Awesome Satisfying

It’s been a long time since we needed floppy disks to store data. But we still enjoyed watching this retro factory video posted by StirlingEngineering, which shows how they used to produce 3.5″ floppies. It’s a satisfying 5-minutes sequence of mechanical ear candy.

The process of knurling metal involves applying a criss-cross pattern to create a grippy, textured surface. This satisfying video from My Mechanics Insights shows how the metalworker created the handle for a dumbbell and applied knurling to both ends of the shaft, along with an overlapping section in the middle.

This fascinating piece of industrial equipment from WAFIOS takes thick steel wire and turns it into the kind of heavy-duty coil springs you might see wrapped around a shock absorber. It uses a series of rollers to feed the wire and computer-controlled bending wheels to ensure the precise shape and size of the coil.

The Brick Technology channel is always making interesting machines from LEGO Technic parts. In this video, they show off more than two dozen satisfying LEGO mechanisms and then let them self-destruct by overpowering each one. The demolition starts at the 6:23 mark, followed by slow-motion footage.

At first we weren’t sure what we were watching, but we were immediately transfixed by this video. The footage shows someone taking a knife to a sphere made of countless layers of tape. As they cut deeper into the tape, a rainbow of colors emerges. Go figure that there are a bunch of tape-cutting videos on YouTube.

Aluminum is one of the most readily recyclable materials used in consumer goods. In this brief video from recycling crusader Soda Can Steve, he shows what it looks like when a truck dumps 400,000 aluminum cans at the recycling center. Steve’s TikTok channel is filled with satisfying videos of the recycling process.

The YT Object channel is filled with crisp and satisfying macro footage. This clip features close-up footage of various objects melting as they come into contact with a searing hot knife. And for more gummy bear carnage, check out what happens when one takes a nap on a hot wire brush.

There’s just something about molten hot metal that gets us excited. In this video from Mega Process, they take us inside of a facility in Korea that produces huge metal bolts for industrial use. They start with long rods of steel which they cut down to bolt length, heat and shape the heads, then machine the screw threads.

We’ve seen all kinds of specialized factory equipment over the years, showing off some ingenious engineering to perform repetitive tasks. One of the more satisfying machines we’ve seen in recent times is this contraption that rapidly applies stickers to lemons as they glide along on the conveyor belt below.

We found ourselves hypnotized by the back-and-forth motion of this conveyor belt sorting system. Apparently, cameras or barcode scanners identify what objects are entering the conveyor, and the system rapidly changes the direction of each belt to ensure the item goes into the appropriate box.

When there’s caked-on dirt and grime on the underside of a car, it can be difficult to get it all off. I Am Detailing shows off an awesome cleaning technology that blasts surfaces with dry ice pellets to remove dirt instantly without the abrasiveness of other cleaning methods. Their subject: a gorgeous green 1971 Porsche 911T.

V. Idea shows off a fun and creative project they built using PVC pipe. The tabletop fountain pumps water over a spinning wheel which drive a couple of little plastic guys on the sides to make it look like they’re cranking its mechanism.

When it comes to showing the power of small lasers, popping black balloons is one of the most effective demonstrations. With the right kind of reflector system, laser beams can be guided to hit precise targets, so they can pop numerous balloons in sequence like in this satisfying short video using a Wicked Lasers LaserCube.

We’re fascinated by the variety of machines you find in factories. This particular device is fairly simple – a couple of rollers and a spinning blade. But it’s the stroboscopic optical illusion that occurs when it spins up to speed that makes it so satisfying to watch. Somebody needs to turn this into an endless loop.

This wonderfully satisfying machine sprays out an even layer of batter onto a spinning platter, cranking out perfectly round crepes in seconds. When each one is done, a mechanism ejects the delicious disc onto the assembly line. Here’s another similar machine working its magic.

There’s something so satisfying about how you reload weapons in video games. In this compilation video by Kommander Karl, he shows how you can use the same method to reload everyday items like a vacuum cleaner, a toaster, and a pencil sharpener. We do the same thing every time we use a caulk gun.

Modelmaker Excessively Sentimental shows off the painstaking process of building a 1/48-scale diorama of a rickety old barn. The level of detail is astounding in the balsa wood model and its surroundings, from the distressing on each wood plank to the individual blades of grass and leaves. (Thanks, Orion!)

While some cars still offer the ability to wash the dirt off of headlights, today’s tech relies on powerful sprayers. Back in the day, car companies came up with all kinds of clever designs for tiny wipers to keep headlights clean. After you watch that, enjoy a satisfying montage of modern headlight washers.

Today’s most satisfying video comes in the form of this short clip from candle artist Charlotte Martel. Each time she creates a candle in her dip tanks, a bit of wax splashes on its sides. Now and then she needs to clean it all off and return the excess wax to the heat.

This short, but highly satisfying video takes us inside a workshop for a look at how to make perfect spheres from wood. The process involves using a curved cutting blade against a dowel that’s been attached to one end of a lathe. Be sure to check out tesssxkiersten82’s TikTok for more hypnotic woodworking videos.

Expert LEGO builder Brick Bending loves to make complicated geometric structures using repeating patterns. In this clip, they wanted to see how large of a structure they could build using interlocking circles. Watching the 3200-piece build come together is quite satisfying and reminded us of the Olympic rings more than once.

Industrial laser cutters can slice through steel, but they leave behind bits of metal called slag on their work surfaces. While placing materials on support slats helps, there’s still a mess to clean up. This slat cleaner from TRUMPF offers a satisfying way to remove that debris. We want something like this for our BBQ grill.

Get your daily dose of engineering porn with this video from Uwe Krumm GmbH. The company makes precision tooling for manufacturing, including the press brake tools shown here. It’s a hypnotic and satisfying 6-minute sequence of sheet metal being bent into complex shapes through the simple application of force.

You might think that a flood-damaged car would be bound for the scrapyard, but the guys from WD Detailing did an amazing job removing layers of caked-on mud and grime from this Pontiac Firebird WS6. It was originally going to be sold for parts, but it’s actually running again after the cleanup. Original video here.

It doesn’t matter how many domino videos we watch, we always enjoy watching them topple. But if we ever have a pallet of bricks delivered, we’re so doing what the family in this video did, and use them like giant dominoes. The sound they make is so incredibly satisfying.

An Omega Seamaster watch can fetch $3000 to $5000, but we’re guessing it was sentimental value behind this time-consuming restoration of a Seamaster that was roasted beyond recognition by a fire. Watch Restoration vlog shared this incredibly satisfying footage of a master watch technician at work.