>> Narrator: IF YOU THINK WOOD IS JUST ABOUT 2x4s AND PANELING, THINK AGAIN. IT HOLDS UP ENTIRE CITIES, FEEDS OUR PASSION FOR BARBECUING... AND INSPIRES GOOD-OLD AMERICAN GRIT AND INGENUITY. >> GO! >> IT'S A BEAST TO HOLD ONTO. IT THROWS YOU AROUND LIKE A RAG DOLL. >> Narrator: FROM GIVING SHELTER, TO TAKING WING... >><i> WE'RE REALLY UP IN THE AIR!</i> >> Narrator: THIS IS ONE MATERIAL THAT CAN DO IT ALL. >> IT'S A MODERN MARVEL BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO VERSATILE. >> Narrator: WE MAY THINK WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF PLASTIC AND STEEL, BUT AMERICA IS STILL BUILT ON WOOD. >> Narrator: ANY WAY YOU CUT IT, WE NEED WOOD. >> WORLDWIDE, WE USE ABOUT 4 BILLION TONS OF WOOD A YEAR. THAT AMOUNTS TO ABOUT 3.5 POUNDS OF WOOD PER PERSON PER DAY. A LOT OF THE TIMES WE USE WOOD, AND WE DON'T EVEN THINK OF IT AS WOOD. >> Narrator: WHETHER IT'S MAKING A $3 MILLION STRADIVARIUS SING, OR PUTTING PENCIL TO PAPER, WOOD CAN DO IT ALL. IT CAN EVEN BE TWICE AS STRONG AS STEEL, POUND FOR POUND, WHEN IT'S USED THE RIGHT WAY. WOOD PILINGS ARE LONG POSTS DRIVEN DEEP UNDER GROUND, THAT CAN SUPPORT 35 TIMES THEIR WEIGHT. THEY HOLD UP BEACH HOUSES IN MALIBU, THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, THE SUPERDOME, AND EVEN THE CITY OF VENICE. >> Man: THE ENTIRE CITY OF VENICE IS SUPPORTED BY WOOD PILINGS. SAINT MARK'S CATHEDRAL, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT IT'S SUPPORTED BY ABOUT A MILLION WOOD PILINGS THAT WERE POUNDED INTO THE GROUND, ONE BY ONE, TO FIRM UP THE SOGGY SOILS OF VENICE. THE PILINGS OF VENICE ARE ABOUT 1,000 YEARS OLD. THEY'RE STILL THERE TODAY. THEY'RE STILL THERE, DOING THEIR JOB. >> Narrator: IN THE LAST THOUSAND YEARS, THE PROCESS OF MAKING WOOD PILINGS, AND HOW QUICKLY WE CAN DO IT, HAS BEEN REVOLUTIONIZED. >> I WOULD SAY PROBABLY IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, THESE LOGS WERE STILL STANDING AS TREES. >> Narrator: FIRST, NOT JUST ANY TREE CAN BECOME A PILING. [ CHAINSAW BUZZING ] >> THE TREES IN THE FOREST, THERE'S ONLY TEN TREES PER ACRE THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED A POLE OR PILING QUALITY. >> Narrator: ONLY THE LONGEST, STRAIGHTEST TREES MAKE THE CUT. AT KISATCHIE TREATING IN LOUISIANA, YELLOW PINE TREES ARRIVE, STRIPPED OF THEIR BRANCHES. >> ONE OF THE FIRST PROCESSES WE DO IS REMOVE THE BARK FROM THE TREE. THIS HERE IS THE POLE PEELER. ALL IT ESSENTIALLY DOES IS JUST TEAR THE BARK OF THE POLE. IT'S LOUD, IT'S A MEAN MACHINE. >> Narrator: CUTTING HEADS DELIVER A ONE-TWO PUNCH. THE FIRST HAS COARSER BLADES TO CHEW THROUGH THE THICK OUTER BARK, THE SECOND TAKES OFF WHAT'S LEFT OF THE INNER BARK. >> ON AN AVERAGE, WE'LL PEEL ABOUT 300 TO 400 POLES A DAY. >> Narrator: ONCE PEELED, THE LOG IS GRADED BASED ON LENGTH AND CIRCUMFERENCE. THEY CUT THE POLE TO THE NEAREST MULTIPLE OF FIVE FEET TO STANDARDIZE THE LENGTHS. PILINGS START OUT AT ABOUT A 100% MOISTURE LEVEL -- BEFORE THEY CAN ADD PRESERVATIVE, KISATCHIE NEEDS TO COOK OFF SOME OF THAT LIQUID. THEY MOVE THE PILINGS INTO A KILN WHERE THEY'LL BE HEATED TO 225° FOR 72 HOURS. IT'S LIKE A SAUNA FOR WOOD. >> IT'S ENOUGH TO BOIL THE MOISTURE OUT OF THE PILING. OUR TARGET MOISTURE IS 23-27% OF THE PILING. >> Narrator: THAT'S 1/4 THE PILINGS' ORIGINAL MOISTURE CONTENT. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS A STEP THAT HAS DONE MORE TO HELP PRESERVE WOOD THAN ANYTHING BEFORE -- PRESSURE TREATMENT. UNDER PRESSURE, PRESERVATIVE WILL BE FORCED INTO THE DRY PILINGS, WHERE IT WILL FIGHT ROT AND INSECTS. KISATCHIE HAS NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST PRESSURE CHAMBER, AT 150 FEET LONG AND 8 FEET WIDE, AND WITH 1-1/4" INCH THICK WALLS. A BIG CHAMBER MEANS BIG CHEMICAL TANKS. >> WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW IS OUR PRESERVATIVE TANKS. THEY'LL HOLD APPROXIMATELY 57,000 GALLONS. ONCE WE GET THE PILINGS INTO THIS CYLINDER, WE'LL DUMP ALL THE PRESERVATIVE INTO THIS CYLINDER. THIS WOOD, IT'LL JUST SUCK THAT CHEMICAL INTO IT. >> Narrator: AFTER SWEATING IN THE KILN, THE PILINGS ARE LIKE SQUEEZED SPONGES, SO THEY'LL SUCK UP THE PRESERVATIVE AND RETURN TO THE 100% MOISTURE LEVEL. PRESSURE WILL FORCE THE PRESERVATIVE IN FASTER AND DEEPER. >> ALL RIGHT, WE GOT THE WOOD IN HERE, WE GOT THE PROCESS STARTED, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ABOUT TWO, TWO AND A HALF HOURS TO GET IT COMPLETE. >> Narrator: FIRST, THEY CREATE A VACUUM IN THE CHAMBER FOR 30 MINUTES TO OPEN THE WOOD FIBERS. THEN, THEY ADD THE CHEMICAL AND RAISE THE PRESSURE TO 150 PSI FOR 15 MINUTES. THIS FORCES THE PRESERVATIVE DEEP INTO THE WOOD. THEN THEY PULL A FINAL VACUUM FOR AN HOUR, TO DRAW OUT ANY EXTRA FLUID. >> WHEN THE PILING COMES OUT, IT'LL BE DRY TO THE TOUCH. >> Narrator: INFUSED WITH PRESERVATIVE... THE WOOD IS READY FOR SHIPMENT. THIS LOAD IS PART OF A MUCH BIGGER ORDER HEADING TO NEW ORLEANS. THERE, THE PILINGS WILL TURN SOFT GROUND INTO A SCHOOL'S FOUNDATION. >> TO THE COMMON EYE, THIS GROUND LOOKS HARD, BUT WHEN YOU START PUTTING A LOT OF WEIGHT ON TOP OF IT, IT WON'T SUPPORT IT. IT'S SILTY SOIL CONDITIONS HERE. >> Narrator: TO CREATE A STABLE FOUNDATION, THEY'LL DRIVE PILINGS 40 FEET DOWN TO A SOLID LAYER, KNOWN AS THE HARDPAN. THE PILINGS WILL ACT LIKE STILTS, SUPPORTING WHATEVER IS BUILT ON TOP OF THEM. >> EACH ONE OF THESE POLES HOLD APPROXIMATELY 35 TONS, AND THE STRESS LOAD THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S A FRACTION COMPARED TO WHAT THESE THINGS CAN HOLD. >> Narrator: THE MUSCLE OF THE OPERATION IS A MODIFIED CRANE KNOWN AS A PILE DRIVER. LIKE THE WRESTLING MOVE NAMED AFTER IT... THE PILE DRIVER ISN'T PRETTY, BUT IT GETS RESULTS. FIRST, THE CREW RAISES A ONE-TON PILING INTO POSITION. >> THEY'RE GOING AND PICK UP THE BUTT OF THE POLE, THEY'RE GOING TO PULL IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP OF THE PILE DRIVER. >> Narrator: THEN THE CREW HAS TO CREATE A GUIDE HOLE. >> THEY'LL DO A PROCESS CALLED WATER JETTING. AND WHAT THIS DOES IS, WHEN YOU GET IN A SILTY OR SANDY CONDITIONS, THE WATER JETTING JUST DISPLACES THE DIRT FOR A MOMENT. >> Narrator: THEY'VE GOT TO DROP THE PILING BEFORE THE DIRT RUSHES BACK INTO THE HOLE. THE CAGE ACTS LIKE A GUIDE, OR SLED. >> IT'S GOING TO FALL WITHIN THE CAGE. THEY'RE GOING TO DROP THIS HAMMER HARD. >> Narrator: ONCE THE PILING'S IN THE HOLE, THEY POUND IT DEEPER. >> THIS IS A DROP HAMMER. AND, YOU KNOW, THE FORCE THAT'S BEING GENERATED BY THE DROP HAMMER, DEPENDING ON THE WEIGHTS THEY HAVE ON IT, IS TREMENDOUS. >> Narrator: EACH BLOW DELIVERS A FORCE OF OVER TWO TONS. >> THIS BIG WHITE BOX ON THE BACK OF THE CRANE IS GOING TO GENERATE THE COMPRESSION TO PULL THE HAMMER UP, AND THEN, LITERALLY, GRAVITY ITSELF IS GOING TO DO THE REST. THE HAMMER BALL IS GOING TO DROP AND IT'S GONNA HIT THE TOP OF THE POLE, AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, YOU'RE DRIVING A PILE. >> Narrator: HARD HATS ARE REQUIRED, AND ANOTHER PIECE OF GEAR IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. >> IT'S HELPFUL TO WEAR EARPLUGS ALL THE TIME OUT HERE. YOU CAN TELL IT'S PRETTY LOUD. PROBABLY CLOSE TO 180 DECIBELS. >> Narrator: 180 DECIBELS IS AS LOUD AS A STUN GRENADE, AND LOUDER THAN A HEAVY METAL CONCERT. THEY KNOW THEY'VE HIT THE HARDPAN WHEN THEY POUND THE PILING 22 TIMES AND IT MOVES LESS THAN A FOOT. THE PILINGS COMPACT THE DIRT AROUND THEM, CREATING FRICTION THAT KEEPS THEM IN PLACE. >> AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU COME OVER HERE, AND YOU SHAKE THESE POLES, YOU CAN'T GET THEM TO BUDGE. I MEAN, THIS STUFF SETS UP LIKE CONCRETE ONCE THE POLE IS DRIVEN. >> Narrator: THE CREW CAN DRIVE 40 TO 50 PILES A DAY, SO IT'LL TAKE ABOUT A MONTH TO SET THE BASE FOR A FOUNDATION. AFTER THEY DRIVE ALL 1,000 PILINGS, THEY'LL CUT THE TOPS TO THE SAME HEIGHT, CONNECT THEM WITH STEEL AND CEMENT BEAMS, AND THEN POUR THE CONCRETE SLAB ON TOP. THIS WILL BE THE NEW SCHOOL'S FOUNDATION. THE SCHOOL WILL EVENTUALLY WEIGH 25,000 TONS -- THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO CARGO SHIPS -- AND EVERY SINGLE POUND OF IT WILL REST ON THE TIMBER PILINGS. AND THE SCHOOL IS JUST ONE OF HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS IN THE AREA THAT NEED WOOD TO STAY ABOVE THE MUD. >> THIS CITY IS BUILT ON FRICTION PILINGS. PRETTY MUCH, NEW ORLEANS IS BUILT ON STILTS. >> Narrator: BOTH NEW ORLEANS AND VENICE ARE WATERLOGGED, WHICH SEEMS LIKE THE WORST PLACES FOR WOOD -- BUT ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. WHY? BECAUSE WOOD DOESN'T ROT UNDER WATER. >> ONCE IT'S DRIVEN BELOW THE WATER TABLE, JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY OXYGEN, AND IT TAKES OXYGEN FOR THE ROT AND THE DIFFERENT BUG INFESTATIONS TO OCCUR. SO, THESE THINGS WILL NEVER BE TOUCHED, THEY'LL BE HERE HUNDREDS OF YEARS FROM NOW. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, YOU KNOW, WOOD AND WATER JUST DON'T MIX, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, AS LONG AS WOOD STAYS CONSTANTLY WET, IT WILL LAST INDEFINITELY. ONE OF THE MORE SURPRISING USES OF WOOD IS AS A WATER PIPE. IN ENGLAND, THEY UNEARTHED HUNDREDS OF MILES OF THE STUFF. IT'S IN NEW YORK CITY, THERE ARE SECTIONS OF SEDONA, ARIZONA, WHERE THE WATER SYSTEM IS STILL MADE OUT OF WOOD PIPE. SO, AS LONG AS IT STAYS WET, IT WILL LAST HUNDREDS OF YEARS. >> Narrator: EVER VERSATILE, WOOD GIVES BUILDERS AN EXCELLENT STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO, AND WON'T ROT UNDERWATER. BUT IT ALSO HAS A WEAKNESS -- ONE THAT MARTIAL ARTISTS KNOW HOW TO EXPLOIT. NEXT, WOOD TAKES A BEATING, AND GETS TURNED TO WASTE... BUT THE GENIUS OF HENRY FORD GIVES IT NEW LIFE AS THE ALL-AMERICAN PRODUCT, >> Narrator: WE NOW RETURN TO WOOD ON "MODERN MARVELS." A 2,000 POUND WOOD PILING CAN SUPPORT 35 TONS, BUT EVEN A CHILD CAN SMASH A BOARD. HOW CAN WOOD BE BOTH SO STRONG AND SO WEAK? MANY MARTIAL ARTISTS KNOW THE ANSWER, BECAUSE BREAKING BOARDS IS A COMMON WAY TO TEACH CORRECT STRIKING TECHNIQUE. >> HA! HA! HA! HA! BREAKING BOARDS IS COMPARABLE TO BREAKING BONES. IF YOU CAN BREAK A ONE-INCH BOARD, YOU CAN BREAK A BONE IN THE BODY. SO, STUDENTS WILL PRACTICE BREAKING BOARDS AS OPPOSED TO BREAKING BONES. >> Narrator: BUT BRUTE FORCE WON'T SPLIT A BOARD... YOU HAVE TO HIT IT WITH THE GRAIN. >> HOW YOU ALIGN THE BOARD DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN BREAKING IT. YOU WANT TO GO WITH THE GRAIN, YOU DON'T WANT TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN. SO, WHEN YOU PUT THE BOARDS DOWN, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ALL ALIGNED TOGETHER. >> Narrator: HIT IT THE WRONG WAY, AND IT'S NOT THE WOOD THAT BREAKS. >> I'VE SEEN PEOPLE BREAK THEIR HANDS. >> Narrator: WHAT MAKES WOOD STRONG IN ONE DIRECTION AND WEAK IN THE OTHER, STARTS WITH THE TREE. THIS IS A WOOD FACTORY. UNDER THE BARK, THE TREE'S FIBERS ARE LONG AND TOUGH, LIKE DENSELY PACKED WIRES. AND EACH YEAR, THE TREE GROWS BY ADDING A LAYER OF THESE FIBERS, CREATING RINGS. >> IF YOU LOOK AROUND A FOREST, YOU NOTICE THAT TREES ARE ACTUALLY THESE STRANGE LOOKING COLUMNS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY ALIEN LOOKING... THEY'RE THESE BIG, LONG GROWTHS THAT ARE VERY TALL AND THIN. AND THE FORCE ON THEM IS ALMOST ENTIRELY GOING DOWN, AND SO, IT MAKES SENSE THAT TREES WOULD HAVE BUILT THEMSELVES TO BE STRONG TOWARDS COMPRESSION. YOU LOOK AT THIS THING, AND IT IS A COLUMN, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, AND THEREFORE, THAT'S HOW WE USE IT. WE USE IT THAT WAY, EVEN WHEN WE'RE FRAMING A HOUSE WITH JOISTS AND 2x4s. YOU'RE USING THE LONG DIRECTION OF THE 2x4 FOR THE STRENGTH. >> Narrator: BUT HOW DO YOU TAKE MATERIAL THAT'S STRONG IN ONE DIRECTION, AND MAKE IT STRONG IN ALL DIRECTIONS, LIKE A CAR WHEEL? ALMOST ALL EARLY CARS, AND MORE THAN THREE MILLION OF HENRY FORD'S MODEL T's, HAD WOODEN WHEELS. MANY LASTED LONGER THAN THE CARS THEMSELVES, BUT TODAY, IF YOU NEED A REPLACEMENT WHEEL, YOU'LL NEED IT CUSTOM MADE BY A SPECIALIST LIKE BILL CALIMER. HE'S ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO KNOWS THE SECRETS OF MAKING A WHEEL FROM WOOD. >> FOR THE AUTOMOBILE WHEELS, I USE HICKORY. HICKORY IS A VERY STRONG WOOD. AND ONE OF ITS MAJOR PROPERTIES IS THAT IT'S BENDABLE. IT'S VERY FLEXIBLE FOR THE SPOKES, AS WELL, AND THAT ALLOWS THE WHEELS TO LAST A LONG TIME. >> Narrator: FLEXING, OR BENDING, IS THE KEY TO USING WOOD'S STRENGTH TO ITS FULLEST. A MODEL T'S SPOKES CONNECT TO A TWO-PIECE SECTION OF THE INNER RIM. THESE WOODEN PIECES HAVE TO BEND WITHOUT STRETCHING THE OUTER FIBERS OR THEY'LL CRACK AND BREAK. BILL STARTS BY CUTTING 1-1/2" WIDE PIECES OF HICKORY TO FORM THE TWO HALVES OF THE INNER RIM. IF HE TRIED BENDING THEM NOW, THEY'D BREAK. SO, HE PREPARES THEM FOR BENDING BY PUTTING THEN INTO A STEAMER. THE STEAMER HEATS THE WOOD TO OVER 250° AND WILL LOOSEN THE FIBERS. >> THE RULE OF THUMB FOR STEAMING WOOD IS THAT IT SHOULD BE IN THE STEAM FOR AN HOUR FOR THE INCH OF THICKNESS. AND THESE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1-1/2" THICK, SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THERE APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND A HALF. >> Narrator: WHILE THE RIM PIECES STEAM, BILL MAKES THE SPOKES, STARTING FROM A MASTER TEMPLATE. EACH CAR MODEL HAS ITS OWN STYLE. >> UP HERE, I HAVE PRIMARILY MODEL T FORD, EARLY CADILLACS, STANLEY STEAMER. THIS SHELF IS PRIMARILY BUICK, LATER CADILLAC, PIERCE, ARROW. OAKLAND I SEE THERE. >> Narrator: USING THE TEMPLATE, HE MARKS AND THEN CUTS OUT ROUGH BLANKS. ON AN ASYMMETRICAL LATHE, THE TEMPLATE SERVES AS THE GUIDE, AND BILL CAN TURN THREE NEW SPOKES AT A TIME. AFTER 90 MINUTES IN THE STEAMER, THE RIM PIECES ARE READY. THE HEAT HAS LOOSENED THE FIBERS ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN BEND WITHOUT BREAKING. BUT OUTER FIBERS COULD STILL GET STRESSED IN THE BENDING, SO BILL HAS MADE HIS OWN ONE-OF-A-KIND BENDING MACHINE. IT PRESSES DOWN ON THE CENTER OF THE BOARDS, PUSHES IN FROM THE ENDS, AND KEEPS CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDES. THE RESULT? COMPRESSED FIBERS IN THE INNER SECTION, AND FIBERS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN STRESSED ON THE OUTSIDE SECTION. THE RIM PIECES STAY IN THE BENDING MACHINE TWO TO THREE HOURS UNTIL THEY COOL, SO THAT THEY'LL KEEP THEIR SHAPE. IN THE NEXT STEP, BILL LAYS OUT THE SPOKES. ONCE THEY FIT TOGETHER, HE BOLTS THEM TO A METAL HUB. THIS FORMS WHAT'S KNOWN AS A SPIDER. NOW, HE HAS TO LINE THE SPOKES UP EXACTLY RIGHT WITH THE TWO HALVES OF THE INNER RIM. >> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PUT THE PROPER SPOKE IN THE PROPER HOLE. >> Narrator: IF THEY'RE BENT CORRECTLY, THEY FIT PERFECTLY. IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE TLC AND A HAMMER TO WORK THEM INTO AN OUTER METAL RIM. LAST STEP, CHECK THAT IT'S TRUE AND BALANCED. >> THIS WHEEL IS LOOKING PRETTY GOOD, IT'S RUNNING PRETTY STRAIGHT. NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS MAKE THREE MORE. >> Narrator: BILL BUILDS WHEELS FOR ROUGHLY 100 CARS EACH YEAR. FORD CHURNED OUT ALMOST ONE MILLION MODEL Ts IN 1920 ALONE. THAT'S AT LEAST FOUR MILLION WHEELS A YEAR, WHICH WASN'T JUST A MONUMENTAL FEAT -- IT ALSO CREATED MOUNTAINS OF WOOD SCRAP. HENRY FORD HATED WASTE, SO HE AND A PARTNER FIGURED OUT A WAY TO USE ALL THIS SCRAP -- THEY TURNED IT INTO CHARCOAL. FORD DEALERS SOLD IT BY THE BAG, AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY THROW ONE IN IF YOU BOUGHT A CAR. BARBECUING BECAME PART OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. IN 1951, INVESTORS BOUGHT THE CHARCOAL BUSINESS AND NAMED THE NEW COMPANY AFTER FORD'S PARTNER, E.J. KINGSFORD. TODAY, KINGSFORD IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER OF CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES. ITS BIGGEST PLANT IS IN BELLE, MISSOURI, WHERE THEY USE THE SAME TECHNIQUE, AND SOME OF THE SAME EQUIPMENT, AS FORD ONCE USED. >> I'M STANDING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTE MAKING PROCESS -- THIS IS A WOOD MOUNTAIN, BASICALLY. IT'S OUR HOG FUEL PILE. >> Narrator: THE HOG FUEL PILE IS ABOUT 40,000 TONS OF WOOD FROM LOCAL SAWMILLS -- ENOUGH TO KEEP THE PLANT RUNNING 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. KINGSFORD CONSUMES ABOUT 250,000 TONS OF IT A YEAR AT THIS PLANT ALONE, AND OVER A MILLION TONS COMPANY-WIDE. THEY PROCESS SO MUCH WOOD, IT TAKES A BULLDOZER TO LOAD THE CONVEYOR BELT. THE FIRST STEP IS TO DRY THE WOOD IN HEATED DRUMS. >> WE CHANGE THE WOOD FROM ABOUT 50% MOISTURE DOWN TO ABOUT 5%. >> Narrator: FROM THE DRIER, THE WOOD IS THEN RUN THROUGH A FIVE-STORY OVEN, KNOWN AS A RETORT FURNACE. THIS IS WHERE WOOD BECOMES CHARCOAL. >> THE RETORT FURNACE ITSELF IS REALLY THE HEART OF THE CHAR MAKING UNIT. >> Narrator: THE KEY TO MAKING CHARCOAL IS SUPER-HEATING THE WOOD WITHOUT BURNING IT. IN A LOW OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT, THE DRIED WOOD TRAVELS THROUGH FIVE LEVELS, TO TEMPERATURES REACHING 1,200°. IT TAKES TWO HOURS TO RUN THE WOOD THROUGH THE FURNACE. IT CONVERTS ABOUT EIGHT POUNDS OF HOG FUEL INTO ONE POUND OF CHARCOAL. AT THIS POINT, IT'S JUST A POWDER. TO MAKE THEIR TRADEMARK BRIQUETTE, KINGSFORD BINDS THE POWDER WITH OTHER, SECRET INGREDIENTS. >> WE'RE AT THE DISCHARGE END OF THE PRESSES, AND THE BRIQUETTES ARE COMING OUT WITH THE "K" PRESSED IN THEM. AT THIS STAGE, THE BRIQUETTES ARE MORE LIKE BROWNIES. SO, THE NEXT STAGE, WE'RE GOING TO SEND THEM OVER TO THE DRIERS AND DRY THEM DOWN TO ABOUT 5% MOISTURE. >> Narrator: ALONG THE WAY, THE BRIQUETTES GO THROUGH A SHAKER THAT TAKES OFF THE ROUGH EDGES. THEN THEY'RE SORTED INTO ONE OF THREE DRIERS. >> WE HAVE THREE BRIQUETTE DRIERS. ACTUALLY, TWO OF THEM CAME DOWN FROM FORD CHARCOAL IN MICHIGAN, SO THEY'RE SOME OF OUR OLDEST PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE END OF THE DRIER, THEY'RE NOW 5% MOISTURE, THEY'RE DRY, ROCK HARD, AND THEY'RE READY TO SEND TO PACKAGING. >> Narrator: EACH 20-POUND BAG HOLDS AT LEAST 300 BRIQUETTES. >> THIS IS OUR DISTRIBUTION CENTER AT THE BELLE PLANT. WE STARTED AT THE WOOD MOUNTAIN OR WOOD PILE. THIS IS THE LAST STOP BEFORE WE SEND THEM OFF TO THE CUSTOMER. WE HAVE ABOUT 200,000 SQUARE FEET OF WAREHOUSE SPACE HERE, AND THAT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH. A LOT OF IT'S GOING RIGHT TO CUSTOMER. WE'LL PROBABLY SEE A COUPLE HUNDRED TRUCKS IN AND OUT EACH DAY. >> Narrator: KINGSFORD SELLS MORE THAN ONE BILLION POUNDS OF CHARCOAL EVERY YEAR, FUELING AN AMERICAN TRADITION -- ALL THANKS TO HENRY FORD'S HATRED OF WASTE. BUT FORD DIDN'T INVENT CHARCOAL, HUMANS HAVE BEEN MAKING IT FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. IT WAS A CRUCIAL FUEL FOR MANY CULTURES. >> CHARCOAL CAN BURN AT A MUCH HIGHER TEMPERATURE, AND WHEN YOU GET HIGHER TEMPERATURES GOING, YOU CAN USE IT TO SMELT METALS, TO SMELT GLASS, TO SMELT COPPER. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT SOME OF THE DOWNFALLS OF CIVILIZATION WERE BASED ON THE FACT THAT SOME OF THESE CIVILIZATIONS RAN OUT OF WOOD. >> Narrator: VAST TRACTS OF FOREST WERE CUT AND BURNED TO MAKE CHARCOAL, AND WHEN THEY RAN OUT, THEY LOOKED OVERSEAS FOR MORE. COMING UP, OLD TIMBERS ARE TURNED TO GOLD... AND A FIGHT OVER WOOD FANS THE FLAMES OF REVOLUTION. THE PHRASE "KNOCK -- OR TOUCH -- WOOD" IS COMMON IN MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES, AND IS USED TO WARD OFF BAD LUCK. ITS ORIGIN MAY BE THE ANCIENT BELIEF THAT GOOD SPIRITS LIVED IN THE WOOD, AND THAT KNOCKING ON WOOD SUMMONED THEIR AID. WOOD WILL RETURN ON >> Narrator: WE NOW RETURN TO WOOD ON "MODERN MARVELS." WOOD GOT US OFF OUR FEET AND ON A ROLL. >> THE NEAT THING ABOUT WOOD IS IT REALLY ALLOWED MAN TO BRANCH OUT ALL ACROSS THE WORLD. YOU KNOW, TO GET FROM WHERE MANKIND WAS GOING -- IF YOU WERE IN A SHIP, IT WAS MADE OF WOOD; IF IT WAS ON A SKI, IT WAS MADE OF WOOD; IF IT WAS A WHEEL IT WAS MADE OUT OF WOOD. >> Narrator: WOOD WAS HOW WE EXPLORED... AND WHY WE FOUGHT. THE BRITISH NAVY RULED THE WAVES IN THE 1700s, BUT IT NEEDED A STEADY SUPPLY OF TALL, STRONG TREES FOR ITS SHIPS' MASTS. WHITE PINES IN THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES WERE IDEAL, AND SO, THE BRITISH CROWN CLAIMED THE LARGEST FOR ITSELF, EVEN ONES ON PRIVATE LAND. ANGERED BY THIS POLICY, IN 1772, COLONISTS FOUGHT BACK IN WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE "PINE TREE RIOT." REVOLUTIONARIES ADOPTED THE PINE TREE AS A SYMBOL, AND IT WAS THE EMBLEM ON THEIR FLAG AT THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL. WOOD HELPED LAUNCH THE NATION, AND IT GAVE RISE TO AN AMERICAN INDUSTRY. LUMBERJACKS HARVESTED AMERICA'S FORESTS UNTIL THE SECOND WORLD WAR. TODAY, THEIR TRADITIONS LIVE ON AS COMPETITIONS, LIKE THE JOHNNY APPLESEED FESTIVAL IN SHEFFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA. THESE PEOPLE LOVE THEIR WOOD. >> I'M HOLLY WATERFIELD, AND I WEAR WOODEN SHOES. WE TYPICALLY CUT SOFT WOODS, SO WE'RE CUTTING ASPEN. IT'S BEEN UNDER WET HAY FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND THAT HELPS IT TO EVEN OUT. WE WANT IT TO HAVE MOISTURE IN IT. DRY WOOD IS A LOT HARDER TO CUT, AND WITH THE AXES WE'RE USING, THEY'VE VERY THIN-EDGED, SO DRY WOOD HAS A TENDENCY TO DAMAGE AND DULL THE EDGE, SO WE HAVE SOFT, MOIST WOOD. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> Narrator: ALL THE EVENTS COME DIRECTLY FROM SKILLS THE ORIGINAL LUMBERJACKS NEEDED. THE SPRINGBOARD EVENT DATES BACK TO WHEN WESTERN LUMBERJACKS HAD TO MAKE THEIR OWN STEPS IN THE BASE OF A TREE TO CLIMB ABOVE ITS ROOTS. TO PREP FOR THAT EVENT, COMPETITORS CLEAR AWAY THE BARK AND DIRT SO IT WON'T DAMAGE THEIR AXES. >> BASICALLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE MY BOTTOM POCKET FOR MY FIRST BOARD... >> Announcer: THREE, TWO, ONE, GO! >> AND THEN, ONCE YOU FINISH, YOU GOTTA THROW YOUR AX UP HERE, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO THROW YOUR BOARD IN HERE, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GRAB ONTO THE HANDLE OF THAT AX, AND USE THAT AS LEVERAGE TO GET UP ON YOUR BOARD. THIS TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. YOU GOT TO BE BALANCED TO STAY ON YOUR BOARD, AND YOUR BOARD IS KIND OF SPRINGING, SO IT'S KIND OF BOUNCING WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE CHOPPING, SO IT TAKES A LOT OF STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE THING. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> GO! >> Narrator: THE UNDERHAND CHOP AND THE CROSS SAW WERE USED TO CUT DOWN TREES AND DIVIDE THEM INTO LOGS. AND LOG ROLLERS HELPED KEEP HUGE STANDS OF CUT TREES MOVING DOWN RIVER. IT WAS A DANGEROUS BUSINESS -- ONE SLIP AND YOU COULD BE CRUSHED BETWEEN THE LOGS. >> THEY SAY FOR EVERY ONE MAN THAT DIED IN THE WOODS CUTTING DOWN TREES, THERE WERE 10 THAT GOT KILLED ON THE RIVER DRIVES. SO, STAYING ON TOP OF THE LOG WAS VERY ESSENTIAL TO STAYING ALIVE ON A RIVER DRIVE. >> Narrator: THOUSANDS OF LOGS WERE DRIVEN DOWN RIVER, AND IF ONE GOT STUCK ON A ROCK, THEY COULD ALL PILE UP IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. IT WAS A TANGLED, DANGEROUS MESS THAT GAVE RISE TO THE TERM "LOGJAM." >> AND THEN A COUPLE, TWO OR THREE LUMBERJACKS, SOMETIMES MORE, WOULD HAVE TO GO IN AND START REMOVING LOGS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE TO BREAK THAT LOG JAM AND GET THE LOGS ROLLING. AND THAT IS WHEN A LOT OF THEM MET THEIR DEMISE, BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES THE WHOLE WALL WOULD COME DOWN AT ONE TIME AND BURY SEVERAL OF THEM. >> THIS IS A PEG AND RAKER SAW. SO, THESE ARE THE TEETH HERE. THIS WOULD BE THE EXACT SAME THING THEY USED IN THE WOODS. THEY GO THROUGH A 17" LOG IN ABOUT SEVEN SECONDS. >> Narrator: BUT IN LUMBERJACK COMPETITIONS, THERE'S ONE MACHINE YOU NEVER SEE IN THE WOODS -- CHAIN SAWS... WITH ENGINES BUILT FOR MUCH HEAVIER LOADS THAN CUTTING. >> IT CAME OUT OF A 1996 SKIDOO SNOWMOBILE. IT'S APPROXIMATELY 70 HORSEPOWER ON PAPER, TURNS THE CHAIN RIGHT AROUND 200 MPH, AND IT'S A BEAST TO HOLD ONTO. IT THROWS YOU AROUND LIKE A RAG DOLL. IT'S A 17" LOG -- I SHOULD BE RIGHT AROUND 5.4, 5.5. THREE CUTS AND STARTING IT. WE MAKE IT GO FAST. THIS IS AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO PURE DRAG RACING AS THERE IS. IT'S JUST YOU, THE WOOD AND A MOTOR, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PRAYING. >> Narrator: THE ORIGINAL LUMBERJACKS CUT DOWN TREES THAT WERE HUNDREDS OF YEARS OLD, AND THAT HAD WOOD THAT WAS STRAIGHT AND STRONG. IT WAS SO VERSATILE, IT BECAME THE COUNTRY'S BUILDING MATERIAL, FROM RAILROAD BRIDGES, TO ORNATE MANSIONS. WHERE IS IT TODAY? SOME OF IT IS HIDING BENEATH THE BEAT-UP EXTERIORS OF HOUSES AND BARNS, AND IT COULD BE WORTH A FORTUNE. SOME WOOD IS SO VALUABLE, COMPANIES LIKE "TIMELESS TIMBER FRAME" SPECIALIZE IN RECOVERING AND REUSING IT. THEY'RE TAKING APART A BARN BUILT IN THE 1840s IN SOUTHERN INDIANA, AND MOVING IT 200 MILES. THE PIECES ARE ALL NUMBERED AND COLOR CODED, THEN LAID OUT FOR REASSEMBLY, LIKE A GIANT PUZZLE. THE WORK CREW IS AMISH, A GROUP FAMILIAR WITH TRADITIONAL BUILDING TECHNIQUES. >> TODAY WE ARE REASSEMBLING A BARN THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 1840s. THESE BARNS WERE BUILT BY MASTER CRAFTSMEN WHO SETTLED HERE FROM EUROPE. >> Narrator: THESE CRAFTSMEN LEFT MARKS THAT REVEAL WHAT IT TOOK TO CARVE OUT TIMBERS. THEY CUT EACH ONE FROM A LOG. >> SOMEBODY THAT WAS HEWING A LOG WOULD SCORE THE LOG ON TOP WITH A FELLING AX, AND THAT LOG WOULD BE FLIPPED... AND THEY COULD COME ON WITH A BROAD AX AND GO STRAIGHT DOWN THE SIDE OF IT. AND YOU SEE, THAT'S ALMOST A PERFECT 90° ANGLE. INCREDIBLE. YOU'RE TALKING 15 TO 30 WORK HOURS INVOLVED WITH JUST MAKING A TIMBER SQUARE. >> Narrator: TIMBER FRAMING IS ALSO KNOWN AS POST-AND-BEAM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE TWO BASIC PARTS. THE IDEA IS TO INTERLOCK LARGE TIMBERS THAT BEAR TONS OF WEIGHT TO CREATE A LARGE, OPEN INTERIOR. THE BARN'S FRAME IS A BASIC BUT VERY SOLID STRUCTURE -- FOUR BENTS, OR SUPPORT SECTIONS, CONNECTED BY TOP PLATES. THE FIRST STEP IS TO PUT EACH BENT BACK TOGETHER. >> TODAY, WE'RE LIFTING THIS BENT SECTION WITH A CRANE. YEARS AGO THEY WOULD HAVE USED A HORSE AND BLOCK AND TACKLE, OR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS BENT SECTION PROBABLY WEIGHS 3,000 POUNDS, AND I WOULDN'T EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT HAVING TO GET THAT MANY GUYS HERE TO LIFT IT BY HAND. ONCE THE BENT SECTION IS PICKED UP AND SWUNG OVER IN PLACE, IT'LL BE SET DOWN ON THE FOUNDATION. >> Narrator: THE ORIGINAL BUILDERS DIDN'T USE METAL NAILS TO CONNECT THE FRAME, AND TIMELESS TIMBERS FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS. >> THESE TWO BEAMS ARE HELD TOGETHER WITH MORTISE AND TENON JOINERY. THIS IS A TENON ON THE POST. THERE'S ALSO A TENON ON THIS BEAM THAT COMES OVER AND GOES THROUGH THIS IS MORTISE HOLE IN THE POST. SO, THIS TENON IS ACTUALLY ATTACHED TO THIS BEAM, AND THEY'RE PULLED TOGETHER, AND THEN THEY ARE JOINED WITH WOODEN PEGS. >> Narrator: IT TAKES THE TIMELESS TIMBERS CREW LESS THAN A DAY TO REASSEMBLE AND PLACE THE BENTS. THE NEXT STEP IS TO CONNECT THEM WITH A LONG HORIZONTAL PIECE CALLED A TOP PLATE. >> IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE WOOD HAS A MEMORY, AND IT WANTS TO GO BACK TO THE PLACE THAT IT WAS PRIOR, WHEN IT WAS A BARN FOR A 140 YEARS. SO, WHEN IT'S MOVED, IT WILL GET OUT OF SQUARE. THEY'RE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO IT RIGHT NOW. SOME TIMES IT'S HARD TO GET THAT TOP PLATE BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TO HAVE EVERYTHING LINE UP JUST PERFECT. >> Narrator: EVERY PIECE HAS TO GO BACK TOGETHER EXACTLY THE WAY IT CAME APART. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT A TIMBER FRAME, YOU HAVE LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING AS A SYSTEM. WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A TIMBER FRAME, YOU CAN ONLY BE OFF LESS THAN AN INCH ON ANYTHING THAT YOU DO. IF IT'S TOO LOOSE, THE STRUCTURE WILL FALL APART EVENTUALLY. IF IT'S TOO TIGHT, YOU'RE BOUND THE BREAK THINGS. TIMBER FRAMING IS AN ART. >> Narrator: IT'S AN ART THAT TIMELESS TIMBERS KEEPS ALIVE IN MODERN HOUSES AND ARTISTS' STUDIOS. BUT FOR ALL ITS VERSATILITY, ROT... AND FIRE. NEXT UP, WOOD GETS SLICED AND DICED, AND GOES UP IN SMOKE, BUT PROVES IT'S STILL THE WONDER MATERIAL. GEORGE WASHINGTON HAD AT LEAST FOUR SETS OF DENTURES. BUT, CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, NONE WERE MADE OF WOOD. LASER SCANS REVEAL GOLD, IVORY, LEAD, HUMAN AND ANIMAL TEETH, BUT NO WOOD. WOOD WILL RETURN ON WOOD ON "MODERN MARVELS." WOOD IS SO VERSATILE, WE CAN SUBMERGE IT, BEND IT, AND EVEN REUSE IT... AND IT WILL REMAIN AS STRONG AS EVER. BUT WHEN WOOD ALTERNATES BETWEEN WET AND DRY, IT BECOMES FOOD FOR MICROBES AND INSECTS. >> THERE'S THIS SAILING TERM CALLED "SAILING THE BOTTOM OFF," AND IT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE UNDERWATER WOOD STAYING GOOD, THE ABOVE WATER STAYING GOOD, AND RIGHT WHERE THOSE TWO MET, ROT OCCURRED. THE SHIP WOULD LITERALLY SEPARATE WHERE THE WATER LINE MET THE AIR LINE. >> Narrator: TODAY, BOAT BUILDERS, LIKE CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT, TRY TO AVOID SAILING THEIR BOTTOMS OFF BY COMBINING WOOD WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY. THEY CREATE OVER 85 DIFFERENT BOAT KITS THAT AN AVERAGE PERSON CAN ASSEMBLE. ALMOST ALL OF THEM START OUT AS A SPECIALTY MARINE PLYWOOD. >> THIS IS A PLYWOOD CALLED OKOUME. IT COMES FROM GABON IN WEST AFRICA. IT'S MILLED THERE INTO VENEERS, AND THE VENEERS ARE SENT TO FRANCE, WHERE IT'S MADE INTO PLYWOOD -- SPECIAL PRESSES THAT USE MICROWAVES TO CURE THE GLUE IN THE PLYWOOD. AND WE PUT IN ON THE CNC MACHINE AND CUT BOATS OUT OF IT. >> Narrator: AT $125 PER SHEET, THE CUTTERS WANT TO GET EVERY >> THE BUSINESS END IS THIS, WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A GIGANTIC ROUTER. THIS 1/4" CARBIDE BIT, WE HAVE TO CHANGE EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE OF THE ABRASIVENESS OF THE GLUE IN THE PLYWOOD. >> Narrator: IT CUTS AT A PRECISION OF .002". PAIRED WITH THE ROUTER, A DRILL CREATES HOLES FOR CONNECTING THE PARTS. THE CNC MACHINE IS PROGRAMMED TO CUT THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT PARTS, FROM WHOLE PANELS, TO SMALL PATCHES. ONE OF CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT'S MOST POPULAR KITS IS THE "COCKTAIL CLASSIC." IT TAKES TWO PEOPLE LESS THAN A DAY TO ASSEMBLE MOST OF IT. AT THIS STAGE, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A TRADITIONAL BOAT -- AND WOULD BE PRONE TO ROT. BUT WHEN THEY APPLY FIBERGLASS AND EPOXY, THEY'RE ADDING A LAYER OF MODERN MATERIALS THAT SEALS OUT WATER AND STIFFENS THE STRUCTURE. >> WE'LL SMOOTH THE HULL... AND ADD A LAYER OF FIBERGLASS OVER THE ENTIRE HULL -- WHICH WILL MULTIPLY THE STRENGTH OF THE WOOD AND ELIMINATE MAINTENANCE. >> Narrator: THE END PRODUCT -- A FAST, RUGGED LITTLE BOAT, OR MORE. WHILE WATER CAN MAKE WOOD VULNERABLE TO ROT, FIRE CAN DEVOUR IT IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. IN 1906, THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF SAN FRANCISCO DAMAGED MUCH OF THAT CITY, BUT IT WAS A SERIES OF FIRES THAT DEVASTATED IT. THEY RAGED FOR FOUR DAYS, AND CAUSED ROUGHLY 90% OF THE DESTRUCTION. WOOD FUELS FIRE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S THE IDEAL MATERIAL... BUT EARLY MATCHES CONTAINED MANY TOXIC CHEMICALS AND PRODUCED A VILE SMELL -- THEY WERE KNOWN AS LUCIFERS. IN 1910, DIAMOND MATCHES PATENTED THE FIRST NON-POISONOUS MATCH IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEIR GOAL HAS BEEN TO MAKE THE SAFEST MATCHES POSSIBLE. >> THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PROCESS BEGINS. THE LOGS THAT YOU SEE ON THE DOCK HERE, THIS WOULD BE ABOUT ONE DAY'S PRODUCTION. >> Narrator: THEY USE ASPEN BECAUSE IT'S STRONG, STRAIGHT, EASY TO MACHINE -- AND, MOST >> THIS IS CALLED THE BULL CHAIN, AND THE BULL CHAIN IS WHAT BRINGS THE LOGS INTO THE PLANT AND STARTS THE DEBARKING PROCESS. THE LOGS ARE ALL ABOUT 100" LONG. THEY'RE DEBARKED... AND THEN WE CUT THEM INTO LENGTHS OF ABOUT 24" TO 25". >> Narrator: THE LOGS ARE LOADED INTO A STEAM BIN TO LOOSEN THE FIBERS AND KILL BACTERIA. >> THE NEXT THING THEY DO IS GO TO THE LATHE, WHICH STARTS THE VENEERING PROCESS. >> Narrator: A ROTARY LATHE BLADE PEELS THE LOG INTO LONG, FLAT SHEETS. THE OPERATOR FEEDS STACKS OF SHEETS INTO A CHOPPER. HERE, THE SHEETS ARE CUT INTO SPLINTS. THE CHOPPER USES TWO CONNECTED SETS OF BLADES, AND CUTS LIKE A HIGH-SPEED DOUBLE GUILLOTINE. THE SPLINTS ARE NOW MATCHSTICKS. DIAMOND WANTS THEM TO BURN, BUT NOT FOR TOO LONG. IF THE WOOD CREATES AN EMBER, IT COULD START A FIRE WHEN TOSSED OUT. SO, DIAMOND RUNS THEM THROUGH A BATH OF MONOAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE. THE WOOD WILL STILL CATCH FIRE, BUT WHEN IT'S BLOWN OUT, ITS EMBERS DIE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. ONCE DRY, THE SPLINTS ARE PRESSED TOGETHER TO FACE THE SAME DIRECTION. THIS GETS THEM READY TO BE FORCED INTO A CHAIN. >> WHAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND US IS THE SPLINTS, WHICH ARE WOODEN STICKS, IS GETTING SET IN A HOLE ON THIS CHAIN ABOVE US. >> Narrator: MISSHAPEN AND BROKEN SPLINTS FALL OUT AND ARE DISCARDED. THE NEXT STEP IS TO PUT ON THE MATCH HEAD. OLD MATCH HEADS CONTAINED AND USER SICK. TODAY, IT'S DIPPED INTO A NON-POISONOUS MIX CONTAINING POTASSIUM CHLORATE AND SULFUR. THE MATCH IS COMPLETE, BUT THERE'S ONE MORE SAFETY MEASURE. THE CHEMICALS IN THE HEAD WON'T LIGHT UNLESS THEY'RE RUN ACROSS A ROUGH SURFACE CONTAINING RED PHOSPHOROUS. DIAMOND PRINTS THIS MATERIAL RIGHT ONTO ITS BOXES. LOADED INTO THE BOXES, THE MATCHES ARE READY FOR SHIPPING. >> WE PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 38 MILLION MATCHES A DAY. THE NUMBER OF MATCHES THAT WE PRODUCE A YEAR, WE FIGURED OUT, IF YOU LINE THEM UP END TO END, THEY'D GO AROUND THE EARTH AT THE EQUATOR ABOUT 11 TIMES. >> Narrator: THAT'S 273,917 MILES OF MATCHES EVERY YEAR. WE CAN CONTROL FIRE AND FIGHT ROT... BUT THERE'S ONE MAN-MADE THE LIST. COMING UP, A SUPER-STRONG CREATION CALLED "PLYWOOD." THAT'S RIGHT, LOWLY PLYWOOD PUTS A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS, AND LIFTS US INTO THE SKIES. >><i> WE'RE REALLY UP IN THE AIR!</i> >> Narrator: WE NOW RETURN TO WOOD ON "MODERN MARVELS." FROM THE TINY TO THE MIGHTY, TREES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. >> IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE, THERE'S OVER 1,200 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TREE. ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS, SOME PEOPLE WILL GO AS HIGH AS 40,000 TO 50,000 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TREES. OAK ALONE, THERE'S 200 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF OAK. >> TREES HAVE ADAPTED TO NATURE IN A THOUSAND DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE'VE TAKEN THOSE CHARACTERISTICS AND USED THOSE TREES TO ADAPT TO OUR NEEDS. >> Narrator: OUR GREATEST ADAPTATION OF WOOD COULD BE WHEN WE PEEL IT... PUT THE LAYERS BACK TOGETHER, AND YOU'VE GOT PLYWOOD. AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY, THEY'VE SPENT A CENTURY FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM WOOD. >> WOOD CAN BE PEELED OUT LIKE THIS, BUT THE GRAIN IS STILL GOING IN THIS DIRECTION. YOU CAN MAKE USE OF THAT BY TAKING WOOD IN THIS DIRECTION, BUT THEN PLYING IT WITH WOOD THAT YOU TURN 90°. AND PUT THEM TOGETHER LIKE THIS, AND IT'S LIKE A STEEL-BELTED RADIAL. YOU END UP HAVING STRENGTH GOING IN ALTERNATING PLANES, THAT GIVES THE WOOD STRENGTH, NOT ONLY IN THIS DIRECTION, DOWNWARD, BUT ALSO LATERALLY, WHICH YOU WOULDN'T GET IN WOOD NATURALLY. >> Narrator: DON'T THINK OF PLYWOOD AS MADE FROM LEFTOVER SCRAPS -- IT'S MORE LIKE A COMPOSITE MATERIAL. >> PLYWOOD IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF US EMULATING WOOD'S NATURAL STRENGTH, AND ACTUALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT AND DOING ONE BETTER. >> Narrator: HUMANS HAVE BEEN GLUING LAYERS OF WOOD TOGETHER SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, ESPECIALLY WHERE WOOD WAS SCARCE. >> THE EGYPTIANS CREATED THEIR OWN FORM OF PLYWOOD. THEY WOULD JUST SLICE WOOD VERY AND THEY USED IT FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS FOUND IN THE TOMBS. >> Narrator: BUT MODERN PLYWOOD CAME ABOUT IN THE 1800s, WITH THE INVENTION OF A ROTARY LATHE. IT SPINS THE LOG WHILE A BLADE PEELS IT INTO THIN LAYERS, LIKE UNROLLING PAPER TOWELS. THIS LATHE CAN TURN A LARGE LOG INTO A MILE-LONG PIECE OF PLY. CONSTRUCTION OF ALL TIME WAS AN ENORMOUS BOAT THAT COULD FLY. IT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF THE ECCENTRIC GENIUS, HOWARD HUGHES. HE CALLED IT "THE HERCULES," BUT IT'S BETTER KNOWN BY A NICKNAME HUGHES HATED -- "THE SPRUCE GOOSE." HUGHES DID NOTHING HALFWAY, AND THE SPRUCE GOOSE WAS PURE HUGHES. EVERGREEN AVIATION MUSEUM. >> THE AIRCRAFT IS THE LARGEST IT'S 319'11". IT'S ABOUT 80-SOME FEET TALL. WEIGHS 300,000 POUNDS, AND COULD CARRY ANOTHER 100,000 POUNDS. >> Narrator: ITS WINGS ARE ABOUT THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD, AND IT WAS OVER TEN TIMES BIGGER THAN THE ARMY'S MAIN TROOP TRANSPORT PLANE, THE C-47. HUGHES BEGAN WORK ON THE SPRUCE GOOSE IN 1942. DURING WORLD WAR TWO, GERMAN U-BOATS WERE SINKING SO MANY SHIPS, THE U.S. WAS AFRAID OF SENDING OUT TROOP TRANSPORTS. HUGHES' GOAL? FLY OVER THE U-BOATS. HE SET OUT TO BUILD A PLANE THAT COULD CARRY 750 FULLY EQUIPPED MEN... BUT U-BOATS WEREN'T THE ONLY OBSTACLE HUGHES FACED. >> HE WAS TOLD HE COULD NOT USE STRATEGIC MATERIAL SUCH AS ALUMINUM OR MAGNESIUM AND SO ON, FOR FIGHTERS AND BOMBERS. SO HE WAS FORCED TO LOOK AT OTHER SOURCES OF MATERIAL, AND WOOD WAS A MAJOR AVAILABLE SOURCE FOR DOING THIS. >> Narrator: HUGHES ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF ENGINEERS AND FURNITURE MAKERS. THEY USED PLIES OF WOOD PEELED FROM BIRCH TREES, AND MOLDED THE LAYERS. THEY CALLED IT "DURAMOLD." >> EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN HERE, TO TAIL, IS DURAMOLD, WHICH IS MADE OUT OF BIRCH WOOD. NOW, EVERYTHING HERE IS WOOD. >> Narrator: SOME SECTIONS WERE PAPER THIN, WHILE OTHERS WERE AS THICK AS BEAMS. ONCE THE PLANE WAS GLUED TOGETHER, THEY PULLED OUT THE NAILS -- ALL EIGHT TONS OF THEM. JUST ABOUT THE ONLY METAL IS IN THE ENGINES AND HYDRAULIC AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. CRITICS HAD A FIELD DAY, LAMPOONING THE PROJECT AS "THE FLYING LUMBERYARD," AND QUESTIONING IF IT COULD EVEN TAKE OFF. BUT IN 1947, HUGHES HAD THE LAST LAUGH. HE BROUGHT THE PRESS ALONG FOR A TEST OF THE ENGINES. >> SO HE TOOK THE AIRCRAFT OUT, FIRED IT UP. HE ASKED HIS CO-PILOT FOR 10° OF FLAPS. >><i> FULL THROTTLE.</i> <i> IT'S 60, IT'S UP TO 65,</i> <i> IT'S 70.</i> >> HE HIT 70 MILES AN HOUR, THE PLANE TOOK OFF JUST AS ADVERTISED. >><i> AND I BELIEVE WE ARE</i> <i> AIRBORNE.</i> <i> WE ARE AIRBORNE,</i> <i> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.</i> <i> WE ARE REALLY UP IN THE AIR.</i> >> Narrator: VINDICATED, HUGHES BUILT A SPECIAL HANGAR FOR THE PLANE, AND SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO KEEP IT FLIGHT-READY. IT WAS A MONUMENT TO BOTH HIS GENIUS AND HIS ECCENTRICITY. >> IT'S ALSO A MONUMENT TO WOOD, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DURAMOLD HAD INCREDIBLE STRENGTH. WE MEASURE IT EVERY MONTH, AND THE WINGS HAVEN'T SAGGED EVEN 1/16" IN TEN YEARS. >> Narrator: ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT... THERE'S ONLY ONE MATERIAL THAT CAN JUST ABOUT DO IT ALL... WOOD. >> THERE'S WOOD IN SOME PRETTY UNEXPECTED PLACES. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF IT AS SOMETHING THAT IS OLD-FASHIONED, BUT IT'S BEEN WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, FROM MANKIND'S STEP OUT OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION RIGHT UP THROUGH TODAY. >> Narrator: STRONG ENOUGH TO PILE DRIVE, FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO BEND, AND LIGHT ENOUGH TO FLY, WOOD IS ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE MATERIALS WE HAVE, MAKING IT A MODERN MARVEL.
