How It's Made — Season 16

Oct 1, 2010 · 21m

Slices of brightly patterned glass cane are arranged and fused within clear glass to create millefiori paperweights. The episode also follows the processing of road salt for winter de-icing, the carving and assembly of traditional character nutcrackers, and the stamping, welding and fitting of steel panels to produce complete car doors.

Oct 8, 2010 · 21m

Steel blanks are shaped, hardened, ground and carefully honed into straight razors. Blood, fat, grain and seasonings are prepared for traditional black pudding; metal frames are padded, covered and equipped to become steering wheels; and mineral ingredients are processed into stable inorganic pigments used to colour manufactured products.

Oct 15, 2010 · 21m

Molten iron is poured into moulds, cleaned and finished to create durable cast iron cookware. Vegetable oil is chemically converted and purified into biodiesel, clothes hangers are shaped and assembled for strength and balance, and molten rock is spun into fibres before being compressed into fire-resistant stone wool insulation.

Oct 22, 2010 · 21m

Fine metal wire is straightened, cut, pointed and finished to manufacture needles and pins. Decorative profiles are reproduced as architectural mouldings, heavy structural and mechanical systems are assembled into working locomotives, and shaped wooden pieces are joined with metal springs to produce clothespins.

Oct 29, 2010 · 21m

Fine strands and rods of coloured glass are heated, arranged and fused into the intricate patterns of filigree glass. Nutritional ingredients are ground, blended and formed into fish food, while a vehicle chassis receives insulated walls, utilities, furnishings and fitted interiors to become a self-contained motor home.

Nov 5, 2010 · 21m

Medical-grade steel is forged or machined, polished and inspected to create precise surgical instruments. Tomatoes are cooked, strained, seasoned and bottled as ketchup; large chassis and body sections are assembled into double-decker buses; and selected wood is straightened, shaped and finished into walking sticks.

Nov 12, 2010 · 21m

Delicate electrodes and control grids are assembled inside glass envelopes that are evacuated and sealed to form audio vacuum tubes. Optical modules, wiring and housings are combined into emergency light bars; lightweight wooden pieces are cut and joined into model aircraft; and formed metal shells are fitted with heads, tensioning hardware and snare wires to create snare drums.

Nov 19, 2010 · 21m

Metal, wood and plastic components are shaped and finished into practical kitchen accessories. Motors, filters and collection housings are assembled into central vacuum systems; layers of paper and adhesive are moulded, dried and painted as papier-mâché animals; and precision tubes, rods, pistons and seals are combined into hydraulic cylinders.

Nov 26, 2010 · 21m

Clay is formed into traditional liquor jugs before the vessels are dried, glazed and fired. Poultry is prepared, seasoned, formed and cooked into uniform deli meats, while specially machined blocks, cylinder heads and internal components are assembled and tested as high-output NASCAR racing engines.

Dec 3, 2010 · 21m

Digital scans and computer-guided equipment are used to design and manufacture precisely fitted dental restorations. Steel is stamped, hardened, sharpened and assembled into nail clippers; damaged posters are cleaned, flattened, repaired and reinforced; and canola seeds are cleaned, crushed and refined into cooking oil.

Dec 10, 2010 · 21m

Temperature-sensitive mechanisms are connected to calibrated faces and protective housings to produce dial thermometers. Cooked chickpeas are blended with tahini, oil and seasonings to make hummus; heavy engineered components are fabricated into shielded containers for spent nuclear fuel; and straw is woven, shaped and trimmed into traditional sombreros.

Dec 17, 2010 · 21m

Blue agave hearts are cooked, crushed, fermented and distilled to produce tequila. Sheets of flexible vinyl are cut, heat-sealed and fitted with valves to form waterbed mattresses; moulded soles and straps are assembled into flip-flops; and silver-bearing material is refined, melted and cast into usable forms.

Dec 24, 2010 · 21m

Lightweight liners are wrapped with resin-impregnated fibres, cured and pressure-tested to create composite propane cylinders. Vegetables and seasonings are cleaned, chopped, blended and packaged as salsa; galvanized steel components are assembled into windmills that operate mechanical water pumps; and reinforced chassis, powerful engines and specialized drivetrains are combined into dragsters.