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THIS GLASSBLOWER IS FULL
OF HOT AIR.
THAT AIR IS PUMPED
INTO CAST-IRON MOLDS
THAT SHAPE THE MOLTEN GLASS.
EIGHT MECHANICAL GLASSBLOWERS
PRODUCE ALMOST 6,000 BOTTLES
AN HOUR.
IF THE GLASS COOLS TOO QUICKLY,
IT WILL SHATTER.
SO THE BOTTLES
PASS INTO A SLOW-MOVING,
TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED TUNNEL,
WHICH GRADUALLY LOWERS THE HEAT
TO RELIEVE ANY INTERNAL STRESSES
IN THE GLASS.
IN THE BLINK OF
ITS SOLITARY EYE,
A LASER CUTTER
TURNS SHEETS OF ALUMINUM
TO SWISS CHEESE.
THEN THE SPINNERS TAKE OVER.
SPINNER ONE MOLDS EACH DISK
INTO THE ROUGH SHAPE
OF THE LAMP.
SPINNER TWO REFINES THE SHAPE.
SPINNER THREE CRAFTS
THE METAL CAPS.
A LATHE OPERATOR TIDIES UP
THE ROBOT'S HEAVY HANDIWORK.
BOTTLING CHIEF ALAN IS IN CHARGE
OF MIXING THE TOP-SECRET
LAVA LAMP LIQUIDS.
I'VE WORKED HERE FOR 22 YEARS.
ROUGHLY ABOUT A MILLION
LAVA LAMPS I'VE MADE.
QUITE A LOT.
Narrator: FOR LAMP
ONE MILLION AND ONE,
ALAN STARTS WITH THE LAVA,
OR WAX,
WHICH HE WARMS TO
104 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
NEXT HE MIXES THE MASTER FLUID,
A SECRET BLEND OF CHEMICALS,
DYE, AND WATER.
LAMP ASSEMBLY
IS AN EXACT SCIENCE.
THE WAX IS MARGINALLY DENSER
THAN THE MASTER FLUID,
SO AT ROOM TEMPERATURE,
IT SITS AT THE BOTTOM.
WHEN THE WAX WARMS UP,
IT EXPANDS.
NOW IT'S LESS DENSE
THAN THE LIQUID,
SO UP IT GOES.
AT THE TOP, IT COOLS AND BEGINS
ITS HYPNOTIC TRIP BACK TO EARTH.
ALAN ADDS A SPLATTER
OF LIQUID RED WAX LAVA
TO EACH BOTTLE,
FOLLOWED BY TWO WIRE SPRINGS
THAT SIT AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE LAMP.
THESE HELP HEAT THE WAX
WHILE GATHERING WAYWARD DROPLETS
ON THEIR RETURN TO EARTH.
Alan: THE SPRING HELPS TO BREAK
THE SURFACE TENSION UP.
Narrator: 400 BOTTLES
ARE READY FOR FILLING.
LUCKILY, ALAN HAS ONE OF THESE.
Alan: WITHOUT IT,
IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME.
AND PLUS I THINK
I WOULD GET A CRAMP.
Narrator: THE CAPS GO ON.
THEN IT'S BATH TIME.
THE 160 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT WATER
MELTS THE WAX.
AN HOUR LATER, THEY'RE READY
TO BECOME LIGHTS.
