18x05 - Wax Figures/Awnings/Sandwich Crackers/Pewter Tankards

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
we can't all rub shoulders

With political greats
and movie stars.

But for the price of admission
to a wax attraction,

Anyone can mingle
with their wax replicas.

These look-alikes
aren't much for conversation,

But the likeness
can be startling,

Thanks to a process
honed over centuries.

Famous faces
come to life in beeswax,

So it's almost like seeing them
in the flesh.

But how do they do it?

It often starts
with a face-to-face meeting

With the subject,
during which they take

More than 200 measurements
of the face alone

And still more of the body.

Drawing on those measurements

And using photos
and additional research,

An artist sculpts a clay body
onto a metal skeleton.

This clay sculpture
will be used to make a mold.

The head, of course,
receives special attention.

They sculpt it in stages,
and this takes about six weeks.

To check the symmetry
of the sculptured face,

The artist stretches a wire
from the temple to the chin.

She measures it from all angles
and compares the numbers

To measurements
of the actual subject.

Every single aspect
of the clay face

Must mirror that
of the subject's precisely

So if it's even slightly off,
she makes adjustments.

Here, she redefines the teeth
a bit more.

And then
she tweaks the hairline.

They're now ready
for the next step --

The making of the head mold.

The worker paints plaster
onto the sculpture

In 14 different sections.

This multi-part mold

Can be easily removed
from the clay head

Once the plaster dries.

After the clay head
has been discarded,

They give the reassembled mold
a quick rinse.

The wax artist turns the
plaster head mold upside down

And slots it into the wax bench,

So named because it secures
the mold during the wax casting.

They melt
blocks of japanese beeswax

And funnel the liquid wax

Into the neck
of the plaster cast.

They let it set for an hour,

Just long enough
for the wax to solidify

And form a thick crust
around the inside of the cast.

The artist
removes crust at the neck

And pours out
the rest of the wax,

Leaving
a hollow wax face inside.

They set it aside for another
hour to further solidify.

The wax artist
removes the plaster mold

And comes face to face
with the wax creation.

She examines it thoroughly,

Confirming
that the detail from the mold

Has been effectively transferred
to the wax

And that the wax face

Is a dead ringer
for the human subject.

The team then
casts the wax figure's hands,

And an artist
matches the subject's skin tone

Against a chart.

She mixes paint
and dabs the brush in it.

She then strikes her brush
with another one

So the paint splatters
across the hand.

She blots up the paint
to blend it in.

This technique
gives the wax a speckled look

That mimics human pores.

She paints on knuckles, veins,
and distinctive markings

To mimic those
on the subject's hands.

She gives the nails a manicure

To make the hands
look identical to the subject's.

In the hands
of a skilled artist,

These wax hands
have come to life.

As a medical glass eye spins,

The artist blots on
a very wide pupil first

And then paints the periphery
to mimic the person's iris.

Iris color and pattern
are unique to the individual,

And the artist
replicates those qualities

As closely as possible.

She glues red silk threads
onto the whites of the eyes

To simulate
broken blood vessels.

It's another touch of realism.

They slot the eyes into sockets
in the wax head.

Then the wax figure
is ready for its hair --

Actual human hair
matched to the subject's.

They pierce the wax
with a hot needle

To insert
each hair individually.

The wax melts
and closes around the hair.

This process
can take four weeks.

They also plug in
brows and lashes

And then brush on paint
like makeup.

With his face on, the wax figure
now looks true to life.

Once completed,

Wax figures
get movie-star treatment.

Their hair is washed
and styled regularly,

And their clothing
is routinely dry-cleaned.

After all, even wax versions
of famous people

Have to keep up appearances.

Narrator:
the unfurling of awnings

Usually marks
the roll-out of patio season.

It's a long tradition, one that
actually dates back centuries.

Early romans
were among the first

To seek refuge from the hot sun
under fabric awnings.

And today, design innovations

Mean there's always
something new under the sun.

With modern mechanisms,

Unfolding an awning
has never been easier.

This manual crank system is
designed for a smooth roll-out.

And for extra convenience,

There are motorized awnings
operated by remote control.

Production begins
with the fabric,

Which comes in a range
of weather-resistant synthetics.

The seamstress cuts out patterns
from thick acrylic material

And sews the pieces together.

Here she works on
the awning's front valance.

A roller keeps
the fabric correctly aligned

And stops it
from bunching up as she sews.

She stitches
a long pocket along the border.

A plastic rod will later
be channeled through it

To connect the valance
to the awning framework.

She traces a scalloped edge
onto the bottom of the valance

And then carefully
cuts along the penciled line.

With a steady hand, she follows
the outline precisely

To give the valance those
distinctive curves and notches.

Workers
then position the awning panel

In front of an aluminum tube.

They thread
the pocketed end of the awning

Into a channel in the tube

And then slide a plastic rod
into the pocket.

This secures the end
of the fabric to the tube.

It takes two people to avoid
any buckling of the fabric.

They insert a plastic cap
into one end of the tube

But leave the other end open for
the installation of the motor.

They now wind the awning panel
around the tube,

Synchronizing their efforts

So the tension in the roll
is equal at both ends.

Next, rollers carry
a squared aluminum tube

To a circular saw.

Once in position,
arms descend to steady the tube,

And the saw slices it
to the correct length.

The cut tube
will be the carrier bar,

An important part
of the awning framework.

A worker
now builds that framework,

Starting with the carrier bar.

He slides a bracket
partway down the tube

And uses it
to attach the retractable arms,

Securing the assembly
with a heavy-duty steel pin.

Two workers
slide connector pieces

Into the grooves
in the drop bar

For the valance.

Then they raise the bar
and attach the retractable arms.

They install a side bearing
in the end of the connector bar.

It's one of two that will
support the awning's main tube.

Next up
is that fabric-wrapped tube.

They attach it to the framework

And tuck the other end
of the awning fabric

Into a round slot
in the drop bar.

They slide
another long plastic rod

Through a pocket
in the fabric to secure it.

They're now ready for the motor.

It's a tubular model.

He attaches a metal bracket

For assembling the motor
to the main framework.

He then equips the tubular motor
with two plastic rings,

One at each end.

Powered by the motor,

These rings will revolve
to open and close the awning.

A test confirms
that it's fully operational.

He slides the tubular motor into
the open end of the awning tube.

He attaches the second side
bearing to the metal bracket...

...and caps
the open end of the drop bar.

A few taps with a hammer
drives it down the shaft.

He now tests the awning

To confirm that
everything unfolds as it should.

He tightens some screws.

And when
it's perfectly operational,

He'll install the valance.

It takes about an hour to
manufacture a motorized awning,

And it should supply
about a decade of shade.

Narrator:
sandwich crackers

Are one of
life's little conveniences --

Crispy wafers with peanut butter
or cheese spread between them,

All wrapped up
in a neat package.

In north america, factories have
been mass-producing these snacks

Since the early part
of the 20th century

To satisfy the need to nibble.

Sandwich crackers come in handy
for a quick refuel.

Just unwrap and snack while
continuing on your routine.

They start with the smaller
ingredients for the dough,

Which include baking soda,
a powdered cheese additive,

And a kind of phosphate,

Which, like the baking soda,
is a leavening agent.

Next are enzyme tablets
and the yeast,

Two ingredients that will
later cause the dough to ferment

To give the crackers
textural strength.

They add water

And thicken the liquefied blend
with a little flour.

This makes it easier
to pump into the next mixer.

This one is a big trough
full of flour.

They add ice to chill it

And then pipe in
the small-ingredient blend.

Cooling the mix with ice

Preserves the yeast and enzymes
to hold off on fermentation.

If fermentation
happens too soon,

The dough could turn to mush.

They lower a lid equipped
with three spiraling blades

And set the blades in motion,

Pumping in more water
to augment the moisture

From the melting ice
and small-ingredient blend.

It's now ready for fermentation,
so it's into a warm room

To activate
the yeast and the enzymes.

The dough swells,

And a worker breaks the crust
to release gas.

An automated system tips
the trough of dough into a chute

That takes it one floor down
to the rolling station.

The chemical changes
caused by fermentation

Have made this dough
less sticky,

So it can now
be rolled into sheets

Without adhering
to the equipment.

The dough
now travels between rollers

That flatten it and squeeze it
to a specific thickness.

The sheets of dough
exit and accumulate.

When several layers
have piled up,

The dough is on the move again.

Several layers at a time now,

It moves between
a series of rollers,

Which compress the dough
to its final thickness.

A quick dust with flour,

And the dough
now goes under a rolling cutter

That scores it
to cr*cker-size proportions.

The cutter is also spiked with
pins that puncture the dough.

The holes give the crackers
a dimpled look,

And they have
a practical purpose,

Allowing steam to escape during
cooking for a crispier snack.

A sprinkle of salt,

And the cr*cker dough
now heads into the oven.

This oven
is more than 65 yards long,

With several heating zones.

The hottest is around


A roller breaks them
cleanly along the score lines.

A quick spray with vegetable oil
adds flavor.

The crackers then transfer
from one conveyer to another

And land in neat stacks.

They head into
an inspection station,

Where workers pick out
any damaged crackers

And adjust the alignment
of the shingled rows

So it's a smooth transition
as the crackers move into lanes.

Down the line,

Workers pull off samples
to weigh them.

Then equipment
flips the crackers upright,

Positioning them
to enter the filling line.

The peanut-butter filling
is ready and kept warm

So it's smooth and creamy enough
to pump.

The top crackers

Now head downward
in a precise configuration,

While below,

The bottom crackers whiz by
the peanut-butter depositor.

It pumps
a dollop of peanut butter

Onto each bottom cr*cker.

The peanut-butter-covered
bottom crackers

Now move forward to meet up
with the top crackers.

And again, with perfect timing,

The top crackers land on the
bottom ones in exact alignment.

Equipment separates them
into sets of three

As they head into packaging.

Plastic wrap envelops them,

And a heat sealer
cuts and closes the packets.

Suctioning arms
collect the packets

And transfer them
to cardboard boxes.

From mixing to packaging,
it has taken about 24 hours

To produce a packet
of sandwich crackers.

Once it reaches
a hungry snacker,

It will be gone
in no time at all.

Narrator: a traditional drinking
vessel typically used for beer,

A tankard often has a hinged lid

You raise and lower
with a thumb lever.

Dating back
to 15th-century england,

They were initially made
of wood, then silver or pewter.

The tradition of hand-crafting
pewter tankards continues today.

This manufacturer makes
pewter tankards in many styles,

One of which

Has the legend of the
king's shilling engraved on it

And a reproduction
of a shilling coin from 1816

Encased in the glass bottom.

Every step is done by hand,
beginning with a sheet of pewter

That's just


Using a punch press,
they cut it into the shape

Required
to form the tankard's body.

Next, they place the pewter on
a copper plate that has on it,

In raised lettering, the story
of the king's shilling.

They feed this
in between two rollers

That press
the lettering into the pewter.

A soft metal, pewter
is composed mostly of tin,

Along with smaller quantities
of two other metals --

Antimony and copper.

Next, a metalsmith takes over.

He manually bends the pewter

Into the cylindrical shape
of the tankard's body.

He brushes on flux,

A chemical which helps
molten metal flow more easily.

Then, with a soldering tool,

He fuses the edges of the body
with pure tin solder.

Traditionally, both the pewter
and solder contained lead,

But today, both are lead-free.

Next, the metalsmith slides
the cylinder onto a steel form

And hammers
the solder seam flat,

Rendering it
virtually invisible.

Now a specialized tradesman
known as a pewter spinner

Slips the body onto a lathe.

As the lathe rotates,

He uses a series of tools
to smooth the surface,

Trim excess
off the top and bottom,

And turn the top edge over
to form a lip.

Next, a buffer uses pumice
and a cloth buffing wheel

To remove imperfections and
make the surface silky-smooth.

Meanwhile,
in the casting department,

They heat solid pewter
to 465 degrees fahrenheit

Then carefully pour the now
molten metal into a rubber mold.

Inside are several cavities
for shillings and large rings.

After about 30 seconds,
the pewter solidifies,

And the parts can come out.

To make the tankard's handle,

The casters pour molten pewter
into a steel mold,

Then tilt the mold
in all directions

To spread
the rapidly setting metal

All along
the wall of the cavity.

This makes the handle hollow
and therefore lightweight.

They grind the ends
on an abrasive belt

So the handle will fit flush
against the tankard body.

Another worker, meanwhile,

Assembles
the tankard's glass base.

A glass disk,
a shilling, a ring,

Then a second glass disk.

The ring acts as a spacer,

Creating enough of a gap
between the glass disks

To allow the coin
to slide around.

He applies waterproof glue
around the perimeter

To adhere everything together.

Next, he places this shilling
sandwich in a pewter base

And adheres a second ring
to hide the glue.

Back to the metalsmith now.

He dabs the tankard's body onto
a pad impregnated with flux.

He then solders together
the body and base.

Once the parts are attached,

A final buffing
with a soft felt wheel.

Next, the metalsmith
dips the handle ends in flux

And solders them to the body.

To avoid
scorching the tankard's surface,

This time he uses
a bismuth-and-tin solder,

Which requires
a lower temperature to melt.

The tankard
is now fully constructed.

They clean it in a dishwasher,
then shine it up.

First,
the polisher does the inside,

Using a rough-grid
abrasive compound,

Producing a matte finish.

Then he polishes the outside,
using a finer-grid compound.

This produces
a contrasting mirror finish.

In 18th- and 19th-century
england,

A volunteer
for army or naval service

Accepted a shilling as a bonus
upon signing up.

However,
volunteers were in short supply,

So recruiters are said
to have visited pubs

And slipped shillings

Into the pewter tankards
of inebriated men,

Who, upon their last sip,

Discovered they'd been
duped into serving.

It may well be a myth,

But it still makes a darn good
story to share over a pint.

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