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--captions by vitac--
Www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by
Discovery communications
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Narrator: after water,
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Tea is the most consumed
Beverage in the world.
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The different types
Are determined by
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The degree to which
The producer
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Lets the harvested leaves
Oxidize
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00:00:59,965 --> 00:01:01,896
Before drying them.
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Green tea, for example,
Is barely fermented,
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Whereas black tea
Is greatly fermented.
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Oolong falls
Somewhere in between.
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In chinese,
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Oolong means "Black dragon."
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It's a semi-oxidized tea
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Fermented more than green tea,
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Yet less than black tea.
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Its taste, aroma, and color,
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From light yellow to dark red,
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Vary according to how
The tea leaves are processed.
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This amber oolong
Produced in thailand
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Has a rich, smooth
Roasted taste.
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Like most teas,
Oolong is made from
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The leaves of
A flowering plant species
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Called camellia sinensis.
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Harvest time is during
The plant's peak growing season,
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Which, in thailand,
Is from may to november.
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Workers handpick
What's known as the flush,
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A grouping of
Two young leaves and a bud,
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Which grows
Out the top of the plant.
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At this time of year,
The plant produces a new flush
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Every 7 to 15 days.
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An experienced tea master
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Directs
Every phase of the processing,
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The first step of which
Is called solar withering.
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Workers bring the leaves
Into a glass-roofed building,
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Then spread them out in the sun
For 15 to 20 minutes.
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This kick-starts the
Oxidization fermentation process
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As the chlorophyll enzymes
Inside the wilting leaves
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Start breaking down.
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At the same time, the moisture
Inside begins evaporating.
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Workers
Keep moving the leaves around
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To ensure
A thorough exposure to the sun.
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Then they gather up the leaves
For step two --
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Indoor withering.
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The leaves lie on bamboo trays
For six to eight hours,
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Where, gently stirred
Every two hours,
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They oxidize further.
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Step three -- disruption.
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The leaves go into
A rotating drum.
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As they tumble,
They bruise and tear.
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This breaks down
The cell structures,
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Enabling oxygen
To penetrate deep inside,
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Greatly accelerating
Fermentation.
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This also releases
The leaf juices,
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Which help draw out
The taste of the tea.
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When the tea master determines
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The leaves
Have sufficiently oxidized,
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They stop the oxidation process
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By tumbling the leaves
In a gas-heated dryer
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For 10 to 15 minutes.
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This fourth step of the process
Is called fixation
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Because it fixes the oxidization
At the desired level,
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00:03:47,724 --> 00:03:50,931
Which can be anywhere from
8% to 85%,
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00:03:50,931 --> 00:03:54,862
Depending on the
Variety of oolong in production.
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This is the most critical
Part of the process
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Because it determines the tea's
Taste, aroma, and color.
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The next step forms the
Tea leaves into tiny pellets.
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First, workers shake the leaves
On a sieve
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To filter out
The dust-like particles.
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Then they bag the leaves
In a cotton cloth
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And place them
First in a kneading machine,
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Then afterward
In a rolling press.
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Kneading and rolling the bag
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Twists the leaves inside
Into tiny pellets.
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Forming these pellet shapes
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Intensifies
The flavor of the tea,
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And, when the tea is
Steeped in hot water,
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Releases that flavor slowly.
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They repeat the sieving,
Kneading, and rolling cycle
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Up to 35 times
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Until the tea master
Is satisfied with the result.
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Then and only then
Does the final step begin --
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Firing.
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They transfer the tea
To an oven,
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In which it undergoes
Three drying cycles
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Of 20 minutes each
At a temperature of
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Approximately
210 degrees fahrenheit.
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This dries the damp tea,
Reducing the moisture content
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To the target level of
Less than 5%.
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The firing
Also brings out the fragrance.
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The traditional way to
Brew oolong is in a clay teapot,
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Using about
2 teaspoons of tea per cup.
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Ideally, the water should be
190 to 210 degrees fahrenheit.
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Steeping time
Is from 3 to 10 minutes,
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And you can brew the same leaves
Up to five times.
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Narrator: originally crafted
From stone by the greeks,
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Finials are still on top.
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Perched on peaks and gables,
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These roof ornaments
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Are a crowning touch
To any structure.
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They can make
Even an ordinary home
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Look a little more grand,
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And after all,
Every home is someone's castle.
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On many structures,
Finials still rule the roof
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And give people
A reason to look up.
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The design of these
Roof ornaments usually reflects
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The style of the building
And the owner's taste.
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They're often custom made
For the client
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And entirely hand crafted.
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To make a copper finial,
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The artisan first
Draws the design on paper.
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Like many finials,
This one will have a point,
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A central orb,
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And skirting.
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Once the design has been
Approved by the client,
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He draws larger versions of it
Onto poster board.
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They'll serve as templates
For the copper parts.
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Here, he draws the patterns
For the elaborate scroll work.
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To execute the design,
He gets creative.
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00:07:15,827 --> 00:07:19,827
He uses copper refrigerator
Tubing to make the scrollwork.
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00:07:19,827 --> 00:07:22,310
It's malleable
And can easily be shaped.
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He positions a pipe cutter
Device at the cut line.
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00:07:26,068 --> 00:07:28,758
The device grips the tubing,
But can still be turned
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00:07:28,758 --> 00:07:31,137
To cut the pipe cleanly
At the desired location.
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00:07:32,689 --> 00:07:35,034
He flattens one end
With a sledgehammer
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So it can be
Tucked into a groove
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00:07:36,862 --> 00:07:40,103
In this large pvc plumbing pipe.
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With the end secured,
He physically
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00:07:45,034 --> 00:07:47,413
Bends the copper tubing
Around this pipe
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00:07:47,413 --> 00:07:50,448
To give it
The desired curvature.
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00:07:57,310 --> 00:07:59,793
He compares the curvature
To that of the pattern
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And makes adjustments.
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He continues shaping the pipe,
Now using
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Only the scrollwork pattern
As a guide.
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He'll make several of
These copper scrollwork parts
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For one roof ornament.
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00:08:15,137 --> 00:08:17,206
With an etching tool,
He now traces
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The shape
Of the skirting pattern
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00:08:18,724 --> 00:08:21,517
Onto copper roof sheeting.
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00:08:24,931 --> 00:08:27,517
He cuts reference points
For the bends
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And removes the pattern.
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00:08:30,413 --> 00:08:34,965
He then extends the bend lines
With the etching tool.
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He now cuts out
The skirting part
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With standard hand shears
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00:08:40,586 --> 00:08:42,758
Following the etched outline.
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00:08:46,172 --> 00:08:48,241
One last trim along the edge,
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00:08:48,241 --> 00:08:52,000
And the skirting is ready for
The sheet metal bending machine.
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He clamps it into place
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00:08:55,517 --> 00:08:58,344
And pulls a handle
To apply hydraulic pressure
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00:08:58,344 --> 00:09:02,206
And bend the part
Along the etched lines.
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He repositions the skirting
And bends it
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00:09:07,689 --> 00:09:10,310
At the next
Etched marking point.
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He continues until there are
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Six evenly spaced folds
In the copper.
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This transforms it into
A hexagonal pyramid.
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To seal it where the ends meet,
He prepares the surface.
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00:09:27,931 --> 00:09:31,103
He applies an acid called flux
To clean the copper.
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00:09:34,344 --> 00:09:38,000
He ignites the torch
And melts solder into the seam.
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00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,275
The solder
Is half-lead and half-tin
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And provides a good seal.
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He sands the soldered seam
Against a fine, abrasive belt
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To blend it with the copper.
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The finial skirting
Is now complete.
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00:09:59,689 --> 00:10:03,689
He now drills holes
Into a hollow copper orb.
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He slides the orb onto
A long copper spike
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That's been installed
In the base.
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He cleans the copper
Where the two parts meet
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And solders them together.
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00:10:22,344 --> 00:10:24,172
He adds a second smaller orb
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And the extravagant scrollwork.
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He now solders the spiked cap
To the finial.
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This adds height and drama
To the rooftop ornament.
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This finial is now complete
And ready for high places.
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Making one has truly been
A pinnacle achievement.
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Narrator: artificial flowers
Have been used as decorations
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For hundreds of years.
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Initially,
Silk flowers made in china
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Were displayed in homes
And not commercially sold.
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00:11:15,448 --> 00:11:17,517
As far back as the 12th century,
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00:11:17,517 --> 00:11:21,793
Italian flower makers using
Dye-colored silkworm cocoons
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Were the first to sell
Their floral arrangements.
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Modern imitations of
Natural flowering plants
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Are endless in variety,
Stunning in color,
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With realism so impressive,
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00:11:33,586 --> 00:11:36,206
They can look and feel like
The real thing.
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00:11:36,206 --> 00:11:40,517
Since the '70s, most are
Made of polyester fabrics.
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A worker
Places an iron cutter blade
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00:11:42,827 --> 00:11:45,172
On top of non-woven polyester
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00:11:45,172 --> 00:11:47,896
And then applies several tons
Of hydraulic pressure
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To complete the cuts.
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00:11:49,344 --> 00:11:52,965
The result is
20 layers of flower petals.
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00:11:52,965 --> 00:11:55,655
The worker wraps
Piles of 100 petals
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00:11:55,655 --> 00:11:59,241
In elastic bands
And sets them aside.
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00:11:59,241 --> 00:12:03,137
Another worker places petals
Into a heated mold
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00:12:03,137 --> 00:12:06,068
To give the fabric texture.
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00:12:06,068 --> 00:12:08,000
Using a glue gun,
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00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,896
A worker completes
The flower's petal structure
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00:12:10,896 --> 00:12:12,586
By assembling
Two different shapes
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00:12:12,586 --> 00:12:15,275
Of non-woven polyester petals.
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00:12:18,931 --> 00:12:20,793
This is part of the flower head.
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00:12:20,793 --> 00:12:22,517
In the coloring department,
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00:12:22,517 --> 00:12:25,310
A worker paints the
Pieces of non-woven polyester
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00:12:25,310 --> 00:12:27,137
Using watercolor.
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00:12:27,137 --> 00:12:29,241
She paints
The edges of the flower heads
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00:12:29,241 --> 00:12:32,620
In bundles of 100 at a time.
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00:12:32,620 --> 00:12:35,137
The painted flower heads
Go into a microwave
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00:12:35,137 --> 00:12:37,103
For two to five minutes.
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00:12:39,103 --> 00:12:41,827
The dried flower heads
Now undergo silk screening
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00:12:41,827 --> 00:12:46,482
One at a time
Using acrylic paint.
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00:12:46,482 --> 00:12:47,896
Customers can choose among
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More than 50 different
Color patterns.
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The flower heads
Have been pressed
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00:12:55,724 --> 00:12:58,620
To simulate natural curving.
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00:12:58,620 --> 00:12:59,758
Using a glue gun,
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00:12:59,758 --> 00:13:01,931
A worker
Connects the flower head
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00:13:01,931 --> 00:13:06,620
To the petals of
This phalaenopsis orchid.
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00:13:06,620 --> 00:13:07,931
The goal is not only to
218
00:13:07,931 --> 00:13:10,241
Make the flowers
Look as real as possible.
219
00:13:10,241 --> 00:13:13,344
It's also to make them
Feel as real as possible,
220
00:13:13,344 --> 00:13:16,448
Which takes us to
The next stage.
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00:13:16,448 --> 00:13:20,000
An employee
Puts two flowers together...
222
00:13:22,965 --> 00:13:25,551
...Lines them up,
Then adds a stick,
223
00:13:25,551 --> 00:13:28,862
Which will be held
In the next part of the process.
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00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,482
She encircles them tightly
With an elastic band.
225
00:13:35,482 --> 00:13:38,724
Another worker
Dips the two flowers in polymer,
226
00:13:38,724 --> 00:13:41,689
Which helps make them
Feel real to the touch.
227
00:13:41,689 --> 00:13:43,448
She spins the flowers to remove
228
00:13:43,448 --> 00:13:47,103
As much excess polymer
As possible.
229
00:13:47,103 --> 00:13:50,689
Workers then brush
Excess polymer from the petals.
230
00:13:54,793 --> 00:13:57,551
A worker
Attaches flower buds to the stem
231
00:13:57,551 --> 00:13:59,931
Using green floral tape.
232
00:13:59,931 --> 00:14:02,413
She attaches
The petals and flower head
233
00:14:02,413 --> 00:14:05,310
And continues to wrap the stem
In floral tape
234
00:14:05,310 --> 00:14:08,482
Until the entire length
Is covered.
235
00:14:11,724 --> 00:14:14,344
To make the leaves
Feel real to the touch,
236
00:14:14,344 --> 00:14:16,310
A worker dips them in polymer
237
00:14:16,310 --> 00:14:19,896
And wipes off any excess
With her fingers.
238
00:14:27,034 --> 00:14:29,655
After one hour of drying,
The worker
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00:14:29,655 --> 00:14:32,000
Dips the same leaves
In green polymer.
240
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,517
Again, she removes any excess
241
00:14:34,517 --> 00:14:40,000
And sets the leaves aside
For another hour of drying.
242
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,068
Once they're dry, another worker
Gives the leaves
243
00:14:43,068 --> 00:14:44,965
A final coat of polymer paint.
244
00:14:44,965 --> 00:14:48,275
She removes the excess
And sets the leaves aside
245
00:14:48,275 --> 00:14:50,758
For yet another hour of drying.
246
00:14:50,758 --> 00:14:54,275
All the drying is done
At room temperature.
247
00:14:55,965 --> 00:14:58,551
Now coated with
Several layers of polymer,
248
00:14:58,551 --> 00:15:01,034
The leaves stick to each other.
249
00:15:02,689 --> 00:15:05,137
To fix that, a worker applies
250
00:15:05,137 --> 00:15:09,034
A thin coating of talcum powder
With a sponge.
251
00:15:13,241 --> 00:15:17,517
The coating solves
The problem of sticky leaves.
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With its many components
Fully assembled,
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This finished flower is
A rather dazzling recreation
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Of the cymbidium orchid.
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00:15:27,758 --> 00:15:32,620
Shipping these flowers
Requires careful packaging.
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They wrap the glass vase
In clear plastic...
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...And place it securely
Inside a polystyrene base.
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The flower is lowered
Into the box upside down.
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00:15:49,689 --> 00:15:51,827
The base is snug enough
To keep the flower from
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00:15:51,827 --> 00:15:53,586
Moving inside the box,
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00:15:53,586 --> 00:15:57,724
Which the worker then
Seals shut for shipping.
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00:15:57,724 --> 00:15:59,724
Authentic looking and feeling,
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These striking flowers are
Sure to make any decor blossom.
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Narrator:
Higher-end cars typically
Come with alloy wheels
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Rather than basic steel wheels
Covered with a hubcap.
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Called mag wheels, because
When they first came out,
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00:16:22,206 --> 00:16:24,655
They were made of
An alloy of magnesium.
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Today's alloy wheels are made of
An aluminum alloy,
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Which is far more durable.
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00:16:31,965 --> 00:16:34,034
Aluminum alloy wheels
Are not only
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More attractive than
Standard wheels.
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They're also
A fraction of the weight,
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And therefore
Require less energy to rotate.
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This contributes to
Greater fuel efficiency
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As well as better handling,
Acceleration, and braking.
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00:16:48,172 --> 00:16:51,793
Manufacturing them begins with
High-grade aluminum alloy
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Containing 97% aluminum.
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00:16:54,862 --> 00:16:59,275
A furnace heats the ingots to
Over 1,300 degrees fahrenheit.
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They liquify
In about 25 minutes.
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The molten aluminum
Then flows directly to a mixer
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00:17:05,551 --> 00:17:08,034
In which they inject argon gas,
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00:17:08,034 --> 00:17:11,137
Which enables them to
Remove the hydrogen.
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00:17:11,137 --> 00:17:13,034
This increases the density,
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00:17:13,034 --> 00:17:15,965
Making the aluminum
Less porous when solidified.
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00:17:15,965 --> 00:17:19,000
After adding
Powdered titanium, magnesium,
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00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,413
And other metallic elements to
Further strengthen the aluminum,
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00:17:22,413 --> 00:17:24,931
They blend in flux,
A chemical which
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00:17:24,931 --> 00:17:28,068
Draws aluminum oxide
To the surface.
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00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,344
They skim off this impurity
Along with the flux,
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And the liquid aluminum
Is ready for casting.
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The wheel mold is made of
High-strength steel.
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00:17:41,758 --> 00:17:43,862
It's actually
A set of three molds --
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00:17:43,862 --> 00:17:47,724
The upper mold, which forms
The inside face of the wheel,
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00:17:47,724 --> 00:17:51,482
The 4-part side mold,
Which forms the wheel's edge,
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00:17:51,482 --> 00:17:54,724
And the lower mold,
Which forms the outer face.
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00:17:54,724 --> 00:17:56,724
That's the side with the design,
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00:17:56,724 --> 00:17:59,689
So this is
The most intricate mold.
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00:18:01,793 --> 00:18:05,896
It takes three to four weeks
To produce a mold.
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00:18:05,896 --> 00:18:07,379
Computer simulations check
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00:18:07,379 --> 00:18:10,137
The flow and temperature
Of the liquid aluminum,
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00:18:10,137 --> 00:18:13,793
Factors critical for
Preventing casting defects.
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The casting machine
Is designed to
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00:18:15,482 --> 00:18:19,310
Fill the mold from the bottom
By pressurized injection.
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00:18:19,310 --> 00:18:21,379
Injecting upward
Through the bottom,
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00:18:21,379 --> 00:18:23,896
Rather than pouring downward
Into the top,
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Reduces the risk of air bubbles,
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00:18:25,862 --> 00:18:28,275
Which cause defects.
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00:18:28,275 --> 00:18:30,586
Right before casting,
The molten metal
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Flows through a filter sheet
Made of
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High-temperature-resistant
Ceramic.
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This traps
Additional aluminum oxide.
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00:18:37,620 --> 00:18:39,827
Once cast, the aluminum takes
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00:18:39,827 --> 00:18:42,620
About 7 to 10 minutes
To solidify.
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00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:44,793
Then the mold
Automatically opens,
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00:18:44,793 --> 00:18:48,172
Releasing the newly cast wheel.
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00:18:48,172 --> 00:18:50,724
Workers
Submerge it in lukewarm water
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00:18:50,724 --> 00:18:53,241
For a few minutes.
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00:18:53,241 --> 00:18:56,172
This cools it down enough
To be handled.
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00:19:03,137 --> 00:19:06,206
The wheel undergoes
A complex heat treatment process
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00:19:06,206 --> 00:19:09,724
That takes 12 hours
From start to finish.
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00:19:09,724 --> 00:19:13,793
First, they heat the wheel
To 900 degrees fahrenheit.
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This rearranges
The molecular structure,
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Strengthening the metal.
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00:19:18,896 --> 00:19:21,482
Next, what's known as quenching.
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00:19:21,482 --> 00:19:25,448
They submerge the wheel in
80-degree water for 30 seconds.
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00:19:25,448 --> 00:19:28,241
This locks in that new strength.
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00:19:28,241 --> 00:19:30,206
Then they reheat the wheel,
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00:19:30,206 --> 00:19:33,172
This time
To 180 degrees for nine hours
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00:19:33,172 --> 00:19:36,413
To further stabilize the metal.
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00:19:36,413 --> 00:19:39,551
The wheel doesn't come out of
The mold in perfect condition.
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00:19:39,551 --> 00:19:41,137
The edges are rough, due to
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00:19:41,137 --> 00:19:43,758
Some excess metal
That has to be trimmed off.
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00:19:43,758 --> 00:19:47,068
So they mount the wheel
On a computer-guided lathe.
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00:19:47,068 --> 00:19:49,551
It precision-machines the sides,
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00:19:49,551 --> 00:19:52,931
Refining them to
Within 0.05 millimeters
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00:19:52,931 --> 00:19:57,137
Of the measurements specified
In the technical drawings.
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00:19:57,137 --> 00:19:59,413
As for the more intricate
Base of the wheel,
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00:19:59,413 --> 00:20:03,068
A worker manually
Trims the edges with a blade.
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00:20:09,586 --> 00:20:12,758
The shape now finalized,
It's time to test the wheel
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00:20:12,758 --> 00:20:16,103
To make sure it's airtight.
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00:20:16,103 --> 00:20:17,896
While pumping air
Into the wheel,
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00:20:17,896 --> 00:20:19,724
They submerge it in water.
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00:20:19,724 --> 00:20:21,206
Should any air bubbles appear,
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00:20:21,206 --> 00:20:23,482
It would mean
There's a pinhole in the metal
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00:20:23,482 --> 00:20:24,931
Or some shrinkage,
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00:20:24,931 --> 00:20:27,689
In which case,
The wheel would fail inspection.
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00:20:27,689 --> 00:20:29,275
No air bubbles.
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00:20:29,275 --> 00:20:32,172
The wheel proceeds to
The automated painting line.
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00:20:32,172 --> 00:20:35,000
First, a base coat,
Then a coat of color,
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00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,758
Which can be anything from
Classic silver or black
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00:20:37,758 --> 00:20:39,551
To a flashier shade.
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00:20:39,551 --> 00:20:44,103
Then a clear coat to protect
The paint and prevent corrosion.
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00:20:44,103 --> 00:20:46,724
From every 1,500 or so wheels,
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00:20:46,724 --> 00:20:49,000
The factory
Randomly selects two or three
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00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,275
To test for
Performance and wear.
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00:20:52,275 --> 00:20:54,137
Workers install
The decorative cap
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00:20:54,137 --> 00:20:56,068
That covers the center hub.
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00:20:56,068 --> 00:20:59,482
It typically bears the specific
Brand's logo.
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00:20:59,482 --> 00:21:01,896
Then a final
Cosmetic inspection
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00:21:01,896 --> 00:21:04,068
To make sure
These aluminum alloy wheels
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00:21:04,068 --> 00:21:07,068
Look as good as they perform.
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00:21:17,827 --> 00:21:20,000
If you have any comments
About the show,
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00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,620
Or if you'd like to suggest
Topics for future shows,
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00:21:22,620 --> 00:21:24,000
Drop us a line at...
28802
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