Steel Bistro Sets Letterpress Printing Bamboo Ceramic Lights Asphalt Compactors
The metal bistro set is a fixture in european-style cafés and small restaurants. The set consists of a small dining table and two chairs. A bistro set is also popular in homes with limited outdoor space as there's usually enough room for one on a balcony or small patio. The small restaurant bar known as the bistro originated in 19th century france. Its iconic dining sets are still being produced today in both traditional and modern styles. This french factory makes them out of strips of flat steel with rounded edges. The first step is to flatten the strip with pressure-applying rollers. The steel then enters a press which does three operations simultaneously. It cuts pieces to the required length, rounds their ends, and punches out holes where required. These are parts for the table legs. Meanwhile, this computer-guided machine bends a 1/2-inch steel rod into a circle to form a ring that will support the tabletop. This table is collapsible, allowing it to fold flat for storage. Therefore, two of the legs are hinged. A pin and notch lock them in the open position. After putting together the folding legs, a worker positions all the parts for the base on an assembly fixture. Then he operates a welding robot, which welds all the crossbars, reinforcing the legs and the legs to the ring. It only takes about 2 minutes to weld all these parts into a folding table base. The manufacturers make the tabletop from a square piece of sheet steel. This machine first sheers off the corners, transforming the square into a circle. Then it draws the edge upward to form a 1/2-inch-high rim on what will eventually be the underside of the tabletop. It also cuts a hole in the center for an umbrella pole and draws that edge, as well. A worker mates the tabletop to the folding base. He inserts the ring into the tabletop's underside rim. Then he opens the base and uses spreading pliers to pull apart, then butt the ends of the ring. Next, he shields the underside of the table with a scrap piece of metal and welds the butted ends. The table is now fully constructed. The chair parts are cut on the same press as the table legs. Each chair has two long legs and two shorter legs. This machine simultaneously folds and twists the two shorter ones and folds the two longer ones. The operator then connects them with a crossbar. The next operator places these connected short legs in another machine. He adds washers to the protruding ends of the crossbar, then the two long chair legs, connecting them lower down with the crossbar. The machine welds that crossbar and forms each end of the other crossbar into a rivet, which creates the folding point for this collapsible chair frame. The next operator places the frame on another machine, positioning three holes on each side onto upright steel pins. He lays two steel slats for the chair back on these pins, then five more for the seat onto identical pins riveted to a pair of steel bars. The machine then forms the pins into rivets, attaching all the slats. He then assembles the seat to the frame, completing the construction of the chair. The tables and chairs go on to the paint line. The first station washes and dries the furniture. Next, a worker opens each one to spray paint the articulation points. Then, automated nozzles paint the rest. This is industrial-grade powder paint known as powder coat. A 10-minute trip through a tunnel oven at 370 degrees fahrenheit bakes it on. Workers apply product information stickers, cushion protruding parts with plastic covers, and enclose foot protectors. The bistro set is now ready. Just unfold and unwind. In an electronic world where a few taps on a device keyboard sends an invitation or greeting card, it's not all that common anymore to receive something printed the old-fashioned way. Yet there's nothing quite as elegant as the crisp, recessed print that traditional letterpress printing produces. Letterpress printing is a centuries-old method that's making a comeback. The printing press makes an impression in the paper with raised type as it applies the ink. The printer first sketches out some design ideas. Then he detours into digital technology, finalizing the colors and composition and choosing the font in traditional metal type. He cuts paper to the size of the greeting card he's making. The paper is 100 percent cotton, which is more pliable than standard wood-fiber paper, thus enabling a deeper impression. Cotton paper is more delicate, so he has to cushion it while cutting. Otherwise, the clamp holding the stack would dent the paper. Now it's time to set up. He locates the selected font in the type cabinet. Each individual character, called a sort, is backwards because backwards type prints forwards. He finds the sorts for the first line of text and lines them up left to right and upside down in what's called a composing stick. Once he completes the type of the line, called a form, he clamps it in position. Then he takes a metal frame, called a chase, and mounts the form at a specific position inside the frame, filling the excess space with blocks of wood called furniture. Just below the piece of furniture that's underneath the form, he places a compression device called a quoin and expands it with a key. This locks the form in position. He chooses each ink color from a fan deck, then follows the recipe to mix it. This is color extender, which works like paint thinner, diluting a dark color to a lighter shade. He mixes the color extender into the ink, blending the two ingredients thoroughly. When the color matches the fan deck sample, he places a glob on a piece of cardboard and takes the mixture over to the printing press. He applies it in dots all over the ink disc. Then he pumps on the treadle to run the rollers back and forth across the disc. This spreads the ink over the disc and onto the rollers. He inserts the chase containing the form into what's called the bed of the press. Now for the test run. The printer pulls the lever to bring the bed and platen together so that the form, inked by the rollers, creates an ink-filled impression in the paper. If the print is off a bit, he marks the correct position by pencil and installs gauge pins, which will hold the paper there. Now he's ready to start printing. There's no automation here. He manually places one sheet at a time in the gauge pins. The ink dries quickly because it's rubber based and because cotton paper absorbs well. This printer's technique is a hybrid of traditional and modern approaches, as he uses computer-generated graphics. He sends the digital file to a company that makes a polymer printing plate, which he mounts on an aluminum base that fits in the chase of the press. He switches plates to do the next graphic in a different color, layered over the first. The polymer plates marry the old and new technology by making it possible to print computer-generated graphics by traditional letterpress. After printing the inside of this greeting card, as well, he uses a scoring rule mounted in another press to make a perfectly straight fold line down the middle of the paper. The result is beautiful, textured print on elegant cotton paper just like the good old days before ink-jets, e-cards, and e-vites. Bamboo-ceramic lights add a touch of zen to any space. Made of ceramic and inspired by bamboo, they resemble bundles of tropical grasses, but they're not exact replications. These light fixtures offer an artistic interpretation of an exotic element from the natural world. Trying to create a tropical ambiance? It's all in the lighting. These ceramic lights celebrate the natural beauty of bamboo and set the mood. Making the ceramic casing starts with a slurry of clay and water known as slip. A propeller mixer evenly distributes the particles. The slip flows through a hose and into plaster molds. The artisan controls the amount going in, ensuring that each one is filled just below the brim. Over 3 hours, the clay thickens and congeals along the edges. After pouring out the remaining slip, he trims the clay casting, which has a putty-like consistency. After leaving it to solidify a bit more, he carefully disassembles the mold, revealing the clay casting with a bamboo-like detail. After curing overnight, the casting further solidifies, and the color lightens. Using a knife, he adds more definition to some of the detail and cleans up the rough edges. He also shaves off protrusions formed where the mold parts came together. He lightly sands the entire bamboo ceramic casting to smooth over any remaining imperfections. Using a wet sea sponge, he washes the entire casting. This softens the clay on the surface and gets rid of any minute scratches left by the sanding. The artisan then cuts holes in the back of the casting. One is for installing the light socket, and the other is to run wires to the electrical junction box. With the clay surface still moist, he carves nodes, or joints, into the bamboo canes. He also cuts wide vertical lines to create the effect of cracks that occur in bamboo naturally when they dry out. After firing the clay casting in a kiln and then cooling it overnight, the material has become a strong, durable piece of ceramic. This craftsperson examines it for imperfections and then begins the painting process. She sprays a very light yellow paint onto the bamboo ceramic. This gives the piece just a hint of color, but it provides the desired undertone. Next, she mixes a green oil paint with thinner and then brushes the mix into the grooves and notches. This accentuates these areas. She also brushes it onto the edges of the bamboo ceramic light box to better define the profile. Using a soft cotton cloth, she blots up some paint from the palette and wipes it on the ceramic. This softens the brush strokes and gives the ceramic cane structure a hint of green. She sets the light casing on a revolving stand and inspects the coverage. She then applies a liberal amount of brown paint to the entire piece, and the brown color completely overpowers the green and yellow paints. She rubs off a lot of the brown paint. This tones it down and subtly brings out the other colors. This produces color variations that evoke the different tones of dry bamboo. The paint transforms the piece. A technician inserts the socket and pulls the wires through one of the holes and out the back. He secures the socket in the light box from the back with a washer and nut, and that completes this bamboo ceramic light fixture. Making it takes roughly 1 week, but the final result is very unique. While providing illumination, it may also be an object of conversation. Asphalt compactors are the heavy rollers of paving. They're equipped with vibrating drums that weigh several tons. The sheer load, in combination with the mechanical vibrations, compact new pavement. This locks the aggregate particles together in order to provide a strong and stable road. The asphalt compactor vibrates as it applies its weight to fresh pavement, and this process removes air pockets that could ruin the newly laid road. To make this critical piece of road-building equipment, a computerized plasma torch cuts through heavy-gauge steel. The operator selects the programs that guide the cutting. The torch cuts out the compactor's body panels, the plates for the rollers, and many other parts. A worker welds the front of the compactor frame together, and he attaches bracket plates for a pivot-hinge steering system. Another worker guides a steel plate into a rolling machine. The machine shapes the thick steel into the shell of a compactor roller. The machine requires a few passes to establish the correct radius. A crane then transfers the rolled steel to a fixture that positions bulkheads within the shell. It then lifts the shell with the bulkheads and fixture onto a table, and a worker wraps cables around it. He adjusts the length of the cables with a thick steel pin. He tucks brackets behind the cables at the seams to protect them during the welding that will come later. He installs chains and tightens them to hold the shell steady on the table. He then activates what's called the squeezer. Hydraulically powered, this machine pulls the cables to close the gap in the shell, and while the cable keeps the seam tight, the worker tack welds the seam and bulkheads from the inside. With the tack welds holding everything together, a robot does the full welds on both the seam and the bulkheads. The seam weld is large and protrudes from the shell... So the next worker grinds the seam flush to the rest of the shell, allowing the roller to operate smoothly. After a thorough wash, the roller goes into a paint booth to be sprayed first with epoxy primer and then urethane paint. The rollers spend about 50 minutes in an oven to bake on the coatings. An electric tug transfers them to the assembly line. Here, the rear half of the compactor frame is taking shape. A worker bolts the hitch to the frame. He attaches a hydraulic steering cylinder to the hitch and secures it with a thick steel pin. The next worker screws guide pins to the hitch. He runs hydraulic hoses to the front section and links the rear structure to the front. Next, workers lower the diesel engine into the front frame. They anchor the engine by driving thick bolts into substantial engine mounts. A center pivot link provides a second connection between the front and back parts of the compactor. A worker torques the bolts that secure the link to the back. Moving forward, workers lower the operator platform into place, complete with a seat and the controls. They secure the control base to the frame with bolts in each of the four corners. The compactor is now ready for the two rollers. They've been equipped with vibrating mechanisms since we saw them last. The team bolts the back roller in place and then connects the lines to the hydraulic systems that drive it. They install the second roller and connect the hydraulic and electrical lines. They calibrate the rollers to ensure they operate at the same speed. They adjust the pivot steering if needed, and then it's time to roll.