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How It's Made

2001 Canceled 30m episodes

7.7/10 172 votes

Documentary

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.

Created by:: Gabriel Hoss
Cast:: Lynne Adams
Language:: English
Country:: Canada
Network:: Discovery

Episode guide

Seasons

33 available

Season 2

Episodes

Episode 1 selected

Still from Eyeglass Lenses, Granite, Potato Chips, Microprocessors

E01

Episode 1

★ 9.0

Eyeglass Lenses, Granite, Potato Chips, Microprocessors

2002-09-07 · 21m

The manufacturing processes behind prescription eyeglass lenses, finished granite products, mass-produced potato chips and microscopic computer processors are examined.

Current episode

Still from Honey, Fiber-Optics, Bricks, Pipe Organs

E02

Episode 2

★ 10.0

Honey, Fiber-Optics, Bricks, Pipe Organs

2002-09-14 · 21m

Bees and beekeepers produce and harvest honey, glass is drawn into extremely fine optical fibers, clay is molded and fired into bricks, and thousands of specialized components are assembled into pipe organs.

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Still from Personal Watercraft, Wine, Office Furniture, Ice Skates

E03

Episode 3

★ 10.0

Personal Watercraft, Wine, Office Furniture, Ice Skates

2002-09-21 · 21m

Personal watercraft are molded and mechanically assembled, grapes are fermented and aged into wine, particleboard is transformed into office furniture, and shaped steel blades are fitted to ice-skate boots.

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Still from Winter Jackets, Animation, Mushrooms, Gold Rings

E04

Episode 4

★ 10.0

Winter Jackets, Animation, Mushrooms, Gold Rings

2002-09-28 · 21m

Insulated materials are cut and sewn into winter jackets, drawings are developed into animated sequences, mushrooms are cultivated under controlled conditions, and gold alloys are formed and polished into rings.

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Still from Hydroponic Lettuce, Construction Wood, Recycling, Fishing Flies

E05

Episode 5

★ 10.0

Hydroponic Lettuce, Construction Wood, Recycling, Fishing Flies

2002-10-12 · 21m

Lettuce is grown without soil in a hydroponic system, logs are processed into construction lumber, discarded materials are sorted and prepared for reuse, and feathers and fibers are tied into artificial fishing flies.

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Still from Diamond Cutting, Wood Doors, Paintballs, Newspapers

E06

Episode 6

★ 10.0

Diamond Cutting, Wood Doors, Paintballs, Newspapers

2002-10-19 · 21m

Rough diamonds are evaluated and precisely cut, lumber is shaped and joined into wooden doors, gelatin shells are filled to create paintballs, and news pages are printed and assembled at high speed.

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Still from Carpets, Drinking Water, Laser Eye Surgery, Acoustic Guitars

E07

Episode 7

★ 10.0

Carpets, Drinking Water, Laser Eye Surgery, Acoustic Guitars

2002-10-26 · 21m

Yarn is tufted and finished into carpet, municipal water is filtered and disinfected, lasers are used to reshape the eye during corrective surgery, and selected woods are fashioned into acoustic guitars.

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Still from Fiberglass Boats, Clothes Dryers, Bubble Gum, Fireworks

E08

Episode 8

★ 10.0

Fiberglass Boats, Clothes Dryers, Bubble Gum, Fireworks

2002-11-02 · 21m

Fiberglass layers are molded into boat hulls, metal cabinets and rotating drums become clothes dryers, gum base is mixed and flavored to make bubble gum, and pyrotechnic compounds are assembled into fireworks.

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Still from Steel Safes, False Teeth, Airplanes, Maple Syrup

E09

Episode 9

★ 10.0

Steel Safes, False Teeth, Airplanes, Maple Syrup

2002-11-09 · 21m

Reinforced steel is fabricated into security safes, dental impressions are used to create fitted dentures, aircraft structures and systems are assembled, and maple sap is collected and concentrated into syrup.

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Still from Gummies, Aluminum Cans, Fish Farming, Bronze Sculptures

E10

Episode 10

★ 10.0

Gummies, Aluminum Cans, Fish Farming, Bronze Sculptures

2002-11-16 · 21m

Gelatin mixtures are molded into gummy candies, aluminum sheet is formed into beverage cans, fish are raised in controlled aquaculture facilities, and artists use molds and molten metal to cast bronze sculptures.

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Still from Aluminum Pots and Pans, Artificial Limbs, Peanut Butter, High Intensity Light Bulbs

E11

Episode 11

★ 10.0

Aluminum Pots and Pans, Artificial Limbs, Peanut Butter, High Intensity Light Bulbs

2002-11-23 · 21m

Aluminum is pressed and finished into cookware, prosthetic limbs are designed and fitted to individual patients, roasted peanuts are ground into peanut butter, and specialized components are assembled into high-intensity light bulbs.

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Still from Cars, Grocery Carts, Rapid Tooling and Prototyping, Collectible Coins

E12

Episode 12

★ 10.0

Cars, Grocery Carts, Rapid Tooling and Prototyping, Collectible Coins

2002-11-30 · 21m

Automobile bodies and mechanical components come together on an assembly line, steel wire is shaped into grocery carts, computer-assisted techniques create rapid prototypes and tooling, and commemorative designs are struck into collectible coins.

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Still from Ball Bearings, Electrical Wires, Lost Wax Process Casting, Automated Machines

E13

Episode 13

★ 10.0

Ball Bearings, Electrical Wires, Lost Wax Process Casting, Automated Machines

2002-12-07 · 21m

Steel components are ground and polished into precision ball bearings, conductive metal is drawn and insulated to produce electrical wire, wax models are used to cast complex metal objects, and a compilation examines automated manufacturing machinery.

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