24x10 - Plasma Gems, Special Effects Snow, Piano Restoration

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
these gemstones aren't mined.

They're made from garbage.

Using plasma technology, organic
waste can be turned into energy,

And inorganic waste can be made
into a hard black glass.

Artisans then turn the glass
into beautiful jewelry.

Black jewels glitter
like genuine gemstones

And are as hard as quartz.

But they aren't precious
or even semiprecious.

They're pure garbage.

They're called plasma gems

Because of the plasma technology
that creates them from waste.

This patented system converts
almost any type of waste

Into clean energy

Without creating
any harmful byproducts.

The process produces
two useful materials --

Energy and a hard black glass

That artisans can cut
into gemstones.

The process begins
by shredding waste

And placing it into
the system's plasma reactor.

Inside the reactor,

Two electrodes generate
an electrically-conductive gas.

These plasma arcs create

Temperatures
exceeding 2,900 degrees,

Converting
the carbon-based matter

Into a gas that can be used
to produce electric power.

At the same time,

The plasma arcs melt
the non-carbon-based matter,

Such as glass, metal,
and ceramics.

The gas fuels engines
that produce electric power.

Once melted, the waste separates
into two layers.

Metal oxides float to the top,
and metals sink to the bottom.

The company casts the metals
into ingots,

Which go
to a recycling facility.

The metal oxides seen here

Solidify into glass rocks
as hard as granite.

The company sells
these glass rocks

To artisans who use it
to make gemstones for jewelry.

First, the artisan
grinds a chunk of the rock

Down to a smaller starting shape
with a flat side.

Then she glues on a brass dowel
called a dob stick.

She activates the glue
with a u.v. Light.

She returns
to the grinding wheel

To further reduce the size
of the stone

And round it
as much as possible.

Then she mounts the dob stick
on a fastening machine.

She presses the stone
against an abrasive disc

Called a lathe
to file down the diameter.

The lathe's surface is
made of diamond dust.

It's the only material
strong enough

To cut through hard black glass.

The artisan measures the stone
numerous times as she works,

Ensuring the diameter
is consistent all around.

Once the diameter is perfect,

She adjusts the dob stick
diagonally

And begins cutting symmetrical
facets that will reflect light.

You cannot set this machine
to cut and polish

At an exact angle,

So the artisan has to work
by feel,

Sensing how hard she must press
the stone against the disc.

She checks her work
with a magnification loupe

To make sure all the facets
meet at a precise point.

Once she finishes faceting
the bottom of the stone,

She glues a dob stick
to the top of the stone.

Then she removes
the first dob stick

By softening the glue
with a propane torch.

Now the artisan begins
faceting the top of the stone,

Called the crown.

Once the sides are faceted,
she flattens the pointed top,

Forming what's called the table.

She repositions the dob stick
horizontally

To polish a flat edge around
the middle called the girdle.

She removes the dob stick

And cleans off any glue residue
with acetone.

She carefully centers the stone
in a sterling-silver pendant.

The pendant is being held
upright in a wad of shellac.

She uses a prong pusher

To bend the prongs
securely over the girdle,

Then rounds off and softens
the prongs with a file.

To remove the pendant,

She softens the shellac
over a flame,

Then submerges the pendant
in acetone

To remove any shellac residue.

On the hardness scale
used in gemology,

Plasma gems are equivalent
to many varieties of quartz.

Not bad for garbage that would
otherwise be in a landfill.

Narrator: mother nature
does not deliver on cue.

So when a film or television
script calls for flurries,

They use a snow machine
to generate fake snowflakes.

The flakes are actually
tiny soap bubbles

That look surprisingly realistic
on camera.

It's a sweltering day outside,

But inside on the film set,
it's winter.

These soapy flakes
look like real snow.

They hang around
just long enough

To show up on screen
before they evaporate.

To create these snowflakes,

Workers start
with the same chemicals

That are used
in soap and shampoo.

A chemist combines the chemicals
in a big mixing vat

And adds purified water.

This produces
a snow-making concentrate.

A machine pumps the concentrate
into jugs.

Each jug contains
enough base material

To make it snow
for up to 16 hours.

Now work begins
on the snow-making machine.

A worker drills holes
into the back of the snow head

Using a template as a guide.

He threads plastic tubing
and wires

Through the front part
of the snow head.

The wires are for a blower,

And the tubing will be used
to deliver the snow solution.

He applies silicone caulking
around the rim

And places the blower
in the cavity.

This blower will introduce air
to mix with the snow solution.

The caulking acts as a sealant
to keep the air from escaping.

Next, he routes the wiring
and tubing

Through the back part
of the snow head.

Then he joins
the two components.

He secures the two components
with eight long bolts.

He encases the wiring and tubing
in a polymer jacket

That shrinks
when heat is applied.

Next, a worker carves a hole

In the center of
a pre-manufactured blower guard.

He inserts the snow head
in the hole

So that the blower guard
surrounds the back.

He ties the wiring
and snow-solution tubing

To the guard.

Next, he maps out screw holes
and drills them into a big fan

That will blow the fake snow
around.

He screws in brackets
that will be used

To hang the machine
high above a movie set.

He installs a metal guard
in the front of the fan...

...and attaches more brackets
to the side.

These brackets act as a holder
for the snow-solution pump.

Now he assembles
the snow-head unit to the fan.

He ties the snow-solution hose
to the snow-head nozzle

Using wires.

He flattens the wires
to the nozzle

And covers them with vinyl tape.

He fits a specially-designed
fabric sock over the nozzle.

Liquid snow will be forced
through the pores of the sock

To form fake snowflakes.

He connects the snow-solution
tubing to the pump

And pulls the wiring
through the top of the fan.

Next, a metal box
that contains the controller

For the electronics
must be installed.

He runs the snow-solution tubing
through it

And makes all the necessary
wiring connections.

The controller box is lowered
onto the fan assembly

And screwed in place.

He installs a weight on the end
of the snow-solution tubing.

The weight will keep
the tubing submerged

In the snow-solution container.

This snow machine is
now fully assembled.

It's over to the test station.

Here, a technician
runs it for hours.

He checks that it generates a
sufficient number of snowflakes

And that the flakes
are the right size and shape.

With his approval,
these machines are ready

To whip up a snowstorm
when the director says "action."

Regular maintenance is required
to ensure its longevity.

But even with proper care,
a piano deteriorates with age.

This is where a talented team
of specialists come in

To restore a piano
to its former glory.

[ Piano plays ]

A piano that's untunable,
has sticking keys,

Or malfunctioning pedals
is a pianist's worst nightmare.

These problems are quite common
in older pianos,

And the only cure
is through a major restoration.

After decades of use,

Wood, leather,
and wool felt components

Naturally deteriorate.

Metal pins develop cavities,
screws rust,

Dust and dirt
inhibit moving parts.

An old piano
may require anything

From minor touch-ups
to a complete rebuild.

It takes up to two days
just to take apart the piano.

This component,
called the action,

Is the heart of the instrument.

It has thousands of parts,
including 88 piano keys

And the felt-covered hammers
the keys activate.

Behind the action
is the damper action.

The dampers stop the strings
from vibrating,

Ending the piano note.

The restorers begin
removing the dampers.

Every component must be laid out
in an organized fashion.

This is so they know how to
reassemble the instrument.

They separate the keyboard frame
from the action.

The self-contained part
that remains

Is called the action stack.

Like the dampers, the other
wooden parts of the action stack

Deteriorate with age.

The felts are usually worn,
and everything's caked in dust.

The restorers
replace these components

With custom-made replicas.

After cleaning and polishing
the ornate brass structure,

They begin reassembling
the action stack.

Next, the restorers remove
and discard any worn parts

On the keyboard.

They clean the wood thoroughly

And install replacement parts
as needed.

The black keys are made
of ebony wood.

They can be refinished
to look brand-new.

Older white keys are covered
with ivory,

Which is no longer used.

So instead, they install
new synthetic coverings

Made of white acrylic
or a similar material.

The steel and copper
piano strings have rusted,

Tarnished,
and fatigued with age.

The tuning pins can no longer
maintain the tension

On the strings.

This can change the sound
of the instrument,

So both the strings and
tuning pins must be replaced.

The piano will also receive
a new pin block.

The pin block
is a laminated piece of wood

That holds the pins in place.

To access the pin block,

They have to remove
a heavy cast-iron plate.

The plate holds the strings at
a tremendous amount of tension.

Once they've removed the plate,
they can take out the pin block.

They restore
the ornate cast-iron plate

By stripping off the old
paint finish with chemicals.

Then they prime, repaint,

And apply a protective coat
of clear polyester.

Back in the reconstruction area,

A restorer removes
the piano's wooden soundboard

And its support structure.

They use these original parts
as a template for the new ones.

If the action
is the heart of the piano,

Then the soundboard is its soul.

When the strings vibrate
against the soundboard,

It resonates with sound.

On every soundboard,

The strings pass over a wooden
bridge staggered by pins.

The height and positioning
of the bridge and pins

Are critical
for producing fine tone.

After removing the pins,
the restorers use the old bridge

To make a template
for a new one.

Now they install
all of the replacement parts --

Soundboard, bridge, bridge pins,
pin block, and tuning pins.

They install

The newly-refurbished
cast-iron plate

And are ready to perform
some cosmetic restoration.

A piano's wooden cabinet or case
is constructed from hardwood.

To give the piano
the look of fine furniture,

The surface is covered
in a thin layer of fancier wood

Such as mahogany, rosewood,
or walnut.

This veneer usually requires
restoration in older pianos.

Over time, paint peels
and varnish darkens.

There's often fading from
exposure to direct sunlight

Or cracking
due to dry indoor air.

To restore the veneer,
they begin

By using a chemical stripper
to remove the old finish.

Once they've stripped
the piano-case parts down

To the bare veneer,

They sand away
any imperfections.

Then they apply aniline dye.

It's a type of stain that
penetrates deep into the veneer

And enhances the grain
of the wood.

Several coats of clear lacquer
are applied

Over the aniline dye.

This piano was originally black,

So they sand, stain,
then paint the wood black.

They apply several coats
of paint,

Letting each one dry overnight

Before sanding the surface
and applying the next coat.

After the final coat, they let
the paint cure for two weeks,

Then do a fine sanding.

To make the painted surface
glossy,

They use a high-speed buffer
and a series

Of progressively-finer
polishing compounds.

This is a slow and painstaking
process.

It takes two or three days
to complete work

On a concert grand piano
like this.

With the 20-plus parts
of the case now refinished,

The restorers are now ready
to reassemble the piano.

They start by hooking the looped
end of each new string

Onto a hitch pin.

Then they run the string
over the bridge

To the opposite end
of the cast-iron plate,

Winding it around a tuning pin.

Restorers must wear gloves
while restringing.

Natural oils and perspiration on
the hands can tarnish the wires.

Next, they install
the refurbished dampers.

The original wood
has been sanded and refinished.

They also have new felts
and new wires.

The dampers go into
a brand-new damper action.

The restorers make minute
adjustments and alignments,

A meticulous process that can
take a few days to complete.

But that's nothing compared to

Regulating the larger
and more complex action,

Which can take several weeks.

They make more than a dozen
precision adjustments

To each of the 88 notes.

After they reinstall the action,

They bookend the keyboard
with wooden cheekblocks.

These are the originals,
stripped, sanded, and stained.

The cheekblocks
help align the keyboard

So that the hammers strike
in the right place.

The restorer checks the action
one last time

To ensure
it's performing perfectly.

Then he's ready
to tune the piano.

He weaves a strip of wool cloth
through the strings

To mute all but the one string
they're tuning.

[ Notes play ]

[ Notes play ]

Once he's tuned all the strings,

The inner workings of the piano
are as good as new.

[ Notes play ]

Restorers finish
reassembling the piano case

And give it a final dusting.

Except for the legs,
all of the piano-case parts

Have a solid wood core covered
in a newly-restored veneer.

This veneer isn't just for aesthetics.

It prevents the wood core
from expanding and contracting

With changes in humidity.

[ Piano plays ]

Restoring an old piano
is part technical challenge,

Part labor of love.

After many weeks of hard work,

This instrument looks and sounds
just as it did in its heyday.