The Most Valuable Prop Adam Savage Has Held In The Cave
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- As the year winds down, Adam speed builds display stands for two of the most important and valuable film props to ever visit the cave: an actual axe and knife from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining! These props are so precious that Adam has to design his stands for them using perfect castings to keep protected from the machine tools in the cave!
The Shining book by Lee Unkrich: amzn.to/49XYSFG
Shot by Adam Savage and edited by Norman Chan
Music by Jinglepunks
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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#adamsavage #onedaybuilds #theshining - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Nobody is talking about that awesome frame edit at 6:58 and I just wanted to say the editors are doing great sneaking small details like that in that make the video feel smooth and organic!
Yeh, that was hidden in plain sight. Great edit.
You can see the moment where it dawns on Adam that the weight distribution on the real axe is different from the casting.
I noticed that too. He settled on the angled look since the head hits the acrylic and the handle would flip up if he displayed it like the casting.
Yes, then he took the 🪓 and busted a door, but we don’t see that part😂
I feel like it needs a leather strap to keep the other end down. I'm surprised Adam didn't fix it. Still looks great.
I thought it was funny he was trying to hide that he had to slide the head way closer to the support, which threw off the angles of the cradles.
@@VitamincloudHe'd gone way too far by then.
Totally missed the opportunity to open with “Heeeeeere’s Adam!”
You are not wrong.
@@tested A door should've been sacrificed. Just sayin'. Also, Norm should've played the other role. :))
@@tested All work and no play makes Adam a dull boy
"Sometimes I just buy stock like this just to have it in the Cave." My mom has a similar philosophy towards fabric! The silk linen she used to make my wedding dress was purchased nearly 20 years before the dress was actually made.
It's called hoarding
@@malmcauliffe3288 no, hoarding is something completely different
@@malmcauliffe3288 trying to make someone feel bad is quite vile to do, but on Christmas? You must have a miserable life. I hope it’s getting better next year, I can’t even imagine what a person would do this…
@@erebostdagreed
@@erebostdthey have a point, even if it didnt land quite right. Most makers will admit they are high functioning hoarders, generally of stuff that might be useful in an as-yet-unknown-at-time-of-purchase project.
The stands look great, but one improvement I'd suggest, after making acrylic signage for many years, would be flame polishing the sides of the uprights, this would make them as transparent as the front and back, though the finish you have does look great
i watched mythbusters religiously as a kid. it's so amazing to see Adam still going hard and bringing joy to people's lives. absolute legend
The one thing I appreciated the most about this video is how much care you take when it comes to protecting the prop’s that are placed in your care.
This was a great work you did.
Every engineer should subscribe to this channel - "exactly good enough" is the goal of every engineer. You maybe could have spent days making something fractionally nicer, but these look great, they are stylish, the materials are spot on, they work, built on time and to budget, they meet the brief, and they fix issues you identified and the customer probably didn't even think of. I am, as always, in awe.
When you mentioned easy to transport at the beginning, there's one feature I'm surprised you didn't incorporate: storage for the plexi risers. There seemed to be plenty of thickness to the wood base for the axe to put a recessed area in the bottom to stow them. Make it a little deeper, line with felt to prevent scratches, add some swing out retainers. Everything stays together, the base protects the risers when not in use, and it's all hidden once in use.
Very nice idea! Maybe there wasn’t time left or so. I have that sometimes, too: nice ideas to make a project even better, but at some point you need it out of the door…
Adam. You are the man! When I was young, I wanted to be a practical effects artist, prop maker. I had seen thousands of films at an early age. Now at 47, I took a different path, but I do have a workshop that I tinker in daily. Happy holidays!
"To the tablesaw!" deserved an Adam West era Batman scene transition!
Nothing is cooler than those square hole mill bits/drills. I can't recall if Adam has even done a video on those. If he hasn't, he should. Most people don't know they exist but yes, you can drill a square hole.
my mind is blown! cannot for the life of me figure out how that works!!
@@Quetzalovercoatl Magic! LOL, Google it, there are videos.
I need a link to said bits!
@@jedwilson9972 Google it, you will find plenty. There is one specific American company that makes them and a heap of Chinese ones.
Fun fact you can also bore a TRIANGLE hole with a drill bit... 🤔🤯
It is so satisfying watching a master builder at work. I always feel like I am halfassing my way through projects, but watching someone who knows the craft is satisfying.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned from you is when to take time to get the details perfect and when to just get on with the work. Watching you cut the tape at the end, it was clear how much reverence you have for the finishing touches. Excellent
From the days of watching your show as kid to now, where get to enjoy your banter and absorb some experience. Occasionally, even, getting to watch you tinker and create in your shop. Not a bad deal, sir. Thank you for creating.
I would love to see Adam's EBay purchase history for 2024. I'd probably find countless hidden gems I had no idea existed.
I love watching Adam work at his mill and lathe. It's very satisfying and soothing. Not unlike watching my 3D printers do their thing. Watching someone like Adam go through his work flow and apply order of operations had taught me a huge amount for parametric and procedural CAD and manufacturing. Thank you for your wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as for your ability to convey it to us. Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a joyous new year.
My daughter gave me my autographed picture of you for Christmas today. She knows how much I enjoyed watching you in mythbusters. Thank you
I love Adam's enthusiasm. He can't hide the excitement and can't stop grinning throughout the video.
The shot of the acrylic in the lathe is gorgeous!
When that shot came up it got my complete undivided attention ... it's just so mesmerizing to watch!
Every time I see Adam use the mill I think to myself how *genious* the addition of the air impact (on top of the millhead) is - instead of doing the "Bridgeport Yoga" at every toolchange. 😁🤘
Thanks to the person who gifted me Tested membership .Merry Christmas everyone. Adam and family , stay safe and everything else
You've got at least one great friend. Merry Christmas.
@mikethurman3147 thank you my friend merry Christmas. 🎄🎁
This video has been the perfect upload time, sitting watching it whilst preparing, what seems a million brussel sprouts
21:30 - Perfect timing for the release of this video as my first thought was 'It's snowing in the Cave!'
Adam, I 'LOVED' seeing your short visit with Kurtis, Karin & Homeless at Cutting Edge Engineering during your trip to Australia a few weeks ago, how fun it will be to see a full video of you 'four' together working on a shared project, Merry Christmas Happy New Year, Be & Stay Well my friend.
Was he here in SE QLD? Bugger, I had no idea.
Watching Adam working the mill, it left me missing my days in the RCAF. When I was in the squadron at my last posting, I would often drop in to the Aircraft Structures shop, and rummage through the scrap bin. It's surprising how that piece you hold onto could be used years down the road...
What gorgeous and elegantly simple stands! They showcase and enhance the coolness of those items. Fun to watch you make them, thank you.
Its such a cool shot of the drilling and reeming of the hole! You know how the material and tooling are interacting but to see it through the acrylic was awesome.
I’m working on a project while watching Adam work on a project. It’s soothing
We love that!
I literally turn on Tested in the background as soon as I start gathering tools for any project.
Adam's hair in this video is absolutely perfect. Reminds me of early morning workdays where it would flatten out over the day.
When I saw the thumbnail, I started geeking out. I freaking love The Shining, from the book, to the movie, and even the mini series. I can't get enough.
I love that Adam is basically every middle aged guy in America that's slowing acquiring "stuff" cause "I could use that some day", except he actually IS using it 😂
I like the care taken to preserve the original scratches that are all over the knife blade.
32:12: The exact moment he realized he didn't account for the weight of the head on the real axe, and that he wouldn't be able to fit it to the cradles properly.
All it would take is a slight adjustment of the cradles. Honestly I'm not a fan of how the lower cradle doesn't contour to the handle very well, especially when you can SEE it.
I also would have prefered if the knife holder were an inch or two longer so the length of the acrylic went up as high as the blade when displayed with as much buffer on top as below. Usually I like Adams work but in this case I guess we have what could be considered artistic differences. Not that one way is right or wrong, just opinions or preferences. Still cool to watch a creator do their work, everyone tackles problems in a different way sometimes you see people do things you would never have considered.
15:42 Stationary tool plus transparent material makes for a great view of a drill doing its job, very cool shot
As someone that uses my large bed laser to cut acrylic (with massive ventilation fans) I can only assume what that room smelled like with all of that cutting, drilling & grinding. Happy Holidays Adam & Tested!
Like the workshop at my first job (we blow moulded Perspex turning flat sheet into motorcycle screens).
I knew it was The Shining as soon as I saw the thumbnail! Adam it is such a pleasure watching how much you enjoy and appreciate the legend that comes with props like these! Thank you for being your amazing self Adam!
You made my Horror/Thriller heart happy! I would be thrilled to be in the presents of such Iconic Props.
The door Nicholson busted through was supposed to be a prop door, however because of his training as a firefighter he went through it too quickly. So a real door was used.
-firefighter- volunteer fire marshal
Seems like they over corrected. Possibly throwing "Here's Jonny" through a hole in the door was part of it. Idk seems very inefficient in movie
@@2000jago he served in the air national guard fire fighter unit.
TIL
Cool IMDB trivia.😂
The work shots were extra crispy today *chef’s kiss*
Where alchemists failed. Inexpensive axe and knife, put into great movie, becomes priceless artifacts.
Nice stands, love the tilt on the axe! Great twist detail.
Man, I love you! The enthusiasm is infectious my friend
I've never seen the top of the table saw completely clean!
the acrylics look like fun to work with, but the cleanup after is daunting LOL. Happy Holidays everyone!!
Great work! I may have erred on the side of a glass faced firebox 'in case of ghost-induced homicidal psychosis, break glass'
At one point when you were cleaning out the mortise for the axe display, I saw some layout lines and began to panic. You were SO FAR OFF. then realized it was just a cat hair on my screen.
I love messing around in my home shop, it looks like you have a ton of fun in the cave, very enjoyable to watch you building.
Happy holidays!
"Hey Adam who should I call to do this?" Adam: "ME!"
I’m very nostalgic of 80s movies and practical effects some of those movies look way better than many of modern CGI effects on modern films 😊
Haven't watched the video yet soon as I saw the thumbnail I was like the shining axe? It's gotta be the shining axe it is the SHINING AXE! TOO COOL!
I've always wanted a knife like the one seen in The Shining. Not as a novel prop, but for my actual kitchen. It looks sturdy.
It's a pretty standard butcher knife. Google them instead of kitchen knives and you'll find something close.
It is a cake knife from a set made in the 1970's. My parents got theirs in 1976 and I have that knife in my kitchen.
@@Zeaiclies Lucky, they no doubt go for a fortune now.
@@marvindebot3264
I have not been able to find it or the set.
Not sure if it was JCPenny, the Cresent or Sears or some other company that sold it.
If I can find out who made it or the set, then maybe there are more out there.
@@Zeaiclies Please lt us know if y find it, I'd love to know the brand and I can't quite make it out in the video.
13:58 'that's not a drill chuck.
THAT'S a drill chuck'
😂
And Adam proves that no matter how hard you try you can't brush your hair with an Axe. Thanks Adam !
Nice Canada Goose jacket you have there Adam. Not sure LA has quite low enough temperatures for one but hey, nowadays kids wear winter hats all summer long.
The design lets the prop speak for itself. Simple, effective, packable, easily assembled, durable, non damaging, angled to "cheat" the camera. They chose the right guy.
As a good display should, your job as a maker of displays is to make them vanish if possible and never to overpower the piece. This can be forgotten at times.
The look Adam gives his finished project is so relatable.
Deep, unshakable satisfaction of a job well done.
@@fen4554 He miscalculated the weight of the casting vs the original. You can see him at 32:11 trying to make it work like the casting but the handle keeps flipping up. He settled on the angled look because that's the only way it can rest on the stand without making new supports.
Don’t look at the comments guys. It’s just pure negativity. Enjoy the video for what it is and look no further 😊
Loved the little Axe-cellent! sing at the end ;)
The actor, DanielLloyd, who played the little boy, Danny Torrance, from The Shining (who also had a cameo in Doctor Sleep -- the surprisingly good sequel to The Shining) was a substitute instructor for a biology class that I took at Illinois Central Community College in around 1995.
did you get an actual class out of it or was it just Shining Q&A?
@@jypsridic He did a fine job teaching the class, from what I recall. I don't recall how it came up that he was the little boy in the Shining. A student in the class may have asked the question. I don't think he came out and said, "I'm the kid from the Shining, now listen to me teach biology." lol
@@bugman3164 Him riding a tricycle down the hallway to the classroom must have been a dead giveaway.
@@frenchyroastify LOL. A dead giveaway, indeed!
It snowed in Adams cave! You gotta love working with acrylic 😁
I went and saw the actual axe used to knock down the door at The Stanley Hotel in CO. Kind of a weird tour but certainly worth it just for all the odd nuggets of knowledge they have.
They actually rebuilt the green old lady tub to the tune of like $50k just so they could remake the bathroom.
And apparently Grady was a real guy, and he's the source for most of the story!
They also have a cryogenics museum in case anyone was thinking of going lol.
I love that Adam has a very nice and well made woodworking bench, but instead does his chisel work on his metal table saw top.
17:40 hears the screams of 1000 dying hamsters as Adam cuts into acrylic.
Dude, and at 17:15 the squeal was so loud it completely deafened the noise of the lathe. Would not want to be in that shop at that moment.
So 12:20 was just a sample ig
Eh bout the same
it is so Nice , i think led inside each hole to light up the acrylic would of been Sick also .
Watching him chisel the mortises on the table saw killed me lol. Bad for the chisel bad for the saws. Especially when he’s got a badass woodworking bench right beside it. He’s like me though and gets zoned in and doesn’t think about things like that until it’s time to sharpen the chisels again.
I love that you can *HEAR* how sharp Adam's wood chisels are!
24:29
This is something I've been planning to do as soon s a prop I commissioned gets finished. I was thinking of using felt, but the waterproof tape is a great idea.
Adam: I won't be doing museum-quality displays.
Also Adam: Build museum-quality displays.
I've built displays for state and national museums (albeit a long time ago), and those are as good as anything I've ever done. The only additional thing I would have done is flame-polish the milled parts of the perspex.
I also love the way he had $100 (well, close anyway) chunks of Perspex just lying around, I wish I did.
24:10 Mortiser! Love it. Very Norm Abram
Happy marry Christmas Adam!!❤🎄
At 12:00 that mill operation at that depth made me nervous, probably for no good reason given it was wood. I'm not anything close to a machinist, just love watching their content.
Saw the thumbnail, dint even need to watch the video, id recognize that axe anywhere!
i dunno why the thumbnail made me think someone sent Adam a comically large Paper Matte pencil
When I read the title and saw the thumbnail I immediately thought, "that's the axe Jack Nicholson used in The Shining isnt it?"
I love the "oh crap, the real one has a metal head that weighs a lot more!" moment :D
I would have added a laser engraving on the front of the axe stand in the same typewriter font from the movie "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Awesome. I've seen your work since i was like 8.
Knife display was top notch
its just an Axe... but its not just an axe... always gets me.
Yup, this is why I think collectors are a curious breed. It's not just an axe, it's *the* axe, with the stories behind it. Then it becomes a very valuable axe because collectors want it. I think if I started collecting, my unicorn would be the Maschinemensch, but if that were ever found, I couldn't afford it. Then I may need an axe for anyone who calls it 3PO.
Great work sir ❤
Nice video Adam , Merry Christmas .
I would have added Feet to to the displays , cut slots into the feet for the acrylic to be stored during travel that can only bee seen from the sides, but what a clean simple design. you should make a video with that awesome youtuber Allen Pan.
I kinda of want to add led light strip under the acrylic! Merry Christmas 🤶 🤶 All!
Pause at 2:44 and Adam's expression and reflection in the knife make him look like a horror movie cover.
My friend worked with Scatman Cruthers. He said Scatman did the axe in the chest, it seems like, over 20 takes. Maybe it was more.
21:16 Adam's making it snow in San Francisco 😂
6:57 is Gold
Great builds as always. Watching you blow off the mill around 21:22 reminds me that I have always been interested in how you handle cleaning your shop? What's the process and how frequently do you do it? I have a simple and sparse shop compared to yours and it's already quite a chore to blow dust off surfaces and vacuum up all the corners. If you have a video that talks about this already, maybe someone can direct me to it. If not, I would love to know!
Those are really cool displays.
Oh man, that Milwaukee Palm sander. That must be so nice to be Cordless! 😅
Watching you work on your lathe brings up a memory from Mythbusters. During the mentor show, I believe, you attached a 2 liter to Jamie's lathe which then exploded all over the place. Did Jamie find out and how long did it take to get all of the soda out of and off the machine?
Gotta say that the feed rate at around 17:00 seemed _way_ too slow to me. I might be wrong, since I haven't actually worked in acrylic, but generally you want to have quite a bit of feed rate when you're using a 2-flute endmill to bore out a hole with a flat bottom to avoid it just heating up from the friction. And making it actually cut well requires enough feed rate.
To be sure one should consult a chart, of course.
There's a great story where Lee Unkrich added the Easter egg of the carpet pattern from The Shining into Toy Story, but they didn't realize/forgot that they had to get permission first to use that. So they called the studio that owned the rights to The Shining and fortunately they were nice enough to grant them permission to use the carpet pattern
The carpet design isn't owned by the studio, it is (or was?) owned by David Hicks. His son holds design rights now, I am a licensee of the design. When we last talked, he was pretty open to licensing just about anything with the pattern if its related to the shining movie or an homage to it.
Did you drill thru wood under the acrylic to allow for leds to highlight piece at night? Lovely work as always.
That looks so good!!
21:21 Adam made snow - because Shining!
I'd be nervous-as-hell about the balance of that axe. I'd add lead slugs into the underside of the base near the handle-end, and I'd secure the axe with a couple of clear stretchy "rubber" loops/straps that hooked to nice-looking pins drilled through the acrylic uprights.
I feel the acrylic should have had slightly beveled corners to eliminate any sharp edges that may damage anything and then been flame polished to make them clear and shiny again to look more finished. Maybe some L.E.D. in the base under the acrylic to make the acrylic glow and an engraved brass placard stating what the prop is and from what.
For anyone interested in Lee Unkrich's collection of original Shining artifacts, he discusses these along with several other pieces in a March 2023 guest appearance on the prop collecting podcast The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of (on which Adam has also appeared, discussing the Maltese Falcon).
Unkrich's book on the making of The Shining was also just released in its regular edition by Taschen; the stands were used at a Dec. 5th preview event.
I probably would have put a touch of felt or some of that tape you used at the end on the end of the magnets out of paranoia, and also pointed the knife tip down for safety, but they are both beautiful displays. well done.
He put tape on the brass. He discusses this plan at 18:24, and you can spot the roll of tape after the cut at 19:10.
Just didn't film the action of applying.
You could use some of that lucite dust to add snow to the display 🥶❄️
Great work Adam. Had you considered using a section of an old door that matched the movie as the base or backing?