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Narrator:
today on "how it's made"...
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Narrator:
when it comes to iconic hats,
Nothing says french
more than the beret,
Specifically
the basque-style beret,
As people wear different
styles in other countries.
The basque beret was
traditionally worn by shepherds
Tending their flocks along
the pyrenees mountain range
That divides southern
france from spain.
The basque beret dates back
to the 1600s in southern france.
Made of black merino wool,
it has a little cabillou on top.
The factory making these berets
has been doing so since 1840.
An automated machine knits
undyed wood yarn into a galette,
The french word for pancake.
The galette is flat
and round with loose
Knit stitches making it
soft and floppy.
A worker then pulls
the galette's central thread,
Closing it into a circular shape
resembling a shower cap.
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In an industrial size
washing machine,
A worker washes this rudimentary
beret in lukewarm water
From the local river
and soap for about 8 hours.
The type of soap
is a trade secret.
The wool shrinks,
Causing the loose knit stitches
to tighten.
The wool fibers also soften,
Transforming into
the smooth and soft wool
And fabric we call felt.
After felting the beret,
The manufacturers begin
the dyeing process.
The worker loads it into
another washing machine,
Only this time
with powdered dye.
This factory has always
produced its own dyes
In a wide range of colors,
Again using water
from the local river.
However, the temperature
to which this company heats
It is a closely guarded secret.
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When the dye cycle finishes,
another worker checks
The beret against a color sample
Because the wool composition
and the river water quality
Are variable factors
that can affect dye absorption.
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The next step is to form
the beret to the final shape.
Traditionally, beret factories
did this using wooden forms,
But today, they use metal ones.
The beret remains on the form
long enough
To lock in the shape.
This process, too, depends on
the wool composition
As well as on how humid
It is in the factory
on that particular day.
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Each beret goes for a spin
on the scratching machine,
A rotating wheel surfaced
with wire brushes.
The bristles lift the wood
fibers, thickening the felt.
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After inserting a cardboard
template to maintain the shape,
A worker uses a manual
shearing tool
To carefully scratch the area
around the cabillou.
She removes any clinging plant
debris left by the river water
Used in the wash and dye cycles.
Then she inspects for any holes
or stretched fibers.
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The beret now goes
to the seamstress.
First, she heats a black cotton
lining on a mold to shape it
To fit perfectly
inside the beret.
The lining has
the manufacturer's label
In the center,
Which features the company crest
and the model name, vrai basque,
Confirming that this is indeed
an authentic basque-style beret.
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She turns the beret inside out
to sew in the lining.
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Then she turns the beret
right side out again
And puts it on
a stretching machine.
She sets the machine
to the desired hat size,
And it automatically stretches
the beret to that size.
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Now, she sews a black
leather band to the edge.
The hat size is printed on it.
Some models feature
a color trim on the band.
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The finishing touch is
the company's metal hallmark.
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She rivets it to the underside
of the beret on one side...
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...and that caps off production.
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Narrator: pastis is
an anise-flavored liqueur
Popular in france,
Particularly in the southern
city of marseilles
Where it originated.
You don't drink
it straight, though.
The proper technique is
to dilute it with water,
Typically 5 to 7 parts
water to one part pastis.
Then add ice.
The maker of this pastis
combines star anise
With licorice extract
and herbs and spices
From the provence
region of france.
Star anise is an asian spice.
The starting ingredient
for this pastis is
A pale yellow star anise
essential oil
Purchased
from a chinese supplier.
The first step at this french
distillery is to distill
That essential oil.
As the oil is heated,
It evaporates and rises up
the column still,
Passing through a series
of stacking cooling trays.
Each tray condenses,
Then removes one of the oil's
various components.
Pastis requires just one of
the extracted components --
Anethole, which is an organic
compound responsible
For the anise flavor and smell.
This pastis recipe also contains
Each of which is separately
distilled into alcohol.
One of these herbs
is artemisia vulgaris,
Commonly known as mugwort.
A worker loads mugwort
leaves into a tank
Filled with a mixture
of water and alcohol.
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As the leaves soak,
the alcohol acts as a solvent,
Extracting
the aromatic molecules.
This process
is called maceration.
After a few days, workers
drain the alcoholic liquid,
Now infused with
aromatic molecules.
It's so alcoholic that
it emits volatile fumes,
So workers wear an alarm
that goes off
When the surrounding air
reaches an expl*sive level.
The liquid is stored in a vat
Until it's time
to mix the pastis.
Then, a worker removes
the alcohol-soaked mugwort
Leaves from the tank
And transfer them
to a distillation device
Called an alembic.
The alembic heats the mash
of fermented leaves with steam
Produced by a wood-fired boiler.
Once the mash heats to
a temperature of
The alcohol in it
begins to evaporate and rise.
The alcoholic vapor eventually
reaches the neck of the alembic,
Where cooling coils
condense it into liquid,
Which then flows out of
the alembic and through a filter
That also removes
plant particles.
An alcoholometer measures
the percentage of alcohol,
Which starts off very high,
then tapers off.
The pastis maker uses
only the middle of the flow,
When the reading is between
What's known as the heart
of the distillation.
To make the pastis, workers
combine all the ingredients.
The anethole, distilled from
the anise essential oil,
The 60 different maceration
liquids and distillates of
Herbs and spices
and licorice extract.
Workers also add water to dilute
the final product's
Alcohol level to 45%.
A last filtration
removes any particles
That would diminish
the clarity of the pastis.
A machine bottles the pastis
in dark glass
To protect the contents
from light,
Which, by oxidation,
would damage the liqueur.
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The second station on
the filling line
Seals each bottle with a t-cork,
A type of stopper
designed for bottles
Which are opened
and sealed repeatedly.
The next station applies
a sheath of heat shrink plastic
Over the t-cork.
The bottle then travels
through a heating tunnel,
Which shrinks
the plastic tightly
Over the neck of the bottle.
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The final station applies
the adhesive-backed label.
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Pastis is always poured
into the glass first,
Followed by water.
This makes the liqueur cloudy
Because the anethole
doesn't dissolve in water.
If you want to add ice, you can
do so only after the water,
Otherwise, the anethole
crystallizes.
So just remember that
chemistry lesson and enjoy.
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Narrator:
the first stationary bike
Was developed by
a london physician
In the late 18th century
To exercise the joints of
patients suffering from gout,
Rheumatic disorders,
or other afflictions.
The modern stationary bike
is all about helping people
Stay fit to prevent illnesses.
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On this stationary bike,
magnets linked to the flywheel
Create tension that causes
the cyclist to push harder,
Making the workout
truly an uphill battle.
Production starts with
steel tubing for the base.
A probe locates the center
of the tubing.
This reference point allows
a computerized laser cutter
To find the exact spots
to cut assembly holes.
With the assembly holes cut,
The laser slices the tubing
to the correct length.
An automated system
retrieves the part
And transfers it
to a holding area.
A worker inserts screws
in the base part,
Which will attach it
to the main frame.
He pipes sealant
around the screws.
Another worker now arranges
the three tubular base parts
In a welding fixture
and clamps them in place.
The fixture revolves and meets
up with a robotic welder.
The robot welds
the three parts together.
This completes the base
of the stationary bike.
The bike's main frame has been
configured on the other side
Of the welding fixture.
The robot welds
these parts together.
The fixture rotates to serve up
another base assembly
To the robot,
And the worker collects
the welded main frame
From the reverse side.
He grinds the welded seam smooth
And gets rid of burrs
on the steel.
Workers sandblast the metal,
wash it, and apply primer.
After grounding the main frame,
another worker sprays
Electrostatically charged
resin and pigment onto it.
Once it's baked on,
this powder coat will provide
A protective finish.
At another station, a 55-ton
press punches holes into posts
For the bike's
handlebar and seat.
The holes are for adjusting
the height of these parts.
Next up is the casting
for mounting
The handlebar to the post.
Using another press,
The worker entrenches the top
of the post in the casting.
He taps the casting
with a rubber mallet
To tweak the installation
and sets the assembly aside.
At another station, a worker
arranges numerous seat posts
In tight alignment.
He drapes a stencil
of sequential
Lettering on top of the posts.
He dips an etching wand
in a chemical solution
And then moves it over
the letters five times.
This burns the letters
into the steel,
Providing markers
for height adjustment.
An assembler drives the wedge
into one of the bike's
Two crank arms to create a hole
that the axle will fit into.
He checks the depth of the hole
with a gauge.
He inserts the end
of the axle in the hole
And using a press,
pushes it into place.
He measures the hole from
the other side of the crank arm
And confirms that the axle has
been set to the correct depth.
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He then bolts the assembly
to a precise torque.
He locks the crank arm
assembly in a lathe.
He slips a foam sleeve
over the axle to protect it
From shards of flying metal
as a tool machines
The part of the crank arm
That will ultimately
hold the bike's pulley.
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Another member of the team
now assembles bearings
To a wheel hub.
He slides two bearings
with a spacer in a press.
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He heats the hub in an oven,
causing the metal to expand.
The machine presses
the hub sandwich together.
As the hub cools, it shrinks
for a tight fit to the bearings.
He installs a retaining clip
in the hub
To also keep it together.
Next up are the holders
for the magnets
That create resistance
on the flywheel.
A worker places each one
In a fixture
to inspect the dimensions.
He then checks the strength
of the magnets in a tester,
And satisfied,
he inserts two in each holder.
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This metal cage, pulled into
position by the magnets,
Completes the magnetic field.
Stay tuned for more
On the making of
this stationary bike.
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Narrator:
stationary bikes are equipped
With resistance mechanisms.
They can be simple tension belts
or more complex systems in which
Magnets produce an electrical
current in the flywheel.
The indoor cyclist simply
dials up the resistance,
And he or she will
soon feel the burn.
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The assembler installs
the magnetic resistance unit
So that it swings from
a bracket on the main frame.
This bracket also holds
the computer board.
He mounts the aluminum
flywheel to the axle,
Sliding it between the magnets
and the tension device.
He caps the flywheel hub
and secures the cap with screws.
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The torsion spring-equipped
Cover completes the stationary
bike's tension system.
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He assembles the crank arm
and axle to the bike
And installs a bearing.
Then the bike moves on
to the next station.
Another worker places
an alignment tool
On the back axle.
He loops an elastic belt with
grooves around the small pulley
On the flywheel
And around the larger crank
arm pulley, linking the two.
He inserts another tool into
the crank arm and turns it
To better wrap the belt
around the large crank pulley.
He then removes both
installation tools.
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He installs four flat bushings
in the handlebar post.
These bushings make it possible
for the handlebar
To be raised and lowered.
He applies a decal
with the height indicators.
Made of a rugged
synthetic material,
The decal encases three
sides of the metal post,
And this protects it
from abrasion.
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He bolts the second crank arm
to the axle
And torques it
to the specified tension.
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Next up is the seat assembly.
He slides the seat
stem into the post
And tightens the adjustment
knob to lock it in place.
He inserts the handlebar post
into the bike frame
And fishes the gear cable
And communication wires
through it.
He secures the handlebar post
with the adjustment knob.
He connects
the communication line
To the resistance
system's computer board.
He links the gear cable to
the resistance system
And tests its functionality.
Satisfied, he tightens a nut at
the side to secure the cable.
Another worker installs
a plastic cover
On the drivetrain.
This will protect the cyclist's
legs from the pulley system
And shield the metal
components from human sweat.
For added moisture protection,
she applies sealer around
A welded reinforcement
on the bike frame.
She then encases
the fork of the bike
With more molded plastic.
Bolts secure the casings
to the bike.
She now places a magnetized
microphone on the axle
And spins the flywheel
at a high rpm.
This is a test.
The bike must operate
noiselessly.
And the decibel meter confirms
the noise level is negligible.
She also feels the frame
for unwanted vibrations.
She now sets the location of
The magnetic resistance
mechanism
Using a special tool.
This calibrates the resistance
So that they handlebar
computer can find it
And display the resistance
setting during cycling.
Another member of the team then
applies thread-locking adhesive
To the screw holes
in the crank arms.
He screws the pedals
tightly to the crank arms
And torques them
to a specific setting.
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The worker aligns the four
bolt holes on the frame
To the bolts on the base
and secures them with cap nuts.
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He installs a metal guard that
encircles most of the flywheel.
This prevents contact
with the edge of the wheel
When it's spinning.
Once the trip computer has been
mounted to the top of the frame,
He slides the handlebar
into place.
It takes about 2 hours
to manufacture
This stationary bike.
Now that the work is done,
the workout can begin.
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