Using PAPER to Repair a TEXTILE Quilt?

From Adam Savage’s Tested. When this Sunbonnet Sue quilt arrived at @NationalParkService Museum Conservation Lab, it was dirty with extensive light and pest damage. Once washed, the quilt needed to be stabilized and and repaired, requiring an innovative paper conservation solution to a textile conservation problem. National Council for Preservation Education intern Ellie Fitzgerald describes…

What Dinosaur Skin REALLY Looked Like

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…

What We at Tested Always Get Wrong

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…

What’s Inside This 1960’s Vintage Medic’s Bag?

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…

How The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Was Designed

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…

How a Modern Stormtrooper Helmet is Made!

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…

How to Clean Someone Else’s Space

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…

Did This Elephant Punk Jamie and Adam?

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,…

Show and Tell: Project Mercury Spacecraft Replica!

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!…

Adam Savage Experiences Serious Tool Envy at NPS

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…

Adam Savage Learns to Use an Ultrasonic Cutter!

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…

The Surprising Flaws in 18650 Lithium-Ion Batteries

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…

Adam Savage’s Favorite Clamps

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…

Adam Savage Builds a Toroto Craft Kit!

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…

Why You Need Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot RIGHT NOW

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…

XREAL 1S Display Glasses Review: Almost XR!

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…

Restoring a 19th Century Watchmaker’s Treasures

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…

The WORST THING Adam Savage’s Ever Created

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…

Why the MythBusters Hosts HATED “Blueprint Days”

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…

Adam Savage Tries Excavating a Fossil!

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…

Adam Savage Handles a REAL Samurai Sword!

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!…

The Original Joker Costume from Batman (1989)!

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…

Adam’s 2026 Workshop Organization Plans

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…

Adam Savage’s Year-End Mailbag Roundup!

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…

Adam Savage’s Favorite YouTubers of 2025!

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…

Adam Savage Tours the AMNH FOSSIL Lab!

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…

Adam Savage Meets Star Wars Droid Puppets!

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…

Dealing With Completion Grief

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…