"Sawhorses are always sold in pairs because you need two under a piece of wood to stabilize it for cutting.",
"By pulling the hinged tray upward, the sawhorse collapses flat for transport and storage.",
"This model is made from pellets of an exceptionally strong type of polypropylene plastic.",
"A vacuum system draws the pellets into an injection-molding machine.",
"The machine melts them then shoots the liquid into a mold.",
"It takes about a minute for the liquid to solidify, at which point the mold automatically opens, and an articulated robotic arm removes the parts-- for each sawhorse, two halves, the legs, and two panels which form the collapsible hinged tray that holds those legs open.",
"The robot drops those parts at the first assembly station, where a worker joins each panel to a sawhorse half and applies non-slip footpads.",
"These pads help keep the sawhorse stable and protect the floor from scratches.",
"The worker lays out the parts for both sides of the sawhorse in a positioning fixture then activates the press a couple of times to snap the parts together.",
"At the next station, a worker inserts ribbed rubber pads into molded holes on top of each sawhorse half.",
"These anti-slip pads help hold large pieces of wood steady on the sawhorse.",
"Next, he lays both sawhorse halves on the work table and with a tool called a stamping arm, snaps the two panels together.",
"This forms a strong hinge, which opens and collapses the tray.",
"The sawhorse is now finished and heads to the packaging station.",
"There, a worker stacks two sawhorses, then, with a foot pedal, activates a machine which binds them with a plastic strap.",
"Then she tapes on a wrap-around label.",
"Have tools, will travel.",
"This two-piece toolbox consists of a large storage tub on the bottom and a spacious toolbox on top.",
"Like a rolling suitcase, it has two large polypropylene wheels with molded-on rubber treads and a collapsible pull handle.",
"A toolbox doesn't have to withstand pressure bearing down on it, so it's made of standard, rather than high-strength, polypropylene.",
"The injection-molding process is the same.",
"The storage tub, the toolbox bottom, and the toolbox lid are each molded separately.",
"In the assembly area, workers apply an adhesive label on the front of the toolbox then install the latches for locking the lid.",
"The latches slide into molded slots.",
"After inserting a removable tray, workers install the lid with a few strikes of a non-marring urethane hammer.",
"Both lid and latches snap in easily because the polypropylene is still hot and flexible.",
"Once it cools and becomes rigid, the lid and latches can't dislodge.",
"To assemble each wheel, workers position a star nut and steel axle into the wheel, then, with an assembly ram, press the axle into the star nut to lock the parts together.",
"They snap a wheel onto each side of the tub portion of the toolbox, then, with a press, force the wheels into their final locked position.",
"Once the toolbox and tub portions are each separately assembled, workers hang a parts tray on the rim of the tub then sit the toolbox on the tray and lock it in place with two large side hinges.",
"And that completes construction of this workshop on wheels.",
"Traditionally, sorbets have been dished up between courses to refresh the palate, but served in a squeezed-up pop, a sorbet becomes a snack you can grab anytime-- no need for scoops, spoons, or dishes.",
"Just squeeze the sorbet out of the paper sleeve.",
"Now that's refreshing.",
"A long favorite of foodies, fruit sorbet has gone mainstream with these squeeze-up pops.",
"More fun than a few scoops in a dish, sorbet pops are also lower in calories than a lot of other snacks.",
"They start with freeze-dried rice syrup.",
"They pour it into a mixing vat that's a mega version of a home blender.",
"They add strawberry puree.",
"This is the main ingredient of the sorbet pops.",
"The berries were pulped within 12 hours of harvest.",
"The next ingredient is cane sugar.",
"It's followed by strawberry essence-- compounds extracted from the berries for more intense flavor.",
"They turn on the tap for the final ingredient-- water.",
"It's time to close the lid and power up this industrial blender.",
"The mixer has four blades that turn at a high velocity.",
"They whip up the sorbet ingredients to the consistency of a fruit smoothie.",
"The sorbet mixture then flows into refrigerated pipes that chill the mixture to 40 degrees fahrenheit.",
"The pipes wind around the factory and finally deliver it to holding tanks.",
"Inside, an agitator swirls the chilled mixture to maintain the smoothie-like consistency.",
"Once a tank is full, a technician tests the acidity and the level of suspended sugars in the mixture.",
"If the levels are right, they transfer the mixture into a continuous freezer.",
"It pumps air into the sorbet mix, and it churns and scraps it against the freezing-cold walls of the machine.",
"Cool water runs through the motor to keep it from overheating as it freezes the sorbet.",
"This is only a partial freezing to keep the sorbet soft enough to be pumped into the paper squeeze tubes.",
"A device with little robotic fingers pries the papers tubes from a stack and deposits them in slots in a moving tray.",
"The tubes are in position to receive the partially frozen sorbet, and because the sorbet is only partially frozen, it is able to now flow through conduits.",
"Frozen solid, it couldn't make the journey to the squeeze tubes.",
"As the sorbet is pumped into the paper sleeves, its temperature is critical.",
"It is precisely 37.8 degrees fahrenheit.",
"One degree cooler and it would be too thick to pump.",
"A degree warmer, and ice crystals would form during the final freezing.",
"The next machine collects foil lids from a pack, using rubber heads with tiny magnets in the center.",
"It deposits the lids onto the sorbet-filled tubes.",
"The foil lids stick to the glue-coated rims.",
"This line fills 280 paper sleeves with fruit sorbet per minute.",
"That's just under 17,000 per hour.",
"An iron applies heat to the lids to further melt the glue and provide a water-tight seal.",
"It happens fast so the sorbet doesn't have time to start melting.",
"Sealed and partially frozen, the sorbet pops cascade into crates.",
"Each one holds about 100 pops, so they don't need to keep count.",
"And then it's into the blast freezer, also know as the shock freezer.",
"Fans circulate the cold air to rapidly lower the temperature of the sorbet pops, bringing it down to -24 degrees fahrenheit.",
"This fast freezing prevents the formation of large ice crystals that would damage the consistency and flavor of the sorbet pops.",
"Out of the freezer, a mechanized arm grabs and opens cardboard boxes.",
"A pusher shoves the sorbet pops into the boxes.",
"And they're ready to grab and squeeze.",
"The big yellow school bus puts millions of children on the road to an education.",
"It all started in the 19th century with horse-drawn trucks known as kid hacks.",
"The word \"hack\" was short for hackney carriage.",
"In the 20th century, they were motorized and became known as school buses.",
"Every school day, children across north america wait for the school bus.",
"Appearance-wise, it's hard to miss.",
"Big and yellow, it is deliberately conspicuous, designed to stand out in traffic so other drivers slow down and take notice.",
"Manufacturing starts with a support structure-- the steel underframe.",
"They arrange several short rails down the top of two long frame rails.",
"These cross rails will link the long rails and provide strategic support.",
"Using the lift, they raise the long rails, and the cross rails slide into position just under the rims of the long ones.",
"Now, in a fixture that pins the rails together, workers bolt them together.",
"With the school-bus underframe assembled, they roll in two enormous wheel axles complete with brakes.",
"Overhead cables lift the bus frame and workers guide it into place on the axles.",
"They attach the axles to the frame with metal brackets, shackles, and spacers where needed.",
"The chassis is ready for the engine.",
"They lower it onto the front of the frame and secure it with bolts.",
"The school-bus engine packs a lot of power.",
"It's diesel-fueled with six cylinders.",
"Next up is the front cal assembly, which includes the instrument panel and steering column.",
"A workers wires the steering wheel to the controls in the column and slides it into place.",
"They mount the tires and rims-- four on the back axle to handle the heavier passenger load and two on the front.",
"Using a multi-pronged tool, the worker tightens numerous nuts to fasten the wheels to the axles.",
"They now encase the engine with a fiberglass hood.",
"The hood has been pre-painted and equipped with cross-view mirrors and headlights.",
"They bolt it to the vehicle frame, and after adding antifreeze and coolant, the bus is technically drivable.",
"They roll it over to a test station to check the brakes.",
"The wheels turn on rollers so the bus runs in one spot.",
"A computer monitors the performance of both the front and back brakes as a driver applies them.",
"They now move on to build the school-bus body.",
"The body starts with the floor.",
"They unwind double-sided galvanized steel into a machine that slices it into panels.",
"It also cuts holes to be used for assembly.",
"A forming machine folds the sides to create support beams.",
"Two more steel beams will really stiffen the floor panel.",
"A worker positions those beams on the panel, and an automated machine welds them to it.",
"It feeds the floor panel to the welder incrementally so it can spot weld down the length of the beams.",
"It takes dozens of welds to solidly secure the steel supports.",
"And with those reinforcements, the floor panel is complete.",
"It's ready for assembly.",
"Workers arrange several panels upside down in a precise configuration.",
"Then it's into a second automated welder that joins them to make one school-bus floor.",
"After manually welding pockets for wheels, a machine called the floor flip picks up the bus floor and turns it rightside up.",
"They're now ready to build the passenger compartment, so stay tuned.",
"A school bus transports precious cargo-- children.",
"To hold the average bus together, they use an incredible 6,100 rivets, bolts, and screws and make a total of 840 welds.",
"For the maker of school buses, there's strength in those numbers.",
"To build the frame for the school-bus walls and ceiling, they bend steel beams into bow shapes.",
"A hydraulic machine with pushers does the job in seconds, achieving an exact radius.",
"The bows will serve as ribs for the school-bus body.",
"They make several bows for each bus.",
"The precise number depends on the bus size and capacity.",
"Workers plug the ends of the bows into holes in steel rails and secure them with bolts.",
"They weld lateral supports higher up, and the cage-like skeleton of the school bus takes shape.",
"They're now ready to build on this framework.",
"They attach the metal windshield surround.",
"The team then moves the steel side sheets and skirting into place.",
"They secure these panels with super-strong adhesive and numerous rivets.",
"Using cables and nylon straps, they pull steel sheets to the roof structure to make them conform to the contours.",
"The steel is 20-gage-- a grade that's flexible enough to be easily bent.",
"The cables hold the steel panels tightly to the roof structure while the workers rivet them to it.",
"The number of rivets and the strength of the joints are among many government safety standards the school bus must meet.",
"Working from the inside, they glue fiberglass insulation into the pockets of the cage to keep the bus warm in winter and cool in summer.",
"The insulation will also muffle road noise and absorb some of the student chatter for a quieter ride.",
"The team installs steel panels on the ceiling.",
"These panels have tiny perforations to allow sound to escape into the insulation.",
"They tape up the windows and doors and sand some areas as they now prepare to paint the exterior of the bus.",
"The paint, national bus yellow, takes the metal from dull to bold.",
"This shade was developed specifically for school buses and can be noticed even with peripheral vision.",
"With the paint now dry, they open the doors and lay a plywood subfloor inside.",
"It too will absorb noise.",
"An employee drives the chassis over to the school-bus-body production line, and parks it.",
"Using cables, they lift the bus body over to the chassis.",
"At over three and a half tons, it's hefty.",
"They gently lower it onto the frame rails and mate the front to the hood.",
"They tie the body to the frame with heavy-duty clips.",
"They arrange the seating to surround the passengers with cushioning.",
"This creates compartments around the occupants to protect them in a collision.",
"Outside, a worker applies school-bus lettering.",
"Another worker presses an adhesive-backed manufacturer's emblem to the hood.",
"They equip the bus with the flashing lights and stop signs to get the attention of other drivers when children are loading and unloading.",
"They also install a crossing gate to keep children within the bus driver's sight line.",
"They test all of the warning lights and safety devices.",
"And satisfied that everything is operational, the bus rolls off the production line.",
"It's taken a day and a half to build it, and when it comes to an education, it's ready to deliver."
] |
{
"things": [
"Compact Discs",
"Mozzarella Cheese",
"Pantyhose",
"Fluorescent Tubes"
]
} | [
"Today on \"how it's made\"...",
"Compact discs...",
"Mozzarella cheese...",
"Pantyhose...",
"And fluorescent tubes.",
"Today there's virtually no limit to the information we can store on compact discs.",
"Millions of bits of data representing words, numbers, music, graphics, or even video can be stored on the discs.",
"Let's take a \"spin\" through a cd factory.",
"Compact discs are copies made from an original glass master disc.",
"A thin plate of glass is first placed in this unit, which brushes the surface clean.",
"Cleaning is done with de-ionized water and a small goat-hair brush.",
"The excess water is eliminated by the rapid rotation of the disc.",
"The disc then goes into this surface analyzer, where a laser beam inspects the cleanliness of the surface.",
"At this stage, two chemicals are applied-- a primer and a photoresistant coating.",
"This operation is done at a temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit and lasts three minutes.",
"The disc is carefully retrieved from the apparatus.",
"Then the photoresistant coating dries in an oven for 30 minutes.",
"This developer has two spouts.",
"One applies a de-ionized water, and the other sprays a solution to develop the data etched on the glass.",
"The information is now engraved on the disc.",
"Then the disc is placed in this metal-coating equipment.",
"The next step consists of applying a thin coating of nickel and vanadium.",
"This electroforming process results in the master from which discs will be made.",
"The etched glass is immersed in a chemical solution for 70 minutes.",
"Then the plated piece is removed, thus obtaining a die.",
"The die is sent off for finishing.",
"It is stamped out into the desired shape.",
"The excess material is recycled.",
"Next, the compact discs will be fabricated from this master unit.",
"Here we clearly see the stamping-out technique.",
"The master is taken out.",
"A technician peels off the film which protected the data etched onto the die.",
"After a visual inspection, the die is sent to the pressing department.",
"The die is delicately installed in the mold, which will form compact discs.",
"Discs are made from a very special plastic called \"polycarbonate\".",
"The mold is closed, and liquid polycarbonate is injected into the die.",
"It comes out as a small, hard, translucent disc.",
"It is now ready to be metal-coated so it can be read by a compact-disc reader.",
"A robotic arm lifts the disc from the mold and places it on these supports.",
"This metallizing process is extremely short and very simple, taking but a second.",
"It consists of covering the plastic disc with a very thin coating of aluminum.",
"Here we see the inside of the mold, where the aluminum coating is applied.",
"In this facility, almost everything is automated, helping them produce over 100,000 compact discs per day.",
"Protecting the surface of the disc is essential, so a coat of varnish is applied.",
"This also helps silk screening stick to the surface.",
"Ultraviolet lamps quickly dry the varnish.",
"And here in the pressing room, they apply the label.",
"This step is also very fast since the machine prints 70 discs in 60 seconds.",
"Once the silk-screening is completed, the finished discs leave for packaging.",
"In a sandwich, as a topping, or all by itself, cheese has always been a popular food.",
"This dairy product goes back thousands of years, and it's always started with three basic ingredients-- milk, curds, and whey.",
"Just ask little miss muffet.",
"Like all cheeses, mozzarella starts from milk.",
"To assure good milk quality, the interior and exterior of milk-transport trucks must be washed after being emptied.",
"A tank such as this one can carry an average of 8,000 gallons of raw milk at temperatures between 37 and 39 degrees fahrenheit.",
"Raw milk destined for cheesemaking contains 3.8% fats and 3.3% proteins.",
"They store the milk and whey, a milk by-product, in these immense silos, each with a capacity of 59,000 gallons.",
"This milk separator extracts surplus cream to adjust the percentage of fat according to the type of cheese to be made.",
"Fabrication begins with this tank, which feeds the pasteurizer.",
"Pasteurization sterilizes beverages which can easily ferment.",
"Milk samples are drawn off to accurately determine their milk-fat and protein content.",
"Tests are carried out in this laboratory, where they impose controls.",
"These test tubes contain milk samples which will undergo microbiological analysis.",
"Milk quality must be impeccable.",
"This is a curdler with a capacity of 6,600 gallons.",
"Here milk and other essential ingredients are introduced, such as the enzyme, rennet, that curdles the milk.",
"This mix must be well-stirred and cooked.",
"The agitators are used to cut the whey into little lumps.",
"This step takes about 30 minutes.",
"The temperature of the tanks depends on the type of cheese they're making.",
"Agitators continue stirring the milk.",
"Once cooking is done, the whey is pumped onto tables to be drained.",
"It stays there for about 25 minutes.",
"The solid and the liquid are now well-separated.",
"The liquid we see draining is called the \"lactoserum\".",
"The lactoserum will be concentrated and transformed into milk by-products.",
"The water has been almost entirely extracted, and the cheese particles are now sufficiently dry.",
"This large automated blade then moves cheese particles towards the next step-- the molder.",
"In the molder, the cheese is cut up before being carried to the cooker-- the final processing step.",
"It appears that this mozzarella has just the right texture.",
"The cheese finally arrives at the molder, which will give it the proper shape.",
"Each mold has a 5 1/2-pound capacity and is rectangular.",
"Brine, a salt solution, cools and salts the cheese blocks.",
"The blocks are unmolded and fall into a brine tank.",
"The cheese blocks will remain in another brine solution for a while.",
"Then they're carried by a conveyor towards another tank, where they will be immersed for 4 to 10 hours at a temperature of 36 degrees fahrenheit.",
"Sprays of brine remove the foam which forms at the surface of the tank.",
"The 8,000 gallons of milk we saw coming in by truck at the beginning have enabled the factory to produce 1,400 blocks of cheese in 8 to 12 hours.",
"Finally, the cheese blocks are vacuum-packed and ready for shipment.",
"There was a time when women wore silk stockings.",
"Then came the invention of pantyhose, a cheaper, more convenient alternative.",
"Pantyhose are knitted from strands of raw nylon.",
"It's no \"stretch\" of the imagination to say that when they go on sale, there's usually a \"run\" on them.",
"Making a nylon stocking takes only a few minutes.",
"However, it's a complex operation that involves the knitting of five to eight threads as fine as a hair.",
"The threads, usually nylon and spandex, are used along with elastic.",
"Sometimes polyester or cotton are added.",
"The knitting machine goes into action.",
"This one fashions a tube for sheer stockings in 90 seconds.",
"In three minutes, it makes a tube for tights.",
"Its speed is adjusted according to the product being made, varying between 750 and 1,200 revolutions per minute.",
"Once the tube is knitted, it is sucked up and lands in a bag, where it will be inspected.",
"More than 500 machines share the work, each making a specific model.",
"The two ends must now be joined.",
"This automated machine assembles the two tubes together to form the pantyhose.",
"Then scissors cut the pantyhose, a necessary step in production of a pair.",
"This opening is enlarged to allow for sewing, which will join the two tubes at the top of the leg.",
"The label with the size or brand name is sewn in place in 10 seconds by this robotic machine.",
"At this pace, it sews on 4,800 labels in 8 hours.",
"Installing a gusset requires some preparation.",
"Scissors makes a hole at the joining point.",
"Then the stocking is turned inside out by suction so certain stitching can be done on the inside.",
"Thus, these stitches will be less visible.",
"Now the foot must be sewn.",
"This robotic machine places the foot in position.",
"Then a sewing machine makes stitches at the same time it cuts away excess material.",
"This step takes only 10 seconds.",
"Then the pantyhose is turned right side out, again using suction.",
"Everything is ready for installation of the gusset.",
"The pantyhose is placed in a tub and taken to this department.",
"The stocking is again suctioned and placed on a gusset machine by the operator.",
"This method assures that the gusset will be well-centered without a pleat.",
"Putting in the gusset is the final operation in the process.",
"A precut piece of cotton is slid into the space reserved for the gusset and automatically sewn in.",
"Only aesthetic touches remain, such as adding a little color to the pantyhose.",
"They're placed in this machine, which has a large drum with four compartments and a 99-pound capacity.",
"The pantyhose are washed in soapy water, then immersed in dye.",
"Temperature climbs gradually to 200 degrees fahrenheit.",
"After a 5-minute rinsing cycle, a softener is added.",
"This process takes 2 1/2 hours.",
"Once dried, they proceed to inspection.",
"The pantyhose is placed onto a form which stretches it to allow inspection for any imperfections.",
"If all is well, the pantyhose is transferred onto another metal form, where it will be pressed.",
"The pantyhose's position is guided by a magic eye.",
"The pantyhose is then carried toward a steam room, where it will stay for 2 1/2 seconds before being dried in 7 1/2 seconds at 280 degrees.",
"They fold and pack 420 pantyhose per hour and make 180,000 pairs per day.",
"Throughout the ages, artificial light has let people extend the convenience of daylight long after the sun goes down.",
"Fluorescent tubes are more energy-efficient than light bulbs.",
"That's probably why they've become a \"fixture,\" so to speak, in stores, factories, and offices.",
"Once, the only source of light was the flame of fire in the forms of torch, candle, and oil lamps.",
"It remained so right up until the 19th century, when gaslight made its first appearance around 1840.",
"Almost 40 years later, thomas edison invented his famous incandescent light bulb.",
"In 1909, the frenchman georges claude developed the fluorescent tube, a light that remains unaltered to this very day.",
"Did you know that mercury allows us to see in the dark?",
"The production of fluorescent lamps is highly complex.",
"The fabrication process starts with glass tubes that have been meticulously cleaned with warm water to remove dirt and impurities.",
"Then the tubes have to be specifically shaped with a folder-shaper.",
"They're heated for 30 seconds, then quickly curved using a template.",
"This automated machine can bend 14 tubes a minute.",
"The bent tubes go into the coating chamber, where a thin coat of phosphorus is applied to their inner surfaces.",
"Phosphorus produces light by transforming ultraviolet photons generated by the ionization of mercury.",
"The surplus phosphorus is removed from the ends of the tube to facilitate sealing.",
"They now move to the electrical components.",
"The cathode mount is made in this auto mount.",
"Here, they make the wire that will carry the current from the mount.",
"The wire carrying the current is shaped.",
"And here, the wire is heated.",
"This prepares it for the next step.",
"It's essential to prevent the cathode coating from spreading to the prongs.",
"The filaments are inserted into their mounts.",
"The emissive substance plays a crucial role.",
"When heated, it emits electrons, which participate in producing light.",
"The emissive substance is actually this liquid.",
"The wiring mount is transferred from the auto mount to the sealing machine.",
"At this stage, the wiring mount and the glass tube are joined.",
"Sealing is done at a very high temperature.",
"One important step remains.",
"This is where the glass tube is emptied of air and filled with gas.",
"This machine also decarbonizes the tube and introduces the drop of mercury essential for producing light.",
"Once the very tiny drop of mercury is injected into the tube, the fluorescent lamp is almost completed.",
"But one step remains.",
"This threader positions the wires for insertion of the tube cap, which establishes electrical contact.",
"The tube cap is placed into position in preparation for sealing.",
"The cap must be securely attached and installed in a watertight manner to eliminate any risk of leaking.",
"The capper permanently seals the cap onto the tube, and it's all finished.",
"Each lamp is tested on a large testing wheel to verify its quality and performance.",
"Once the meticulous inspection is over, the fluorescent lamps are carried to the packaging department.",
"A robotic machine handles the lamps and places them into the packages.",
"The glass tubes have now become fluorescent lamps."
] |
{
"things": [
"Air Boats",
"Onions",
"3D Metal Printing",
"Curved Cabinet Doors"
]
} | [
"An airboat is a flat-bottomed vessel with a huge propeller at the back.",
"All of the boat's mechanics are above the water line, and just a bit of the hull rests below.",
"This makes the airboat the preferred mode of transport through shallow water, particularly marshes and swamps.",
"to steer an airboat, large vertical rudders direct the propellers' airflow.",
"At full speed, an airboat can hit 62 miles per hour.",
"The boat's hull is made of aluminum that's about 2/10 of an inch thick.",
"Workers stiffen the hull's bottom plate with aluminum \"t\" bars positioned 7 inches apart.",
"After they clamp the \"t\" bars, a jig descends to hold everything steady as workers weld on the strips.",
"Next, they weld on aluminum sheets to form the sides of the hull.",
"At the front, they push the bottom up for welding, giving the boat a curved bow.",
"They complete the hull by welding on a sheet across the back to form the transom.",
"To that, they weld a splash plate that prevents water from coming over the edge into the back of the boat.",
"Next, they weld various parts to the front of the boat to reinforce it structurally and to create a covered storage area.",
"Once that's done, they screw a thick sheet of high-resistance polymer to the bottom of the hull.",
"Should the boat scrape against a rock, this layer will shield the hull from damage.",
"Once that's secured, they paint the inside of the boat with a blend of epoxy and paint.",
"This forms a layer of what they call \"webbing\".",
"On the outside of the boat, they apply a coat of primer followed by two coats of durable marine paint.",
"Meanwhile, others have constructed and painted the boat's above-water structure out of steel or aluminum tubes.",
"The rigging, as the structure's called, supports the mechanics, two fiberglass seats, and the instrument panel.",
"They mount a belt-driven reduction unit to the boat's gasoline engine.",
"This unit reduces the propeller speed in conjunction with a preassembled set of gears.",
"Without it, the propeller would turn at the same rate as the engine.",
"This would exceed the propeller's operating limits and destroy it.",
"The engine is now ready to take its place at the rear of the rigging.",
"Heavy-duty bolts secure it.",
"Under the engine goes a 50-gallon fuel tank-- at the very back, an aluminum radiator.",
"Then they bolt the rigging to the hull's \"t\" bars.",
"Next comes a floor panel and a 3-passenger bench seat with a storage compartment underneath.",
"The boat's exhaust system consists of stainless-steel pipe, which attaches with band clamps to a header coming off the engine.",
"The other end leads to a stainless-steel muffler.",
"From that, an exhaust pipe runs out the rear of the boat.",
"Next, they mount the propeller guard, a stainless-steel safety cage that surrounds the engine and propeller.",
"The three propeller blades are made of carbon fiber.",
"Aluminum rudders steer the boat by directing the propellers' airflow.",
"Cables or rods connect the rudders to a control stick.",
"Smaller airboats, like this one, are ideal for hunting and fishing.",
"There are also much larger pleasure models that can carry 18 or more passengers on excursions.",
"Historians believe consumption of this common vegetable dates back to prehistoric times, when it grew in the wild.",
"Man eventually learned to cultivate onions, and this strong-tasting plant bulb became a food staple of many ancient civilizations throughout the world.",
"In ancient egypt, the onion was an object of worship, the inner structure of concentric rings symbolizing the eternal circle of life.",
"Today mechanical harvesters pull the bulbs out of the ground and lay them out in rows.",
"After drying for a day or two, a tractor collects them into large baskets for storage.",
"To prevent spoilage, the onions are stored at between 34 and 36 degrees fahrenheit.",
"When they arrive from the field, their first stop is a cooling tunnel from which powerful fans remove the heat.",
"The vegetables take about five hours to cool down to the storage temperature.",
"The grower separates the onions according to variety and size, then either bags them for sale whole or sells them to a processing plant.",
"At the processing plant, workers load the onions on a conveyer that leads to the peeling and cutting stations.",
"A cutter chops off each bulb's top and tail simultaneously.",
"It also scores the skin to prep it for peeling.",
"The onions then move into a custom-designed peeling machine.",
"It uses a combination of air and water pressure to blow off the skin.",
"The onions then roll off the peeler and pass before quality-control workers who swiftly cut away bruises and any other imperfections as well as anything the cutter and peeler might have missed.",
"The next machine rinses the onions with cold, ozonated water that kills bacteria.",
"Then the onions pass through a metal detector, just as a precautionary measure.",
"At this point, there's a fork in the processing road.",
"One direction leads to slicing, the other to dicing.",
"On the slicing line, workers load the onions into tubes that feed slicing blades.",
"These blades are adjustable to output slices anywhere from 1 1/2 to 25 millimeters thick.",
"Workers gather up the complete slices and fill 5-pound plastic trays.",
"A conveyer moves the trays through a machine that seals them with plastic film.",
"The film has microperforations designed to allow in just the right amount of oxygen to keep the onions fresh.",
"On the dicing line, meanwhile, the onions collide head-on with a rotary blade that chops them to bits ranging from 3 to 25 millimeters in diameter.",
"The diced onions then go for a bath in cold water.",
"Chopping an onion releases juice from its tissue, paving the way for bacteria to grow.",
"This cold-water treatment reverses the damage, restoring shelf life.",
"Next, an escalator transports them from a spin dryer to the packaging department.",
"There an automatic scale portions out the specific weight they're packaging in this production run.",
"When the target weight is reached, a trapdoor swings open, dropping the portion into the waiting package.",
"Restaurants buy their diced onions in jumbo-sized bags.",
"The filling machine automatically forms plastic into a bag, adds a zipper closure, then seals the bag.",
"For grocery stores, the factory packages smaller quantities of both diced and sliced onions in plastic containers.",
"Kept in the fridge, they remain fresh for at least a couple of weeks.",
"For busy cooks, it's a convenient, no-tears time-saver.",
"Building complex shapes out of metal typically requires weeks of manufacturing, using tailor-made casts or precise machining techniques.",
"But 3-d metal printers are faster and cheaper.",
"They build objects from successive layers of metal powder, which are then fused together at high temperatures.",
"3-d metal printing makes it easy to manufacture complex metal shapes using a fully automated process.",
"Every item starts with a computer model of the object.",
"This is the build box in which the object will be created.",
"A technician plugs in electric heaters and pours superfine stainless-steel powder into the box.",
"The heat will keep the metal powder from clumping.",
"He pushes the box into the machine, then fills the feed box with more stainless-steel powder, which will be needed later in the process.",
"The machine spreads the first layer of stainless-steel powder in the build box.",
"Tubes carry a binding substance to the machine's printhead.",
"This binder acts like a weak glue and is injected in very narrow jets by the printhead.",
"As the printhead moves back and forth over the stainless-steel powder bed, it deposits binder at the exact locations specified by the computer.",
"As soon as the printhead has finished printing a full slice of the object, powerful overhead heaters ensure the layer is completely dry.",
"A roller applies a new layer of powder a fraction of a millimeter thick.",
"Then the printhead adds a new layer of binder.",
"This builds the object from the bottom up.",
"The printing process takes several hours.",
"Once the layering is done, they put the build box in a curing oven heated to 350 degrees fahrenheit for 24 hours.",
"This will evaporate all the moisture and harden the binder.",
"They vacuum out the loose powder, and the piece emerges, its stainless-steel particles lightly held together by the binder.",
"They gently blow air to dislodge any excess powder.",
"At this point, the object is very porous and contains about 40% air.",
"It is so fragile that it can easily be crushed with bare hands.",
"Using more stainless-steel powder, they prepare another box in which the piece will be infused with bronze.",
"They're making a support structure on which to rest the pieces during the next phase of the process.",
"They carefully fill the box with alumina oxide grit, which will support the pieces during the infusion process.",
"This dam prevents the grit from leaking out.",
"Now they pour in bronze powder.",
"The piece is then heated in a furnace at more than 2,000 degrees fahrenheit for 24 hours.",
"This melts the bronze, which then gets sucked up into the piece like water by a sponge.",
"Infused with bronze, the piece is now solid metal.",
"They knock off the base with a hammer.",
"It's taken just a few days to build this intricately designed piece of hardware.",
"It can now be polished, gold-plated, or painted to match any decor.",
"Whether they build sophisticated door handles or fancy sculptures, 3-d metal printers work faster than conventional methods at just a fraction of the cost.",
"To create classic, elegant style in a kitchen or bathroom, decorators typically use traditional materials such as wood and marble.",
"Curved cabinets can heighten that effect.",
"But their unique style comes at a higher price because, for the most part, these elegant doors must be custom-ordered and handmade.",
"Most cabinet doors produced by this factory are custom-made.",
"They typically start out as a sketch, which the factory transforms into a technical drawing.",
"They then use that drawing to program the automated woodworking machines.",
"After cutting all the pieces of wood they'll need, they run each one through a planer.",
"It simultaneously smoothes both the top and bottom surfaces.",
"A cabinet door consists of a center panel surrounded by a frame.",
"This machine, called a molder, carves the frame's two vertical pieces and cuts a groove on one edge into which the center panel will fit.",
"To construct that center panel, a worker feeds planks through a wood shaper that bevels their edges.",
"The angle of the bevel is such that when the pieces line up side by side, they'll form a curve.",
"After trimming the pieces to the length of the center panel, another worker runs them through a glue applicator, which coats the beveled edges in adhesive.",
"Then she lines up the pieces in an assembly fixture that's been adjusted to the center panel's width and radius.",
"Once everything's positioned, she applies clamps which force the pieces tightly together.",
"The glue sets in 20 minutes.",
"Once the glue cures to full strength, the piece goes onto a computer-guided router.",
"It rounds both sides of the panel for a smooth, seamless look.",
"This particular door has a concave curve.",
"Others can have a convex curve or a crossbow curve, which is \"s\"-shaped.",
"The same router now automatically switches to a different type of tool and profiles the panel's edges.",
"It also carves a tongue that fits into the groove in the frame pieces.",
"The same machine can then load another tool to engrave a custom motif or monogram if the customer desires.",
"Next, a computer-guided sander smoothes out the panel, preparing the wood for stain or paint later on.",
"Making the frame's horizontal pieces is more complex than making the vertical ones because the top and bottom have to curve just like the center panel.",
"Workers coat thin slices of wood with heat-activated glue, then stack them over a curved form in a press.",
"The press squeezes the slices tightly together.",
"Then a high-frequency electrical current generates intense heat, triggering the adhesive.",
"The bonded slices exit the press looking like a solid, curved piece of wood.",
"Once the glue has set, a computer-guided router carves it to the same decorative style as the vertical pieces.",
"It also miters the corners so the horizontal and vertical frame pieces will fit together seamlessly.",
"All that's left to do is glue the frame to the panel.",
"The tongue running along the panel's perimeter fits neatly into the groove of each frame piece.",
"Workers now clamp everything together and let the glue set for a half-hour.",
"Then the cabinet door goes off for painting or staining.",
"This factory produces curved cabinets in 10 different types of wood and dozens of colors and finishes, opening the door to endless design possibilities."
] |
{
"things": [
"Plastic Cups and Cutlery",
"Special Effects Makeup",
"Gold",
"Harps"
]
} | [
"Today on \"how it's made\"...",
"Plastic cups and cutlery...",
"Special-effects makeup...",
"Gold...",
"And harps.",
"The industry calls it single-usage plasticware, but that's just a fancy way to say throwaway plastic dishes.",
"Plastic plates, bowls, drinkware, and cutlery come in many styles and colors.",
"So for your next party, you can go disposable for everything from champagne flutes to parfait glasses.",
"Factories make cutlery by injecting plastic into molds.",
"They make cups, plates, and bowls using a different process called thermoforming.",
"Before the forming phase can begin, an automated system loads polystyrene pellets into a machine called an extruder, adding pigments for colored plastic.",
"The extruder heats the pellets until they melt.",
"Then it forces the molten plastic through a die to shape a hard-plastic sheet about 8/100ths of an inch thick.",
"They use molds to form this continuous sheet into plastic cups.",
"First, the sheet passes through an oven that's 10 feet long.",
"It heats the hard plastic until it becomes malleable.",
"Then it enters the thermoforming machine, which simultaneously pushes and vacuums the sheets into the mold cavities...",
"Forming row after row of cups.",
"The entire process takes just three seconds.",
"The cups then travel to the trimmer, which uses a die to cut them off the sheet.",
"The machine grinds up the leftover plastic and remelts it into new sheets, so there's no loss of material whatsoever.",
"The trimmer feeds the cups directly to a machine that stacks them...",
"Then feeds them to a conveyor belt in one long line.",
"The conveyor transports them to a machine called the lip roller.",
"It reheats the cups just enough to make the plastic flexible.",
"Then, as we see here in slow-motion, it folds the rim over, forming a rounded lip.",
"They also make cutlery from melted polystyrene pellets, as well as from polypropylene-- a lighter, more flexible, and less expensive type of plastic.",
"The cutlery molds consist of two halves.",
"You can see the difference in this fork mold.",
"In one half, the utensil cavities are right-side up-- the fork prongs indented.",
"In the other half, the cavities are upside down-- the fork prongs raised.",
"A plastic-injection machine melts the pellets and injects the molten plastic into the mold.",
"A built-in cooling system solidifies the form in about 10 seconds.",
"The extracted cutlery drops to a conveyor belt that leads directly to the automated-packaging equipment.",
"For certain customers such as fast-food restaurants, the factory packages utensils individually.",
"The automated wrapping machine cuts polyethylene film to size, heat-sealing the ends.",
"This factory also uses polypropylene pellets to make straws.",
"The black beads are pigments to color the plastic.",
"An extruder-- a different one this time-- melts the pellets, then forces the molten plastic through a circle-shaped die.",
"As the long, continuous straw exits the extruder, it cools and hardens in a tank of chilled water.",
"As it leaves the tank, a knife chops it into individual straws.",
"They fall onto a conveyor belt which transports them to the packaging line.",
"Just like the forks, these straws will also be individually wrapped-- but in paper, not plastic film.",
"The wrapper machine feeds them one-by-one into a paper sleeve.",
"Gears mesh the edges together, creating a crimped seal.",
"The dies on this machine turn ordinary straws into flexible ones by forming a corrugated section that lets you bend the top of the straw toward your mouth.",
"The machine compresses the corrugation to preserve the shape.",
"Back to the plastic cups now.",
"This factory can print customized designs in up to six colors applied simultaneously.",
"Ultraviolet lamps built right into the printing press dry the ink instantly.",
"Polystyrene is naturally transparent.",
"Combining two grades of polystyrene creates plasticware that's semiopaque and also highly flexible.",
"On \"how it's made,\" we usually stick to the show's title and show you how products are manufactured.",
"But this next segment is about special-effects makeup-- the kind that makeup artists use on theater and movie actors.",
"So in this case, we'll show you how it's made, but we'll also show you how it's applied.",
"Watch as this special-effects-makeup artist works his magic to transform this 28-year-old woman into a senior citizen.",
"After gelling her hair flat, he glued on a bald cap using a theatrical adhesive called spirit gum.",
"He protects her eyebrows and eyelashes with petroleum jelly, then covers her face in alginate, a material generally used to take dental impressions.",
"Then he applies wet plaster bandages.",
"After 25 minutes, the materials harden into a mask.",
"Now he lines it with plaster.",
"In a half-hour, the plaster hardens into a perfect replica of the woman's face.",
"Like putting non-stick spray on a baking pan, he coats the model in a release agent.",
"Then, using professional-grade plasticine, he begins to sculpt an elderly face.",
"He smoothes out the wrinkles with strong rubbing alcohol so they'll look realistic.",
"He uses a bumpy rubber pad to give the skin an aged orange-peel texture.",
"The finished sculpture sits in water for 2 to 3 hours.",
"This activates the release agent, detaching the plasticine from the plaster underneath.",
"The artist carefully cuts the sculpture into sections.",
"The number of pieces varies with the size and complexity of the mask.",
"Now he can start producing the mold he'll use to cast the elderly woman's face mask.",
"First, he takes a thin plaster impression of each piece.",
"Then he coats the impression in plaster to make the positive half of the mold.",
"Once it hardens, he applies the plasticine piece to space the depth of the mold cavity.",
"Then he coats that in plaster to create the negative half of the mold.",
"When it hardens, he applies release agent to both mold cavities, pours in hot gelatin, then closes the mold.",
"In a half-hour, the gelatin hardens into a flexible replica of that particular piece of the plasticine sculpture.",
"He implants synthetic hairs to create eyebrows.",
"Now, using surgical glue, he begins to apply the pieces, called prosthetics.",
"He starts with the largest facepiece first.",
"It includes the nose, cheeks, neck, and upper lip.",
"He cuts a hole in the chin area so that he can apply the chinpiece.",
"Now the lower lip.",
"He cuts off the excess, then glues the edges of the chinpiece to the large facepiece.",
"Now for the forehead-- again, he applies glue along the edges to connect it to the rest.",
"To age the eyes, he uses contact lenses.",
"They create a ring around the iris-- a typical feature of elderly eyes.",
"Using tweezers, he applies eye bags, again gluing the edges to the rest of the mask.",
"And finally, some wrinkly eyelids.",
"With the mask fully assembled, it's makeup time.",
"Using a toothbrush, the artist sprays it unevenly over the mask, then smudges it with his fingers.",
"This technique creates a realistic look because the human face-- aged skin especially-- has color variations.",
"Using a very thin brush, he accentuates some wrinkles by creating depth with a darker color.",
"Now some freckles and age spots...",
"And a gray wig.",
"And finally, just a bit of lip color because lips dull with age.",
"All this takes an experienced makeup artist about a month of work.",
"And such expertise doesn't come cheap.",
"A major transformation like this for stage or screen can cost up to $10,000.",
"Gold is the softest and most malleable metal.",
"It can be pressed extremely thin, crafted into various shapes, even drawn out to form a fine wire, and all without breaking.",
"Gold isn't affected by water or oxygen, as many metals are, so it doesn't rust or tarnish.",
"Most gold comes from lode deposits, also called vein deposits-- concentrations of gold and other metals in the cracks of rocks.",
"Lode deposits require hard-rock mining, using drilling and blasting to remove gold-bearing rock called ore.",
"Miners descend more than 1,600 feet underground.",
"There they drill holes for explosives using what's called a long hole air drill.",
"They drill in a specific pattern set out in a plan prepared by the mine's engineers.",
"The engineers know exactly where those veins of gold are thanks to the mining company's geologists, who've studied ore samples.",
"The company collects these samples by drilling deep into the rock at 50-foot intervals.",
"These diamond-drill cores, as they're called, are up to 330 feet long and measure 1.5 inches in diameter.",
"Gold in its natural state isn't pure.",
"It's usually intertwined with silver or other metals.",
"So the mined ore has to be processed afterward to isolate and extract the gold.",
"A ton of ore yields only about 2/10ths of an ounce of gold.",
"After blasting the rock apart with explosives, miners use what's called a muck machine to transfer the ore to cars headed to the main shaft and then aboveground to the mill.",
"There, a crusher reduces the large chunks into smaller rocks about the size of road gravel.",
"A mill then pulverizes them to the texture of beach sand.",
"The factory adds a water and cyanide solution, then another mill grinds it further into a mud-like pulp.",
"The pulp flows into large settling tanks.",
"The wet solids are heavier and sink to the bottom.",
"The water at the top drains to another area.",
"They transfer the wet solids to an agitation tank and blow in air.",
"The oxygen sets off a chemical reaction between the cyanide and the gold trapped in the ore, triggering the gold to dissolve and leach into the surrounding water.",
"Drum filters then separate the water from the solids.",
"This water now joins the water that was separated earlier.",
"They pour in zinc powder to solidify the dissolved gold and form pieces containing both zinc and gold.",
"To smelt it into bars, they first have to mix several chemicals-- manganese dioxide...",
"Fluoride...",
"Silica flour...",
"Borax...",
"And sodium nitrate.",
"This chemical mix, called flux, will separate the gold from the impurities.",
"They pour it into the smelter, whose temperature is a fiery 2,910 degrees fahrenheit.",
"They rotate the smelter so that the contents heat evenly over 2 1/2 hours.",
"The heavier gold eventually sinks to the bottom, while the impurities, called slag, float to the surface.",
"They pour out the slag, taking a sample to make sure it contains no gold.",
"If it does, it goes back in until it's gold-free.",
"By now, the gold has cooled slightly, so they reheat it to 2,910 degrees fahrenheit, then cast it into bar-shaped molds.",
"The gold takes about four minutes to solidify.",
"It's put in a basin of cold water, where it will cool completely after an hour.",
"They extract the gold bars from the molds and clean off any slag residue.",
"Gold bars are also called ingots.",
"At this stage, the gold is 80% pure.",
"The united states mint will refine it to 99.9%-- the international gold standard.",
"Harps come in many sizes.",
"The type that classical musicians play is known as the orchestral, or concert, harp.",
"It produces more tones than any other stringed instrument.",
"The player plucks the harp with the thumb and first three fingers of each hand, while at the same time operating foot pedals.",
"The harp is one of the oldest string instruments, originating in the middle east as early as 3000 b.c. harps begin appearing in europe in the 700s.",
"They initially had a curved pillar.",
"By about 1500, this evolved into a sturdier straight pillar that could support more tension.",
"As music became more sophisticated, they added a second row of strings as well as pitch-raising mechanisms, enabling the orchestral harp to produce more notes.",
"This harp is a cross between a classical harp and a celtic harp.",
"There's the pillar in the front, the sound box in the back, and the neck running across the top.",
"The sides of the sound box are called the ribs.",
"They're made from pieces of solid poplar, 3/10ths of an inch thick.",
"The instrument maker traces a rib-shaped template on the wood and then cuts out the shape using a band saw.",
"He clamps them onto his worktable and, with a plane, makes them symmetrical.",
"Now he draws three lines across each rib to mark where he'll cut slots.",
"You'll see what those slots are for later on.",
"Next he glues on a notched strip of wood called a lining to the curved side of the rib.",
"The lining enlarges the glueable surface, making it easier to assemble the side to the back of the sound box.",
"The notches enable the lining to bend to the curved shape.",
"Now he glues on the lining that will connect the straight side of the rib to the front of the sound box.",
"He shaves off some wood with a small plane, then rounds off a corner.",
"He planes the back lining as well, removing a corner to flatten it.",
"Trimming the linings reduces the final weight of the instrument.",
"Now he cuts off the ends of the linings on both sides to be able to slide into place the adjoining parts, the bottom plate, and the top plate.",
"They're made of russian plywood, which is a piece of plywood sandwiched between sheets of birchwood 1/10th of an inch thick.",
"He glues the top plate into place, then clamps it.",
"He does the same with the bottom plate.",
"He closes the back of the sound box with what's called the back plate.",
"It's also cut from russian plywood.",
"He glues it onto the lining, applying pressure with tight rubber strapping.",
"When the glue dries after about an hour and the strapping comes off, he marks the location of the sound holes, the holes from which sound exits the instrument.",
"He constructs the top plate on the front of the sound box from solid spruce.",
"He lays the pieces down from widest to narrowest, then glues on a reinforcement strip made of solid maple.",
"The strings pass through the strip and another on the inside.",
"They prevent the tension from rupturing the top plate.",
"He attaches a solid poplar frame to strengthen where the top plate and the ribs join.",
"After sanding with fine sandpaper, he coats the sound box in varnish.",
"Remember those slots in the ribs?",
"They now hold bracings to prevent the ribs from bowing under the tension of the strings.",
"Using a band saw, the instrument maker cuts the neck from a board of russian plywood about an inch thick.",
"He makes a slot for gluing the pillar, also made of russian plywood.",
"Once the varnish on the neck and pillar are dry, he hammers in pins for the strings.",
"This type of harp has 34 strings.",
"Brass bridge pins space them evenly apart.",
"Steel zither pins adjust the tension for tuning.",
"He uses a wooden guide to hammer the pins to a uniform depth.",
"The three finished pieces fit together with dowels and slots.",
"He secures the joints with glue and a long screw through the pillar.",
"Strength is critical.",
"This harp has to withstand 790 pounds of string tension.",
"Reaching through the sound holes, he threads the strings through the reinforcement strips to the pins outside.",
"These are nylon strings.",
"Harps can also have steel strings.",
"He winds them around the zither pins with a special key.",
"The last step is to tune the harp with the help of an electronic tuner."
] |
{
"things": [
"Horse"
]
} | [
"Today on \"how it's made\"...",
"Horse-drawn carriages...",
"Artificial eyes...",
"Dog and cat food...",
"And mirrors.",
"Nothing takes you back to the past quite like a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, a timeless vehicle in both appearance and construction.",
"Building one today still requires the expertise of several traditional craftspeople, from ironworkers to wheelwrights.",
"The carriage's turning mechanism is a fifth wheel that is positioned horizontally above the two front wheels.",
"Workers weld the fifth wheel to the carriage's steel frame then weld the boarding steps to the frame.",
"Until now the frame has been positioned upside down.",
"Now they turn it right side up to install the driver's seat.",
"First they measure carefully to ensure it's perfectly centered.",
"Then they weld it in place.",
"Once the frame is complete, it goes through an acid wash to remove any residue.",
"Then they buff the welded joints to smooth out their surface.",
"The carriage has drum brakes.",
"Workers install them onto the axle then assemble the steel springs that make up the suspension and bolt them onto the axle as well.",
"Next, they connect the brake line.",
"Then they install the whole assembly under the carriage's frame.",
"Like in the olden days, they make the wheels out of wood.",
"Metal isn't flexible enough to withstand bumps in the road.",
"They use ash because it's a very hard wood that doesn't rot easily.",
"Workers position 16 spokes around a steel hub.",
"They clamp the spokes in place, compressing them against the hub.",
"Then they secure them with nuts and bolts.",
"Next, they mark the spokes in two places.",
"The first line shows how long to cut each spoke, the second line how far to dowel the end.",
"To form the dowel, they first shape the end into a cone.",
"Then the cone into a dowel.",
"Those doweled spokes will fit into corresponding holes they now drill into two semicircular strips of wood.",
"The strips form what's called the fellow, the round part of the wheel.",
"Workers tighten the hub then press a steel band called a channel against the fellow.",
"They cut the channel to size.",
"Then weld the ends together.",
"Finally, they buff the joint smooth.",
"Next, they drill eight holes through the channel then, using a tapering tool, thread the holes to fit the bolts that bind the channel to the fellow.",
"Finally, they tighten the bolts with a special gun.",
"The tires are made of rubber.",
"They contain two steel wires to hold them in place over the wheel.",
"Workers grease the channel of the now-painted wheel so that the tire will slip on easily.",
"Then they mount the wheel on the automated tire-installation machine, which pulls on the wires, installing the tire tightly over the wheel.",
"They solder the wire ends together using bronze solder for a stronger joint.",
"Then-- here comes the high-tech part-- they bang the wheel on the ground four or five times until the distance between the tire ends closes, covering the soldered wires inside.",
"A tap of the hammer followed by a final bang ensures the tire joint is secure.",
"Now they can mount the wheels onto the axles and install the axles under the body of the carriage.",
"After testing the fifth wheel and the brakes...",
"It's time to apply the finishing artistic touches.",
"All they need now is a little horsepower.",
"The ancient romans and egyptians fashioned artificial eyes out of painted clay.",
"By the 1500s, europeans started making them out of enameled gold and soon out of glass, which remained the norm for hundreds of years.",
"Today most artificial eyes are made of acrylic.",
"If you've lost an eye in an accident or to a disease, a specialist known as an ocularist can fit you with an artificial eye.",
"You can get a ready-made model or a custom-made prosthesis, like the one for which this patient is being fitted.",
"No two people's eye sockets are the same, so the first step is to take an impression.",
"After inserting an impression tray, they inject a material called alginate, filling the entire socket cavity.",
"After 90 seconds, the alginate sets, and they can remove the hardened impression.",
"They place the impression in a mold.",
"And pour in a type of plaster.",
"When the plaster has hardened, they remove the impression tray and then the impression itself.",
"What's left in the mold is a plaster replica of the socket.",
"Now they put a wad of acrylic plastic dough into the mold...",
"Lock the mold into a press, and submerge it in a high-pressure curing unit for 25 minutes.",
"Then they cool the mold in cold water.",
"Here's the original impression compared to the acrylic model they've just cast.",
"This model is called the fitting shape because they use it to fit and mark the positioning of the fake iris.",
"They accentuate the markings, then attach a peg with a drop of wax.",
"The peg indicates the natural angle of the iris when the patient is looking forward.",
"Next, they add wax around the perimeter to enlarge the fitting shape.",
"This excess will give the ocularist some room to work with for the final sizing.",
"Now they take this marked and enlarged fitting shape and make a plaster mold.",
"They will later use that mold to cast the actual artificial eye.",
"But first they have to make the iris.",
"They take a curved, black acrylic disc and paint it as realistically as possible with high-quality artist oils.",
"The patient has to be present so they can match the real eye.",
"Next, they glue an acrylic cornea with an appropriate-sized pupil onto the painted iris.",
"At this point, the artificial iris is half an inch in diameter.",
"If the patient's real iris is smaller, they trim down the replica to match.",
"The iris then goes into the plaster mold covered with white acrylic dough.",
"After the same high-pressure curing process as before, out comes the artificial eye covered with excess white acrylic.",
"They trim off that excess and the peg using a grinding tool and a cutter.",
"This refines the shape and exposes the iris buried underneath.",
"They smooth the surface against a grinding stone and verify the measurements.",
"Then, using hard coloring pencils, they add finishing touches to the iris and draw blood vessels.",
"They label the eye with the patient's initials and then apply an acrylic coating to seal the pencil marks.",
"To create veins with some dimension, they use the same acrylic coating to stick on some delicate silk threads.",
"Once they're satisfied the artificial eye is a perfect match, they seal the artwork with another acrylic coating.",
"Once that cures, they polish the eye to a shine with a cotton wheel.",
"The shapes and colors of artificial eyes are endless because patients' eye sockets and irises vary greatly, as do their scleras, the white of the eye.",
"This artificial eye, or ocular prosthesis, is ready.",
"The final step is to ensure that the fit is perfect.",
"The patient's ocular muscles attach to the implant, enabling his artificial eye to move in unison with his real eye.",
"So much for feeding fido scraps from the table.",
"Today's pet food is the stuff of sophisticated nutritional science.",
"It's about protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals-- a well-balanced diet.",
"Want to bet some dogs and cats eat healthier than their owners?",
"The formulas for dog and cat food differ because dogs and cats have different nutritional requirements.",
"Cats, for instance, need more fat and protein in their diet than dogs do.",
"But the basic ingredients that factories grind up to make dog and cat food are similar.",
"First, corn kernels.",
"Then cereals, such as barley...",
"Wheat...",
"And rice.",
"Workers weigh the ingredients, grind them in a mill, then combine everything in a mixer until they have an even and well-blended powder.",
"A machine called the extruder transforms that powder into bite-sized pieces of pet food.",
"It steam-coats the mixture, then forces it through dies at high pressure.",
"The dies shape it, the way the tip of a pastry bag shapes icing into swirls or roses.",
"Check out this dog-bone die.",
"As the continuous stream of shaped mixture exits the die, a spinning knife cuts it into pieces.",
"The company has different dies to produce different shapes.",
"This is a batch of round pieces.",
"Next stop, a hot-air dryer for 25 minutes.",
"It heats the pieces to 300 degrees fahrenheit to draw out the moisture, then cools them at room temperature.",
"Once the pieces exit the dryer, they enter a revolving drum, where they're sprayed with fat and flavoring.",
"The fat is designed to add food energy while the flavoring gives the bland pieces an appetizing odor and taste-- appetizing for pets, that is.",
"The rotation ensures the pieces get coated evenly.",
"From here, the pieces go into storage silos.",
"When they leave the silos for bagging, the machinery screens out any crumbs.",
"The pet-food industry has made some interesting observations about the likes and dislikes of its four-legged clientele.",
"Apparently, cats and dogs aren't crazy about food that's too dry, too hard to chew, or too mushy.",
"If the pieces are too small, they'll swallow them whole without chewing and not digest them properly.",
"But if the pieces are too big, they'll gag and get turned off to the food altogether.",
"In the packaging department, automated scales weigh the exact quantity per package.",
"This batch is destined for bags weighing about 6 1/2 pounds.",
"The package sizes range from just under one pound all the way up to 44 pounds.",
"Shelf life is from 12 to 16 months, depending on the formula.",
"Pet-food experts say dogs and cats prefer food with a fattier content and a combined meat-and-cereal formula over just cereal alone, but too much meat flavoring can turn them off.",
"Cats, as a rule, are more particular.",
"They favor more acidic food, while dogs tend to have a sweeter tooth.",
"And you thought kids were fussy eaters.",
"No bathroom is complete without one.",
"And any parent will tell you that no teenager can survive without one.",
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, how do they make you, after all?",
"Well, \"how it's made\" is about to show you.",
"But first, let's reflect on the history of mirrors.",
"The earliest mirrors were curved pieces of highly polished metal, such as brass or bronze.",
"They're even mentioned in the bible.",
"Then, in the 14th century, the venetians invented very crude glass mirrors that reflected off a metallic backing.",
"They later perfected this technique using an amalgam of tin and mercury.",
"Eventually, the secret of mirror-making spread to other cities.",
"By 1835, a german chemist developed the silver-backed mirror that we know today.",
"A mirror starts out as clear glass.",
"A robot lays each panel horizontally on a conveyor belt, which transports it to the washing station.",
"There, sprayers blast the glass with water and cerium oxide, a powder derived from a type of soil.",
"Rotating brushes scrub and polish both the top and bottom surfaces, removing oils and other contaminants.",
"This washing process takes about a minute per panel.",
"Next, sprayers rinse the glass with piping-hot demineralized water, demineralized because the minerals in plain tap water would damage the metals they apply next.",
"The first metal is liquefied tin, which goes on what will be the back of the mirror.",
"It allows the second metal, silver, to adhere because silver won't stick directly to glass.",
"The silver is also in liquid form mixed with a chemical activator.",
"Within seconds of interacting with the tin, it hardens.",
"And as it does, you begin to see a reflection.",
"It's this silver backing that transforms clear glass into a mirror.",
"Sprayers rinse off the excess silver, which gets recycled back into the system.",
"The factory will seal the silver backing with two coats of paint.",
"Paint by itself, however, isn't enough to protect the silver in the long term.",
"So they first spray on a layer of copper.",
"Sprayers rinse off the excess copper.",
"Then the panel passes through a dryer at almost 160 degrees fahrenheit.",
"This evaporates the moisture on the surface in just 75 seconds.",
"Now the panel passes, copper side up, through what is called the curtain coater, a machine that runs a continuous curtain of paint across the conveyor belt.",
"With its fresh coat of paint, the mirror then passes through an oven heated to 210 degrees fahrenheit.",
"After a minute and 45 seconds, the paint is cured.",
"Now the second coat of paint.",
"There's no reason for the different color other than to differentiate the coats.",
"This time, the curing period is twice as long and at a higher temperature, close to 245 degrees fahrenheit.",
"After an acid wash to remove any metal residues, they stand the panel upright to inspect it.",
"If they find a fault, such as a bubble in the glass, they cut that portion out.",
"The factory now cuts these large panels into whatever size and shape the customer has ordered using a special mirror-cutting machine that's precision-guided by computer software.",
"It scores the mirror using a carbide wheel.",
"Carbide is a strong metal.",
"To make round mirrors, the machine first scores the panel into squares.",
"Then, in each square, it scores a circle.",
"Using special tools, workers separate the squares, then the circles.",
"To make beveled mirrors, they use what's called the shape-bevel machine.",
"First, it carves out the edge.",
"Then polishes it to a shine using concentrated cerium oxide, a stronger version of what they used earlier to clean the glass surface before plating it with metals.",
"Mirror factories also ship whole panels to shops that do the cutting themselves, a fragile feat that's certainly not for the superstitious."
] |
{
"things": [
"Induction Cooktops",
"Truck Scales",
"Tetra Pak Containers",
"Harmonicas"
]
} | [
"Mankind has always cooked food, using everything from campfires and barbecues to gas and electric stove tops.",
"Now he can use an induction cooktop.",
"It doesn't need a fire, a flame, or a red-hot burner.",
"It uses innovative cooking technology our ancestors never dreamt possible and would swear was pure magic.",
"An induction cooktop doesn't use traditional cooking elements above or below the cooking surface.",
"It uses copper induction coils that generate high-frequency electromagnetic fields.",
"These fields excite the molecules in the pan, creating heat only in the cookware itself.",
"That's why the yolk remains cold and only what touches the pan cooks.",
"The magic starts with a punching press that stamps computer-generated shapes into sheets of cold-rolled steel.",
"These cutouts fix the position of the induction coils that sit under the glass surface.",
"A press break bends the four sides of the steel so it will hold a glass-ceramic top in place.",
"In the meantime, a machine spray-paints the burner box, the visible part of the cooktop.",
"A technician affixes the labels and the power cord onto a housing box that will conceal the induction electronics and coils.",
"She secures the power cord for strain relief.",
"She then attaches the power-cord ground and a system ground wire to the housing box.",
"She places a cover on the box and screws it into place.",
"Another technician puts together the induction electronics.",
"These assemblies of circuit boards, cooling fans, and semiconductors drive the cooktop.",
"She covers the electronics with insulation and a metal carrier plate that will support the induction coils.",
"Then she feeds the user-interface wires through the top of the coil-carrier plate.",
"The technician screws the carrier plate and the electronic assemblies together, then grounds the electronics.",
"Protective tape around the openings will prevent the user-interface wires from rubbing against the coil-carrier plate.",
"And some insulation will protect the electronic assemblies.",
"She closes that side of the electronic housing box and attaches all the power cables.",
"A sheet of insulation goes on the flip side of the box, where she mounts the electromagnetic-coil assemblies.",
"The iron slugs on the back of each coil pod help distribute the electromagnetic energy to the cookware evenly.",
"She connects the coil assembly to the system board.",
"Then she places the remaining four coil assemblies onto the carrier plate and connects their leads to the system board.",
"Meanwhile, another technician assembles the components of a glass touch-user-interface panel.",
"She connects the interface to the steel holder that was bent into shape at the start and is now attached to the black burner box.",
"She covers the cooking surface and control panel with an attractive stainless-steel frame, then connects the system board to the control panel.",
"She closes up the other side of the burner box.",
"Then she bolts everything down to complete the cooktop.",
"A technician tests the unit.",
"Using a metal object to activate the electromagnetic field, he verifies that the controls respond properly.",
"He makes sure all five induction coils are working and the power output from each coil is correct.",
"The control panel confirms it's a success.",
"Clean, safe, and energy-efficient, induction cooktops make cooking food quick and easy.",
"At a highway weigh station, inspectors weigh each transport truck on a road-level scale to calculate taxes on the goods it's hauling and to make sure the load doesn't exceed safety limits.",
"You also find truck scales at grain silos, quarries, and other sites that move bulk products.",
"The key to this enormous scale is the tiny component called a strain gauge, which sends signals to the scale's computer when compressed.",
"They make the strain gauge from a laminate by bonding paper-thin sheets of nickel-iron foil, epoxy, and teflon in a press.",
"Then they coat the laminate in a light-sensitive chemical and apply a plastic film with an image of strain gauges in negative format.",
"Then they expose the setup to ultraviolet light.",
"The light-sensitive chemical reacts, imprinting the images into the laminate's metal surface.",
"Now they have rows of strain gauges.",
"An inspector examines every gauge and marks any flaws to be discarded.",
"Now a technician measures how much voltage flows through each gauge.",
"If it's too low, she raises it by rubbing off a microscopic amount of surface metal.",
"When the strain gauges are finished, they cut them apart and send them to the load cell department.",
"There, workers delicately tape four strain gauges into each stainless-steel load cell.",
"Then they solder electrical wiring to each one.",
"The wires all run to a circuit board at one end of the load cell.",
"And from the load cell, wiring runs to the scale's computer readout.",
"The smallest amount of moisture or dirt would cause a strain gauge to malfunction, so they weld a cup over each one to hermetically seal it within the load cell.",
"Every finished load cell undergoes a quality-control check to verify that it works properly.",
"The testing machine applies weight in increments until it hits the maximum weight the cell can bear-- 34,000 kilograms, or 75,000 pounds.",
"The truck-scale structure in which they'll install the load cells is called the weighbridge.",
"They begin assembling it upside down, with a surface made of steel plates.",
"To build the base of the weighbridge, they lay out a grid of thick steel tubes and crossbeams.",
"Workers lower a guide to help them align the parts perfectly.",
"Beneath each load cell is a pin.",
"In order to weigh accurately, a load cell has to be level, so it's critical to make sure this pin is level before welding on the bulkhead that holds it.",
"Once fully welded, the weighbridge is assembled and ready for painting.",
"The paint equipment laces the powdered paint with a positive electrical charge and the weighbridge with a negative one.",
"This evenly draws the paint particles onto the steel like a magnet.",
"In another department, they assemble the steel stand on which the load cell will sit.",
"A welder tacks the pieces together, then a robot does the full welding.",
"Now that all parts are ready, final assembly of the truck scale can begin.",
"The weighbridge, right-side up now, contains eight load cells at different locations.",
"The first step is to install each load-cell stand into its respective position.",
"They insert a link on each side of the stand.",
"They position the load cell at the top of the links...",
"And the bulkhead pin at the bottom.",
"Then they close up the location with an access plate.",
"The last step is to calibrate the scale.",
"They lay a 10,000-pound weight on different parts of the scale to check if the digital readout is accurate.",
"It takes a lot of time to get a truck scale just right, but it's definitely worth the \"wait\".",
"[weight] tetra pak containers keep drinks and food products safe to consume for up to a year without refrigeration or the use of additional preservatives.",
"Made mostly from paper, they're recyclable into things like egg cartons, paper towels, and toilet paper.",
"A tetra pak container is packaging built with nature and freshness in mind.",
"Tetra pak containers hold all sorts of food products, from smoothies to fine wines.",
"The package gives products a long shelf life because of its special layers-- the plastic layer, the paperboard, and the foil.",
"A plastic coating makes the package leakproof.",
"Tetra pak containers are made entirely from recyclable materials.",
"The first step to making them is printing.",
"A worker selects the appropriate printing plates for a given customer and applies them to the cylinder of the printing press.",
"The press transfers one color at a time to the paperboard layer using solvent-free ink.",
"A tetra pak container can have up to six colors.",
"At full speed, it takes only minutes to print.",
"A strobe light visually stops the motion, helping the pressman check the quality of the printing.",
"A worker feeds the printed paperboard into a lamination machine that will join it with the plastic and foil layers.",
"At the same time, a worker loads a roll of micro-thin aluminum foil into the laminator.",
"A gas flame heat-treats the paperboard to ensure adhesion to the plastic layer.",
"The laminator extrudes liquefied plastic between the roll of aluminum and the heated paperboard.",
"Rollers squeeze all the layers together.",
"The printed paperboard, with all its protective layers applied, then comes off the back end of the laminator in a large master roll.",
"The operator threads it into a cutting machine called a slitter.",
"It cuts and winds the printed material onto individual rolls.",
"The slitter's knives cut the material into four lanes, each of which becomes a smaller roll.",
"The operator trims the excess material from each roll.",
"Then a conveyor system sends the rolls for shipping to a packer to be filled with their product.",
"At the packer's plant, an operator loads the roll of flat packages into a filling machine built and installed by tetra pak.",
"Tension rollers guide the material into the filling machine where it is sterilized.",
"The machine then forms and seals the material into one continuous tube.",
"And a little further down, the machine fills the tube with product.",
"It then cuts the tube into individually sealed packages...",
"And drops them into a chute for folding.",
"It ejects the finished packages onto a conveyor belt.",
"Finally, it sends the packages on their way to the customer.",
"Lightweight, compact, and recyclable, tetra pak containers are eco-friendly, and that's certainly something to celebrate over a glass of fine wine.",
"There are two main types of harmonicas.",
"A diatonic harmonica has 10 mouth holes.",
"It plays a 7-note major scale in a single key of music.",
"A chromatic harmonica has up to 16 holes, plus a special slide mechanism to produce extra notes so it can play in any key.",
"as air goes through a harmonica, so does saliva, which is why they make the inner structure from a type of wood that doesn't expand or smell with repeated exposure to moisture.",
"Making a standard chromatic harmonica begins with a block of pearwood measuring about 5 1/2 by 1 1/4 inches.",
"They run it against a cutter that carves a row of air chambers front and back.",
"This produces the component known as the comb.",
"A press stamps slots in a millimeter-thick brass plate that will hold the reeds.",
"The plate will eventually go on top of the comb, its slots aligning with the comb's air chambers.",
"Another machine cuts reeds from brass-based metal specially formulated by this company to produce quality sound and be corrosion-resistant.",
"Working one size at a time, they cut a batch of a few hundred reeds.",
"They test a reed from each batch with a tuning machine, plucking it to see if it produces the correct pitch.",
"The size and profile of a reed determines the note it produces.",
"The longer it is, the lower the note, and vice versa.",
"Now they rivet the reeds to the reed plate-- one reed for each note.",
"Consecutive reeds go on opposite sides of the plate.",
"With this configuration, blowing into the harmonica vibrates one reed, while drawing air out vibrates the other.",
"They flatten each rivet on one side of the plate.",
"This fastens the reed securely at the bottom, leaving the rest free to vibrate.",
"If necessary, they file the reed down so the slot doesn't obstruct its movement.",
"now a tuning specialist gets to work.",
"She plays each reed on the plate and compares the tone to a perfectly tuned set of reeds for reference.",
"If the pitch is off, she adjusts it with a bit of filing.",
"once the reed plate is in tune, it goes on top of the comb, the reeds and slots aligning with the comb's air chambers.",
"Workers attach the parts with steel nails that have a brass plating to prevent corrosion.",
"Now for the two-piece cover that encloses these internal components.",
"For standard models, the factory uses stainless steel, starting with a sheet that's less than a half a millimeter thick.",
"Fancier harmonicas have silver- or gold-plated covers.",
"The sheet goes through a press that has a series of dies.",
"They progressively stamp out the cover pieces, first embossing the artwork, then cutting the size, then forming the shape.",
"Workers sandwich the comb between the two cover pieces, then attach everything with either brass-plated nails or brass- or nickel-plated screws.",
"Chromatic harmonicas have a mouthpiece over the blowholes.",
"It's usually made of chrome-plated brass that they curve slightly in a press.",
"The mouthpiece shields the lips from a slide mechanism inside.",
"That mechanism has three parts-- a slide with a button positioned in between two plates.",
"They screw the mouthpiece onto the front of the harmonica.",
"When you press the mouthpiece button, it redirects the air, raising the notes half a tone.",
"No harmonica leaves the factory without a sound test.",
"Rather than blow into every instrument, the testing department uses a machine that blows air in and out.",
"last stop is the cleaning department.",
"There, workers inspect for scratches, then polish and package so that each and every harmonica will look as good as it sounds."
] |
{
"things": [
"Bronze Bells",
"Wooden Airplane Propellers",
"Charcoal Briquettes",
"Gas Log Fireplaces"
]
} | [
"Today on \"how it's made\"...",
"Bronze bells...",
"Wooden airplane propellers...",
"Charcoal briquettes...",
"And gas-log fireplaces.",
"Throughout history, bells have played both practical and ceremonial roles.",
"Village bells would ring to mark time and to warn of danger.",
"Church bells would toll to summon worshipers.",
"Bells are traditionally cast of bronze, a metal that's as durable as it is melodic.",
"when it comes to bell making, there'd be neither swing nor ring without a mold.",
"And only a quality mold makes a quality bell.",
"The mold is made using a pattern.",
"This particular bell will have decorative lines on the surface, which will require a separate mold made from this five-piece pattern.",
"After greasing the pattern's surface with a release agent, workers lower a wooden casing around it.",
"This casing will hold the mixture of fine silica sand and epoxy they'll use to make the mold.",
"Workers pack the material tightly between the pattern and casing.",
"The epoxy sets in 10 minutes, and now they have a sand mold in which to cast the bell's decorations.",
"They still need a mold to cast the bell itself.",
"They make it with this aluminum pattern.",
"After spraying it inside and out with a release agent, they lower the decoration mold they just made right over it...",
"Then on top of that, a steel casing to contain the sand mix.",
"Workers pack the sand mix and wait for it to set.",
"Then they flip the casing and add another section to hold even more sand mix.",
"But before the next load of sand, they insert what's called the gate.",
"This aluminum rod shapes the channel through which they'll pour the molten bronze into the mold cavity.",
"They fill up the mold with more sand.",
"Then they form a funnel around the central channel because it's virtually impossible to pour molten bronze directly into such a small hole.",
"They poke the sand mix to make sure it's set, then pull out the gate.",
"They separate the two casings, each of which contains a section of the mold.",
"Then the patterns come out, leaving behind the mold cavity.",
"Workers tidy up the mold walls and paint on a powdered graphite solution which will act as a barrier, preventing the hot metal from eroding the epoxy that holds the sand mold together.",
"Next, they spray on a second coat of wash.",
"The sand is so fine that without this step, the mold would reproduce the brush strokes onto the cast bell.",
"Now they measure the size of the pour hole and custom-make a ceramic filter to glue inside.",
"This filter will screen out the slag, oxidized particles that form when molten metal meets air.",
"Workers stack the two mold sections back together and clamp them tightly so that the bronze won't leak out during casting.",
"Melting enough bronze ingots for an average-size bell takes about two hours.",
"To get a smooth enough consistency, the furnace has to heat the metal to about 2,100 degrees.",
"For a quality casting, they must pour the bronze in one continuous flow-- no stops and starts.",
"The funneling basin they made in the sand prevents overflowing.",
"The bronze takes about a half-hour to solidify and up to 24 hours to cool.",
"Workers remove the sand mold with a jackhammer, being very careful not to hit the bell inside.",
"The extracted bell is covered in a residue of burnt epoxy, which they remove with a wire brush.",
"Then, with one well-aimed strike of a sledgehammer, they disengage the gate.",
"Now they mark the exact center point of the bell.",
"That's where they'll install the hardware from which the bell will hang.",
"They drill a small hole, then gradually drill it larger and larger.",
"A big hole can't be bored in one shot because the friction-induced heat would crack the bell.",
"Workers tip the bell on its side to hang the clapper-- the official name for the bronze hammer inside.",
"Every bell this factory produces goes through six stages of polishing, starting with a coarse grinding belt and finishing with a fine-cloth buffing wheel.",
"Two hours of polishing later, the bell looks as beautiful as it sounds.",
"coming up...",
"A new spin on a centuries-old invention-- the wooden propeller.",
"The propeller dates back to 1493, when leonardo da vinci sketched out the concept for a helical screw that could propel a machine vertically into the sky.",
"The propeller is still occasionally referred to as an airscrew-- a term that accurately reflects its basic design and function.",
"The key to making one-- plenty of sanding.",
"Wooden propellers start out as a laminated block of maple wood.",
"Lamination is a process where several layers are glued together.",
"The block has between 36 and 48 layers less than 1/16 of an inch thick.",
"Depending on the model, workers select a master pattern that is between one and two yards long.",
"They lay this pattern over the maple block and mark a one-inch center hole.",
"They drill the hole...",
"And lay in a centering pin to hold the pattern in place.",
"A worker traces the pattern on the top of the block.",
"He then cuts the outline with a band saw.",
"This is the propeller's profile.",
"Next, he traces a pattern on the side of the block.",
"This is the propeller's pitch-- the amount of twist in the blades, which dictates the amount of propeller thrust.",
"Using a pattern guide, he marks where the pitch blends into the center hub, then removes the bulk of the pitch with a band saw.",
"Now he clamps the block onto a computer-guided milling machine that carves the pitch to very precise dimensions.",
"The machine's carbide-tipped cutters shave infinitesimal amounts of wood with each pass.",
"Precision milling just one end of the propeller can take up to 60 passes.",
"Next, a worker shapes the airfoil with a band saw.",
"The airfoil is the side of the propeller that is shaped like an airplane wing and produces forward thrust.",
"The pitch side...",
"And the airfoil side.",
"Workers use a tool called a spokeshave to smooth the propeller even more.",
"Then they verify the airfoil's thickness and curve with a hand gauge.",
"A spray of dark paint helps them know where they've been as they begin smoothing the propeller's surface.",
"They remove any remaining carving marks using a belt sander.",
"Then they check the propeller for balance.",
"Using a pneumatic sanding drum, they perform an overall sanding and punch in propeller specifications-- diameter, pitch, flight direction symbols, and manufacturer i.d. workers hand-inspect the propeller, then perform a final sanding and balance.",
"A coat of clear enamel seals the wood.",
"And a safety color sprayed on the tips makes the propeller visible while it's spinning.",
"Two final protective coats of clear enamel, 24 hours of drying time, and these propellers are ready for takeoff.",
"When we return, fire up the grill.",
"It's time to make some charcoal briquettes.",
"The charcoal briquette was invented in 1897, but interest in it was slow-burning, so to speak, until the 1920s.",
"That's when automaker henry ford decided to recycle wood scraps from car making into barbecue briquettes, and these little nuggets became a smoking sensation.",
"Barbecuing with charcoal has become immensely popular since ford's time, and every year, several million tons of wood scraps are converted into high-quality charcoal briquettes.",
"Today, briquette production starts with sawdust and wood chips from lumber mills.",
"A truck unloads it all into a pit.",
"Bulldozers blend the material called fuel to obtain a uniform end product.",
"As the mix travels up a conveyer, an electromagnet removes any metal contaminates.",
"The mix falls onto a vibratory screener, which sifts out the larger pieces of wood.",
"At this point, the fuel is still very moist.",
"To dry it, a worm screw draws the mix up into a long, rotating dryer.",
"The dryer heats the wood mix to a searing 1,400 degrees.",
"The dryer is sealed to prevent oxygen from leaking in.",
"This allows the wood to dry without catching fire.",
"After four minutes in the dryer, the moisture has been cooked out of the mix.",
"Workers add anthracite coal to the hopper, and it mixes in with the fuel.",
"Anthracite coal is known for burning at high temperature.",
"Then they mix in lime.",
"Lime makes the briquettes turn white after they're ignited-- a visual indication that the barbecue is ready to rock 'n' roll.",
"The mix, now blackened, passes under a second electromagnet to remove any metal that could damage the equipment downstream.",
"Finally, workers blend in cornstarch, which binds the ingredients together.",
"A worm screw supplies the mixture to a press roll, where a constant spray of water keeps the mixture from sticking.",
"The press rolls compact the mixture into briquettes.",
"The process takes just a fraction of a second.",
"At this point, the briquettes contain 35% moisture and are very soft.",
"A screener shakes out fine material from the briquettes, which is recycled back into the process.",
"A sweep belt transports and distributes the briquettes in a 250-foot drying tunnel.",
"They are heated to 280 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.",
"This will reduce their moisture level from 35% to just 5%.",
"The lower the moisture level, the better it burns.",
"A conveyer transports the briquettes to automated scales that weigh them for packaging.",
"Every portion is the same, plus or minus one briquette.",
"As the scales release the briquettes, robots below move bags into position to capture them.",
"A sealing machine glue-seals the bags, then prints a production date and shipped code on each one.",
"Open the bag, and a backyard barbecue is just one match stroke away.",
"And who can resist the smokey flavor of charcoal-grilled food?",
"When we return...",
"Turning up a different kind of flame with gas-log fireplaces.",
"Gas-log fireplaces are clean-burning, fully contained units that are growing in popularity.",
"They provide instant warmth at the flick of a switch.",
"And you'll never have to head out on a cold winter night to get more logs or clean up the ashes.",
"To make a gas-log fireplace, workers first screw fittings to a gas-control valve.",
"Then they attach the valve and gas pilot to the frame.",
"The gas pilot is a small flame that burns continuously, enabling you to ignite the gas instantly.",
"They cap the control valve with knob extensions that allow the user to control the flame's intensity from outside the fireplace.",
"Next, they install burners and orifices.",
"The orifice controls the gas flow in each of the burners.",
"They attach an electrical connection from the gas pilot to the control valve...",
"Adjust the length of the gas-pilot supply line...",
"And screw the line to the control valve.",
"Finally, the line is attached to the gas pilot.",
"The fireplace's ignition system is now complete.",
"Next, workers attach a safety device called a thermocouple to the control valve.",
"If the flame ever goes out, the thermocouple cuts the gas supply.",
"The unit now undergoes testing to ensure that there are no leaks.",
"What's a fireplace without logs, even if they're replicas of the real thing?",
"This factory makes artificial logs from a mixture of fire-resistant ceramic fibers and a liquid resin that binds the fibers together.",
"Workers attach a log-forming mold to a pumping arm...",
"Then immerse the arm in the mixture.",
"The mixture fills the mold cavity.",
"The mixture is soft when it comes out of the mold and is held together by the dense, interwoven layers of fibers.",
"The excess fiber is trimmed off, and the log is placed on a baking rack.",
"Then it's into an oven at 450 degrees for 5 hours.",
"When it comes out, it's as hard as a log.",
"Workers remove the sharp edges with a rasp, then dip the log in a mixture of binder and heat-resistant paint.",
"Over that, they hand-paint details replicating the look of charred wood.",
"The paint is baked on, making this decoration permanent.",
"And it'll have no problem taking the heat.",
"The paint can withstand temperatures up to 2,300 degrees.",
"Back in the testing department, workers calibrate the mechanism that adjusts the fireplace flame.",
"They use a flowmeter to verify the rate at which the gas flows.",
"The back burner produces a yellow flame, while the front burner gives off a reddish glow.",
"Combined, they look more realistic.",
"Workers package the individual components and include some lava rock to simulate a bed of ashes underneath the logs.",
"It all adds up to a beautiful, cozy fire...",
"At the flick of a switch."
] |
{
"things": [
"1000th Item"
]
} | [
"Cycling shoes have cleats for bolting the foot to the pedal.",
"The cyclist is connected to the bicycle, body and soul.",
"Bike shoes with clip-in cleats are a fairly recent innovation.",
"The first versions appeared in france in the 1980s and were modeled after alpine ski bindings.",
"Avid cyclists are very attached to their bicycles through special shoes that clip to the pedals.",
"Cycling shoes transfer power from the foot to the pedal more efficiently than ordinary shoes.",
"To start, an overhead press drives cookie-cutter shapes called dyes through layers of fabric to punch out shoe parts.",
"They use breathable nylon mesh for these upper pieces and synthetic leather for parts like the shoe toe box.",
"Synthetic leather is rigid, waterproof, and lightweight.",
"It takes 18 pieces of fabric to make one cycling shoe.",
"This assembler pieces together the upper mesh parts and stitches on synthetic leather trim.",
"She adds a synthetic leather side with vent holes.",
"It gives the cycling shoe structure.",
"With one half of the cycling shoe now complete, it's ready for the other half.",
"She joins it to the other half at the toe end using high-density nylon thread.",
"The next part is the heel cup.",
"It's a piece of molded polyurethane that adds strength and form to the back of the cycling shoe.",
"She stitches on trim and joins the heel cup to the rest of the cycling shoe.",
"Next, using superstrong kevlar thread, she sews the toe box and tongue to the cycling-shoe assembly.",
"The configuration leaves open areas for mesh vents at the front of the shoe.",
"The shoe upper is now complete and ready for the inner sole.",
"It's made of high-density plastic.",
"The employee tacks it to a foot mold using small nails.",
"He sets it aside and places a pair of shoe uppers in hot and rounded clamps to warm them to a pliable state.",
"He stretches each upper around a foot mold with a tacked inner sole.",
"Then it's over to a machine that oozes epoxy-- a high-strength glue that is impervious to weather extremes.",
"The machine grips and folds the cycling-shoe upper to the sole as it applies epoxy to seal them together.",
"The epoxy hardens quickly, and a computer-controlled grinder gets rid of the excess.",
"Now a spinning brush applies a different epoxy that will need heat to activate it.",
"At the next station, a worker applies a release agent to a mold.",
"He inserts a piece of carbon fiber-- a high-tech composite material.",
"He adds nylon for texture.",
"He flips the upper part of the mold, and the two parts come together like a waffle iron.",
"Inside, the layers melt into one and then cool, creating a tough and lightweight outer sole.",
"They punch out vent holes and trim the edges of the sole.",
"They paint designs on to it and add a nonslip clear coat.",
"He glues tough nylon mesh over the vent holes to keep the dirt out.",
"He tapes the cleat mount onto it.",
"It will be more securely installed for the individual cyclist at the bike shop.",
"And after an application of epoxy, it's into the oven.",
"At the same time, he heats the glue-covered outer sole in another oven.",
"The heat activates the epoxy.",
"It's time to join the outer sole and the shoe upper.",
"He carefully aligns them and presses them together.",
"He then sets the shoe on a cradle, and hydraulic pushers apply pressure as the glue sets.",
"He presses the foot form that's still inside the shoe onto a sharp post, stabilizing it to pull the shoe off.",
"The next employee installs a cable-closure device that acts like a shoelace but doesn't become tangled.",
"She adds a ratchet-style plastic buckle.",
"Crafted by hand using high-tech materials, it's taken about an hour to make these cycling shoes.",
"And now they're ready for a spin.",
"For centuries, yurts have been home to herders on the asian plateau.",
"They continue now for practicality and portability.",
"Today yurts used as second homes or studio spaces offer durability, comfort, and a barely detectable footprint.",
"This is the engineered, modern version of the ancient nomadic structure.",
"Compression and tension together form freestanding yurts that today feature all the modern conveniences, including kitchens, dining areas, and lofts.",
"The vinyl polymer roof is gradually shaped into a cone.",
"A worker folds the polymer, laying two edges beside each other on top of a formica board.",
"Using a hot-air welder, he melts the two edges together.",
"A vinyl laminate valance is heat-welded to the bottom perimeter of the roof, creating a watertight connection.",
"Together, the workers pull the entire bottom perimeter of the roof through the heat welder.",
"In the woodworking area, a worker drills a hole in a roof rafter.",
"With a router, he cuts a notch that will eventually fit over a support cable.",
"Workers spray an oil finish onto the tooled rafters for aesthetics and added weatherproofing.",
"To keep the rafter from slipping off its cable, a worker screws a keeper bolt into a brass thread in the hole.",
"He assembles the compression ring, which sits at the top of the yurt.",
"He screws in rafter brackets made of galvanized steel.",
"A worker uses silicone glue to attach a rubber gasket to the bottom edge of the roof's acrylic dome.",
"The workers rest it on the compression ring, where it'll be held in place by cables and stainless-steel springs.",
"They begin preparing the yurt's lattice wall.",
"The vertical-grain pieces of douglas fir are dipped in water-based nontoxic penetrating oil.",
"The pieces for the lattice wall are placed in a multiple-head boring machine.",
"In one shot, it precision drills 200 identical holes through several pieces of wood.",
"A worker begins assembling the lattice wall.",
"As he lines up the pieces of wood, he flexes them to test their strength.",
"The alloy rivets he places in the holes will act as hinges.",
"He uses a pneumatic riveting machine to assemble the wall.",
"Its load-bearing capability, once fully assembled, is extremely high.",
"Larger yurts will have walls with as many as 200 pieces, while smaller yurts will have closer to 100.",
"Once riveting is complete, the worker makes sure the wall spreads properly.",
"On-site, workers spread the lattice wall.",
"They bolt both ends of the lattice to the doorjambs.",
"A worker places the galvanized aircraft cable in the upper notch of the lattice wall.",
"Workers attach roof rafters to the compression ring.",
"The ring end of the rafter is attached to the brackets with a through bolt, while the wall end of the rafter attaches to the cable.",
"The rafters are made of machined stress-rated wood, which can withstand the weight of snow.",
"They level the compression ring.",
"They drape a polyester insulation lining over the rafters and fasten it securely in place.",
"They cover the insulation lining with a highly-efficient reflective insulation.",
"Using fiberglass-reinforced aluminum tape, they seal the seam.",
"The foil insulation rests between the lining underneath and the exterior roof.",
"The workers now roll the vinyl laminate exterior wall around the sides of the yurt.",
"The exterior wall is securely laced into grommets along the bottom edge of the roof valance.",
"A worker standing in the compression ring hoists the acrylic dome up to the top of the roof and positions it on the compression-ring frame.",
"Yurt windows are sewn in with mosquito netting and have a clear vinyl covering.",
"All in all, yurt living means never pulling up stakes.",
"Marine plywood is used in the construction of docks and boats.",
"You can't use standard plywood in such wet environments.",
"Marine plywood isn't affected by moisture because it's made from sheets of a tropical hardwood that's naturally water-resistant and bonded with water-resistant glue.",
"Marine plywood is typically used in boats for flooring, bulkheads, and furniture.",
"The surface is typically a decorative type of wood veneer, such as oak, maple, teak, or mahogany.",
"The core, however, is made of bonded layers of okoume, a water-resistant species that grows in the hot and humid equatorial forest of gabon in africa.",
"When the okoume logs arrive at the factory, an automated chainsaw cuts half the shipment into pieces, measuring the length of a finished panel of plywood, and the other half into pieces measuring the width of a finished panel.",
"This produces logs with the grain running in one direction, as well as logs with the grain running in the opposite direction.",
"This is critical because when they construct the plywood, they'll crisscross grain directions to add strength.",
"Next the logs go through a series of rotary blades that progressively shave off the bark.",
"The now-barkless logs enter the rotary peeling machine.",
"It works like a giant pencil sharpener, shaving off a continuous thin sheet called a ply, hence the term plywood.",
"The ply is between 1/100 and 1/10 of an inch thick, depending on its position in the finished panel.",
"Blades on both sides trim the ply, producing neat, straight edges.",
"Then the machine rolls up the ply.",
"The next machine unwinds the continuous ply and slices it into separate plies.",
"If the log that produced this roll was one of those cut to the eight-foot length of a finished plywood panel, then this machine makes a cut every four feet-- the width of the finished panel...",
"And vice-versa.",
"This thickness of plywood has a five-ply core.",
"Three of the plies remain dry, while two go through this machine, which rolls strong, water-resistant glue simultaneously on both sides.",
"Now assembly begins.",
"Alternating grain directions, the first ply is a dry one, the second a glued one.",
"The bottom of it sticks to the ply underneath-- the top to the dry third ply that goes over it.",
"The next ply-- the fourth-- is a glued one.",
"The bottom sticks to the ply underneath, and the top to the fifth and final ply a dry one above.",
"Workers use a powerful pneumatic staple gun to attach this assembled core along the front edge so that it doesn't come apart as it enters the press.",
"The press holds 10 core assemblies at a time.",
"The current thickness of a core is the sum of the piles plus glue.",
"The press will reduce that by 10%.",
"It applies about 170 pounds per square inch of pressure, while at the same time heating the core to 250 degrees fahrenheit to literally cook the adhesive.",
"The core exits the press after seven minutes, the plies now perfectly flat and solidly bonded.",
"The wood veneer for the core's decorative facing is very thin, barely more than 1/100 of an inch.",
"To create a pattern resembling a hardwood floor, they join two strips at a time with a wavy thread of glue.",
"Next they join the two mated strips to two others, and so on, until the assembled veneer are the length and width of the plywood core.",
"The core, meanwhile, goes through the glue machine, which coats both top and bottom with adhesive.",
"The veneer sheet is also glued, but on one side only.",
"Workers lay the veneer glued-side up then carefully place the core onto it.",
"A second veneer, glued-side down, goes on top.",
"The okoume core is now sandwiched between two decorative wood veneers.",
"The press applies the same heat and pressure as it did to the core assembly, but for just one minute.",
"The result-- a finished sheet of, in this case, cherry veneered marine plywood.",
"Marine plywood comes not just in a variety of veneer choices, but also in a range of thicknesses.",
"Typically comprised of three to 13 plies-- always an odd number in order to have equal weight on either side of the central ply for balance.",
"There are many types of paints at an artist's disposal, each producing a very different effect.",
"Oil paint is opaque and rich.",
"Encaustic paint, being wax-based, has a unique texture that the artist can shape, then reheat, and reshape in countless creative ways.",
"Oil paint comes in liquid form and stick form.",
"With either, the artist can combine it with other products to modify the consistency.",
"Being oil-based, the paint takes a couple of days to dry, so there's lots of times to work with it.",
"However, once the coat is dry, it can't be reworked.",
"Encaustic paint, by contrast, is wax-based, so the artist must melt it while applying it.",
"Because wax cools and hardens so quickly, encaustic paint has a short working time.",
"However, the artist can reheat it and work it some more.",
"The main ingredient in encaustic paint is white beeswax.",
"To that, they add carnauba wax, which comes from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree.",
"Carnauba wax is quite fragile, which is why they strengthen it with beeswax.",
"They melt them in a microwave oven on convection mode.",
"Next they add dammar resin, which comes from trees native to southeast asia.",
"They grind the chunks of resin into of powder in a coffee grinder, then mix it into the molten waxes.",
"The resin will act as a solidifying agent, as well as make the paint glossy.",
"Once the ingredients are evenly blended, they pour the mix through cheesecloth to filter out minute plant particles, which the resin contained.",
"They weigh out a quantity of synthetic pigment and add it to the wax-resin mixture.",
"The ratio of pigment to mixture varies by color.",
"Some have more wax and less pigment and others vice-versa.",
"This manufacturer won't reveal any specifics about ingredient proportions.",
"Its paint recipes are top-secret.",
"After mixing for about 15 minutes, the paint is ready.",
"They carefully pour it into a mold.",
"This type of mold produces sticks.",
"The paint hardens in just a few minutes.",
"They scrape off the excess and melt it back to liquid to cast the next batch of sticks.",
"Then they unscrew the mold and pry it apart.",
"Once the mold is safely opened, they gently extract the finished encaustic sticks.",
"They wear gloves because the sticks are still a bit hot and can stain their hands.",
"For those same reasons, they wrap the sticks, once labeled, in plastic.",
"This manufacturer also produces handmade encaustic paint in another format-- rectangular blocks.",
"The process is identical.",
"The mold is made of flexible rubber.",
"The paint hardens sooner than in a metal mold because rubber dissipates heat far faster than metal does.",
"Workers don't need to wear gloves when extracting the blocks because the paint is already cool and therefore won't stain their hands.",
"To make oil-paint sticks, they first make a large batch of oil paint out of walnut oil, pigment, a drying agent, and a bit of wax.",
"Then they weigh out a specific quantity and add more walnut oil.",
"Next they add combined carnauba wax and beeswax, which are necessary to form the stick shape, however less wax than for encaustic sticks.",
"They blend all these ingredients for about 15 minutes, then pour the paint into a metal mold to cast sticks.",
"Every batch of oil sticks undergoes drying tests to ensure the paint dries within two days after being applied to paper.",
"Encaustic is the more durable of these two types of paints because it contains a larger percentage of beeswax, which is resistant to moisture.",
"And encaustic painting, therefore, doesn't have to be varnished or put behind glass."
] |
{
"things": [
"Worcestershire Sauce",
"Lawn Bowls",
"Radio"
]
} | [
"Its name can be a bit of a tongue-twister-- \"wuss-te-shire\" sauce, \"woos-ter-sheer\" sauce, \"wuss-te-sure\" sauce.",
"All those pronunciations are acceptable, as are the endless ways to use this condiment, from flavoring beef recipes and salad dressings to joining tomato juice and vodka in a bloody mary.",
"In the early 1800s, an english nobleman in the county of worcester hired two local chemists, john lea and william perrins, to duplicate a sauce he had tasted while traveling in india.",
"The resulting concoction was unpalatable, so they relegated it to the cellar.",
"Years later, they came across it during a cellar cleanup and gave it another taste.",
"Lo and behold, the sauce had matured and was now delicious.",
"They christened their creation \"worcestershire sauce\" and went into business.",
"Today, more than 170 years later, that same company produces that very recipe, the specifics of which remain a closely-guarded secret.",
"The process begins with onions and garlic pickled in malt vinegar for one to two years.",
"Inside the pickling barrels, the bulbs slowly liquefy, their flavor infusing the liquid.",
"Other barrels contain anchovies cured in salt for several months.",
"Additional ingredients include salt, sugar, white vinegar...",
"Malt vinegar...",
"Tamarind concentrate...",
"Molasses...",
"And a top-secret blend of flavorings and spices.",
"Starting with the two vinegars, workers pour the ingredients one at a time into gigantic blending tanks.",
"There goes the tamarind concentrate.",
"Now the anchovies.",
"The ingredient proportions are top secret, as is the prescribed mixing time between ingredients.",
"Now the pickled onions and garlic...",
"Sugar and salt...",
"And that secret blend of flavorings and spices.",
"Next, they pump the mixture into maturation tanks.",
"There, over the course of several months, the ingredients age and interact with each other, undergoing complex changes in their natural chemistry which produce the sauce's distinctive flavor.",
"Agitators rotate intermittently to keep the ingredients well-blended.",
"The sauce then goes through a sieve, then through a press, followed by another cycle of blending and straining.",
"The sauce is a smooth liquid by the time it progresses to the next phase-- pasteurization.",
"This process heats the sauce to kill off organisms, ensuring optimal flavor for at least 18 months.",
"The sauce needs no artificial preservatives whatsoever because the vinegars it contains are natural antimicrobial agents.",
"The bottling process is entirely automated.",
"The factory produces different formats.",
"This one is modeled after the original bottle from the 1830s.",
"The machinery closes each bottle with a one-piece, plastic flip-top cap.",
"Inside, there's a small hole to ensure the sauce dispenses at the right flow rate.",
"This prevents accidentally pouring too much sauce.",
"As each bottle enters the labeling machine, an arm descends onto the cap.",
"The machine applies glue to a label, slaps it on the bottle, then the arm spins the bottle against brushes that push the edges of the label flat.",
"Then, depending on the format they're packaging, the equipment groups 6 or 12 bottles together and, from underneath, folds a carton around them.",
"Then it shrink-wraps the carton, which then joins others on a pallet.",
"The production process and recipe have remained essentially the same since worcestershire sauce was first bottled in 1835.",
"Lawn bowling is a quiet, civilized game, not something you'd expect to be outlawed.",
"But in 16th-century england, henry viii banned lawn bowling among commoners because it was a distraction from work.",
"It took a couple of centuries before his ban was lifted, and the game became completely legit.",
"In lawn bowling, the path to victory is not straight.",
"The bowl is designed to roll in a curve towards the object ball-- the smaller yellow one called the jack.",
"For many years, lawn bowls were made of a tropical hardwood called lignum vitae, but as this wood has become increasingly rare, manufacturers have turned to melamine.",
"And unlike wood, melamine doesn't change shape with temperature and humidity fluctuations.",
"Production begins with melamine granules that have been pre-dyed in a variety of colors to appeal to individual preferences.",
"An employee scoops the granules into a tub and weighs them.",
"Lawn bowls come in a range of sizes to fit different hands, so the weight varies accordingly.",
"He drapes a cloth over the melamine granules and holds it in place with pieces of wood.",
"Then it's into a machine called a pre-heater.",
"It uses high-frequency radio waves to melt the plastic into putty.",
"The cloth absorbs moisture generated in the process.",
"All those melamine bits have now merged into a malleable mass.",
"He squeezes it to reshape it a bit so it can be inserted into a molding press.",
"This 150-ton press forces the plastic dough into a hot mold to shape it into a lawn bowl.",
"This lawn bowl may look round, but it's not a perfect sphere.",
"This slightly irregular shape will cause it to roll into a curve.",
"He marks the size and other information onto it, and then it's over to a computerized lathe.",
"It spins the lawn bowl while the blade carves it to perfect that asymmetrical shape.",
"Other tools then etch two rows of half-moons onto the surface.",
"This engraved pattern makes the lawn bowl easier to grip.",
"The next blade slices off the nubs used to spin the lawn bowl in the lathe.",
"It also smoothes the surface until all evidence of the nubs disappears.",
"This receptacle uses suction power to hold the lawn bowl steady while a carousel moves it forward to undergo a vigorous polishing.",
"The polisher rubs paste onto the surface to buff the lawn bowl to an even sheen.",
"A robot then turns the lawn bowl upside down to expose the unpolished side...",
"Then puts it back in the receptacle so the polisher can buff this side of the lawn bowl.",
"The entire lawn bowl now gleams, and an unpolished bowl next to it looks dull by comparison.",
"But there's more polishing to come.",
"The next machine spins the lawn bowl against another polisher.",
"This one applies a finer-grade compound to it.",
"Down the line, lasers move in unison to engrave the same emblem onto four bowls.",
"It's a scottish thistle, one of over 4,000 team insignias available in this production facility.",
"Each lawn bowl then goes for another spin, and an employee paints over all the detail work.",
"He wipes the paint from the surface, but it remains in the engravings to accentuate them.",
"Some lawn bowls get two-tone paint jobs.",
"The worker brushes red paint into a hawk engraving, which provides a nice contrast to the yellow detail work.",
"Then it's over to the testing department, where they roll each bowl down a chute and check its swerve.",
"They also verify that each bowl lands in approximately the same spot as the master bowl, which means they're all equal and they conform to world standards.",
"Including cooling time between processes, it takes about two days to make a lawn bowl.",
"But once the work is done, it's all fun and games.",
"Radio-controlled model jets first flew onto the radar in the 1970s and have since evolved into sophisticated flying machines.",
"Many have turbine engines and use real jet fuel.",
"They allow people who would otherwise never pilot a jet to experience the thrill of flight with both feet on the ground.",
"Radio-controlled model jets can roll and dive like actual jets.",
"And they can reach speeds of up to 280 miles an hour.",
"Operating one isn't child's play.",
"It takes practice and skill to pilot this kind of model aircraft.",
"It also takes money because they cost up to $20,000.",
"Making a model jet begins with the paint job.",
"They airbrush designs directly into the molds that will be used to shape various parts.",
"This particular mold will be used to make one half of a wing shell.",
"When the paint dries, they roll epoxy resin into the mold...",
"Then put down a layer of fiberglass.",
"They reinforce the fiberglass with superstrong carbon fiber, then brush on more epoxy resin.",
"The next layer is balsa, a lightweight wood from south america.",
"They apply carbon fiber to sections of the wing where parts are to be attached.",
"Another sheet of fiberglass, and epoxy is the final layer.",
"Now they add a layer of absorbent material, then sandwich the mold in plastic film.",
"They install a connector for a vacuum hose and hook it up.",
"The vacuum pulls out the air, squeezing the layers together.",
"Then they bake the unit, which activates the epoxy, fusing the materials together.",
"Next, they assemble the wooden framework for the wings.",
"They reinforce it with strips of carbon fiber and apply epoxy on the edges.",
"The model makers carefully install the framework on the wing shell.",
"They apply an extra rib along the wing tip...",
"Slide aluminum cylinders into tubes in the framework, then bead more epoxy along the wing shell's perimeter.",
"They use high-strength adhesive in strategic parts of the framework to attach the other half of the molded wing.",
"They bolt the molds together and set the assembly aside to allow the epoxy to cure.",
"After a few hours, they extract the wing, its artwork nicely transferred from the inside surface of the mold.",
"Machinery then cuts holes in the wing for installing landing gear and motors called servos.",
"This router is computer programmed to make perfect cuts without damaging the internal framework.",
"This is critical because just a fraction of an inch off, and the router would destroy the carefully crafted wing.",
"The modeler now perforates the fiberglass layer of the wing.",
"He's creating a hinged section called an aileron.",
"It's a control surface that will cause the plane to turn or roll.",
"The ailerons and other control surfaces will be powered by servomotors.",
"The front fuselage shell has been molded and is now ready to be revealed.",
"Like the wings, the body of this model jet needs a supporting framework along with brackets for attachments.",
"Another computerized router carves them out of multilayered carbon-fiber board.",
"The modeler glues these parts inside the fuselage and the tail of the jet.",
"Coming up next, this model jet gets its wings and prepares for takeoff.",
"Controlling one of these jets is challenging and requires concentration.",
"These are expensive toys, and the learning curve is steep.",
"One bad landing, and this model jet could end up in a crumpled heap.",
"It's why flyers hone their skills at airfields and test them in international competitions.",
"Back at the factory, the molded pieces of this model jet are coming together.",
"They attach the wings to the fuselage using the cylinders installed earlier.",
"Then the modeler moves to the aircraft's tail and attaches the stabilizers...",
"The rudder...",
"And the vertical fin.",
"Super-strength glue cements the assembly.",
"Next, they build the motor.",
"This one is a ducted-fan electric system, a type used in smaller jets.",
"The modeler first assembles the casing that will hold the fan and its motor.",
"He slides airfoils into the casing to create four ducts, which will properly channel the flow of air.",
"He slides the electric motor into the aluminum hub...",
"Then anchors the assembly with a screw from the other side.",
"The next part is a speed-control mechanism.",
"He solders its wires to those protruding from the motor.",
"He encloses the mechanism in a vented tube, then sets the assembly aside temporarily.",
"Now focus turns to the fan, which he hooks up to a testing device.",
"As the fan spins, the machine analyzes it for vibrations that would indicate the blades are out of balance.",
"The gauge shows it's vibrating slightly, so he makes adjustments, and then it's ready to install.",
"He attaches the fan to the motor shaft and secures it with a bolt in the center.",
"It's now time to power up this motor at a test station.",
"he brings it up to full throttle and measures the thrust it generates.",
"It passes the test, so he installs it in the model jet's fuselage.",
"Later, this ducted fan motor will be connected to a battery pack.",
"Now he moves on to the landing gear and attaches air cylinders to the front and rear wheels.",
"Pumping air into these cylinders will cause the wheels to retract after takeoff.",
"This system will also cause the wheels to engage for landing.",
"Next, a sheet of clear thermoplastic is transformed into cockpit-canopy parts.",
"A machine heats the plastic, then vacuum-shrinks it to two molds.",
"The plastic hardens in seconds to create two clear plastic bubbles for the jet canopy.",
"They mold the cockpit shell in two sections using the same technique.",
"With the cockpit now installed and a doll for a pilot, this '50s-era korean war jet replica is in fighting form.",
"All that's left is to install the radio-control system, which will be done by the operator after purchase.",
"From nose to tail, the attention to detail isimpressive.",
"Some of these model jets even have gas-turbine engines for added authenticity.",
"With radio controls installed, this turbine model jet is ready to taxi down the runway.",
"The operator does one last check of the control surfaces, then it's time for takeoff.",
"Miniature turbine engines sound and work like those of a big jet.",
"These jets rumble and soar and can be made to perform many aerobatic stunts.",
"Of course, it all hinges on both the skill of the operator and a job well done at the factory.",
"But this looks like another successful landing."
] |
{
"things": [
"Umbrellas",
"Outboard Motors",
"Silver Cutlery",
"Tape Measures"
]
} | [
"Today on \"how it's made\"...",
"Umbrellas...",
"Outboard motors...",
"Silver cutlery...",
"And tape measures.",
"It provides shelter from the rain, protection from the sun, and it's a chic fashion accessory.",
"The umbrella originated in ancient china some 1,700 years ago.",
"Since then, it's evolved from the original parasol to the modern-day collapsible canopy.",
"Unlike mass-produced models, this quality umbrella is meticulously crafted by hand.",
"Production begins with a birchwood shaft, which an artisan stains to match the umbrella's handle.",
"He narrows down the shaft so it will fit perfectly into the handle.",
"After buffing the handle to a shine, he glues it onto the shaft.",
"Next, the artisan forms two springs from wire made of nickel silver, a metal that can withstand extreme tension.",
"He bends one end of the wire into a triangular shape...",
"And hammers it flat to ensure a neat fit.",
"He cuts two slots in the shaft, one at the top and one at the bottom.",
"Then he pierces each slot, creating a hole for the spring to hook into.",
"With a bit of stain, he hides the exposed wood.",
"For the umbrella to open and close easily, the springs must fit snugly, so the end of the spring gets a right-angle bend.",
"This shape sets the correct tension.",
"With a tap of the hammer, the springs now rest firmly into the slot.",
"After trimming the spring, the artisan forms it into the perfect shape by purposely overbending, then correcting the position.",
"A small pin inside the shaft prevents the spring from opening fully.",
"This brass runner is what you slide up the shaft to open the umbrella.",
"A stop pin limits the runner's travel, preventing the canopy from blowing inside out.",
"The artisan fits a length of tying wire around the slot in the runner, then threads the canopy's eight ribs onto it.",
"The ribs are made of a type of steel that's strong, yet flexible, so they curve into a dome shape when the umbrella's open, then straighten out again when it's closed.",
"The ribs' other ends are wired to what's called a notch.",
"Once they're in place, they'll rest just below the handle line.",
"At the spot where the notch will sit on the shaft, a hole is drilled.",
"This will hold the pinning wire in place.",
"Workers cut eight triangular-shaped panels called gores from durable nylon.",
"They attach a label, then assemble the canopy by sewing all eight gores together.",
"Next, eight metal tips are inserted into a machine that wraps them in fabric.",
"Then they're stitched to eight locations inside the canopy.",
"These smaller pieces of fabric, called prevents, stop the canopy from chaffing against the frame.",
"This decorative rosette hides the point at which the runner and ribs meet.",
"Next, the canopy is draped over the shaft and hand-sewn tightly over the notch.",
"A tip is attached over the end of each rib.",
"Then each rib is aligned with a canopy seam.",
"After checking the fabric for imperfections, a worker secures the ribs in position by sewing them to their respective seams.",
"They roll up the umbrella to check that the fastening button and band attached earlier are in the right place.",
"A decorative ring goes over the notch.",
"Then the top of the shaft is crowned with a ferrule-- a brass cap with a protective steel tip.",
"This company embellishes its shaft with a steel-plated band, ideal for engraving the owner's initials.",
"After a quick wash, the canopy is ironed for a neat, crisp finish.",
"The final touch is a matching cover which you can slide off in an instant if you're caught in a sudden shower.",
"When we return, an inside look at the outboard motor.",
"Outboard marine motors come in a variety of sizes and horsepowers, ranging from single-cylinder models to powerful eight-cylinder configurations.",
"They can run on gas, diesel, or electricity, and they can provide power for a quiet day of fishing or an exhilarating offshore drag race.",
"Outboard motors have an engine on top and a gear case below.",
"This aluminum engine block is the skeleton that houses the cylinders-- the heart of the engine's internal-combustion system.",
"Under a stream of cutting fluid, machines hone the cylinders to precise dimensions.",
"Miniscule x's are carved into the steel that lines the cylinder walls.",
"Oil will settle into these x's, keeping the walls well-lubricated for the piston.",
"Workers assemble each piston manually.",
"First they build a ridged bearing and insert it into the loop at the end of a connecting rod.",
"Then they fit the rod into a pistonhead, securing it with a pin.",
"The pistons are placed in the cylinders.",
"Then they lower the engine's crankshaft into place and attach it to the loops at the ends of the connecting rods.",
"The crankshaft's bearings are lubricated and capped off.",
"Then this part of the engine is sealed with an aluminum cover.",
"To get the cover's positioning just right, the first bolt is driven into place manually.",
"A precision torque wrench does the rest.",
"Now the top is screwed on.",
"A magneto system is mounted onto the crankshaft.",
"As it spins, it generates electricity for the engine's electronics and pumps.",
"Meanwhile, on another assembly line, the gear case takes shape.",
"This machine locks the case's forward gear to a shaft that'll turn the motor's propeller.",
"The propeller shaft connects the lower driveshaft.",
"The factory buys these pieces readymade from a supplier but still has to refine the dimensions so that everything fits together perfectly.",
"This machine analyzes the shaft.",
"It concludes that this one needs to be a fraction of an inch longer, so workers add the required number of steel disks called shims.",
"They insert this driveshaft into the gear case, then attach the propeller shaft with the forward gear.",
"Now the gear case is linked to the driveshaft, which connects to the propeller shaft, which turns the propeller.",
"The next piece to go into place is the middle section of the motor-- the part in between the engine and the gear case.",
"First, workers attach the gear case-- now fitted with a shift rod for switching gears-- and an upper driveshaft which transfers power from the engine to the propeller.",
"Next, the unit gets a coat of paint that's salt-water resistant.",
"When the paint's dry, workers bolt the engine on top of the assembly.",
"The engine is plugged into a master computer which automatically uploads an operating system onto the engine's internal computer.",
"Then, using a scanner, they input information about each cylinder.",
"The motor is now fully operational.",
"Workers insert a propeller onto the propeller shaft, then lower the motor into a test tank.",
"This factory tests every motor it produces.",
"They run the engine for about 10 minutes while a computer analyzes the performance data.",
"After drying the engine thoroughly, workers apply the finishing touches, starting with the two-part cover that encases the lower portion of the motor.",
"Then they latch another cover over the engine...",
"And stick on decals.",
"Both covers are made of heavy-duty plastic coated in paint that won't fade, even after a lifetime of sun, wind, and water.",
"Up next, turning out the silverware that turns an ordinary dinner into something special.",
"Cutlery dates back to the stone age 300,000 years ago.",
"Prehistoric people made the first cutlery from splinters of stone, shells, horn, and wood chips.",
"During the bronze age, humans found a better material-- metal.",
"Forks came along much later, originating in ancient greece.",
"Whether cutlery is sterling silver, silver-plated, or stainless steel, the production process is the same.",
"It all starts with thin sheets of metal.",
"As workers manually feed the sheet through a press, a die inside punches out utensil shapes called blanks.",
"Fork blanks go into a piercing tool which slices away three strips of metal.",
"This creates four prongs with a support bar across the top-- for now.",
"Meanwhile, spoon blanks go into a machine called the cross roller, which expands the spoon head sideways, thinning out the metal at the same time.",
"Then it's into a clipping tool which trims the spoon head to precisely the right size and shape.",
"Both spoon and fork blanks now go into a grinding machine that smoothes away rough edges by vibrating them against small plastic cones.",
"Elsewhere in the factory, a specialized tradesman sculpts the steel die that will stamp the pattern on the cutlery handles.",
"Working from a designer's illustration, he has to interpret the pattern in three dimensions.",
"This requires tremendous skill because the depth of the design varies throughout the handle.",
"He measures these minute variations with a tool called a micrometer.",
"In the press, the die does three things-- emboss the pattern, gently bend the handle, and mark the back of the utensil with the manufacturer's name.",
"Now back to the head of the utensils.",
"The forks go into a press that bends the prongs to the right curve.",
"Now that support bar can finally come off.",
"Spoons, meanwhile, go into a press fitted with what's called a bowling die.",
"It strikes the spoon's flat head into a bowl shape.",
"Every time you strike metal, it hardens a bit.",
"So repeatedly during the shaping process, workers have to heat the blanks to soften them again.",
"Making knives is more complicated than making spoons and forks.",
"Each knife handle is constructed from two halves.",
"A press punches them out and stamps the pattern.",
"Then a clipping machine removes excess metal around the perimeter.",
"Now workers coat the edge with flux, a chemical cleanser.",
"The surfaces have to be spotless to bond properly.",
"The two halves are wrapped together with string.",
"Then powdered metal is poured into the cavity.",
"It immediately sticks to the flux on the edges.",
"The excess is discarded.",
"Then the handles are run through a mini furnace for 12 minutes.",
"The 1,600-degree heat liquifies the metal powder, soldering the two halves together and burning off the string.",
"After polishing, the solder line will be invisible.",
"Workers pour cement into the center of a centrifuge machine and load the hollow handles all around.",
"As the machine spins, it fills each handle with cement.",
"Now each handle gets a stainless-steel blade.",
"The blade's stem goes directly into the wet cement...",
"And a clamp holds the parts together during the hardening process.",
"A 12-minute bath in hot water cures the cement, making the handle/blade connection rock-solid and giving the handle weight.",
"For worker safety, it's only now, near the end of production, that they sharpen the blades.",
"A good polishing and this elegant silverware is ready for even the most sophisticated dinner party.",
"Coming up, a factory that goes the whole nine yards.",
"A popular tool in any utility closet, the spring-driven, retractable tape measure was invented in the middle of the 19th century.",
"But it didn't really become popular until the 1940s.",
"Today, any handyman without one just doesn't measure up.",
"Measuring tapes take the guesswork out of any job, and if you don't use one, you'll soon see the error of your ways.",
"Production begins with a three-dimensional computer design.",
"To bring that vision to life, a machine first pulls hardened strips of steel-- five at a time-- across a network of rollers that coat them with primer.",
"Then comes the paint.",
"After the paint dries, the strips are rewound in preparation for printing.",
"Printing cylinders roll the measurement markings onto the steel strips.",
"They use black ink for millimeters and red for meters.",
"Next, they heat the measuring tape.",
"This ensures that the protective plastic film applied by this machine will stick well to the steel.",
"Rollers then give the tape a concave contour so that it can be extended rigidly.",
"Every few seconds, the presses grind to a halt and a blade cuts the tape to the correct length.",
"At the same time, it punches a hole for the end hook, which is then riveted into place.",
"Another machine rolls up steel to make springs.",
"The spring enables the measuring tape to retract into the casing.",
"The end of the spring is clipped to an automatic-winding machine.",
"A worker places the lower half of the tape measure's casing into position.",
"The machine then rewinds the steel spring and transfers it into the casing.",
"The spring gets a little lubricating oil.",
"Then workers install the control breaks, which can be used to lock and unroll tape in place.",
"Assembling the rest of the casing is a snap.",
"Everything is screwed together.",
"The measuring tape is attached to the spring.",
"And then it's time to test that spring action.",
"This factory makes some longer measuring tapes from glass fibers, which are far lighter than steel.",
"Multiple strands of glass are pulled through a tub of white liquid plastic so that they'll stick together.",
"The fibers then enter a machine that coats them with more plastic melted down from hard pellets like these.",
"This process transforms the glass fibers into a strong yet flexible tape, the type commonly used for surveyors' tape measures.",
"A computerized printer transfers measurements to the tape a meter a second.",
"Lights illuminate the tape so a camera can check for printing defects.",
"An inspector double-checks the print job and also examines each tape for accuracy.",
"Some tapes are more accurate than others because of varying standards in different industries and different countries.",
"She grades each tape and marks it so that it can be tracked back to the operator.",
"A laser then moves over the tapes to check the accuracy level again.",
"If the reading is off by even a few thousandths of a millimeter, then the tape is rejected.",
"Winding a surveyor's tape is a manual job.",
"No spring system here, because that would make the tape measure too heavy and unwieldy.",
"After winding, the tape is cut and the end hook is fastened into place.",
"And finally, these measuring tapes are ready to roll."
] |
{
"things": [
"Copper Pipe Fittings",
"Cylinder Music Boxes",
"Pepper Mills",
"Hot Rod Steering Columns"
]
} | [
"In the world of plumbing, it's all about connections.",
"And we're talking about elbows, t's, and other fittings.",
"Fittings hold everything together.",
"They're also used to reroute pipes and control the flow of liquids.",
"Without them, things just wouldn't flow as they should.",
"With so many shapes and sizes to choose from, today's pipe fittings literally have all the angles covered.",
"They start with sheets of copper.",
"This copper has been refined until it's 99.99% pure.",
"They load the sheets into a furnace that's fired at just over 1,800 degrees fahrenheit.",
"The copper melts into a piping hot soup and then flows into a second furnace.",
"This one has cylindrical molds which draw the liquid copper up and cool it as they shape it into solid copper rods.",
"These rods are flexible enough to wind through rollers as they travel towards a big spindle.",
"They spiral around the spindle, accumulating in big coils to await the next step.",
"This device uncoils the copper and chops it into little pucks about the diameter of a quarter.",
"Incredibly, each one of these pucks will be used to make a plumbing fitting.",
"This tool pushes the copper puck into a cylindrical die to shape it into tubing.",
"In this one swift action, a little copper puck is transformed into a much longer piece of pipe.",
"This copper has been reshaped as easily as a piece of putty.",
"One end is closed, but it's just temporary.",
"At the next station, equipment bends the tubing around forms to give it an elbow shape.",
"At the same time, a blade cuts the closed end to open it up.",
"Next, these elbows will get some fine-tuning.",
"A 2-part device comes together to steady them as tools stretch the internal diameter so the part will fit on other pipes.",
"A spinning cutter then carves bevels onto the rims.",
"This beveled edge will allow it to slide more easily onto other pipes during installation.",
"Over at the next furnace, they're working on a larger-scale project.",
"This molten copper will be used to make fittings for high-rises and other buildings with bigger plumbing systems.",
"The copper flows into a casting furnace.",
"It generates copper rods that are about the size of a telephone pole.",
"Each one weighs about a ton, so it takes a crane to move it down the production line.",
"A circular saw then carves them up, producing copper chunks that look a bit like firewood.",
"They heat each chunk in a furnace to make it more pliable.",
"Then it's into an extruder.",
"It uses tons of hydraulic pressure to hollow out the copper log.",
"At the same time, it forces the copper into a die that stretches it 12 times its original length and slims it down considerably.",
"The lengthy tubing cools down in a milky bath.",
"Then a crane moves it down the line to equipment that adjusts the diameter and chops it up.",
"Water now flows into the shorter piece of pipe, which is encased in a mold.",
"Tools push into the pipe, forcing the water in a vertical direction.",
"Sheer water pressure reshapes the tubing into a \"t,\" while the mold establishes the contours.",
"\"t\" fittings are used to combine or split the flow of fluid in a plumbing system, and the water forming press does a seamless job of making them.",
"But there's still the matter of the closed end at the base of the \"t,\" so they chop that off.",
"They machine all three openings, because when they connect it to other pipes, it has to fit-- to a \"t,\" of course.",
"Now these fittings are ready to join other pipes and parts.",
"And by doing so, they'll make our lives a whole lot more convenient.",
"In victorian times, the cylinder music box could make or break a party in the parlor.",
"Its rich, ringing tones filled the room, and the design was truly a mechanical marvel.",
"Today that distinctive sound still resonates as companies make these instruments for a growing collectors' market.",
"Open the box, and you'll discover the gift of music from another era.",
"just wind up the mechanism inside for live music without any human performers.",
"a cylinder revolves, and strategically arranged pins strum a comb to produce the notes.",
"The ethereal sound is similar to that of a bell choir or a harp ensemble.",
"It all starts with equipment that stamp and cut steel to produce a comb shape.",
"A circular saw carves teeth in it, and this tool sharpens them.",
"They bake the combs over flames and then plunge them into a cool oil to create a thermal shock that hardens the steel.",
"With a flat tool, they direct melted lead into a mold positioned under the comb.",
"The lead hardens into a weight that will help produce the low notes.",
"A rotating tool cuts teeth into it.",
"They now spread lead solder on the comb's edge and on a corresponding piece of lead.",
"They file off excess lead and then tune the comb by first clipping the teeth...",
"Then grinding them until the notes they produce are precisely pitched.",
"This bit of fine-tuning is computer controlled.",
"they dip synthetic feathers in glue and apply them to the bass notes to soften the vibrations.",
"This completes the musical comb.",
"They move on to the brass cylinders and drill holes in them to transfer the musical score.",
"A computer controls this process, as well as the next one, which involves cutting steel wire and inserting it into each of the cylinder's holes.",
"This is called pinning.",
"And, of course, in the old days, it was all done manually and was far more time consuming.",
"Next, they pump resin into the cylinder and it adheres to the wall, securing the pins from the inside.",
"They spray compressed air to cool the cylinder as the resin cures.",
"After an axle has been installed inside, they arrange the cylinder on a baseplate and install little racks for the axle to turn on.",
"The cylinder speed will be regulated by the governor.",
"Using a special tool, they wind a long spring into its housing near the governor.",
"It's the release of this spring's pent-up energy that will cause the cylinder to rotate and strum the comb.",
"Positioning the comb next to the cylinder takes a certain know-how.",
"If it's even slightly out of place, there will be a lot of sour notes.",
"Dust can also affect the music, so they make sure to get every speck.",
"It's time to attach the lever that winds the music-box motor.",
"This little spring completes the connection.",
"They slide this mechanical musical instrument into its box, and it's showtime.",
"The classic wooden cabinetry sets the stage for a musical act that has timeless appeal.",
"there also are more contemporary-looking music boxes.",
"this art-glass design showcases the centuries-old technology.",
"And then there's a version that comes with all the bells and whistles.",
"Here, the cylinder operates cams that hit bells while, at the same time, plucking the comb.",
"It's a good example why the music box continues to be a tough act to follow.",
"ever since the 14th century, people have been using pepper mills to kick up the flavor factor, so they definitely have a well-seasoned reputation.",
"Today, pepper mills come with state-of-the-art grinding mechanisms and there are even electric models for a truly crushing experience.",
"Freshly ground pepper has more spice than pre-ground pepper, which makes pepper mills a hot commodity.",
"They make the grinding mechanism from tough, hardened steel.",
"An automated chiseling tool carves teeth into the outer ring, making a row of larger ones to crack the peppercorns and a row of smaller ones for fine grinding.",
"This smaller ring is to be the moving part of the grinding mechanism.",
"After the stamp trademark information onto it, a tool etches teeth into it, as well.",
"They're designed to grind freely against those in the outer ring without locking together.",
"Thick steel wire now uncoils and travels between rollers for straightening.",
"Then there's quick chopping action as a rotating cutter slices it into shorter pieces.",
"Each one will become a drive shaft for a pepper mill.",
"A tool slims and trims one end of the shaft so it will fit into the inner grinding part.",
"Rolling cutters carve threads into the other end for attaching it to the adjuster knob of a manual mill.",
"Robots install the inner grinding ring on the drive shaft.",
"They randomly select parts for close-up scrutiny.",
"A camera zooms in on the pepper mill's grinding teeth, and a computer analyzes their dimensions and general quality.",
"Now it's time to assemble the grinder's outer ring, shaft, and inner grinding device, which they press-fit to the pepper mill body.",
"They surround the grinder with a metal ring and brace it with a bracket.",
"They insert a light bulb to illuminate your food so you don't add too much pepper.",
"Then they attach a test motor, which turns the grinding mechanism and checks the bulb.",
"A few units are selected to undergo a grueling test.",
"They run them for hours at a time to confirm this production run can handle the daily grind.",
"But a pepper mill just isn't complete without its partner, the salt mill.",
"They use stainless steel to make its grinding device because it resists the corrosiveness of salt.",
"Hydraulic machinery punches the metal into dies 10 times to shape the salt mill's outer grinding rings.",
"Here you can see the various stages of the forming process.",
"The final result is a part with three large, jagged teeth in the lower section.",
"They're designed specifically to move salt crystals towards the inner grinding ring.",
"After a computer check, this part is ready for assembly.",
"They install it in the salt-mill housing and then insert the inner grinder and shaft.",
"Once the electric motor is attached, this salt mill is done like dinner.",
"For a traditional pepper mill, they sculpt wood into that classic shape recognized by pepper fans everywhere.",
"They insert the same kind of grinding hardware that's used in the electric mills, but the shaft is longer because this manual mill will be quite a bit taller.",
"Chefs often prefer a pepper mill with height because it's easier to use.",
"Once assembled, the pepper mill gets a fill-up.",
"Then they cap it and adjust the top knob to a medium grind.",
"Of course, all mills can be adjusted for different-sized grinds.",
"From fine to coarse, the choice is yours.",
"It's really a matter of taste.",
"The driving force behind a vehicle's direction is the steering column.",
"It connects the steering wheel to the front wheels.",
"But despite the name, steering isn't the steering column's only job.",
"It also houses the turn-signal switch and a tilt mechanism to adjust the angle of the steering wheel.",
"This company makes custom steering columns, the kind you order when building your own classic car or truck.",
"For the main shaft of the column, an automated band saw slices steel tubing, two at a time, to a specific length.",
"This belt sander smoothes out the rough edges.",
"The next machine forms the shaft into a specific shape that'll engage and turn with the steering wheel.",
"A computer-guided laser cutter makes the steel housing that'll cover the steering column's upper components.",
"It cuts holes for the various control levers that'll connect to the steering column.",
"The upper housing now goes onto a device that holds it steady while a belt grinder removes any surface imperfections.",
"Meanwhile, workers weld together the two steel pieces that make up the steering column's lower housing.",
"Then, to make the steering column look sleek, they attach a steel cone using a fine welding torch.",
"With an abrasive belt, they polish the weld line until it's barely noticeable.",
"Then they do an overall polishing to make the entire surface smooth and ready to paint.",
"They've attached a component called the lower yoke shaft to the main shaft made earlier.",
"After greasing it, they snap an upper yoke shaft into it.",
"These enable the shaft to pivot when you tilt the steering column.",
"Here, they install a component in the lower housing to which they'll later attach the tilting mechanism.",
"Once that's in place, they install a pull wire to help pull through the electrical system later on.",
"Finally, they slide the shaft through the housing.",
"A computer-controlled milling machine shapes the tilting mechanism's aluminum body.",
"The next machine installs position-locking fingers which allow the column to tilt when you pull the tilt lever then re-engage to lock in the selected position.",
"This press installs bearings to make the turning process smooth.",
"Now the upper section joins the lower section.",
"They attach with two pins that allow the column to pivot.",
"A thick steel spring supports the column so when the fingers disengage the column doesn't just drop into the driver's lap.",
"Next, they install the column's upper housing.",
"That's the part with the holes for the levers to control the tilt, the turn signals, and the emergency flashers.",
"Remember that pull wire?",
"They tape the signal switches and wiring to it then pull them through the column.",
"They'll later cushion this exit hole with a rubber grommet to prevent any chafing.",
"Next, they install the horn cam.",
"It passes power from the horn to the steering wheel to enable honking.",
"Using this tool, they lock in a retaining clip to hold everything together.",
"All the wiring that passes through the steering column connects to a plug.",
"You just insert it into the vehicle's electrical system.",
"These steering columns come in a choice of finishes.",
"You can also buy an unfinished column and paint it yourself.",
"After installing the column, you just add a steering wheel then mount the levers and knobs included in the kit.",
"Then, from that point on, you're in the driver's seat."
] |
{
"things": [
"Race Car Oil Tanks",
"Plaster Mouldings",
"Lemongrass Oil",
"Fly Tying Vises"
]
} | [
"In racecar engines, excess lubricating oil is stored in tanks rather than oil pans.",
"This prevents the oil from sloshing around during the race and causing drag on the crankshaft.",
"With less drag, performance is increased.",
"So these oil tanks are part of a winning strategy.",
"Racecar oil tanks come in various shapes and sizes in order to fit into difference vehicles.",
"But their purpose is the same-- to keep excess oil out of the engine to boost performance.",
"Each tanks starts with a computer design.",
"The engineer maps out the precise dimensions.",
"They input the measurements into computerized machining systems.",
"This first one cuts a long piece of aluminum into smaller pieces, creating blanks to make parts known as tank rings.",
"A vertical milling tool sculpts a recess in the blank to seat an o-ring sealer.",
"Then, switching bits, the machine contours the outside of the blank, taking it from rectangular to round.",
"Other tools carve a large hole in the center and profile the inner diameter so that the part will mate to the tank.",
"This ring is designed to be removable to access the tank for maintenance.",
"Here's the blank before and after machining.",
"Like powerful cookie cutters, computerized punches cut out numerous parts from an aluminum sheet.",
"They include the oil tank body, the top, and other assembly pieces.",
"To make the tank body cylindrical, a worker turns a crank to curl it around a roller.",
"This tank body is called the wrapper.",
"He drills a hole in the bottom cone.",
"The hole is for the line that returns lubricating oil to the racecar engine.",
"Using a thin band saw, he trims the cone to fit the tank ring.",
"With a device known as a hydraulic tube bender, a worker shapes a piece of pipe to a precise radius.",
"This pipe will be used to vent air into a chamber at the side of the oil tank.",
"He trims the ends of the vent tube using a band saw.",
"A worker welds the tank ring to the bottom cone, creating a thick seam all the way around.",
"He then seals the seam of the cylindrical wrapper body and welds a top cap to a deaerating baffle.",
"Air will rise through it and vent it into and out of a side chamber, leaving only oil in the tank.",
"He slides the baffle into the wrapper body.",
"He inserts the vent tube in a hole on the side of the tank.",
"He fits an adapter ring to the upper lip of a tank and taps it down with a rubber mallet.",
"He welds the baffle and filler neck to the tank body, and then assembles the air vent chamber to the side of the oil tank and welds it to it.",
"Moving to another station, a worker now taps perforated plastic inserts into holes in the air vent chamber.",
"These inserts will both vent and filter the air from the tank.",
"He fits a rubber sealing ring around the fill neck and screws the cap on.",
"He applies the adhesive-back decals to the tank for branding purposes.",
"He caps the oil inlet tube to keep contaminants out during shipping.",
"He turns the tank upside down and installs a valve on the bottom of the vent tank.",
"He inserts a rubber o-ring into a groove on the base of the tank wall and tucks it into place all the way around.",
"After equipping the fittings on the cone with caps for shipping, he installs the cone on the base of the tank and screws the ring tightly to it.",
"Accessing the tank for maintenance reasons will mean unscrewing this part.",
"That completes this racecar oil tank.",
"Hooked up to a system of pumps, these tanks will receive and dispense oil sparingly to improve engine performance.",
"They've been well-equipped for life in the fast lane.",
"The ancient greeks first began beautifying interiors with ornate columns and moldings shaped from plaster.",
"Decorative moldings were a popular design feature in much of europe from roughly the 17th century onward, with italian tradesmen becoming famous for their mastery at plasterwork.",
"Specialists in traditional plasterwork are a rare breed these days.",
"But that's who you need to hire to properly repair plaster moldings in a historic home or to craft plaster moldings from scratch.",
"To repair this damaged ceiling medallion, the plasterman first saws and chisels off the problem portion, clearing a flat work surface.",
"Then, he drives and screws part way to anchor the new portion of molding.",
"The heavier the plaster molding, the more screws you need to hold the load.",
"Another plasterman, meanwhile, prepares the plaster.",
"The first ingredient is lime compound-- a simple mixture of lime, also known as calcium hydroxide, and water.",
"He forms a well with his scraper...",
"Then fills the well with a mixture of roughly three-quarters water to one-quarter construction-grade bonding glue.",
"He adds just the right amount of plaster of paris, which is powdered gypsum, the same stuff they use to make casts for broken bones.",
"He takes his trowel and thoroughly blends the lime compound, glue mixture and plaster of paris.",
"When it has the consistency of pudding, the plaster is ready.",
"The plasterman does this all by eye, without ever actually measuring a single ingredient.",
"After applying bonding glue to the repair area, the other plasterman trowels on lots of plaster.",
"Then, he takes what's called a circular running mold.",
"Its profile is out of the existing molding.",
"He runs it back and forth over the wet plaster, hence the term \"running mold\".",
"Then, he carefully scrapes away the excess and runs a wet paintbrush over the new and old portions of the molding.",
"This makes the transition between the two appear seamless and smoothes out any imperfections.",
"To make the running molds, he cuts out a cross section of the existing molding and traces it to produce a sheet metal template with the same profile.",
"Then with that, he cuts the shape in wood, producing what they call a stock.",
"After sanding the stock smooth, he screws on the metal template.",
"The wood backing prevents the metal from bending as he runs it over thick plaster.",
"He screws more wood to the stock to form a handle.",
"To make crown moldings, the plasterman mounts a track to guide his running mold.",
"He checks for anchor screws obstructing the path.",
"If he finds any, he drives them a bit further into the ceiling.",
"He brushes on bonding glue and lets it sit for five minutes.",
"Then, he begins applying the plaster in sizable globs.",
"He passes the running mold over the plaster.",
"He repeats several times with additional plaster, waiting 20 minutes or so between coats to let the plaster harden just enough to hold the shape.",
"He applies the final coat by hand, filling in crevices and imperfections.",
"Then, he passes the running mold one last time.",
"The wet plaster molding takes anywhere from 48 to 72 hours to dry, depending on its size and on the humidity in the room.",
"Only when the molding is completely dry can the plasterman begin the next step, crafting the corner pieces, called miters.",
"Starting with larger knives and scrapers, he uses the edge of the adjacent moldings as a guide, adding some plaster, sculpting it, then removing the excess.",
"He keeps repeating these steps until each side of the miter matches the molding it joins perfectly.",
"It's a slow and meticulous process that takes patience and an expert eye.",
"Once he has perfected the profile, he refines the edges with smaller knives and scrapers.",
"Finally, he blends the surface with a wet brush, rendering the transition from miter to molding visually seamless.",
"Brand-new yet distinctively old-world.",
"Lemongrass isn't just a culinary herb.",
"Oil distilled from the plant is a popular ingredient in soap and spa products.",
"Used in aromatherapy for numerous therapeutic reasons with a fragrance that's citrusy yet sweet, lemongrass oil definitely passes the smell test.",
"Follow the scent of lemongrass, and the trail leads to thailand.",
"It's here that the plant is grown and processed into an essential oil.",
"Lemongrass oil is the signature scent in this part of the world.",
"After harvesting lemongrass, workers select the most fragrant specimens and dry them.",
"They transfer these plants, stalk and all, to a distillation facility.",
"The heady aroma of lemongrass will now be concentrated into a potent essential oil.",
"Workers unlock the top of the still and pour in chlorine-free, deionized water.",
"Once the still is one-quarter full, they add the lemongrass.",
"They stack the bundles in a crisscross fashion, creating gaps for steam to pass through.",
"They fill the still to the brim.",
"It will take 66 pounds of lemongrass to make roughly 1 quart of highly-fragrant essential oil.",
"They screw the lid tightly to prevent the loss of steam during distillation.",
"They activate the still, and it heats the water to the boiling point.",
"Steam rises through the plants and picks up the oils.",
"It carries the oil vapor up through a pipe and into a condenser, where the vapors cool and return to a liquid form.",
"The liquid oil and water drip out into a flask.",
"Oil and water don't mix.",
"So the oil floats to the top.",
"And the water is drained off and recycled back into the distiller.",
"The technician then collects the lemongrass oil in a bottle one drop at a time.",
"The lemongrass oil undergoes a second distillation in a laboratory, using a more sensitive piece of equipment known as a rotary vacuum evaporator.",
"The oil flows into a flask that's spinning in a hot bath of vegetable oil.",
"The evaporator pumps out air and creates a vacuum in the flask, which lowers the boiling point.",
"This prevents damage to the delicate molecules responsible for the lemongrass scent.",
"The oil vapors rise to a condenser coil where they reliquefy, leaving any residual water and impurities behind.",
"The pure lemongrass oil drips into a receiver flask.",
"As distilled lemongrass oil is collected, more flows into the evaporator beaker for purification.",
"The distilling process is continuous.",
"The rotary vacuum evaporator processes roughly 2 to 3 quarts of fragrant oil per hour.",
"They store the lemongrass oil in a cold room with other essential oils.",
"Like fine wine, it must be kept cool, or it could spoil and ruin its bouquet.",
"When it's time to formulate ingredients for a cream or lotion, a technician blends lemongrass oil with other essential oils.",
"Just a few drops make a difference you can smell.",
"They also use lemongrass oil to enhance the soothing qualities of bath crystals.",
"The technician first sifts epsom salts and baking soda into a bowl.",
"He adds measured amounts of the blend to sea salt crystals.",
"He stirs the ingredients by hand to evenly distribute them in the mix.",
"The bath salts are now ready for an infusion of the double-distilled lemongrass oil.",
"He adds it to a submixture of other essential oils to create a blend with calming effect.",
"He pours the essential oils onto the crystals.",
"And they soak into the tiny spaces in the particles.",
"They then add some more aromatic spice-- a freshly-ground blend of lemongrass, turmeric, and other ingredients.",
"He sprinkles the herbs onto the crystals and folds them into the blend.",
"The final effect will be skin-tingling and rejuvenating.",
"Incorporated into many products, lemongrass oil will awaken the senses.",
"Fly fishing uses artificial lures called flies rather than natural bait like worms.",
"A fly is a hook that has materials like feathers tied to it with thread to trick the fish into thinking there's an insect floating on the water.",
"To make your own flies, you use a fly tying vise.",
"This fly tying vise has pockets at its base to hold your materials and sturdy steel jaws to grip the fishhook while you tie those materials onto it.",
"This machine makes the sand molds for casting the metal pocket bases.",
"It deposits moist sand into a flask to form one half of a mold, then rolls over the flask to a pattern on the other side.",
"After spraying the pattern with a nonstick coating, a worker sifts sand onto it.",
"Then the machine deposits sand on top to form the other half of the mold.",
"It compresses the sand with roughly 4 1/2 tons of hydraulic pressure.",
"The pattern sandwiched at the center forms the mold cavity.",
"A machine separates the halves to remove the pattern, then puts them back together.",
"In the casting area, workers heat pieces of bronze to approximately 1,922 degrees fahrenheit, melting them down.",
"They remove the pot from the electric furnace and place it in a pouring shank.",
"They pour the molten bronze down a channel leading to the mold cavity.",
"After about a half hour, once the bronze has cooled and solidified, the flip the mold onto a vibrating grate.",
"First the impact and then the shaking break the mold.",
"The sand falls through the grate while four connected bronze pocket bases remain on top.",
"Once they're cool enough to be handled, a worker saws them apart.",
"The bases go into a rotating drum filled with tiny steel beads.",
"As the drum spins, the centrifugal force throws the beads against the bases.",
"This removes all remnants of sand and polishes the surface smooth.",
"The bases go onto a computer-guided milling machine.",
"It drills a hole to affix the mounting piece for the stem that holds the head of the vise.",
"The mill also cuts a circular hole at the center of the base for a decorative coin bearing the manufacturer's logo.",
"They finish the bases with a clear protective coat, a proprietary formula that prevents the bronze from oxidizing.",
"The vise's other parts are machined out of metal bars.",
"Here, a computer-guided lathe transforms two square steel bars into the vise's jaws.",
"First, it cuts a small half circle on one piece for the cam that opens and closes the jaws.",
"Then, it turns the ends to form a point.",
"The entire transformation from bars to jaws takes about 90 seconds.",
"They place the jaws, one at a time, into a press and make a slight bend to set the correct spring tension.",
"They verify the depth of the bend with a specialized measuring tool, then send the jaws to an outside facility that applies a black protective finish.",
"When the jaws come back, workers assemble them.",
"First, they put the cam through the semicircular hole.",
"Then, they compress the jaws in a vise and slide an aluminum head onto the back.",
"When the jaws come out of the vise, they expand to their original position, retaining the head.",
"Workers apply the manufacturer's sticker, then thread a brass thumbscrew that you turn to lock in the position of the head, which swivels left, right, or 360 degrees.",
"They then bolt the handle into the cam.",
"When you depress the handle, the cam opens, opening the jaws.",
"On the reverse side of the jaws, they mount a clip for holding the feathers, yarn, or other materials you're using to tie your fly.",
"Then, they glue the logo coin into the pocket base.",
"They install the mounting piece for the stem, then the stem itself.",
"A thumbscrew on the mount holds the stem in place.",
"The head connects to a swivel at the top of the stem.",
"The jaws securely hold the hook while you tie your fly using anything from feathers and fur to tinsel and beads, creating your imitation of an appetizing insect or tiny fish."
] |
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Dataset Card for How It's Made
This tiny dataset contains parsed subtitles from the Canadian documentary series: "How It's Made".
Dataset Details
Uses
This dataset is intended to be used in Large language models for grounding questions asking on "How X item is made?"
Direct Use
N/A. Dataset released As-Is.
Out-of-Scope Use
The auther thinks that this can be used to generate inaccurate descriptions.
Dataset Structure
Refer to the image as shown
Dataset Creation
Curation Rationale
[More Information Needed]
Source Data
The true source is undisclosed. However, there are some more tech-savvy people who would know where this would come from. wink.
Data Collection and Processing
- Obtain Episodes
- Process the subtitles: Remove extra, split into sentences.
Who are the source data producers?
[More Information Needed]
Bias, Risks, and Limitations
Weight and Temperatures uses US Imperial units instead of typical metric. Further processing is required for correct use.
Recommendations
Users should be made aware of the risks, biases and limitations of the dataset. More information needed for further recommendations.
Dataset Card Contact
Contact within the community tabs.
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Curated by:
KaraKaraWitch
Funded by [optional]:
N/A
Shared by [optional]:
N/A
Language(s) (NLP):
English
License:
Not Specified.
Size of downloaded dataset files:
5.86 MB
Size of the auto-converted Parquet files:
3.5 MB
Number of rows:
416