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How It's Made

  • TV-G
  • 2001–2019
  • 32 seasons
  • Documentary
  • 7.7

Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.

Episodes

13 episodes
  1. 1Solid Tires, Cheesecake, Canoe Paddles, Globes

    21 minJan 13, 2008

    Rubber compounds are molded into puncture-resistant solid tires, dairy ingredients are blended and baked into cheesecake, selected wood is shaped and finished into canoe paddles, and printed maps are applied to spherical forms to make globes.

  2. 2Boomerangs, Barbeques, Pinball Machines, Strobe Lights

    21 minJan 20, 2008

    Curved pieces of wood are shaped and balanced into returning boomerangs, metal bodies and burners are assembled into outdoor barbecues, mechanical and electronic systems are combined into pinball machines, and electrical components are installed in high-intensity strobe lights.

  3. 3Wooden Bowls, Chainsaws, Stackable Potato Chips, Jet Compressor Blades

    21 minJan 27, 2008

    Pieces of hardwood are turned and finished into bowls, engines and cutting chains are assembled into chainsaws, processed potato dough is formed and fried into uniformly stackable chips, and specialized alloys are precisely forged and machined into jet-engine compressor blades.

  4. 4Steel Wool, Ranges, Carved Candles, Slot Machines

    21 minFeb 3, 2008

    Steel rods are drawn and shaved into fine steel wool, galvanized steel and cooking components are assembled into kitchen ranges, layers of colored wax are cut into decorative candles, and mechanical and electronic parts are installed in slot machines.

  5. 5CCD Semiconductors, Airline Meals, Paper Cups, Trumpets

    21 minFeb 10, 2008

    Light-sensitive semiconductor components are manufactured for digital imaging devices, prepared dishes are portioned and packaged as airline meals, coated paper is formed and sealed into disposable cups, and brass tubing is shaped and fitted with valves to make trumpets.

  6. 6Padlocks, Hair Clippers, Wooden Shoes, Synthetic Leather

    21 minFeb 17, 2008

    Laminated steel bodies, shackles and locking mechanisms are assembled into padlocks, electric motors and cutting blades are installed in hair clippers, blocks of poplar are carved into traditional wooden shoes, and textile backing is coated with plastic compounds to create synthetic leather.

  7. 7Racing Shells, Stainless Steel Sinks, Leather, Pedal Steel Guitars

    21 minFeb 24, 2008

    Lightweight composite materials are formed into racing shells, stainless-steel sheets are pressed and finished into sinks, animal hides are cleaned, softened and tanned into leather, and strings, pedals and mechanical controls are assembled into pedal steel guitars.

  8. 8Swords, Pontoons, Grandfather Clocks, Fuses

    21 minMar 2, 2008

    High-carbon steel is cut and finished into replica swords, aluminum sections are formed and welded into boat pontoons, wooden cases and weight-driven movements are assembled into grandfather clocks, and calibrated conductive elements are enclosed in electrical fuses.

  9. 9Bumpers, Lighting Gels and Camera Filters, Steam-Powered Models, Candy Canes

    21 minMar 9, 2008

    Formed steel and energy-absorbing materials are assembled into automotive bumpers, dyed polyester is processed into lighting gels and camera filters, miniature boilers and mechanical systems are built into steam-powered models, and cooked sugar is colored, stretched and shaped into candy canes.

  10. 10Umbrellas, Outboard Motors, Silver Cutlery, Tape Measures

    21 minMar 16, 2008

    Fabric canopies and collapsible frames are assembled into umbrellas, engines and marine drive systems are combined into outboard motors, sheets of silver are stamped and polished into cutlery, and marked steel strips are installed in retractable tape measures.

  11. 11Scalpels, Oil Paints, British Police Helmets, Ice Axes

    21 minMar 23, 2008

    Surgical steel is shaped and sharpened into scalpels, finely ground pigments are combined with oil to make artists’ paint, reinforced plastic and fabric are formed into traditional British police helmets, and aluminum and steel components are shaped into mountaineering ice axes.

  12. 12Bacon, Snowblowers, Luxury Cars

    21 minMar 30, 2008

    Pork bellies are cured, flavored, cooked and sliced into bacon, engines and rotating augers are installed in snow blowers, and hand-finished bodies, engines and interiors are assembled into luxury automobiles.

  13. 13Automatic Transmissions, Silver Miniatures, Hot Air Balloon Baskets, Darts

    21 minApr 6, 2008

    Gears, clutches and hydraulic controls are assembled inside automatic transmissions, silver is formed and detailed into precisely scaled miniatures, wicker is woven around metal frames to create hot-air-balloon baskets, and metal points, barrels, shafts and flights are assembled into darts.

Where to watch How It's Made

Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB. Full listing for United States

Series cast

Lynne AdamsNarrator (voice)351 episodes
Lynn HerzegNarrator (voice)39 episodes
Mark TewksburyNarrator (voice)13 episodes
June WallackNarrator (voice)13 episodes

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