Narrator:
A LATHE TURNS SPHERICAL SHAPES
OUT OF THE WOOD.
SEVERAL BLADES MOVE IN SEQUENCE
TO FORM THE PIECE.
WHEN A NEW LENGTH
OF WOOD COMES THROUGH,
THE FRONT BLADE MOVES IN.
ONCE IT BACKS AWAY,
ANOTHER SET OF BLADES
SHAPES THE PIECE LATERALLY
BEFORE A CUTTER BLADE
SEPARATES IT FROM THE ROD.
THE PAINTED PARTS
NOW GO TO A PAD PRINTER.
AN AUTOMATED ARM FEEDS THE
PAINTED PARTS TO THE PRINTER,
WHICH STAMPS EACH PIECE
WITH A NONTOXIC PAINT.
A WORKER USES A TABLE SAW
TO GROOVE ANOTHER SET
OF PAINTED PARTS.
THE CUSTOM-MADE JIG ENSURES THAT
THE CUT IS STRAIGHT AND EVEN
AND THAT THE BLADE
MAKES ONLY A NARROW
AND SHALLOW GROOVE IN THE WOOD.
THE WORKER PLACES
THE GROOVED PART
ON A JIG AND BORES A HOLE
INTO THE PIECE WITH A DRILL.
THE MACHINED PIECE
GOES TO ANOTHER PAD PRINTER.
THE PAD PICKS UP PAINT
FROM A TRAY
AND TRANSFERS IT TO THE WOOD.
THIS PROCESS, CALLED
TAMPOGRAPHY, ALLOWS THE PRINTER
TO REPRODUCE A DESIGN
ON AN IRREGULAR SURFACE,
SUCH AS THIS WOOD PIECE.
THE PRINTED PARTS
DRY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.
AS A LAST PAD PRINTER
PAINTS TWO DOTS ON THE WOOD,
THE FACE OF THE ANIMAL RACER
SLOWLY TAKES SHAPE.
THIS RED-COLORED POWDER
IS PROCESSED RUBBERWOOD SAWDUST
ENTIRELY RECYCLED
FROM THE MACHINING OPERATIONS.
A WORKER FILLS MOLDS
WITH THE REPROCESSED SAWDUST
AND PREPARES THEM FOR CASTING.
THE MACHINE COMPRESSES
THE SAWDUST IN A DIE
AND TURNS IT INTO A SOLID
AND COMPACT MATERIAL
CALLED PLANWOOD.
A WORKER STARTS ASSEMBLING
THE PLANWOOD PIECES
TO FORM THE BODY OF THE RACERS.
SHE APPLIES A THIN COAT
OF NONTOXIC,
FORMALDEHYDE-FREE GLUE
AND PRESSES TWO CORRESPONDING
PLANWOOD PIECES TOGETHER.
SHE REMOVES THE EXCESS GLUE
WITH HER FINGER
BEFORE SHE HAMMERS A DOWEL
INTO THE ASSEMBLED
PLANWOOD BODY.
TO FINISH THE HEAD
OF THE RACER,
SHE INSERTS A FELT PIECE
INTO THE GROOVE
MACHINED ON TOP
AND PRESSES THE HEAD
INTO THE RACER'S BODY
USING A PNEUMATIC PRESS.
THE WORKER THEN DRIVES THE AXLES
THROUGH HOLES
IN THE PLANWOOD ASSEMBLY.
SHE TAKES PAINTED
AND PAD-PRINTED WHEELS
AND APPLIES A DROP
OF FAST-HARDENING GLUE
INSIDE EACH WHEEL HUB.
SHE THEN HAMMERS THE WHEELS
INTO THE AXLES
AND TAKES THE ASSEMBLED TOY
TO A CUSTOMIZED MACHINE DESIGNED
TO PRESS THE WHEELS
FIRMLY INTO THE AXLES.
THIS FINISHED CHICKEN RACER
IS ONE OF A WIDE VARIETY
OF RUBBERWOOD TOYS
MANUFACTURED WITH
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PROCESSES
AND MATERIALS.
