Rally Cars
Pork Pies
Floating Fountains
Artificial Stone Ornaments

A rally car is a compact vehicle that's had a radical makeover.

It's been stripped to the steel core and completely rebuilt.

International rally regulations govern the process.

In the end, that efficient little vehicle becomes a lean, mean racing machine.

Fresh out of the factory, this compact car is about to be ripped apart and put back together again.

The rebuild will pump up the power and transform a quiet road car into a vehicle that roars on the rally racing circuit.

Bold graphics will also make this compact car look fierce.

As they dismantle the car, they get rid of some superfluous brackets and panels to shed weight.

They blast off the paint.

Then they weld a tubular steel roll cage to it to protect the driver and co-driver in a rollover or crash.

The roll cage also stiffens the chassis for better handling on hard turns.

They widen the back end slightly to accommodate an upgrade to a 4-wheel transmission and a larger fuel tank.

Then they paint primer onto the modified body shell.

They're now ready for the rear transmission.

This will convert this compact car to 4-wheel drive.

The technician bolts the transmission to the rear floor panel.

Upgrading from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive adds traction and allows the car to handle more precisely.

Now the seats.

They're individual survival cells made of carbon fiber, a virtually indestructible material.

It's also extremely light, and this helps offset the extra weight added by the rear transmission and roll cage.

The new dashboard fascia is made of lightweight fiberglass and covered with a velvety fabric to block the reflection of light.

With the dashboard in place, the car gets the steering column and wheel.

The car is now ready for the fiberglass bumper.

It's been redesigned slightly to accommodate new fenders that are flared for bigger tires.

The technician then equips the rally car with heavy-duty dampers to absorb the shock of high-speed bumps on the rally course.

He slides the stiff spherical bearings into the car shell and secures them.

He links the dampers and the driveshaft to the hub carrier and bolts them into place.

He inserts brake pads into lightweight aluminum calipers and mounts them to the rotors.

This braking system is extra large for serious friction, allowing the rally car to be slowed efficiently when needed.

Using a crane, they now lift the engine into the chassis.

This is the original 1.6-liter engine, but seriously ramped up to boost performance.

They've upgraded the pistons and camshafts, among other things, and added a turbocharger.

This takes the compact-car engine from 90 horsepower to 300.

Instead of a metal fuel tank, they install a rubber one.

It's pliable and expands, so it's unlikely to split or crack in a crash.

The rubber fuel cell fits perfectly under the trunk floor.

Strapped to that floor is this little tool kit.

They've lightened these tools by drilling holes into the handles.

As the race heats up, so will the engine and its fluids.

They custom-designed this u-shaped radiator to keep the power-steering oil cool.

They tie it to the front of the supersized engine radiator.

Without this substantial radiator system, overheating could kill the engine, and that would be the end of the rally for this car.

The mechanics of the rally car have now been completely rebuilt.

They now install windows.

They use double-sided tape to bind the rear side windows to the car.

Taping the windows means they can be easily kicked out in the event of an accident.

The windows are made of shatterproof plastic.

So there shouldn't be any cuts or scrapes when busting them out.

Instead of painting the car, they glue on graphics from bumper to bumper.

The graphics are made of plastic film that is much lighter than paint.

The crew saves about 11 pounds by not painting the rally car.

Saving weight and redistributing it for better handling, while adhering to tight weight regulations, is just part of the challenge.

And a good finish in the rebuild shop could lead to a strong finish in the rally.

British pork pie is made of chopped pork and pork jelly nestled inside a crust pastry.

Mass-produced versions contain cured pork in a soft pastry.

Premium pies are handmade with fresh, uncured pork inside a pastry that's hard and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside.

Among the best-known premium varieties of pork pies is melton mowbray, named after an english town which has produced this british snack since the 19th century.

Only manufacturers situated within a defined radius of the town can legally call their product melton mowbray pork pie.

And they have to follow the traditional recipe, which begins with blending hard bread flour.

Then workers put lard into a pot of cold water...

Sprinkle with sea salt, then bring the water to a fast boil, dissolving the lard.

Then they add this hot mixture to the flour.

They blend for a few minutes until the ingredients form a medium-soft golden dough.

Unlike dough made with cold water, which bakes soft throughout, hot-water dough bakes hard on the surface, but soft within.

They roll the dough into balls of approximately half a pound each...

Then roll half the balls flat into a layer roughly 2/10 of an inch thick.

With a round pastry cutter, they slice circles.

Each one will be a pie top, called a lid.

The other dough balls will later become the base of the pie, called the case.

The pie filling is made from fresh pork shoulder, white pepper, and sea salt.

They prepare the filling in small batches in order to better control the distribution of ingredients.

After cutting the pork into small chunks, they sprinkle with salt and pepper...

Mix by hand...

Then form balls the same size as the pastry balls.

In the assembly area, workers lay a plastic sheet over the hoop of a pie press to prevent the dough from sticking.

They put a pastry ball in the hoop and cover it with another sheet...

Then plunge a round metal die into the hoop to form the case.

Now they drop a pork ball inside, pushing it down to force out some of the trapped air.

They brush water onto the edge of the case to make it sticky.

Then they apply the lid, lightly thumb-pressing all around to adhere it to the sticky edge of the case.

Then with a different hand press, they score the perimeter of the pie...

And gently run a wooden block across the top.

This removes the excess dough without unsealing or ripping the pie.

A ventilation hole in the middle lets just enough steam escape to prevent pressure from building up and bursting the lid.

The steam that remains helps tenderize the pork.

A pie decorator crimps the edge inward.

Then the pies go onto a baking sheet and into the oven for an hour at just under 400 degrees fahrenheit.

Earlier, workers prepared the pork jelly by boiling pigs' feet in a large pot of water...

Then simmering for nine hours to release the natural gelatin from the bones.

Now they strain the pot's contents to isolate this natural jelly.

They've timed this perfectly so that the jelly is still warm when the pies come out of the oven.

When they do, their pastry crust is a golden color.

The pork, as meat tends to do, has shrunk during cooking, creating empty spaces inside the pastry.

It's into those voids that workers now inject the warm pork jelly until it starts bubbling out the hole at the top.

This indicates the jelly has filled all the nooks and crannies.

The pies go immediately into a fridge set at 43 degrees fahrenheit.

They remain inside for about 90 minutes until the jelly sets.

From now on, the pork will remain moist thanks to this congealed jelly surrounding it.

Each pie is wrapped in a see-through package bearing a "best before" date.

Kept refrigerated, a pork pie stays fresh for about a week.

You take it out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature before digging in.

No self-respecting brit ever warms up pork pie.

A floating fountain adds visual interest to a pond or pool.

It continuously shoots water several yards high, producing ribbons of cascading water.

A submersible pump generates the effect.

And all you have to do is just sit back and enjoy the show.

A floating fountain is a pleasant sight, but it's also practical.

The constant pumping action aerates the water, preventing stagnation that breeds mosquitoes and causes algae growth.

Production begins with the floatation ring, which they cast a section at a time.

A worker pours a measured amount of plastic powder into the bottom half of a clamshell mold.

The mold is attached to an arm that swings it into an oven and rotates it on two axes.

The mold heats up.

The powder melts and adheres to the walls of the mold, forming a hollow part.

The mold now moves into a cooling zone, where it first rotates in front of a fan, then under a cool spray of water.

The constant turning minimizes sagging or buckling in the plastic as the hollow part cools and solidifies inside.

The mold opens, revealing a quarter section of the flotation ring.

Stainless-steel inserts for attaching it to the other sections have been embedded into the plastic.

They now mechanically push the hollow part underwater.

This is a test.

They pump air into it and check for bubbles that would indicate a hole.

The fountain ring must be leakproof because water will eventually be added to it to level it.

A worker now bolts the four quarters together using brackets and the steel inserts molded into the plastic earlier.

Next, they focus on the framework for the submersible pump.

A mechanical saw cuts the stainless steel parts to size, and a welder pieces them together.

Another worker now attaches the completed framework to the brackets protruding from the bottom of the floatation ring.

Using a press, they bend steel to create brackets to hold the fountain's lights.

They bolt the light brackets to the pump frame in a position to illuminate the upward spray of water.

They slide the long, tubular casing for the pump and its motor through brackets on the bottom of the frame.

This is the pump.

It's open to display the inner workings.

Those steel disks are the impellers that will force water upward.

The next employee applies pvc glue to attach a flange to the pump assembly.

The flange will be used to connect the pump to the fountain's plumbing.

He now inserts the pump and motor assembly into the casing.

The motor has been hermetically sealed to keep water out.

Using a special gripper, he pulls the assembly all the way through the tube to complete the installation.

He spreads more glue onto the flange and attaches a pvc elbow that links it to the rest of the plumbing.

The entire assembly is painted black so the fountain workings will seem to disappear underwater when viewed from the surface.

With the assembly now flipped right side up, they install the lights.

Then a worker screws a circle of eight brass nozzles onto a pvc base.

These nozzles will split the flow of pumped lake water into a eight sprays and configure them in a circle.

He tightens each nozzle to ensure the connection will withstand the powerful and perpetual pumping action.

He places the nozzle assembly on the plumbing protruding from the fountain raft and twists the threaded ends together.

The connection must be extremely tight.

Another worker then rolls a sheet of perforated steel to build a tubular screen to filter the water as it flows into the pump.

The screen fits perfectly onto the intake end of the pump and motor tube.

With the floating fountain now complete, it's ready to be wired to the control panel.

This panel will be positioned lakeside for onsite activation and programming of the timer.

The floating fountain is now ready for launching.

This particular one is a larger version of the one we saw being built, but big or small, it's all about going with the flow.

Artificial stone is a cast material that looks just like sculpted natural stone.

Since the early 18th century, manufacturers have cast stone in molds, producing beautiful garden and landscape ornaments, as well as architectural components designed to enhance buildings.

Classical-style statues and other garden ornaments came into fashion in england in the 1700s.

It was trendy for the upper classes to tour italy and admire ancient roman art and architecture.

Not every noble was wealthy enough to haul home a solid stone antiquity by stagecoach, so english factories began producing facsimiles in artificial stone.

The production process today is much like it was then, beginning in the studio, where a sculptor makes a plaster model of the ornament.

This one's a copy of an antique bust of pan, the greek mythological figure.

They use this intricately detailed model to make the production mold.

After coating the plaster with a sealer, they cover the entire model with thin strips of clay, making certain divisions between strips to create the production mold's various sections.

Over the clay, they apply six or so layers of fiberglass cloth saturated with resin.

The resin cures, producing a 3/10-inch-thick multi-sectioned case around the clay-covered model.

Next they open the case and remove the clay, which leaves a gap around the model.

They close the case and fill that gap with their specially developed rubber.

When the rubber cures, they open the case and remove the model, revealing a rubber mold that bears all the model's intricate details.

They send this cased mold off to the production facility and put the model in storage until the rubber mold wears out and it's time to pour a new one.

The artificial stone is a natural-looking off-white color.

It's made of fine sand, white cement, and limestone, plus plasticizers, waterproofers, and a few secret ingredients.

The factory adds stone pigments into the mix to produce terra cotta and other colors.

A computer-controlled system feeds the ingredients into the mixer in all the right proportions, then adds a small amount of water to activate the cement that binds everything together.

On the production floor, a caster repeatedly shovels a bit of stone mixture into the fiberglass-encased rubber mold, then, using both hand and pneumatic tools, compacts it in the mold.

The quality of the ornament depends greatly on the caster's technique.

The trick is to ram enough stone mixture into every nook and cranny of the mold, but not compact too much at a time, as this mold would produce unattractive layers in the finished ornament.

They trowel the open side of the mold by hand and smooth the surface.

The stone mix takes 24 hours to reach an initial set.

Then, section by section, they unbolt the case and peel off the rubber mold.

This may be artificial stone, but its surface texture closely resembles carved limestone.

The final step is a vapor curing.

The ornaments go into a chamber overnight.

The steam forces moisture into the pores, curing the cement inside.

This type of artificial stone is called dry cast limestone.

Other ornaments are made of wet cast limestone, a mixture of similar ingredients, but in larger particle size and containing much more water.

Because you can embed stainless-steel reinforcement bars in it, wet cast is the better material for making objects such as garden benches or large fountain bowls that require structural strength.

Wet cast doesn't have to be vapor-cured because of its high water content.

However, unlike dry cast, which is finished when it comes out of the mold, wet cast does require finishing.

Workers have to grind away excess material that sometimes seeps out of the joints in the mold and hardens.

The wet cast surface is smooth and sealed, so it's normally easier to clean.

Dry cast stone, by contrast, has a textured surface and weathers to an antique look.


Mobile Concert Stages
Mascara
Continuous Miners
Wood Gift Boxes

The mobile concert stage was invented in canada in the 1980s.

It uses hydraulics to fold into a trailer for transport and then unfolds upon arrival at the event venue.

It takes 45 minutes for a crew to set up a mobile stage, and then it's show time.

No stage?

No problem.

Just order a mobile hydraulic stage, and in less than an hour, you're ready to rock 'n' roll.

The convenience means it has plenty of fans in the event-production industry.

A mobile stage starts with the trailer framework.

A worker saws aluminum beams to length.

At the same time, another member of the team pieces together aluminum tubing for the roof.

He welds the joints to complete the roof's skeleton.

He then welds the trailer support structure together.

With the girders assembled, the trailer's substructure is ready for the axles and wheels.

Each axle can support 10,000 pounds of weight.

They install hydraulic cylinders on each corner of the trailer.

These cylinders are the extendable legs that will stabilize the stage trailer on the ground.

Next up is a panel with valves to control the flow of hydraulic fluid.

They bolt the panel to the back of the trailer and connect hoses to the valves.

This network of hoses will circulate fluid for the hydraulics.

They cover the valves and hoses with a metal plate.

The plate has slots for control levers.

They screw the levers to the valves.

He then installs a hydraulic pressure gauge.

The team now lowers the tank for the hydraulic fluid into the base frame and secures it.

They run the hoses for the hydraulic fluid through a filter at the entrance to the tank.

They're ready for the extendable supports for the stage mast.

Using a forklift, they maneuver the parts into place at the ends of the trailer.

They return to the floor and bolt six hydraulic cylinders into the framework.

They'll be used to lift and lower the floors.

The roof structure is next.

A crane does the lifting, and a worker guides the panels onto the beams.

They secure the panels with hinges, torquing them tightly.

The team transfers the floor panels to both sides of the main chassis.

The install leg jacks to support them.

There are eight jacks for each floor panel.

They install more hydraulic cylinders for raising and lowering the floor.

This mobile concert stage is ready for the outer skin.

An employee glues fiberglass sheeting to the sides.

A team then lays the plywood floors sheet by sheet.

The plywood is marine-grade.

It has a laminate composite surface.

The laminate is textured for skid resistance.

It's also waterproof for outdoor events.

Once all the paneling is in place, this mobile stage is ready to go on tour.

Eight weeks in the making, it will be a time-saver on the road.

One way to enhance eyelashes is to coat them with mascara.

Early mascaras were made of petroleum jelly and coal or soap cake tinted with black dye.

Today's liquid mascara comes in a tube with an applicator brush built right into the cap.

Mascara formulations vary.

The basic ingredients are wax, water, pigment, and binders.

Additional ingredients produce features such as water resistance.

Every formulation is comprised of an oil-soluble phase and a water-soluble phase.

To prepare this mascara's oil phase, a technician combines four types of wax-- carnauba, from a brazilian palm tree; candelilla, from a plant that grows in parts of mexico and texas; beeswax; and glyceryl stearate, an emulsifier which helps ingredients blend well.

Next comes vitamin "e," which conditions lashes and gives the mascara a smooth texture.

After that is a chemical compound called pelemol d-2000, which makes the mascara water-resistant.

The technician heats this oil phase of the formulation.

Once the waxes begin melting, blends the ingredients.

Wax is a thickener.

This calculated combination of four different waxes produces a semiliquid gel that coats lashes with a shiny film.

The technician now prepares the water-soluble phase of the formulation separately, first, heating up cold water, then adding an emulsifier.

This will bind the water and oil phases when they're combined later on.

Without an emulsifier, oil and water solubles would naturally separate.

The next ingredient is a cosmetic-grade iron oxide pigment.

The color is black because she's making black mascara.

She blends the mixture until the color is uniform.

Then she adds t.e.a. this organic compound balances the mascara's ph level so that it isn't too acidic or alkaline.

Next, she adds a cosmetic powder to make the mascara silky and a chemical to provide additional water resistance.

Finally, she completes the formulation by adding the oil phase to this water phase.

Heating the mixture while blending prevents the waxes from solidifying.

Before packaging, the factory's chemist runs quality-control tests.

Using a viscometer to measure thickness, he makes sure the mascara isn't runny or gooey.

He also tests the ph level.

If the sample meets specifications, the lab gives the go-ahead to package the mascara, and a worker pours the batch into a filling machine.

The machine continuously mixes the mascara and keeps it hot so that it remains liquid.

Otherwise, the mascara would begin to cool and jellify and clog the filling nozzle.

A mascara bottle typically contains about 2 ounces of mascara.

As it cools in the bottle, it transforms into a semiliquid gel.

She seals the bottle by pressing in a plunger-style plastic stopper.

The stopper has a hole in the middle for inserting the brush applicator that's built into the bottle's cap.

The lip of the stopper hole is designed to wipe off excess mascara as you pull the brush out of the bottle.

This helps prevent the mascara from clumping.

This manufacturer fills small orders manually, like this one for a private-label brand.

Its automated production line is reserved for large orders.

Regardless of quantity, clients specify the characteristics they want in their brand of mascara, such as lengthening or water resistance, and the manufacturer tailors the formulation accordingly.

The continuous miner is always on the job.

This machine constantly bores into deposits of coal, salt, or pot ash to break them into little pieces.

Its invention in america in the 1940s was an earth-shattering development.

The continuous miner is a force to be reckoned with underground.

A spinning drum is spiked with tungsten carbide teeth.

It tears into the rock face and spits the pieces out onto a conveyor.

The continuous miner can remove 24 tons of minerals per minute.

That's more than a human miner can dig in an entire day.

The work is hard on the equipment, and, so, eventually, the continuous miner undergoes a complete rebuild.

It starts with an extensive cleaning.

After a steam wash, a worker aims a torch at the bolts of the drum.

The heat causes the bolts to expand and move away from the hole.

This makes it easier to pull them out, using a pneumatic impact wrench.

Once all the bolts have been removed, the drum can be pried from the shaft.

Once free, a crane lifts the heavy drum, and workers guide it to the next station.

Here, a worker in protective gear blasts the drum with tiny steel shot.

This removes any remaining dirt and grime.

Some parts, like these centrifugal loading arms, are beyond repair, so they build new ones.

Connected to a hub, these arms will move mined material onto the machine's conveyor.

A worker reinforces each one with a wear plate.

He then heats the wear plate and loading arm before welding them together.

Preheating reduces the possibility of the weld cracking.

They lower the loading-arm assembly into the machine framework.

Then a computerized cutter carves a sheet of steel to make new access panels for the continuous miner.

The slicing force comes from a pressurized mixture of water and garnet granules.

No blade is necessary.

The operator of the machine hoses off the filings.

He retrieves the cut part with a magnet.

Over to the conveyor part of the continuous miner now.

They had built up the hole for the pivot pin because it had stretched from wear.

A tool mills the built-up hole to return it to the correct diameter.

The team then focuses on the main frames of the continuous miner.

They weld the cracks and grind them smooth.

Now beginning with the conveyor tail, a worker spray paints the continuous miner one piece at a time.

Another member of the team inserts new plugs into an electrical control box.

He bolts the panel, holding electrical controls to the machine casing.

He then installs heavy doors that swing open so the electrical can be easily accessed.

There are a total of 25 covers and doors on the continuous miner.

Some protect hydraulic hoses.

Others encase the wiring or gear boxes.

They can all be removed if maintenance needs to be performed.

It's taken several months for this massive overhaul, and they're ready to put this rebuilt continuous miner to the test.

Using the machine's remote control, a technician checks the function of every component.

With his approval, the continuous miner goes back underground to pick up where it left off.

A product presented in a beautiful, high-quality, wooden box is sure to stand out.

Companies use them as special-event displays or as corporate gift boxes.

Because they're handmade, the boxes can be customized to showcase each product.

Wood gift boxes make wonderful cases for spirit bottles, collectible coins, watches, or christmas ornaments.

Not only do they display the product beautifully, they also protect the contents inside.

Today, they're making a box with maple boards, which are cut on an automated saw.

A mortiser's parallel blades cut square-shaped notches at the end of each plank.

These will serve to finger joint the sides of the box later on.

The pieces of wood are pressed against the corner so that the resulting fingers are perfectly aligned.

The factory usually makes fingers that are 6 millimeters wide.

Wider fingers would be unsightly, and thinner ones would be too fragile.

They now prepare the top of the wood box.

A press uses heat and pressure to stamp the company's logo on the surface of the wood.

They brand the wood with a magnesium plate, heating to 840 degrees fahrenheit.

The process takes just two seconds.

Next, they assemble the sides, interlocking the pieces manually.

They use a rubber mallet to avoid damaging or denting the wood.

When the four sides are end to end, they apply a small amount of wood glue on the inside of each joint.

They form the corners at a 90-degree angle.

Once the box is assembled, a press will finish pushing in the fingers on each joint.

When the box comes out of the press, they check the square.

They apply wood glue for the bottom of the box.

Since the bottom is less visible, clients sometimes choose plywood instead of solid wood to save on costs.

They glue a solid maple top, and the boxes go into press for 35 minutes until the glue dries.

After sanding, a router shapes the edge of the box's top.

By changing the router-bit, they can create all kinds of decorative profiles.

This one is simply rounded.

They sand the whole box again with 120-grit sandpaper, and finish with 180-grit sandpaper.

Now they can cut the box open, starting at the back.

They create a wide angle so the lid can open freely on its hinges.

Next, they make a straight cut through each of the three remaining sides, sawing the box in half.

They separate the body from the lid, and the two match up perfectly.

Each half of the box goes on an automated milling machine called a slotter.

It cuts the slots in the wood on the back of the box.

These slots will receive the hinges.

The bottom of each slot is rounded to cradle the rounded ends of the hinges.

These hinges are made of nickel-plated metal.

They're designed to be pressure fitted, so they won't need any screws to stay in place.

The worker uses a rubber mallet to insert the hinges in the body of the box.

Once the hinges are aligned with the lid, he squeezes them tight, using the hammer again if necessary.

The angled cut creates enough space for the hinges and helps to open the lid.

They apply a coat of sealer, lightly sand the wood, and finish with a coat of lacquer.

When the lacquer is dry, they install the magnetic closure in a pre-drilled hole.

Another magnet goes into the lid, and that makes for a nice-closing box.

They stick a piece of self-adhesive felt to the bottom of the box and trim the excess.

Next, they line the box with foam in order to protect its contents.

Some clients prefer thermoformed plastic trays molded to their product's specific shape.

You can choose the size, shape, type of wood, color, and hardware of the box.

The only limit is your budget and your imagination.


Clay Liquor Jugs
Poultry Deli Meats
NASCAR Engines

The clay liquor jug is a product with an elicit past.

In 19th-century america, this distinct stoneware jug was used to contain backwoods brew, moonshine whiskey that was produced under the cover of night to avoid scrutiny from the authorities so it could be sold tax free.

Today they still uncork the little brown jug to serve up old-time corn whiskey.

Replicas like this one add an authentic touch to the traditional brew.

The jug starts with raw clay dug out of the ground and crushed into little particles.

They also break up defective and damaged pottery and recycle it into the process so nothing is wasted.

Next, a shaft with protruding knives mixes the clay with water and fortifying chemicals.

When the clay reaches a doughy consistency, a vacuum sucks out the air pockets, and then machinery forces it through a dye to form a long log.

In log form, the clay is easier to handle.

The potter pulls off some chunks of clay and shapes them into patties.

He presses the patties into molds of the top and bottom parts of the clay liquor jug.

He inserts each mold in a holding ring and spins it.

A wooden tool now sculpts the jug's top section from the inside.

Clay migrates up the walls of the mold and takes its shape.

The potter pokes a wooden dowel in the neck of the jug to round it out.

As tools shape the lower body of the liquor jug, the potter sprays water on the rim.

This makes the rim sticky, which will allow the bottom portion of the jug to adhere to the top.

Still in the molds, he presses the two parts of the jug together, and the moistened clay bonds.

Once the clay is dried, the next craftsperson pries it from the molds, and it comes out in one piece.

She removes any unwanted bits and transfers the jug to the workbench.

She levels the lip of the jug with a stick and spins the jug on a pottery wheel to scrape off surplus clay at the seam.

She smooths down rough spots on the exterior surface with a wet sponge.

At this point, the clay is still fairly supple and responds to moisture.

Meanwhile, jug handles are taking shape in this tub.

Steel paddles force the clay through holes in the bottom, producing ribbons of clay that will now be shaped into curved handles.

The potter moistens one end of the clay ribbon and presses it to the neck of the jug.

She must apply just the right amount of pressure, or it will fall off.

She pulls the clay ribbon into a distinctive curve and presses the other end to the side of the jug.

The curvature must be similar from jug to jug, and producing a consistent shape every time takes practice.

At the glazing station, an operator tests a pump that spurts glaze upwards, creating a brief fountain of glaze.

With a paddle, he swishes the solution around to keep the glaze particles suspended.

Then he immerses the top of the jug in the liquid to give the clay liquor jug that familiar two-toned look.

He pumps glaze inside the jug, giving it a leakproof lining that will allow it to hold liquids.

The next worker stamps product information on the side of the jug using ceramic inks.

Next, they prepare a different glaze.

The worker dips the bottom portion of the jug in it, and it appears to completely obscure the carefully applied product information.

But when the glaze dries, it will become transparent, and the stamp will be visible again.

The next worker scuffs off the glaze on the base to keep the jug from sticking to the shelves in the kiln.

They fire the whiskey jugs at around 2,200 degrees fahrenheit for eight hours.

This hardens the clay and deepens the glaze.

It's taken a total of 19 steps and one week to transform a couple of lumps of clay into a little brown jug.

And it's sure to add a touch of nostalgia to cocktail hour.

Man cannot live by bread alone.

But add a few slices of chicken or turkey deli meat, and you've got a meal.

Poultry deli meat is a popular alternative to corn beef or salami, and that's because it's less fatty any way you slice it.

When it comes to making deli meats, it's all in the seasoning.

From fiery southwestern turkey to hot-sauce-marinated chicken, they really know how to spice it up.

They begin with plenty of filtered water.

It will be used to disperse the specially formulated seasonings.

There's a different blend for every product, and they include salt and different herbs and spices.

They add honey because this is a honey maple recipe.

And while that's all being mixed, they check the temperature of the raw poultry to confirm it's in the safe range.

If it's even slightly off, there's a risk of bacterial growth, so the whole batch would have to be rejected.

But this poultry has been well-chilled.

The stitch pump machine's long steel needles repeatedly inject seasoning solutions into the breast meat.

Excess liquid drains through the conveyor as the chicken is transferred to a holding area to marinate for at least two hours.

Next, numerous lumpy rollers massage the chicken and break down fiber to tenderize the meat.

Then, in a tumbler, metal paddles vigorously knead the meat.

This tenderizes it even more and releases a natural protein that will eventually bind several breasts into one big piece.

Meanwhile in the turkey kitchen, workers shape and season previously marinated meat and apply strips of bacon to the top.

The employee arranges them in a crisscross pattern for full coverage.

He dusts it with a mix of seasonings and then wraps it in thick plastic.

Once enclosed in the plastic, he can press the turkey breast into a more perfect shape.

For a different flavor, they drench some turkey breast in a spicy southwestern marinade.

After folding the turkey meat to the desired shape, the worker adds salsa and seasonings to complete the recipe.

A little more hand shaping and it's ready for the oven.

Back on the chicken line, it's the same idea but with a different twist.

Chicken breasts are too small to shape by hand, so they funnel them into thermoformed plastic molds.

As the molds move forward, a worker sprinkles spices onto the meat while another swabs juices to test for pathogens as part of a quality-control program.

Equipment heat-seals the plastic molds and then cuts them free from the matrix.

Then they're on their way to the smoke oven.

They spend six hours smoking at 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The protein released earlier by kneading causes the chicken parts to adhere and take the shape of the mold.

Once they've been temperature checked, it's on to the next station.

Here, workers peel off the cooking mold and drain the excess juices.

Then the molded breasts go through a fryer.

The hot canola oil browns the outside of the chicken meat for a more appealing and tasty effect.

Meanwhile, workers swish other cooked chicken breasts in hot buffalo-wing sauce to really kick up the spice a few notches.

And after extra seasoning, the chicken travels through a long arc of electric heat rods.

This is a special convection oven.

Fans blow the heat from the rods onto the meat to complete the cooking process.

By now the turkey deli meat has also been thoroughly cooked and crisped.

They transfer the turkey-filled bags to clam-like devices that close around them.

Inside, a vacuum sucks out the air to shrink the packaging around the turkey and keep it fresh.

It has taken about eight hours to produce this poultry deli meat.

Refrigerated, it should last about 35 days, unless there's a hungry crowd.

Nascar, an acronym for the national association for stock car auto racing, is one of the most popular spectator sports in north america.

Nascar vehicles are modeled after certain american-made four-door passenger cars, but with far more powerful engines.

No overhead camshaft engines on this track.

For tradition's sake, nascar rules require an overhead valve engine, an older type of configuration also known as a push rod engine.

Designing the engine takes about a year and a half.

It culminates in a detailed computer model, an anatomical rendering of the engine in full detail, right down to every last nut and bolt.

The computer model guides a stereolithography machine to produce a plastic prototype of each engine component.

The machine repeatedly outputs paper-thin layers of photosensitive liquid resin, which an ultraviolet laser instantly solidifies.

Over the course of several hours of resin layering, their prototype component takes shape.

Technicians test it in conjunction with other prototype components and make any necessary adjustments to the design.

Then, computer-controlled machining equipment produces a metal prototype.

When every component has gone through this process, the engine design gets the go-ahead to move into production.

The factory first casts the basic shape of certain components in a mold, then machines that shape to its final form.

Here, computer-guided hones finish the engine's eight cylinder bores, the chambers in which the power-generating combustion cycles will occur.

Technicians take very precise measurements to ensure the bores' diameter and roundness meet specifications.

Then they flip the engine block upside down, oil the crankshaft bearings, position the crankshaft on those bearings, and lock it in with bolted-on caps.

As the pistons inside the cylinders move up and down, they rotate the crankshaft, driving the clutch and transmission, which propel the racecar.

With this little black component called a wrist pin, they join the piston to a connecting rod.

Next, they fit two rings on the piston.

The top one seals the cylinder, maximizing the pressure inside, which optimizes combustion.

The bottom ring skims excess oil off the cylinder walls between combustion cycles, which prevents the car from burning oil.

After inserting a piston all the way down into the cylinder bore, they grease the upper portion to prepare for measuring the compression ratio which must comply with nascar rules.

The compression ratio refers to the volume of space in which the piston compresses the gas and fuel mixture entering the cylinder.

To take this critical measurement, they raise the piston all the way to the top dead center point, then verify the positioning with gauges.

They seal the top of the cylinder with a see-through plastic plate.

Then, with a syringe, inject alcohol into the space in between.

The markings on the syringe tell them how many ccs-- cubic centimeters-- filling that space requires.

This volume measurement indicates the compression ratio.

The higher the compression ratio, the more horsepower the engine produces.

They repeat this test with each cylinder.

They flip the engine block upside down and put each piston's connecting rod in the corresponding position on the crankshaft.

Then lock the piston in place with bolted-on connection caps.

Now the technician closes up the bottom of the engine.

Meanwhile, a device called a profilometer inspects the camshaft.

The camshaft moves the intake and exhaust valves at the top of each cylinder, allowing the fuel and air mixture in and the combustion gases out.

This testing ensures the camshaft is straight and that its surface is slightly rough so that lubricating oil will cling to it.

The engine build is now about halfway there.

In a push rod engine, the camshaft is located, as we've just seen, above the crankshaft.

It opens and closes the valves with a system of lifters, rods, and rocker arms.

In the more modern overhead camshaft configuration, the camshaft sits on top of the cylinders, moving the valves directly.

Building the nascar engine continues with the installation of this aluminum motor plate by which mechanics will mount the engine in the car.

Next, the timing belt, which links the camshaft to the crankshaft, ensuring they turn in sync and maintain the correct timing.

At the core of the belt is a woven material that's five times stronger than steel.

Other technicians use a gauge to measure how much force it takes to compress the valve springs.

This quality-control check ensures that spring tension is within a specific range.

Each cylinder has an intake valve and an exhaust valve.

Technicians use a compression tool to squeeze a spring over each one.

Then they secure the spring with a locking clip.

The valves are located in the top section of the engine, called the cylinder head, that technicians now bolt on to the engine block.

Next, they assemble the push rod system by which the camshaft opens and closes the valves.

First, rocker stands.

Then push rods.

These insert into lifters which connect to the camshaft.

And finally rocker arms.

One end of each arm goes on the push rod.

The other sits on the valve.

When the camshaft turns, the system opens and closes the valves.

Technicians close up the cylinder head with a valve cover.

Next, they install the engine cooling system, starting with a water manifold.

After mounting a cover to protect the cam belt from rocks and other debris, they install the water pump.

It circulates cold water through the engine to prevent overheating.

Having absorbed the heat, the water exits the engine via the manifold, then travels to the radiator which cools it back down.

Then the pump, driven by this pulley, sends the water back into the engine to repeat the cycle.

Next, technicians mount the alternator.

It generates electricity to run the engine and other components, such as the air-conditioning, the dashboard gauges, and fans which cool the brakes, tires, and rear end.

This belt drives both the alternator and water pump pulley.

Next, technicians install the oil pump.

It sucks hot oil out of the engine, sends it to the oil radiator for cooling, then pumps it back into the engine.

Now the distributor.

It sends electricity from the alternator-charged car battery to the spark plugs.

The spark plugs fire, igniting the fuel and air mixture in each cylinder, producing a mini explosion that drives the piston.

This component, the intake manifold, feeds the air and fuel mixture to the cylinder intake valves.

The carburetor regulates the mixture ratio by metering the right amount of fuel to the amount of air coming in.

Technicians install the numerous parts that make up the clutch.

Next, the starter ring, which engages with the starter to fire up the engine.

Finally, they mount the bell housing, a cover that protects the clutch from debris and connects the engine to the transmission.

The factory hooks up every engine it produces to a testing machine.

The machine starts up and runs the motor, analyzing some 300 performance criteria, from revolutions per minute to fuel flow.

At the same time, three remote-controlled cameras shooting from different angles enable technicians to zoom in and view on a monitor anything they need to visually inspect.

All this to ensure the engine they've built will have a winning track record.


Wooden Bowls
Chainsaws
Stackable Potato Chips
Jet Compressor Blades

Today on "how it's made"...

Wooden bowls...

Chain saws...

Stackable potato chips...

And jet compressor blades.

There was a time when bowl making was a cherished trade passed down through generations of woodworkers.

But today, with so much mass-produced tableware, handcrafted wooden bowls have become a specialty item, and this centuries-old traditional craft is practically a lost art.

Each of these exquisite bowls is made from a solid piece of hardwood-- beech, maple, walnut, or cherry.

Logs arrive at the bowl mill fresh from the forest, so they're still very damp, and that's an advantage because the moisture lubricates the cutting tools.

The first step is to divide the log into blocks with a chain-saw operator measuring and inspecting as he goes.

Defects such as knots or scarring dictate the length of each block.

Any cracks or other flaws are marked with a red crayon.

Next, a rip-saw operator uses different-size bowl patterns to determine the best way to cut the block.

The goal is to get the biggest bowl-size pieces possible without including any defective wood.

Each bowl-sized piece is called a bowl blank.

This block is large enough to yield three blanks, each of which will produce a 17-inch bowl and a series of progressively smaller bowls that nest inside it.

The blank is mounted onto a woodworking lathe.

From this point on, production is entirely dependent on the lathe operator's skill.

As the block spins, he carves out the bowls using a series of specialized knives designed and forged at this very mill.

First he uses this curved knife to shear off the outer portion of wood.

It takes great expertise to know exactly how to angle the tool and when to pull it out and release the wood shavings and prevent a jam.

After two or three minutes, the exterior bark shell has been sheared off.

The bare wood that's left represents the outside of the largest bowl that he'll mill from this blank.

With a finer blade, he sculpts the wood to just the right thickness and smoothes the surface.

Now he switches to a smaller curved knife and cuts into the wood.

This forms the inside of the largest bowl and the outside of the next smaller one.

The lathe worker repeats the smoothing and cutting process with progressively smaller knives, making bowl after bowl at a rate of about one a minute.

This one bowl blank produces four nested bowls, the smallest measuring about nine inches in diameter.

The bowls are steamed for about four hours to draw out the sap and hydrate the pores of the wood uniformly.

Once a bowl is dry--  about a month later-- workers even out the top rim on a sanding table.

Then, using a belt sander, they smooth the outside and inside surfaces.

A motorized saw shaves off the bottom of the bowl, giving it a flat base on which to sit and a place to inscribe the company name.

Businesses can order custom-made bowls featuring their company logo.

Artists burn the design into the wood or paint it on.

The bowls now go for a bath in food-safe mineral oil.

This nourishes the wood, preventing dryness and cracks.

Oiling also brings out the natural beauty of the wood grain, and because all raw wood is unique, no two bowls are ever alike.

Up next...

High-tech production at a chain-saw factory.

It's loud, it's powerful, and it rules the forest.

The chain saw has revolutionized the logging industry by replacing simple muscle power with mechanical might.

The chain saw can fell a tree and quickly turn logs into lumber.

Production begins with the plastic housing.

Three aluminum inserts must be molded into the housing to provide solid anchors for other parts.

A robot picks up the inserts one at a time and delivers them to an injection molding machine.

Then it places the inserts into a mold at the front of the machine.

The machine injects melted plastic into the mold to make the chain saw's engine cover.

During the molding process, the metal inserts become integrated into the housing.

It takes just seconds to transform these plastic pellets into a chain-saw engine cover.

The robot carries each engine cover to an automated cutter that removes any unwanted bits of plastic.

The scraps drop into a bin below.

The hot covers cool for about 10 minutes.

Then the robot moves them to the next station.

There's one more piece of plastic housing-- the fuel tank.

The sonic welder melts and fuses it to the engine cover using high-frequency vibration.

Now it's time to move on to the engine and install a spring system for the starter cord.

The two-stroke engine slides into the plastic casing.

And a spark plug is popped into place.

After the crankshaft is lubricated, the chain saw's automatic oiling system is installed.

The carburetor is attached, along with a pull-cord starter system.

This saw gets an air filter.

Then the chain bar's stud bolts are dipped in adhesive and screwed into the inserts molded into the plastic housing.

The rear handle goes on...

Along with a safety-release trigger.

The front handle is screwed into place.

And the oil line gets a filter attachment that lubricates the bar and chain.

That will strain out any impurities.

Next, workers install bearings and the crankshaft clutch system.

The clutch is the link between the engine and chain.

When it's engaged, the chain will move around the cutting bar.

The engine is now ready for a test run at typical speed-- 8,000 rpm.

Technicians adjust the carburetor so that it mixes the right amount of gas and air and check the exhaust to make sure it doesn't exceed pollution standards.

Workers attach the company's logo and other operational information.

Then the brake system goes into place.

Finally, the metal bar and chain blade are packed in a protective sleeve.

Once the saw's chain blade is installed, the owner has a power tool with teeth for almost any job.

When we return...

Get the skinny on stackable chips.

It's a snack that's made to stack.

Unlike other chips that come in irregular shapes and sizes, these chips have a uniform concave shape that allows them to tightly interlock and fit neatly in a tubular container.

The process for making these tubes starts with big rolls of plain brown paper and foil-backed paper that help keep the chips fresh.

The streams of paper travel across rollers that apply a coat of glue.

The paper layers then twist around the mandrel that's turned by a big belt.

The belt also presses the glued layers together.

Next, the label paper gets a coat of glue.

This helps it stick to the paper on the mandrel.

A camera photographs the white edging on the label paper, then relays its location to a set of circular knives.

They make a precise cut just below the white edging.

Cued by the camera, the carriage then moves the knives into position for the next cut.

You the tubes then head into a turning station...

A box with a pathway inside that flips the tubes right side up.

Hot metal heads curl the tops to accommodate lids.

A roller pulls foil-backed paper into a cutter that punches out the lid shapes.

Little vacuums take the lids to the tubes and heat-seal them on.

Plastic lids go over the paper ones.

The lidded tubes are now turned upside down, ready to be stacked with chips.

The chip recipe is 1/3 water to 2/3 potato flakes with a little cornstarch mixed in.

A conveyor delivers the mix to an auger, which disperses it.

Then it sets out on the production line.

Using four tons of pressure, the mix is rolled into one long potato sheet.

A rotary cutter then punches out oval shapes.

A device pulls away the scrap dough, leaving flat, uncooked chips.

This scrap dough goes back into the chip-making process, while the potato chips head for the fryer.

As they travel through the fryer, rolling molds give the chips their uniformly concave shape, making them more easily stackable.

The chips spend 11 seconds in hot oil, crisping.

Then they travel under blowers to get rid of excess oil.

The chips get a coat of seasoning, then do a backflip off one conveyor and onto another, falling into neat piles.

A worker inspects the rows of chips.

Then it's onto another conveyor that shakes them up to loosen the stack.

They travel over scales to be portioned out for packaging.

Automated spoons shove the chips into the open ends of the tubes.

Guides tap the tops of the tubes to nudge the chips into position.

Grippers then lower the stacks of tubes to a station, where spinning heads force metal bottoms onto them.

Now they're ready for shipping.

It takes about 20 minutes to make a tube of stackable chips, but it takes less time to polish them off.

Up next, jet compressor blades that really make the cut.

Compressor blades are key components in a jet's engine.

Thousands of them whirl inside the engine, rotating 400 times per second and whipping air into small hurricanes.

Large compressor blades made of titanium compress the air in front of an engine's turbo chamber.

In the back of the chamber, smaller blades made of nickel alloy compress it even more.

The air heats up to more than 1,000 degrees, then combines with jet fuel, creating a powerful mix that explodes out the back of the engine.

The blades start off as metal pellets called slugs.

A ceramic layer prevents their surfaces from oxidizing when exposed to intense heat.

The slugs are heated for 15 minutes in an 1,800-degree oven.

Meanwhile, a robot sprays lubricant on two dies inside a press.

The robot retrieves the slugs and loads them in the first die.

The press applies over 1,000 tons of pressure to preform the metal.

The robot then transfers the slugs to the second die, where they take the initial shape of the blade.

The blades are dipped in water to cool.

Another robot cleans the metal burrs off the edges.

The blade is now an airfoil.

Robots will shape the rounded base of the blade, called the dovetail, later.

The airfoil has gone from this to this.

After a new ceramic layer is applied, the blade is heated again.

Each heating and cooling cycle tempers the metal, making it more resilient.

Almost 1,800 tons of pressure gives the airfoil its final shape.

A trimmer shaves off the excess metal.

The searing heat has turned the protective ceramic layer into glass.

That will come off later.

It's taken an hour to shape the blade's airfoil.

The dovetail, that nub on the right, is next.

But first, this measuring machine inspects the airfoil.

If any measurement is off by just half the thickness of a human hair, the blade doesn't make the cut.

This casting machine will encase the airfoil in a matrix, a coating that protects the airfoil during work on the dovetail.

The matrix is molded from liquid tin and bismuth.

It solidifies into a metal cast around the airfoil.

The future dovetail sticks out at the end.

The cast is then loaded into what is called a broach machine.

Its series of teeth carve the dovetail into its final shape.

Now the cast can come off.

A worker loads it onto the removal machine, and a hydraulic cylinder hits the cast at its weakest point, breaking it in half.

The finished airfoil emerges unscathed.

A dot-matrix machine punches identification numbers onto the blade.

Next, the blades are submerged in a fluid that penetrates any flaws in the metal.

This inspection is critical because even the tiniest nick can spell disaster when a jet's engines are working at full speed.

Inspectors examine the blades under a black light.

This one's perfect, but spots of fluorescence on this one indicate microscopic cracks and weaknesses.

This one gets rejected.

The dovetail gets two strips of rubber silicone that ensure an airtight seal when the dovetail slides into the slot on the compressor drum.

A final check, and the blades are now ready for takeoff.


Belts
3D Metal Printers
Detectable Warning Panels
Model Stirling Engines

Today on "how it's made," belts...

3-d metal printers...

Detectable warning panels...

And model stirling engines.

Belts have been worn with different types of garments since the invention of clothes.

Made to cinch your waistline, this accessory is worn with pants, shirts, robes, or dresses, making a fashionable addition to any outfit.

Durable and flexible, leather is the classic material used for belt making.

This production facility manufactures stylish, high quality belts at top speed.

A designer creates a belt pattern on her computer and sends the design electronically to the in-house laser etching machine.

A craftsman places a cowhide on a large table.

He examines the hide for any flaws and carefully marks each one.

The cowhides are made from meat industry byproducts, and most are sourced from italy.

A device scans the shape of the hide and the craftsman digitally marks the location of the flaws.

A specialized cutting machine uses the marked information to create an efficient series of cuts.

This process results in a high quality product with minimal waste.

Another technician sorts the various belt lengths into containers, preparing them for the next step.

The cutting machine is capable of slicing up to 2,400 belts per day.

The cutting machine creates straight, sharp-edged strips.

The technician feeds the belts into a machine that bevels the edges at the rate of 6,000 per day.

At the next station, a series of small suction devices quickly lift and place each belt on a conveyor system.

A stamping machine accurately cuts the shape of the belt tip and the holes for the prong.

The craftsman stacks a group of belts and packs them tightly together, then he dyes the edges with ink and sands them down.

These steps complement the edge dyeing machine process, which can add color to the belt edges.

Then the belts are transferred to a drying machine.

The edges must be completely dry before they move to the next step.

Powered by world war ii jeep engines, a rotating wooden drum tumbles the belts, while simultaneously burnishing the leather.

This type of machinery comes from italy's famous leather working region.

This imported machine, from milan, rapidly punches out the pattern of perforations, which make up the belt's signature design elements.

Since the machine's die is less than 20 inches long, the complex pattern along the belt can't be stamped at once.

Instead, the machine punches out a section at a time resulting in a production rate of 1,400 belts per day.

A laser etching machine burns a second pattern into the leather surface.

This pattern was created by the designer prior to production.

At the next station, a craftswoman fills the holes of a specially crafted two-part metal die with nail heads.

The nail heads are made of zinc with a brass finish.

Using a press, an operator places the die in a waiting repository.

She removes the top half, ensuring that all of the holes are filled with nail heads.

Then she turns the belt around and places it over the die before sliding the belt inside the press.

The press affixes the nail heads to the leather.

Before attaching the buckle, the belts go through a process called skiving.

This device shaves off a section of the leather so that when it's folded over, it won't be too thick.

A loop is attached on to the end of the belt, followed by a buckle.

The craftswoman uses the loop to temporarily hold the buckle and tag in place.

The tag contains the belt's size, price, and brand information.

Another craftswoman sews the belt buckle and tag in place, using 69 weight thread and a bar tacking stitch.

This facility manufactures nearly 10,000 belts per day.

This intricate leather fashion accessory might be a cinch to wear, but not to make.

3-d printers generate metal parts for spacecraft, cars, and medical devices, to name a few.

3-d printing technology allows for the production of complex design structures which can't be achieved using traditional manufacturing methods.

The 3-d metal printer could truly break the mold.

Thanks to advancements in technology, it's now possible to print metal parts.

This 3-d printer melts and layers metal powder and a part materializes.

This part will become a rocket nozzle heat exchanger.

At the core of the 3-d metal printer is the deposition head, which feeds and melts the the metal powder.

So far the designing process has taken hundreds of hours.

Tools guided by the design software transform a brass cylinder into the nozzle cone.

The profile of the nozzle cone can vary slightly, depending on the parts the 3-d metal printer will be used to produce.

Next the powder inlet component is added.

Metal powder will flow through this part to a mixing chamber and, eventually, the nozzle cone.

Computerized tools cut angled channels, delivering different metal powders to the mixing chamber with an angular velocity, creating a vortex to help blend the powders.

The part has been nickel plated and fasteners are installed.

The technician aligns the laser delivery channel to the powder inlet part, and screws them together.

The laser will melt the metal powder as it flows through the inlet.

She installs latches on the rim of the powder inlet part and tightly torques the screws that hold them in place.

Using the latches, she locks the mixing chamber to the inlet.

The latches will help make further assembly and disassembly of the 3-d metal printer head a snap.

Next, a laser nozzle is screwed onto the mixing chamber.

Then, the technician places the main nozzle cone over the laser nozzle and connects the threaded rim to the mixing chamber.

The deposition head is now complete.

Next, another the technician mounts the laser system to a vertical axis in the printer housing.

He runs coolant lines for the laser and attaches the deposition head, screwing it in place with a threaded brass collar.

The laser system and deposition head are now integrated.

First, the powder feeder is assembled with a substantial base to accommodate a feed drive system.

The technician installs the feeder shaft in the upper half of the base.

Then, he screws a disc to the shaft.

The disc will spin to move the metal powder into the printer head system.

He slides a spring on to the shaft which helps maintain its position.

Then, he connects the upper half of the base to the bottom half.

He installs an inlet for carrier gas that will be used to move the powder through tubing to the printer head.

He assembles windows to a lid.

They'll provide a view of the metal powder swirling in the feeder disc, so that any problems can be identified.

He press fits the hopper cone into a ridged hole in the lid.

He attaches the hopper to the cone.

He clamps the feeder motor to the hopper using long screws, which seals the hopper and turns it into a pressure vessel.

The resulting pressure will help force the powder through tubing to the deposition head.

He installs the lid and hopper assembly on the base.

Once assembly is complete, the technician sets the base on a mount, sliding protruding pins into corresponding holes in the lid.

This completes the powder feeder.

The powder feeder now ready to supply the raw material for 3-d printing.

An operator connects it to the printer and pours metal powder into the hopper.

The system delivers the powder to the printer head.

The dispensing and melting of the metal powder, as well as the layering, are all controlled by a computer generated program.

This 3-d printer can manufacture a part in a few hours, so you can sit back and watch it materialize.

Detectable warning panels are cautionary signals for the visually impaired.

Their specific pattern of domed bumps are detectable by touch or with walking aid equipment.

They also serve as warning systems at intersections or on transit platforms, alerting all people to proceed with caution.

For the visually impaired, these little bumps on the road aren't a problem.

They're a solution.

Embedded in surfaces at intersections, detectable warning panels help people find their way through touch.

Making a fiberglass polymer version of the panels starts with a carefully calculated formula.

Technicians add pigment to resin paste keeping a close eye on the scale to confirm the amounts are correct.

Next, a chemical thickener is added, this ingredient will increase the viscosity to a syrupy consistency.

Then the ingredients are blended together.

The agitation from the blender causes the mixture to heat, starting a chemical reaction which will eventually cause solidification.

As the mixture thickens, it turns a vivid color that people with compromised vision can still perceive.

The technician gauges the temperature to confirm that the chemical reaction isn't too advanced.

Then, the mix is set aside, so technicians can prepare other ingredients.

Rams punch the bag of mineral fillers to break up any clumps as they flow into a hopper.

Stearic acid is added to cut the thickening.

A computer dispenses the mineral filler and resin into a large mixing tank.

An operator adds an inhibitor to delay the chemical reaction as the mixing blade blends the ingredients into a paste.

Zinc stearate is added to the mixture, which will allow the completed panel to release from the mold.

Glass bundles, known as rovings, then unwind.

A blade chops them into toothpick sized pieces.

The pigment mixture, which has been blended into the resin paste, flows on to a plastic liner.

Shards of glass fall down on to the yellow resin mixture.

As the machine pulls the mixture forward, the liner takes the glass-encrusted resin to the next stage.

More resin and a top plastic liner, create an encasing with the glass in the middle.

Rollers squeeze the encasing together, forcing the resin to flow around the glass shards.

The material is compacted to the desired thickness.

Then, the glass and resin material cures for 24 hours.

This allows the materials to thicken, so it can be cut into panels.

A circular cutting wheel moves on a carriage across the mat slicing it to length.

The mats are retrieved from the machine and stacked.

The plastic liners on both sides are still intact.

Next, the material is weighed to confirm the specified amount.

If more is needed, a technician will adjust accordingly.

He then peels off the liners.

The glass and resin material are transferred to a heated mold.

The mold applies 500 tons of hot pressure.

The material liquefies and flows into the crevasses of the mold, forcing air out.

As the bumpy panels take shape, a chemical reaction causes the material to solidify.

A worker trims the freshly molded panels to give them a cleaner line.

And sands the edges smooth.

He clamps the panel to a fixture at both ends.

The clamps keep the panel in position and prevent it from bending.

As mounting holes are drilled into the panel.

The technician uses an air gun to blow off drilling residue and dust.

This detectable warning panel is now ready for installation.

Two craftsmen pipe adhesive into channels at the back of the panel.

The panel is installed in a recessed part of the curb and screwed into anchors in the concrete.

For people with limited vision trying to navigate their way around, these tactile panels will make a difference they can feel.

A stirling engine produces power by circulating hot and cold air, or other types of gas, at different temperatures.

Heating expands the gas, while cooling contracts it.

These alternating reactions move up to four pistons at a time, driving the machine and the pulleys attached to the engine.

This german company manufactures model stirling engines and accessories, like this marble tower.

The engine parts move by a closed loop of air that circulates inside the engine, expanding and contracting as it repeatedly heats and cools.

A specialist designs the engines and produces digital renderings for each component.

The dimensions must be accurate within 1/1,000 of a millimeter.

A computer guided turret machine shapes the engine's cooling cylinder out of a solid piece of brass.

Heat escapes brass quickly, making it ideal for a component to rapidly reduce its hot air temperature.

The cooled air contracts, producing a vacuum that draws the engine's working piston downward.

When reheated, the air expands, pushing the piston up.

This repetitive motion drives the crankshaft.

The cooling cylinder has fins to help diffuse heat, a hole on top for the working piston and another hole on the side for the displace piston.

After cleaning the cylinder with compressed air, a technician performs a quality control check.

First, he inserts multiple test pins into the hole for the working piston until one is the right fit.

This tells him the diameter measurement.

Using a digital caliper, the technician measures a series of aluminum working pistons until he finds the one that's the correct size for the hole's diameter.

He inserts the piston into the cylinder, then holds the cylinder upside down.

If the piston falls out slowly, it's the right size.

The fit must be precise to prevent the circulating air from leaking out of the cylinder.

In the assembly area, another technician superglues a crankshaft ball bearing into each of the engine's stainless steel side frames.

She glues the displace axle to the displace piston.

The part should fit loosely in the cooling cylinder to allow the air to flow around it, while moving back and forth between the engine's heating and cooling zones.

She inserts the displace piston into the side hole of the cooling cylinder.

Then the heating cylinder is mounted over the piston.

The heating cylinder draws heat generated by the flame into the engine.

She attaches it to the cooling cylinder with four screws.

A connecting rod is attached to the working piston and the piston is inserted into the cooling cylinder.

Next, the technician mounts one of the side frames to the cylinder, attaches a rocker arm to the side frame, then puts one end of the crankshaft through the side frame's ball bearing.

She attaches the second side frame, by inserting the other end of the crankshaft through its ball bearing.

She mounts what has been assembled so far on to a wooden base plate, then she connects one end of the rocker arm to the working piston's connecting rod.

The other end of the rocker arm is joined to the crankshaft connecting rod, which is connected at a 90-degree angle to both the rocker arm and the crankshaft.

On each end of the crankshaft, a heavy brass flywheel is mounted.

The flywheels increase the momentum of the engine.

To power an accessory with the stirling engine, one end of a drive belt is run around a pulley on the accessory, and the other end of the belt around a plastic drive wheel.

The finishing touch is an engraved brass identification plate.

Here's how this engine works.

First, the burner case is filled with denatured alcohol and the wick is attached.

The burner case is placed under the heating cylinder, light the wick, and let the engine preheat for 10 to 15 seconds, then turn a flywheel to kickstart the engine.

The flame heats the air inside the heating cylinder.

The hot air expands into the cooling cylinder, causing the cylinder to cool and contract.

This moves the working piston up and down, turning the engine's crankshaft.


Sanders
Solid Terrain Models
Stucco
High

Most experts will tell you that the key to the perfect paint job or wood-refinishing job is to prep the surface properly before applying the paint or wood stain.

That requires sanding to remove old finishes and to level uneven areas.

The easiest way to do that is with a motorized sander.

Professional-caliber sanders are typically pneumatic, meaning you plug them into an air compressor.

Air-driven tools are more powerful than tools than run on electricity.

This type of sander is called a straight line, because the pad to which you attach sandpaper moves in a straight line back and forth.

Many of the tool's components are made of powdered metal, then machined to exact dimensions on a computer-guided lathe.

Powdered metal is iron powder that's compacted with high pressure and heated in a furnace to bond the particles into a solid part.

Sometimes they further strengthen the powdered metal by infusing it with copper in the furnace.

Using an induction welder, which heats the metal with an electric current, they fuse a powdered-metal gear to each end of a steel shaft by melting on silver.

This constructs the sander's timing driveshaft, the regulating component that makes each stroke of the sanding pad just under an inch long.

Heating the metal softens it, so they now cool the timing driveshaft in oil.

This quenching hardens the component.

Meanwhile, they coat a sheet of aluminum rectangles with industrial-strength contact adhesive.

Each rectangle is a base for a rubber sanding pad.

The rectangular pad, which they coat with the same adhesive, is 6 1/2 millimeters thick, the same dimensions as the base with identical holes for the mounting screws.

Once the adhesive becomes tacky, they mate the base to the pad.

Using a small pneumatic press, they force out trapped air to ensure a thorough bond.

Elsewhere in the factory, they paint the recessed lettering of the polished aluminum plates, two per sander, which bear the manufacturer's name.

Once all the remaining components are prepared, technicians begin the assembly.

First, the motor's piston.

They place the piston rack in an arbor press and push a plastic piece onto each end.

Then, on each end piece, they mount a piston ring made of a proprietary wear-resistant material.

They insert the now-assembled piston into the sander's aluminum motor block.

The ring creates a tight seal to prevent air leakage.

Next, a technician installs the timing driveshaft and the idler gear shaft, pressing the gears of both into the piston rack's teeth.

The powdered-metal counterweight goes on each side to balance the piston rack, then guides made of that proprietary material to align and lubricate the counterweights.

A second set of anti-wear guides goes in the lower part of the motor block.

These help balance the sanding pad.

Then the start of the valve system, which controls the entry of compressed air into the sander.

At the front of the motor block, they install a paper gasket to prevent air leakage, then seal it with an aluminum end plate.

Continuing with the valve system, they install the components, which control the timing of the pistons' back-and-forth motion.

After sealing the top with a cap, they install the air-valve block, then the handle, which contains the inlet to which the air compressor connects.

The handle squeeze trigger is mounted to the cap above the handle.

They install the counterweight for the pad.

Here, you can see the two shafts the piston rack rotates.

Workers connect them to an aluminum drive shoe, which will move back and forth.

A pair of side rails holds the drive shoe in place.

Where the air exits the tool, they install a muffler made of porous plastic.

Finally, when the technician screws the base to the drive shoe, the chain is complete.

Compressed air moves the piston, which rotates the shafts, which moves the drive shoe holding the rubber pad with sandpaper.

This pneumatic sander is ready to level and smooth a surface in seconds flat.

A solid terrain model, "stm" for short, is an exact, three-dimensional, miniature replica of a geographic area.

Stms are indispensable tools for museums, visitor centers, and for planning everything from industrial projects to military operations.

To create a solid terrain model, the first step is to gather data via satellites and aircraft.

Two types of data--  color photographs of the surface showing the precise location of vegetation, rock, buildings, and so on, and elevation measurements, taken with lasers and other equipment.

A cartographer digitally merges the black and white elevation diagrams with the color photos and adds artwork for roads and place names.

He produces a 3-d computer model of the area.

This model will guide the machines that manufacture the physical model out of a block of polyurethane foam.

Foam is a durable material and lightweight, making the model easy to transport.

A computer-guided cutting machine first shapes a ledge around the block's perimeter.

This is for mounting the model on a frame.

Then the machine reads the computer model's elevation files and carves a miniature replica of those elevations into foam.

The machine first does a rough cut.

Then--  and this takes much longer-- it carves the fine details.

Depending on the complexity of the terrain, cutting the elevations into the foam can take just a few hours or several days.

When the cutting's finished, the technician cleans off the foam dust with compressed air and a brush.

The foam goes into a spray booth where it first receives a coat of primer to seal the porous surface, then multiple layers of special coatings to make images printed on the surface sharp and vibrant.

Once the coating's dry--  that takes about a day-- technicians put the model into a custom-designed inkjet printer, which reads the computer model's photograph file.

Just like an ordinary printer, this printer produces a multitude of shades from just four basic colors-- black, yellow, magenta, and cyan.

The jets pass just a few millimeters above the model, emitting one microscopic drop of ink at a time at precisely the correct location.

The end result is a miniature replica of what the surface looks like in real life.

Other workers, meanwhile, construct a sturdy frame for the model by gluing, clamping, and nailing together four lengths of oak.

This frame will protect the model from damage and make it easier to lift and move.

Once the glue dries, they remove the clamps, and with a saw, trim each corner to a 45-degree angle.

Then they round the edges with a sander.

They complete the frame by protecting the wood with a coat of clear polyurethane.

When that dries, they spread glue onto the frame's inside edge.

Then they position the model so that the ledge along its perimeter sits on top of the frame.

After printing, they spray the model with clear polyurethane or lacquer.

The protective finish allows people to now touch the model without damaging it.

Sometimes, an area they're modeling has buildings, bridges, or other structures.

When that's the case, an engineer designs a computer model of the object.

Then, guided by this model, a 3-d printer produces a physical model out of plastic, building the miniature replica from the bottom up one thin layer at a time.

These mountaintop castles in portugal are the finishing touch on this model that's set to go on display at the local tourist center.

Solid terrain models are a creative and valuable tool for educating people young and old.

By translating complicated technical data into a unique and scientifically sound visual aid, a solid terrain model delivers a fascinating bird's-eye view from the ground.

Stucco is one of the oldest construction materials on the planet.

The earliest formulations date back to ancient greece and mayan mexico.

Stucco has stuck around, and as an exterior siding, it's come a long way.

Modern stucco is more attractive and offers better protection.

Whether cement- or acrylic-based, stucco always starts out as a sticky paste, and that's the great thing about stucco.

In this wet and gooey form, it can be worked as it's applied to the exterior of a building to achieve a variety of textures.

It hardens to provide a tough exterior that shields the building against the elements.

To mass-produce cement stucco, they start with tons of silica sand.

They unload it into a conveyor and elevator system, which delivers the sand to silos for storage until needed.

They select sand with various grades of coarseness for different stucco finishes.

They mix it with cement, lime, and other ingredients to create the stucco base.

A technician demonstrates how the ingredients come together using this research lab mixer.

She blends all the ingredients dry, achieving a consistency that's similar to cake mix from a box.

Cement stucco is sold in dry form.

Water will be added to liquefy the ingredients on the job site.

In this demonstration, she also adds pigment.

With the stucco pre-colored, there's no need to paint the building.

To mass-produce cement stucco, they use this mega-mixer.

The operator adds three or four different pigments to create a custom color in the dry stucco batch.

Large paddle blades spiral vigorously.

Usually, this is a closed operation, but they've opened it up for our camera.

After three minutes of mixing, the dry stucco mix is ready for scrutiny.

An employee takes a sample and sends it to the quality control lab for evaluation.

At the lab, the technician weighs the stucco mixture and adds water.

He keeps an eye on the scale to ensure that the amounts are proportionate.

He mixes them and visually checks to confirm that the pigment and raw materials are well dispersed.

Acrylic stucco, on the other hand, calls for an entirely different recipe.

They use calcium carbonate instead of silica send and acrylic as a binder instead of cement.

They mix it with water and sell it wet in a bucket instead of dry.

To color it, they use a computerized tint machine, similar to what you find in a paint store.

They load the machine with liquid pigments and enter a color formula into the computer.

It mixes the pigments to produce the exact color.

And it releases the precise amount needed.

They blend the color into the acrylic stucco, and the batch ends up looking like blue mud.

It's now ready to apply to a home.

No prep required.

They also sell acrylic stucco with no color at all.

It's called tint base.

The pigments will be added on the job site, where they can be adjusted if needed.

An airtight seal keeps the stucco in its viscous state.

Acrylic stucco dries quickly, like paint, while cement stucco takes 28 days to totally cure into a more durable finish.

Over on the cement stucco line, a rotating machine handles all the packaging.

A suctioning device pulls a paper bag into position under a spout, which then fills it up.

It takes just 8 seconds to fill a 90-pound bag.

That works out to over 1,300 bags per hour, enough material for 30 houses.

The machine transfers the bag to the conveyor belt.

This stucco is now ready to provide a strong finish to building projects.

Applied to a building's exterior, stucco can be textured to suit the homeowner's taste, and it will harden to provide the building with a tough skin.

That's why stucco continues to be part of the urban landscape.

An industrial roll-up door opens and closes at least three times as fast as your average residential garage door.

That means machines and products can be moved in and out quickly.

These heavy-duty rubber doors are also engineered for a good seal, so they're weathertight.

In many workplaces, doors are always opening and closing.

A high-speed roll-up door is designed for heavy traffic.

Coal mines, parking garages, and large food freezer rooms are just a few of the places you will find them in action.

They start with rubber panels.

Their number and size depends on the width of the door being manufactured.

Workers brush high-strength epoxy onto the edges to bind the panels together.

The epoxy will take a couple of hours to cure, so there's time to smooth out the air bubbles by applying pressure to the seams with a heavy roller.

After the epoxy cures, they map out areas with masking tape to contain glue for the application of extruded rubber strips.

The horizontal one is a stiffener, and the vertical strips at the sides are wind blocks.

They'll secure the curtain to the building even in bad weather.

The employee also applies synthetic fabric to both sides to prevent wear.

He adds reflective yellow strips to the front and back to make the black rubber door visible at night.

A machine now drills holes in a steel tube.

This tube is the header that the rubber curtain will be rolled up on to.

The holes will be used to attach the curtain to it.

He tack-welds axles onto both ends of the tube.

The axles will be attached to mounting plates, so these are critical welds.

He measures the axles to confirm that the assembly is level and won't wobble.

Satisfied, he welds them permanently to the steel tube.

Next, he assembles and welds the side frame for the rubber curtain.

He assembles a hinge cover to the front of the frame, creating a compartment for the curtain that can be opened when needed.

Then it's on to the paint booth.

Here, an employee primes the frame components to protect them from rust and then gives them a coat of paint.

A worker assembles the bottom beam now.

He bolts an aluminum track for the rubber edging to a heavy steel frame.

He screws the box for the wireless transmitter that opens and closes the door to the beam.

Two workers now pull the rubber edging through the aluminum track.

The edging is equipped with an electric safety wire to detect movement and abort a door closing.

This will keep the door from hitting anyone who walks under it.

It's now time to pull everything together.

The team screws the rubber curtain to the steel tube, making use of those pre-drilled holes.

They move down and position the bottom beam on the curtain.

They attach it to the curtain with numerous nuts and bolts.

They roll up the rubber curtain to prepare for assembly to the mounting brackets.

With the attachments, the curtain now weighs over 1,100 pounds.

A crane transfers it to the end mounting plates and holds it steady while workers slide the end brackets onto the axles.

They build a steel support structure around the brackets and the rolled-up curtain.

They attach the motor to one of the axles.

This roll-up door is now ready for delivery.

Two days in the making, it's ready for whatever comes its way.