How It's Made — Season 31
01 Basque Pelota Balls, Pallet Trucks, Dumplings, Brass Faucets
May 5, 201821m★ 10.0
Layers of material are built around a central core and covered to produce balls for Basque pelota; hydraulic lifting systems are installed in warehouse pallet trucks; dough wrappers are filled and folded into dumplings; and cast brass faucet bodies are machined, finished, assembled and tested.
02 Laptops, Panettone, Saxophones
May 5, 201821m★ 10.0
Electronic components, displays, keyboards and batteries are assembled and tested as laptop computers; enriched dough undergoes repeated fermentation before fruit is added and the panettone is baked and cooled; and shaped brass bodies are fitted with tone holes, keys and pads to produce saxophones.
03 Spinning Reels, Plasma Protein Therapies, 3D Cups, Stainless Steel Beer Kegs
May 12, 201821m★ 10.0
Precision gears, spools and drag mechanisms are assembled into fishing reels; donated plasma is separated and purified to recover proteins used in medical therapies; moulded cups receive graphics designed to create a three-dimensional effect; and formed stainless-steel sections are welded and pressure-tested as beer kegs.
04 Steamer Baskets, Three-Wheel Scooters, Prefabricated Conservatories, Copper Cookware
May 12, 201821m★ 10.0
Prepared strips of bamboo are bent, woven and joined into steamer baskets; frames, wheels and control components are assembled into three-wheel scooters; factory-made frames and glazed panels are prepared for conservatories; and copper blanks are shaped, lined, fitted with handles and polished into cookware.
05 Mountain Bike Tires, Leaf and Debris Vacuums, Canned Meat, Fillet Knives
May 19, 201821m★ 10.0
Rubber compounds, reinforcing plies and bead assemblies are moulded and cured into mountain-bike tires; engines and high-speed impellers are installed in outdoor debris vacuums; prepared meat is portioned, sealed and heat-sterilized in cans; and hardened steel blades are ground, sharpened and fitted with handles as fillet knives.
06 Rice Cookers, Concealment Furniture, Promotional Origami, Hedge Shears
May 19, 201821m★ 10.0
Cooking vessels, heating elements and temperature controls are assembled into automatic rice cookers; discreet compartments and locking mechanisms are incorporated into ordinary-looking furniture; printed paper is cut, creased and folded into promotional origami; and heat-treated steel blades are sharpened and joined to handles to form hedge shears.
07 Glass Faucets, Fire Truck Ladders, Antique Clock Restoration, Barbecue Utensils
May 26, 201821m★ 10.0
Decorative glass components are formed and combined with working faucet hardware; ladder sections and hydraulic extension equipment are built for fire trucks; worn antique clocks are dismantled so their movements and cases can be repaired; and stainless steel is shaped, finished and fitted with handles as barbecue utensils.
08 Educational Robots, Boxing Belts, Boat Radar Mounts, European-Style Radiators
May 26, 201821m★ 10.0
Motors, sensors, controllers and programmable electronics are combined in educational robots; leather straps and decorated metal plates are assembled into championship boxing belts; corrosion-resistant components are fabricated for marine radar mounts; and pressed steel panels are welded, coated and pressure-tested as European-style radiators.
09 Cotton, Rodeo Roping Chutes, Asian Noodles, Rotary Engines
Jun 2, 201821m★ 10.0
Harvested cotton is cleaned, separated from its seeds and compressed into transportable bales; heavy steel frames, gates and release mechanisms are assembled into rodeo roping chutes; prepared dough is rolled and cut into Asian noodles; and precisely machined rotors, housings, gears and seals are assembled into rotary engines.
10 Sleeper Rigs, Pecans, Steel Pulleys, Acetate Eyewear
Jun 2, 201821m★ 10.0
Extended sleeping compartments are constructed and equipped for long-haul trucks; harvested pecans are cleaned, cracked, separated and graded; steel blanks are machined with grooves and central bores to produce pulleys; and cellulose-acetate sheets are cut, shaped and polished into eyeglass frames.
11 Wood Slat Baskets, Bells, Gyroscopic Stabilizers
Nov 3, 201821m★ 10.0
Thin wooden slats are cut, shaped and joined into traditional baskets; molten metal is cast, finished and tuned to produce bells; and precision-balanced flywheels, bearings and control equipment are assembled into gyroscopic systems that counteract unwanted movement.
12 DeLorean Restoration, Bison Fibre, Shuffleboard Tables, Friction Forged Knives
Nov 3, 201821m★ 10.0
A DeLorean’s mechanical systems, interior and distinctive stainless-steel body are refurbished; soft insulating fibre is separated from coarse bison hair and prepared for textile use; long hardwood playing surfaces are built and levelled for shuffleboard tables; and knife blades are friction-worked, ground and finished to improve their cutting edges.
13 Leather Overnight Bags, Horse Exercisers, Air Hockey Tables, Copper Sculptures
Nov 3, 201821m★ 10.0
Leather pieces are cut, skived, reinforced and sewn into overnight bags; structural, drive and safety components are assembled into mechanical horse exercisers; cabinets, perforated playing surfaces, blowers and scoring electronics are combined in air-hockey tables; and copper is cut, shaped, joined and finished as decorative sculpture.