How It's Made (2001–…): Season 15, Episode 12 - Retractile Cords/Wood Frame Sports Cars/Sushi - full transcript

-- Captions by vita -&www.M

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Narrator:
Retractile cords

Were invented for telephone
handsets in the late 1930s,

And ever since,
these coiled cords

Have been making
a lot of great connections,

From medical equipment
to construction tools

To industrial machinery.

They keep in a lot of things
plugged in, in a very neat way.

Retractile cords stretch
when needed

And spring back
into a tight coil afterwards,



And that means no tangled knots
and wiring snarl-ups,

Which saves time

That would otherwise be spent
straightening things out.

Production begins
with thermoplastic coloring.

The color selected indicates
the electrical function

Of each wire in the cord.

It takes just a small amount

To tint a batch of white plastic
pellets a vivid hue

As they melt in an extruder.

Tin-plated copper wire
feeds into that extruder,

And the colored molten plastic
coats the wire

To provide an insulating wrap.

As it exits the extruder,

The plastic casing
is still warm and soft,



But cool water solidifies it.

A spool then takes up
the insulated wiring.

Next, several wires
unwind simultaneously

Over guide rollers
and into a spreader plate.

The plate precisely aligns the
wires as they feed into a die.

This die draws them down
to the correct diameter,

While a mechanism
further down the production line

Twists the wires into one cord.

The cord continues to twist

As rollers wrap polyester-backed
foil around it.

This foil is a shield

To protect the wires
from electrical interference

And is an optional feature.

The cord then passes
through the twisting mechanism

And onto a take-up reel.

Next, standard unshielded cord

Travels through
beads of electrodes

As thousands of volts of
electricity are applied to them.

The energized electrodes detect
any faults in the wires.

If they find none,
the cord moves forward.

The next machine gives the cord
a paper wrap.

That's followed by the final
layer, a thermoplastic jacket.

It also takes a trip through
a cooling station to solidify.

An ink-jet printer applies
technical and other information.

The plastic casings
of some cords

Have been treated
with fire-retardant chemicals.

Now they put that treatment
to the test.

The cord doesn't catch fire,

Confirming
that it's flame-resistant.

So it's now ready to be coiled.

This worker
gets the process started

By manually winding it
around a rod.

Then he presses a button,

And the automated winder
does the rest.

This establishes the spiraling
profile of the retractile cord.

But at this point,
the coil won't hold.

Simply pulling out the rod
would cause it to unravel.

The plastic sheathing
around the wires has no memory,

So it won't retain the shape.

They wheel the cords,
still on rods,

Into an industrial oven and bake
them at 200 degrees fahrenheit.

This gives the cord's plastic
casing the necessary memory

So that when the operator pulls
out the rod, the coil is intact.

But it still doesn't have
the necessary snap.

That is now achieved

By reversing the direction
of the coil.

The equipment used for that
is proprietary,

So this worker demonstrates
the basic concept with a drill.

The drill turns the cord
counterclockwise

For an impressive rewind.

The effect ripples
all the way down to the end.

Reversing the direction
of the coil transforms it.

The process tightens the spiral

So that after the cord
is stretched,

It retracts
to its original shape.

The difference is very apparent.

The top coil in this shot
hasn't been reversed,

While the bottom one has,
and it's clearly much tighter.

So these retractile cords

Are now ready to be stretched
to the max

And snap right back again.

Narrator:
Being behind the wheel

Of a traditional-style
british sports car

Will surely get you noticed.

These vehicles combine modern
performance with classic styling

That dates back
to the turn of the last century.

Even the inner construction
is traditional,

With the car's body frame
handcrafted out of wood.

The first models,
in the early 1900s,

Were three-wheelers
with motorcycle engines.

It wasn't until the mid-1930s

That these hip sports cars
acquired a fourth wheel

And a four-cylinder
automotive engine.

But one thing hasn't changed
in more than a century --

The wood-frame construction.

In the factory's woodshop,

Workers glue together
2/10"-thick ash panels

To produce a 3-ply lamination

With which to make
the frame's curved components.

To make each wheel arch,

They clamp a lamination
into a rounded jig

For a couple of hours.

The glue dries,
locking the curve in the wood.

They make the frame's
front section

Out of three solid pieces
of ash.

Triangular wood jigs
align the frame,

While workers screw in
a solid ash rail on each side.

These rails connect
to back framing

And form the bottom
of the car's door openings.

Two vertical rails
form the side of the openings

On which the door will hinge.

Using a spoke shave,

Workers fine-tune each doorframe
so that it fits perfectly

Into the openings
they have just constructed.

Then they mount the doorframe
with strong steel hinges.

They submerge the finished frame
in wood preservative,

Giving the chemical
plenty of time

To thoroughly penetrate
the pores of the wood.

This will prevent the frame
from rotting.

In another part of the factory,

Workers assemble the engine,
transmission, and drive shaft

To the car's
galvanized-steel chassis,

Then mount the front and rear
axles and wheels.

They'll switch
the brass wheel nuts

For fancy chrome ones later on.

Back to the bodywork now.

They cut an aluminum panel
to the shape of the doorframe,

Only wider all around,
clamp it on to the doorframe,

Hammer down this door skin,
as it's called,

Over the frame edge all around.

They remove the clamps,

Then peel off
the panel's protective covering.

After paneling the rest
of the wood frame in aluminum,

They re-install the door, gently
tapping the hinge pin in place.

Now they lower the paneled body
onto the chassis.

The only wooden parts
not covered with metal

Are the rear wheel wells.

Unlike the rest
of the body frame,

These are made
of water-resistant plywood.

Two bonnets form the car's hood.

To make each one,

A craftsman feeds aluminum
through rollers to curve it.

Then he massages it
over an old log

That this factory's been using
for this purpose

Since the 1930s.

They put each panel through
a press that cuts louver holes.

In the old days,

The purpose of louvers
was to ventilate the engine,

But now they're mostly
for style.

The two finished bonnet panels

Go on either side
of a central hinge,

Forming a car hood
that opens like butterfly wings.

The body gets a paint job.

Then they trim the car's
interior with genuine leather,

Cutting and stitching
every piece by hand

And affixing it
to the wood frame.

They make door seals by wrapping
leather around rubber tubing.

And finally
they re-fit the wings,

Now painted,
over the front and back wheels.

The front wings have shells

Which house
the car's headlights.

Workers install the radiator
at the front

And top it with a cover
called a cowl.

Then the electronic-dashboard
instruments, gearshift,

Windshield, mirrors, and,
of course, the steering wheel.

They also attach the hood --

Handcrafted from either vinyl
or mohair -- to a tubular frame.

After installing
the leather-trimmed seats,

They take the vehicle out
for a test drive,

Then, upon return,

Put it through a meticulous
inspection, inside and out.

After a wax polishing,

This fancy fusion
of technology and tradition

Finally gets the green light.

Narrator:
Sushi is a meal that appeals

To the discriminating palate.

But it had
very rudimentary beginnings.

The first sushi was actually
a form of food preservation.

Salted fish
was covered in cooked rice

And left to ferment for months
and even years.

The rice was then thrown away
and the fish consumed.

A fresh approach came
about a century ago,

When the japanese
began combining raw fish

With pressed mounds
of cooked rice.

It was a mouth-watering
combination

And brought something
entirely new to the table.

Rice is now
an essential part of sushi.

Sushi chefs
use short or medium grain

Because it sticks together
better than longer grain.

The rice undergoes
a thorough washing.

First the chef
swishes it around in water

To rinse off impurities.

This also begins to remove
the rice bran,

Which has an undesirable flavor
and aroma.

He drains the rice
and adds clean water.

Next, he scrubs it with his palm
fairly vigorously

To remove
more of the rice bran.

When the water becomes cloudy
from the bran,

He changes it again.

By now, the water
has softened the rice,

Which makes the grains
prone to breakage.

So he scrubs them more gently
this time

To keep the rice grains whole.

Finally, he rinses the rice
under a running faucet

Until the water drains clear.

This rice is now thoroughly
washed and ready to cook,

So he adds an equal amount
of water and a splash of sake

And plugs in the rice cooker.

The previous day,

He seasoned rice vinegar with
a strip of dried kombu seaweed

And left it
to soak up the flavors.

The flavored vinegar is key
to making good sushi rice.

It's what makes the rice sticky.

He pours the sushi vinegar
into the cooked rice

And evenly distributes it
with a gentle folding motion

To keep each grain intact.

He fans the rice and grains dry,
to a nice sheen.

With the rice prepared, it's
time for all the raw details.

Each fish must be assessed
for spoilage or damage.

The chef lifts the gills

To confirm
that the flesh underneath

Is red and translucent --
essentially fresh-looking.

He also examines
the eyes of the fish.

They should be bright and clear.

He then prods the skin
of this sea bream fish

To establish it's firm.

Once he's satisfied,
he prepares the fish,

First scraping away
the unpalatable and messy scale

With a rasp.

Next, he uses the thin edge
of a one-sided blade

To fillet the fish.

Razor-sharp,

This knife cuts cleanly
through the fragile flesh.

He slices off
and discards the head.

He then carves the flesh
from the backbone.

Now, firmly grasping
the tail of the fillet,

He cuts the skin from the flesh,

Using a zigzag motion
to pull it away.

This technique leaves no flesh
on the skin at all

So that not a morsel
goes to waste.

Using fish-bone tweezers, he
extracts all the little bones.

He now slices the fish
on an angle across the grain,

Using one long stroke

That doesn't tear the fibers
the way a sawing motion would.

The result is a shiny,
smooth piece of sea bream.

Next he peels away

The transparent outer skin
of a marinated mackerel

To expose the silvery subskin.

The gorgeous subskin

Is a feature that adds
presentation value to the sushi,

And it's also tasty.

Next, he carves tuna

That's been frozen
within hours of being caught.

This locks in freshness

So that, when thawed,
it's suitable for sushi.

And the freezing also kills
any parasites in the fish.

He chops spring onions
into thin rings.

They'll be used to offset the
strong taste of mackerel sushi.

He then mixes water and wasabi
powder to create wasabi paste --

The pungent condiment
that adds kick to sushi.

And with
all the ingredients prepared,

It's time to start rolling,
so stay tuned.

Narrator: Once a simple food
sold by japanese street vendors,

Sushi has gone uptown.

Today, skilled chefs produce
bite-sized morsels

With gastronomic artistry.

A blend of color,
texture, and taste,

Sushi appeals to the eye
as well as the palate.

The chef moistens his hands

To keep the rice from adhering
to them as he works.

He dabs wasabi

And places a ball of rice
on one of the tuna slices.

He pokes a hole in the center
of the ball to introduce air.

This keeps the rice
from compacting

As he shapes the fish around it

To make a type of sushi
called nigiri sushi.

To form nigiri,
the chef works swiftly

To minimize the fish's exposure
to his touch.

Human body temperature is much
higher than room temperature,

And prolonged exposure to it

Would compromise the fresh taste
of the sushi.

A little pickled ginger
to cleanse the palate,

And this sushi
is ready to serve.

To make cucumber rolls --
or kappamaki --

He carves the outer part
of the cucumber

Into a long, wide ribbon,
stopping at the soft core.

He slices the ribbon in two
and layers the pieces.

He then chops the cucumber
into uniformly thin sticks.

This exposes
more of the vegetable's fiber,

To maximize the taste.

This is roasted seaweed,
called nori.

He places it, shiny side down,
on a bamboo rolling mat.

He lightly presses rice
into a ball

So the grains stick together
as he transfers it to the nori.

He spreads the rice evenly,

Leaving a margin of nori
at the top.

And now he's ready for those
expertly sliced cucumber sticks.

He groups several in the center
of the bed of rice.

Then, gripping the mat
on one side,

He folds the nori
around the fillings.

As he squeezes the pack,

Some rice spills into
the margin of nori at the top.

But there's still enough space
to create an overlap

And seal the ends of the nori
around the fillings.

Using a wet cloth, he tucks in
the overflow at both ends.

He slices the roll in half.

He aligns the halves

And slices three times
to create six pieces,

Each piece approximately
the same height,

For an attractive lineup.

Next, he makes uramaki,

A kind of sushi
with rice on the outside,

Which is why they're also called
inside-out rolls.

He spreads rice evenly
over the nori

And flips it around
to the shiny side.

He dips a finger in wasabi

And spreads it on the nori
at midpoint.

He arranges tuna on
the wasabi-coated section.

The raw red fish is then paired
with slices of avocado

For a tantalizing contrast.

He folds the rice-coated nori
over the fillings

And tucks it around them.

He continues rolling
until he reaches the edge.

He garnishes the rice
with toasted sesame seeds

For visual interest
and tasty crunch.

He covers the roll with plastic

To protect it from the grooves
of the sushi mat

As he shapes it
into a tighter pack.

He then removes the mat

And carves the inside-out roll
into bite-sized pieces.

Inside-out sushi was invented
in the 20th century

To appeal to westerners who
preferred not to see the nori.

The final thing on the menu
is the hand roll,

Also known as temaki sushi.

He presses soft rice
into the crispy nori

And layers the next ingredients
diagonally over the rice --

Wasabi, a japanese herb called
shiso, and two pieces of tuna.

He folds the nori
around the fillings

To contain them
in a seaweed cone.

Now all that's left
is the presentation,

And when it comes to sushi,
less is more.

Overgarnishing can detract
from the main event -- the fish.

A simple, artful arrangement

Puts the focus
on its raw appeal.

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