An Open Air Cinema... Twelve tons of steel... And
three renegade engineers trying to keep this multiplex from becoming a miniplex,
because if they catch it... they keep it.
Today's players are...
- MATTHEW ORTH: Inventor, entrepreneur, and
jack-of-all-trades raised in a Harley repair shop
- LUIS VASQUEZ: structural engineer who specializes in wood-frame structures. He
one day hopes to build a 100% green residence that leaves zero carbon footprint.
- SCOTT WEBSTER: Custom motorcycle fabricator and entrepreneur originally from
Ohio. He works out of Leroy Thompson Fabricators.
The prize: an Open Air Cinema with screen,
high-definition projector, and speakers, well over $2000 in prizes.
The MOD: a triple feature of destruction... a
barrage of steel... 400 pound battering rams... and 12 tons of steel rods... and
a paint gun. If any component gets smashed, crushed, or splattered, they go home
with nothing. As always, you'll be DQed if you touch, manipulate, or otherwise
fool with the MOD. And you'll have 48 hours to protect your matinee.
And the time... starts.... NOW, good luck!
The team comes up with a system of deflecting
rollcages. They'll also construct a spring-system that will stop the battering
rams. And the paint guns will be blocked by a plywood screen. They'll add boxes
to catch the paint at its source. But can car springs stop 8000 pounds of force?
The guys will start with the paint catching
shield. Then they try to stop the battering ram with more force, like stopping a
train almost. It's the same idea, but it's a more compact design. In fact, at
the end of day 1, the team has done a LOT of designing, but not a lot of
building.
Day 2 begins, and it's all about business. But
with little more than 25 hours remaining, Matthew and Luis are back to the
drawing board. They scrap their pyramid in favor of a ramp. Matthew gets on it,
but Luis can't build anything steel to save his life. No better time to learn.
Mike has decided as his solution to stop the
battering ram at the source with a lasso, use a ramp of his own to stop the
steel, and use tarp to stave off the paint.
TEST #1: Impact Force. One pipe is worth 400 lbs
of weight falling, hitting with an impact force yet to be determined. When the
dust settles... 19,000 lbs of downward force. That's four SUVs. A popcorn
cart... doesn't stand a chance. Quarter-inch box steel? That works. It has a
yield-strength of 14,000 pounds.
Now they're onto the frames that will stop the
battering rams. Meanwhile, Scott has to stop the other two from talking and
start building. There's a game plan, but Scott's starting to get a little
annoyed.
TEST #2: Paint Cannon Force. Replica of the paint
shield is rigged to a 120-psi paint cannon. Lots of backspray. Thirty-two square
feet of plywood... not enough. Four gallons of paint? Goes right through it.
Zach says that time is of the essence. Time to stop redesigning... and start
building something.
Scott's idea... trash can to contain the paint.
Anything to keep them from talking and start building.
Day 2 is just about finished, and the paint
shield is half-way finished, the ram stoppers are yet to be mounted, and the
steel ramps are still steel pieces. It's time for Scott to nip it in the bud. He
calls Matthew & Luis for a time out with only 17 hours left.
Meanwhile, Mike's ramp is almost done.
Now that Scott has separated the two
chatterboxes, work is actually getting done. The first of two ramps is finally
completed. The shield... also completed.
13 HOURS REMAINING
Luis pads his deflector with foam, while Matthew
helps Scott with the second ramp. Exhausted, Scott calls it a night, while
Matthew & Luis decide to work some more on the paint catchers.
Day 3 dawns.
3 HOURS REMAINING.
They are running out of time. The build is
inside, while the MOD is outside. On this, they decide not to bolt down the
ramps that will protect their speakers and player. Will this cost them?
2.5 HOURS REMAINING
Ramps are getting last minute supports while the
paint shields are being put in place.
45 MINUTES REMAINING
The ramps are being put in place. Everything is
done, but rather haphazardly.
30 MINUTES REMAINING
The battering ram stoppers are put in place, but
will they be anchored to the ground?
10 MINUTES REMAINING
It's a fight... And with minutes left, they are
forced to stop on their stoppers. Let's see what happens.
Remember, no rips, no damage, no splatters...
that's a win... in three... two... one...
The screen is protected by the battering rams...
but NOT by the steel rods. But Zach might've found the problem. If it is indeed
with the fan that inflates the screen, it's still a win, BUT if the screen goes
up and it is damaged, it's a loss.
Unfortunately, it was a major rip in the
screen... It's a LOSS.
BUT if Mike's solution doesn't work... it's still
a win. Mike's solution... works picture perfect. So it's still a loss.
Well, you can't win them all, unfortunately, but
there's always next week. Remember, if you catch it... you keep it.
For more information on this show, go to
sciencechannel.com/catchitkeepit.