24x01 - Saunas, Wheelchair Lifts, Dioramas

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: the sauna is a
centuries-old finnish tradition.


At least once a week.

Most homes, apartment buildings,
and even offices have one.

Don't live in finland

But want to enjoy the benefits
of a home sauna?

No sweat.

This outdoor sauna is made
of premium canadian red cedar,

Which is aromatic and resistant
to mold.

First, they measure the wood
with a hydrometer

To ensure the humidity level
is below 12%.

If the wood is too moist,

It will shrink after assembly,
leaving gaps between the planks.

Once they've determined
that the wood is stable,

They put the planks
through a molder.

The machine's
seven different toolheads

Smooth the top
and bottom surfaces.

The machine also carves tongue
and groove edges

That will tightly lock one plank
to the next.

The assemblers build the
barrel-shaped sauna in sections.

For the bottom,
they start with a central plank

That has a tongue on both sides.

The tongues and grooves
fit together

To render the joints watertight.

The assemblers
continue adding planks

Until there are eight
on each side of the central one.

They construct the sauna's back
wall using the same technique.

Once they've joined together
the required number of planks,

They lay down
a circular template

And secure it with clamps.

Then they cut around
the template with a router.

To further secure the planks
to each other,

They drill angled holes
through adjacent ones...

...and drive in screws.

They also screw in three
horizontal reinforcement planks.

Using a pattern as a guide,

They cut out a window
with the router.

They screw window moldings
around the opening.

They apply an adhesive-backed
rubber insulation strip

Along the perimeter.

This will prevent heat and water

From leaking out
between the walls of the sauna.

They mount the front and back
walls onto the bottom section.

They add planks to both sides
of the bottom section

To gradually build up
the curved side walls.

The side walls meet at the top

On either side
of a central plank

That's pre-wired with the
sauna's l.e.d. Ceiling lights.

Workers strap
three galvanized-steel cables

Around the sides...

And pull them
to a specific tension.

These cables further
bind the planks to each other.

The structural assembly
is now complete.

They begin installing
the interior components,

Starting with a thermometer
and hydrometer.

Next,
they mount a pivoting cover

Over the fresh-air-vent holes.

This allows users
to block outside air

Or allow it in.

Then they add an hourglass
that counts down 15 minutes

The recommended time
to spend in a sauna.

Next comes the electric stove.

It contains volcanic rocks
that absorb and store the heat.

You have the option of pouring
water onto the hot rocks

To create steam.

After installing benches and
a water-absorbent rubber floor,

They hang the door.

The glass in both the door
and rear window

Is tinted for privacy.

The sauna reaches a temperature
of 185 degrees.

The barrel shape of the sauna

Optimizes the circulation
of the heat and steam.

Narrator: a wheelchair lift
is an elevator

Designed to carry
wheelchair users

Up and down
a multistory building.

It can be installed
both inside and outside.

A lift makes a building
accessible

To anyone
for whom stairs are a barrier.

A wheelchair lift
can be installed

In virtually any building
or private home.

All that's needed
is sufficient vertical space

And compliance with local
elevator and building codes.

A hydraulic lift
moves the passenger cab

On a rail system.

The motor and mechanisms

Are concealed
in an attached metal tower.

The structure of the walls
surrounding the lift

Are made of aluminum,

Which arrive from the supplier
in long pieces.

Workers here at the factory
cut them to the required length.

They shape the corners and cut
the slots required for assembly.

To make each section
of the wall,

They join four pieces
to construct a frame.

Once the frames for
all the wall sections are ready,

Workers assemble them

To make sure the pieces
fit together correctly.

They make
any necessary adjustments,

Then take the wall sections
apart to insert the panels.

The wall panels
are made of aluminum, acrylic,

Or tempered glass.

Workers first lay down

A foam spacer strip to prevent
the panel from rattling.

Then they secure the panel
to the frame

With snap-in aluminum molding.

From here, the wall sections
go to the packing department.

Now it's time for the lift's
mechanical system.

In between the steel side rails,

Workers mount three u-shaped
supports and a cylinder.

These will hold
the hydraulic piston,

Which expands and retracts

To move the passenger cab
up and down.

Workers verify the position
of the support brackets

And secure them in place.

Then they install the piston
into the cylinder

And onto the three supports.

The piston is locked in place
with thick steel brackets.

They install the controller,

The wheelchair lift's
brain center.

The controller
regulates everything,

From the passenger cab's
movement

To the safety sensors
and door locks.

Workers install the pump.

It pushes hydraulic fluid
into the piston to move the cab.

They take the power cord

From both the pump
and controller

And hook them up
to their respective terminals.

Then they connect the hose
for the hydraulic fluid.

It runs from pump
to the piston via this manifold.

The manifold has a shutoff valve

So maintenance technicians
can safely disable

The wheelchair lift
for servicing.

Workers test then connect
the landing switches.

The lift installers
will use these switches

To set the travel distance
between stories.

This ensures the passenger cab

Will stop level with the floor
at each landing.

The cab sits on a steel platform
called a sling.

A worker now screws the sling's
left side to the left skate

A four-wheel trolley that runs
on the lift's left rail.

He does the same
with the right side.

The skates connect
to this heavy-duty drive chain

That turns on a roller
at the top of the piston.

For the cab to ascend,

The pump pushes hydraulic fluid
into the piston.

The piston expands and pushes
on the drive chain,

Moving the skates up the rails.

When you push
the "descend" button,

A valve opens,

Allowing hydraulic fluid
to exit the piston.

Aided by gravity,

The cab gradually descends.

They test the operation panel

They'll later install
in the cab.

They make sure
all the buttons work

And move the sling
up and down correctly.

Workers also test the safety
brakes installed in the skates.

If the drive chain
ever loses tension,

The brakes
automatically block the rails

To prevent the cab from falling.

Installers assemble the cab
on-site

And mount it on the sling

That will move it
from floor to floor.

Narrator:
a diorama is a 3-d scene

That offers a glimpse
of another place or time.

It is believed
to have been invented

By a french theatrical designer
in 1822.

Despite modern
digital technology,

The diorama continues to be a
great way to create an illusion.

This is an art exhibit
created by one diorama artist.

This particular series
depicts an apocalyptic scenario.

The images are powerful
and authentic.

It all starts
with some background research.

The artist and assistant

Decide on a
chinese-takeout-restaurant scene

And take pictures for reference.

Back in the studio, the artist
checks the scale of components

To be featured
in the diorama scene,

Like a fox.

To make the scene look real,

The size of the fox must be in
proportion to everything else.

She decides that it will work.

But the toy scooter
is too small,

So she produces a template
that's to scale.

Her assistant then pencils
an outline of the template

Onto a piece of rigid foam

To make a version
of the scooter

That's the correct size.

She carves out the shape
using a hot wire.

It melts the foam
for a cleaner cut

Than could be achieved
with a knife.

The piece of foam
now has scooter-like curves,

But it's far too chunky.

She whittles it down
using a utility knife.

She sands the foam
to refine the carving.

A paint job and a set of wheels
complete the transformation.

Next, she copies newspaper pages

And shrinks them down
to the correct scale.

She cuts the borders
and gathers them in a pile.

She brushes thinned latex paint
on the pages.

This gives them the yellowed
appearance of old newspapers.

She crumples and un-crumples
the pages for an effect

That also makes them look old.

She cuts out images of many
chinese-food takeout cartons.

They've been printed
onto paperboard

And include crease lines
for folding.

Folding a carton
is a kind of origami

The japanese art of folding

And it's a bit more challenging
on such a miniature

Scale,
but practice makes perfect.

She applies glue
to the folded flaps

And presses them together.

Clamps hold the seams in place
until the glue dries.

To create
a post-apocalyptic atmosphere,

They'll scatter leaves
throughout the diorama.

The assistant now selects leaves

That have been pressed
for about a week

And can still be handled
without breaking.

She punches out mini leaf shapes
with a handy crafting tool

And accumulates piles
in various colors.

Because it's punched
from actual leaves,

The miniature foliage
looks very authentic.

Next, she works a lump
of polymer clay

Until it's soft and narrow.

She inserts the clay
into an extruder

And presses it
through perforations at the end.

This creates strands
of clay

That look like
tiny lo mein noodles.

She arranges the clay
on a tiny paper plate.

She then brushes brown paint
onto the noodles

To imitate sauce.

She rolls green clay
into long strands

And chops it up to mimic
the look of green onions.

These small touches
make a difference.

The creation of the diorama
continues after this break.

Narrator:
a diorama is an art form

That is all about thinking
inside the box.

An artist builds a 3-d scene
within a boxy structure.

It has one side
open for viewing.

The scene can be true to life
or inspired by a place or event,

And sometimes, a diorama

Can change the way
we look at the world.

The clay mini meals
are now complete,

And the artist uses them
to create a fake menu sign.

She snaps pictures of each
of the chinese-food selections.

The choices
include sesame chicken...

...fried and steamed dumplings,

And a new york favorite,
chicken wings with fries.

Printed
onto translucent plastic,

The clay imitations
look quite mouthwatering.

She brushes thinned white paint
onto the photographs

To create a cloudy residue...

...and adds streaks of thinned
brown paint to the menu sign

To mimic dust particles.

Now she builds the diorama walls
using foam sheets.

She glues mirrored plastic
panels to one wall.

The reflections will make
this diorama seem more spacious.

She hot-glues a sign
to the mirror.

It outlines the correct
procedure

In a choking emergency.

She tapes the corners with
little strips of masking tape.

She then rubs ground-up volcanic
ash onto the mirror.

The ash clings to the surface
and emulates grease buildup.

It will also make
the mirror's reflections hazy.

After careful measuring,

She cuts out a door
from polystyrene

And spray-paints it silver.

She assembles the door
to the back wall,

But first installs lighting
above the doorway and tests it.

With the lights installed,

She glues the translucent menu
sign to the framework.

Switched on, these backlights
illuminate the menu choices.

The artist and her assistant
attach the walls of the diorama

To a tile-patterned foam floor.

They tape the walls
together from the back.

They scatter grass and dirt
throughout the scene.

This represents nature
taking over after an apocalypse.

An overturned trash can

And yellowed newspapers
on the floor

Imply the sudden departure
of humans.

They decide the scene
needs more grass and dirt,

So they distribute
more across the floor.

They now place the motor bike
into the scene.

Empty takeout containers

And a plastic fox
in the open doorway

Add to the illusion of an urban
landscape returning to nature.

They add the third wall

And the ceiling
with its fluorescent lighting.

The scene has been set,

And now the artist focuses
an 8x10 film camera on it.

This large-format camera will
produce a high-resolution image.

She adjusts the lighting
and, when satisfied,

Takes three shots.

This is
a carefully crafted scene

Viewed through the camera's eye.

The team has even built and shot
a diorama of their studio.

Ordinary spaces
become extraordinary

When recreated in a diorama
and photographed.

Many scenes, when printed large,
appear true to life.