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Adam Savage’s Tested
Lessons Adam Savage Learned from DIY Mishaps
⏱ 11 min video · 2 min read21 Jun 2026
TL;DR
Adam Savage answers fan questions about DIY mishaps and career paths not taken, sharing candid stories about knowing when to hire professionals, a quirky San Francisco leveling tip, and how a 30% pay raise from Jamie Hyneman pulled him away from a promising theater career in the early 1990s.
Key points
1
Knowing when to DIY vs. hire a professional is fundamentally about resource allocation and valuing your own time as you get older.
2
In San Francisco, walls and ceilings are rarely truly level, so shelves must be built to match the wall visually rather than relying solely on a spirit level.
3
Adam seriously considered a career designing magic illusions in Las Vegas between film jobs in the late 1990s, but declined to relocate.
4
Adam spent five years working for roughly 20 San Francisco theaters including Berkeley Repertory Theater before Jamie Hyneman recruited him into commercial special effects.
5
A 30% overnight pay increase from $12-13/hr in theater to $17/hr in commercial special effects with Jamie Hyneman was the deciding factor that ended his theater career.
Actionable insights
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When tackling DIY home projects, honestly assess whether your time and skill level justify the effort versus paying a professional — especially as your earning potential grows.
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When hanging shelves in older homes or cities like San Francisco, do a visual check against the room rather than trusting only a spirit level, since structural elements are often not truly plumb.
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Recognize that early career pivots driven by pay increases can have compounding long-term effects — Adam's $4/hr raise from theater to special effects set the entire trajectory of his Mythbusters career.
Notable quotes
“In San Francisco, level might not be level. Level might be a visual value rather than a bubble value.”
“Theater, I love you, but that pay increase kind of meant that I never looked back.”
“There is absolutely a reality like if I had been in New York, which has a much deeper career-based theater crowd than San Francisco does.”
Worth watching?
⏭️
Worth watching the full video?
All the practical tips and career anecdotes are captured here — skip the video unless you specifically enjoy Adams relaxed conversational storytelling style, which is the main draw.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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