I have descending into the YouTube click hole. Forget TV, movies, Netflix; I spend most of my discretionary media time watching YouTube tutorials. I go to them whenever I need to learn anything, and in particular when I need to make or repair anything. Nothing appears missing in the YouTubeverse. The most obscure esoteric subject, item, skill, technique, problem will have five videos dedicated to it. At least one will be good. Against this very uneven quality of the average random YouTube episode, I have discover a good shelfful of dependable high-quality YouTube channels dispensing amazing information on a regular basis. Below are the YouTube channels I currently subscribe and return to often. They are informational, rather than entertaining, and they are biased to makers and do-ers. I have divided them into four groups: Experimenters, Makers, Explainers, and Nichers — esoteric interests that probably won\u2019t appeal to many. Don\u2019t take the categories too seriously; there is much overlap. I emphasize that these are the channels I personally subscribe to, and so reflect my interests, and do not include such obvious other maker-type channels like food, cooking, travel, makeup simply because those are not my interests. But I for sure have missed some great channels. So in the comments please tell me what channels you subscribe to. To be most useful, state what they are about, and why you think they should be included. I\u2019ll check them out, and if they resonate with me, I\u2019ll add them to the list. — KK <\/p>\n
EXPERIMENTERS<\/strong><\/p>\n Cody\u2019s Lab<\/a> How to Make Everything<\/a> King of Random<\/a> Backyard Scientist<\/a> Applied Science<\/a> Mark Rober<\/a> Project Farm<\/a> MAKERS<\/strong><\/p>\n I Like to Make Stuff<\/a> Adam Savage\u2019s Tested<\/a> Izzy Swan<\/a> Jimmy Diresta<\/a> Matthias Wandel<\/a> Frank Howarth<\/a> FliteTest<\/a> Paul Sellers<\/a> Colin Furze<\/a> Alec Steele<\/a> Simon Leach <\/a> Tom Fidgen Unplugged Workshop<\/a> Kyle Toth<\/a> EXPLAINERS<\/strong><\/p>\n Vihart<\/a> AvE <\/a> James May Reassembler<\/a> Primitive Technology<\/a> Veritasium<\/a> Smarter Every Day Practical Engineering<\/a> NICHERS<\/strong><\/p>\n Clickspring<\/a> Locklab<\/a> Hamster Miniature Studio 2 <\/a> Kaplamino<\/a>
\nThis is my all around favorite at the moment. Cody specializes in chemistry. He\u2019ll make frozen solid oxygen in his kitchen, or try to walk on a pool of mercury, or purify gold from jewelry he bought on ebay. He famously made gunpowder from a year\u2019s worth of his own urine. Whenever he needs a chemical, he\u2019ll just make it from other cheaper chemicals. He imitates the crude materials of the original alchemists who first made the compounds. It\u2019s inspirational because his stuff is so jury rigged you realize you can do this too. He is a good explainer and is also seriously into other stuff like bees, astronomy,and unusual garden plants. He likes to recreate classic science discoveries.<\/p>\n
\nVery cool site. This guy attempts to remake crucial materials like glass and iron from elemental materials, or less essential things like fireworks, candle wax or sunscreen. In a classic video he documents how he made a sandwich from scratch, growing his own wheat, and raising his own turkey meat. The sandwich only cost him $1,500.<\/p>\n
\nOlder videos in the archives of this channel offer very explicit instructions for making things, like your own rocket engines from hardware store chemicals, or blow darts, or water balloon slingshots. Recent videos spend more time on doing science stunts and unusual experiments, and less on how to. But still with a good maker vibe.<\/p>\n
\nWhile there is a large stunt aspect to this channel filmed in a suburban backyard \u2014 like pouring molten aluminum into a watermelon \u2014 the host does a lot of research to explain what\u2019s going on scientifically. Come for the dangerous explosions, stay for the science.<\/p>\n
\nThis guy tinkers with high-end esoteric scientific equipment, like home-made electron microscopes, and also invents new instruments and techniques. It\u2019s advanced tinkering, which requires attention to details and supplies most weekend tinkers won\u2019t have. But he is very good at teaching what he learns.<\/p>\n
\nMark Rober was in the news recently as the ex-NASA scientist who make a thief tracking package that was a glitter bomb. But with many million followers, he\u2019s made many other equally cool science experiments. He tested out the absolutely best way to make the fastest pinewood derby using science, how to drop eggs from a roof without breaking, and so on. There\u2019s no how-to; it\u2019s kind of a one-man mythbuster.<\/p>\n
\nProject Farm features very thorough, scientific tests of workshop tools and products. He\u2019ll test 10 brands of duct tapes, or 15 different kinds of chain lube, or the best penetrating oil, or best AA battery, with quantitative measurements, and then he\u2019ll post the results. You could skip to the end for the winner, but there is a joy and education in watching his elaborate and thorough process.<\/p>\n
\nBob Clagett likes to make a refreshingly wide variety of things, far more variety than most YouTubers. Furniture, household items, crazy toys, backyard projects for kids, home improvements, and odd ball experiments, like customizing your car horn. He is incredibly prolific and he works in wood, metal, 3D printing, and electronics. He\u2019s pretty good with the how-to, and has a great series of workshop tips videos.<\/p>\n
\nA group effort by Mythbuster Adam Savage and his current Tested teammates. There\u2019s a range of videos from a weekly chat session, to Adam interviewing his heros but the best are the one-day builds that follow Adam as he build props in his shop. He\u2019s a fabulous teacher and eager to show and tell. <\/p>\n
\nThe ultimate do-it-yourselfer. He bootstraps his own shop tools starting with a $20 skill saw and going from there. Lots of fun backyard and workshop projects with in-depth how to. Great at sharing tricks and techniques.<\/p>\n
\nDiresta is a professional maker who works very quickly. He rapidly makes stuff in metal, wood, plastic, leather, paper and does old tool restorations. Half of his work is for clients, half his own art. His videos are long wordless time lapses of him working. His methods are always creative and fun to watch. (His Patreon supporters get access to his narration of this workflow.) His series of tips videos, where he instructs, are the best \u2014 real pro tips, delivered succinctly.<\/p>\n
\nIn addition to showing how he makes all his shop tools himself using plywood and other off-the-shelf parts, Matthias constructs cool devices like marble mazes, pipe organs, wooden gears, unusual jigs mostly from plywood. He is a very gentle, meticulous teacher.<\/p>\n
\nThis guy creates a lot of innovative wooden bowls and unconventional wooden furniture with high craftsmanship. He also makes his own tools, uses laser cutting a lot, and occasional experiments with the video form itself. Most of his videos is just a time record of his work, with his very mellow narration overlaid afterwards. The adjectives I associate with Howarth are \u201ccareful\u201d and \u201cexact.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Let\u2019s see how many things \u2014 a chair, a pizza box \u2014 we can get to fly. What\u2019s the smallest plane we can make? What\u2019s the biggest cardboard plane we can make? In each episode this small gang of enthusiasts take on a different challenge to create a never ending variety of flying machines. They show their work, and provide plans. So far, there is almost nothing that haven\u2019t been able to fly with some control. It\u2019s a fun course in aviation.<\/p>\n
\nA born teacher, Paul Sellers emphasizes learning new skills in how to work wood on his channel. He\u2019s been a daily woodworker for 50 years. You\u2019ll learn way more than in most schools. Basic skills as well as advance techniques.<\/p>\n
\nFrenetic, fast-paced, noisy, non-stop loud mouth, blazing builds of home made jet powered vehicles, crazy cannons, backyard explosives and other things that might kill or maim you. Outrageous machines. Entertaining primarily.<\/p>\n
\nExtreme blacksmithing, especially esoteric knives and swords.<\/p>\n
\nA professional potter gives lessons as he makes piles of pottery.<\/p>\n
\nAlthough there are few recent posts, the archives of this channel are all about woodworking with hand tools. Totally unplugged. The advice and instructions are pretty timeless.<\/p>\n
\nThis guy\u2019s claim to fame is making massive bowls and innovative wood stuff on a lathe. No instructional, just time lapses as he works.<\/p>\n
\nThere are other math video channels, but Vi Hart\u2019s math tutorials are in a league of her own. She is unorthodox, playful, fun, creative, nerdy, brilliant, inventive, educational, and one of the best things on YouTube. You don\u2019t need to know much math to get something from her creations.<\/p>\n
\nI have never encountered anyone with as much knowledge of materials, electronics and manufacturing processes than the faceless host of this entertaining channel. In a riot of cheerful creative cussing (often politically incorrect), this Canadian pair of hands (no one has seen his face or knows his name) takes apart tools and dissects their every component, commenting on how they were made and might be improved. It\u2019s a university course in modern manufacturing techniques. Because of his creative patter, you\u2019ll either love him or hate him.<\/p>\n
\nA well-known TV celeb in England re-assembles antique machines, such as a old lawn mower, from the parts laid out in his basement while reminiscing about the machines.<\/p>\n
\nWithout ever speaking a word, the mysterious man wearing only blue shorts is recreating civilization one prehistorical invention at a time. Watch as he makes fire from sticks, a house from mud and fire, and his clothes from plants. He is now trying to make iron from rocks.<\/p>\n
\nThis is perhaps the most scientific of the explainers, with interviews and explanations by working scientists, in addition to the host. In addition to explaining interesting discoveries, there is a lot of explaining about science itself.<\/p>\n
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\nOn this very popular channel, host Destin goes deep into a science puzzle or new discovery, and explains it with creativity and intelligence. He\u2019ll try to make a physical demo to prove his points, which is very compelling. His demos are often clickbait \u2014 like shooting a gun underwater, or trying to undo a tattoo \u2014 but the clicks are well-deserved.<\/p>\n
\nWe are surrounded by sophisticated technology in our roads, bridges, towers, tunnels \u2014 our infrastructure. This channel examines and explains with clever physical demonstrations how things work.<\/p>\n
\nWatch as a human makes a clock by hand, crafting tiny gears and screws with hand tools, the way it was done centuries ago.<\/p>\n
\nGroup effort in lock picking. Various members share their video tips on picking locks; the harder, weirder, rarer, the better. Viewers send in \u201cchallenge locks\u201d to see if they can stymie the pros.<\/p>\n
\nJapanese guy who makes exact dollhouse scale miniatures. Not just furniture, but food, package goods, electric appliances, and sundry extras like Amazon boxes!<\/p>\n
\nAll kinds of chain reactions, from mega domino runs to mega marble machines.<\/p>\n