18x10 - Cufflinks/Blueberry Turnovers/Dashboards/Pottery

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
cufflinks are a fashion trend
with definite staying power.

They've been holding shirt cuffs
together since the 17th century.

Early versions were buttons
linked by short chains,

An improvement over the ribbons
and pins

The gentleman of the day
had been using

To fasten their sleeves.

Clothes may make the man,

But a set of cufflinks
can make the outfit.

They add a bit of flash
to conservative business garb

And convey a sense of occasion.

Buttons may be easier,

But cufflinks are about
taking the trouble

To look really spiffy.

A pair of high-end cufflinks

Starts with sterling silver,
gold, or platinum.

A craftsman cuts out blanks.

These blanks will be used
for the fronts of the cufflinks.

He places one
of the silver blanks on a die

Engraved with a recessed
grid pattern.

A hydraulic press closes
and squeezes the silver blank

Into the die,

Transferring the pattern
onto the silver.

This company has more than


Some of which date back to
the mid-19th century.

With these dies,

They continue to handcraft
cufflinks the traditional way.

Pressing the pattern
onto the silver

Has caused the metal to expand,

So he trims the excess
from the perimeter.

There's another benefit to this.

The trimming works the silver
to harden it...

From a plain silver blank

To a cufflink face
with artistic expression.

A craftsperson now attaches
a silver stem

To the back of a cufflink face.

He melts silver solder
between the two,

And, as it cools,
it creates a solid bond.

The stem shape
is a slightly curved design

To allow the cufflink
to sit perfectly on a cuff.

The soldering torch oxidizes
and darkens the silver slightly,

So he dips the parts
in a sulfuric-acid bath.

The acid pulls out the black,

And the parts become
silvery white once again.

Next, the brass bristles
of a revolving wheel

Make tiny scratches
on the silver

To brighten it substantially.

Each cufflink now undergoes
a very intensive enameling

Using a mix of finely ground
colored glass and water.

Here, the enamelist
applies blue glass

To the cufflink's
stamped grid detailing

And then paints yellow
around the perimeter.

It takes a steady hand
and experience

To do an even job.

If one color bleeds
into the next,

It can't be fixed,

And she'll have to scrap
this cufflink and start anew.

Then it's into a kiln

Fired to 1,800 degrees
fahrenheit.

The heat melts the glass,

And it flows into the detailing
to give it definition.

At the same time, the glass
fuses to the metal surface.

And then it's back to the artist
for another layer of glass.

The enameler will repeat
this process

Between three and seven times

To produce a perfect luster
and depth of color.

The color deepens
with each layer,

And the result is a rich,
translucent enamel surface.

Leaving the kiln,
the enamel is a bit wavy,

So the worker files it down

Until the surface
is completely flat and level.

Then the cufflinks go back into
the kiln for one last firing.

He polishes the enameled surface
against an abrasive wheel,

Using a mix of volcanic ash
and water for a polishing paste.

This takes hours,

But it gives the glass enamel
a glossy finish.

Now the focus returns
to the cufflink stem

And the dome
spring link fittings

That are the closing mechanisms.

He heats a needle-thin wire
to make it slightly pliable

And then pushes it into
the fitting to engage a spring

That attaches
to the cufflink stem.

With the fitting installed,

He clips the excess wire
at both ends.

To secure the installation,

He hammers the ends of the wire
to flare them out,

Turning them
into a kind of rivet.

With the fitting now solidly
attached to the cufflink stem,

He lightly files the edges
with an emery board

To give the part
a perfectly smooth finish.

He buffs the cufflinks'
exposed silver

Against a cloth wheel

And uses a polishing agent
to make it really gleam.

After at least six hours
of work,

These enameled silver cufflinks
are now complete.

In the business world,

Where men usually dress
in a suit and tie,

A custom set of cufflinks is
one way to express individuality

But still fit in
with the rest of the guys.

Narrator: a fruit turnover
is probably your best bet

If you're eating on the go.

It satisfies a sweet tooth,
it's portable,

And it requires no utensils.

The dough, typically flaky,
is folded over,

Usually into a triangle
or rectangle,

And the edges are sealed,

Trapping the fruit filling
neatly inside.

These all-natural
blueberry turnovers

May look and taste
like homemade,

But, believe it or not,
they come frozen in a box.

You just bake them and eat them.

The manufacturer is willing
to reveal the ingredients,

But the critical proportions,
mixing, and heating times

Are top-secret.

Workers begin making the filling
by heating blueberries.

Next, they combine lemon juice
and starch in a container...

...then add this mixture
to the blueberries.

The starch is white now but will
become transparent as it cooks.

They mix some more...

Then add salt.

When the starch is opaque,
they add sugar...

And mix some more.

As soon as the temperature
of the ingredients

Reaches 170 degrees fahrenheit,
the filling is done.

To make the dough,

Workers first pour flour
into the mixer, then salt.

After a few minutes of mixing,
they add butter --

Lots of butter.

Once it's well-blended,
they add some water.

After a bit more mixing,
the dough is ready.

This type of dough
is called "pâte brisée,"

The french term
for a butter-based pastry

That's extremely light and flaky

Due to its high ratio
of fat to flour.

Now workers weigh out


...and put them, one at a time,
into a dough press

With a sprinkling of flour
to prevent sticking.

The press compresses the dough
into a 10"x16" block

That's one inch thick.

Then they line up the blocks
on a floured conveyor belt,

Joining them together to form
one continuous sheet of dough.

The dough sheet
now enters a press.

Inside, rollers compress
the sheet

To about a quarter
of its original thickness.

The next machine
layers the thin dough sheet.

This flour press
and layer process

Repeats over and over again

Until the sheet
is just 1/10" thick

Yet contains 24 layers.

These layers
are what will make the pastry

Exceptionally light and flaky.

Trimming wheels on the sides
make a neat edge.

Diagonally bladed wheels score
the dough with small cuts.

And cutting wheels divide
the sheet into five strips,

Each of which will become
a row of turnovers.

The next station deposits
a line of water droplets

Along one edge of each strip.

This creates a line
of sticky dough.

The preparations are all done,
and assembly can begin.

First, with precision spacing,

Nozzles squirt one ounce of
blueberry filling per turnover.

Then a device
called a folding plow,

Because it looks like
a farm plow,

Lifts one edge of the dough
and gradually folds it over.

A smooth wheel
then presses that edge down

Onto the sticky line
on the other edge.

This seals the open side
of the strips.

The culinary choreography
ends with a bang,

Or, rather, a chop,

As a guillotine descends,

Cutting the strips
into individual turnovers

And simultaneously sealing
the front and back ends

Of each pastry.

The assembled turnovers
now go on a 6-minute ride

Through a nitrogen
flash-freezing tunnel.

Temperature --
-183 degrees fahrenheit.

Under a shower
of sugar crystals,

They exit the tunnel frozen,
hard as a rock.

Packaged four to a box,
the turnovers remain frozen

Until you bake them in your oven
and serve them up.

Narrator: a car's dashboard
is full of dials and gauges

That keep the driver
up to speed on everything.

In the time
of the horse and buggy,

A dashboard was a wooden panel

For shielding the driver
from mud and water,

Hence the word "dash,"

Which can mean "bespatter,"
or "splash."

When motorized vehicles
came along,

Instruments were added,

Making the dashboard an
important source of information.

Today's dashboards tell
the driver a lot at a glance.

Ignore the indicator dials,
and you could run out of fuel

Or be slapped
with a speeding ticket.

A dashboard
for a luxury sports car

Starts
with this aluminum skeleton.

It's been bonded at the joints
with adhesive

That's stronger
than conventional welds.

A technician clips
the main electrical harness

To the aluminum frame.

He then fixes the heating
and air-conditioning unit

To the center
of the dashboard skeleton

And connects it to the wiring.

At the next station,

The dashboard's composite
substructure is coming together.

Working from the back,

The technician installs
a glove box

And a network of ducts for
the heating and cooling system.

The substructure is now ready to
join the wired aluminum frame.

He rivets the assembly
to the metal structure.

He slots the driver's
information module,

Which includes the speedometer,
into the housing.

He equips the dashboard
with high-end speakers.

The front-passenger airbag,
encased in aluminum, comes next.

The technician inserts it
in the molded plastic niche.

Using a computerized tool,

He installs the airbag
with perfect precision.

Next up is the steering column,

With its magnesium
shifting paddles

And wiper controls
already attached.

He slides it into place just
under the information module.

He then encases the electronics
with plastic cowling.

This both protects the wiring
and tucks it out of sight.

He tops off this job
with more cowling above.

He adds a hand-stitched
leather surround

To the dashboard's
center console.

He inserts the center stack,
which contains the radio,

Other audio equipment,

And temperature-control
mechanisms.

More leather adds
a luxurious look, smell,

And feel to the cabin.

The next technician
assembles push-button controls

For shifting gears.

He installs them
in a veneered fascia

Through the back

To avoid damaging
the glossy finish on the front.

He inserts vents
for air conditioning and heating

Above the gear-shift controls,

Again sliding them into place
through the back of the unit.

He secures the vents
with screws,

Then adds the starter assembly.

The satellite navigation system
gets the top spot,

Which will put it
within easy eye shot

Once installed in the dashboard.

With the subassembly
almost complete,

He flips it around.

It needs one finishing touch --

A chrome and glass casing
for the starter.

He slides it into place,

And the unit is now ready
for the dashboard.

He makes
all the right connections

And installs
the gadget-filled fascia

Just over the center stack.

He now encases
the rest of the dashboard

In leather paneling.

This particular panel
has a built-in split,

So it will part
if the airbag deploys.

Next, a technician
downloads computer software

For all the equipment
in the dashboard.

He configures the electronics
to the appropriate settings.

He then tests each component,

Confirming that every instrument
and control works perfectly.

This dashboard now joins
all the others,

Ready to take their place

In the front
of a luxury sports car.

A modern dashboard can define
a car's interior space

And add serious gadget appeal.

For example, this car
uses a distinctive

Steel and crystal key
for the engine ignition.

When the key slot glows red,
there's power.

It's time to press a few buttons
and see what pops up,

Like this speaker, for example.

With a high-tech,
luxury dashboard,

A driver can really travel
in style.

Narrator: pottery
is the catch-all term

To describe decorative
or functional objects

Formed from clay,

Then fired in a large oven
called a kiln.

The pottery
is then usually painted.

There are several different
types of pottery,

Such as porcelain, stoneware,
and earthenware.

Earthenware produced
on a larger scale

Is typically cast in molds.

This longtime
british manufacturer

Is famous for its bold
floral and fruit designs

That feature raised lines.

At the factory,

The moldmaker creates
a plaster of paris model

Of the piece on a lathe,

Verifying the shape
and dimensions with a profile.

He uses the model to cast
a two-part production mold

Also out of plaster,

The model shaping
the mold cavity.

A caster takes that mold

And fills it with liquefied clay
called "slip."

Once a layer hardens
along the cavity wall,

He tips the mold
and pours out the excess.

It takes tremendous skill

To know how long to let
the clay set before tipping.

In about two hours,

The clay inside the mold
hardens sufficiently

To be safely extracted.

The caster now puts the piece

Into what they call
the damp room.

There, overnight,
in 100% humidity,

The clay fully hardens.

It can now be safely worked
on a lathe.

Using specialized turning tools,

A highly skilled craftsman

Applies just the right degree
of light pressure

To form the piece
to the final shape --

In this case, a ginger jar.

After applying
the manufacturer's stamp,

He mounts the jar
on a potter's wheel

And, pressing with
a wet sea sponge,

Smooths the surface.

A designer creates
the decoration on paper,

Then sketches it
onto a sample jar.

Then she traces her design
onto clear cellophane

And indicates
with red marker lines

Where the cellophane bends
around the jar.

An artisan
now takes that cellophane

And traces the design with
a specially designed ink.

Using the red contour marks
as a guide,

Another artisan positions
and presses the cellophane

Against the jar to be painted.

This transfers the design
onto the surface in ink.

The ink will disappear
once the piece is fired.

Next, she creates the design's
signature raised lines.

The technique
is called "tube lining."

She traces the ink lines
while squeezing slip

Through a tiny nozzle.

She uses her artistic judgment

To tweak the design
if necessary.

Not only does this work
require a steady hand,

She must also squeeze
with even pressure

To keep the line thickness
consistent.

The jar goes into a controlled
drying room overnight

And, from there, into
the skilled hands of a painter.

With a large artist's brush,

She applies just a tiny drop
of watery paint.

Then, with another touch
of the brush,

She soaks up the excess paint.

She uses her finger to gently
blend color transitions.

The jar is now ready
to be fired in the kiln.

The heating phase lasts
eight hours,

During which
the temperature peaks

At 2,000 degrees fahrenheit.

This cures the clay
and triggers a chemical reaction

In the paint,

Which produces rich,
vibrant colors.

After a 16-hour cooldown,

They take the jar
out of the kiln

And submerge it in glaze,
which contains powdered glass.

They coat the painted clay
surface thoroughly

Inside and out.

Once the glaze dries,

It's back into the kiln
for a second firing,

This one overnight at just above


The powdered glass
and the glaze melts,

Forming a solid glass layer
over the painted clay surface.

This seals the earthenware so
that it's no longer absorbent

And therefore capable
of containing liquids.

This, of course, is essential
for a vase or dinnerware.

Glaze also makes
the surface shinier,

Highlighting the beauty
of the artwork.

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