05x10 - Goalie Pads/Lapel Pins/Cardboard Boxes/Crystal Wine Glasses

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
today on "how it's made"...

Goalie pads...

...lapel pins...

...cardboard boxes...

...and crystal wineglasses.

In 1896,

George merritt of the canadian
hockey team winnipeg victorias

Was the first-ever
hockey goaltender

To wear pads to protect
his legs.

He and those who followed him

Used pads from
another sport -- cricket.

Wider pads specifically
for ice hockey didn't come about

Until the 1920s.

This company spends
$40,000 a year

On research and development
of goalie pads.

It redesigns its pads
every two years

To upgrade to the latest
materials and construction.

Each goalie pad
has 100 components.

The factory uses hundreds
of metal dies

To cut parts to make pads
in 15 sizes.

Workers position the appropriate
dies on the material.

A hydraulic machine
applies roughly the weight

Of four elephants --

Forcing the dies through
up to four layers at once.

Here, it's a synthetic,
water-repellent material

Called p.u. Leather.

The machine also cuts
various types of foam

For structure, protection,
and comfort.

And it creates holes,
called eyelets,

For laces or buttons.

Here, the machine cuts soft,
low-density foam,

Which acts as a shock absorber
against the force of the puck.

Workers sew the pads

Using industrial-strength
nylon stitching.

To protect the p.u. Leather,
they sew on a layer of foam

That's an eighth
of an inch thick,

And zippers on openings
that will be packed

With shredded foam
for a snug fit.

They use a half-inch-thick
layer of spongy foam

To line the player's
knee and calf areas

For flexibility and comfort.

The stitching is purely
decorative.

The factory often embroiders
the player's name

On the goalie pads to identify
the gear if it's lost.

This automated
embroidery machine

Has 12 computer-guided heads.

They use up to 40 different
thread colors.

Every year, this factory
produces up to 3,500 pairs

Of goalie pads.

The players wear an array of
corporate logos on their pads.

It's all part of the commercial
nature of the game

And the industry.

Now they sew on
a zippered pocket,

Which, when filled with foam,
will protect the calf area.

They use water-resistant fabric

To cover the back
of the player's leg

And line the area
with low-density foam

To absorb the puck's impact.

Then they attach flaps,
called knee raisers,

To protect the knee area.

Good thing, given that pucks
will slam the goalie

At a speed of up
to 100 miles per hour.

Next, they sew
the front and back parts

Of the pads together.

Then they hot-glue a sandwich
of harder foam

For structural support,
soft foam for shock absorbency,

And an even softer foam
for comfort.

This padding forms
the guts of the pad.

Using crimpers, workers fasten
the pads together temporarily.

Then they use
a 7-inch-long needle

With a diamond-shaped tip
to sew the layers together.

The worker threads the layers,
uniting them into one piece.

This process is called lasting.

Workers now pack the outside
of the goalie pad

With more rigid foam
for structure

And softer foam for comfort.

They use clamps to fasten the
boot area together temporarily,

While inserting shredded foam --

Shredded because it's easier
to squeeze in.

Then, using a specialized
sewing machine,

They sew the outermost shell
of the pad.

This is considered the toughest
part of the assembly,

Since it joins layers
as thick as an inch.

They use pliers to hold
the pieces tightly together

During the 45 minutes or so that
it takes to sew just one pad.

After trimming the excess
from the ends,

Workers cover them
with a strip of p.u. Leather --

A process called capping.

They attach the strip using


A durability feature that gives
the goalie pads long life.

Next, they insert
a removable knee guard,

Which can be adjusted
or replaced later on.

Using a rivet machine,
they attach a leather strap

To an adjustable nylon buckle.

It's an important component.

This is what fastens the pads
to the leg.

And at a price of nearly
$1,600 a pair,

You, too, can stop those
speeding pucks with confidence.

Narrator: lapel pins
let you proudly show off

Where you've been
or where you stand,

From an event you've attended
or your political beliefs

To your professional affiliation
or your favorite sports team.

Lapel pins cost pennies
to produce,

But some are collectors items
worth thousands of dollars.

They may be tiny,

But they're out there
in huge numbers.

This one company churns out

About 5 million
lapel pins a year.

It all starts with the sketch
of the pin design

And from that, the master --

A negative made of magnesium,
a type of metal.

They'll make copies
of this master

To create a production mold.

But first, using what's called
a coping saw,

They cut out the front
and back pieces of the master.

Using a dispenser about the size
of a sewing needle,

They glue the pieces together
with epoxy.

It takes five minutes to dry.

Then they cast enough copies
of the master

To fill up a rubber disk.

After tracing the outlines,

A worker uses a surgical knife

To meticulously carve out
the cavities.

He softens the rubber
with paint thinner,

To enable precision cuts.

Then he places a copy
of the master in each cavity.

Another disk goes on top,

Then it's into a machine called
a vulcanizer for one hour.

This machine uses
heat and pressure

To cure the rubber,
making it as hard as a car tire.

It also melds the rubber
around each master copy,

Embedding the detail.

This will be
the production mold

For producing this pin design.

Now, using a surgical knife
again for precision,

They carve out sprues --

Channels that,
during the casting process,

Will direct the flow of
molten metal to the cavities.

They also make smaller
curved channels, called runners,

To filter out any air
or dirt particles.

It's crucial to position
the sprues and runners correctly

Because this mold
produces an entire line

Of a particular pin.

Mess up, and they'd have to
remake the mold from scratch.

Next, they insert
a half-inch-long brass tack,

Called a post, into each cavity.

It'll later fasten to a clasp,
attaching the pin to clothing.

The post goes in now,
rather than later,

So that it will fuse to the back
of the lapel pin during casting.

Now, to close the mold,

They align the buttons
on one half

With the depressions
in the other half.

The mold then goes into what's
called a spin casting machine.

Using a cast-iron ladle that can
withstand the fiery temperature,

They pour in molten metal --

Either pewter, zinc,
or a tin alloy.

As the machine spins,

Centrifugal force
propels the metal

Into every nook and cranny
of the cavities.

After a minute of spinning --


The mold comes out.

The metal takes about five
minutes to cool and harden.

The factory re-melts the excess
metal for the next batch.

Next, a brass clasp,
called a clutch,

Goes onto the post.

Now the lapel pins
go for an hour-long wash

In soap and water
and abrasive stones.

The stones smooth out
any rough edges.

The pins go into
the electroplating tank

For a surface coating of metal.

How many coats and the types
of metal vary with the design.

An electric current
draws the metal particles

Onto the pins,
plating them thoroughly.

These pins first get
copper plating,

Then nickel plating,
then gold plating.

Now it's time to paint
the lapel pins.

Workers follow
a numerical guide,

Like a paint-by-numbers kit.

They paint each pin
individually,

Using minute quantities
of epoxy paint.

They control the paint syringe
with a foot pedal.

Once the paint dries,

A machine called
a pad printer gathers up the ink

And stamps on the tiny details,

The ones too small
to paint by hand.

Pierce the post through fabric,
secure it with the clutch,

And this lapel pin
is now ready to wear.

Narrator:
like many inventions,

The cardboard box was born
by sheer accident.

In the 1870s,

An american printer
by the name of robert gair

Stumbled upon the idea.

By mistake, he cut a paper
seed bag he was creasing

With a metal ruler.

Gair concluded he could create
a sturdier container

With paperboard.

Cardboard boxes
come in a wide variety

Of sizes, shapes, and colors.

But most share three basic
structural components --

One wavy sheet of paper,
called a flute,

Sandwiched between two
flat sheets, called liners.

Together they form what's called
a corrugated board.

Production starts
with a massive roll

Of partially recycled paper.

The width of the paper varies,

Depending on the size
of the boxes they're making.

The roll feeds a machine
called a corrugator.

The machine presses the paper
between two ridged rollers

And blasts it with hot steam.

This shapes the waves
of the flute.

Another roller applies glue
to one side of the flute.

The glue's main ingredients
are water and starch,

Which won't contaminate
fresh produce

The boxes may later contain.

Next, the machine adheres
one liner sheet...

...and then the other.

The waves create an air cushion

Between the flute
and the liners,

Strengthening the board.

For added strength, some boxes
have a double lining --

Two flutes and three liners.

The flutes may also
vary in thickness

For more or less cushioning.

The factory uses partially
recycled paper for the flutes

Because it's more malleable
than non-recycled paper.

A razor-thin circular saw
trims each side.

The corrugator machine then
cuts the board up to nine times,

Depending on the size of the box
they're producing.

The corrugator's final function

Is to separate the boards
into layers,

Using flexible aluminum tongs
called fingers.

Workers do
a quality-control check

Before sending the boards
off for printing.

The next machine
stacks the boards

Into piles of between 25 and 80,
depending on their thickness.

This machine also feeds
one board at a time

To the upcoming equipment.

It does this
at lightning speed --

At a rate of up
to 8,000 boards per hour.

First, a trimmer
perforates the boards

To create flaps and handles.

Rubber sponges
cushion the blades

So that they cut only the parts
they're supposed to.

During the trimming,

A press condenses the boxes'
overlapping panels

To level out their thickness.

Workers usually cut
the sponges by hand

To make sure they fit snugly
around the blades.

The trimmer runs at a speed
of 5 miles an hour,

Processing up to 90 boxes
per minute.

Workers send the cutoffs
back to the paper mill

To be recycled
as many as six times over.

A folding machine now bends them
along score lines

The corrugator made earlier.

It then applies cold glue
to the sections

That'll join together
to form the box,

Hot glue if the cardboard
is wax-coated.

The next machine folds
over the glued sections.

They aren't visible
once the box is finished.

Another machine stacks
the boxes in piles.

A separator arm
moves the bundles

To trays, called skids,
for shipping.

The printing of the boxes began
in the factory's ink kitchen.

A computer-guided dispenser

Squirts out
different shades of ink,

Following a precise recipe
to create a particular color,

One of 5,000 in the palette.

One pail holds about 45 pounds
of printing ink --

Enough for 2,000 boxes,

Depending on
the coverage needed.

The factory uses water-based ink
because it dries instantly.

The printing press
applies the ink to the boards,

One color group at a time,

Through four consecutive
stations.

This factory uses a flexographic
printing system,

A process that can print
drawings and illustrations.

Some companies use
a lithographic press,

Which can also print
photographs.

Back on the trimming line,

More complicated types
of box flaps and handles

Require what's called
a flatbed trimmer.

It holds the boards
in place with suction

While making intricate
perforations.

After removing the trimmed bits,

Workers give the boxes
one last quality check.

Then they stack them

And send them off
to the warehouse.

Narrator: the main ingredient
in glass is silica sand.

When you heat it
along with other chemicals,

It turns into a syrupy liquid

That you can then mold or blow
into a particular shape.

Add lead oxide
and you've got lead crystal.

It's much softer
than regular glass,

Making it easier to decorate
with intricate cut designs,

To enhance its brilliance.

[ Glass dings ]

Craftsmen start
with silica sand,

Which is a very pure
type of sand.

Then they add nickel oxide
to help the silica sand melt,

Lead oxide, potassium carbonate,
potassium nitrate, and antimony,

To give the finished crystal

Its smoothness,
heft, and sparkle.

They compress the mix
into pellets.

They heat the pellets
for 18 hours,

Creating a mass of molten glass
that they can call the melt.

To that, they add cullet --

The term for excess,
broken, or rejected crystal.

Cullet smoothes out the melt.

A blower now uses
a hollow blowing iron

Made of tempered stainless steel
to collect some of the melt.

He constantly rotates the iron
so the melt clings together

In what's called a gather.

The blower rolls the gather
on a heat-resistant table.

This sparks a flame because
the table is coated with beeswax

To prevent the molten crystal
from sticking.

The blower exhales a slow,
steady breath of air

To create the base of the piece,
called the ball.

After letting it cool
for 90 seconds,

He dips the ball
back in the furnace

To coat it with another layer
of molten crystal.

This fortifies the ball.

Now he begins shaping the ball,
using various wooden tools.

This one's called a block.

He uses another tool, a divider,
to create grooves

So the ball will
fit into a mold.

The blower soaks
the wooden tools in water

So they won't burn.

He now inserts the ball
into a steel mold,

One of 150 this company uses
for its collection.

The craftsmen coat the inside
of the mold beforehand

With a paste of cork dust,
linseed oil, and charcoal dust.

This prevents the ball
from sticking,

Which would cause flaws
in the crystal.

The blower releases the ball,
now called the bowl,

Using a foot pedal.

After cooling the bowl
for one minute,

Another craftsman,
called a stemmer,

Adds another gather to create
the stem of the wineglass.

He clips the gather
with heat-resistant scissors.

He uses a wooden divider
to shape the stem area

And a metal divider
to stretch the gather

Into the shape of the stem.

The stemmer must be
highly skilled.

There's no mold or pattern
to follow.

He relies entirely on eyesight,
intuition, and patience.

He cools the stem
with layers of wet newspaper.

They absorb heat well and don't
leave marks or flaws.

Next, another craftsman
adds more gather

To create the foot of the glass.

He uses a wooden tool,
called a pitch,

To flatten the foot.

He also shapes the foot by hand

With wet newspaper.

This metal template ensures

It's generally
the right dimensions.

Everything is handmade, so each
piece may differ slightly.

This company makes 20 models
of glasses,

Including different styles

For red, white,
port, and ice wines.

The piece then goes into a kiln
at 840 degrees fahrenheit.

At the end of the day,
they switch off the kiln

To let the glasses
gradually cool overnight

To room temperature.

The next day, a craftsman
uses an acetylene torch

To cut the glass
and remove the cap.

They use an old record turntable
to spin the glass around

And make the cut.

For precision,
they smooth and bevel the rim

With a diamond-coated
steel grinder.

Another craftsman,
called a cutter,

Marks out a grid
with a waterproof pen.

He uses another type
of turntable

To steady his hand as he draws.

It's not an exact pattern,

Just a general guideline to
create the design of the piece.

This design's called
the titanic.

It's based on a light fixture
from the ocean liner.

Water cools, lubricates,
and cleans the area

During cutting.

There are two types of
cutting -- wedge and flat.

Wedge cutting creates
the deep, intricate cuts.

Flat cutting creates smoother,
less-angled cuts.

Here, they use the wedge method,

Which can only be done
with diamond-tipped wheels.

Here, the cutter creates
a diamond-shaped grid,

Called a karo cut.

Finally, the cutter
creates a star-shaped cut

Spanning the entire foot
of the glass.

Once the decorations
are complete,

An inspector does
a detailed quality check,

Before etching the company logo.

[ Glass dings ]

[ Dings ]

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