30x10 - Throttle Bodies; Limestone Fireplace Mantels; Candied Fruit & Fruit Jellies; Linen Ukulele

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[ Signal beeping ]

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Narrator: today
on "how it's made"...

Throttle bodies.

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Limestone fireplace mantels.

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Candied fruit
and fruit jellies.

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And linen ukuleles.

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[ Sign squeaks ]

The throttle body is a device
that allows the engine

Of a fuel-injected
vehicle to breathe.

Pressing on
the accelerator pedal

Opens the throttle body's blades
to allow air into the engine.

The greater the airflow,
the higher the rpm.

All the driver has to do
is step on the gas.

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Designed for race cars,
the throttle body could make

The difference between
winning and losing.

That's due to the way
it delivers the air

The engine needs for speed.

Making a throttle body starts
with this solid aluminum disk.

A technician mounts it to
a machining fixture

And closes the door.

Computer controlled
cutters move in.

The cutters reduce the thickness
of the disk and contour it.

They also rough out the shape
of four air passageways.

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Then they flip the part over,

And more cutting tools work
on it from the other side.

The cutters open up the air
passageways completely

And create a hole
in the center for a bolt.

The technician clamps
a square chunk of aluminum

In the fixture,

And cutters transform it
into the main body part.

This is a computer simulation
of the process.

The tools carve four holes
to match up

To the ones on the top piece.

These holes will hold
the throttle mechanisms.

The transformation
takes just minutes.

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With the parts now
electrically charged,

Workers plunge them
into a pool of chemicals

Called an etching bath.

The chemicals gravitate to the
electrically charged parts

And lightly etch the surface.

A dip in soapy water
cleans the parts.

They are now ready
for anodizing,

A process that will form
an anti-corrosion finish

On the surface.

In the anodizing bath,
an electrical charge causes

A protective oxide layer
to form on the metal,

And black dye
seeps into the pores.

Here are the parts before
and after anodizing.

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A laser then engraves
the brand name

Onto the side of
the throttle body part.

The etched aluminum wording
stands out

Against the black
anodized coating.

A technician then inserts
two stainless steel shafts

Into sealed bearings
in holes on the side.

When turned, the shafts
will open and close

The round throttle blades.

He installs retaining clips
on the shafts.

This keeps them in place
and centers them perfectly.

But at the same time, they allow
the blades to turn freely.

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He then screws round blades
to the flat part of each shaft.

As the shafts turn, these blades
will move into an open

Or closed position.

They'll act as valves,

Allowing air into the engine
or shutting it off.

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He attaches a mechanical linkage
to the end of each shaft.

These linkages will ultimately
be connected to a cable

That runs to the gas pedal.

When the driver steps
on the gas,

The linkages
will turn the shafts,

And the blades
will open and close.

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He connects the two linkages
with a part called a tie bar.

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Now that they're connected,

The linkages will move
together in one action.

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The technician tests
the linkages to confirm

That they operate smoothly.

He now places the top part
onto the throttle body.

He applies a thread-lock
solution to a bolt,

Which he then inserts
in the center of the assembly.

This is a crucial connection.

It's what holds the two parts
of the throttle body together.

He secures the center bolt
with a threaded insert.

This insert will also be used to
attach an intake air cleaner.

This throttle body
is now complete.

Workers measure air flow
through the throttle body

Using smoke so our camera
can photograph it.

With this measurement,
they give the throttle body

A performance rating.

A crew installs
the throttle body

Between the race car's
intake manifold and air filter.

Then, they check its function.

This performance throttle body
is now ready to compete.

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Narrator:
for hundreds of years,

Stone carvers have
skillfully sculpted

Blocks of solid stone
into ornate fireplace mantels.

A work of art with
an imposing presence,

A stone mantel is the decorative
centerpiece of a room.

Whether or not there's
a fire burning,

It creates a warm ambience.

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Modern-day stone carvers
carry on a trade passed down

Through the centuries,

Crafting limestone
fireplace mantels

That exude old-world elegance.

Artisans sketch out
a creative design,

Then produce a technical drawing
and 3-d model on a computer.

This particular mantel,
carved from beige limestone,

Will feature a medallion
of red sandstone.

The red medallion will be set
into the keystone,

Which is the central block
of what's called the lintel,

The horizontal part
of the mantel.

After finalizing
the measurements,

The artisans lay down a sheet
of thick white plastic

And draw the mantel's
overall shape,

As seen from the front,
in its actual dimensions.

The mantel will be composed
of several parts

So they will also mark the
joints where those parts meet.

Using this pattern, they cut
a clear plastic template

For each part.

The artisans use a combination
of traditional

And modern stone-carving tools.

First, for each part, they use
an automated diamond-blade saw

To cut a block to size.

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They then measure and mark
where they need to remove stone

To shape the block
to the basic profile.

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The artisan gradually removes
that portion of stone

With a hammer
and different types of chisels.

Limestone can be hard like
marble, or soft like chalk.

There's less margin for error

When carving softer
limestone, like this,

Because every strike of the
hammer removes more stone

Than the same strike
on a hard limestone would.

This tool,
designed for soft limestone,

Wears away the surface like
a plane does to a piece of wood.

Once the artisan has removed
all the excess stone,

He checks that
the surface is level.

Then, in the side of the block,
he traces a template

For the profile.

This block will become
the keystone

For the horizontal
part of the mantel.

He measures out and marks
the center of the keystone...

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...then centers the medallion
and traces it.

He'll draw the remainder of
the keystone's design freehand.

The design is symmetrical,

So the artisan draws
on one side of the center line,

Traces his drawing
onto the clear plastic

To make a template,

Then flips the template onto the
other side of the center line

To trace the same design
in mirror image.

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He begins removing stone with
a hammer and roughing tools.

First, he breaks off big chunks
with a chipper.

He works his way down to just
above the pencil line.

Then, with a finer tooth chisel,
he removes the last bit.

Then he switches
to finishing tools.

He mounts chisels of varying
widths on an air hammer

To remove a precise,
even layer of stone.

Working on the more
complex details,

He uses a combination square

To mark a consistent height
across the keystone.

Every detail of
the keystone profile

Must align with
the same profile detail

Of the lentil pieces
on either side of it.

Once he has finished
the entire profile of the piece,

He sands the surface smooth
and brushes away the dust.

Now the artisan turns
his attention

To the keystone's ornate
sculpt design.

With fine, flat,
and pointed chisels,

He removes the stone
around his pencil lines

Until the design
he drew emerges.

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By switching to
a sculptor's rasp,

He smoothes all the rough edges.

He checks the fit of the red
sandstone medallion

And glues it in.

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Once the artisan finishes
sculpting all the parts,

He lays them on the pattern

To make sure all
the dimensions are perfect.

On installation day, he mounts
the mantel, piece by piece,

Around the fireplace.

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Narrator: candied fruit
and fruit jellies

Are middle eastern in origin

And spread to europe
around the 12th century.

This region of france
has been producing them

Since the 15th century.

When wars blocked access
to cane sugar,

Fruit farmers began
planting sugar beets

To preserve this
confectionery tradition.

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This company in france has been
catering to people's sweet tooth

Since 1880 with its gift boxes

Containing traditional candied
fruit and fruit jellies.

To make candied fruit, a master
confectioner boils fresh fruit

For many hours
to soften the fibers.

This process will later help
sugar to penetrate the fruit.

He pokes the fruit to see
if it's ready.

Boiling time varies
from 1 hour for apricots

To 8 hours for chestnuts.

Citrus fruits are sliced
before boiling.

After boiling, the more
fragile types of fruit,

Such as apricots,
pears and clementines,

Go into large hot-air
dehydrators for up to 3 weeks.

Every day, the master
confectioner replaces

The evaporated water
with sugar syrup,

Which concentrates over time.

For less fragile fruits,
the technique is different.

Workers heat them in vats of
sugar syrup for about 10 days.

The moisture evaporates,
and the syrup concentrates.

The factory sells
whole candied fruits

Like this collection
of clementines,

Apricots, pears, figs,
and plums,

To gourmet food shops,

Which sell them by the piece
or in elegant,

Private-label gift boxes.

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Whole candied fruit
are also popular

For designing
edible arrangements.

Making fruit jellies
is a different process.

The recipe combines fruit pulp,

Making up more than


With powdered sugar,
liquid glucose,

A form of plant sugar,

Pectin to make
the mixture gelatinous,

And natural fruit flavoring.

A worker boils down the mix
for a half hour

To concentrate the sugar,

Then adds more fruit flavoring.

As the mix continues to cook,

She draws samples to measure
the sugar content.

She does this until the mix

Hits its target
concentration of 78 percent.

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Another worker pours
the batch from the pot

Into a large pitcher,

Then into a square
stainless steel mold.

It takes the jelly a day to set.

Once set, a worker removes it
from the mold --

This one's
a different flavor --

And coats it with crystallized
sugar to preserve it.

The worker then lays
the jelly square on cutter

The company calls a guitar

Because its steel wires
look like guitar strings.

The wires cut once in each
direction to make cubes.

Then, another worker applies
a second coating of sugar.

In addition to this
small-batch production,

The factory
has one automated machine,

Which makes fruit jellies

In a variety of geometric
or fruit shapes

Created by templates
made of plaster.

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This process is much faster
than the handmade approach.

First, the machine
makes a bed of starch.

Then it presses
the plaster form into the bed

To create mold cavities.

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The next station fills
the cavities

With hot liquid fruit jelly.

Then, the molds
are set aside for a day.

The starch absorbs the residual
moisture as the jelly sets.

The next day,
workers load the molds

On top of the same machine,

Which flips them to dump out
the jellies.

The jellies tumble down
a vibrating conveyor belt.

The starch shakes off
with each bounce.

Then they pass
under a spinning brush,

Which removes
any remaining starch.

The conveyor moves them
into a rotating drum,

Which showers them with sugar.

On the packaging line,
a slow conveyor belt moves

Retail boxes
in front of a row of workers.

Each worker is responsible
for a single flavor.

While placing the required
number of fruit jellies

In the box,

She also performs
a quality control check,

Removing and replacing
any that are misshapen.

This ensures that these
traditional fruit jellies

Look as good as they taste.

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Narrator:
linen is believed to be

The oldest of woven textiles.

But for the making of ukuleles,
it's definitely a new material.

Infused with resin,

Linen can actually be molded
into a solid ukulele

That has a look and sound
that's similar to wood.

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Linen may seem to be an unlikely
material for making ukuleles,

But these instruments are proof
that the fabric can be used

For more than just
drapes and tablecloths.

Following
a computer-aided design,

Workers cut pattern pieces
from linen fabric,

Infused with plant resin
and with protective liners.

After peeling off the liners,

A technician layers the linen
pieces in a ukulele mold.

The resin has given the fabric
a clay-like consistency,

So it can be easily shaped
to the mold's curves.

He layers 65 linen
pieces in total.

He drapes a nylon fabric
over the linen

And tucks it into the crevices.

The fabric will ultimately
contain the resin

When it's heated and liquefied.

Polyester batting in the center
will soak up excess resin

During baking.

He cooks the linen layers
for several hours.

The resin in the fabric
subsequently liquifies

And finally hardens,
fusing the layers together,

To create a solid ukulele
body, next and head.

After reinforcing the neck,

A computerized router trims
the entire ukulele body.

Another router trims
the sound board,

Which is the resonant part

That serves as the front
of the instrument.

It, too, has been molded
from linen material.

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A technician pipes epoxy glue
along the rim of the body

To attach the soundboard,

Which is being reinforced
with carbon fiber

And a plastic liner applied
for the front to protect it

During this stage
of fabrication.

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He glues a front plate
to the headstock of the ukulele.

He then places the ukulele
in a fixture.

He clamps the fixture together
to keep the parts in position

As the glue hardens
for 24 hours.

He props up the headstock
with a block of wood

And uses a separate clamp
to keep the assembly tight.

A router carves an opening
in the soundboard.

This sound hole with
allow the instrument

To project music
more efficiently.

The router also drills
tuning holes in the head plate.

Another member of the team
now applies a wood stain

To the linen composite surface.

This gives it
a more uniform finish.

The next part
is the finger board,

Made of a wood fiber
and plastic composite.

Another technician hammers
nickel silver frets

Into the fingerboard's slots.

He then clips the ends to make
them flush to the fingerboard.

He files the ends to make them
smooth to the touch.

He then glues the fingerboard
to the ukulele neck.

The technician installs
the bridge on the soundboard.

Using a special fixture,

He clamps the fingerboard
and bridge

To the instrument to apply
pressure while the glue dries.

It takes another 24 hours
for the glue to set.

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The next day, a technician
applies an adhesive-backed label

With the serial number
printed on it

To the inside of the ukulele.

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He inserts tuning pegs
into holes drilled

Into the headstock.

He secures the pegs with bolts
at the back of the headstock

And tightens the bolts
with a nut driver.

Then he runs strings from
the bridge to the tuning pegs

And knots them to
hold them in place.

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He turns the tuners
to pull the strings

To a specific tension,

And this linen-composite ukulele
is ready for a show.

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