How It's Made (2001–…): Season 4, Episode 8 - Ceramic Tiles/Nuts/Steel Forgings/Skateboards - full transcript
Find out how ceramic tiles are made, nuts are cultivated, steel forgings are manufactured, and skateboards are crafted.
Narrator: TODAY ON
"HOW IT'S MADE"...
CERAMIC TILES...
NUTS...
STEEL FORGINGS...
AND SKATEBOARDS.
CERAMIC TILES ARE
A POPULAR CHOICE FOR FLOORING,
KITCHEN BACKSPLASHES,
AND BATHROOM WALLS.
THEY CAN WITHSTAND HUMIDITY AND
WON'T ABSORB LIQUIDS OR ODORS.
THEY'RE ALSO FIREPROOF,
FADE-RESISTANT,
AND STAIN-RESISTANT.
AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH
YOU WALK ON THEM,
CERAMIC TILES NEVER WEAR OUT.
THIS FACTORY SPECIALIZES
IN WALL TILES.
FLOOR TILES ARE MADE USING
THE SAME PROCESS
BUT WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS.
THE STARTING MATERIAL HERE IS
TALC -- A SOFT, POWDERY MINERAL.
THEY BLEND IT WITH FOUR
DIFFERENT POWDERED CHEMICALS,
THE NAMES OF WHICH
ARE A COMPANY SECRET.
THE INGREDIENTS GO INTO A MIXER,
WHERE THEY'RE HYDRATED UNTIL
THEY'RE 6% WATER TO 94% POWDER.
THE MIXER RUNS
FOR PRECISELY 12 MINUTES.
ANY LONGER WOULD HEAT
THE MIXTURE AND DRY IT OUT.
THE MIXTURE IS NOW SLIGHTLY DAMP
AND QUITE LUMPY.
A CONVEYOR BELT TRANSPORTS IT
TO A GRINDER
THAT MILLS IT TO A FINE TEXTURE.
THIS MIXTURE IS NOW READY
TO BE FORMED
INTO VARIOUS MODELS OF TILES.
THE FACTORY USES
FULLY AUTOMATED MACHINERY
TO PRODUCE
ITS 1.6-SQUARE-INCH TILES --
A STANDARD WALL TILE SIZE.
A MOVING TRAY FIRST DEPOSITS
A BATCH OF MIXTURE INTO A MOLD.
THE MOLD'S CAVITY IS IN THE
SHAPE OF SIX UPSIDE-DOWN TILES.
A PRESS DESCENDS,
APPLYING BOTH HEAT AND PRESSURE.
THIS COMPACTS THE MIXTURE
INTO THE CAVITY,
SOLIDIFYING THE SHAPE.
AS THE PRESS RISES,
THE MOLD AUTOMATICALLY POPS OUT
THE TILES.
THEY ROLL OFF THE MACHINE
ONTO A CONVEYOR BELT.
THE BELT NOW FLIPS THE TILES
RIGHT SIDE UP
WITHOUT BREAKING THEM --
WHICH IS QUITE A FEAT,
CONSIDERING THAT THESE
YET-TO-BE-BAKED TILES
AREN'T FULLY HARDENED.
THE EQUIPMENT IS
PRECISION-ADJUSTED
TO HANDLE THE TILES GENTLY
AT ALL PRODUCTION PHASES.
A REVOLVING BRUSH
NOW SWEEPS THE TILES CLEAN.
THEIR SURFACE MUST BE FREE
OF DUST AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS
FOR PAINT TO ADHERE PROPERLY.
THE FACTORY USES
A WATER-BASED PAINT
THAT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED
FOR CERAMICS.
IT CONTINUALLY CIRCULATES
IN A VAT,
KEEPING THE COLOR WELL-BLENDED.
THE PAINTING PROCESS RESEMBLES
AN AUTOMATIC CAR WASH.
THE TILES TRAVEL
THROUGH FOUR SPRAY ZONES,
EACH OF WHICH APPLIES
A THIN COAT OF PAINT.
THEN THEY PASS
UNDER POWERFUL HEATING ELEMENTS,
WHICH DRY THE PAINT
IN MERE SECONDS.
ALL THAT'S LEFT
IS TO BAKE THE TILES,
WHICH WE'LL SEE SHORTLY.
THE FACTORY USES
THE SAME CERAMIC MIXTURE
TO PRODUCE
THESE SQUARE BORDER TILES.
THEY LOOK JUST LIKE
THE OTHER WALL TILES,
EXCEPT THAT TWO OF THE SIDES
ARE ROUNDED.
WHEN YOU INSTALL A ROW
OF THESE BORDER TILES
ABOVE THE REGULAR TILES,
THE ROUNDED EDGES PRODUCE
A CLEAN, FINISHED LOOK.
WHILE THE FACTORY USES
THE SAME PAINTING PROCESS
FOR BORDER TILES,
THE MOLDING PROCESS,
AS YOU JUST SAW,
IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
RATHER THAN BEING
FULLY AUTOMATED,
IT REQUIRES SOME MANUAL LABOR
DUE TO THE TILES' COMPLEX SHAPE.
THAT'S WHY BORDER TILES
ARE OFTEN MORE EXPENSIVE
THAN REGULAR TILES.
WHEN THE TILES COME
OUT OF THE DRYER,
WORKERS STACK THEM
ON WOODEN RACKS.
THEY LOAD THE RACKS
ONTO MOBILE CARTS
AND THEN ROLL THE CARTS INTO A
GAS-POWERED OVEN CALLED A KILN.
THIS FACTORY'S KILN
IS 190 FEET LONG --
LONGER THAN
AN OLYMPIC-SIZE SWIMMING POOL
AND LARGE ENOUGH TO BAKE
50,000 WALL TILES AT ONCE.
THE FIRING, AS IT'S CALLED,
TAKES 14 HOURS.
ANY SUDDEN CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE
COULD PRODUCE THERMAL SHOCK
AND CRACK THE TILES,
SO THE KILN STARTS OUT
AT 390 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
CLIMBING GRADUALLY TO A PEAK
OF 1,970 DEGREES,
THEN DESCENDS SLOWLY BACK
TO THE STARTING TEMPERATURE.
AFTER A COOLING PERIOD
THAT LASTS ROUGHLY AN HOUR,
THE TILES COME OUT.
THEY'RE NOW FULLY HARDENED
AND READY TO HAVE THEIR BACK
TO THE WALL.
Narrator: SCAN THE SNACK-FOOD
AISLE OF YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET,
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT BARBECUE,
KETCHUP, AND SALT-AND-VINEGAR
ARE NO LONGER LIMITED
TO POTATO CHIPS.
NUTS COME IN
TANTALIZING TASTE CHOICES, TOO.
BUT IF YOU'RE A TRADITIONALIST,
YOU CAN STILL BUY THEM PLAIN,
SALTED, OR UNSALTED.
THE BOTANICAL DEFINITION
OF A NUT
IS A DRY, ONE-SEED FRUIT
IN A HARD SHELL
THAT DOESN'T OPEN ON ITS OWN.
MOST PEANUTS HAVE TWO SEEDS,
SO EVEN THOUGH
WE CALL THEM NUTS,
THEY'RE TECHNICALLY A LEGUME --
A TYPE OF PEA.
ONE WAY TO PREPARE PEANUTS FOR
SALE IS TO ROAST THEM WHOLE,
RIGHT IN THEIR SHELLS.
THIS IS KNOWN AS DRY-ROASTING
BECAUSE THEY COOK THE PEANUTS
WITHOUT USING ANY OIL
IN A LARGE CONVECTION OVEN.
THE OVEN TEMPERATURE
IS 300 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT.
THE ROASTING PROCESS
TAKES ABOUT A HALF-HOUR.
WHEN THE PEANUTS COME OUT,
THEY'RE FULLY COOKED
AND READY TO BE EATEN.
BEFORE THE PEANUTS
GO OFF TO BE PACKAGED,
A WORKER INSPECTS THEM,
REMOVING ANY SHELL FRAGMENTS
AND FOREIGN MATTER.
ANOTHER WAY TO PREPARE PEANUTS
OR OTHER NUTS FOR SALE
IS TO DRY-ROAST ONLY THE SEEDS.
THESE PEANUT SEEDS ARRIVE
AT THE FACTORY
WITH THEIR SHELLS AND SKINS
ALREADY REMOVED.
A CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THEM
TO A REVOLVING DRUM
CALLED THE TUMBLER.
AS THE TUMBLER SPINS,
THE NUTS ARE SPRAYED
WITH A LIQUID SEASONING MIXTURE,
ONE OF 10 FLAVORS
THIS COMPANY PRODUCES --
SALTED, SMOKED, KETCHUP,
BARBECUE, AND SALT-AND-VINEGAR,
JUST TO NAME A FEW.
THE ROTATING ACTION ENSURES
THE SEASONING
COATS THE NUTS THOROUGHLY.
NOW A CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THE
PEANUTS TO A CONVECTION OVEN.
THE CONVEYOR TURNS
FROM SIDE TO SIDE,
SPREADING THE PEANUTS
IN A THIN LAYER
SO THAT
THEY'LL DRY-ROAST EVENLY.
THEY ROAST
FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME
AND AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE
AS PEANUTS IN THE SHELL --
ABOUT A HALF-HOUR
AT 300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
AS THEY EXIT THE OVEN,
A WORKER BREAKS UP ANY CLUMPS.
WHEN THEY USE THE OTHER METHOD
OF PREPARING SHELLED NUTS,
THEY TUMBLE ON THE SEASONING
AFTER COOKING.
INSTEAD OF DRY-ROASTING
THE NUTS, AS WE SAW EARLIER,
THEY FRY THEM IN OIL.
THIS PROCESS IS CALLED
OIL-ROASTING.
IT GIVES THE NUTS
A GREASIER, FRIED TASTE.
THESE CASHEWS ARE ON THEIR WAY
TO BE OIL-ROASTED.
THEY GO INTO A HUGE FRYING TANK
CONTAINING 580 GALLONS
OF CANOLA OIL
HEATED TO
320 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE NUTS COME OUT FULLY COOKED
15 MINUTES LATER,
AND THEY'RE STEAMING HOT.
A POWERFUL VENTILATION SYSTEM
DRAWS THE HEAT OUTDOORS,
COOLING THE CASHEWS
TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.
THIS PROCESS TAKES
ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
BY NOW, THE NUTS HAVE ABSORBED
ANY COOKING OIL
THAT REMAINED ON THEIR SURFACE,
SO THEY RECEIVE A LIGHT SPRAY
OF VEGETABLE OIL.
THIS MAKES
THEIR SURFACE STICKY AGAIN
SO THAT THE SALT
OR SEASONING MIX WILL ADHERE.
THIS FACTORY
ALSO PRODUCES NUT MIXES.
HERE THE MIXER IS COMBINING
VARIOUS NUTS WITH DRIED FRUIT.
FROM THERE
IT'S ON TO A PACKAGING MACHINE,
WHOSE EIGHT COMPUTER-PROGRAMMED
SCALES AUTOMATICALLY WEIGH OUT
A SPECIFIC PACKAGE PORTION.
BUT BEFORE EACH PORTION
GOES INTO A BAG,
IT PASSES THROUGH
A METAL DETECTOR.
THIS ENSURES
THAT NO SHARDS OF METAL
HAVE WORN OFF THE EQUIPMENT
AND FALLEN INTO THE FOOD.
THE MACHINERY HERMETICALLY SEALS
THE PLASTIC PACKAGES.
THIS KEEPS THE CONTENTS FRESH
FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS.
Narrator: WHEN DOES FORGING
NOT INVOLVE FRAUD?
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT METAL.
MANY INDUSTRIAL MACHINES CONTAIN
STEEL PARTS
THAT HAVE TO WITHSTAND
GREAT STRESS.
THE METALWORKING METHOD
THAT PRODUCES THE STRONGEST
STEEL PARTS IS FORGING --
HEATING THE METAL,
THEN FORMING IT TO THE REQUIRED
SIZE AND SHAPE.
STEEL FORGINGS ARE MADE
FROM SCRAP IRON --
PIECES OF USED IRON RECOVERED
FROM DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS
AND OLD CARS --
AS WELL AS BITS OF NEW IRON
LEFT OVER FROM THE MANUFACTURE
OF IRON PRODUCTS.
FORGE WORKERS MANEUVER
A GIGANTIC MAGNET
TO LIFT ALMOST 6 TONS OF SCRAP
AT A TIME
UNTIL THEY'VE FILLED
A 28-TON SCRAP BUCKET.
THE BUCKET EMPTIES TWO SUCH
LOADS INTO A FIERY FURNACE,
WHOSE TEMPERATURE PEAKS
AT 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS IS CALLED
AN ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE
BECAUSE THE HEAT IS CREATED
BY A STRONG ELECTRIC CURRENT
RUNNING IN AN ARC
BETWEEN THREE ELECTRODES.
THERE ARE ABOUT 20 MAIN GRADES
AND 100 SUBGRADES OF STEEL.
THEY'RE PRODUCED
BY ADDING SPECIFIC METALS
OR NONMETALLIC
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS,
SUCH AS ALUMINUM...
NICKEL...
CHROMIUM...
VANADIUM...
MANGANESE...
CARBON...
AND MOLYBDENUM.
THEY ALSO ADD
THE MINERAL FLUORITE
TO HELP FUSE THE METALS,
SOME OF WHICH ARE IN THE FORM
OF BLOCKS CALLED INGOTS.
THROUGHOUT THE 3 1/2-HOUR
MELTDOWN,
THEY TEST AND ADJUST
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.
THEY TRY TO ATTAIN
THE LOWEST HYDROGEN, OXYGEN,
NITROGEN, AND SULFUR LEVELS --
THE KEY TO PRODUCING
STRONG, HIGH-QUALITY STEEL.
THEN THEY POUR
THE SIZZLING MOLTEN METAL
INTO A 50-TON LADLE THAT'S LINED
WITH HEAT-RESISTANT BRICK.
THEY ADD ALUMINUM AND LIME
TO CHEMICALLY COUNTERACT
OXIDATION --
RUSTING CAUSED BY AIR EXPOSURE.
NOW THEY CAST AN INGOT --
A BLOCK OF STEEL THAT
THEY'LL SHAPE INTO A FORGING.
THE MOLTEN METAL FLOWS
OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADLE
INTO A MOLD BELOW.
THIS BOTTOM POURING,
AS IT'S CALLED,
MAKES FOR A SMOOTHER CASTING
BECAUSE LIQUID FLOWING DOWNWARD
DOESN'T SWILL AROUND AS MUCH
AS LIQUID POURED SIDEWAYS.
THIS FORGE CAN CAST INGOTS
WEIGHING UP TO 46 TONS.
AFTER SEVERAL HOURS,
THE INGOT SOLIDIFIES,
AND THEY TURN THE MOLD
UPSIDE DOWN TO EXTRACT IT.
THEN, OVER 12 HOURS,
THEY REHEAT THE INGOT
TO 2,200 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS MAKES IT SOFT ENOUGH
TO HAMMER OR PRESS INTO SHAPE.
TO MAKE LARGE FORGINGS,
THEY USE A MACHINE CALLED
A FORGING PRESS,
MOUNTED INSIDE A FORMING DIE
OR A PAIR OF DIES,
DEPENDING ON THE TECHNIQUE
THEY'RE USING.
THE PRESS APPLIES THOUSANDS
OF TONS OF PRESSURE,
CRUSHING THE INGOT
AND FORCING IT AGAINST THE DIE.
THE STEEL IS QUICKLY OXIDIZING
WITH ALL THIS AIR EXPOSURE.
THEY USE
A HIGH-PRESSURE WATER GUN
TO REMOVE THE SCALES OF RUST.
AN INGOT OFTEN PASSES THROUGH
A DIE SEVERAL TIMES
OR THROUGH A SERIES OF DIES
ARRANGED IN SEQUENCE.
EACH PRESSING FORMS THE METAL
BIT BY BIT INTO THE FINAL SHAPE.
METAL IS COMPOSED
OF MICROSCOPIC CRYSTALS.
SQUEEZING IT IN A PRESS
BENDS THESE CRYSTALS,
DESTABILIZING
THE METAL STRUCTURE.
BUT REHEATING THE METAL
CREATES NEW CRYSTALS
TO REPLACE THE DEFORMED ONES.
THIS RESTABILIZES
THE STRUCTURE,
AND, BECAUSE THE NEW CRYSTALS
ARE SMALLER,
MAKES THE METAL STRONGER
THAN BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY FINISHED FORGINGS
REQUIRE HEAT TREATMENT
IN WHAT'S CALLED
AN ANNEALING FURNACE.
THEY HEAT FOR A DAY OR TWO,
DEPENDING ON THE GRADE OF STEEL.
THEN THEY SOAK IN
A WATER-AND-CHEMICAL BATH
FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS.
THIS STRENGTHENS THE STEEL
EVEN MORE.
FINALLY, WORKERS MOUNT
THE STEEL FORGINGS
ON LATHES AND MILLING MACHINES.
THEY REMOVE THE RUST SCALES
THAT FORMED
DURING HEAT TREATMENT,
THEN PRECISION-MACHINE
THE FORGINGS
INTO WHAT THE CLIENT ORDERED --
USUALLY INDUSTRIAL PARTS SUCH AS
ROTORS, SPINDLES, AND SHAFTS.
MANY FACTORIES
PREFER TO BUY FORGINGS
IN THE SHAPE OF BLOCKS OR BARS
AND MACHINE THE PARTS
THEMSELVES.
Narrator: SKATEBOARDING MAY HAVE
STARTED OUT
AS A SIMPLE OUTDOOR PASTIME,
BUT IN THE LAST FEW DECADES,
IT'S EVOLVED
INTO A POPULAR THRILL SPORT.
PROFESSIONAL SKATEBOARDERS
ARE KNOWN
FOR PERFORMING SPECTACULAR
AERIAL MANEUVERS,
ACHIEVING SPEEDS AND HEIGHTS
THE EARLY SKATEBOARDERS
COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED.
IN THE 1930s, THRILL-SEEKING
KIDS BEGAN ATTACHING
THEIR METAL ROLLER-SKATE WHEELS
TO WOODEN CRATES.
LITTLE DID THEY KNOW
THIS WOULD ONE DAY SPAWN
A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON.
THE BOXES EVOLVED TO BOARDS
IN 1958,
WHEN SOME CALIFORNIA SURFERS
INVENTED SIDEWALK SURFING --
SOMETHING TO DO
WHEN BAD WEATHER PREVENTED THEM
FROM RIDING THE WAVES.
THEY ATTACHED ROLLER-SKATE
WHEELS TO WOODEN PLANKS,
THEN COASTED THROUGH
THE STREETS.
PRETTY SOON, THE FAD CAUGHT ON
IN CITIES
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THE DECK -- THE PART OF
THE SKATEBOARD YOU STAND ON --
IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL THIN
SHEETS OF WOOD CALLED "VENEERS."
INEXPENSIVE BOARDS USE FEWER
SHEETS AND LESSER-QUALITY WOODS.
THESE HIGH-END BOARDS
USE A FULL SEVEN SHEETS
OF TOP-QUALITY MAPLE.
ONLY THE TOP AND BOTTOM VENEER
SHEETS WILL ACTUALLY SHOW,
SO THEIR EXPOSED SIDE
IS SANDED SMOOTH,
AND THE OTHER SIDE
GETS A COAT OF GLUE.
THE INSIDE SHEETS, MEANWHILE,
GO THROUGH THE GLUE SPREADER,
WHICH SATURATES BOTH SIDES.
THIS ADHESIVE
IS SPECIALLY FORMULATED
TO WITHSTAND VIBRATION
AND SHOCK.
WORKERS STACK 35 SHEETS
OF VENEER --
THE EQUIVALENT
OF FIVE SKATEBOARD DECKS --
AND PLACE THEM IN A MOLD.
SKATEBOARDS VARY
IN SIZE AND SHAPE,
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENT MOLD
FOR EACH MODEL.
A PRESS APPLIES
44 TONS OF PRESSURE,
COMPACTING THE SHEETS
AND BENDING THEM
TO THE SHAPE OF THE MOLD.
EXCESS GLUE SQUEEZES
OUT THE SIDES,
BINDING THE FIVE DECKS
INTO ONE BLOCK.
THEY'LL BE SEPARATED LATER.
THE BLOCK COMES OUT
AFTER THREE HOURS.
NOW THEY DRILL TWO SETS OF HOLES
THROUGH THE BLOCK.
THESE ARE FOR MOUNTING
THE FRONT AND BACK TRUCKS --
THE PIVOTING, METAL AXLES THAT
ENABLE THE SKATEBOARD TO TURN.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE
THE RECTANGULAR BLOCK
A SKATEBOARD CONTOUR.
THEY SELECT A TEMPLATE
IN THE GENERAL SHAPE
OF THE MODEL THEY'RE MAKING.
IT HAS PINS UNDERNEATH
THAT FIT SNUGLY IN THE TRUCK
HOLES THEY'VE JUST DRILLED.
THIS HOLDS THE TEMPLATE STILL
WHILE THEY DO
WHAT'S CALLED THE ROUGH CUT --
SAWING AROUND THE TEMPLATE,
LEAVING A 1-INCH MARGIN.
CUTTING OFF THE EXCESS
SEPARATES THE FIVE DECKS.
NOW THEY CONTOUR
EACH DECK INDIVIDUALLY.
USING A PRECISE TEMPLATE,
THEY RUN THE DECK
AGAINST A CUTTING BLADE
UNTIL THEY HAVE THE FINAL SHAPE.
NOW, USING A ROUTER, THEY ROUND
OFF THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES.
THEN THEY SMOOTH ALL THE
SURFACES AGAINST A DRUM SANDER.
NOW THEY SWITCH TO A BUFFER,
WHICH USES A COMBINATION OF
BRUSHES AND FINE-GRIT SANDPAPER
TO REMOVE ANY ROUGH WOOD FIBERS.
THE DECK IS NOW
PERFECTLY SMOOTH.
THE NEXT STOP
IS THE FINISHING ROOM,
WHERE THEY FIRST SPRAY THE DECKS
WITH A COLORLESS PRIMER.
THIS SEALS THE PORES
IN THE WOOD VENEER
SO THEY WON'T ABSORB THE COAT
OF LACQUER THAT COMES NEXT.
THE PRIMER TAKES TWO HOURS
TO DRY.
NEXT, THEY SPRAY ON A COAT
OF CLEAR OR COLORED LACQUER.
IT LEAVES A PROTECTIVE,
HIGH-GLOSS FINISH.
THE LACQUER ALSO TAKES
TWO HOURS TO DRY.
THE FINAL STEP
OF THE FINISHING PROCESS
IS APPLYING THE DECORATION.
THE BOLD GRAPHIC DESIGNS
ARE PRINTED ON PLASTIC SHEETS.
THE SKATEBOARD FACTORY
EITHER BUYS THEM READY-MADE
OR PRODUCES THEM IN-HOUSE,
USING ITS OWN SILK-SCREEN
PRINTING EQUIPMENT.
WORKERS CENTER THE DESIGN SHEET,
THEN FEED THE DECK
THROUGH A MACHINE
THAT APPLIES HEAT AND SLIGHT
PRESSURE SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THE HEAT --
390 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT --
INDUCES A CHEMICAL REACTION
THAT MELTS THE INK AND LACQUER.
WHEN THE PLASTIC COMES OFF,
THE DECK IS FINISHED.
DECKS OF THIS CALIBER ARE SOLD
UNASSEMBLED IN SPECIALTY STORES.
THEY'RE DESIGNED
FOR SERIOUS RIDERS
WHO WANT TO CUSTOMIZE
THEIR SKATEBOARDS.
THEY PICK AND CHOOSE
FROM DIFFERENT TYPES
OF TRUCKS, WHEELS, BEARINGS,
EVEN THE BOLTS THAT HOLD
EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
ALL THESE FACTORS DETERMINE
HOW FAST OR HOW FANCY
THEIR SKATEBOARD WILL MOVE
AND MANEUVER.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
ABOUT THE SHOW
OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUGGEST
TOPICS FOR FUTURE SHOWS,
DROP US A LINE AT...
"HOW IT'S MADE"...
CERAMIC TILES...
NUTS...
STEEL FORGINGS...
AND SKATEBOARDS.
CERAMIC TILES ARE
A POPULAR CHOICE FOR FLOORING,
KITCHEN BACKSPLASHES,
AND BATHROOM WALLS.
THEY CAN WITHSTAND HUMIDITY AND
WON'T ABSORB LIQUIDS OR ODORS.
THEY'RE ALSO FIREPROOF,
FADE-RESISTANT,
AND STAIN-RESISTANT.
AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH
YOU WALK ON THEM,
CERAMIC TILES NEVER WEAR OUT.
THIS FACTORY SPECIALIZES
IN WALL TILES.
FLOOR TILES ARE MADE USING
THE SAME PROCESS
BUT WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS.
THE STARTING MATERIAL HERE IS
TALC -- A SOFT, POWDERY MINERAL.
THEY BLEND IT WITH FOUR
DIFFERENT POWDERED CHEMICALS,
THE NAMES OF WHICH
ARE A COMPANY SECRET.
THE INGREDIENTS GO INTO A MIXER,
WHERE THEY'RE HYDRATED UNTIL
THEY'RE 6% WATER TO 94% POWDER.
THE MIXER RUNS
FOR PRECISELY 12 MINUTES.
ANY LONGER WOULD HEAT
THE MIXTURE AND DRY IT OUT.
THE MIXTURE IS NOW SLIGHTLY DAMP
AND QUITE LUMPY.
A CONVEYOR BELT TRANSPORTS IT
TO A GRINDER
THAT MILLS IT TO A FINE TEXTURE.
THIS MIXTURE IS NOW READY
TO BE FORMED
INTO VARIOUS MODELS OF TILES.
THE FACTORY USES
FULLY AUTOMATED MACHINERY
TO PRODUCE
ITS 1.6-SQUARE-INCH TILES --
A STANDARD WALL TILE SIZE.
A MOVING TRAY FIRST DEPOSITS
A BATCH OF MIXTURE INTO A MOLD.
THE MOLD'S CAVITY IS IN THE
SHAPE OF SIX UPSIDE-DOWN TILES.
A PRESS DESCENDS,
APPLYING BOTH HEAT AND PRESSURE.
THIS COMPACTS THE MIXTURE
INTO THE CAVITY,
SOLIDIFYING THE SHAPE.
AS THE PRESS RISES,
THE MOLD AUTOMATICALLY POPS OUT
THE TILES.
THEY ROLL OFF THE MACHINE
ONTO A CONVEYOR BELT.
THE BELT NOW FLIPS THE TILES
RIGHT SIDE UP
WITHOUT BREAKING THEM --
WHICH IS QUITE A FEAT,
CONSIDERING THAT THESE
YET-TO-BE-BAKED TILES
AREN'T FULLY HARDENED.
THE EQUIPMENT IS
PRECISION-ADJUSTED
TO HANDLE THE TILES GENTLY
AT ALL PRODUCTION PHASES.
A REVOLVING BRUSH
NOW SWEEPS THE TILES CLEAN.
THEIR SURFACE MUST BE FREE
OF DUST AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS
FOR PAINT TO ADHERE PROPERLY.
THE FACTORY USES
A WATER-BASED PAINT
THAT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED
FOR CERAMICS.
IT CONTINUALLY CIRCULATES
IN A VAT,
KEEPING THE COLOR WELL-BLENDED.
THE PAINTING PROCESS RESEMBLES
AN AUTOMATIC CAR WASH.
THE TILES TRAVEL
THROUGH FOUR SPRAY ZONES,
EACH OF WHICH APPLIES
A THIN COAT OF PAINT.
THEN THEY PASS
UNDER POWERFUL HEATING ELEMENTS,
WHICH DRY THE PAINT
IN MERE SECONDS.
ALL THAT'S LEFT
IS TO BAKE THE TILES,
WHICH WE'LL SEE SHORTLY.
THE FACTORY USES
THE SAME CERAMIC MIXTURE
TO PRODUCE
THESE SQUARE BORDER TILES.
THEY LOOK JUST LIKE
THE OTHER WALL TILES,
EXCEPT THAT TWO OF THE SIDES
ARE ROUNDED.
WHEN YOU INSTALL A ROW
OF THESE BORDER TILES
ABOVE THE REGULAR TILES,
THE ROUNDED EDGES PRODUCE
A CLEAN, FINISHED LOOK.
WHILE THE FACTORY USES
THE SAME PAINTING PROCESS
FOR BORDER TILES,
THE MOLDING PROCESS,
AS YOU JUST SAW,
IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
RATHER THAN BEING
FULLY AUTOMATED,
IT REQUIRES SOME MANUAL LABOR
DUE TO THE TILES' COMPLEX SHAPE.
THAT'S WHY BORDER TILES
ARE OFTEN MORE EXPENSIVE
THAN REGULAR TILES.
WHEN THE TILES COME
OUT OF THE DRYER,
WORKERS STACK THEM
ON WOODEN RACKS.
THEY LOAD THE RACKS
ONTO MOBILE CARTS
AND THEN ROLL THE CARTS INTO A
GAS-POWERED OVEN CALLED A KILN.
THIS FACTORY'S KILN
IS 190 FEET LONG --
LONGER THAN
AN OLYMPIC-SIZE SWIMMING POOL
AND LARGE ENOUGH TO BAKE
50,000 WALL TILES AT ONCE.
THE FIRING, AS IT'S CALLED,
TAKES 14 HOURS.
ANY SUDDEN CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE
COULD PRODUCE THERMAL SHOCK
AND CRACK THE TILES,
SO THE KILN STARTS OUT
AT 390 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
CLIMBING GRADUALLY TO A PEAK
OF 1,970 DEGREES,
THEN DESCENDS SLOWLY BACK
TO THE STARTING TEMPERATURE.
AFTER A COOLING PERIOD
THAT LASTS ROUGHLY AN HOUR,
THE TILES COME OUT.
THEY'RE NOW FULLY HARDENED
AND READY TO HAVE THEIR BACK
TO THE WALL.
Narrator: SCAN THE SNACK-FOOD
AISLE OF YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET,
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT BARBECUE,
KETCHUP, AND SALT-AND-VINEGAR
ARE NO LONGER LIMITED
TO POTATO CHIPS.
NUTS COME IN
TANTALIZING TASTE CHOICES, TOO.
BUT IF YOU'RE A TRADITIONALIST,
YOU CAN STILL BUY THEM PLAIN,
SALTED, OR UNSALTED.
THE BOTANICAL DEFINITION
OF A NUT
IS A DRY, ONE-SEED FRUIT
IN A HARD SHELL
THAT DOESN'T OPEN ON ITS OWN.
MOST PEANUTS HAVE TWO SEEDS,
SO EVEN THOUGH
WE CALL THEM NUTS,
THEY'RE TECHNICALLY A LEGUME --
A TYPE OF PEA.
ONE WAY TO PREPARE PEANUTS FOR
SALE IS TO ROAST THEM WHOLE,
RIGHT IN THEIR SHELLS.
THIS IS KNOWN AS DRY-ROASTING
BECAUSE THEY COOK THE PEANUTS
WITHOUT USING ANY OIL
IN A LARGE CONVECTION OVEN.
THE OVEN TEMPERATURE
IS 300 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT.
THE ROASTING PROCESS
TAKES ABOUT A HALF-HOUR.
WHEN THE PEANUTS COME OUT,
THEY'RE FULLY COOKED
AND READY TO BE EATEN.
BEFORE THE PEANUTS
GO OFF TO BE PACKAGED,
A WORKER INSPECTS THEM,
REMOVING ANY SHELL FRAGMENTS
AND FOREIGN MATTER.
ANOTHER WAY TO PREPARE PEANUTS
OR OTHER NUTS FOR SALE
IS TO DRY-ROAST ONLY THE SEEDS.
THESE PEANUT SEEDS ARRIVE
AT THE FACTORY
WITH THEIR SHELLS AND SKINS
ALREADY REMOVED.
A CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THEM
TO A REVOLVING DRUM
CALLED THE TUMBLER.
AS THE TUMBLER SPINS,
THE NUTS ARE SPRAYED
WITH A LIQUID SEASONING MIXTURE,
ONE OF 10 FLAVORS
THIS COMPANY PRODUCES --
SALTED, SMOKED, KETCHUP,
BARBECUE, AND SALT-AND-VINEGAR,
JUST TO NAME A FEW.
THE ROTATING ACTION ENSURES
THE SEASONING
COATS THE NUTS THOROUGHLY.
NOW A CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THE
PEANUTS TO A CONVECTION OVEN.
THE CONVEYOR TURNS
FROM SIDE TO SIDE,
SPREADING THE PEANUTS
IN A THIN LAYER
SO THAT
THEY'LL DRY-ROAST EVENLY.
THEY ROAST
FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME
AND AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE
AS PEANUTS IN THE SHELL --
ABOUT A HALF-HOUR
AT 300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
AS THEY EXIT THE OVEN,
A WORKER BREAKS UP ANY CLUMPS.
WHEN THEY USE THE OTHER METHOD
OF PREPARING SHELLED NUTS,
THEY TUMBLE ON THE SEASONING
AFTER COOKING.
INSTEAD OF DRY-ROASTING
THE NUTS, AS WE SAW EARLIER,
THEY FRY THEM IN OIL.
THIS PROCESS IS CALLED
OIL-ROASTING.
IT GIVES THE NUTS
A GREASIER, FRIED TASTE.
THESE CASHEWS ARE ON THEIR WAY
TO BE OIL-ROASTED.
THEY GO INTO A HUGE FRYING TANK
CONTAINING 580 GALLONS
OF CANOLA OIL
HEATED TO
320 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE NUTS COME OUT FULLY COOKED
15 MINUTES LATER,
AND THEY'RE STEAMING HOT.
A POWERFUL VENTILATION SYSTEM
DRAWS THE HEAT OUTDOORS,
COOLING THE CASHEWS
TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.
THIS PROCESS TAKES
ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
BY NOW, THE NUTS HAVE ABSORBED
ANY COOKING OIL
THAT REMAINED ON THEIR SURFACE,
SO THEY RECEIVE A LIGHT SPRAY
OF VEGETABLE OIL.
THIS MAKES
THEIR SURFACE STICKY AGAIN
SO THAT THE SALT
OR SEASONING MIX WILL ADHERE.
THIS FACTORY
ALSO PRODUCES NUT MIXES.
HERE THE MIXER IS COMBINING
VARIOUS NUTS WITH DRIED FRUIT.
FROM THERE
IT'S ON TO A PACKAGING MACHINE,
WHOSE EIGHT COMPUTER-PROGRAMMED
SCALES AUTOMATICALLY WEIGH OUT
A SPECIFIC PACKAGE PORTION.
BUT BEFORE EACH PORTION
GOES INTO A BAG,
IT PASSES THROUGH
A METAL DETECTOR.
THIS ENSURES
THAT NO SHARDS OF METAL
HAVE WORN OFF THE EQUIPMENT
AND FALLEN INTO THE FOOD.
THE MACHINERY HERMETICALLY SEALS
THE PLASTIC PACKAGES.
THIS KEEPS THE CONTENTS FRESH
FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS.
Narrator: WHEN DOES FORGING
NOT INVOLVE FRAUD?
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT METAL.
MANY INDUSTRIAL MACHINES CONTAIN
STEEL PARTS
THAT HAVE TO WITHSTAND
GREAT STRESS.
THE METALWORKING METHOD
THAT PRODUCES THE STRONGEST
STEEL PARTS IS FORGING --
HEATING THE METAL,
THEN FORMING IT TO THE REQUIRED
SIZE AND SHAPE.
STEEL FORGINGS ARE MADE
FROM SCRAP IRON --
PIECES OF USED IRON RECOVERED
FROM DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS
AND OLD CARS --
AS WELL AS BITS OF NEW IRON
LEFT OVER FROM THE MANUFACTURE
OF IRON PRODUCTS.
FORGE WORKERS MANEUVER
A GIGANTIC MAGNET
TO LIFT ALMOST 6 TONS OF SCRAP
AT A TIME
UNTIL THEY'VE FILLED
A 28-TON SCRAP BUCKET.
THE BUCKET EMPTIES TWO SUCH
LOADS INTO A FIERY FURNACE,
WHOSE TEMPERATURE PEAKS
AT 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS IS CALLED
AN ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE
BECAUSE THE HEAT IS CREATED
BY A STRONG ELECTRIC CURRENT
RUNNING IN AN ARC
BETWEEN THREE ELECTRODES.
THERE ARE ABOUT 20 MAIN GRADES
AND 100 SUBGRADES OF STEEL.
THEY'RE PRODUCED
BY ADDING SPECIFIC METALS
OR NONMETALLIC
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS,
SUCH AS ALUMINUM...
NICKEL...
CHROMIUM...
VANADIUM...
MANGANESE...
CARBON...
AND MOLYBDENUM.
THEY ALSO ADD
THE MINERAL FLUORITE
TO HELP FUSE THE METALS,
SOME OF WHICH ARE IN THE FORM
OF BLOCKS CALLED INGOTS.
THROUGHOUT THE 3 1/2-HOUR
MELTDOWN,
THEY TEST AND ADJUST
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.
THEY TRY TO ATTAIN
THE LOWEST HYDROGEN, OXYGEN,
NITROGEN, AND SULFUR LEVELS --
THE KEY TO PRODUCING
STRONG, HIGH-QUALITY STEEL.
THEN THEY POUR
THE SIZZLING MOLTEN METAL
INTO A 50-TON LADLE THAT'S LINED
WITH HEAT-RESISTANT BRICK.
THEY ADD ALUMINUM AND LIME
TO CHEMICALLY COUNTERACT
OXIDATION --
RUSTING CAUSED BY AIR EXPOSURE.
NOW THEY CAST AN INGOT --
A BLOCK OF STEEL THAT
THEY'LL SHAPE INTO A FORGING.
THE MOLTEN METAL FLOWS
OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADLE
INTO A MOLD BELOW.
THIS BOTTOM POURING,
AS IT'S CALLED,
MAKES FOR A SMOOTHER CASTING
BECAUSE LIQUID FLOWING DOWNWARD
DOESN'T SWILL AROUND AS MUCH
AS LIQUID POURED SIDEWAYS.
THIS FORGE CAN CAST INGOTS
WEIGHING UP TO 46 TONS.
AFTER SEVERAL HOURS,
THE INGOT SOLIDIFIES,
AND THEY TURN THE MOLD
UPSIDE DOWN TO EXTRACT IT.
THEN, OVER 12 HOURS,
THEY REHEAT THE INGOT
TO 2,200 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THIS MAKES IT SOFT ENOUGH
TO HAMMER OR PRESS INTO SHAPE.
TO MAKE LARGE FORGINGS,
THEY USE A MACHINE CALLED
A FORGING PRESS,
MOUNTED INSIDE A FORMING DIE
OR A PAIR OF DIES,
DEPENDING ON THE TECHNIQUE
THEY'RE USING.
THE PRESS APPLIES THOUSANDS
OF TONS OF PRESSURE,
CRUSHING THE INGOT
AND FORCING IT AGAINST THE DIE.
THE STEEL IS QUICKLY OXIDIZING
WITH ALL THIS AIR EXPOSURE.
THEY USE
A HIGH-PRESSURE WATER GUN
TO REMOVE THE SCALES OF RUST.
AN INGOT OFTEN PASSES THROUGH
A DIE SEVERAL TIMES
OR THROUGH A SERIES OF DIES
ARRANGED IN SEQUENCE.
EACH PRESSING FORMS THE METAL
BIT BY BIT INTO THE FINAL SHAPE.
METAL IS COMPOSED
OF MICROSCOPIC CRYSTALS.
SQUEEZING IT IN A PRESS
BENDS THESE CRYSTALS,
DESTABILIZING
THE METAL STRUCTURE.
BUT REHEATING THE METAL
CREATES NEW CRYSTALS
TO REPLACE THE DEFORMED ONES.
THIS RESTABILIZES
THE STRUCTURE,
AND, BECAUSE THE NEW CRYSTALS
ARE SMALLER,
MAKES THE METAL STRONGER
THAN BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY FINISHED FORGINGS
REQUIRE HEAT TREATMENT
IN WHAT'S CALLED
AN ANNEALING FURNACE.
THEY HEAT FOR A DAY OR TWO,
DEPENDING ON THE GRADE OF STEEL.
THEN THEY SOAK IN
A WATER-AND-CHEMICAL BATH
FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS.
THIS STRENGTHENS THE STEEL
EVEN MORE.
FINALLY, WORKERS MOUNT
THE STEEL FORGINGS
ON LATHES AND MILLING MACHINES.
THEY REMOVE THE RUST SCALES
THAT FORMED
DURING HEAT TREATMENT,
THEN PRECISION-MACHINE
THE FORGINGS
INTO WHAT THE CLIENT ORDERED --
USUALLY INDUSTRIAL PARTS SUCH AS
ROTORS, SPINDLES, AND SHAFTS.
MANY FACTORIES
PREFER TO BUY FORGINGS
IN THE SHAPE OF BLOCKS OR BARS
AND MACHINE THE PARTS
THEMSELVES.
Narrator: SKATEBOARDING MAY HAVE
STARTED OUT
AS A SIMPLE OUTDOOR PASTIME,
BUT IN THE LAST FEW DECADES,
IT'S EVOLVED
INTO A POPULAR THRILL SPORT.
PROFESSIONAL SKATEBOARDERS
ARE KNOWN
FOR PERFORMING SPECTACULAR
AERIAL MANEUVERS,
ACHIEVING SPEEDS AND HEIGHTS
THE EARLY SKATEBOARDERS
COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED.
IN THE 1930s, THRILL-SEEKING
KIDS BEGAN ATTACHING
THEIR METAL ROLLER-SKATE WHEELS
TO WOODEN CRATES.
LITTLE DID THEY KNOW
THIS WOULD ONE DAY SPAWN
A WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON.
THE BOXES EVOLVED TO BOARDS
IN 1958,
WHEN SOME CALIFORNIA SURFERS
INVENTED SIDEWALK SURFING --
SOMETHING TO DO
WHEN BAD WEATHER PREVENTED THEM
FROM RIDING THE WAVES.
THEY ATTACHED ROLLER-SKATE
WHEELS TO WOODEN PLANKS,
THEN COASTED THROUGH
THE STREETS.
PRETTY SOON, THE FAD CAUGHT ON
IN CITIES
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THE DECK -- THE PART OF
THE SKATEBOARD YOU STAND ON --
IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL THIN
SHEETS OF WOOD CALLED "VENEERS."
INEXPENSIVE BOARDS USE FEWER
SHEETS AND LESSER-QUALITY WOODS.
THESE HIGH-END BOARDS
USE A FULL SEVEN SHEETS
OF TOP-QUALITY MAPLE.
ONLY THE TOP AND BOTTOM VENEER
SHEETS WILL ACTUALLY SHOW,
SO THEIR EXPOSED SIDE
IS SANDED SMOOTH,
AND THE OTHER SIDE
GETS A COAT OF GLUE.
THE INSIDE SHEETS, MEANWHILE,
GO THROUGH THE GLUE SPREADER,
WHICH SATURATES BOTH SIDES.
THIS ADHESIVE
IS SPECIALLY FORMULATED
TO WITHSTAND VIBRATION
AND SHOCK.
WORKERS STACK 35 SHEETS
OF VENEER --
THE EQUIVALENT
OF FIVE SKATEBOARD DECKS --
AND PLACE THEM IN A MOLD.
SKATEBOARDS VARY
IN SIZE AND SHAPE,
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENT MOLD
FOR EACH MODEL.
A PRESS APPLIES
44 TONS OF PRESSURE,
COMPACTING THE SHEETS
AND BENDING THEM
TO THE SHAPE OF THE MOLD.
EXCESS GLUE SQUEEZES
OUT THE SIDES,
BINDING THE FIVE DECKS
INTO ONE BLOCK.
THEY'LL BE SEPARATED LATER.
THE BLOCK COMES OUT
AFTER THREE HOURS.
NOW THEY DRILL TWO SETS OF HOLES
THROUGH THE BLOCK.
THESE ARE FOR MOUNTING
THE FRONT AND BACK TRUCKS --
THE PIVOTING, METAL AXLES THAT
ENABLE THE SKATEBOARD TO TURN.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE
THE RECTANGULAR BLOCK
A SKATEBOARD CONTOUR.
THEY SELECT A TEMPLATE
IN THE GENERAL SHAPE
OF THE MODEL THEY'RE MAKING.
IT HAS PINS UNDERNEATH
THAT FIT SNUGLY IN THE TRUCK
HOLES THEY'VE JUST DRILLED.
THIS HOLDS THE TEMPLATE STILL
WHILE THEY DO
WHAT'S CALLED THE ROUGH CUT --
SAWING AROUND THE TEMPLATE,
LEAVING A 1-INCH MARGIN.
CUTTING OFF THE EXCESS
SEPARATES THE FIVE DECKS.
NOW THEY CONTOUR
EACH DECK INDIVIDUALLY.
USING A PRECISE TEMPLATE,
THEY RUN THE DECK
AGAINST A CUTTING BLADE
UNTIL THEY HAVE THE FINAL SHAPE.
NOW, USING A ROUTER, THEY ROUND
OFF THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES.
THEN THEY SMOOTH ALL THE
SURFACES AGAINST A DRUM SANDER.
NOW THEY SWITCH TO A BUFFER,
WHICH USES A COMBINATION OF
BRUSHES AND FINE-GRIT SANDPAPER
TO REMOVE ANY ROUGH WOOD FIBERS.
THE DECK IS NOW
PERFECTLY SMOOTH.
THE NEXT STOP
IS THE FINISHING ROOM,
WHERE THEY FIRST SPRAY THE DECKS
WITH A COLORLESS PRIMER.
THIS SEALS THE PORES
IN THE WOOD VENEER
SO THEY WON'T ABSORB THE COAT
OF LACQUER THAT COMES NEXT.
THE PRIMER TAKES TWO HOURS
TO DRY.
NEXT, THEY SPRAY ON A COAT
OF CLEAR OR COLORED LACQUER.
IT LEAVES A PROTECTIVE,
HIGH-GLOSS FINISH.
THE LACQUER ALSO TAKES
TWO HOURS TO DRY.
THE FINAL STEP
OF THE FINISHING PROCESS
IS APPLYING THE DECORATION.
THE BOLD GRAPHIC DESIGNS
ARE PRINTED ON PLASTIC SHEETS.
THE SKATEBOARD FACTORY
EITHER BUYS THEM READY-MADE
OR PRODUCES THEM IN-HOUSE,
USING ITS OWN SILK-SCREEN
PRINTING EQUIPMENT.
WORKERS CENTER THE DESIGN SHEET,
THEN FEED THE DECK
THROUGH A MACHINE
THAT APPLIES HEAT AND SLIGHT
PRESSURE SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THE HEAT --
390 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT --
INDUCES A CHEMICAL REACTION
THAT MELTS THE INK AND LACQUER.
WHEN THE PLASTIC COMES OFF,
THE DECK IS FINISHED.
DECKS OF THIS CALIBER ARE SOLD
UNASSEMBLED IN SPECIALTY STORES.
THEY'RE DESIGNED
FOR SERIOUS RIDERS
WHO WANT TO CUSTOMIZE
THEIR SKATEBOARDS.
THEY PICK AND CHOOSE
FROM DIFFERENT TYPES
OF TRUCKS, WHEELS, BEARINGS,
EVEN THE BOLTS THAT HOLD
EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
ALL THESE FACTORS DETERMINE
HOW FAST OR HOW FANCY
THEIR SKATEBOARD WILL MOVE
AND MANEUVER.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
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