Narrator: when luring fish
to a hole in a frozen lake,
It helps to take
a crafty approach.
It's a handcrafted
piece of folk art,
And it's also
a cunning piece of work.
Often brightly colored
with bold patterns,
The decoy attracts
the attention of fish --
An attraction
that will likely prove fatal.
Native north americans
Were the first to use decoys
to catch fish in the winter.
European settlers
followed their example.
And centuries later,
Decoy artists carry on
this tradition of trickery.
At this workshop,
The decoy starts
with a plank of white cedar.
It's a wood with dense fibers,
so it won't expand when wet.
He draws a basic fish shape
on the wood freestyle.
This one
is to resemble a herring.
He carves out the shape
with a band saw,
Producing the blank,
Which can now be transformed
into a fish decoy.
He cuts a narrow slot
for attaching a metal tail fin.
He draws a center line
around the decoy blank.
This serves as a reference point
As he now tapers the edges
with a sharp knife.
If he cuts too deep,
he could spoil the carving,
So he whittles carefully,
Removing just a bit of wood
with each stroke of the knife.
The goal
is to round the sharp edges
And soften the profile
Without cutting too deep
and gouging the wood.
He sands the entire surface
of the decoy
Until it's perfectly smooth.
Sanding also opens up
the pores of the wood
So paint will adhere.
He carves a mouth
And then cuts slits
for two sets of side fins.
Using a power carver,
he now bores into the wood
To create fish eye sockets
on both sides.
He takes an equal amount
of two epoxy clay components
And kneads the two together.
This activates the ingredients,
Turning it into
a putty-like adhesive.
He presses some of the adhesive
Into each
of the decoy's eye sockets.
He presses the glass eyes
into the epoxy-filled sockets.
Next he cuts six fish fins
from a sheet of aluminum,
Creating one dorsal fin,
two sets of side fins,
And a large tail fin.
He inserts the fins
into slots in the carving.
He then drills holes
in the wood on each side.
He presses nails
into those holes using pliers.
This secures the tail fin.
The fins on decoys
are larger than on live fish
To enable them to swim well
when weighted.
He now carves a pocket
for the lead weight
In the decoy belly.
He inserts the front side fins,
So that they protrude slightly
into the freshly carved pocket.
He scoops up molten lead
and pours it into the pocket.
As the lead solidifies,
It weights the decoy
so it will sink,
And it also secures
the two side fins.
He applies epoxy to the lead,
Sealing it so it won't be
exposed to the water.
He coats the entire decoy
with lacquer.
This seals the wood
against water,
Which would have caused
the wood to swell,
Cracking the final finish.
Once the lacquer dries
And the paint has been
scraped off the eyes,
The decoy is ready
to take the plunge.
He tests it
to confirm that it sinks
And that it sits level
underwater and swims.
Sometimes,
more lead needs to be added.
But in this case, the decoy
performs fine underwater.
He marks a spot for a screw eye
for threading fishing line
And then twists the screw eye
into that spot.
He paints the herring decoy
a vibrant red,
A color that isn't
scientifically accurate,
But one that should
tantalize real fish.
Decoys are often exact copies
of fish.
They're designed to simply
pique their curiosity.
Since fish are attracted
By colors and shapes
they don't normally see,
Decoy artists
can be as creative as they like.
Considered a form of folk art,
Fish decoys are often entered
into competitions.
But of course when it comes
to their underwater allure,
The real judges are the fish.
Narrator: unless you're
actually in a movie theater,
You're likely watching
a digital version of a film.
A movie shot on film
has to be digitized
To be put on a disc
or to be downloaded and viewed
On an electronic device.
Digitization
also preserves the movie
As film physically deteriorates
over time.
A movie has to be
in a digital format
To be viewable from a dvd...
Or as a download
to a computer...
A smartphone...
I repeat --
a nuclear w*r has broken --
...or a tablet.
[ Dog growls ]
[ Electricity crackles ]
Aah!
This organization
has produced 13,000 films
Since it was founded in 1939.
And now it's in the process
of digitizing the collection,
As well as the 80 to 100
new films it produces each year.
Once all the finished films
are digitized,
The next step
will be to digitize stock shots
And archival footage.
The film board's archives
Contain many films
which have deteriorated
Due to age
and poor storage conditions
Such as exposure to cold
or to heat,
Both of which deform film,
And excess humidity,
which causes fungus growth.
Film's other enemy?
A damaging chemical reaction
which occurs over time
Between the acid
in the film plastic
And the colored dyes
that make up the image.
The first step is to repair
any breaks in the film
So technicians can view
and evaluate its condition.
They do this using a simple
device called a splicer.
They lay each broken end
into the splicer's track
And cut off the severed frame.
A missing frame here or there
isn't all that noticeable.
Once the broken frame
is removed,
They lay both ends in the track,
centering the meeting point.
Then they tape the splice
on both sides.
This tape is specially designed
for film splicing.
Its chemical makeup
won't damage the film over time
As would ordinary adhesive tape.
The splicer punches
sprocket holes in the tape
So that the spliced portion,
like the rest,
Will thread onto the sprockets
of the projector reel.
Technicians evaluate all
existing versions of the film,
From the original,
To the screening prints
produced for movie theaters.
They assess
the general condition,
Note where the splices are
and which frames are damaged,
Then they decided which version
is in the best shape overall.
That's the version
they digitize.
Later, they'll digitally
edit out the damaged portions
And replace them with
identical but undamaged frames
Digitized from another copy.
After threading the film
through the scanner,
They close the gate
To hold the film flat and close
to the scanning camera.
Then they input the picture
quality specifications
And start her up.
The scanner gently loops
the film around its spools...
...and begins rolling it
past the camera.
For the picture quality they've
selected for this digitization,
The camera snaps three pictures
of every frame.
The scanner's control station
Displays what's being scanned
in real time,
Along with
all the technical parameters.
This digitization process
itemizes every single frame
So when they digitally replace
a damaged portion
With an undamaged one
from another copy
They can match everything up
to the exact frames.
The final step
is color correction.
Because the digitized film
is often pieced together
From more than one
film original,
There are usually
color variations.
For example,
the character's blue jacket
Will be
a different shade of blue
At different times.
At this station, the technician
manipulates the colors
To render them uniform
throughout the film.
It's essential
to resist the temptation
To overcorrect the image.
After all,
Film has a very different
color and texture than video,
And even though the digitized
film will play on video devices,
It must remain artistically
and historically faithful
To the film original.
Do not remain seated.
I repeat -- a nuclear w*r...
Narrator: a cylinder stove
is designed for campers
Who like
their creature comforts.
Just pitch the tent
and set up the stove inside.
It keeps things warm and toasty
for most of the night.
It also has a cooking surface
and a tank at the side
To provide hot water
for washing.
No need to huddle around
a campfire to stay warm.
A cylinder stove
can take the chill
Out of
the wilderness experience.
The cylindrical shape
means it can take the heat.
It will expand and contract
with the temperature change
And still maintain
it's original shape.
The cylindrical firebox starts
with a flat sheet of steel.
A worker feeds it
through a roller repeatedly
Until it reaches
the desired shape.
Then a plasma cutter cuts
an opening for the stove door
In another sheet of steel,
following a pattern overhead.
The plasma cutter
works by sending an electric arc
Through compressed air,
and the result is a clean cut.
He now places the stove body
on the door framework
And clamps the assembly
in a special jig
To secure it as he welds
the two parts together.
He then places
the backplate on the workbench
And positions the other end
of the cylinder on it.
He clamps them there
and welds them together.
Using the plasma cutter,
He trims the front and back
of the stove.
The trimming
rounds the ends nicely.
From three flat sheets of steel
to a cylindrical firebox,
The transformation
has taken less than 10 minutes.
The welder now reinforces
the underside of the stove top
With several braces
arranged in a grid pattern.
This extensive bracing
will prevent warping
To keep the stove top
perfectly flat
Under the intense heat
of the wood fire below.
This is the stove top
before and after bracing.
After cutting a hole
for the stovepipe,
He inserts a piece of pipe
temporarily
So that he can correctly install
a stovepipe collar.
Once the collar is
solidly attached to the cooktop,
He removes the stovepipe.
He then bends the rim
of the collar in four places,
Creating tabs
to keep the stovepipe
From sliding into the firebox.
He's now ready to join
The cylindrical firebox
to the stove top.
He locks them in position
and welds the entire assembly.
This final welded seam
seals the stove
For an airtight
and long-lasting burn.
Next he positions leg fittings
on the belly of the stove
Using a sawhorse-style tool.
Once he welds the fittings
to the stove,
He removes the tool.
Then it's over
to a computerized plasma cutter.
It cuts damper holes
in the stove door.
Damper holes are used
to regulate the flow of air
To the fire.
They also install a baffle plate
on the back of the stove door
To keep sparks from flying out
into the tent.
The worker attaches the door
to the stove with a hinge.
He tests it to confirm
that it opens and closes easily.
Another worker now roles pipe
for the chimney,
Using galvanized steel
because it doesn't rust.
He interlocks the seam
and flattens it.
He crimps the ends
To connect the pipe
to the other pieces of pipe.
There are five pieces
of stovepipe in all,
And they can be stacked together
for transport.
With the latch now attached
to the stove door,
He sprays black stove paint
onto the cylindrical firebox.
The paint job
will prevent rusting.
Finally he rivets
a brass manufacturer's tag
Onto the stove front.
Now it's time to pack it up.
From the grate to the water tank
to the stovepipe,
Everything can be stowed
inside the fire box,
Making it completely portable.
Assembly in the tent should take
about five minutes --
A small job
for a long-lasting burn.
The biggest cylinder stoves
Are designed to hold a fire
for an entire night.
And with the proper setup,
Campers should sleep
safe and sound.
Installing a piece
of heat-resistant rubber
Protects the tent
around the stovepipe.
Then it's time
to hunker down for the night
And enjoy a little warmth
in the wilderness.
Narrator: spun concrete
light poles tower above
Our towns and cities,
lighting the way.
They're actually
hollow structures
With wiring or cable
snaked through the cores.
The concrete walls
are reinforced by steel.
Yet these poles
are flexible enough
To bend with the wind
and snap back.
When it comes to lampposts,
the higher the light,
The greater
the area illuminated.
Some concrete light poles
are over three stories high.
They start with a tenon,
The part of the pole framework
that anchors the light fixture.
They place two in a mold
Because they're making
two light poles at once.
A worker strings four thick,
steel strands
From one end of the long mold
to the other,
Threading them
through the tenons
And through spiral wire.
This establishes the basic
framework of the concrete poles.
Another worker
installs zinc boxes
For electrical connections.
He caps it
with a block of rigid foam
To protect it
when the concrete is poured.
The next worker
attaches a stress g*n
To chucks that secure
the steel strands.
The g*n pulls the strands
one by one
To a specific tension,
And they stretch
like rubber bands.
They'll be pulled
even tighter later.
Every yard or so, he attaches
stay rings for extra rigidity.
He ties them in place
with plastic-coated wire.
Another worker
stretches the spiral wire
Around the steel strands
and tenons
To round out the skeleton
of the light poles.
The spiral wire
will also stop the pole
From twisting too much
in high winds.
A crane transfers
the long and hefty mold
Over to the next station and
lowers it onto several stands.
A hopper now swings into action,
guided by workers.
It's a traveling
concrete dispenser.
As it moves on a track,
it funnels
Specially mixed concrete
into the mold.
The concrete
has been made to order,
With the customer specifying
its color, strength,
And other qualities.
The concrete also has
a low moisture content.
This makes it
the consistency of clay
And therefore formable.
As the concrete is dispensed,
Workers pack it around
the light pole's steel skeleton.
Using trowels,
they scoop up overflow
And smooth the surface
of the wet concrete.
One worker then cleans up
the outer flanges
And applies
a nonstick substance.
A crane moves the top half
of the mold into position
And lowers it onto
the concrete-filled bottom part.
The team bolts the two parts
of the mold tightly together
Using pneumatic impact tools.
They now pull the steel strands
to their final tension,
Stretching them so tightly
That they compress the concrete
once it hardens.
Concrete is much stronger
when it's being compressed.
The mold is now ready
for the spinning machine.
It's essentially
a series of railway wheels.
A crane lowers
the mold's running rings
Into the grooves of the wheels,
And then they crank up
the speed.
The wheels turn at 500 rpms,
and the centrifugal force
Causes the concrete to migrate
to the wall of the mold.
The result is a hollow pole
with dense, concrete walls.
Transferred to a kiln,
the concrete steam-cures
In the mold
for about five hours.
The concrete light poles
are ready for the big reveal.
They open the mold
and roll them out.
At this point, the two poles
are still attached.
They examine them for flaws,
and then they'll separate them.
All they need now
is some buffing up.
Here, they polish
a different octagonal pole
To expose the pigments
in the concrete.
The different colored aggregates
in this particular cement mix
Give the pole
a mottled marble look.
An i.d. Tag has also been molded
into the cement
With the manufacturing date
and the pole's height and mass.
They test just how far
they can take it
To confirm the pole
meets industry standards.
They spray a special
acrylic finish onto some poles.
Graffiti can be
easily scrubbed off of it.
Even though it only takes
about 5 1/2 hours
To manufacture
a concrete light pole,
It should shine for many years.
If you have any comments
about the show,
Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,
Drop us a line at...
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