Rubber Gloves Soap Carvings Aircraft Cabinets Motorcycle Brake Locks
It was an american nurse's sensitivity to an antiseptic that led to the development of medical rubber gloves. The year was 1890, and the hospital was johns hopkins in baltimore. Sympathetic to the nurse's plight, the chief of surgery asked a rubber company to develop protective gloves. Around the world, healing hands wear rubber gloves to stop the spread of germs and save lives. To make them, they need a lot of hands, the kind made from ceramic or aluminum. They'll serve as molds. First, they need to remove residue from the last rubber-glove production, so they do a thorough washing in soapy water... And then in bleach. They must remove every speck of residue because even the smallest contaminate could lodge in the latex rubber gloves and create holes. Leaving the bleach, the ceramic hands twirl into round, revolving brushes. Their bristles scour the surface and the hard to reach areas between the ceramic fingers. After this thorough scrubbing, the hand molds dive into a tub of hot water. It's the last cleaning before production begins. As they exit the tub, the hands swivel on the rail carrier to drip dry. Still slightly damp and spinning, the hand molds head into a chemical bath, which forms a film on the surface. It's a critical coating because liquid rubber won't adhere to bare ceramic, but it will to this substance. The ceramic molds now reach into warm, liquid rubber, which has been enhanced for extra strength. The liquid rubber reacts with the chemical coating on the hands and becomes gel-like. Coated with the rubber gel, the hands spin to shake off any drops as they head into an oven. Under intense heat, the rubber dries to the hand form. It also undergoes a chemical process called vulcanization that makes rubber stronger and elastic. After a wash and dry, the gloves spin through brushes which roll up the cuffs. This cuff roll, called the bead, has a specific purpose. It makes it easier to pull the rubber glove off the mold. Workers grab the gloves by the beads to peel them off the ceramic forms. These particular medical gloves were molded from synthetic rubber for people who can't wear natural latex rubber due to allergies. These synthetic rubber gloves are a bit stickier than the natural latex ones, and they must be removed by hand. However, the natural latex gloves come off much more easily. Bursts of pressurized air blow these gloves off the ceramic forms. At a test station, a worker now stretches and inflates each medical glove to check for weak spots and holes. Even a pinhole leak would be cause for rejection. Next, they take a sample glove from every batch and pump water into it, again checking for leaks. If the sample glove is watertight, they approve the entire batch for shipment. They color code gloves for strength. These orange cleaning gloves are thick and reusable. Others, like the medical gloves, are for limited use and disposable. Each rubber formulation is customized for color, strength, and other characteristics. It has taken a lot of fake hands and real ones to make rubber gloves, and it all happens very fast. They manufacture 200 rubber gloves a minute at this factory. That's about 12,000 gloves per hour. They pack them up in batches of 100. A cornstarch solution applied earlier keeps them from sticking together in the box. Later, that starch will also act as a lubricant to allow the gloves to slide easily onto hands. And with all that, these rubber gloves are ready to protect the public. In northern thailand, the tradition of carving elaborate flowers from soap began in the 1930s with farm workers who were looking for a creative outlet. In their hands, pieces of soap became little works of art. And in the process, they carved out a niche market for soap flowers. Today in thailand, there's a thriving tourist trade in floral soap carvings. These awesome blossoms are far too delicate for scrub-up duty. They're made to be admired. Infused with fruit powders, they also add fragrance to a room. The carvers start by making their own soap. Glycerin made of animal fats and oils is the main ingredient. Other ingredients include fruit powder... Water... Food coloring--  in this case, yellow-- fragrance... And vegetable oil. He mixes the vegetable oils with the water as he heats the ingredients slowly. He then adds the glycerin chunks to a separate bucket of hot water. The glycerin melts on contact, and he whisks it to disperse it in the water. He now pours the glycerin mixture in to the water and oil. Using an electric mixer, he blends the ingredients, adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. He blends the mango fruit powder into the soap mixture. A dash of yellow coloring reflects the aroma of the soap-- mango. He adds a mango fragrance formulation to enhance the powdered fruit scent. That completes this aromatic liquid-soap mixture. He transfers it to a square pan lined with plastic. After a few hours, the soap solidifies into a big yellow bar. He pries the hardened soap and the plastic liner away from the pan and flips it over. The soap slab lands on the workbench. He peels the plastic liner off. Now, using a device similar to a paper cutter, he slices the soap into long, uniform bars. He stacks them in piles of three. He cuts the stacks of long bars crosswise, producing small soap squares the size of brownies. Each soap bar will be transformed into a beautiful flower. This takes artistic vision and skill. The artist has many years of experience and carves with an expert hand. As he scoops out chunks, the broad and distinctive petals of an orchid take shape. He discards the broad base, and from a simple soap bar, a flower has bloomed. He dips the carving in water to improve the adhesion of water-based paint. He partially submerges the carving in paint, giving it a two-toned look. The artist selects color combinations for their visual impact, and authenticity is not essential. He brushes mauve paint onto the orchid's central column to accentuate it. He extends the brush strokes to the petals. These brush strokes mimic the look of veins. With this colorful artistry, the soap carving seems to come to life. He dips a toothbrush in paint and flicks his thumb across the bristles to spray flecks onto the center column. With that final splash of color, the carving is complete. He glues it to the base of a decorative box. The box both protects the carving and adds to the presentation. Taking the lid off reveals a surprise. The carving could be any flower in any color. But the most amazing thing of all is that it's been carved from soap. The world of private-passenger aircraft is all about comfort and luxury. Big corporations send their top executives to travel in jets with well-appointed interiors. And the world's super-wealthy spare no expense making their private planes as lavish as their homes. Just like building or renovating a house, you can choose all the decorative finishings of your new aircraft-- everything from the floor covering and seat fabric to the style, wood type, and color of the cabinetry. It's critical not to weigh the aircraft down, so cabinets can't be made from particle board. Even plywood is far too heavy. The solution-- panels made of honeycomb-shaped hard paper sandwiched between fiberglass sheets, strong like particle board, but 1/4 the weight. Computerized machines cut the panels to shape and drill holes for threaded inserts, into which bolts and screws for hinges and handles will fasten. After refining the holes with hand tools, workers hold the inserts in the holes with tape while they inject epoxy glue to bond the inserts permanently. The panels adjoin with a tongue and groove system, so computerized machines cut the edges accordingly. The material is fibrous, so the cut edges are rough. Workers smooth them before gluing and assembling. Certain panel surfaces are too hard to access after assembly, so they receive their decorative wood veneer facade before being cut to shape. These pieces are covered in a protective film to prevent damaging the veneer during assembly. Once a unit is assembled, workers make sure it's square. They also verify the dimensions. Meanwhile, an automated belt sander preps the veneer. Veneer is wood that's been sliced into thin sheets. For these cabinet facades, these sheets are a mere 0.04 inches thick. The most typical choices are walnut, ebony, cherry, and birch. Workers disassemble the unit to access each component for veneering. They lay the component on the back of the veneer sheet and trace it. Then they follow the pencil line with a fine-tooth veneer saw. Next, they spray contact cement on the component surface and the veneer's underside. A plastic sheet in between prevents contact until the veneer is correctly positioned. After pressing down the veneer, they place the component in a vacuum bag and suction out the air. This flattens the veneer evenly over the entire surface. Eight hours later, the component comes out of the vacuum bag, and with a router, they trim the veneer flush all around. Then they glue the edges with epoxy and apply strips of hardwood to match the facade. The epoxy cures in a couple of hours, at which point they sand the edges to remove any excess glue. Now they reinstall the component and measure to make sure the surrounding gaps are precisely 0.06 inches. Should some tweaking be required, they simply sand edges or adjust hinges. They disassemble yet again and touch up any imperfections that sanding the edges caused. Once the touch-up paint is dry, they spray on the first of nine coats of lacquer. Each coat has to dry overnight. They sand it twice before applying the next coat, first with an orbital sander, then with a sanding block to remove any waves in the lacquer left by the orbital sander. After the last coat of lacquer dries, they do a final sanding with a very fine grit paper. Then, using a wool pad and polishing compound, they polish the surface to a reflective, high-gloss finish. Workers now reassemble the components for the last time. They install the fixtures and accessories, the decorative hardware, and everything electrical. The cabinetry unit is finished. Not only does the luxurious look fit a multi-million-dollar private aircraft, it's also, as they say in tech terms, plug and play. You just install and plug it into the aircraft, and everything runs--  no additional wiring required. A motorcycle can be rolled into a truck or van and be gone in a minute, leaving an empty space and an angry owner. To help put the brakes on this parking-lot theft, there are portable locks for brakes. With the brakes in full lock down, the bike can't be rolled away. When it's time for a pit stop, a disc-brake lock takes some of the worry out of leaving a coveted motorbike unguarded. Simply clip it onto the motorbike's brake rotor, turn the key, and the wheels won't budge. Equipped with an alarm, this handy gadget can also alert bystanders of a crime in progress. Before they manufacture the lock, they cut the keys. There are two for each lock. The employee inserts two blank key blades into milling machines that carve eight different notches into them. The combination of notches is one of over a million possible key codes. The machine prints the key-code information onto a card. In the meantime, the employee inserts the keys into a slot, and little brushes inside clean them. The assembler slips the matching keys onto a ring along with the key-code card to keep them all together. She installs batteries to power lights in the key grip. To make a lock to match the keys, the worker refers to the key-code card to select notched brass wafers. She stacks them in an assembly unit so that the notches in the wafers match the bits cut into the key blade. She places the lock cylinder above the wafers and activates a spring that lifts them into the cylinder. She flips the cylinder and removes it from the assembly device, then caps the cylinder, encasing the wafers. She tries a key and confirms it's a match. She brushes grease into two niches in the cylinder. She inserts locking bars into each one. The grease holds them in place as she slides a steel sleeve over the cylinder. She tries the key again to confirm the assembly functions. For extra protection, she encases the cylinder in a hard lock body. She plugs the open end and secures the metal plug with two pins. She now inserts bolts in the lock. In operation, these bolts will be pushed into the brake disc to lock it. A metal sliding cover protects the key hole when not in use. The installer adds a plastic mechanism to slide it open and closed more easily. They now have a completed lock bolt. They assemble the outer lock body. The two parts come together to form a slot to fit over the brake disc. Using a custom measuring tool, the employee confirms that the hole for the lock mechanism is the correct size. She then slides an applicator for lubricant into that hole. It releases the lubricant, and she distributes it more evenly. She slots steel balls into compartments in the lock mechanism. When the lock is engaged, these balls will protrude and keep it engaged. She pops the locking bolt into the outer casing. She permanently secures it with a plastic spring, snapping it into place between the steel casing and the lock. Another application of lubricant, and the motorcycle brake lock is ready for an alarm system. The alarm has been pre-assembled at another factory. It fits into a tray-like compartment of the casing. With the help of a mechanized tool, she press-fits the alarm to the casing. She slides a plastic dowel into the lock to confirm the alarm mechanism and gauges. She replaces the section of the casing that was removed for the alarm installation and secures it with a screw. She polishes the lock against a revolving wheel with little brushes. She rubs some oil on it, and the metal gleams. Now complete, this motorbike brake-disc lock looks pretty, just don't mess with it.