14x07 - Stuffed Olives/Astrolabes/Western Saddles

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: surfing is an ancient
polynesian pastime,

First documented by europeans
in the 18th century.

In the 1920s,
the sport spread from hawaii

To the beaches of california.

Back then, surfboards were made
of solid wood.

Today, they're made of
lightweight synthetic materials.

Serious surfers have
their boards custom-made

And engineered for the types
of waves they'll be riding.

At the board's core is a piece
of polyurethane foam

With a wooden strip
down the center.

The factory's shaping specialist

Inspects the board
and checks the foam for defects.

If all is well, he cuts
the board to the right length.

Then he chooses a board
shape template from his library

And traces it.

Then he saws
along his pencil line.

Using a planer,
he refines this starting shape

To the customer's
specifications.

When he finishes,

He checks to make sure
everything's symmetrical.

Next, he shapes the edges.

With a power sander,

He flattens and smoothes out
the surface

Then follows
with a fine sanding by hand.

Before releasing the foam core
to the next department,

He checks the dimensions --

Thickness, contours,
and the smoothness.

A lamination specialist
preps the board

To receive its first layer
of fiberglass.

He masks the top,
called the deck,

To shield it from the resin
he'll now apply to the bottom.

He lays down
the first fiberglass cloth,

Leaving a 3-inch overlap
along the perimeter.

Next, he spreads polyester resin

That's tinted to whatever color
the customer ordered

All over the fiberglass cloth.

He folds the overlap
onto the deck...

...then grinds the corners flat.

He flips the board deck-side up
and trims the overlap.

Next, he covers the deck
in two layers of fiberglass.

In between them,
he pours clear polyester resin

Then positions company logos
printed on rice paper.

The resin soaks the paper,
embedding the logo.

Then another layer
of resin-coated fiberglass.

Once that dries, he applies
yet another coat of resin

On both sides of the board.

Using a router and template,
he cuts a hole for the box

That'll hold
the surfboard's fin.

He fills the hole
with black resin

Then inserts the fin box.

Now a sanding specialist
takes over.

He grinds the box flush,
which opens its fin slot.

Then he gives the board
an overall sanding

To smooth the surface.

Next stop is the paint room.

The painter uses masking tape
and an acrylic paint pen

To decorate the surfboard
with black pin lines.

Once they dry,
he masks the board

And air-brushes in
a white pin line.

Once dry, he applies
a finishing coat of resin

Over the entire board.

Now a polishing specialist
steps in.

After a fine sanding,

He buffs the entire board
with polishing compound,

Producing a slick
high-gloss finish.

The factory ships the board
to the surfboard shop,

Where the customer chooses a fin
from the many models available.

The fin screws into the fin box,

And, dude,
the board is ready to go.

Narrator: stickers have
long been used in merchandising.

But in 1979,
they took a crafty turn

With the introduction
of decorative stickers.

Sticker art soon became
a popular hobby,

Allowing anyone to engage in
a little creative embellishment.

Stickers can be used
to accent greeting cards,

Photo albums, or add a certain
flourish to any project.

Every sticker begins
with a work of art.

The artist transfers the image
to a computer

And manipulates it until
the desired effect is achieved.

Next, a sheet of photopolymer
goes onto an exposure machine.

The technician places
a negative of the art

On top of
the photopolymer sheet.

He pulls plastic over the two
and closes the machine's lid.

Inside, a vacuum pulls the
negative to the photopolymer.

Intense ultraviolet light

Transfers the art
to the photopolymer in seconds.

He makes several
photopolymer printing plates,

Each one a variation
of the original artwork.

They will be used
to layer pattern and color.

Before they can print,

They have to make the art
stand out from the background.

This machine removes material

Surrounding
the transferred images

Using a special chemical
and a heavy-duty brush.

Because the images were hardened
during the exposure,

They withstand the chemicals
and abrasion.

The process leaves the images

Slightly raised
against a clear backdrop

And ready
for the printing press.

They wrap the printing plates
around cylinders.

The press operator examines the
seam under a magnifying glass

To confirm that the edges
are perfectly aligned.

He loads the cylinder
into the printing press.

Then he pours yellow ink
into a reservoir below.

And it's time to roll
the printing press.

Rollers transfer the ink
to the printing cylinder,

And it prints the art onto
adhesive-backed sticker paper.

They use a different
printing plate for each color

To create variations
in the design.

As a result,

Each of these hearts
ends up looking different.

It's all about layering color
and pattern

To give the sticker artists
plenty of options.

Next, the press operator
prepares a cutting cylinder.

It cuts around the designs,

But only penetrates the top
layer of the sticker paper.

Rollers pull off
the surrounding material.

They wind it up
for recycling offsite.

Only the stickers remain
on the backing,

But they aren't ready
for the scrapbook just yet.

First it's over
to another press,

Which hot-stamps foil
to the designs.

This process
is carefully choreographed.

A sensor on the press
detects the hearts

Which are to be given
the metallic finish.

Those get shiny swirls,
glossy ribbons,

Or other trimmings
while others are left untouched.

The next machine
cuts the stickers into sheets.

Then it's over
to a packaging machine

Where an operator loads
the sheets into a hopper.

Wheels with little grippers
collect the sheets

And drop them in piles of two
onto a backer car.

The packaging machine then wraps
plastic film around the stickers

And seals the package
with a static charge.

A hot knife then cuts
and seals it at both ends.

When it comes to other designs,
there's no shortage of choices,

Giving sticker artists
of all ages

Plenty of ways
to express themselves.

Narrator:
early in the 20th century,

An american biscuit company
introduced a cookie sandwich.

It was two chocolate cookies

With rich vanilla icing
at the center.

This sandwich cookie created
an instant sensation,

And almost a century later,
it hasn't lost its appeal.

People still crave this sugary
fusion of crunch and cream.

Dipping the sandwich cookie
in milk is a tasty tradition,

And whoever started it
must have been one smart cookie.

Sandwich cookies start
with pure granulated sugar.

This worker heaves bags of it
into a mixer

As he prepares to whip up
the batter for the wafers.

He adds two kinds of cocoa.

The combination
will give the wafers

The desired taste and color.

A premix of salt
and other ingredients follows.

A specially formulated
canola-oil mixture

Will transform
these dry ingredients

Into a batter as huge beaters
blend everything together.

They add water,

And the batter starts to look
like a bubbling chocolate soup.

They add dry ice, which chills
the batter as it evaporates.

The lower temperature is key

As they add flour to thicken
the batter into a dough.

The dough will turn out less
crumbly than it would have been

If it had been kept
at room temperature.

A premix of leavening
ingredients goes in next.

One final mix,

And this chocolate dough
is ready to go.

The worker shovels it
onto a grate,

Which protects his fingers

As he presses the dough
down into a molding machine.

This machine shapes the dough
into cookie wafers

While pressing intricate designs
and the brand name onto them.

It churns out an impressive


The freshly molded cookie wafers
now move

From the silicon conveyer
to a steel one.

It takes the wafers
into a gas oven,

Where they travel
in a continuous loop

For several minutes
to receive an even baking.

After that, fans cool the wafers
to the desired crispiness.

The chocolate wafers then move
to another conveyor,

Which feeds
into a series of chutes.

Then the wafers travel
over ramps

Designed to make them fall
into a certain position.

One row lands plain-side up,

And the next lands
with the embossed side up.

This correctly orients them

To be sandwiched
around a cream filling.

It's a high-speed operation,

As a cylindrical pump deposits
the vanilla cream

On the plain side of the wafers.

The cream-coated wafers
head over to the next station.

Here, machinery moves
the top wafers

Onto the cream-coated ones.

The cookies move up
for the count.

Mechanical fingers separate them
into bunches of 11.

Then grippers swing into action

To move each little bunch
forward.

They release the cookies neatly
into plastic trays.

The trays
full of sandwich cookies

Move on to the wrapping station.

Here, metallic film unwinds
and wraps around the trays.

Hot jaws move in to seal
the package at both ends.

Finally, they're shipped
to retailers.

But once these sandwich cookies
are in the pantry,

It might be tough
to keep them under wraps.

Narrator: in moderate climates,
tile roofs are the norm.

The tiles are typically rounded
and terra-cotta in color,

Characteristic
of mediterranean architecture

And made of clay or concrete.

Today, concrete roofing tiles

Come in a wide variety
of colors and styles

From traditional
to contemporary.

While concrete roofing tiles

Can emulate wood
or asphalt shingles,

They have a far longer
life span --

More than 50 years.

The tile-making process begins

With smooth sand
from natural sand deposits

Combined with sharp, jagged sand
made from pulverized rock.

The factory regrinds

Any concrete tiles
that failed quality control

And adds them to the mix,
as well.

Technicians analyze
the composition of the mix,

Measure the moisture,
and assess the silt content.

Too much silt will weaken
the concrete.

They measure silt by shaking
the sand in a test tube.

Heavier particles settle
to the bottom, water at the top,

And silt in between.

The amount of silt
must not exceed 10%.

The sand mix runs through
a vibrating screen,

Which filters out large objects,
such as rocks and sticks.

To make concrete,
you mix sand with cement.

The cement-truck driver
hooks up a hose

To blow its contents
into a huge silo.

From the silo,
the conveyor system metes out

A specific amount of cement
into the sand.

It's critical
to get the ratio just right.

Roof tiles come in a choice
of colors.

They tint the concrete
a specific shade

By pumping in natural
iron-oxide pigments and water.

A cement screw mixes everything
until it's evenly blended.

The concrete is now ready
to be molded into roof tiles.

This machine sprays the aluminum
molds with vegetable oil,

Which will make it easy
to extract the finished tiles.

The concrete drops
into an extrusion machine,

Which squeezes it out
in a continuous sheet

Onto the passing molds.

Knives descend, cutting
the sheet to tile lengths.

This is what the process
looks like in slow motion.

Real-time production moves at
a rate of 110 tiles per minute.

The tiles now run past rollers
that finish the edges nicely.

Then an ink-jet printer
applies product information

Along with the date and time.

The next stop is a giant oven.

The factory
meticulously controls

The temperature
and humidity inside

So that the concrete dries
and cures properly.

The tiles come out of the oven,
depending on their size,



An automated separator extracts
each tile from its mold.

The conveyor then sends
the empty molds back

To be refilled
with wet concrete.

Nozzles spray sealer
onto the top of the tiles.

This will force moisture
and calcium

To exit thorough the bottom,

Preventing discoloration
on the tile's surface.

Workers do a final visual check,

Removing any tiles
with cracks or other flaws.

Automated equipment stacks
and straps 36 to 39 tiles

Into a group called a sleeve.

The factory subjects
random samples

To rigorous
quality-control testing

For strength...

Permeability...

...even hail.

To pass this test,
the tile must be left unscathed

By a 2-inch ice ball flying
at 35 yards per second.

This fire-safety test ensures

That heat or flames
can't penetrate the tile.

Roofs made of concrete tiles

Can even withstand winds
of up to 150 miles per hour,

Making them ideal
for regions prone to hurricanes.

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