29x01 - Skateboard Wheels; Baklava and Galaktoboureko; CO2 Scrubbers; Honeycomb Candles

[bunniefuu]

♪♪

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

The invention of polyurethane

Skateboard wheels
in the early 1970s

Suddenly made jumps
and tight cornering possible

Because these wheels had
a better grip on riding surfaces

Than the old metal
or ceramic wheels.

They were more durable,

And the shock absorption
was greatly improved.

Skateboard wheels come
in different sizes,

Hardness, colors
and graphic designs.

For the rider,
there are may practical

And aesthetic considerations.

Making skateboard wheels starts
with a computer design.

A designer uses the software
to guide cutting tools.

The tools carve
into a solid aluminum puck

And transform it
into one half of a wheel mold.

Next, the other half
of the mold takes shape

As the computerized
tooling sculpts

Another puck to a profile

That fits to the first
one perfectly.

Not all of the skateboard wheel
molds are two-part versions.

Others are one-piece structures,

Each with a pin in the center
to form a bearing cavity.

A nozzle dispenses freshly
mixed polyurethane liquid

Into the wheel molds.

The liquid starts
to solidify immediately.

To complete the process,

A worker loads
the polyurethane-filled molds

Into an oven
and bakes them

At almost 240 degrees fahrenheit
for 40 minutes.

During baking, any bubbles
in the polyurethane rise

To the top
and are diffused,

Leaving solid forms
with no weak spots.

Workers remove the pins
from the molds.

Then it's on
to the next station.

Here, a worker
blasts compressed air

Between the wheels
and the molds to pry

The wheels free
and pop them out.

Another worker probes the wheel
using a durometer gauge

To ensure the urethane has cured

To the right degree of hardness.

If the sample wheel
is sufficiently hard,

The batch is ready
for the next step.

The worker clamps
the skateboard wheel in a lathe.

The lathe spins the wheel

While an automatic
cutter contours

The edges to a softer,
more rounded profile.

To give the skateboard
wheels some visual impact,

An artists selects
and arranges graphic

Designs on a computer.

He prints a film negative
of the images he's chosen.

A worker will use this negative
to produce a printing plate

From a piece of metal
that's been coated

With a light-sensitive
substance known as emulsion.

He places the film negative
on the plate

Inside a uv light chamber.

He closes the lid
and activates the uv light.

This triggers
a photochemical reaction

That transfers the image
from the negative to the plate.

The worker then applies
a solution that removes

Unexposed emulsion and,
in the process,

Etches the image
into the printing plate.

He rinses off the chemicals.

Next, he dries the plate
to reveal the etched artwork.

Another worker positions
a magnetized

Ink cup overview the image

And installs it
in a pad printing machine.

An operator loads skateboard
wheels onto posts

That index them forward
for printing.

The ink cup deposits
ink on the printing plate.

A silicone pad picks up
the inked image and stamps

It onto the skateboard wheel.

The operator removes
the printed wheel

And sets it on a tray.

A technician now clamps

One of the wheels
in a testing device,

Which will gauge the rebound.

He drops a metal ball
onto the wheel and measures

How high it bounces
or rebounds.

A high rebound is desirable.

These skateboard wheels
are now cleared for shipping.

A worker wraps the wheels
in plastic and heat shrinks it.

It takes about 3 days
to make these skateboard wheels.

But how long they'll
last depends a lot on the rider

And how he or she rolls.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator:
galaktoboureko and baklava
are traditional greek desserts.

Although several european
and middle eastern countries

Have versions of baklava,

Most consist of filo pastry

Filled with nuts drenched
in honey or syrup.

Galaktoboureko is filo filled
with custard

And coated with sweet syrup.

This variety of baklava
called burma

Is made not with filo dough,
like classic baklava,

But with kataifi,
shredded wheat dough.

Burma, like classic
filo baklava,

Contains whole pistachios,
never pistachio powder.

This burma chef pours

Granulated sugar over
the pistachio kernels.

Next, he sprinkles rose water,

Although this ingredient
is optional,

Then syrup made
with sugar,

Water, cinnamon and nutmeg

As well as lemon
to prevent the sugar

From later crystallizing.

He mixes by hand to
thoroughly coat the kernels.

The kataifi is made
of all-purpose flour,

Milk and water.

The chef lays out
a section of dough,

Then takes a handful
of pistachio

Filling and places
it on the dough,

Forming a line
running down the middle.

For a burma loaf this size,

The filling is about
an inch wide and high.

He folds the end closed
and rolls the dough at an angle

Down the length of the burma,

Tightly encasing
the filling as he goes.

At the end, he folds
the opposite end closed.

It takes a burma chef months
to perfect this technique.

He places it on a tray
to air-dry for 24 hours

To ensure the dough
maintains its rolled shape.

Unlike classic baklava,
which is baked, burma is fried.

And the risk of
burning the pistachios

Makes this the most technically

Challenging type
of baklava to make.

The chef fries the loaves

For 3 minutes in oil heated

To around


Turning them
once per minute.

He lets the oil drain
off for half an hour.

Then, he pours
warm caramelized

Sugar over the loaves

And lets them soak
for 20 minutes.

The sugar-to-water ratio

And the boiling time
of the caramelized

Sugar have to be just right.

Otherwise, it will become
either too hard

Or to gooey when it cools.

After letting
the excess drain off,

The loaves rest
for about 3 hours.

Then the chef rolls
the loaf to flatten

Out the bumps

And slices
it into equal pieces.

But if there's
a protracted battle

Waging between your sweet
tooth and your willpower,

You've got plenty of time

To work your way
through a box of burma

Because it stays
fresh for 2 weeks.

To make galaktoboureko,

The chef begins
with two ingredients,

Milk and semolina.

After bringing the milk
to a boil,

He gradually adds the semolina

While whisking and lowering
the temperature.

Once the mix thickens,
he sets it aside to cool.

In a separate bowl,
the chef whisks eggs,

Adds vanilla,

Then lemon or orange rind.

Other options are orange
blossom or rose water extract.

He transfers the ingredients
to an electric mixer,

Adds butter and sugar.

Then he adds the semolina
and milk mixture.

This mixture must be cool

So that the eggs don't cook.

Once everything
is thoroughly blended,

The galaktoboureko
custard is ready.

The chef now turns his attention
to the filo dough.

He stacks 24
parchment-thin sheets

Of filo and slices
them into squares.

He places one scoopful
of custard

In the center of each square.

The traditional greek way
is to roll the squares

Or bake a large galaktoboureko
in a pan

And then cut it
into squares.

However, this chef folds
over each square

To make lebanese-style
triangles.

He douses the top
with clarified butter,

Butter that's been boiled
to separate out the solids

And leave just the oil.

Then he bakes the pastries

For 45 minutes
at 325 degrees fahrenheit.

The golden-baked top shines

Thanks to the clarified butter.

The chef cooks the same syrup
he made for the baklava,

Sugar, water, cinnamon,

Nutmeg and lemon

And generously drizzles

The mixture all over
the galaktobourekos.

He sprinkles on cinnamon
for traditional flavor

And some crushed pistachios
for decoration.

♪♪

Narrator: the annual apple
harvest is just 2 months long.

To keep apples fresh
in storage for several months,

Growers lower the storeroom
oxygen level

To put the apples
into hibernation.

Then they use machines
called co2 scrubbers to absorb

And remove the carbon dioxide
gas the apples give off.

This co2 scrubber pulls air

From the airtight apple storage
room through carbon pellets,

Which absorb the co2
gas molecules.

The machine then blows
the co2-free air

Back into the room.

Workers build the machine's
frame out of tubular steel.

The frame supports
all the components,

Including two sealed vessels
filled with carbon pellets.

The first vessel
starts absorbing co2,

A process called scrubbing,

Until its pellets
are saturated.

Then the second vessel
takes over the scrubbing.

The first vessel
automatically kicks

Into a regeneration cycle,

Which blows fresh air
through the pellets

To remove the co2 molecules

And exhaust them
out the building.

When the second vessel's
pellets max out,

Vessel one resumes scrubbing

While vessel two regenerates.

To construct each vessel,

Workers weld a steel sheet
into a circular shape,

Then weld on a base
and a top ring.

The ring has holes
along its perimeter

For bolting on a lid.

They use a ring template

To make corresponding
holes in the lid,

Making the exact center
of each hole with a punch tool.

Then a worker mounts
the lid on a fixture

And following those marks,

Uses an automated steel
punch to perforate the steel.

The vessels go to
the paint booth

For a coat of powder paint,

Then into an oven
to bake the paint.

When they come out,
the vessels are ready

To be filled with carbon
pellets and sealed.

Once filled to the top,
workers lay in a steel baffle.

Its holes evenly distribute
air passing through the vessel.

A worker then places
a foam rubber gasket

Around the perimeter

And bolts on the lid tightly.

This seals the vessel
and prevents the air

Being blown through it
from leaking out.

The sealed lid
also prevents oxygen

From getting into the machine

And from there into
the apple storage room.

Next, workers install the pvc

Piping that feeds air

Through the vessels
along with two blowers.

One blower pulls air
from the apple storage room

Into the machine for scrubbing.

The other sends it back
to the room after scrubbing.

The air flow through the pipes
is controlled by valves,

Which are wired to the machine's
electrical panel.

That electrical panel,
consisting of relays, pumps,

Gas analyzers
and a touch screen,

Is built in-house
in accordance

With the required
electrical standards

Of the customer's country.

The panel is wired
to a computer

Which controls
the entire operation.

Then a worker installs
an electrical box

Into the machine's frame.

And he installs
the electrical panel

Inside the box.

Next, the worker connects
the wires to the valves,

Installs the touch screen
and hooks it up to the computer.

The touch screen
lets the machine's operator

Program oxygen
and co2 target levels

Specific to the type of apple
stored in the room.

This is critical,

As different varieties of apples
give off more co2 than others.

How does it all work?

The grower stacks
bins of apples

In an airtight storeroom.

A nitrogen generator
feeds in nitrogen

To reduce the room's oxygen
level to 1.8%.

When that happens,

The nitrogen feed
automatically stops,

And the continuous co2 scrubbing
automatically begins.

Many growers have in-house labs

Which conduct quality
control tests on samples

Taken from each lot
of scrubbed apples

Coming out of storage.

No apples would pass
these tests after

The 2-month harvest season

If not for the co2 scrubbers.

Co2 scrubbers lengthen
an apple's freshness

By about 8 months,

Making it possible to bite into
crispy apples year-round.

♪♪

Narrator: honeycomb candles are
glowing reminders

Of the cleverness
of the honeybee.

These candles are embossed
with a hexagonal pattern

That mimics the cell structures
bees build to store their honey.

And interestingly,
these candles

Are actually made
from the wax foundation sheets

Used for beekeepers'
hive frames.

♪♪

Honeycomb candles create
a certain ambiance.

They shine brightly.

And the hexagonal pattern

That's borrowed from the bees
adds visual interest.

The candle makers
start with beeswax

That has had
the impurities filtered out

And has been bleached.

A worker first pours the beeswax

Into a big gas-heated kettle
until it melts.

It only takes around 1/10

Of an ounce of powdered dye

To tint the big vat of wax.

He measures
the amount carefully.

The worker adds the dye and,

As it dissolves
in the liquid beeswax,

He stirs it to distribute
it evenly.

He then opens a valve,

And the wax flows into
a trough beneath a large drum.

This drum is cooled
by a system of chillers.

As it rotates,
it picks up the wax.

And the wax solidifies
on contact

With the drum's cool surface.

The system then pulls
the wax sheets

Through a narrow aperture
to squeeze it thinner.

At this point,
the consistency

Of the wax is similar
to that of taffy.

But unlike taffy,
it's not very sticky,

So the layers don't adhere
when rolled onto a shaft.

The next member of the team

Now prepares a bath
of warm water and soap.

He then loosens up
the coil of beeswax by hand.

The roll slackens.

The wax layers separate,

Leaving spaces between them.

He immerses the wax
in warm water.

And it flows
between the layers.

The warm water
softens the edges

As a thinning machine
reduces the thickness

Of the wax by half.

Using blocks of ice,

The operator then cools
the softened wax

To firm it up again.

He constantly adds liquid
soap for lubrication.

This keeps the beeswax moving
through the thinning machine

And prevents snags.

Using a measuring instrument
called a caliper,

He gauges the thickness
of the wax to confirm

That it's 0.16
of a centimeter.

Next, the operator removes
the roll of beeswax

From the thinning machine
spindle and transfers it

To the spindle
for the next machine.

This machine pulls the wax
through a bath of icy water

To firm it up even more.

This will top the wax

From sticking
to embossing rollers

That now impress
the hexagonal pattern onto it.

Each of the embossing rollers

Is studded with 3,500
hexagonal-shaped rivets.

They stamp the pattern
onto both sides of the wax.

A blade slices the embossed
beeswax into sheets

That are 16 inches in length.

The sheets pass
under another roller.

And this one propels them
off the track.

The sheets are briefly airborne

And then,
they land in a neat stack.

♪♪

To make them into candles,

Another member of the team
cuts the sheets

To the desired length and width.

The dimensions
will vary depending on

The size of
the candles to be made.

Leftover remnants
will be melted down

To make new candles.

These beeswax sheets are now
ready to be rolled by hand.

The candle maker places

A cotton wick
on one edge of the sheet.

She then wraps the wax
around the wick,

Applying gentle pressure
as she works.

She presses the layers
firmly together

Because the tighter the roll,

The longer the candle will burn.

At room temperature,
the wax is warm,

So the layers
of the candle adhere.

Finally, she packages them
in plastic cellophane

And applies
all the necessary labels.

These honeycomb beeswax candles

Are now ready
to light up a space

And help set the mood.

They should burn
for 8 or 9 hours

Or until it's time
to call it a night.