How Two Finns and Their 100-Ton Press Became Unlikely YouTube Stars

— -- Lauri Vuohensilta is crushing it.

And not just in terms of subscribers to his YouTube channel, which has more than 1.6 million subscribers. He’s literally crushing it.

He and his wife, Anni Vuohensilta, produce a weekly episode of their Hydraulic Press Channel from Finland. They pit their 100-ton industrial press against everyday objects, from bowling balls to Barbie dolls. It has become an addictive video destination for many people around the globe.

Lauri Vuohensilta works in a machine shop with his dad, and the press is just one of their tools.

The channel began on a lark about a year ago, when they decided to see what would happen if they crushed a golf ball. It took off after the couple tested whether a piece of paper could be folded in half more than seven times with the hydraulic press.

“After the paper folding video went viral, we got 100,000 subscribers within two days,” Lauri Vuohensilta says. The Vuohensiltas learned how to shoot video and edit as they went along.

“I just used YouTube and watched some tutorials on how to make something. It’s really easy nowadays to learn something like this,” he adds.

And as millions of viewers can attest, it’s really easy to watch.