24x02 - Oil Lamps, Chocolate Mints, Underfloor Heating, Pillows

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: before the invention
of electricity,

Humans relied on fire for light.

Candles dripped
and could be messy.

Oil lamps were
a cleaner alternative.

Initially, oil lamps
were dishes of animal fat

With floating wicks.

But they evolved and became
a source of both

Beauty and light.

In the 18th century,

A swiss chemist
invented an oil lamp

With a cylindrical wick
and chimney.

The updated design increased
air flow to create a flame

That was both smokeless
and brighter.

In colonial america,
pewter versions became popular.

And today,
a fifth generation pewtersmith

Keeps this handcrafted
tradition alive.

He starts with the maker's mark

And stamps it into
the pewter base

Of the lamp's oil reservoir.

He clamps another pewter disc
in a lathe

Against an aluminum template
for the reservoir body.

As the disc spins,

He shapes it to the template
with a tool called

A spinner's finger.

This takes skill.

If he works too fast
or applies too much pressure,

The pewter will break.

His first spin produces
the basic shape.

In the next spin,
he trims the edges.

He also rounds the lower half
of the reservoir

Using the spinner's finger.

He works freestyle to match
the contours of the lower half

To the upper half.

He trims the bottom
one more time.

During the third spin,

He fine-tunes the shape,
and cuts a hole in the top.

Then, he sizes the hole
for the burner collar.

This metal is transformed
from a basic dome

To a well-rounded lid.

The oil lamp reservoir is now
ready for the burner.

He presses the collar
into the hole.

Then, he brushes
a glycerin-based flux

Onto the collar
in the neck of the lamp.

The flux prevents oxidation
and helps solder flow easily

As he secures the burner collar
to the neck.

Next, he tack solders the base
to the bottom

Of the oil lap reservoir.

He applies more flux
and solders the seam

All the way around.

The tin-bismuth solder melts
at a slightly lower temperature

Than the pewter does.

This is delicate work.

If the torch gets too hot,
he'll melt the entire piece.

With the soldering complete,

He trims the excess
from the base of the lamp.

He files the seam
until it's smooth.

Then he sands the rest
of the oil lamp reservoir

To a satin sheen.

Another member of the team
sands the base

Up to the maker's mark.

Next, the pewtersmith rolls
a beaded motif into the metal.

It's a design option that makes
the lamp look more elaborate.

Or for a different look,

He gently creates a hammered
texture around the lamp.

Using an engraving pen,

The pewtersmith etches
his signature

Onto the base of the lamp.

With the burner and wick
installed,

The lamp is ready for packing.

Plenty of tissue paper is needed

To protect both
the glass chimney

And the nickel burner
from damage.

She includes operation
and maintenance instructions.

Unlike silver,
pewter doesn't tarnish,

But will develop
a richer veneer over time.

A few scratches
or handling marks are normal,

But they'll only add
authenticity

To this traditional
light source.

Like pewter oil lamps
of another time,

These replicas are a shining
example of handcraftsmanship.

Narrator: chocolates and mints
are enjoyed by many people.

Then, someone discovered putting
the two together

Makes for
a delicious experience.

The cool zestiness of the mint
offsets the rich creaminess

Of the chocolate.

It is one of the sweetest
matches in candy history.

Chocolate or mint?

With the chocolate mint,
the decision is easy

Because the two flavors
are wrapped into one.

To make chocolate mints,

They pump liquid sugar
into a heated mixer,

And add granular sugar.

The mixer blends it
into simmering syrup

Exiting through strainers.

Then, it's moved into
a vacuum-sealed cooker.

It sucks out moisture
and the syrup thickens

To a jelly-like consistency.

A worker transfers it
to a second mixer

And adds the mint flavoring.

Thorough mixing thickens it

And lightens the color
substantially.

He transfers the mint flavored
candy to a work table.

Powerful mechanical arms
massage the slab

To cool and harden the candy.

Next, a hopper funnels the candy
into pressurized rollers

That squeeze it
into a long sheet.

The sheet rides
an inclining conveyor.

Once it reaches the top,

An employee wraps the end
around a long steel tube.

The tube revolves and twists
the mint candy around it.

The long candy sheet
takes the shape of the tube.

They melt and mix chunks
of pure chocolate with cocoa,

Powdered milk, and icing sugar.

They add coconut oil
and lecithin

To bind the ingredients.

Once mixed, the employee
transfers it to a hopper

Next to the big mint candy tube.

From here,
the chocolate is injected

Into the hollow of
the mint candy tube.

The tube rolls off the forming
cylinder and passes by rollers

That squeeze the diameter down
to a rope size.

A compactor then mashes
the candy rope

To give the filling
a honeycomb texture.

Pullers now stretch a second
slab of mint candy

Until it thickens
and turns a lighter color.

The worker cuts it into chunks

That fit into
the next rolling machine.

It presses the candy
into a sheet

Which then lands on top of
the mint chocolate.

The two layers now enter
the next forming machine.

This one wraps the outer layer

Around
the chocolate infused one,

Creating a chocolate filled
mint tube.

Rollers reduce the diameter
to half an inch in size.

Next, the chocolate mint rope
enters a die cutter.

It shapes and cuts the rope
into mints.

The mints spill into a spreader
which distributes them evenly

Across a perforated conveyor.

Fans blow air through the holes
in the conveyor

To cool and solidify
the candies.

Once the candies have hardened,

They head to
the wrapping station.

Here, they ride a rotating
circular platform

And fall into candy-size slots.

Glossy metalized film wrap
unwinds.

Mechanical arms collect
the chocolate mints

As they fall out of the slots.

They hold the candies
for wrapping

While devices twist the ends.

It takes only a fraction
of a second to wrap a candy.

Then it's on to a weigh station.

Scales release the individually
wrapped chocolate mints

In increments.

They fall into bags
ready for retail.

Approximately


Are made every minute
at this factory.

Two flavors in one candy...
They're quite a treat.

Heating a room
using a water circulation system

Under the floor is more
efficient than using a radiator.

Radiators can only be
at one end of a room,

While a circulation system
distributes heat

Evenly throughout.

Warm water pipes are installed
under the floor

Beneath the plaster
leveling layer

In the grooves of
a plastic guide mat

Laid on the subfloor.

Each pipe begins and ends
at a distribution manifold.

The pipes connect to
the manifold and each other

With various types
of brass fittings.

This computer guided equipment

Makes the simpler straight ones.

It first cuts a piece
from a long brass bar,

Progressively shapes it,
bores through it,

And cuts threads on it.

This machine makes the nuts
that connect the fittings

To the manifold.

The machine cuts a piece
from a six-sided brass bar

And shapes it into a nut.

Curved or t-shaped fittings

Require forging prior
to machining.

The factory cuts the bars
into ingots.

A conveyor then feeds the ingot
into an oven.

The high temperature softens
the brass to a malleable state.

After the ingots exit the oven,

They are pressed into a mold
by a 400-ton press.

When the press releases,

The forged fitting
heads to a collection bin.

Workers then place it on a die
and trim off the excess brass

With a punch press.

The fitting now
has its basic shape.

The next step is to
sandblast it.

This cleans the surface
in preparation for machining.

A vibrating tray now feeds
the sandblasted fittings

To a robot.

A camera records the orientation
of each piece,

Guiding the robot to load it
in the correct position.

Guided by a computer,

The transfer machine finalizes
the shape of the fitting.

This complex machining process,
seen here in super slow motion,

Takes just a few seconds.

The transfer machine also makes
the manifold

From a larger brass bar.

This manifold
has 10 connections.

So if each room of the home
is heated by one circuit,

This manifold could control


The transfer machine can perform
up to 20 different operations

On a single fitting.

The under floor heating pipes
have five layers.

To produce the innermost one,

An extruder melts granules
of polyethylene...

A strong non-porous type
of plastic.

It is pushed through
a circular die,

And then cooled rapidly
to a solid state.

Polyethylene pipe enters
a second extruder

That applies a layer of glue
over the poly.

The glue adheres
the third layer... Aluminum.

The pipe moves through
a series of forming rollers

Which gradually wrap
an aluminum strip around it.

This aluminum layer makes
the polyethylene pipe strong.

Once the pipe is fully encased,

A welding machine fuses
the strip's overlapping edges.

The pipe now receives
another layer of glue.

Then, the outer surface
of polyethylene is applied.

The factory makes pipes
ranging from 1/2 an inch

To 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

A steel sleeve is pressed
over the end,

Connecting the pipe
to the fitting.

To set up the heating system,

The installers lay a plastic
guide mat on the subfloor

And snap the pipe
into the mat's grooves.

They lay plaster leveling tiles
on top of the mat

To level the surface
then install the flooring.

They connect one end of the pipe
to an inlet manifold,

And the other to an outlet
manifold.

The inlet sends warm water
through the pipe.

The outlet receives
the returning cold water

And sends it to the boiler
to be reheated.

You regulate water flow
and temperature either manually

Or with a thermostat.

Narrator:
hard, soft, puffy or flat,

The type of pillow you sleep on

Is a matter of
personal preference.

Your pillow can be stuffed
with natural fillings

Like feathers and wool,
or synthetic materials

Such as foam or polyester fiber.

These pillows come in
two styles...

Garnet pillows filled with
a roll of synthetic fiber,

And blown pillows made of
loose synthetic fibers.

The fiber arrives at the factory
in huge, densely packed bales

Weighing almost 600 pounds.

This polyester fiber is made
from polyethylene

And other types of plastics.

The fibers are all stuck
together.

They need to be pulled apart
and smoothed out.

This process is called
"opening the fibers."

The first machine...
The preopener...

Combs the fibers with a large
steel-spiked roller.

This separates them considerably
but not completely.

The fibers exit the machine
straighter and smoother.

However,
several are still crimped.

The preopener's four outputs
drop the fibers

Onto a conveyor belt
which takes them

To the next opening machine.

Along the way, nozzles spray
a special solution

To reduce static electricity.

To make garnet pillows,

Fans push the fibers
to another opening machine

Called the garnet hopper.

It feeds the fibers onto
a spiked conveyor belt

Which combs them out further.

This removes many
of the remaining crimps.

After the garnet hopper,

The fibers look like the ones
on the right...

Fluffier, straighter,
and smoother.

The fibers now travel
to the next machine.

It has several metal rollers
with sharp ridges

That stretch the fiber straight,

Removing the remaining crimps.

The fibers then enter
another machine,

Passing over one of two rollers
to form a flat, fluffy sheet

Called a "web."

The two webs merge
as they exit the machine,

Forming a thicker web.

Then, the next machine
laps the web back and forth

Over itself.

The width of the lapping

Determines the width
of the pillow.

The machine cuts the continuous
web into pieces

And rolls each one
into what is called a "bat."

The length of the piece

Determines the characteristics
of the pillow.

The longer the rolled piece,

The higher and firmer
the pillow.

An automated machine makes
the cotton

Or cotton-blended pillowcases.

Workers mount two identical
rolls of fabric

Onto the machine's cradles

And feed the ends through
a series of tension rollers.

The two sheets must be taut

As they pass through the
machine's different stations.

First, blades trim the fabric
to the correct pillow size...

Standard, queen, or king.

Then, a slitter runs across
each sheet, cutting a series

Of rectangular pieces.

The machine then stitches
two rectangles together

On three sides.

Finally, the product information
label is sewn on.

The machine uses an extremely
strong overlock stitch.

The pillow filling is flattened

Before it enters
the waiting case,

Which is already covered
in retail packaging.

Sewers close the open end
of the pillow

And trim off the excess fiber.

Then the finished pillow
is placed in a shipping box.

For blown pillows,

An operator holds the open
end of the case over a nozzle.

Then a machine blows in
a pre-set quantity

Of loose fibers.

He weighs the pillow

Then sends it to
the sewing department

To be stitched closed.

A blown pillow conforms
to your head when you lie down

And rebounds when you get up.

A garnet pillow
has less rebound.

Not sure what to choose?

Sleep on it.

Narrator: if you have
any comments about the show,

Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,

Drop us a line at...