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. Adam visits specialty costume makers FBFX to check out some of the original costume armor they made over 20 years ago for the action movie Troy! From intricate hero armor to mass produced background costumes, here’s how this epic dressed hundreds of performers on screen for its massive battle sequences. Learn…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. While filming in @metmuseum, a 16th century (91-lb/41.45 kg) suit of armor caught our eye …. were those THREADED BOLTS 200 years before the Industrial Revolution? How did the wearer see or breathe or turn his head? Conservator and armorer Ted Hunter t The MET’s Arms and Armor Department: https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/arms-and-armor The…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam stops by the workshop of special costume fabricators FBFX to learn their techniques for simulating battle damage on costume armor! Shop supervisor Joe Knapper guides Adam through the process of creating two types of armor damage: a blunt force tear and damage as if created by a sci-fi blaster. Learn…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After finding a set of heavy duty clear plastic bins on a recent trip to IKEA, Adam attempts to integrate them into his shop organization with a quick storage rack build. It’s the perfect excuse to consolidate all the leatherworking supplies scattered throughout the cave in various drawers and cubbies. Adam…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What did dinosaur skin look like, and how did scientists come to a consensus that modern-day birds descending from dinosaurs? At the @AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory Roger Benson — Macaulay Curator, Division of Paleontology, AMNH — shows Adam Savage the museum’s famous dinosaur “mummy," and explains why this hadrosaur fossil is considered one of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Who taught Adam Savage the most when it comes to machining? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers this question from Tested member forgedalaska27, whom we thank for their support! Adam Savage Remembers His Mentor in Model Making: https://youtu.be/xXNg8Rlo2ak The Time Jamie Told Adam He Was a Show-Off: https://youtu.be/dZA1-nUrew0 Join this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Is creativity teachable? Does Adam Savage make for himself or other people? How does Tested maintain a daily publishing schedule on YouTube, and what’s the best way to grow an audience? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members thedoctor4269, Mike-Is-Making-Stuff, Ryan Peck and hburger1235, whom we…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. 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 YouTube account and you’ve opted to receive gifted memberships! YouTube randomly assigns gifts…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam’s commission of an animatronic Grogu has involved a lot of work from a lot of collaborators off camera. But one thing Adam was able to do was move the electronics from the original FDM printed body to a new SLS body fresh out of the Formlabs Fuse. In this video,…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam unpacks the contents of his 1960’s-era German medic’s bag, sent to him from an overseas viewer. Not ony is this vintage leather bag beautifully constructed, but its numerous contents are preseved and fully intact for examination. Thanks to Haiko for sending this incredible piece of medical ephemera! Shot and edited…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. For centuries, riders have been using bits to control their horses, some more harsh than others. Then, when medieval thought began to merge with the scientific revolution in the 16th century, more care was given to war horses when developing their mouthpieces. At @metmuseum , assistant curator Marina Viallon walks Adam…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. For centuries, riders have been using bits to control their horses, some more harsh than others. Then, when medieval thought began to merge with the scientific revolution in the 16th century, more care was given to war horses when developing their mouthpieces. At @metmuseum , assistant curator Marina Viallon walks Adam…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. When George Lucas returned to Star Wars to make the Prequel Trilogy, he hired concept designer Doug Chiang to head up the art department responsible for interpreting his artistic vision and breathing new visual life into the Star Wars universe. Doug’s artistic journey is documented in a new two-volume book celebrating…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam builds an architectural model of his friends’ new house as a housewarming present! And while Adam has previously built many architectural models using foamcore and hot glue, this is the first he’s attempting to make out of wood, milling out the layout of the floors using the house’s blueprint. Foamcore…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. After seeing an original Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet at Propstore a year ago, Adam gets the opportunity to examine the same helmet design, created by the specialty costume makers at FBFX for a modern Star Wars production. It’s a fascinating look at how modern fabrication techniques are used to recreate an…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How would Adam Savage clean someone else’s workshop? What’s Adam’s philosophy on stodgy-but-reliable vs creative-and-risky methods and materials? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members mollymarsgal3377 and Paleomaker, whom we thank for their support! Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Does Adam Savage think modern digital effects are as good as practical? When birds fly does the Earth weigh the same? Is there a chance Adam and Jamie were punked by the "Are Elephants Scared of Mice" elephants? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members TaliesinSmith,…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam shares a unique piece of space hardware memorabilia: a 1:1 reproduction of the capsule panels on Project Mercury’s spacecraft. Made by Luna Replicas, this stamped panel looks like it was taken right off of John Glenn’s iconic Friendship 7 capsule, down to the hand-painted nose art depecting the spacecraft’s name!…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Every workshop visit results in a tool wishlist for Adam Savage, and this one is no different! At @NationalParkService’s Museum Conservation Lab, wooden artifacts conservator Curtis Sullivan takes us through some of his metering and measuring instruments, and explains how he uses them during his on-site inspections (which take place in…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam finishes his build of the Green Destiny sword from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon! After the final sword assembly, it’s time to build an ornate carrying case for this replica. And that’s the perfect opportunity for Adam to stress test his new ultrasonic cutter to carve all the details into this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. It’s live stream time, and 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 YouTube account and you’ve opted to receive gifted memberships! YouTube randomly assigns…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. The standard 18650 lithium-ion battery can be found in almost every modern household, whether in rechargeable battery packs, flashlights, or even replica lightsaber hilts. Alex Hao and Andreas Bastian of Lumafield visit the cave to share the results of CT scanning over a thousand lithium-ion batteries, and the hidden risks they…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam dusts off his mini table saw for a tune-up and upgrade in preparation for an upcoming architectural model build! These kinds of compact woodworking table saws are perfect for miniatures, and Adam’s model just needs a sled for perfect small parts cuts. Modelmaking table saw: https://amzn.to/3NtmFWX Shot by Adam Savage…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What are Adam Savage’s favorite clamps? What tool(s) does Adam use daily? Is there a piece of Henson history Adam wants to replicate? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members edwinbear, sledgesworld and Eliot Thomas, whom we thank for their support! Join this channel to support…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Is there anyone Adam Savage would like to interview in 2026? Does Adam follow any sports, and if so, what are they? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members yeslizziecalogero and Jordon Freeman, whom we thank for their support! Cindy Sherman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Sherman Defector: https://defector.com/ Join this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam puts together a charming Totoro craft kit designed and made by our friend Beverly Downen of Downen Creative Studios! Made of laser-cut EVA foam, this adorable figure is easy to assemble–no cutting or painting required–and makes for a great weekend project for kids. Thanks to Beverly for sending us a…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How would Adam Savage write a resume in 2026? Does Adam have advice for future teachers? What does Adam do when reorganization makes organization worse? In this live stream excerpt Adam takes these questions from Tested members K.W-m3s, clayscience and TylerAndersen, whom we thank for their support! Has reorganizing ever thrown…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. We kick off this year’s product coverage with a review of the new XREAL 1S display glasses, along with the Neo battery dock that allows these glasses to work with Nintendo’s Switch and Switch 2 consoles. Here’s how this soft refresh of last year’s One fits in the lineup, and why…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. When Adam recently built the blade for his Crouching Tiger sword replica, his sharpening of its edge was only to make it look sharp as a prop. So for today’s build, he brings back out the TSPROF knife sharpener kit to actually demonstrate how to use it to actually sharpen a…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Object restoration sometimes means creating replicas from very different materials, using tools such as a stereo microscope to reveal the finest of details, and, on occasion, pure luck to find clues the artifact’s original color or state. At the National Park Service’s Museum Conservation Lab, objects conservation post-graduate fellow Daisy Greenwell…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What begins as an organizing exercise with his favorite vintage IKEA cabinet becomes a shop infrastructure build as Adam revamps the cave’s storage and distribution of rubber nitrile gloves. Where are the spots that make the most sense to have these essential shop supplies? Adam Savage’s Favorite IKEA Cabinet Ever: https://youtu.be/fLAAxxjM_7U…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. What’s the worst thing Adam Savage’s ever created? Has Adam ever had a project turn out well despite a lack of skill? Any suggestions when transitioning to freelance? What should you do when your client wants something you think is a bad idea? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How did a typical MythBusters shoot break down? Why didn’t Adam Savage use cardboard to protect himself against Jamie’s paintball shots during the Quick on the Draw myth? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Wasteland Reaper and leatherelf2078, whom we thank for their support! Join this channel…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. If you’ve ever pictured paleontologists hovering over rocks, picking away at them grain by grain to reveal the fossilized remains beneath … well, you’re not TOTALLY wrong, but there’s a LOT more to it. At @AmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory’s paleo lab, senior preparator Verne Lee and Roger Benson — Macaulay Curator, Division of Paleontology…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. At the @metmuseum, Adam Savage gets to experience something he’s always dreamed of: holding a REAL samurai sword. Conservator and armorer Ted Hunter takes us through the anatomy of this exquisite 17th century sword, truly a spectacular piece of art and engineering. Don’t miss Adam literally at a loss for words!…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. This may be the first time Adam has attempted a mother-of-pearl inlay as part of a One Day Build! While it’s a rough attempt to make this inlay for the handle of his Crouching Tiger sword replica, today’s build also serves as practice for an upcoming guitar project! Part 1 of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. It’s our first live stream of 2026! 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 YouTube account and you’ve opted to receive gifted memberships! YouTube…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Every bit as iconic as the Batsuit in Tim Burton’s Batman films is Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker. And in the collection of Propstore founder Stephen Lane is one of the original Joker costumes worn for the film. Vibrant and rich with detail, this costume is perhaps the definitive take…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. The National Park Service was founded in 1916, so how is the first badge from 1895? At the National Park Service Museum Conservation Lab, museum curator Casey Oehler walks Adam Savage through a selection of the 240 badges in NPS’ collection, and explains how she and her team use an XRF…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Does Adam have any workshop infrastructure plans for 2026, and does he have any advice on self-motivation? Does Adam make Christmas presents for his family, and what’s his preferred holiday movie? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members neitring, home chicken and jordon freeman, whom we…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Has Adam Savage ever changed his worldview after a formative experience? What’s the best way to return to making after a major loss? Does Adam ever experience ADHD paralysis, and how does he manage to maintain his gratitude? In this live stream excerpt, Adam answers these questions from Tested members Furious…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. In Adam’s most recent visit to Fonco Studios, Fon Davis shows us how his team made use of 3D modeling and 3D printing to quickly prototype and fabricate hand puppets for a TV show pilot! Learn about Fonco Studio’s projects and fabrication services at https://foncostudios.com/ Follow Fonco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foncostudios/ Shot…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. In Adam’s most recent visit to Fonco Studios, Fon Davis shows us how his team made use of 3D modeling and 3D printing to quickly prototype and fabricate hand puppets for a TV show pilot! Learn about Fonco Studio’s projects and fabrication services at https://foncostudios.com/ Follow Fonco on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foncostudios/ Shot…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Three prop replicas, an incredible treasure trove of vintage woodworking magazines, and a paper conservation supplies make up this year-end round up of mailbag show and tells. Thanks to Vince, Jonathan, Roy, and the team at Talas for these lovely gift packages! Voyagers! Omni Prop Replica: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1212752348/voyagers-omni-prop-replica-brass-dial Light up Krypton Knowledge…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. To wrap up 2025, Adam shares his favorite music he listened to while building, podcasts, YouTube channels, movies, books, and shows he watched this year. Plus, some bonus product recommendations that didn’t make his previous Favorite Things video! Music Radiohead – OK Computer: https://amzn.to/4snPe8j The Killers: https://amzn.to/4slq8XG David Bowie: https://amzn.to/49rathT Talking…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. A museum paleontology lab isn’t just about extracting fossils from rock for display, it includes scientific research into animals long gone, and what they may tell us about evolution. Roger Benson — Macaulay Curator, Division of Paleontology, AMNH — gives Adam Savage a tour through his lab, and explains how the…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Star Wars puppet builder Darren Moser (aka @drscifi ) returns to the cave to show off his droid builds, including the newest version of his BD-1 droid from the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order series of videogames. From improving the 3D print materials to incorporating animated lights, Darren’s new BD-6 (which…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How does Adam Savage deal with his depression after completing a project? What is Adam’s biggest missed opportunity? Is creation a destructive or a constructive art? For those who bought Adam’s keychain, what’s the best way to protect it? Will Dave Fogler ever do another build in the cave? In this…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How much work work did Jamie and Adam do behind the scenes on MythBusters before the show got popular? How should a parent introduce their creative passions to their kids without forcing or overwhelming them? Is there a time Adam had to admit to his parents he’d messed up? Did Adam…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. Adam welcomes back to the cave Sophy Wong, designer and fabricator of amazing original fantasy spacesuits! Sophy brings her latest spacesuit to share the design brief for this costume, show how she blended scratch building with functional electronics, and explain why green is such a challenging base color for a spacesuit!…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. For the recently released holiday special The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, the artists and puppeteers at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop were tasked with designing and building a new character to the Fraggle world: a baby Gorg! Adam visits the Creature Shop to learn how this character was brought to life…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. To break in his new leather punch tool, Adam builds a portable workstation for it out of its metal lever, and puts it immediately to use deconstructing his workbench’s worn down leather mat. The markings and manifestation of over five years of workbench builds finds new life in a set of…
From Adam Savage’s Tested. How do you protect a horse in battle while respecting its need for comfort and agility? At @metmuseum, assistant curator Marina Viallon takes Adam Savage through some EXTRAORDINARY examples of horse armor, including headpieces that cover the horse’s eyes and ears entirely! The MET’s Arms and Armor Department: https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/arms-and-armor The Met…