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Narrator:
Today on "How it's made"...
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Escalator handrails...
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...Highlighter pens...
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...Guitar strings...
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...And wigs.
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The escalator was invented
Over 100 years ago
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As an amusement park ride.
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The moving staircase was soon
Equipped with a moving handrail
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For safety reasons,
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But those early handrails
Were driven by oily chains,
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Leaving passengers
With greasy hands.
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We get a cleaner ride
On today's escalators,
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And if we want thrills,
We try a roller coaster.
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An escalator's handrail
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Moves at the same speed
As the stairs.
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This makes the trip up safer
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Because you have something
To hold on to the entire way.
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To make an escalator handrail,
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A machine called an extruder
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Pulls synthetic rubber
Up into it.
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A turning screw
Inside the extruder
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Forces the rubber through a die
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The way a pasta maker
Squeezes out spaghetti.
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4- to 6-inch-wide rubber strips
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Roll out
Into a tank of water to cool
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Because the heat
From the extruder
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Could alter
Their molecular structure.
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00:01:48,896 --> 00:01:51,482
Now the rubber strips
Move over rollers
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That are part of a mechanical
Measuring system.
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There's a little indicator
On the roller
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That gauges the width
And thickness of the rubber
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As it moves across.
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Over at the splitter machine,
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Small round knives
Slice rubberized cotton
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The same width
As the rubber strips.
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Then a mechanical puller
Unrolls material
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From four different spools.
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There are two streams
Of rubberized fabric --
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One stream
Of the synthetic rubber
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Which came out
Of the extruder earlier
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And one of rubberized
Cable wiring.
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They merge and stick together
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As they travel over
A big steel roller.
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An unwinder peels away
A plastic liner
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From the now four-plied strip.
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Next, a worker places
A piece of rubberized fabric
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And one of synthetic rubber
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On either side
Of the four-plied strip.
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He presses everything
Except the strip of rubber
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Around a u-shaped
Aluminum former.
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With a piece of steel,
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He bears down on the shape
So the layers stick together.
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Then he brushes tack cement
On the outside
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And pulls that piece of
Synthetic rubber at the bottom
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Up around it.
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He folds the rim down,
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And, using a hand roller,
He seals its edges.
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Now the handrail
Has taken shape,
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But it's not strong enough,
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So a worker places it
In a molding press.
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He positions a steel form
Inside the handrail
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So that it holds its shape.
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The top part of the mold lowers,
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And the handrail bakes
Under high pressure
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At 350 degrees fahrenheit.
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10 to 15 minutes later,
The mold lifts,
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And a chemical reaction called
Vulcanization has occurred.
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The layers have been laminated,
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And the handrail
Is now strong enough.
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The last step is to trim away
The flash or excess material.
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Here's the latest way
To make an escalator handrail.
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A puller unwinds brass-coated
Steel wires from spools,
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Drawing them,
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Along with thermoplastic
Urethane and polyester fabric,
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Through the dies of an extruder.
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What comes out is a strip
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Of plastic-encased wires
And sliders.
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The handrail shape
Passes through measuring devices
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That check its dimensions.
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Now they splice the ends of
Two plastic handrails together
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To form an endless loop.
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Using a roller, a worker presses
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The wires and plastic sliders
Of the inner carcass together.
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As he rolls, he blasts hot air
Into the splice with a heat gun.
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This softens the plastic
So that it melds together.
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He covers it with a piece
Of thermoplastic urethane
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And, again, uses a heat gun
To join the pieces.
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He wipes it clean with alcohol.
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Then he heats it up in a mold
For a minute or two.
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The spliced section
Melts together,
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And then cool water hardens it.
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There's no seam line where
The handrail could break.
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It's just
One long, continuous piece.
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And that's the inside story
On the escalator handrail --
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Something to think about
When you're on your way up.
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Narrator: the highlighter pen
Was invented in the 1960s
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Simply to get your attention.
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When text is shaded
With transparent, vivid inks
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In hot pinks or warm yellows,
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Our eye goes directly to it.
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Marketers have always known
That color has impact,
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And it's a principle highlighted
By these pens.
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Highlighters come in lots of
Shades and colors -- even neon.
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This is how a highlighter pen
Gets its start.
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A vacuum siphons plastic pellets
Into this container.
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The red ones
Will tint the whole mix
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As it melts
Inside a heating tube.
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A mechanized steel screw
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Pushes the melted plastic
Into pen molds.
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The force applied is equal
To the weight of 350 elephants.
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Cooled by water,
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The newly-molded pen barrels
Spill into a container below.
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Now some clear-colored
Pen barrels
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Drop onto a conveyor track,
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And ink reservoirs
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That look like pieces of chalk
But are made of polyester
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Drop down a shaft,
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And a robotic arm thrusts them
Into the plastic barrels.
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The back-end plug
Goes in the same way.
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The plugs fall to a robotic arm,
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And it pushes them
Into the back of the pen.
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Now a chemist
Drops a concentrate of dye
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Into a beaker of water.
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Just over 1/3 of an ounce
Or 10 drops
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Is enough to turn it
Fire-engine red.
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A humectant,
Already in the water,
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Will keep the ink from drying
Out when it's in the pen.
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Next he measures
The ink's thickness.
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He lowers a steel probe into it,
And the probe turns.
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A gauge measures the speed.
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If the probe turns too fast,
It means the ink is too thin.
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If it revolves too slowly,
Then the mix is too thick.
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At four revolutions per minute,
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The ink is just
The right consistency.
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A vacuum pump sucks the ink
Into six-inch steel needles,
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And a robotic arm
Pushes the needles
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Into the polyester reservoirs,
Injecting them with ink.
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00:08:09,931 --> 00:08:13,241
Now we arrive
At the next part of assembly.
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A combination of mechanical
Vibrations and compressed air
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Drive a conveyor belt
Carrying the pen nibs.
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The nibs fall into the clutch
Of a mechanical claw
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Which drops them
To a circular pusher.
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It shoves the nibs onto
The pens, and they interlock.
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The impact floods the reservoir
Inside the pen with ink.
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Now it's time to top it all off.
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A conveyor transports caps
To a mechanical gripper.
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The gripper slides them
Over the nibs.
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Over on another assembly line,
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They're making
A three-in-one marker.
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A conveyor bowl funnels smaller
Ink reservoirs into a shaft,
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And they drop to a robotic arm.
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The arm stuffs the reservoirs
Into the small barrels,
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And then a needle
Injects them with ink,
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Quickly saturating the
Reservoirs with vibrant color.
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00:09:07,137 --> 00:09:11,000
The next robotic arm shoves
A receptacle onto the barrel,
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00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,310
And then another robot
Presses a polyester nib onto it.
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A robot now slips
A hood-like cap over the nib.
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Another mechanical arm
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Suctions up the fuchsia-colored
Mini markers
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And transfers them
To a triangular case.
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Down the line,
Another suctioning arm
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Picks up a red mini marker
And deposits it in the triangle.
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A steel probe presses it in.
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Finally, a yellow-colored marker
Completes the triangle.
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Now a robot
Uses an electrical charge
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To pick up metallic confetti.
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When the charge is turned off,
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The confetti drops into the
Triangle, adding some glitter.
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Next a suctioning robot
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Drops the top part of the
Triangle onto the lower case,
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And a metal cylinder
Presses it shut.
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00:10:04,862 --> 00:10:08,206
Another suctioning arm carries
The three-in-one marker
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To a conveyor belt
Which unloads it into a box.
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This three-in-one highlighter
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Makes it easier
To color-code text --
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A different color
For each theme.
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00:10:23,241 --> 00:10:27,000
Now an electrical conveyor
Moves the highlighters
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To a mechanical arm.
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00:10:28,689 --> 00:10:30,827
The arm flips it around,
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00:10:30,827 --> 00:10:32,689
Positioning it
For the next step.
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A squeegee silk-screens
A logo onto it.
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I wonder how they came up
With that one.
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Now the highlighters enter
An ultraviolet-light chamber.
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The light bonds the ink
To the case.
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00:10:44,827 --> 00:10:47,448
And finally,
The ultimate test --
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Plastic grippers guide markers
As they make circles.
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700 to 1,000 circles means
This particular production line
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Will definitely stand out.
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Narrator: playing the guitar
Is all about vibrations.
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The guitar
Uses vibrating strings
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To generate the tones
That the audience hears.
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00:11:15,655 --> 00:11:19,275
Strings under tension vibrate at
A specific frequency or pitch,
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00:11:19,275 --> 00:11:22,206
So if the song that
You're hearing is in tune,
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00:11:22,206 --> 00:11:25,344
It's because those guitar
Strings are vibrating correctly.
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A good set of strings
Is behind many a soulful tune.
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They're an important part
Of a guitar's sound.
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To make a guitar string, they
Start with a steel core wire
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That they examine
Under a zoom stereomicroscope.
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00:11:53,137 --> 00:11:54,482
They magnify it 100 times,
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00:11:54,482 --> 00:11:58,689
Looking for flaws
In the hexagonal wire.
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00:11:58,689 --> 00:12:01,344
Next, they measure
The core wire's diameter
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00:12:01,344 --> 00:12:02,931
With a digital micrometer.
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00:12:02,931 --> 00:12:06,000
It has to be
Just the right size.
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00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,241
Now they coil the wrap wire made
Of nickel-plated steel
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00:12:09,241 --> 00:12:12,034
Around posts
On the instron testing machine.
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00:12:12,034 --> 00:12:15,931
This machine stretches the wire
Until it breaks.
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00:12:15,931 --> 00:12:19,482
It's a test of its ability
To perform under tension.
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00:12:19,482 --> 00:12:21,482
A computer measures the distance
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00:12:21,482 --> 00:12:24,000
And the amount of load
The wire was under
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00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,413
Before it broke
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00:12:25,413 --> 00:12:28,241
To determine how much tension
This string can take.
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00:12:28,241 --> 00:12:32,068
Now the core wire
Undergoes a twist test.
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00:12:32,068 --> 00:12:33,448
They loop the wire onto a hook
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In a machine
Called a torsion tester.
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00:12:36,310 --> 00:12:40,344
It spins rapidly, twisting
The core wire until it breaks.
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00:12:40,344 --> 00:12:45,344
This is a test of the wire's
Strength and elasticity.
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00:12:45,344 --> 00:12:48,551
These plastic hoppers
Are full of ball ends.
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00:12:48,551 --> 00:12:51,206
This machine is called
A ball-end sorter.
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00:12:51,206 --> 00:12:53,275
Hollow pistons move up and down,
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00:12:53,275 --> 00:12:55,827
Selecting one ball end
At a time.
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00:12:55,827 --> 00:12:58,586
This ensures that only those
Of the proper size
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00:12:58,586 --> 00:13:00,724
Will get through.
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00:13:04,413 --> 00:13:06,482
The ball ends
Shoot out of the pistons
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00:13:06,482 --> 00:13:07,965
Into a bucket underneath.
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00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,448
From here they'll go
To the core-string machine.
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00:13:18,896 --> 00:13:21,862
A mechanism
Places the ball ends on a pin
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00:13:21,862 --> 00:13:24,034
As they drop from a hopper.
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00:13:28,310 --> 00:13:31,206
Rollers feed the core wire
Into a clamping guide
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00:13:31,206 --> 00:13:33,103
Which aligns it
With the ball end.
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00:13:36,896 --> 00:13:38,517
Then the pin spins,
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00:13:38,517 --> 00:13:42,517
Twisting the wire into
A neat loop around the ball end.
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00:13:42,517 --> 00:13:45,931
This is the twisting action
In slow motion.
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00:13:53,655 --> 00:13:56,448
The core strings
With the ball ends now attached
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00:13:56,448 --> 00:13:58,448
Drop into a repository.
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00:14:00,517 --> 00:14:03,172
Then a worker hooks a ball end
With its core wire
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00:14:03,172 --> 00:14:05,034
Onto the string winder,
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00:14:05,034 --> 00:14:09,344
And he loops bronze wrap wire
Around the core wire.
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00:14:09,344 --> 00:14:12,241
A string-winding carriage
Guides the bronze wire
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00:14:12,241 --> 00:14:16,620
Down the length of the core wire
As it wraps around.
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00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:19,793
The electrically powered winder
Spins the core wire,
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00:14:19,793 --> 00:14:22,310
And it's that action
That grabs the wrap wire
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00:14:22,310 --> 00:14:25,482
As the carriage ensures
That it gets wrapped neatly.
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00:14:27,965 --> 00:14:30,172
Computerized sensors monitor
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00:14:30,172 --> 00:14:32,034
The speed
That the string is wound at,
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00:14:32,034 --> 00:14:34,000
As well as the tension.
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00:14:37,586 --> 00:14:39,965
The winder applies
A critical amount of tension
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00:14:39,965 --> 00:14:42,896
As it wraps the bronze wiring
Around the core.
248
00:14:50,724 --> 00:14:55,620
They're bundled up like straw,
144 wires to the bunch.
249
00:14:59,379 --> 00:15:02,344
Guitar strings
Are also made from nylon.
250
00:15:02,344 --> 00:15:05,379
They hook the nylon
Core material onto a winder,
251
00:15:05,379 --> 00:15:07,551
Pulling it down
From a big spool.
252
00:15:09,758 --> 00:15:14,000
Next, they loop silver-plated
Copper wrap wire onto the nylon.
253
00:15:16,413 --> 00:15:19,241
The hook spins,
And this coils the wrap wire
254
00:15:19,241 --> 00:15:22,379
Around the nylon string
Binding it.
255
00:15:22,379 --> 00:15:25,448
Again, a carriage system,
Run by an electric motor,
256
00:15:25,448 --> 00:15:28,793
Ensures that everything
Falls into place.
257
00:15:28,793 --> 00:15:33,000
A worker removes the strings
And hangs them on a rack.
258
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,206
Gravity causes the strings
To slide into a station
259
00:15:36,206 --> 00:15:41,068
Where workers coil them and then
Place them on a conveyor belt.
260
00:15:41,068 --> 00:15:44,448
Further down the line, another
Worker puts them in a bag
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00:15:44,448 --> 00:15:47,758
That has a gas-neutralizing
Barrier built into the plastic
262
00:15:47,758 --> 00:15:49,862
To prevent corrosion.
263
00:15:51,689 --> 00:15:55,000
And now these strings
Are ready for some playing.
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00:16:15,068 --> 00:16:18,241
Narrator: throughout history,
Wigs were status symbols --
265
00:16:18,241 --> 00:16:20,344
Hence the term "Bigwig."
266
00:16:20,344 --> 00:16:22,344
One early wig-making technique
267
00:16:22,344 --> 00:16:24,827
Was to use goatskin
To simulate a scalp
268
00:16:24,827 --> 00:16:28,310
And then hook hair into it
With an embroidery needle.
269
00:16:28,310 --> 00:16:31,413
Today, animal skin
Is no longer used.
270
00:16:38,586 --> 00:16:41,344
These days,
Wigs can look so real
271
00:16:41,344 --> 00:16:43,896
That no one would notice.
272
00:16:43,896 --> 00:16:46,034
To make a custom wig,
273
00:16:46,034 --> 00:16:49,275
A wig master measures the
Client's head from all angles,
274
00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:52,000
Because heads
Come in many shapes and sizes.
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00:16:54,241 --> 00:16:55,931
He wraps her head
In cellophane,
276
00:16:55,931 --> 00:16:58,827
Twisting it just under
The earlobes.
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00:16:58,827 --> 00:17:02,896
Next, he sticks filament tape
All over the cellophane wrap.
278
00:17:02,896 --> 00:17:06,000
He layers it four times
To make a cast.
279
00:17:08,137 --> 00:17:11,793
He lifts the tape and
Cellophane cast from her head
280
00:17:11,793 --> 00:17:14,689
And places it
On a wig block,
281
00:17:14,689 --> 00:17:17,655
A head shape
Made of canvas or wood.
282
00:17:17,655 --> 00:17:21,517
Using a grease pencil,
He traces around the cast,
283
00:17:21,517 --> 00:17:24,689
Making a pattern of the client's
Hairline on the wig block.
284
00:17:28,344 --> 00:17:32,068
The wig master then cuts pieces
Of plain blue paper.
285
00:17:32,068 --> 00:17:35,034
He pins it on the wig block
Within the pattern lines.
286
00:17:35,034 --> 00:17:36,586
The paper will prevent light
287
00:17:36,586 --> 00:17:39,000
From reflecting into his eyes
As he works.
288
00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,965
Now he places a large-sized
Polyester-and-cotton lace
289
00:17:43,965 --> 00:17:45,137
On the block
290
00:17:45,137 --> 00:17:47,448
And cuts it
To pencilled outline.
291
00:17:47,448 --> 00:17:50,103
He pins a finer lace
From front to back,
292
00:17:50,103 --> 00:17:52,103
Pleating the edges with pins.
293
00:17:54,275 --> 00:17:57,827
He pulls open a drawer
Full of real and fake hair,
294
00:17:57,827 --> 00:18:00,379
And it's hard to tell
The difference between them.
295
00:18:00,379 --> 00:18:04,241
He chooses a tail of synthetic
Hair labelled "Venetian blond."
296
00:18:06,793 --> 00:18:08,965
Pieces of pink and orange
Synthetic hair
297
00:18:08,965 --> 00:18:11,448
Will be blended into
The venetian blond tresses
298
00:18:11,448 --> 00:18:13,413
To create dramatic highlights.
299
00:18:15,413 --> 00:18:17,413
This is the tool for the job.
300
00:18:17,413 --> 00:18:20,310
It's a giant comb
With rows of sharp steel teeth.
301
00:18:20,310 --> 00:18:22,724
It's called a hackle.
302
00:18:25,965 --> 00:18:28,931
The wig master places the
Venetian blond synthetic hair
303
00:18:28,931 --> 00:18:30,655
Between the teeth of the hackle
304
00:18:30,655 --> 00:18:33,862
And sets the bright pink
And orange locks on top.
305
00:18:39,241 --> 00:18:43,137
Now he repeatedly drags the hair
Through the hackle.
306
00:18:43,137 --> 00:18:45,620
He loses some strands
In the comb,
307
00:18:45,620 --> 00:18:48,413
But those are usually
The weaker ones.
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00:18:48,413 --> 00:18:50,586
This is called hackling,
309
00:18:50,586 --> 00:18:53,655
And the action gets
Progressively more vigorous.
310
00:18:53,655 --> 00:18:57,655
He twists and twirls the tail as
He pulls it through the hackle.
311
00:18:57,655 --> 00:18:59,620
This is actually dangerous work.
312
00:18:59,620 --> 00:19:01,000
One wrong move
313
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,724
And he could pierce his hand
On the barbed comb.
314
00:19:11,758 --> 00:19:14,413
Once the hair is blended,
He cuts it in two.
315
00:19:14,413 --> 00:19:17,068
Then he presses the hair
Into little metal pins
316
00:19:17,068 --> 00:19:19,103
On a leather holding card.
317
00:19:19,103 --> 00:19:21,931
The pins on a top card interlock
With the bottom one.
318
00:19:28,379 --> 00:19:32,448
He pulls hair out of the holding
Cards a few strands at a time.
319
00:19:32,448 --> 00:19:35,689
With a small needle
That looks like a fishing hook,
320
00:19:35,689 --> 00:19:37,655
He knots the strands
Into the lace
321
00:19:37,655 --> 00:19:39,413
Beginning at the nape.
322
00:19:39,413 --> 00:19:41,275
This is called ventilating.
323
00:19:41,275 --> 00:19:43,310
It's very similar
To rug hooking.
324
00:19:43,310 --> 00:19:47,965
In fact, it may be why toupees
Are often referred to as rugs.
325
00:19:49,931 --> 00:19:52,275
Ventilating is labor-intensive.
326
00:19:52,275 --> 00:19:54,103
He spends a minimum of 50 hours
327
00:19:54,103 --> 00:19:56,103
Knotting the thousands
Of strands
328
00:19:56,103 --> 00:19:58,000
That it takes to make a wig.
329
00:20:08,896 --> 00:20:12,068
Partway into the job,
He combs out any tangles
330
00:20:12,068 --> 00:20:15,448
And flounces the hair
To make sure it moves naturally.
331
00:20:17,586 --> 00:20:20,896
Wigs for film and tv
Are usually made by hand
332
00:20:20,896 --> 00:20:22,241
Rather than machine
333
00:20:22,241 --> 00:20:24,793
Because the result
Is more authentic-looking.
334
00:20:24,793 --> 00:20:26,551
Because the camera tells all,
335
00:20:26,551 --> 00:20:28,724
The wigs need to look
As real as possible.
336
00:20:35,862 --> 00:20:39,137
He weaves the front of the wig
One strand at a time,
337
00:20:39,137 --> 00:20:42,620
Because the front hairline
Always gets the most scrutiny.
338
00:20:48,379 --> 00:20:53,551
Now it's time for the fitting
And the transformation.
339
00:20:53,551 --> 00:20:55,724
The wig needs
A little styling...
340
00:20:57,689 --> 00:21:01,137
...And he trims the ends.
341
00:21:01,137 --> 00:21:04,344
He cuts away the extra lace,
And voilĂ .
342
00:21:04,344 --> 00:21:06,689
She's ready
To let her synthetic hair down
343
00:21:06,689 --> 00:21:08,655
And get into her new role.
344
00:21:08,655 --> 00:21:11,655
--captions by vitac--
Www.Vitac.Com
345
00:21:11,655 --> 00:21:14,655
Captions paid for by
Discovery communications, inc.
346
00:21:18,275 --> 00:21:20,793
If you have any comments
About the show,
347
00:21:20,793 --> 00:21:23,275
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Topics for future shows,
348
00:21:23,275 --> 00:21:24,965
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