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Narrator: the metal bistro set
Is a fixture in
european-style cafés
And small restaurants.
The set consists of a small
dining table and two chairs.
A bistro set is also popular in
homes with limited outdoor space
As there's usually
enough room for one
On a balcony or small patio.
The small restaurant bar
known as the bistro
Originated
in 19th century france.
Its iconic dining sets
are still being produced today
In both traditional
and modern styles.
This french factory makes them
out of strips of flat steel
With rounded edges.
The first step is
to flatten the strip
With pressure-applying rollers.
The steel then enters a press
Which does three operations
simultaneously.
It cuts pieces to
the required length,
Rounds their ends, and punches
out holes where required.
These are parts
for the table legs.
Meanwhile,
this computer-guided machine
Bends a 1/2-inch steel rod
into a circle to form a ring
That will support the tabletop.
♪♪
This table is collapsible,
Allowing it to fold flat
for storage.
Therefore, two of the legs
are hinged.
A pin and notch lock them
in the open position.
After putting together
the folding legs,
A worker positions all
the parts for the base
On an assembly fixture.
Then he operates
a welding robot,
Which welds all the crossbars,
Reinforcing the legs
and the legs to the ring.
It only takes about 2 minutes
to weld all these parts
Into a folding table base.
The manufacturers
make the tabletop
From a square piece
of sheet steel.
This machine first sheers
off the corners,
Transforming the square
into a circle.
Then it draws the edge upward
to form a 1/2-inch-high rim
On what will eventually be
the underside of the tabletop.
It also cuts a hole in
the center for an umbrella pole
And draws that edge, as well.
A worker mates the tabletop
to the folding base.
He inserts the ring into
the tabletop's underside rim.
Then he opens the base and uses
spreading pliers to pull apart,
Then butt the ends of the ring.
Next, he shields
the underside of the table
With a scrap piece of metal
and welds the butted ends.
♪♪
The table is now
fully constructed.
The chair parts are cut on the
same press as the table legs.
Each chair has two long legs
and two shorter legs.
This machine
simultaneously folds
And twists the two shorter ones
And folds the two longer ones.
The operator then connects them
with a crossbar.
♪♪
The next operator places these
connected short legs
In another machine.
He adds washers to the
protruding ends of the crossbar,
Then the two long chair legs,
Connecting them lower down
with the crossbar.
The machine welds that
crossbar and forms
Each end of the other
crossbar into a rivet,
Which creates the folding point
For this
collapsible chair frame.
The next operator places
the frame on another machine,
Positioning three holes on each
side onto upright steel pins.
He lays two steel slats for
the chair back on these pins,
Then five more for the seat
onto identical pins riveted
To a pair of steel bars.
The machine then forms
the pins into rivets,
Attaching all the slats.
He then assembles the seat
to the frame,
Completing the construction
of the chair.
The tables and chairs
go on to the paint line.
The first station washes
and dries the furniture.
Next, a worker opens each one
to spray paint
The articulation points.
Then, automated nozzles
paint the rest.
This is industrial-grade powder
paint known as powder coat.
A 10-minute trip through
a tunnel oven
At 370 degrees fahrenheit
bakes it on.
Workers apply product
information stickers,
Cushion protruding parts
with plastic covers,
And enclose foot protectors.
The bistro set is now ready.
Just unfold and unwind.
♪♪
Narrator: in an electronic world
where a few taps
On a device keyboard sends
an invitation or greeting card,
It's not all that common
anymore to receive
Something printed
the old-fashioned way.
Yet there's nothing quite
as elegant as the crisp,
Recessed print that traditional
letterpress printing produces.
Letterpress printing is
a centuries-old method
That's making a comeback.
The printing press makes
an impression in the paper
With raised type
as it applies the ink.
The printer first sketches
out some design ideas.
Then he detours into
digital technology,
Finalizing the colors
and composition
And choosing the font
in traditional metal type.
He cuts paper to the size of
the greeting card he's making.
The paper is 100 percent cotton,
Which is more pliable than
standard wood-fiber paper,
Thus enabling
a deeper impression.
Cotton paper is more delicate,
So he has to cushion it
while cutting.
Otherwise, the clamp holding
the stack would dent the paper.
Now it's time to set up.
He locates the selected font
in the type cabinet.
Each individual character,
called a sort, is backwards
Because backwards
type prints forwards.
He finds the sorts for the first
line of text and lines
Them up left to right
and upside down
In what's called
a composing stick.
Once he completes the type
of the line, called a form,
He clamps it in position.
Then he takes a metal frame,
called a chase,
And mounts the form
at a specific position
Inside the frame,
Filling the excess space with
blocks of wood called furniture.
Just below the piece
of furniture
That's underneath the form,
He places a compression device
called a quoin
And expands it with a key.
This locks the form in position.
He chooses each ink color
from a fan deck,
Then follows
the recipe to mix it.
This is color extender,
which works like paint thinner,
Diluting a dark color
to a lighter shade.
He mixes the color
extender into the ink,
Blending the two
ingredients thoroughly.
When the color matches
the fan deck sample,
He places a glob
on a piece of cardboard
And takes the mixture over
to the printing press.
He applies it in dots
all over the ink disc.
Then he pumps on the treadle
to run the rollers back
And forth across the disc.
This spreads the ink over
the disc and onto the rollers.
He inserts the chase
containing the form
Into what's called
the bed of the press.
Now for the test run.
The printer pulls the lever
to bring the bed
And platen together
So that the form,
inked by the rollers,
Creates an ink-filled
impression in the paper.
If the print is off a bit,
he marks the correct position
By pencil
And installs gauge pins,
which will hold the paper there.
Now he's ready
to start printing.
There's no automation here.
He manually places one sheet
at a time in the gauge pins.
The ink dries quickly
because it's rubber based
And because cotton
paper absorbs well.
This printer's technique is a
hybrid of traditional
And modern approaches,
As he uses
computer-generated graphics.
He sends the digital file
to a company
That makes a polymer
printing plate,
Which he mounts
on an aluminum base
That fits in the chase
of the press.
He switches plates
to do the next graphic
In a different color,
layered over the first.
♪♪
The polymer plates marry
the old and new technology
By making it possible
to print computer-generated
Graphics
by traditional letterpress.
After printing the inside
of this greeting card, as well,
He uses a scoring rule
mounted in another press
To make a perfectly
straight fold line
Down the middle of the paper.
♪♪
The result is beautiful,
Textured print
on elegant cotton paper
Just like the good old days
before ink-jets,
E-cards, and e-vites.
♪♪
Narrator: bamboo-ceramic lights
add a touch of zen to any space.
Made of ceramic
and inspired by bamboo,
They resemble bundles
of tropical grasses,
But they're not
exact replications.
These light fixtures offer
an artistic interpretation
Of an exotic element
from the natural world.
Trying to create
a tropical ambiance?
It's all in the lighting.
These ceramic lights celebrate
the natural beauty of bamboo
And set the mood.
Making the ceramic casing
starts with a slurry of clay
And water known as slip.
A propeller mixer evenly
distributes the particles.
The slip flows through a hose
and into plaster molds.
The artisan controls
the amount going in,
Ensuring that each one
is filled just below the brim.
Over 3 hours, the clay thickens
and congeals along the edges.
After pouring out the remaining
slip, he trims the clay casting,
Which has a putty-like
consistency.
After leaving it to
solidify a bit more,
He carefully
disassembles the mold,
Revealing the clay casting
with a bamboo-like detail.
♪♪
After curing overnight,
the casting further solidifies,
And the color lightens.
Using a knife, he adds more
definition to some of the detail
And cleans up the rough edges.
He also shaves off
protrusions formed
Where the mold parts
came together.
He lightly sands the entire
bamboo ceramic casting
To smooth over any
remaining imperfections.
♪♪
Using a wet sea sponge,
he washes the entire casting.
This softens the clay
on the surface
And gets rid of any minute
scratches left by the sanding.
The artisan then cuts holes
in the back of the casting.
One is for installing
the light socket,
And the other is to run wires
to the electrical junction box.
With the clay surface
still moist, he carves nodes,
Or joints,
into the bamboo canes.
He also cuts wide vertical lines
to create the effect of cracks
That occur in bamboo
naturally when they dry out.
After firing the clay
casting in a kiln
And then cooling it overnight,
The material has become
A strong,
durable piece of ceramic.
This craftsperson examines it
for imperfections
And then begins
the painting process.
She sprays a very light yellow
paint onto the bamboo ceramic.
This gives the piece
just a hint of color,
But it provides
the desired undertone.
Next, she mixes a green oil
paint with thinner
And then brushes the mix
into the grooves and notches.
This accentuates these areas.
She also brushes it
onto the edges
Of the bamboo ceramic light box
To better define the profile.
Using a soft cotton cloth,
She blots up some paint
from the palette
And wipes it on the ceramic.
This softens the brush strokes
And gives the ceramic cane
structure a hint of green.
She sets the light casing
on a revolving stand
And inspects the coverage.
She then applies a liberal
amount of brown paint
To the entire piece,
And the brown color
completely overpowers
The green and yellow paints.
She rubs off a lot
of the brown paint.
This tones it down and subtly
brings out the other colors.
This produces color variations
that evoke the different tones
Of dry bamboo.
The paint transforms the piece.
A technician inserts the socket
and pulls the wires
Through one of the holes
and out the back.
He secures the socket
in the light box from the back
With a washer and nut,
And that completes this
bamboo ceramic light fixture.
Making it takes roughly 1 week,
But the final result
is very unique.
While providing illumination,
It may also be an object
of conversation.
♪♪
Narrator: asphalt compactors are
the heavy rollers of paving.
They're equipped with vibrating
drums that weigh several tons.
The sheer load, in combination
with the mechanical vibrations,
Compact new pavement.
This locks the aggregate
particles together in order
To provide a strong
and stable road.
The asphalt compactor vibrates
as it applies
Its weight to fresh pavement,
And this process
removes air pockets
That could ruin
the newly laid road.
To make this critical piece
of road-building equipment,
A computerized plasma torch
cuts through heavy-gauge steel.
The operator selects the
programs that guide the cutting.
The torch cuts out the
compactor's body panels,
The plates for the rollers,
and many other parts.
A worker welds the front of
the compactor frame together,
And he attaches bracket plates
For a pivot-hinge
steering system.
Another worker guides a steel
plate into a rolling machine.
The machine shapes
the thick steel
Into the shell
of a compactor roller.
The machine requires
a few passes
To establish the correct radius.
A crane then transfers
the rolled steel to a fixture
That positions
bulkheads within the shell.
It then lifts the shell
with the bulkheads
And fixture onto a table,
And a worker wraps
cables around it.
He adjusts the length of the
cables with a thick steel pin.
He tucks brackets behind
the cables at the seams
To protect them during the
welding that will come later.
He installs chains
And tightens them to hold
the shell steady on the table.
He then activates
what's called the squeezer.
Hydraulically powered,
this machine pulls the cables
To close the gap in the shell,
And while the cable
keeps the seam tight,
The worker tack welds the seam
and bulkheads from the inside.
With the tack welds
holding everything together,
A robot does the full welds on
both the seam and the bulkheads.
The seam weld is large
and protrudes from the shell...
So the next worker
grinds the seam flush
To the rest of the shell,
Allowing the roller
to operate smoothly.
After a thorough wash, the
roller goes into a paint booth
To be sprayed first with epoxy
primer and then urethane paint.
The rollers spend about
To bake on the coatings.
An electric tug transfers them
to the assembly line.
Here, the rear half of the
compactor frame is taking shape.
A worker bolts the hitch
to the frame.
He attaches a hydraulic
steering cylinder to the hitch
And secures it with
a thick steel pin.
The next worker screws
guide pins to the hitch.
He runs hydraulic hoses
to the front section
And links the rear
structure to the front.
Next, workers lower the diesel
engine into the front frame.
They anchor the engine
by driving thick bolts
Into substantial engine mounts.
A center pivot link provides
a second connection
Between the front and back
parts of the compactor.
♪♪
A worker torques the bolts that
secure the link to the back.
Moving forward,
Workers lower the operator
platform into place,
Complete with a seat
and the controls.
They secure the control base
to the frame with bolts
In each of the four corners.
The compactor is now ready
for the two rollers.
They've been equipped
with vibrating mechanisms
Since we saw them last.
The team bolts the back
roller in place
And then connects the lines
To the hydraulic systems
that drive it.
♪♪
They install the second roller
and connect the hydraulic
And electrical lines.
They calibrate the rollers
to ensure
They operate at the same speed.
They adjust the pivot
steering if needed,
And then it's time to roll.
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