31x11 - Wood Slat Baskets; Bells

[bunniefuu]

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

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Traditional wood slat baskets
are containers

Used to carry and gather food
during a harvest.

They're also used in retail
settings to display produce,

Providing the consumer with a
farm-fresh marketing aesthetic.

Since the 1800, farmers
have used wood slat baskets

To hold and transport food.

Today, they still come in handy
at harvest time.

Wood slat baskets are made out
of american sweet gum trees.

First, the freshly cut logs
are sprayed with water

So they don't dry out and decay.

One at a time, spiked rollers
grab the logs and turn them,

As knives
shave off all the bark.

The de-barked log
rolls down a conveyor

To be cut
to the specified length.

The wood spins on a lathe
as a blade cuts into the wood,

Producing long, thin sheets.

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Technicians pull the sheets
forward and stack them.

The sheets move through rollers.

The rollers feed the stack
to a long guillotine-type blade

Which chops them into slats.

Once all of the slats
have been cut,

The slats are stacked
and checked for quality.

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Technicians use these patterns

To configure the wood slats
and form a web.

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The technician distributes
the slats in a specific order,

Which will add strength when
the web is formed into a basket.

He uses a staple g*n
to place staples

Into the center of the web
to hold it together.

At another station,

Workers evaluate and grade
narrower strips of wood

That will be formed into bands
to hold the baskets together.

Then, using a basket machine,

Technicians form the web
into a basket.

The machine wraps bands
around the basket

And staples them
to reinforce the shape.

In seconds,
the basket takes shape.

Once it's complete, the baskets
are removed from the machine

And placed on a conveyor belt.

At another station,
technicians build a basket

With a base made of solid wood.

This base will provide the
basket with additional strength.

Workers arrange slats
to build the basket.

Automated staplers secure the
slats to the solid-wood base.

Bands are attached
to hold the basket together.

A technician places the rim
of the basket into a machine

That drives thick wire
into the basket.

The machine's formers bend
the wire into a handle

And cut the ends.

The technician turns
the basket over

For a matching handle
on the opposite side.

The baskets now take a slow trip
through a dryer.

This step removes the majority
of the moisture in the wood.

Once complete,
the produce baskets

Slide down a steel slope.

A technician
evaluates their quality

And stacks them accordingly.

Next, the lids are constructed.

Technicians place wood slats
in the slots of a conveyor.

This positions them to be formed
into squares, known as mats.

The conveyor takes them forward,

And a device creates staples
from wire,

Punching them into the mats

To secure the arrangement.

Meanwhile, a worker prepares
the lids' hoops.

First, he steams
gum wood strips,

Which makes the wood pliable.

Then he tucks
one end of the wood

Into the revolving wheel
of the machine,

Which shapes the wood
into a hoop.

The ends are then secured
with staples.

An assembler fits the hoop
around a circular platform...

And places the mat on top.

The platform rotates

As a stapler attaches the hoop
to the slats.

The mat must now be trimmed
flush to the hoop

So that it will fit more neatly
on the rim of the basket.

To do so, another assembler
places the corners of the mat

Under a semi-circular blade,
chopping off the excess wood.

The wood slat lid is now ready
to be put on the basket.

A device bends wire into a loop

That will be used to fasten
the lid to the basket.

This factory can make up to


That's a lot of empty baskets
to fill.

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Narrator:
for thousands of years,

We've used bells to make noise.

The concept behind
them is simple.

A clapper or hammer
strikes the bell wall

Creating vibrations
that disturb the air.

The disturbance causes
the ringing sound.

It's not high tech,
but it can be high-pitched.

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Every bell has
a distinctive ring.

From the festive
jingle of sleigh bells,

To the clang of the boxing bell

That marks
the beginning of a fight.

Even the cow bell has a sound

That's not quite like any other.

The bell's shape
and the material

It's made from affect
the ring's pitch.

To make a cow bell, an assembler

Uses two flared steel components
to form a cone.

He inserts a handle between
the two parts at the top...

And welds the seams
of the bell shell

To hold the two parts together.

Then he welds the handle
to the cow bell body.

The handle contains a small loop

That extends inside the bell
body to hold the clapper.

This strip of steel
is about to be transformed

Into sleigh bells.

An upper die forces
the steel strip

Into dies on a rotating platter.

The dies form
the metal into a shape

That resembles an open flower.

Ball bearings
funnel into a sh**t.

The ball bearings land
in the open flowers

On the platter.

The upper die closes
the petals of the flower

Creating a round sleigh bell.

The rattle of
the interior ball bearing

Will create the sound.

A device pops
the bell out of the die

And the sleigh bells
fall into a bin.

Once the sleigh bells
are plated with nickel,

They are ready for rattling.

At another station, a boxing
bell begins to takes shape.

An assembler transfers the bell
to a punch

That cuts a hole in the center.

The punch forces it on to a form

That contours
the area around the hole.

Oil keeps the metal
lubricated as it's forming.

The gongs tumble
around in a machine

With vibrating ceramic stones,
detergent, and water.

The stones scrub off
the oil and rub off rough edges.

After about 10 minutes,

The gongs emerge smooth
and clean.

They land in the tub
of ground corn cobs.

The corn absorbs residual water

As it pulsates in this
vibratory machine.

A technician places
the gongs in an oven.

This heat treatment
rearranges the crystalline

Structures of the steel
and hardens it.

Making the steel more resilient

Will also make the gong sound
more resonant when struck.

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The gongs are sprayed
with a powder coating.

When baked on,
the powder particles

Will form a protective
skin on the metal

And provide the gongs
with a uniform finish.

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A powder coat is sprayed
on the bell's baseplate,

And an adhesive-backed company
logo is applied to the back.

Posts have been
installed on the front

For assembling the other parts.

A brass lever for
operating the bell hammer

And the mechanism that will
swing it, called a dog.

The assembler rivets
the dog to the lever

And hooks one end of
a spring to the mechanism.

He fastens another
spring to the hammer

And then hooks
the end to the baseplate.

He installs the hammer
on one of the posts.

Using a push nut, he secures
the hammer to the post.

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He hooks the lever
spring on the baseplate

And slides the lever onto
a post just under the hammer.

Another push nut locks
the lever in place.

The assembler pulls the lever,
examining the movement,

Adjusting accordingly.

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He now adds the gong,

Aligning the center hole
to the threaded post

In the middle of the backplate.

He screws on a fastener
to hold the gong in place.

He pulls the lever to
confirm that the hammer

Hits the gong and makes a noise.

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Finally this boxing bell is
now ready for the ring.

[ Bell dings ]

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Narrator:
at the turn of the 20th century,

Gigantic gyroscopes were used
to stabilize ships.

Even though they were effective,

The devices were large
and heavy.

Today, gyroscopes
are smaller, lighter,

And are highly effective
stabilizers.

The boat on the left has
a gyroscopic stabilizer

That counteracts wave action.

Different boats require
different sized gyroscopes.

This complex device
includes a flywheel

And a hydraulic brake
which controls its movement.

A large hammer
forge has pounded

The flywheels into this shape.

The process begins
on a cnc lathe

That shapes this aircraft
quality alloyed steel

To perimeters with
very small tolerances --

Roughly one third
the diameter of a hair strand.

The shafts,
or bearing journals,

Are put into a machine
which form the axis

On which the flywheel will spin.

A diamond wheel
grinds the journal

To the specified size and shape.

Once complete,

The flywheel is balanced.

A state of the art
balancing machine

I.d.s exactly which
spots need adjustment.

Highly trained technicians
carefully grind off

Small quantities of steel
in the identified spots

Before putting the object
through more tests.

With tolerances of just
a fraction of an ounce,

Even a tiny particle of dust

Can throw off
the flywheel's balance.

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A probe locates
this aluminum cast hemisphere

So that a machine
can begin processing it.

The hemisphere
will form one half

Of the enclosure that
will house the flywheel.

It must be precision
machined so that

It can form a perfect
airtight seal.

Made of aluminum to
decrease overall weight,

The airtight enclosure
is one of the crucial

Elements of this gyroscope.

Once it's completely sealed,

All the air will be vacuumed out
and helium will be pumped in.

Because helium is so
much lighter than air,

The flywheel will be
able to spin much faster

Due to radically
diminished friction.

Machining with horizontal
and vertical cnc tools

And a vertical grinder
brings the bearing housing

Within reach of
the required parameters.

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A technician attaches
the vacuum valves

Which will allow air to be
removed from the enclosure.

Then he installs
some of the sensors

That carefully monitor
the gyroscope's status.

He applies a specified torque

To tighten
the component in place.

A generous amount of grease
is applied

To the large o-ring
that fits perfectly

Into a groove in
the lip of one hemisphere.

The o-ring will ensure
a vacuum tight seal

When the two hemispheres of
the enclosure come together.

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These heavy duty eye bolts
form an attachment point

For lifting, which helps
move the gyroscope

In and out of position.

Once everything
has been put together,

The technician connects
the flywheel to the enclosure.

He begins bolting
an inner and outer set

Of retainer rings in place.

These rings will support
the flywheel assembly.

Faster spinning
in its vacuum containment

Will allow the gyroscope

To achieve the same
stabilizing effect

As a much larger,
heavier flywheel

Spinning at a slower speed.

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The technician joins
the sub-assembly

To the second hemisphere,

Carefully lifting
and lowering it into place

Before bolting
the enclosure securely together.

But the gyroscope stabilizer
isn't done yet.

It still needs to be mounted

To a specialized
foundation assembly.

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Narrator:
early attempts to use gyroscopes

For stabilizing boats

Weren't successful
because the gyroscopes

Were too big and heavy.

But thanks to some state of
the art technical innovations,

A new breed of lighter,
smaller gyroscopes

Can easily keep
a boat deck steady,

Even in rough weather.

A technician uses
a specialized device

To measure three
important factors

Of the flywheel's performance.

Concentricity,
eccentricity, and clearance.

This means
he's checking to see

If the component is
spinning smoothly

And consistently
without any wobbling.

He spins the flywheel
slowly on its axis,

Evaluating the meter
accordingly.

The gimbal shaft
will allow the sphere

To tilt back and forth,
stabilizing the boat.

A technician installs
a set of steel dowel pins

That will hold the brake
cylinders in place.

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He uses a press to install
the spherical bearing

And urethane that will permit

The sphere to shift its axial
rotation and absorb vibration.

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With the bearing
and protector in place,

He mounts the gimbal shaft

Securely to
the gyroscope enclosure.

A total of 10 heavy duty bolts

Are tightened to
the specified torque value.

Next, the technician
installs the cover

And bolts it in place,
sealing the enclosure

And fully rounding
out its exterior.

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Once the valve is installed,
he checks for leaks

By spraying helium
outside of the enclosure.

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This meter will register
the presence of helium

If the lightweight gas
sneaks in through any cracks.

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This magnetically mounted sensor

Will allow
the technician to conduct

Final trim balance, ensuring
a vibration-free operation.

It's vital to keep
vibration to a minimum

To make sure
that the gyroscope provides

A smooth, stable boat ride.

Now it's time to attach
the cooling components.

When the flywheel
spins at 9,000 rpms,

It generates heat.

Sea water mixed with glycol
is used to keep it cool.

The enclosure will
sit in a framework

Known as the foundation,

Which is made of cast aluminum.

Once the gimbal shafts

Are set within
their lower housings,

Which are situated

On either side of
the foundation,

A technician installs
the upper housings

And bolts them
securely in place.

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This aluminum section
of the foundation

Will support
the hydraulic brake arm,

A key component of
the gyroscope's function.

The brake support piece
also doubles

As a support structure
for the heat exchanger,

Which is an important
element of the gyroscope's

Cooling system.

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The technician installs
the brake arm cylinder.

This helps the gyro
perform in all weather

And at all speeds.

He installs the hydraulic
lines for the brake system.

They manage the flow
of hydraulic fluid

To and from the cylinders.

The solenoids that make
up the major elements

Of this assembly dictate
braking pressure

To the hydraulic cylinder.

The drive box
controls the brake,

The start up,
and speed of the flywheel

And the angle sensors,
which detect the roll rate

And angle of the boat.

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The drive box receives data

From the rest of the gyroscope.

This wiring harness
serves as the conduit

Of information to and from
the components of the unit.

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Once assembled, the technician
installs the remaining

Support arm on the other
side of the gyroscope.

Before the assembled gyroscope

Gets its aluminum cover piece,

It must undergo a thorough
factory assessment test.

The test ensures that it's
fully functioning

And meets all design parameters.

There is no question that
gyroscopic stabilizers

Help maintain level heads
on deck.