Adam Savage’s Tested is a content platform and community playground for makers and curious minds. On Tested.com, the highly- engaged Tested YouTube channel, and at conventions and events, dynamic makers share ideas and inspire each other to build their obsessions. Led by Adam Savage, the Tested team explores the intersection of science, popular culture, and emerging technology, showing how we are all makers. Adam also takes viewers behind the scenes of films, TV shows, theater, and museums, shining a spotlight on the craftspeople and artists who make the magic we all enjoy.
Tested is also: Norman Chan, Joey Fameli, Josh Self, Ryan Kiser, Kristen Lomasney, Kishore Hari, Sean Charlesworth, Kayte Sabicer, Bill Doran, Ariel Waldman, and Darrell Maloney.
From Adam Savage’s Tested. In case you aren’t familiar, the tsuba is a sword guard that served both practical and symbolic purposes in Japan, and the level of craftspersonship is, in Adam Savage’s words, "mildly upsetting." @metmuseumconservator and armorer Ted Hunter delves into the history of tsuba, and shows us some examples that are truly…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After spending the better part of this year working on this Grogu replica project, Adam and animatronic engineer Matthew Winchell walk us through all the movements and controls for this custom puppet. But to turn those motions and expressions into a believable character, Adam brings in puppeteer Michael Schupbach for a…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam Savage visits one of the Jewelry Archive on the Paramount Pictures lot, where the studio houses a treasure trove of beautiful prop crowns, necklaces, and other jewels fabricated over 100 years of the studio’s filmmaking history. Thanks to the Paramount Pictures Archives team for hosting us at their archives! Tested…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Google’s take on XR hardware is beginning to reveal itself as it plans to launch multiple Android XR products in the coming years. We visit their Android XR lab to go hands-on with several prototypes, including XREAL’s Project Aura, the latests Galaxy XR update, and two pairs of display smart glasses…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. From portable paint stations to repurposed hospital equipment, Sean shares some of his favorite discoveries, tools, and projects from this past year! Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Streamer: https://amzn.to/49Z5OEJ NECA Dante’s Inferno Room: https://store.necaonline.com/products/beetlejuice-1988-ultimate-trench-coat-with-spikes-beetlejuice-action-figure-dantes-inferno-room-deluxe-set Bauhaus Undead book: https://cleorecs.com/products/bauhaus-undead-expanded-edition-book Pixel Buds Pro 2: https://amzn.to/3YdWENn Ergotron StyleView SV42 Medical Cart: Check salvage warehouses and FB…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Kayte shares some of her favorite tools she used this past year on modelmaking projects, cardboard costume builds, and painting in her home studio! Fanttik C8 Cordless Electric Scissors: https://amzn.to/4iEmtiW Paint Puck CollapsiBowl Paint Brush Cleaner: https://amzn.to/4iRVJf5 OLFA Precision Hobby Craft Knife: https://amzn.to/3KFfSbv Tubinoone Engraving Pen: https://amzn.to/48zt0a5 Craighill Chroma Scissors: https://amzn.to/4iEoCv8…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Norm shares a collection of USB-themed tools and tech, his favorite portable video camera and accessories, and a selection of gadgets that he loved using this year at home with his kids! ChargerLab Power-Z USB tester: https://amzn.to/3MsPNNn USB Magnetic Charging cables: https://amzn.to/4rI05JF Samsung 256GB compact USB key: https://amzn.to/4axgqL1 Viper PVP30 Portable…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam Savage thought he knew a samurai helmet when he saw one, but … nope. At @metmuseum conservator and armorer Ted Hunter takes us through the surprisingly different forms samurai helmets took, including a 58-plate masterpiece from 1472 that weighs more than the classic M1 military helmet! The MET’s Arms and…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What’s a simple way of organizing LEGOs? How did Adam’s entertainment skills evolve? Any advice on being a generalist in a world where self-branding and specialization seems to be the currency? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members Wasteland Reaper, Vickie Bligh and J Dellarosa, whom…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Did you know that the 1978 Superman movie won an Academy Award for its visual effects? Adam takes a look at two special effects miniatures created for the Richard Donner classic, including Superman’s radient spaceship seen in the film’s opening sequence. Plus, a miniature Superman filming puppet that is literally cut…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. It’s been a few years since Adam built his sci-fi blaster prop storage trunk, and it’s one of Adam’s favorite things to let visitors to the cave touch and explore. But since that build, the lights have stopped working and it needs aesthetic upkeeping. So it’s time to remove all the…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Even though all of the dragons in Game of Thrones were computer generated creatures, the show’s art department made physical dragon props for various purposes of production. From dragon eggs to puppet lighting references and wood sculptures, we check out a range of dragon props made for the original run of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. We’re back in the office after a few days off, and that means it’s live stream time! Adam will be taking Tested member questions with no particular theme. Note that during live streams, Tested memberships are gifted. Join us for the next live stream and be sure you’re signed into your…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. It’s that time of year again! Adam shares his favorite TOOLS he started using this past year! Stay tuned for more favorite things videos! UV Cure Resin Glue: https://amzn.to/3MggMf0 UV Beast Flashlight: https://amzn.to/3KjFM4E UV safety glasses: https://amzn.to/4a7elph Cabinet Scraper: https://amzn.to/4pHXgql Scraper Burnisher: https://amzn.to/4oqkoso Vallejo Wash FX paints: https://amzn.to/4rvftsI Laguna 14|CX Bandsaw:…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. One of the great special effects films of the mid-20th century is Jason and the Argonauts, featuring the groundbreaking stop-motion creatures of Ray Harryhausen. At Propstore, Adam rediscovers his love for the film by wielding some of its real metal weapon and armor props, as well as examining a piece of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Given the surge in generative AI, does Adam feel that the barriers to entry for creatives can be TOO Low? How sturdy is Adam’s hole-y chair? Has Adam ever done a a scan using his phone’s Lidar? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members Oz.DeLorean, curry-surfer…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam meets one of the original hero costumes for Buddy the Elf from the beloved Christmas movie Elf! The details of this costume–from the intricate embroidery work to the mix of materials used–make it truly larger than life, and an iconic part of this modern Christmas classic. Learn more about this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Does Adam Savage have a favorite found-object artist? Why is the cleanliness of the prison on Narkana 5 so terrifying in Andor? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members Erlasdottir and Seth Huckstead, whom we thank for their support! Adam Savage Builds a Book Press! https://youtu.be/cZZwMPgMRiU…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. As a former modelmaker, Adam Savage had a particular interest in visiting the preparators studio at the @AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory, where the museum’s models are made. And he was not disappointed, as the exhibition department was in the midst of putting the final touches on the plants, mammals and reptiles that are part…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. For all the prop collections we’ve seen come through Propstore, this is the first time Adam takes a close look at the hand props of the Harry Potter movies. We start with Adam’s favorite prop from those films: the hero Nimbus 2001 racing broom. From there, Adam examines a set of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam Savage visits the Lucasfilm campus to pay a visit to some of the surviving models and miniatures he worked on for Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)! It’s a walk down model shop memory lane for Adam as he shows us the details he and the model team put into…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After seeing the original Green Goblin costume from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man last year, Adam finally get an audience with an original Spider-Man costume from that groundbreaking trilogy. This is the black symbiote costume made for Spider-Man 3, and the culmination of the Raimi Spider-Man suit designs. The layers of dimensionality seen…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Holiday Sale! All clothing 20% off through Dec. 1: https://tested-store.com/ How often is Adam Savage complimented on his vocabulary? What motived Adam to lose weight from his MythBusters days? In his live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members T Morgan 96 and Crispy Chrissy, whom we thank for…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. For the last year Savage Industries has been heads-down developing new products, including a laptop sleeve, EDBG (Everyday Gear Bag) and apron, and not even Adam had seen them in their final form yet … until NOW. What do you think???!!! EGBG: https://adamsavage.com/products/savage-industries-egb-one-everyday-gear-bag Laptop sleeve: https://adamsavage.com/products/savage-industries-laptop-sleeve ASA Two apron: https://adamsavage.com/products/savage-industries-asa-two-adam-savage-apron SALE:…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After poring over the details of the incredible Mondoshawan costume from The Fifth Element on his last visit to Propstore, Adam gets an audience with another iconic costume from the film: the distinctive police uniform of the film’s future cops. We find this screen-matched costume in remarkable condition, with details and…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Find Kelli’s pop-up books at http://www.kellianderson.com/books/alphabetinmotion.html and https://www.artbook.com/9780997175912.html Adam welcomes pop-up book designer Kelli Anderson to the workshop to learn about her latest book: Alphabet in Motion. Six years in the making, this book is an interactive exploration of the history of typography, and the engineering of its pop-up mechanisms is…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How did MythBusters dispose of "unusual" materials? What does Adam Savage mean when he says, "The shop is for fast thinking, and home is for slow thinking"? With everything today being in high definition, is model making harder to do? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam is finally ready to tackle one of his dream prop builds: a replica of the sword of Green Destiny from his favorite wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! A build ten years in the making, Adam breaks down the constituent parts of the build–blade, handle, pommel, and guard–to explain the…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. We test and review the most advanced filament 3D printer made by Bambu Lab: the H2C. Equipped with their Vortek hotend swapping system, this dual extruder machine can handily switch between up to seven colors without wasteful filament flushing. We examine the new Vortek hotends up close to dissect how the…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. We check out the prototypes for the latest Wand Company Pip-Boy prop replicas! Chris Barnardo from The Wand Company visits the workshop to show us how this Pip-Boy–inspired by the ones from Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas–was meticulously designed and has much more interactivity and functionality than their previous versions.…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After over a decade, Adam finally meets the original prop that inspired his One Day Build of the Barbarella space rifle, as made famous by the 1968 LIFE magazine cover featuring Jane Fonda. Alongside this iconic prop are other recognizable pieces from the film, from hand crafted blasters to armored costumes…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Learn more about the Jazzinc 1/12 Batwing: https://jazzincdioramas.com/1-12-scale/112-scale-ultimate-1989-batwing After our original review of the 1/6 scale Batwing replica, we check out Jazzinc Diorama’s prototype of their 1/12 scale Batwing that they’re developing for collectors. With newfound reference photos of the massive filming miniature use in the 1989 Batman film, we’re able…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. We continue our coverage of Valve’s latest hardware announcements with a hands-on look at the new Steam Controller and Steam Machine! Let’s run through the specs and design of both devices before hearing directly from Valve engineers about how these work together as well as with the Steam Frame. Hands-On with…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Now this truly a one-of-one prop: Boba Fett’s hero blaster that was used in The Empire Strikes Back! Adam gets up close and wields this amazing piece of Star Wars prop history during his most recent visit to Propstore’s UK headquarters. Propmaker Luke Daley worked with Propstore on the restoration of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. It’s finally here: Steam Frame is Valve’s new virtual reality headset, and we spend a day at Valve going hands-on with the new hardware, alongside the newly announced Steam Machine and Steam Controller! Here’s everything you need to know about this standalone headset, how it plays both VR and flatscreen games,…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. This is one of the most complex wooden cases Adam has yet to design and build: a traveling box to house and protect his animatronic Grogu while being as compact and portable as possible. It also needs to store the tools related to the puppet’s operation and maintenance, as well as…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. At the@AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistoryAdam Savage meets a living fossil, a Coelacanth! And it’s a very special one, too. Department of Ichthyology curatorial associate Ryan Thoni explains. Visit the American Museum of Natural History: https://www.amnh.org/ Follow AMNH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amnh/ Here’s Why You Love Dinosaurs: https://youtu.be/CYEBcKhZWM0 Adam Savage Meets a Triceratops AND Mosasaur in…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. At the @AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory, Adam Savage learns a new fact from Department of Ichthyology curatorial associate Ryan Thoni that blows his mind. Is Adam alone? Did YOU know this? Visit the American Museum of Natural History: https://www.amnh.org/ Follow AMNH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amnh/ Here’s Why You Love Dinosaurs: https://youtu.be/CYEBcKhZWM0 Adam Savage Meets a…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What’s Adam Savage’s position on flathead screws? What’s the best strategy to get your name out as a freelancer? In setting up a workshop, should tools and stock be stored together or separately? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members Patrick Hennessy, Greg Stanton and ADHDMedia,…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Kari Byron mentioned a drama-stirring producer on her @MythfitsPod podcast. What’s the most memorable thing a producer asked Adam Savage to do? Any more builds planned for the pantograph mill? Does Adam have any advice on how to grind a fuller in an aluminium blade using regular shop tools? In this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. In this live stream, Adam will be answering Tested member questions on … anything! Note: During live streams, Tested memberships are gifted. In order to be eligible, be sure you’re signed into your YouTube account and you’ve opted to receive gifted memberships! YouTube randomly assigns gifts to people logged in and…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How do you restore and conserve a bald eagle specimen when possessing a bald eagle feather is illegal? How do you clean feathers or construct toupees for fragile taxidermied birds? At the National Park Service Museum Conservation Lab, organic objects conservator Fran Ritchie and objects intern Elena Best explain some of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Learn more about the EufyMake E1 UV printer: https://eufymake.sjv.io/7aY2gr Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through this link. Buy these machine labels as STICKERS! https://adamsavage.com/products/savage-industries-machine-label-sticker-pack Sign up for in-stock metal-label notifications: https://adamsavage.com/products/savage-industries-machine-labels Adam Savage’s First Look at the EufyMake E1: https://youtu.be/SD8r1UBwLL0 Adam has always loved the look…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam tours through the Paramount Pictures film archives, where Executive Director Chuck Woodfill shows us the many types of media inventoried and preserved for digitalization and restoration. Thanks to the Paramount Pictures Archives team for hosting us at their archives! Tested Team Youtube Channel @TestedTeam ASC Video Series: The History of…