06x01 - Three Wheeled Vehicles/Baseball Bats/Artificial Bonsai/Trombones

[bunniefuu]

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

Three-wheeled vehicles...

...baseball bats...

...artificial bonsais...

...and trombones.

Three-wheeled vehicles
were introduced in the 1990s

As exotic concept vehicles.

This one is like
a motorcycle on steroids.

It has what's called
a reverse trike design --

Two wheels in front
and one in the back.

It hugs the road
like a race car

Yet is legal to drive
through city streets.

This vehicle goes from


In just 4.1 seconds.

It's no faster
than a motorcycle,

But it definitely turns heads.

Production begins
with 34 steel-tube components

That will form
the vehicle's chassis.

A worker places them
in an assembly jig.

This positions the tubes
for welding.

After clamping
the components in place,

It takes the worker
about 4 hours

To weld 68 different areas
together.

For efficiency, 13 of the
larger, more complex structures

Are pre-assembled.

The steel tubes measure


But the metal itself is only


They're like those used
in the aviation industry --

Strong, yet lightweight.

This company uses
a visual reference method

To assemble smaller parts
of the vehicle.

Before starting, a worker
places 80 components on a board

With labels that identify them.

This way, he's certain he won't
forget any nuts, bolts,

Bearings, brackets, or horns.

Using an electric crane,

A worker hoists the vehicle's


The chassis, now tinted black.

Using a pneumatic wrench,

He attaches it with six bolts
and six nuts.

Here, a worker assembles
the 50 parts

That make up what's called
the foot box.

This includes aluminum clutch,
brake, and gas pedals.

The brake pedal is thicker to
withstand more aggressive use.

The vehicle decelerates
from 60 miles an hour to 0

In just less than 95 feet.

He coats part of the brake pedal
with a liquid sealant

So vibrations won't loosen it.

Another worker then mounts
two output hoses

And two plastic reservoirs
for brake fluid.

The brake fluid must withstand
heat of 650 degrees fahrenheit,


What's required for most cars.

This enables
better engine performance.

He installs the foot box
onto the front of the chassis

Using three bolts.

Controlling the speed
with the foot box is crucial

Since top speed for the vehicle
is 143 miles an hour.

Next, he installs
part of the suspension system --

A cylindrical
gas shock absorber.

This attaches
to the brake system,

Which is a zinc-plated rotor
and an aluminum caliper.

Then they attach what's called
the 4-into-1 exhaust manifold.

The four pipes merge into one

To vent the exhaust fumes
from the engine.

They install the electric fan
and radiator assembly.

Next, a worker attaches
a removable leather-covered

Aluminum driving wheel
to the steering column.

The driving wheel
locks into place

With a spring-loaded
latch system.

Just like a race car,
you attach the steering wheel

After you sit
in the driver's seat

So that you can get inside
the vehicle.

The collapsible steering column

Is part
of the instrument cluster.

This includes dials
showing the vehicle's speed,

Mileage, and fuel.

There are also switches
for turn signals,

Hazard flashers,
high- and low-beam lights,

And to start
and k*ll the engine.

Next, workers install
the rear wheel

To another part of the
suspension called a swing arm.

They attach it with one bolt
that's a foot and a half long

And two smaller bolts.

Workers then install a chain
on the rear-wheel assembly.

When the vehicle's running,

The chain's 94 links
revolve on two sprockets

To make the wheel turn.

Rubber "o" rings on each link

Prevent dust
from damaging the chain.

Finally, workers attach


This factory offers


And several custom colors.

When assembled, the vehicle
is nearly 11 1/2 feet long,


And just over 3 feet high.

If you have a motorcycle license
and a spare $50,000,

You too can burn the pavement
on this mean set of wheels.

Narrator:
if you think a baseball bat
is a pretty simple thing,

Well, you're out in left field.

Making a bat
means balancing things

Like weight and thickness.

The material it's made from
can make a difference.

Metal bats hit the ball farther.

However, the pros use wood bats
because of league regulations,

And even the type of wood
might impact the score.

Barry bonds cracked
a home-run record in 2001

With a wood bat like this --

One made of maple
instead of the usual white ash.

They can never tell
just by looking at it

That a chunk of maple has what
it takes to make a good bat,

So they weigh it to make sure
the wood is really as thick

And heavy as it appears.

Next, pointed prongs
grip the wood and spin it

While a carbide cutter
rounds it.

This is a very modern lathe
called an xy machine.

The rounded blank goes into
a room called the library,

Joining others on the shelf

That are waiting for their
chance at the big leagues.

A worker selects one of
the blanks to fill an order

That specifies a certain model
and size.

He weighs it again
to make sure it measures up

To what the player has ordered.

The blank goes onto
the xy machine and spins.

A computer guides the cutter
as it moves on rails

And carves into the blank.

It whittles one inch of wood
from the blank

In order to form a handle.

It takes a total of three passes
on this cutter

To make the rough shape
of a baseball bat.

But it's quick work --
completed in just 3 minutes.

Now it's time
for another weighing-in.

The bat is substantially
lighter,

Which is what they want.

Next, he measures the end of
a completed bat with a caliper.

Using a square-edged scraper,
he rounds the knob

As the bat spins on a more
traditional lathe.

He measures as he cuts.

With another caliper, he checks
the thickness of a completed bat

And compares it
to the one he's just carved.

Now he takes a turning tool
called a skew chisel.

With its pointed tip,
he cuts into the bat's handle,

Just above the knob,
to narrow the shoulder.

Again, he measures as he cuts

To make sure the diameter
is just right.

Using the skew chisel,
he shapes the slope of the bat,

Repeatedly checking
with the caliper

To make sure it meets
specifications.

He slims down the handle
a little more.

Then, he angles the top
of the knob with the chisel.

He shapes the rest of it
with a square-end chisel.

Next, he curves the bat's barrel
using the same tool.

This gets rid of sharp edges

That would cause a ball's impact
to ripple down

And jar the player.

Then he goes back to the knob

And completes the shaping
with the skew-end chisel.

Because the tool
is extremely sharp,

He can carve very precisely.

The bat is now within a half
ounce of its final weight.

Using an electric sander,

He smoothes down
some of the rough edges.

He switches to a finer grit
to finish off the job.

As he sands, he measures

Because this isn't just about
getting the surface smooth.

The bat has to be exactly
the right size and weight

For the player
it's being made for.

Now he places the bat's knob
in an end mill.

A spinning carbide disc
cuts around the holes

Made by the pointed grippers
on the lathes,

Producing a gentle scoop.

Next, a bigger disc carves
into the barrel, cupping it.

Some players prefer a cupped bat
because it balances differently.

Now he places the bat on the
scale for the final weighing,

And it is exactly
what the player ordered.

He brushes paint
on the barrel

And rubs stain into
the lower half of the bat.

He presses decals onto the bat

So it sports both the brand name
and distributor.

Then, he stamps the model number
in gold ink.

And tops everything off
with a light coat of varnish.

Now this maple bat
is ready for the big leagues

And some heavy hitting.

Narrator: bonsai is a japanese
word that means plant in a pot.

Growing trees in pots
is a revered art

That actually began in china
more than 2,000 years ago.

During the past century,

Creating artificial trees
known as bonsai zokei

Has evolved into a hobby
with global appeal.

Whether it's rustic pine,
flowering cherry,

Or chinese elm,

Bonsai zokei can be made
to resemble a variety of trees.

Some include stones
and small statues,

A chinese tradition
known as penjing.

A craftsman starts by wrapping


With stretchy, sticky tape
used by florists.

He uses 13 partly out of respect

For a traditional asian
preference for odd numbers.

Later, these wires will form
parts of the trunk and branches.

Next, he wraps the wires
with strips of paper towel

For thickness and flexibility.

To hold the paper towel
in place,

He wraps the ends of the wires
with more floral tape.

He then separates clumps
of plastic pine needles

From their branches.

Ironically, this fake vegetation
is imported from china.

Next, he snips off the ends
of the branches,

Creating segments
about one inch long.

To reinforce and support
these segments,

He wraps them with
tiny wire

That's 2/100 of an inch
in diameter.

Next, he wraps the segments
with floral tape

To give them a more natural,
branch-like appearance.

Then he inserts these segments
into the pine-needle clumps.

The thicker end becomes the bud

And holds the clump
on the segment.

The craftsman now places three
of these leafy segments together

And attaches them with wire.

He bends them sideways
in the same direction.

This mimics the tendency
of natural branches

To lean toward the sun.

For more mature-looking buds,

He uses different, 3-headed
artificial segments.

For integrity,
two different types of buds

Are never used
on the same tree.

To add character,

The craftsman uses a piece
of weathered driftwood

As the base of the trunk.

He anchors the long
wrapped wires into styrofoam

Around the bottom
of the base.

He staples the wires
to the driftwood,

And wraps floral tape around
the wires surrounding the base.

Then he twists the wires
to form a sinuous shape,

What the japanese call moyogi.

He covers the trunk with soft
gray modelling clay,

Adhering closely to the shape
of the driftwood underneath.

This will later be covered
by artificial bark and moss.

This process
can take several hours --

Just part of the 4 to 6 days

It takes one worker
to make a bonsai zokei.

The craftsman then applies
slow-drying glue

To one side
of strips of rice paper.

The strips are two inches long
and one inch wide.

He uses about 50 to cover
the trunk like bark on a tree.

He dabs them with a wet rag

So that the creases will remain
when the glue dries.

The creases make the bark
look realistically aged,

One of the hallmarks
of a good bonsai zokei.

Craftsmen are careful
to place the branches

In the traditional
triangle shape.

The lower branches must droop

As if weighed down
by the elements.

They add the leafy segments to
the ends of the wire branches,

Attaching them with wire
and floral tape.

Using a knife,

The craftsmen trim away
the excess styrofoam

Around the tree trunk.

He then places the tree
into an argyle pot

That's 8 1/2 inches in diameter
and 2 inches high.

Using a sculpting tool,

He covers the styrofoam in the
pot with brown modelling clay.

Using slow-drying glue,

He now covers the clay
in several shades of fake moss.

They range in color
from dark brown to light green.

He doesn't let the glue dry
between each layer

Because the blending
of moss and glue

Ensures a more natural-looking
ground cover.

He gently blows on the moss
to scatter it across the base.

He also applies glue
further up the trunk,

Adhering moss that's thicker
and lighter in color

To resemble lichen.

The finished bonsai zokei
is 17 1/2 inches high.

It needs none
of the constant care

Required by its natural twin.

Depending on their size
and complexity,

Artificial bonsais range
in price from $50 to $800.

Narrator: the adage "it's hard
to improve on a good thing"

Certainly applies
to the trombone.

The modern trombone
isn't really much different

From its medieval predecessor,

Known as the sackbut,
with its distinctive "s" shape,

Hand slide, and bell section.

It's a blast from the past,
and a pretty loud one,

But it can also sound
smooth and mellow.

[ Trombone music plays ]

The trombone literally
slides down to the low notes.

It's the only instrument
with a hand slide

To lengthen it
in order to change pitch.

To make a trombone,

They cut sheet brass
in the pattern of a bell stem.

They shape it by wrapping it
around a steel rod.

Using a nylon-headed mallet,

The worker hammers the brass
to shape it further.

It takes just a few minutes

For him to hammer out
a rough bell stem form.

He spreads open
the stem slightly

So he can make small notches
on one edge with snippers.

Then,
with a brass-headed hammer,

He taps down the notches
so they hold the edges together.

With an acetylene torch,
he joins the notched seam,

Melting in a brass alloy wire
to bond it securely.

But the seam overlaps
and it's too thick,

So he runs it through
a seam roller.

Two tons of pressure thins it,

But now the bell stem
is too flat.

To round it out, he shoves it
onto a bell-shaped rod

And hammers it back into shape.

Then he irons out
the hammer marks with rollers.

The bell stem, fitting loosely
on a steel mandrel,

Goes through a draw bench.

A hydraulic cylinder pushes it
through a thick lead washer,

Pressing it tightly around
the mandrel to its shape.

To make the bell flare
to attach to the stem,

He puts a brass disc
on a spinning lathe.

Using pliers,
he turns the edges of the disc

To prevent it from
flapping while spinning.

With a lever, he manipulates
a scissors spinning tool,

Pressing it against
the turning brass disc.

This shapes the disc
into a flare.

Making a trombone flare
is a delicate business

And is the work
of a skilled craftsman.

Getting it right is critical

Because the shape will affect
the tone of the trombone.

Next, with a torch, he brazes
the flare to the bell stem.

The bell stem and flare
now turn on a mandrel

While he presses against
the seam with a wooden tool.

This flattens the seam and gives
the bell its final shape.

Now it's time
to make the tubing.

A hydraulic cylinder pulls it
on a mandrel through a die,

Stretching it considerably.

In this way, both the diameter
and thickness of the tubing

Are precisely controlled.

Then, they become ice tubes

After they're filled with water
and put in the freezer.

The ice will keep
the thin tubing from buckling

In the next process.

With a lever, he bends the tube
around a u-shaped block.

As he works it into a "u" shape,
the tubing hardens.

After the ice melts,

He places the "u" bend
in a balling out die.

He lubricates the tubing
with oil

And places a steel ball
at the top of the tube

And presses it down.

He drops in smaller ba*ls

And they push the first, larger
ball through the "u" tube.

This stretches
the inside of the tube,

Rounding it to
the correct diameter.

And then the ba*ls exit
at the other end.

Now he pieces
the tubes together

And solders them the same way
a plumber joins copper tubing.

He adds a loop
for the valve section.

In total, a bass trombone
has nine feet of tubing.

Straightened, that's enough

To reach from the floor
to the ceiling.

But, of course, trombone makers
are more interested

In musical highs and lows.

Finally, he solders a brace
into place

To add structural strength
to one of the loops.

A diamond-tipped tool
engraves the company logo

Onto the trombone's bell stem.

And a cloth buffing wheel

Spins against the trombone flare
to polish it.

[ Trombone music plays ]

This custom trombone

Has been built
in approximately 50 hours --

Something worth
blowing a horn about.

[ Music continues ]

If you have any comments
about the show

Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,

Drop us a line at...