09x11 - Scalpels/Oil Paints/British Police Helmets/Ice Axes

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Narrator: today on

"How it's made"...

Scalpels...

Oil paints...

British police helmets...

And ice axes.

The scalpel is the surgeon's

Trademark tool.

Its short blade is razor-sharp

And designed to slice swiftly

And cleanly.

This little knife may seem like

A simple instrument, but its

Incredible precision, along with

A surgeon's steady hands, is key

To a safe and accurate medical

Procedure.

Scalpel handles are made from

Rods of stainless steel.

The blades are made of either

Carbon steel or stainless steel.

They're sterile and designed for

One-time use only.

The blade steel is extremely

Thin, less than .02 of an inch.

It arrives at the scalpel

Factory in coiled strips.

The first machine feeds the

Strips into a press.

A die inside punches out

Unfinished blades, called

Blanks.

Blades will vary in size and

Contour, but they all have the

Same center slot for attaching

The handle.

When you flex a blank, it bends

Entirely out of shape.

That's because the steel still

Needs to be tempered.

The blanks pass through a

Furnace for about 30 seconds.

The heat alters the molecular

Structure of the metal,

Hardening it.

Now the blank has the

Flexibility a scalpel blade

Requires.

Next, the blanks move through a

Punching tool that ru3s them

From the strip...

And stacks them on a peg.

A worker threads a metal ring

Through the slots to keep them

Together, then sends the whole

Set of blanks for surface

Polishing.

This process will restore the

Metal's original sheen, which

Was dulled by the heat

Treatment.

Next, workers visually inspect

Every blank, discarding any

Defective ones.

They transfer the blanks from

The ring to a metal rod using a

Gauge to measure out the right

Number.

From here, the rods are mounted

Onto grinding machines.

Each one picks up a blank with a

Magnet, then places it in a

Holder.

The holder runs the blank

Against a wheel coated with

Diamond particles.

This powerful abrasive shapes

And sharpens a cutting angle,

Transforming the blank into a

Blade.

As the blades come off the

Grinder, they cling together

Because the magnet that fed them

Into the machine magnetized

Them.

To cancel this effect, a

Demagnetizing machine passes an

Electromagnet behind the stacks

Of blades.

After a thorough washing in an

Ultrasonic cleaning tank, the

Blades move on to final

Inspection.

Wearing protective rubber gear,

Workers carefully scrutinize the

Cutting edges, discarding any

Blade that's less than perfect.

Each and every blade passes

Through two different

Inspectors.

In the packaging department, a

Machine covers each blade with a

Brown paper strip that contains

An anti-corrosion chemical.

This provides extra protection

Against rust.

A second machine slips each

Blade into a foil packet, then

Cuts the packets apart.

Each packet bears the blade

Model number and tracking code.

As the blades come off the

Packing machine, an inspector

Does one last quality check.

Then he counts the blades and

Boxes them.

Of course, it's critical that

Surgical blades be sterile, so

The boxes go into a cobalt

Radiation chamber for about six

Hours.

This obliterates any lingering

Contaminants.

When the boxes exit the chamber,

They're hospital-ready.

In the operating room, it's

Simply a matter of sliding the

Blade onto the protruding part

Of the handle, called the

Bayonet.

Surgeons make the most of their

Dexterity by choosing a handle

That best fits their hands and

Best suits the procedure their

Hands will be performing.

Coming up, mixing up a wide

Palette of colors at an

Oil-paint factory.

Narrator: oil paint dates

Back to ancient times when

Artists mixed minerals and other

Elements with wax or oil.

In the 1400s, they discovered

That linseed oil was ideal as a

Pigment binder because it

Allowed blending and glazing in

Layers.

Centuries later, the colors in

Those paintings are still

Vibrant.

Today, many oil paint pigments

Still come from natural sources,

Though most are synthetically

Made.

Factories buy both types of

Pigments in powdered form to

Make their paints.

Cuttlefish ink yields brown

Pigment, lead produces a

Specific yellow, and mercury ore

Makes red.

In the past, pigments have also

Come from stones, tree bark,

Plant gum, ground up glass, and

Even arsenic.

This company's research

Laboratory spends about two

Years developing a color recipe.

A chemist mixes specific amounts

Of linseed oil and pigment into

A machine called an automatic

Mueller.

It rubs the ingredients

Together, dispersing the pigment

Particles throughout the oil.

For each sample, the formulation

Is altered slightly in search of

The perfect result.

The research team compares the

Resulting colors and selects the

Best one.

To produce a color on a large

Scale, workers start by pumping

A specified amount of linseed

Oil into a mixer.

Then they add the precise amount

Of pigment.

Most colors are made with just

One pigment.

The precise mixing time and

Speed depends on the kind of

Pigment formulation being

Created.

Next, the mixture is spooned

Into a mill.

Three dispersion rollers rub the

Ingredients, separating pigment

Particles and coating them in

Oil.

The recipe specifies how much

Pressure the rollers apply,

How fast they turn, and how long

They work the mixture.

Milling can take hours or even

Days, depending on the texture

Of the pigment.

The quality-control lab takes

Samples from each batch coming

Off the mill and subjects them

To a series of tests.

Technicians scrutinize paint

From both sides of the mill to

Ensure the mixture is being

Processed evenly.

First, a spread test.

A heavy brass weight goes onto a

Blob of paint for a prescribed

Period of time.

Then, inspectors evaluate the

Volume of color and measure the

Distance it spread.

If it doesn't spread far enough,

It needs more milling.

Next, a dispersion test.

The markings on this gauge

Indicate the size of the paint's

Particles in microns, millionths

Of a meter.

If the particles are too big,

The paint hasn't been milled

Enough.

Finally, inspectors time how

Long it takes the paint to dry

To the touch.

Each color has a specified

Drying time, ranging from two

Days to two weeks.

The factory produces a chart

That displays its 120 paint

Colors.

Workers brush each color onto a

Primer-coated paper.

When the paint dries, they cut

Each bar into rectangular

Swatches called chips.

The chart is assembled using

This mounting machine.

The bottom has a section for

Chips of each color.

And the top contains a cardboard

Chart coated in glue.

As the machine closes, each chip

Aligns perfectly with its

Designated spot on the chart.

Back in the production line, the

Factory packages one color at a

Time in toothpaste-style tubes

That will be finished off with

Twist caps.

Once the labels go on, the tubes

Make their way to the filling

Machine.

There, the tubes have their tops

Screwed on.

A nozzle squirts in the paint.

Then clamps flatten the edges

Shut.

A roller folds over the edge to

Strengthen the seal against

Squeeze pressure.

Now these oil paints are finally

Ready to meet the canvas.

When we return, a new twist on

The traditional british police

Helmet.

Narrator: british bobbies are

Used to standing tall because of

Their distinctive hats.

These traditional police helmets

Are almost a foot high.

That added height can't hurt

When you're staring down a bad

Guy.

Bobbies' helmets have looked the

Same way for a century and a

Half.

Today, hatmakers use a metal

Mold to create that signature

Shape in fortified plastic.

The mold descends into an oven.

A worker places a sheet of

Plastic overhead.

He lowers the lid and slides the

Heated cover over it.

It takes a couple of minutes for

The heat to soften the plastic.

The mold rises.

A vacuum below pulls the plastic

Into shape.

It hardens almost instantly.

A firm tap with a rubber mallet

Releases the shell from the

Mold.

A band saw slices away the

Excess plastic along the brim.

And now the helmet is ready to

Be covered.

For that, the factory uses

Water-repellant wool.

The helmet pattern is cut out in

Two pieces.

These halves are stitched

Together, making a raised seam,

Which gives the helmet a

Smoother line.

The insides of the fabric covers

Are covered with glue.

Then they're steamed.

A coating of glue is brushed all

Over the helmet's shell.

The fabric cover has now reached

The perfect dampness, making it

Easier to pull over the glued

Surface of the plastic helmet

Shell.

The fabric gets stretched a bit

So it'll fit tightly without

Buckling.

Then, a wooden tool is used to

Smooth away any remaining air

Bubbles.

The excess fabric is trimmed

Away.

Then, rubber piping is sewn

Around the brim to reinforce it

And give it a neater edge.

The prong ends of the helmet's

Decorative metalwork are dipped

In a chalky powder, which mark

Its positioning on the crown.

Holes are drilled through the

Markings.

Then the ornament is installed

And its prongs are folded

Against the inside of the

Helmet.

Next, workers stitch together

Strips of tape, plastic, and

Foam to make the helmet's

Harness and chinstrap.

They fit the harness assembly

Inside the helmet, then secure

It with an industrial stapler.

Metal banding is wrapped around

The helmet and pinned down.

Not only does this banding hide

The staples, it gives the helmet

A snazzier look.

An ornate helmet plate featuring

The police department's insignia

Goes on the front.

Next, a sponge liner is tucked

Inside the helmet to protect the

Officer in the event of a blow

To the head.

Ventilation holes are punched in

The sides.

Now it's time to size the helmet

With a special gauge.

Any excess fluff is tweezed away

And the wool is brushed to bring

Up the pile.

Finally, workers attach the

Label that assures the product

Meets all specifications.

This police helmet is now ready

To report for duty.

It takes about half an hour to

Make one of these helmets, but

It should keep a bobby on the

Beat safe and stylish for much,

Much longer.

Up next, ice-axe production

Begins with a little heat.

Narrator: when it comes to

Mountain climbing, the ice axe

Is a fundamental tool.

Ice axes were invented in the

Mid 19th century to help

Mountaineers get a grip on

Slippery slopes, pull themselves

To the summit, and stop a fall.

They're designed for peak

Performance.

Talk about a steep learning

Curve.

Climbing with an ice axe takes a

Bit of practice and a lot of

Courage.

Production of an ice axe starts

With an aluminum rod.

A powerful press bends it into a

Curve, giving it the basic

Contour of an ice axe.

It's flattened and shaped in two

Fiery dies.

Each die has a top and a bottom

Half, which are lubricated

Between forgings.

The hot forging transforms the

Metal rod.

It starts to look a lot more

Like the shaft of an ice axe.

The long ridges add strength to

The metal while other

Indentations mark where the

Attachments are to go.

The forging creates a lip around

The perimeter of the shaft.

They call this excess metal

Flash.

This press takes care of it in a

Snap.

Now, the ice-axe shaft has a

Cleaner edge and it's quite a

Bit lighter than the original

Rod, an advantage when you're

Toting it up a mountain.

That aluminum rod has gone

Through quite a few stages, and

Now it has a whole new profile.

This tub of vibrating ceramic

Cones will smooth the shaft's

Rough edges.

Here, a computerized drill makes

Holes into recesses that were

Stamped into the shaft earlier.

These holes will be used to

Attach other parts.

The machine changes the drill

Bit to a circular blade.

Then, guided by the computer, it

Cuts a slot for the ice-axe

Pick.

Next, the saw moves to the other

End and thins out the area where

The handle will be attached.

Using another drill bit, the saw

Carves out a hole for the

Adjustable finger rest.

Here's a shaft that's already

Been milled and drilled compared

With one yet to undergo the

Process.

The shaft gets a protective

Coating.

Then, it's time to bring all the

Pieces of the ice axe together.

A worker applies epoxy to the

Inside of the rubber handle and

Slides it onto the shaft.

The handle has an open end.

He beads a little more epoxy

Onto it and inserts a steel

Spike.

The spike is then riveted to the

Ice-axe shaft.

This spike will come in very

Handy on the mountain side.

Plunging it into a snowy slope

Can help a climber maintain his

Or her balance on a slippery

Uphill trek.

Next, the adz slides into the

Slot at the head of the shaft.

Climbers use this tool to chop

Steps in hard snow and ice.

The worker secures the adz with

Nuts and bolts, and then he

Installs the pick.

This hooked and jagged

Attachment will help get the

Climber up a mountain of hard

Ice.

The bolts are tightened with a

Torque wrench.

After all, a solid job here

Could be a lifesaver.

And finally, the adjustable

Finger rest is screwed to the

Shaft just above the handle.

And now you have a tool that can

Help you scale new heights.

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