Ask HN: Recommendations for videos/documentaries about building things

[NWChen]

What videos/channels/documentaries do you recommend that watch teams of people designing/building things? For example:

1. [DarkAero (airplanes)](https://www.youtube.com/@DarkAeroInc)

2. [The Great Robot Race](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCRrXQRvC_I)

3. [PsychOdyssey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRlI72bsNRc&list=PLIhLvue17Sd70y34zh2erWWpMyOnh4UN_)

[apantel]

Primitive Technology: one man in the forest in Australia building a wide array of things from organic materials, such as kilns, bricks, buildings, tools, etc.

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCAL3JXZSzSm8AlZyD3nQdBA

[kratom_sandwich → apantel]

Here's a pretty interesting research into the countless fakers this channel has inspired:

"How Primitive Building Videos Are Staged" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvk63LADbFc

[aantix]

My kids and I have been enjoying the old Junk Yard Wars TV series. Lots of old episodes on YouTube.

One expert, three mechanic/welders/engineers per team.

They’re assigned to build something fairly complex like a “flying car”. 10 hours to scavenge the junk yard and use whatever to build the item.

[CableNinja → aantix]

I loved this show until i found out it was rigged, and there were parts laid out in the yard that would otherwise have not been there if it werent for the show.

https://www.zcar.com/threads/junkyard-wars-rigged.218592/

[relwin]

Clickspring: makes an authentic replica of The Antikythera Mechanism from raw metal stock. Also period-correct tools and craftsmanship. https://www.youtube.com/@Clickspring

[sgu999]

Probably not the kind of "things" you're after, but the YouTube channel "Japanese Garden TV" is just that, team of people building something, without comments. [1]

[1] https://m.youtube.com/@JapaneseGardenTV/videos

[getpost → sgu999]

Nice! Two episodes on Ryoan-ji https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldVz7XQFky0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vphfpgGL7A

[namuol]

Hard to find good docs on teams, but here are two of my favorite solo creators:

Paul Elkins: Designs and builds low cost novelty mobile homes and vehicles.

https://youtube.com/@paulwelkinsdiy

Mitxela: Hardware and software hacker/inventor. Mixes circuit design, microcontroller programming, and machining to make unique pieces. Featured on HN recently.

https://youtube.com/@mitxela

[marttt]

Estonian log house builders building a smoke sauna with hand tools. 58 minutes of beauty and true craftsmanship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN47VMnRc-U

[dharmab]

Bad Obsession Motorsport. Their biggest project was a 6-year build of a Mini Cooper where they basically fabricated an entire car from scratch by hand.

The Warthog Project. A dude builds a 1:1 scale cockpit for an A-10C Warthog simulator, including custom electronics.

Baumgartner Restoration: A professional art restorer documents his process restoring paintings and other art.

DIY Perks: A hobbyist/inventor designs and builds practical electronics and furniture, and shares the designs for others.

Marty's Matchbox Restorations: A man repairs and repaints old diecast toys with higher detail and quality paint. (Disclosure: I am good friends with Marty's son.)

Ronald Finger: A man finds a Pontiac Fiero parked in the woods for decades and restores it to factory-fresh.

AMMO NYC: A professional auto detailer documents his process, from detailing daily-driven cars to sanitizing and restoring barn-find antiques.

[fwipsy]

On mobile so no links, but I enjoy the following YouTube channels:

Primitive technology: researching/developing e.g. metalworking, agriculture, building techniques without using any premade tools. No voice but closed caption explanations.

Primitive skills: homesteading in Vietnam with traditional techniques, minimal outside materials/tools. No voice, closed caption explanations.

Wintergatan: years-long project to build a marble machine musical instrument reliable enough for stage performances. Lots of experimentation and some meta engineering techniques too.

Jamie Mantzel (spelling?) Used to be building a giant robot in his garage, more recently built small boats and a house. Haven't checked recently.

[telesilla]

Hard to find the entire 10 episodes but here's the first 4 of James Burke's Connections, a look at how various discoveries, scientific achievements and world events are tied together. Pretty awesome stuff.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw7aVsjFLyMmkEqHami9AHGmc...

[11001100]

I really enjoy the videos of "my mechanics" [0] because in addition to the peaceful restoration, he also replaces parts with new ones from time to time. In the newest episode he's not alone.

For German speakers, there is a recommended channel purely about craftsmanship from "SWR Handwerkskunst" [1].

0: https://www.youtube.com/@mymechanics

1: https://www.youtube.com/@Handwerkskunst

[nicbou]

Pask Makes, This Old Tony, Laura Kampf are all really interesting makers. If you speak German, SWR is currently making a series about makers that's on YouTube. It's nice to watch Germans restore houses, make beer, make coffee and so on.

[brensmith]

Sampson Boat Company's rebuilding of Tally Ho: https://www.youtube.com/@SampsonBoatCo

[singleshot_ → brensmith]

This is the best series on YouTube far and away. Production quality rough at the beginning but do yourself a favor and watch the whole thing.

[gtsnexp]

How to make (almost) anything: https://cba.mit.edu/classes/index.html

[bertil → gtsnexp]

Similar name, seemingly a lot less talent (intentionally so, IIUC), but awe-inspiring grit: _How To Make Everything_ on YouTube [0] has really hit the nail on the head with having an average man trying to recreate items from scratch.

He’s not that good with his hands, sweats easily, lack coordination and has the natural instinct for measures, roundedness, and flat surfaces of a goat. That makes so many of his attempts that much more credible. He insists (with some exception) on exclusively using tools that he made himself—something he called “The Great Reset”. This means a raggedly thread and an Flintstone-like pen for dimensions. Expectedly, that doesn’t help much.

It’s genuinely so much more valuable for that lack of professional training — although him and his growing team are learning, and getting genuinely good as things go.

He often has the help of a professional using modern tools and the difference with his own attempts is generally very intructive, more than the principle themselves. Can you make a nail from scratch? A professional blacksmith can make somethign really nice; an amateur can try… it will keep two planks together, but not inspire confidence.

Great entertainement value and very worthy reality check: could you make clay pot? You saw an attractive instructor seemlessly whip out something wonderful on TikTok once? Good for you. HTME will give you a more realistic expectation of what you can do on your first five tries: one of them holds most of the water.

Say what you want: after years of grit, they have raggedy but reasonnably useful workshop tools make from absolute scratch.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIqCzQJXvYj9ssCoHq327g

[astaunton]

I also like Alex Steele, Colin Furze (back catalog more about making, new stuff on an underground passage / garage).

Im not sure if Ben Heck (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeStlUnitobx8QcSxTw2aQ) is doing much lately but his back catalog is pretty good (one handed xbox controller, small electronic projects).

Diesel Brothers for trucks / snow mobiles.

[robotguy]

Furniture restorers, horologists, metal workers, ceramicists, upholsterers and all manner of skilled craftsmen and women have been brought together in one extraordinary space to restore much loved possessions to their former glory.

BBC show but also on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRepairShop

[amayne]

6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hU83PE68oNY

[trebligdivad]

I can suggest: https://www.youtube.com/@PracticalEngineeringChannel Mostly huge engineering projects

https://www.youtube.com/@timhunkin1 A mix of old home equipment and basic component explanations (More quirky than detailed)

[rasz]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Things_Work_(TV_series... :)

https://www.pbs.org/weta/roughscience/series/episodes.html

[kratom_sandwich]

Not sure if you're including podcasts in cour question - if yes, check out "How I Built this": https://wondery.com/shows/how-i-built-this/

[natdempk]

Great question, I'm also interested in this type of content though I know few examples. Since you like PsychOdyssey also check out Double Fine Adventure and the few Amnesia Fortnight series (also on DoubleFine's Youtube channel) if you haven't.

[sim30n]

Guy is making a rain gutter generator: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRgXwFLxal8J5oSN2hKqeNi5G...

[brudgers]

Adam Savage’s Tested

[antfarm]

Steve Jobs brainstorms with the NeXT team 1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udi0rk3jZYM

[drooby]

The Beatles: Get Back Documentary