How It's Made — Season 30

Rubber bladders are wrapped with reinforcing material before carefully cut leather panels are fitted, stitched and finished into basketballs. Heavy steel sections are fabricated into flood gates; cotton canvas is stretched, secured and prepared on rigid wood panels for artists; and bundles of thread are braided, cut and tipped to produce shoelaces.

Machined housings, shafts, vanes and seals are assembled into pumps that circulate hydraulic fluid through automotive power-steering systems. Prepared meats, vegetables, rice and sauces are cooked and portioned into Asian-style bowl meals, while selected wood is straightened, shaped and finished before handles and protective ferrules are added to walking canes.

Stainless-steel chambers, pumps, filters and controls are assembled into equipment that extracts oils from plant material. Metal frameworks are fabricated and decorated to create custom chandeliers; frames, flywheels, resistance systems and electronic sensors become bicycle power trainers; and measured portions of ground coffee are packed and sealed inside single-serving pods.

Standardized witness samples are prepared, documented and preserved so manufactured materials can later be tested without damaging the finished product. Pumps, engines, hoses and control valves are assembled into pressure washers; precisely cut wooden boxes and removable frames become beehives; and molten iron is cast, cleaned and seasoned to create heavy outdoor cookers.

Moistened leather is moulded, carved, dried and coloured to create detailed three-dimensional sculptures. Compact heating elements, thermostats and insulated housings are assembled into travel hot plates; naturally coloured earth is extracted, cleaned and ground into ochre pigment; and wooden bodies, strings, keys and rosined wheels are combined into hurdy-gurdies.

Steel columns, steps and railings are measured, shaped and welded into space-saving spiral staircases. Yeast dough is mixed, divided and baked at high temperature so steam inflates each pita; metal tubing is bent and welded into exhaust headers; and crushed limestone mixtures are cast and finished as decorative artwork.

Discarded skateboard decks are stripped, laminated and machined into colourful electric-guitar bodies before necks, pickups and controls are installed. Photovoltaic panels, batteries, controllers and LED fixtures are assembled into self-contained solar street lights, while moulded doll components are trimmed, painted, rooted with hair and dressed.

Molten glass is gathered, coloured and manipulated with heat and hand tools to create sculptural forms. Precision pulleys, ropes and mounting hardware are combined into systems used aboard racing sailboats; insulated wire is wound around magnetic cores to make inductors; and durable shells are formed, filled and sealed into weighted medicine balls.

Ink is carefully applied to prepared fish so their scales, fins and contours can be transferred to paper using the traditional art of gyotaku. Motors, springs and throwing arms are assembled into clay-target launchers; harvested almonds are hulled, shelled, sorted and packaged; and precision engines, frames, suspension systems and bodywork are hand-assembled into high-end motorcycles.

Cast housings are machined and fitted with butterfly valves, shafts and electronic sensors to produce automotive throttle bodies. Limestone blocks are cut and carved into fireplace mantels; fruit is slowly infused with sugar or cooked with pectin to make candied fruit and jellies; and layers of linen fibre and resin are moulded into lightweight ukulele bodies before the necks, hardware and strings are added.

Rubber compounds are prepared, moulded and cured into resilient balls of consistent size and bounce. Upholstered seats are fitted with motors, actuators and electronic controls to create motion chairs; seasoned beef briskets are cured, coated with spices, smoked and steamed into Montreal smoked meat; and electric motors, batteries, brakes and controls are installed on scooter frames.

Specialized alloys are formed, threaded, heat-treated, coated and rigorously inspected to produce fasteners capable of withstanding aerospace loads. Cactus pears are cleaned, peeled and processed into a smooth purée, while corrosion-resistant vessels are equipped with mixers, valves, sensors and temperature-control systems to become laboratory reactors.

Cabinet frames, folding supports and counterbalanced lifting mechanisms are assembled into beds that store vertically against a wall. Sheet material is formed, printed and trimmed into disposable sundae cups; artists create and refine paintings with digital tools before producing finished displays or prints; and lightweight racket frames are moulded, drilled, fitted with handles and tightly strung for badminton.