Narrator: IT WAS AN American NURSE'S
SENSITMTY TO AN ANTISEPTIC.
That led to the development
of medical rubber gloves.
The year was 1890,
and the hospital
was Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Sympathetic
to the nurse's plight,
the chief of surgery asked
a rubber company
to develop protective gloves.
Around the world,
healing hands wear rubber gloves
to stop the spread of germs
and save lives.
To make them,
they need a lot of hands,
the kind made
from ceramic or aluminum.
They'll serve as molds.
First, they need to
remove residue
from the last
rubber-glove production,
so they do a thorough washing
in soapy water...
And then in bleach.
They must remove
every speck of residue
because even
the smallest contaminate
could lodge
in the latex rubber gloves
and create holes.
Leaving the bleach,
the ceramic hands twirl
into round, revolving brushes.
Their bristles scour the surface
and the hard to reach areas
between the ceramic fingers.
After this thorough scrubbing,
the hand molds dive
into a tub of hot water.
It's the last cleaning
before production begins.
As they exit the tub,
the hands swivel
on the rail carrier to drip dry.
Still slightly damp
and spinning,
the hand molds head
into a chemical bath,
which forms a film
on the surface.
It's a critical coating
because liquid rubber
won't adhere to bare ceramic,
but it will to this substance.
The ceramic molds now reach
into warm, liquid rubber,
which has been enhanced
for extra strength.
The liquid rubber
reacts with the chemical coating
on the hands
and becomes gel-like.
Coated with the rubber gel,
the hands spin to shake off
any drops
as they head into an oven.
Under intense heat, the rubber
dries to the hand form.
It also undergoes
a chemical process
called vulcanization
that makes rubber stronger
and elastic.
After a wash and dry,
the gloves spin through brushes
which roll up the cuffs.
This cuff roll, called the bead,
has a specific purpose.
It makes it easier to pull
the rubber glove off the mold.
Workers grab the gloves
by the beads
to peel them off
the ceramic forms.
These particular medical gloves
were molded
from synthetic rubber
for people who can't wear
natural latex rubber
due to allergies.
These synthetic rubber gloves
are a bit stickier
than the natural latex ones,
and they must be
removed by hand.
However,
the natural latex gloves
come off much more easily.
Bursts of pressurized air
blow these gloves
off the ceramic forms.
At a test station,
a worker now stretches
and inflates each medical glove
to check
for weak spots and holes.
Even a pinhole leak
would be cause for rejection.
Next, they take a sample glove
from every batch
and pump water into it,
again checking for leaks.
If the sample glove
is watertight,
they approve the entire batch
for shipment.
They color code gloves
for strength.
These orange cleaning gloves
are thick and reusable.
Others, like the medical gloves,
are for limited use
and disposable.
Each rubber formulation
is customized
for color, strength,
and other characteristics.
It has taken a lot
of fake hands and real ones
to make rubber gloves,
and it all happens very fast.
They manufacture 200 rubber
gloves a minute at this factory.
That's about 12,000 gloves
per hour.
They pack them up
in batches of 100.
A cornstarch solution
applied earlier
keeps them from sticking
together in the box.
Later, that starch
will also act as a lubricant
to allow the gloves
to slide easily onto hands.
And with all that,
these rubber gloves are ready
to protect the public.
Narrator: In northern Thailand,
the tradition of carving
elaborate flowers from soap
Began in the 1930s
with farm workers.
Who were looking
for a creative outlet.
In their hands, pieces of soap
became little works of art.
And in the process,
they carved out a niche market
for soap flowers.
Today in Thailand,
there's a thrmng tourist trade
in floral soap carvings.
These awesome blossoms are far
too delicate for scrub-up duty.
They're made to be admired.
Infused with fruit powders, they
also add fragrance to a room.
The carvers start
by making their own soap.
Glycerin made of animal fats
and oils is the main ingredient.
Other ingredients include
fruit powder...
Water...
Food coloring...
In this case, yellow...
Fragrance...
And vegetable oil.
He mixes the vegetable oils
with the water
as he heats
the ingredients slowly.
He then adds
the glycerin chunks
to a separate bucket
of hot water.
The glycerin melts on contact,
and he whisks it
to disperse it in the water.
He now pours the glycerin
mixture in to the water and oil.
Using an electric mixer,
he blends the ingredients,
adding water as needed
to achieve
the desired consistency.
He blends the mango fruit powder
into the soap mixture.
A dash of yellow coloring
reflects the aroma
of the soap... mango.
He adds
a mango fragrance formulation
to enhance
the powdered fruit scent.
That completes this
aromatic liquid-soap mixture.
He transfers it to a square pan
lined with plastic.
After a few hours,
the soap solidifies
into a big yellow bar.
He pries the hardened soap
and the plastic liner
away from the pan
and flips it over.
The soap slab lands
on the workbench.
He peels the plastic liner off.
Now, using a device
similar to a paper cutter,
he slices the soap
into long, uniform bars.
He stacks them
in piles of three.
He cuts the stacks of long bars
crosswise,
producing small soap squares
the size of brownies.
Each soap bar
will be transformed
into a beautiful flower.
This takes
artistic vision and skill.
The artist has
many years of experience
and carves with an expert hand.
As he scoops out chunks,
the broad and distinctive petals
of an orchid take shape.
He discards the broad base,
and from a simple soap bar,
a flower has bloomed.
He dips the carving in water
to improve the adhesion
of water-based paint.
He partially submerges
the carving in paint,
gmng it a two-toned look.
The artist selects
color combinations
for their visual impact,
and authenticity
is not essential.
He brushes mauve paint
onto the orchid's central column
to accentuate it.
He extends the brush strokes
to the petals.
These brush strokes mimic
the look of veins.
With this colorful artistry,
the soap carving
seems to come to life.
He dips a toothbrush in paint
and flicks his thumb
across the bristles
to spray flecks
onto the center column.
With that final splash of color,
the carving is complete.
He glues it to the base
of a decorative box.
The box both protects
the carving
and adds to the presentation.
Taking the lid off
reveals a surprise.
The carving could be any flower
in any color.
But the most amazing thing
of all
is that it's been carved
from soap.
Narrator: The world
of private-passenger aircraft.
Is all about comfort and luxury.
Big corporations send
their top executives
to travel in jets
with well-appointed interiors.
And the world's super-wealthy
spare no expense
making their private planes
as lavish as their homes.
Just like building
or renovating a house,
you can choose
all the decorative finishings
of your new aircraft...
Everything from the
floor covering and seat fabric
to the style, wood type,
and color of the cabinetry.
It's critical
not to weigh the aircraft down,
so cabinets can't be made
from particle board.
Even plywood is far too heavy.
The solution... panels made of
honeycomb-shaped hard paper
sandwiched
between fiberglass sheets,
strong like particle board,
but 1/4 the weight.
Computerized machines cut
the panels to shape
and drill holes
for threaded inserts,
into which bolts and screws
for hinges and handles
will fasten.
After refining the holes
with hand tools,
workers hold the inserts
in the holes with tape
while they inject epoxy glue
to bond the inserts permanently.
The panels adjoin
with a tongue and groove system,
so computerized machines cut
the edges accordingly.
The material is fibrous,
so the cut edges are rough.
Workers smooth them
before gluing and assembling.
Certain panel surfaces are too
hard to access after assembly,
so they receive their decorative
wood veneer facade
before being cut to shape.
These pieces are covered
in a protective film
to prevent damaging the veneer
during assembly.
Once a unit is assembled,
workers make sure it's square.
They also verify the dimensions.
Meanwhile, an automated
belt sander preps the veneer.
Veneer is wood that's
been sliced into thin sheets.
For these cabinet facades,
these sheets
are a mere 0.04 inches thick.
The most typical choices
are walnut, ebony,
cherry, and birch.
Workers disassemble the unit
to access each component
for veneering.
They lay the component
on the back of the veneer sheet
and trace it.
Then they follow the pencil line
with a fine-tooth veneer saw.
Next, they spray contact cement
on the component surface
and the veneer's underside.
A plastic sheet in between
prevents contact
until the veneer
is correctly positioned.
After pressing down the veneer,
they place the component
in a vacuum bag
and suction out the air.
This flattens the veneer evenly
over the entire surface.
Eight hours later, the component
comes out of the vacuum bag,
and with a router, they trim
the veneer flush all around.
Then they glue the edges
with epoxy
and apply strips of hardwood
to match the facade.
The epoxy cures
in a couple of hours,
at which point
they sand the edges
to remove any excess glue.
Now they reinstall the component
and measure to make sure
the surrounding gaps
are precisely 0.06 inches.
Should some tweaking
be required,
they simply sand edges
or adjust hinges.
They disassemble yet again
and touch up any imperfections
that sanding the edges caused.
Once the touch-up paint is dry,
they spray on the first
of nine coats of lacquer.
Each coat has to dry overnight.
They sand it twice
before applying the next coat,
first with an orbital sander,
then with a sanding block
to remove any waves
in the lacquer
left by the orbital sander.
After the last coat
of lacquer dries,
they do a final sanding
with a very fine grit paper.
Then, using a wool pad
and polishing compound,
they Polish the surface to
a reflective, high-gloss finish.
Workers now reassemble the
components for the last time.
They install
the fixtures and accessories,
the decorative hardware,
and everything electrical.
The cabinetry unit is finished.
Not only does the luxurious look
fit a multi-million-dollar
private aircraft,
it's also, as they say
in tech terms, plug and play.
You just install
and plug it into the aircraft,
and everything runs...
No additional wiring required.
Narrator: A motorcycle can be
rolled into a truck or van.
And be gone in a minute,
leaving an empty space
and an angry owner.
To help put the brakes
on this parking-lot theft,
there are portable locks
for brakes.
With the brakes
in full lock down,
the bike can't be rolled away.
When it's time for a pit stop,
a disc-brake lock
takes some of the worry
out of leaving
a coveted motorbike unguarded.
Simply clip it onto
the motorbike's brake rotor,
turn the key,
and the wheels won't budge.
Equipped with an alarm,
this handy gadget
can also alert bystanders
of a crime in progress.
Before they manufacture
the lock, they cut the keys.
There are two for each lock.
The employee inserts
two blank key blades
into milling machines
that carve eight different
notches into them.
The combination of notches
is one of over a million
possible key codes.
The machine prints the key-code
information onto a card.
In the meantime, the employee
inserts the keys into a slot,
and little brushes inside
clean them.
The assembler slips
the matching keys onto a ring
along with the key-code card
to keep them all together.
She installs batteries
to power lights in the key grip.
To make a lock
to match the keys,
the worker refers
to the key-code card
to select notched brass wafers.
She stacks them
in an assembly unit
so that the notches
in the wafers
match the bits
cut into the key blade.
She places the lock cylinder
above the wafers
and activates a spring that
lifts them into the cylinder.
She flips the cylinder
and removes it
from the assembly device,
then caps the cylinder,
encasing the wafers.
She tries a key
and confirms it's a match.
She brushes grease
into two niches in the cylinder.
She inserts locking bars
into each one.
The grease holds them in place
as she slides a steel sleeve
over the cylinder.
She tries the key again to
confirm the assembly functions.
For extra protection,
she encases the cylinder
in a hard lock body.
She plugs the open end
and secures the metal plug
with two pins.
She now inserts bolts
in the lock.
In operation,
these bolts will be pushed
into the brake disc to lock it.
A metal sliding cover protects
the key hole when not in use.
The installer adds
a plastic mechanism
to slide it open and closed
more easily.
They now have
a completed lock bolt.
They assemble
the outer lock body.
The two parts come together
to form a slot
to fit over the brake disc.
Using a custom measuring tool,
the employee confirms that
the hole for the lock mechanism
is the correct size.
She then slides an applicator
for lubricant into that hole.
It releases the lubricant, and
she distributes it more evenly.
She slots steel ba*ls
into compartments
in the lock mechanism.
When the lock is engaged,
these ba*ls will protrude
and keep it engaged.
She pops the locking bolt
into the outer casing.
She permanently secures it
with a plastic spring,
snapping it into place between
the steel casing and the lock.
Another application
of lubricant,
and the motorcycle brake lock
is ready for an alarm system.
The alarm has been pre-assembled
at another factory.
It fits into a tray-like
compartment of the casing.
With the help
of a mechanized tool,
she press-fits the alarm
to the casing.
She slides a plastic dowel
into the lock
to confirm
the alarm mechanism and gauges.
She replaces
the section of the casing
that was removed
for the alarm installation
and secures it with a screw.
She polishes the lock
against a revolving wheel
with little brushes.
She rubs some oil on it,
and the metal gleams.
Now complete, this motorbike
brake-disc lock looks pretty,
just don't mess with it.
[ Alarm beeping ]
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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