Original subtitles

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

>> Narrator: TODAY ON

"HOW IT'S MADE," BOOMERANGS...

BARBECUES...

PINBALL MACHINES...

AND STROBE LIGHTS.

>> BOOMERANG IS A THROWBACK TO

PRIMITIVE TIMES.

BACK THEN, PEOPLE THREW STICKS

TO HUNT AND THAT'S LIKELY HOW

THEY DISCOVERED THAT CERTAIN

BENT STICKS WOULD CIRCLE BACK.

BOOMERANGS HAVE COME A LONG WAY

SINCE THEN AND ARE NOW FINELY

CRAFTED WORKS OF ART.

>> Narrator: BOOMERANGS COME IN

MANY SHAPES, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY,

THEY ARE ALL SINGLE-WING

AIRCRAFT.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS WITH A SOLID

PIECE OF WOOD.

THIS TREE'S GROWTH RINGS HAVE

BEEN HIGHLIGHTED TO DEMONSTRATE

HOW COMPRESSED THE OUTER RINGS

BECOME.

BECAUSE THE WOOD FROM THIS

SECTION IS DENSER THAN THE INNER

RINGS, IT'S EASIER TO WORK WITH.

A WOODWORKER TAKES 16 STRIPS OF

THAT DENSE WOOD AND PLACES THEM

IN A STEAM BOX FOR 20 MINUTES.

THE STEAM MAKES THE STRIPS MUCH

MORE FLEXIBLE.

IN FACT, THEY'RE SO ELASTIC,

THEY CAN BE BENT BY HAND.

WATCH HOW HE ARCS ALL 16 LAYERS

AT ONCE WITH LITTLE EFFORT.

THE BASIC FORM OF A BOOMERANG

HAS TAKEN SHAPE.

TO IMPROVE THE CONTOUR, THE

STRIPS INTO A BOOMERANG-SHAPED

MOLD.

THEY'LL STAY IN THIS MOLD FOR A

DAY OR TWO, LONG ENOUGH TO DRY

AND HARDEN INTO THE BENT FORM.

NOW IT'S TIME TO LAMINATE THE

WOOD.

GLUE IS SPREAD ONTO EACH BENT

STRIP.

THEN THE STRIPS ARE CLAMPED

TOGETHER AGAIN BACK INTO THE

MOLD.

THIS TIME, THE MOLD HAS BEEN

COATED WITH WAX TO PREVENT THE

GLUE FROM STICKING TO IT.

THE STRIPS ARE LEFT TO SET

OVERNIGHT.

THE NEXT DAY, THE LAMINATED

PIECE OF WOOD IS REMOVED.

IT'S SOLID BUT FAR TOO CHUNKY TO

TAKE FLIGHT.

A WOODWORKER SLICES IT INTO

PIECES 8 TO 12 MILLIMETERS

THICK.

ONE PIECE OF LAMINATED WOOD

YIELDS ABOUT SIX THINNER PIECES,

EACH OF WHICH WILL BECOME A

BOOMERANG IN ITS OWN RIGHT.

BUT IT NEEDS MORE FORM, AND

THOSE ROUGH EDGES HAVE TO GO.

SO A MORE REFINED DESIGN IS

TRACED ONTO THE WOOD AND CUT

OUT.

BUT THERE'S AN EASIER WAY TO

MAKE A BOOMERANG -- WITH STURDY

AIRCRAFT PLYWOOD.

WITH PLYWOOD, THERE'S NO NEED TO

LAMINATE AND THEN PHYSICALLY

BEND THE WOOD.

A WOODWORKER SIMPLY CUTS OUT THE

PATTERN...

THEN SCULPTS THE TOPS OF THE

WINGS WITH A DRUM SANDER.

HE'S MADE THE TOPS OF THE WINGS

CURVE UPWARDS BUT IN OPPOSITE

DIRECTIONS.

IT'S THIS CONTOURING THAT WILL

MAKE THE BOOMERANG FLY IN A

CIRCLE.

ON SOME MODELS, EMBEDDED LEAD

WEIGHTS ARE ADDED FOR IMPROVED

BALANCE.

THAT LAMINATED BOOMERANG GETS

THE SAME CONTOURING BUT FILES

ARE USED INSTEAD OF A DRUM

SANDER.

LAMINATED WOOD RESPONDS BETTER

TO THIS TECHNIQUE, BUT IT'S MUCH

MORE LABOR INTENSIVE AND

REQUIRES SPECIALIZED SKILL.

ONE MISTAKE IN THE SHAPE AND

SIZE AND THE BOOMERANG'S

AERODYNAMICS WILL BE THROWN OFF

KILTER.

BUT OUR WOODWORKER HAS THE JOB

DOWN TO A FINE ART.

TO FINE-TUNE THE BOOMERANG, HE

FIRST SOFTENS IT OVER A STEAMING

KETTLE WHILE TWISTING THE WINGS

INTO AN UPWARD FLIP.

THIS BLOWER DRIES THE WOOD TO

ENSURE IT STAYS FLIPPED.

THEN THE WOODWORKER SETS IT ON A

FLAT SURFACE TO CHECK THE CURVE.

A SEALANT IS SPRAYED ONTO THE

BOOMERANG, AND FINALLY, IT GETS

SEVERAL COATS OF LACQUER FOR A

HIGH-GLOSS FINISH.

AND NOW THESE BOOMERANGS ARE

READY TO FLY.

UP NEXT, IT'S TIME TO GET

GRILLING.

>> Narrator: THE BARBECUE'S

ORIGINS ARE CLOUDED IN A BIT OF

A SMOKY HAZE, BUT IT'S BELIEVED

THAT NATIVE CARIBBEANS WERE THE

FIRST TO COOK THIS WAY.

OF COURSE, BACK THEN, THEY

DIDN'T HAVE CHARCOAL GRILLS.

THEY ROASTED MEAT OVER A SMOKY

PIT.

TODAY, PEOPLE STILL LOVE A GOOD

COOKOUT, BUT NOW WE HAVE BETTER

EQUIPMENT.

BASIC CHARCOAL GRILLS BEGIN WITH

BIG STEEL DISKS.

ROLLERS COAT EACH ONE WITH

SOAPY LUBRICANT.

THEN THEY'RE FED INTO A PRESS

THAT SHAPES EACH ONE INTO A BIG

BOWL.

MOLDING STEEL CAN BE TRICKY.

IF IT'S NOT LUBRICATED ENOUGH,

IT COULD TEAR INSTEAD OF BEND,

SO WORKERS NEED TO MAKE SURE

EACH DISK GETS A GENEROUS

APPLICATION OF THE SOAPY

SOLUTION BEFORE IT GOES INTO THE

PRESS.

THIS IS A BACK VIEW OF THE

PRESS.

WITH EACH POWERFUL THRUST, THE

RAM DELIVERS 500 TONS OF

PRESSURE.

A SIMILAR TYPE OF PRESS MAKES

THE BARBECUES' LIDS.

AN OPERATOR INSPECTS EACH PART

FOR SPLITS AND CRACKS.

THEN IT'S OVER TO A PRESS THAT

TRIMS THE RIM.

THE SCRAP IS TOSSED INTO A BIN

FOR RECYCLING.

NEXT, THE BARBECUE BOWL SPINS

AROUND WHILE AN AUTOMATED ROLLER

FLANGES THE RIM.

AFTER THAT, HOLES ARE PUNCHED

INTO THE BOWL FOR VENTILATION.

NOW IT'S TIME TO BRING IN THE

WELDING GUNS.

THE GUNS FUSE METAL COUPLINGS TO

THE BOWLS TO SERVE AS

ATTACHMENTS FOR THE BARBECUE'S

LEGS.

HERE HANDLES ARE LOWED INTO AN

ASSEMBLY MACHINE.

BELOW, A TURNTABLE SWINGS THE

BARBECUE BOWLS INTO POSITION,

THEN THE HANDLES ARE WELDED TO

EACH SIDE.

AT ANOTHER STATION, THE BARBECUE

LIDS GET A HANDLE OF THEIR OWN.

NO CHEF CAN CHECK THE PROGRESS

OF A BURGER WITHOUT THIS

ESSENTIAL PART.

THIS ONE WILL ALLOW THE CHEF TO

LOWER THE LID, TO CONTROL THE

COOKING TEMPERATURE, AND THEN

LIFT IT AGAIN WHEN IT'S TIME TO

FLIP THE BURGERS.

THE BARBECUE PARTS NOW TRAVEL ON

AN OVERHEAD RAIL TO THE WASH

STATION.

THEY'RE HOSED DOWN WITH SOAPY

WATER, THEN RINSED CLEAN.

ONCE THEY'RE DRY, IT'S OFF TO

THE FINISHING DEPARTMENT.

HERE THE PARTS ARE DUSTED WITH

A GLASS POWDER.

THEN IT'S INTO A RED-HOT FURNACE

SET TO 1,500 DEGREES.

THE FURNACE BAKES THE GLASS DUST

INTO AN ENAMEL FINISH THAT

PROTECTS THE BARBECUE FROM RUST

AND STAINS SO THEY'LL LAST FOR

YEARS.

NEXT, THEY GO UNDER INTENSE

LIGHTS THAT EXPOSE ANY DEFECTS

IN WHAT SHOULD BE A MIRROR-LIKE

FINISH.

AN INSPECTOR EXAMINES EACH PART

INSIDE AND OUT.

A PUNCH MACHINE NOW MAKES

DAMPERS FROM ALUMINUM.

IT SIMULTANEOUSLY CUTS THE

SHAPES AND EMBOSSES THE

COMPANY'S LOGO ONTO THEM.

THIS HANDY ATTACHMENT ENABLES

THE CHEF TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF

AIR TO THE GRILL.

NYLON GRIPS GO ONTO THE HANDLE.

AND THE DAMPER IS INSTALLED OVER

THE LID'S VENTILATION HOLES.

IT'S UP TO THE CONSUMER TO

COMPLETE THE FINAL ASSEMBLY, AND

IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, THE

BURGERS COULD BE GRILLING.

COMING UP, A HIGH WIRE AT A

PINBALL FACTORY.

>> Narrator: BEFORE VIDEO GAMES,

THE PINBALL MACHINE REIGNED

SUPREME.

YOU PULL A PLUNGER TO GET THE

BALL ROLLING, AND AS YOUR

FLIPPERS SEND THE SILVER SPHERE

FLYING, THE MACHINE COMES TO

LIFE WITH FLASHING LIGHTS AND

CLANGING BELLS.

NO WONDER IT'S NOT YET GAME OVER

FOR PINBALL.

THE GAME OF PINBALL IS

UNPROGRAMMED AND UNPREDICTABLE.

IT ALL STARTS WITH REAMS OF

WIRING FOR THE GAME'S ELECTRONIC

SYSTEM.

THERE'S ALMOST HALF A MILE OF

WIRING IN ONE MACHINE ALONE.

THE COLOR-CODED WIRE IS WOUND

AROUND PINS AND ATTACHED TO

CONNECTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.

TECHNICIANS FOLLOW A DETAILED

SET OF INSTRUCTIONS, AND AN

ENGINEERING DIAGRAM KEEPS THINGS

FROM GETTING IN A TANGLE.

ONCE THE WIRES ARE ALL LAID OUT,

THEY'RE REMOVED IN LOOSELY TIED

BUNCHES AND DIPPED INTO A HOT

METAL SOUP TO SOLDER THEM

TOGETHER.

BUT NOT ALL WIRES ARE SOLDERED.

SOME GET ATTACHMENTS CALLED

LUGS.

THESE CONNECTORS ARE CRIMPED

ONTO THE ENDS OF THE WIRES WITH

A HYDRAULIC MACHINE.

EVENTUALLY, THE LUGS WILL BE

USED TO CONNECT WIRES TO

ATTACHMENTS ON THE PLAY FIELD.

BUT FIRST, THE CABLE IS HOOKED

UP TO A TESTING BOARD WHERE

TECHNICIANS CHECK EVERY CIRCUIT.

MEANWHILE, THE PLAY FIELD IS

PLACED ON A BED OF NAILS AND

FOAM STRIPS.

AS THE NAIL BED RISES AND

PRESSES AGAINST THE HEADER, THE

NAILS PRICK THE BACK OF THE PLAY

BOARD, BUT THE FOAM STRIPS STOP

THEM FROM GOING ALL THE WAY

THROUGH.

THESE NAIL HOLES WILL SERVE AS

MARKERS FOR INSTALLING PINBALL

TARGETS AND TACTICAL FEATURES ON

THE PLAY FIELD.

TECHNICIANS DRILL A FEW HOLES,

THEN COVER THE PLAY FIELD WITH A

METAL TEMPLATE AND DRILL SOME

MORE.

THESE HOLES WILL BE USED TO

MOUNT THE PINBALL GADGETRY ONTO

THE PLAY FIELD.

NEXT, ANCHORS ARE HAMMERED INTO

PLACE.

THEY'LL SECURE THE METAL

RAILINGS THAT KEEP THE SILVER

BALLS FROM ROLLING OFF THE PLAY

FIELD.

A LAMPPOST IS FITTED INTO

PLACE...

FOLLOWED BY SOME PLASTIC BUMPERS

AND 115 FLASHING LIGHTS.

NOW IT'S TIME TO PERMANENTLY

ATTACH ALL THAT WIRING.

SOME ARE SOLDERED DIRECTLY ONTO

THE BOARD.

OTHERS ARE ATTACHED TO SWITCHES.

A SPEAKER IS BOLTED INTO THE

CABINET FOR SOME MAJOR SOUND

EFFECTS.

THEN IT'S TIME FOR THAT

ESSENTIAL TOOL -- THE

SPRING-POWERED PLUNGER.

WORKERS ATTACH A TOY VILLAIN...

AND ADD A RAMP IN THE SHAPE OF A

SWORD, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER

CHARACTERS.

FINALLY, IT'S TIME FOR THE

INAUGURAL RUN.

THE PINBALL IS ROLLED INTO EVERY

TARGET AND MECHANISM TO TEST THE

GAME'S ELECTRONIC SWITCHES.

THERE CAN BE 70 SWITCHES IN A

GAME.

AS TECHNICIANS PRESS ALL THE

BUTTONS, A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM

DIAGNOSES ANY MALFUNCTIONS.

THEY RIGOROUSLY TEST ALL OF THE

GAME'S FEATURES.

IF EVERYTHING WORKS, THE PLAY

FIELD IS INSERTED INTO ITS

CONSOLE.

A SHATTERPROOF WINDOW SLIDES

INTO PLACE TO PROTECT THE PLAY

FIELD FROM OVERENTHUSIASTIC

GAMERS.

A METAL BAR LOCKS THE WINDOW

INTO PLACE.

FINALLY, THE HEADER IS ATTACHED,

AND THIS PINBALL MACHINE IS

WIRED AND READY FOR ACTION.

COMING UP, LITTLE LIGHTS WITH

LOTS OF FLASH.

>> Narrator: STROBE LIGHTS OFTEN

CONJURE UP IMAGES OF '70s

DISCOS.

BUT YOU'LL ALSO FIND STROBE

LAMPS -- THE PROPER TERM, BY THE

WAY -- ON AIRCRAFT WINGS, IN

POLICE LIGHTS, AND ON TOWERS AND

TALL BUILDINGS TO WARN

LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT.

STROBE LIGHTS EVEN PLAY A ROLE

IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND ON FACTORY

PRODUCTION LINES.

A STROBE LAMP EMITS REPEATED

FLASHES OF HIGH-INTENSITY LIGHT.

AT THIS FACTORY, PRODUCTION

BEGINS WITH GLASS BLOWERS.

USING A RIBBON BURNER, THEY HEAT

GLASS TUBES TO ALMOST

3,000 DEGREES.

THIS SOFTENS THE GLASS FOR

BENDING.

BUT IF IT'S TOO SOFT, THE TUBES

WILL COLLAPSE, SO THE

GLASSWORKERS BLOW AIR INTO IT

THROUGH A RUBBER HOSE TO BUILD

COUNTERPRESSURE.

THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE GLASS

TUBES VARIES BY MODEL, BUT ITS

JOB IS ALWAYS THE SAME -- TO

HOUSE A STROBE LAMP'S ESSENTIAL

COMPONENTS -- ELECTRODES, LEAD

WIRES, AND XENON GAS.

THE ELECTRODES CONDUCT THE

CURRENT, WHICH CHARGES THE GAS

WITH ELECTRICITY, MAKING IT

ILLUMINATE.

THIS FACTORY MAKES SEVERAL

STROBE-LAMP MODELS, SOME IN

LARGE QUANTITIES FOR THE MASS

MARKET, OTHERS IN SMALL

QUANTITIES, CUSTOM-DESIGNED FOR

SPECIFIC CLIENTS.

WITH MASS-PRODUCED MODELS,

AUTOMATED MACHINES TAKE OVER

AFTER THE GLASSBLOWING.

CUSTOM ORDERS ARE HANDMADE FROM

START TO FINISH.

WORKERS EVEN MAKE THE ELECTRODES

MANUALLY.

THEY WEIGH A PRECISE AMOUNT OF

METAL POWDER AND POUR IT INTO

THE CAVITY OF A PRESS SIMILAR TO

WHAT PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORIES

USE TO MAKE PILLS.

THIS POWDER IS A BLEND OF

SEVERAL DIFFERENT MATERIALS, BUT

THE COMPANY WON'T DIVULGE THE

INGREDIENTS.

THE PRESS APPLIES 4 TONS OF

PRESSURE, COMPRESSING THE POWDER

INTO A PELLET.

THE FACTORY INSPECTS EVERY

PELLET TO ENSURE IT MEETS

QUALITY STANDARDS.

THE PELLETS THEN UNDERGO A

HARDENING PROCESS CALLED

CENTERING.

THEY BAKE FOR NINE MINUTES IN A

HYDROGEN-FUELED OVEN.

HYDROGEN IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST

TYPES OF FUEL, AND THE

3,000-DEGREE HEAT FUSES THE

POWDER PARTICLES INTO A SOLID

MASS THAT WON'T CRUMBLE APART.

NEXT, WORKERS WELD A LEAD WIRE

TO EACH ELECTRODE.

THEN THEY INSERT TWO ELECTRODES,

ONE FOR THE POSITIVE CURRENT,

ONE FOR THE NEGATIVE, INTO EACH

GLASS TUBE.

THEN THEY MELT THE END OF THE

TUBE CLOSED.

THEN THEY ATTACH A WIRE CALLED A

TRIGGER LEAD.

IT PROMPTS A TRANSFORMER TO SEND

A HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC PULSE TO

THE ELECTRODES, ILLUMINATING THE

GAS.

THIS AUTOMATED MACHINE ASSEMBLES

THE FACTORY'S MASS-PRODUCED

MODELS.

BEFORE STARTING IT UP, WORKERS

LOAD THE COMPONENTS -- A PAIR OF

ELECTRODES FOLLOWED BY A GLASS

TUBE ON TOP.

NOW THE MACHINE TAKES OVER.

IT VACUUMS OUT THE AIR IN THE

TUBE, INJECTS XENON GAS, MELTS

THE TUBE CLOSED, THEN CUTS OFF

THE EXCESS GLASS.

THE TUBE'S INTERIOR MUST BE

COMPLETELY FREE OF CONTAMINANTS

FOR THE GAS TO ILLUMINATE.

SO, JUST BEFORE THE VACUUM

FILL-AND-SEAL OPERATION, A HOT

COIL ENCIRCLES EACH TUBE TO BURN

AWAY ANY IMPURITIES.

ON CUSTOM-MADE MODELS, ALL OF

THESE STEPS ARE DONE MANUALLY.

WITH THE STROBE LAMP COMPLETE,

IT'S INSTALLATION TIME.

THIS MODEL IS FOR THE WARNING

LIGHTS YOU SEE ON TOW TRUCKS AND

ROAD-CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES.

IT GOES INTO A GLASS REFLECTOR

LINED WITH METALLIC FILM.

A TRANSFORMER REGULATES THE

VOLTAGE.

ITS THREE WIRES CONNECT TO THE

POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, AND TRIGGER

LEADS PROTRUDING FROM THE LAMP.

A GLASS LENS COVERS SEALS AND

PROTECTS THE LAMP WITHIN THE

REFLECTOR, AND THEN THIS PRODUCT

IS GOOD TO GO.

STROBE LAMPS ARE ALSO USED IN

STROBOSCOPES -- INDUSTRIAL

DEVICES THAT HELP FACTORIES

PERFORM QUALITY-CONTROL

INSPECTIONS ON HIGH-SPEED

PRODUCTION LINES.

CALIBRATE THE LIGHT PULSES TO

THE RIGHT INTERVAL AND THEY

APPEAR TO STOP THE ACTION SO

THAT CAMERAS OR WORKERS CAN

EXAMINE THE GOODS.

IT'S THE SIZE, SHAPE, AND

CONFIGURATION OF A STROBE LAMP'S

COMPONENTS, ALONG WITH VOLTAGE

AND OTHER ELECTRICAL SPECS, THAT

DETERMINES HOW LONG, HOW OFTEN,

AND HOW QUICKLY THE LIGHT

FLASHES.

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