How It's Made — Season 31

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

May 201821m

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.

Jun 201821m

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.

Jun 201821m

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.

Nov 201821m

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.

Nov 201821m

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.

Nov 201821m

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.