26x04 - Statue Restoration, Tripods, Polish Sausages, Welding g*ns

[bunniefuu]

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Narrator:
people have been crafting

Religious statues for years.

But time can take a toll
on these sacred works of art.

That's where restoration experts
come in.

These professionals work
small miracles to return statues

To their former glory.

This is a wooden sculpture
of the christian messiah.

It was originally crafted
in the 15th century.

But today, it's riddled
with termites and broken.

A major restoration
has been its salvation.

Now, this historic work of art

Is once again on display
in an italian church.

Like the messiah statue,
this 18th century madonna

Is damaged.

The plaster
on her face is chipped.

Her fingers are broken,
and her robes are crumbling.

First, the restorer dusts
off some of the surface dirt.

He uses a soft brush

And gentle movements
to avoid further destruction.

Then, he prepares
a cleaning solution.

He mixes a low-acid,
perfume-free soap with water.

He uses mild soap because
it's gentle on old plaster.

He heats up the mixture
to melt the soap.

Then, he starts cleaning
the statue.

He applies the cleanser
to the madonna's face and body.

He lets it soak into the plaster
for 7 to 15 minutes.

He makes sure the statue
doesn't absorb too much water

Because that would cause
more deterioration.

Next, the restorer

Wipes the statue
down with a damp sea sponge.

Centuries of dirt
and grime come off.

For serious stains,
he combines alcohol and ammonia.

He applies the cleansing mixture
using a cotton swab.

He lightly scrubs off
the deep stains.

The alcohol evaporates quickly
so it's not on the surface

Of the statue long enough
to do any more damage.

This madonna statue is starting
to look like her old self.

The restorer uses rabbit glue
for the next step.

It's a strong
and flexible adhesive

That won't chip or crack.

He dissolves some glue
in distilled water.

He applies it to the cloth

Exposed underneath
the broken plaster.

Then, he mixes a special plaster

Called gesso
with the rabbit glue.

The mixture is 80%
plaster and 20% glue.

He dabs the plaster mixture
onto the glued sections

To fill in the gaps
in the madonna's robes.

He repairs her chipped nose
using a thicker version

Of the plaster solution.

He applies it
with a small spatula.

After the first coat of plaster
on the robes dries,

The restorer
adds another thicker coat.

He adds more layers until he has
enough material to work with.

Then, he sculpts
the robe's contours

Using a surgical scalpel.

He blends the repair
into the original plaster

And sands it
until it looks seamless.

He mixes water-based paint
to match the original colors.

Then, he carefully
covers the repaired sections,

Blending the old with the new.

He mends the brocade
by pressing gold leaf

Onto the border of the robes.

The gold leaf sticks
to the glue applied earlier,

Matching the original pattern.

He seals the paint
with carnuba wax --

It gives the surface
of the statue

A hard and resilient finish.

It can take up to 4 months
to restore a damaged statue.

A sculpture
that's hundreds of years old

Can look as good
as new in just a few months.

Then, churchgoers can enjoy it
for centuries to come.

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Narrator: humans have been
making three-legged objects

For thousands of years.

The third leg gives these
structures extra stability.

Some of the earliest photographs

Were taken
with cameras mounted on tripods.

In fact, the tripod

Has been called the most
important photographic accessory

Ever invented.

Early tripods were made
out of wood.

They were heavy and cumbersome.

Their design and materials
have improved over time

To meet the needs
of both hobbyists

And professionals alike.

Today's state-of-the-art tripod
is lightweight,

Collapsible and equipped
with precision adjustments.

Contemporary tripods are made

From aluminum tubes that have
four different diameters.

The tubes are electrowelded
and anodized for precision,

Hardness and durability.

A machine cuts the tubes
to the required lengths.

A press expands one end

Of the d-shaped tubes to keep
the smaller diameters in place.

Here are two of the
different-sized diameter tubes.

A worker inserts a tube
into this machine.

It uses a high-precision laser

To etch the company's name
into the aluminum.

The laser process
turns the etched aluminum white.

They coat aluminum castings
with powdered paint.

The casting is part
of a component called a spider.

It connects the tripod's legs.

Once painted, the components
are taken to a cnc machine.

The machine shapes

The parts to the designer's
exact specifications.

A worker puts foam sleeves
called leg warmers on

Two of the tripod's three legs.

The sleeves allow photographers
to easily handle the legs

In extreme temperatures.

The worker uses a pressurized
air device to open the sleeve,

Then she inserts the leg.

She uses a specialized machine
to add the top hinge collar

To the upper leg section.

The parts were designed
to work together

And click neatly into place.

Next, she applies
the locking collars.

When a photographer
adjusts the legs,

The locking collars
will hold them in place.

She threads a bolt
through the collar ends

And adds a quick-release lever
to the assembly.

Then, she fastens
all the components in place.

The levers
are ergonomically designed

And can be opened with one hand.

She presses bushings into place
on the upper collar

To complete the leg assembly.

Now, the tripod
is ready for the next phase.

But first, the worker performs
a quick quality control check.

She makes sure the legs slide
in and out correctly.

Then, she checks
the locking collars.

Next, she brings the legs
together to form the tripod.

She positions the bottom
of the spider component

On a specially-designed
support mechanism.

She installs the legs and caps
them with the top of the spider,

Then she bolts everything
in place.

Next, a worker
assembles the tripod head.

This state-of-the-art component

Can be adjusted
in three directions.

She places plastic rings
between the three main parts

To ensure smooth
and accurate adjustments.

She installs leveling bubbles
to help photographers

Accurately position
their cameras.

She adds the upper plate
and the adjustment knobs.

The plate screws
into the camera,

Which conveniently
mounts onto the tripod.

The knobs also adjust
for easy storage and transport.

She labels a knob to indicate
the scale of friction intensity.

Once the entire head
assembly is complete,

A worker carefully threads it
onto the tripod column.

The final step
in the assembly process

Is to slide the column and head
down through the spreader.

A worker checks to ensure

The mechanism
is working correctly,

Then tightens the locking knob.

The finished tripod
is lightweight,

Compact and durable.

This tripod is ideal
for both professionals

And hobbyists.

It'll keep the camera
steady for anyone

Who wants to take portraits,

Profile architectural features,

Or capture
panoramic landscapes.

♪♪

Narrator: polish sausage isn't
necessarily made in poland.

Also called kielbasa,

The term refers to
the style of sausage

Rather than its location.

It's usually made
entirely of pork,

Or a mix of pork and veal.

The meat is seasoned
with salt, pepper, and garlic.

These sausages
might be made in canada,

But there as polish as warsaw.

This kielbasa is 100% pork,

Traditionally seasoned

And cooked
by natural wood smoking.

This company uses
the hind leg meat

Leftover from
the hams they sell.

Each sausage recipe

Calls for specific portions
of lean, medium, and fat meat.

Workers fill
three separate meat carts

With the required quantity
of each.

They grind the contents
of each cart separately.

The three types of meat
are ground to different sizes.

The lean meat
will be the largest,

And the fat meat
will be the smallest.

The small chunks of fat meat

Will fill the gaps
between the large, lean chunks.

They also add whole
garlic cloves to the grinder

With the fat meat.

Then, they prepare a spice mix
that includes garlic powder,

White pepper,

Coarsely-ground white,
red, and black peppercorns,

And a proprietary blend
of dried herbs and spices.

They also add pickling salt
as a preservative.

They blend the spices,
pork, and cold water in a mixer.

The mixer also vacuums air
out of the meat.

This helps the seasoning
thoroughly saturate the pork.

It also makes the sausage denser
and concentrates the flavor.

They mix the ingredients
for 15 minutes,

Then let it rest
and marinate for several hours.

After marinating,

The meat is ready to be put
into sausage casings.

The casing is made
out of hog intestine.

The filling specialist
controls the fill speed

With a knee-operated lever.

He applies the right amount
of pressure with his fingers

To stuff the fragile casing
without tearing it.

No two hog intestines
are identical,

So this process
can't be automated.

The filling specialist

Constantly adjusts the speed
and pressure as he works.

The filling specialist
takes the finished casing

And gently loops it
over his arm.

Then, he puts the loops

On the rack of
a smokehouse trolley.

A fully-loaded trolley

Holds about 550 pounds
of raw sausages.

They roll the trolley
into the smokehouse chamber,

Shut the door...
And light the fire.

They feed maple and hickory logs

Into a 10-foot fire pit located
directly below the chamber.

They monitor each sausage
while it's smoking

And adjust the heat exposure
as needed.

The smoking period
lasts for 6 to 8 hours.

The meat cooks
at about 160 degrees

To k*ll off all the bacteria.

The smoke infuses it
with additional flavor,

Naturally curing the sausages.

After the sausages
leave the smokehouse,

They're cleaned with hot water.

Then, the sausages
are rinsed in cold water

And sent to a blast fridge.

This minimizes the amount
of time

The sausages are warm enough
for bacteria to grow.

The rapid cooling procedure
eliminates the need

For additional chemical
preservatives.

A worker cuts the sausage
into 4 1/2-pound portions.

He places each portion

In the bottom tray
of the plastic package.

Before sealing the tray,
a machine sucks out the air

And replaces it with a mix
of 80% nitrogen

And 20% carbon dioxide.

This extends shelf life

Because mold and yeast
can't live without oxygen.

The carbon dioxide
also inhibits bacterial growth.

The nitrogen fills the package

To protect the sausage
during transport.

Every sealed package
passes through a metal detector.

Then, a scale weighs each
package and prints out a label

Indicating the weight
and the sell-by date.

A sealed and refrigerated
package of sausage

Can stay fresh
for up to 35 days.

Once opened, these sausages
taste best

If eaten within 7 days --

And even better
with a little sauerkraut.

♪♪

Welding g*ns are regulars
on "how it's made."

They're used in many factories

All over the world.

They have copper claws that hold
parts together with high force,

Then weld items together.

The g*ns are designed to do
precision work at a steady pace.

A welding g*n is designed
to make the same weld

Over and over again.

They're programmed
to accomplish a repetitive task

With pinpoint accuracy.

Production starts
with the g*n's electrode caps,

Which are made
out of copper rod.

The rod uncoils
and travels to a forming machine

With a series of punches
and dies.

Mechanical fingers move the rod
from one die to the next.

The punches drive the rod
into the die cavities

To shape it into electrode caps.

The electrodes come in thousands
of different shapes

And are made
it many different ways.

The make this electrode,

Automated tools taper a thick
copper rod at one end.

Then, a drill bores a hole in
the other end for cooling water.

Smaller electrodes are made
of partially-hollowed blanks.

They shave down the blank

So that it will be able
to weld in small areas.

They also shape it

So that the electrode cap
will fit on top.

They use another drill to make
an entrance for cooling water.

The entrance intersects with

The hollowed part
of the cylinder.

Then, another machine

Bends the electrode into
its final shape.

Next,
they make the shunt adapter.

A worker uses a hydraulic
machine to bend a copper bar

Around a die.

He measures it to confirm
that the dimensions are correct.

A high-pressure water jet carves
through a thick copper plate

To create the welding arms.

The water jet
can precisely cut out the part

Without scorching the copper.

At the next station,

Computerized tools shape a solid
block of steel into a mount

For the welding machine's motor.

It's a substantial
transformation.

An employee bolts steel plates
to the end of the copper arm.

He places a washer
over the plates

And then tightens the bolts.

He inserts the electrode
in the other end of the arm.

Then, he places the cap
on and hammers it in place.

The worker uses a crane to move
the second weld arm into place.

He aligns the holes

And joins the arms
with the temporary metal pin.

The transformer delivers
electricity to the electrodes.

A worker attaches the robot
welding arms to it.

He replaces the temporary pin
with a permanent one.

Then, he bolts the arms
to the transformer.

Now, the welding g*n
is ready for the motor.

He joins the motor to the arms

And tightens the bolts
on each side.

The mechanics of this robot
welding g*n are complete.

Now they need to add
the plumbing.

An employee cuts plastic tubing

And connects it
to the welding g*n.

The tubes will supply a constant
flow of water to the g*n.

Without it,
the g*n would overheat

And the electrode tips
could melt.

He bundles some of the hoses

And ties them together
for neater installation.

They test every
robot welding g*n

To confirm that it's
fully operational.

This g*n is a slightly different

Version that the one
that was just assembled.

The technician also
confirms that the tips

Have sufficient force
for a good weld.

Too much force
could damage the tips.

Too little force
would result in a poor weld.

It takes about an hour
to assemble a robot welding g*n.

This g*n is ready
to leave the factory

And be part of the action
at another one.