How It's Made (2001–…): Season 15, Episode 7 - Replica Foods/Traffic Cone Dispensers/Rocking Horses/London Taxis - full transcript
See how Replica foods; traffic cone dispensers; rocking horses and London taxis are made.
Narrator:
This meal may look delicious,
But it actually tastes
like plastic.
This is fake food.
It's not for tasting --
it's for tempting.
Restaurants and food stores
Use these imitations
to entice customers.
Fake food is also used
as props in movies and tv
Because the camera loves it.
This fake food will keep
that fresh-cooked look forever.
That means
there will be no waste
From the restaurant
display case.
These authentic-looking fakes
start out with the real thing.
In this case, it's a sea bass.
The worker blots up excess oil
from the skin.
He then uses an adhesive
to glue the fish
To the base of a wooden box.
Next, he immerses the fish
in liquid silicone.
24 hours later,
after the silicone is set,
He breaks open the box
and removes the fish.
This detailed silicone negative
Can now be used to mold exact
replicas of the original fish.
They preheat the mold
until it's warm to the touch.
This kick-starts the curing
of this liquid plastic,
Which they pour into the mold.
Once the mold is filled,
They zap it in a microwave oven
for 45 seconds.
It solidifies the plastic
significantly,
But it still needs
a bit more curing,
So the worker transfers it
to a conveyor.
It carries the mold
under a lamp,
Whose intense energy completes
the curing of the plastic.
The worker now extracts
the mold and plastic replica.
Spillover from the molding
has created a few ragged edges,
So he trims them
with a pair of scissors...
...Then grinds the edges
to smooth away the rest.
He also uses the grinder
to do some contouring.
Now for the real artistry.
The worker sprays silvery paint
onto the plastic bass.
It gives the fish scales
a lifelike, luminous texture.
A bit of dark-gray paint
Brings out
the silvery undercoat.
Brown paint on the tail and fins
make them look more realistic.
Using an artist's brush,
he paints the eyes.
He brushes on fine lines
that look like natural creases
And adds some other typical
sea-bass markings.
A coat of lacquer keeps
the paint from chipping
And makes the sea bass
look moist.
Now the sea bass
Will always look like
the catch of the day.
And unlike a real fish,
it won't start to decompose.
At this faux-food factory,
there are 3,500 molds.
Each one can be used
hundreds of times
And will produce an exact copy
of the original every time.
For things
like meat and potatoes,
They add color
to the liquid plastic
Before they do the molding.
This reduces the amount
of painting
They'll need to do later.
It takes some trial and error to
get the pigments just right,
But when they do, this fake meal
looks good enough to eat.
They drizzle the beef and side
dishes with gravy-colored glue
That makes the fake food
adhere to the plate.
Now that they've pulled
this meal together,
It should never come apart.
It takes a couple of days
to produce all these dishes,
But it should be worth it
because, compared to real food,
It will last forever.
Narrator: Traffic cones
create a necessary diversion.
They keep drivers away
from dangerous situations.
But sending workers
out onto the highway
To set up those cones
can be a perilous job.
Now there's an automated machine
That both dispenses
and collects cones
To keep everyone
out of harm's way.
The automated
traffic cone dispenser
Goes where some might fear
to tread --
The middle of the highway.
Its robotic arm
swings back and forth
For a speedy deployment
of traffic cones.
To make one, workers slide
three big metal disks
Onto a shaft
and space them evenly apart.
They pull a string
from disk to disk
To confirm
all three are aligned.
Once they're in place,
A worker welds the disks
to the shaft.
They reinforce this installation
job with several braces,
Welding five to each disk at the
point where it meets the shaft.
They spin the shaft
and inspect the work.
Next, they install the tracks
That will shuttle the traffic
cones to the robotic arm.
They weld 13 of them
to the disks.
The framework for the automatic
traffic cone dispenser
Is now complete,
so it's over to the paint booth.
They prime and paint it
bright yellow,
So it will be clearly visible
on the highway.
Here, a technician
Then assembles
the main control panel.
It's the brains behind
the cone-dispensing robot.
The technician connects cables
That deliver power
to the motors.
He installs a series
of switches and relays
That will activate the motors
that rotate the drum,
Swing the robotic arm,
and deliver the traffic cones.
Finally, he tests
the circuit breakers
To confirm
that all systems are go.
Down the production line,
This worker attaches the gripper
to the arm.
A pivot bolt allows the gripper
to open and close,
And this chain will keep it
pointed downward,
So it's always in position
to deploy a traffic cone.
He tightens the turnbuckles and
then checks the chain's tension.
He swings the arm to confirm
That it and the gripper
move freely.
Now he installs the transmission
For the motor
that will move this robotic arm.
Finally, he snaps
a retainer ring
Onto the transmission shaft.
Two workers then carry
a heavy extender mechanism
Over to the gripper arm
and bolt the mechanism to it.
This extender
will both support the arm
And allow it to move easily
From one side of the dispenser
to the other.
A sensor device,
called an encoder,
Will keep track of the gripper
arm's position when it's moving.
The technician
then installs the motor
That will power the gripper arm
To oscillate and deploy
the traffic cones.
Once the gripper arm has been
attached to the cone dispenser,
They mount the whole unit
on a trailer,
With the main control box
on the front.
They adjust the settings
for traffic-cone deployment
And put the machine
through all its paces.
This test run
ensures that all the parts
Are functioning properly.
A technician tweaks
the machine's computer program
To fine-tune
the drop-off coordinates.
After all, releasing the cones
too soon
Could cause them to topple.
Every automatic cone dispenser
Undergoes a road test
on the open highway
To confirm that it will perform
in real conditions.
The driver activates it from
the safety of the truck cab,
While the robotic system
is at center line,
Doing all the lifting
and taking all the risks.
If they find a problem now,
They'll send it back to
the factory for modifications,
But this machine handles
the drop-offs and pickups
With precision,
And that means
it's ready for traffic duty.
Narrator: The ancestors
of toy rocking horses
May be the wooden horses
on wheels of the middle ages,
On which knights would practice
their jousting skills.
Child-sized wooden horses
on bow-shaped rockers
Emerged in England and germany
in the 1700s,
When queen victoria famously had
dapple-gray rocking horses
Made for her children.
This rocking-horse company
in the u.K.
Handcrafts antique reproductions
and originals.
Some have
traditional bow rockers,
But most glide back and forth
on a safety stand.
The horses are made
of durable hardwoods,
Such as oak, maple,
and tulipwood.
After cutting off knots
and other defects,
Workers run each piece
through a ripsaw,
Slicing off the rough
and discolored wood
Directly under the bar.
Then they cut the pieces
into 12-inch-wide blocks,
And with a planer, slice off
a thin layer of wood.
This makes the surfaces
nice and smooth.
These are the blocks
With which they'll construct
the horse's main body.
To make the legs, an artisan
Lays a template on an
as-yet-unplaned piece of wood
And traces it.
Then he cuts along
the trace line with a band saw
And runs the leg
through the planer.
Each leg has a protruding piece
on top called a tenon
That fits into a slot called
a mortise beneath the main body.
To build the body, they roll
glue onto the body blocks
And assemble one to the other,
Building a large rectangular box
with a hole at the center.
This hole reduces
the horse's weight
And relieves structural stress.
In some models, the hole
Also serves
as a secret locking compartment.
After clamping the assembly
and letting it set for 24 hours,
They coat each leg tenon
with glue
And insert it into a mortise.
After rough-carving the body,
A highly skilled craftsman
Outlines the head features
in pencil --
Cheekbones, nostrils,
eyes, teeth.
Then he begins
the meticulous task
Of carving the horse
to completion,
Hitting a mallet
against a u-shaped gouge.
This painstaking carving process
takes 2 to 3 days.
Now, after inserting
a glass eye,
He rough-files the whole horse
Using a rasp to remove
all the gouge marks.
This takes another few hours.
Then he smoothes
the entire surface
With an electric sander
four times over,
Using progressively finer
sandpapers.
He does the final
sanding touch-ups by hand.
The wood is now ready to be
either stained
Or painted to
the customer's specifications.
If it's the latter,
The artist first applies a coat
of water-based primer,
Then, for this client's
custom order,
A coat of light-blue paint
that turns gray when varnished.
Once the background color dries,
he hand-stipples a pattern.
After the surface
is varnished and waxed,
He dresses the horse
in a suede saddle blanket.
He uses brass tacks to affix it
along the leather trim.
Next, he nails
the leather saddle in place.
He squeezes globs of glue
Into a slot
running down the horse's neck
And inserts the mane,
a weft of genuine horsehair.
Then he nails it in place.
Now he applies glue to
the tail hole and fits a tail,
Also made of real horsehair.
Now they begin constructing
the safety stand,
On which the rocking horse
will glide.
To make the posts,
They turn cylindrical blocks
of wood on a lathe.
Then they assemble the posts
to the other parts of the stand
And stain the wood.
They apply two coats of varnish
And let the stand dry overnight.
They install the stand's
stained and varnished gliders
And mount the horse.
They drill a hole
through each hoof and glider,
Then join them
with a nut and bolt.
The gliders connect to
the front and back of the frame
With plated steel swing irons.
The angle
at which the irons are set
Ensures
a continuous smooth glide.
So even though
these rocking horses
Are built to withstand
the weight of two adults,
Riding them is child's play.
Narrator: With curved lines
and classic styling,
The black cabs of london
Are internationally recognized
as british icons.
Many say the london taxi system
is the best in the world,
And for many london visitors,
A taxi ride is more than
just transportation --
It's a tourist attraction
unto itself.
The modern black cab
was born in 1948.
Today, there are
about 20,000 black cabs
On the streets of london.
Because the taxi can easily be
driven 30,000 miles each year,
The cars need to be robust.
To start, operators position
steel panels into a press
That uses hydraulics
and air pressure to fold them.
The press can apply
up to 800 tons of force
To fold and form
each chassis component.
Once they get
their 3-dimensional shape,
The supple panels
become stiff side rails.
Welders then assemble
two side rail with a cruciform
To create the chassis assembly.
They clamp the side rails firmly
in place before welding them.
The taxi uses
a 4-cylinder, direct-injection,
Turbodiesel engine that
is hoisted in with the gearbox.
Then they connect the radiator
hoses and pipes to the engine.
The axles, wheels, suspension,
and exhaust system
Are now in place.
To build the components
of the taxi's body,
Welders assemble sheet metal
using a spot welder.
The device
has two copper electrodes
That clamp the sheets together
And concentrate electric current
into a small spot.
Forcing a large current
through the spot
Melts the metal
and forms the weld.
Now it's time to assemble
the taxi's sides and floor.
Since the floor is completely
flat and the roof is high,
Passengers with reduced mobility
Can easily enter and exit
the taxi.
The body has been covered
With an anticorrosion coat
and a gray primer.
Before the car
gets its final color,
A worker inspects it
for any surface damage.
Infrared lamps warm the body
shell to 122 degrees fahrenheit
To make paint application
easier.
Not all london taxis are black.
They spray this one
with yellow paint.
Later, they apply
a shiny clear coat.
Each painted car
moves to the polishing room.
The bright lights
allow the technicians
To check for any dirt, runs, dry
spray, or other paint defects
As they carefully polish
the car.
A worker bolts the hire sign
to the roof.
A rubber seal
prevents water leaks.
They carry the front windshield
with rubber suction pads
And carefully put it in place.
They seal the rubber sides
to ensure they are watertight.
The body is covered with plastic
casing to protect it from damage
As it's hoisted
down onto the chassis.
Although these taxis
are large and roomy,
Their mandatory 28-foot
curb-to-curb turning circle
Allows them to easily
perform u-turns.
A driver tests the car
at different speeds,
Changing gears,
and testing the a.B.S. Brakes.
Each taxi also undergoes
a water test.
They check for leaks through
the glass and around the doors.
With an access ramp
and fold-down seats,
It's easy for wheelchairs
to board the taxi.
The taxi offers enough space
for five seated passengers.
It takes about two weeks
to build a taxi.
Then it's off to navigate
the streets of london.
-- Captions by vita -&www.M
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
If you have any comments
about the show,
Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,
Drop us a line at...
This meal may look delicious,
But it actually tastes
like plastic.
This is fake food.
It's not for tasting --
it's for tempting.
Restaurants and food stores
Use these imitations
to entice customers.
Fake food is also used
as props in movies and tv
Because the camera loves it.
This fake food will keep
that fresh-cooked look forever.
That means
there will be no waste
From the restaurant
display case.
These authentic-looking fakes
start out with the real thing.
In this case, it's a sea bass.
The worker blots up excess oil
from the skin.
He then uses an adhesive
to glue the fish
To the base of a wooden box.
Next, he immerses the fish
in liquid silicone.
24 hours later,
after the silicone is set,
He breaks open the box
and removes the fish.
This detailed silicone negative
Can now be used to mold exact
replicas of the original fish.
They preheat the mold
until it's warm to the touch.
This kick-starts the curing
of this liquid plastic,
Which they pour into the mold.
Once the mold is filled,
They zap it in a microwave oven
for 45 seconds.
It solidifies the plastic
significantly,
But it still needs
a bit more curing,
So the worker transfers it
to a conveyor.
It carries the mold
under a lamp,
Whose intense energy completes
the curing of the plastic.
The worker now extracts
the mold and plastic replica.
Spillover from the molding
has created a few ragged edges,
So he trims them
with a pair of scissors...
...Then grinds the edges
to smooth away the rest.
He also uses the grinder
to do some contouring.
Now for the real artistry.
The worker sprays silvery paint
onto the plastic bass.
It gives the fish scales
a lifelike, luminous texture.
A bit of dark-gray paint
Brings out
the silvery undercoat.
Brown paint on the tail and fins
make them look more realistic.
Using an artist's brush,
he paints the eyes.
He brushes on fine lines
that look like natural creases
And adds some other typical
sea-bass markings.
A coat of lacquer keeps
the paint from chipping
And makes the sea bass
look moist.
Now the sea bass
Will always look like
the catch of the day.
And unlike a real fish,
it won't start to decompose.
At this faux-food factory,
there are 3,500 molds.
Each one can be used
hundreds of times
And will produce an exact copy
of the original every time.
For things
like meat and potatoes,
They add color
to the liquid plastic
Before they do the molding.
This reduces the amount
of painting
They'll need to do later.
It takes some trial and error to
get the pigments just right,
But when they do, this fake meal
looks good enough to eat.
They drizzle the beef and side
dishes with gravy-colored glue
That makes the fake food
adhere to the plate.
Now that they've pulled
this meal together,
It should never come apart.
It takes a couple of days
to produce all these dishes,
But it should be worth it
because, compared to real food,
It will last forever.
Narrator: Traffic cones
create a necessary diversion.
They keep drivers away
from dangerous situations.
But sending workers
out onto the highway
To set up those cones
can be a perilous job.
Now there's an automated machine
That both dispenses
and collects cones
To keep everyone
out of harm's way.
The automated
traffic cone dispenser
Goes where some might fear
to tread --
The middle of the highway.
Its robotic arm
swings back and forth
For a speedy deployment
of traffic cones.
To make one, workers slide
three big metal disks
Onto a shaft
and space them evenly apart.
They pull a string
from disk to disk
To confirm
all three are aligned.
Once they're in place,
A worker welds the disks
to the shaft.
They reinforce this installation
job with several braces,
Welding five to each disk at the
point where it meets the shaft.
They spin the shaft
and inspect the work.
Next, they install the tracks
That will shuttle the traffic
cones to the robotic arm.
They weld 13 of them
to the disks.
The framework for the automatic
traffic cone dispenser
Is now complete,
so it's over to the paint booth.
They prime and paint it
bright yellow,
So it will be clearly visible
on the highway.
Here, a technician
Then assembles
the main control panel.
It's the brains behind
the cone-dispensing robot.
The technician connects cables
That deliver power
to the motors.
He installs a series
of switches and relays
That will activate the motors
that rotate the drum,
Swing the robotic arm,
and deliver the traffic cones.
Finally, he tests
the circuit breakers
To confirm
that all systems are go.
Down the production line,
This worker attaches the gripper
to the arm.
A pivot bolt allows the gripper
to open and close,
And this chain will keep it
pointed downward,
So it's always in position
to deploy a traffic cone.
He tightens the turnbuckles and
then checks the chain's tension.
He swings the arm to confirm
That it and the gripper
move freely.
Now he installs the transmission
For the motor
that will move this robotic arm.
Finally, he snaps
a retainer ring
Onto the transmission shaft.
Two workers then carry
a heavy extender mechanism
Over to the gripper arm
and bolt the mechanism to it.
This extender
will both support the arm
And allow it to move easily
From one side of the dispenser
to the other.
A sensor device,
called an encoder,
Will keep track of the gripper
arm's position when it's moving.
The technician
then installs the motor
That will power the gripper arm
To oscillate and deploy
the traffic cones.
Once the gripper arm has been
attached to the cone dispenser,
They mount the whole unit
on a trailer,
With the main control box
on the front.
They adjust the settings
for traffic-cone deployment
And put the machine
through all its paces.
This test run
ensures that all the parts
Are functioning properly.
A technician tweaks
the machine's computer program
To fine-tune
the drop-off coordinates.
After all, releasing the cones
too soon
Could cause them to topple.
Every automatic cone dispenser
Undergoes a road test
on the open highway
To confirm that it will perform
in real conditions.
The driver activates it from
the safety of the truck cab,
While the robotic system
is at center line,
Doing all the lifting
and taking all the risks.
If they find a problem now,
They'll send it back to
the factory for modifications,
But this machine handles
the drop-offs and pickups
With precision,
And that means
it's ready for traffic duty.
Narrator: The ancestors
of toy rocking horses
May be the wooden horses
on wheels of the middle ages,
On which knights would practice
their jousting skills.
Child-sized wooden horses
on bow-shaped rockers
Emerged in England and germany
in the 1700s,
When queen victoria famously had
dapple-gray rocking horses
Made for her children.
This rocking-horse company
in the u.K.
Handcrafts antique reproductions
and originals.
Some have
traditional bow rockers,
But most glide back and forth
on a safety stand.
The horses are made
of durable hardwoods,
Such as oak, maple,
and tulipwood.
After cutting off knots
and other defects,
Workers run each piece
through a ripsaw,
Slicing off the rough
and discolored wood
Directly under the bar.
Then they cut the pieces
into 12-inch-wide blocks,
And with a planer, slice off
a thin layer of wood.
This makes the surfaces
nice and smooth.
These are the blocks
With which they'll construct
the horse's main body.
To make the legs, an artisan
Lays a template on an
as-yet-unplaned piece of wood
And traces it.
Then he cuts along
the trace line with a band saw
And runs the leg
through the planer.
Each leg has a protruding piece
on top called a tenon
That fits into a slot called
a mortise beneath the main body.
To build the body, they roll
glue onto the body blocks
And assemble one to the other,
Building a large rectangular box
with a hole at the center.
This hole reduces
the horse's weight
And relieves structural stress.
In some models, the hole
Also serves
as a secret locking compartment.
After clamping the assembly
and letting it set for 24 hours,
They coat each leg tenon
with glue
And insert it into a mortise.
After rough-carving the body,
A highly skilled craftsman
Outlines the head features
in pencil --
Cheekbones, nostrils,
eyes, teeth.
Then he begins
the meticulous task
Of carving the horse
to completion,
Hitting a mallet
against a u-shaped gouge.
This painstaking carving process
takes 2 to 3 days.
Now, after inserting
a glass eye,
He rough-files the whole horse
Using a rasp to remove
all the gouge marks.
This takes another few hours.
Then he smoothes
the entire surface
With an electric sander
four times over,
Using progressively finer
sandpapers.
He does the final
sanding touch-ups by hand.
The wood is now ready to be
either stained
Or painted to
the customer's specifications.
If it's the latter,
The artist first applies a coat
of water-based primer,
Then, for this client's
custom order,
A coat of light-blue paint
that turns gray when varnished.
Once the background color dries,
he hand-stipples a pattern.
After the surface
is varnished and waxed,
He dresses the horse
in a suede saddle blanket.
He uses brass tacks to affix it
along the leather trim.
Next, he nails
the leather saddle in place.
He squeezes globs of glue
Into a slot
running down the horse's neck
And inserts the mane,
a weft of genuine horsehair.
Then he nails it in place.
Now he applies glue to
the tail hole and fits a tail,
Also made of real horsehair.
Now they begin constructing
the safety stand,
On which the rocking horse
will glide.
To make the posts,
They turn cylindrical blocks
of wood on a lathe.
Then they assemble the posts
to the other parts of the stand
And stain the wood.
They apply two coats of varnish
And let the stand dry overnight.
They install the stand's
stained and varnished gliders
And mount the horse.
They drill a hole
through each hoof and glider,
Then join them
with a nut and bolt.
The gliders connect to
the front and back of the frame
With plated steel swing irons.
The angle
at which the irons are set
Ensures
a continuous smooth glide.
So even though
these rocking horses
Are built to withstand
the weight of two adults,
Riding them is child's play.
Narrator: With curved lines
and classic styling,
The black cabs of london
Are internationally recognized
as british icons.
Many say the london taxi system
is the best in the world,
And for many london visitors,
A taxi ride is more than
just transportation --
It's a tourist attraction
unto itself.
The modern black cab
was born in 1948.
Today, there are
about 20,000 black cabs
On the streets of london.
Because the taxi can easily be
driven 30,000 miles each year,
The cars need to be robust.
To start, operators position
steel panels into a press
That uses hydraulics
and air pressure to fold them.
The press can apply
up to 800 tons of force
To fold and form
each chassis component.
Once they get
their 3-dimensional shape,
The supple panels
become stiff side rails.
Welders then assemble
two side rail with a cruciform
To create the chassis assembly.
They clamp the side rails firmly
in place before welding them.
The taxi uses
a 4-cylinder, direct-injection,
Turbodiesel engine that
is hoisted in with the gearbox.
Then they connect the radiator
hoses and pipes to the engine.
The axles, wheels, suspension,
and exhaust system
Are now in place.
To build the components
of the taxi's body,
Welders assemble sheet metal
using a spot welder.
The device
has two copper electrodes
That clamp the sheets together
And concentrate electric current
into a small spot.
Forcing a large current
through the spot
Melts the metal
and forms the weld.
Now it's time to assemble
the taxi's sides and floor.
Since the floor is completely
flat and the roof is high,
Passengers with reduced mobility
Can easily enter and exit
the taxi.
The body has been covered
With an anticorrosion coat
and a gray primer.
Before the car
gets its final color,
A worker inspects it
for any surface damage.
Infrared lamps warm the body
shell to 122 degrees fahrenheit
To make paint application
easier.
Not all london taxis are black.
They spray this one
with yellow paint.
Later, they apply
a shiny clear coat.
Each painted car
moves to the polishing room.
The bright lights
allow the technicians
To check for any dirt, runs, dry
spray, or other paint defects
As they carefully polish
the car.
A worker bolts the hire sign
to the roof.
A rubber seal
prevents water leaks.
They carry the front windshield
with rubber suction pads
And carefully put it in place.
They seal the rubber sides
to ensure they are watertight.
The body is covered with plastic
casing to protect it from damage
As it's hoisted
down onto the chassis.
Although these taxis
are large and roomy,
Their mandatory 28-foot
curb-to-curb turning circle
Allows them to easily
perform u-turns.
A driver tests the car
at different speeds,
Changing gears,
and testing the a.B.S. Brakes.
Each taxi also undergoes
a water test.
They check for leaks through
the glass and around the doors.
With an access ramp
and fold-down seats,
It's easy for wheelchairs
to board the taxi.
The taxi offers enough space
for five seated passengers.
It takes about two weeks
to build a taxi.
Then it's off to navigate
the streets of london.
-- Captions by vita -&www.M
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
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