Introduction: Bubble Blowing Machine

By: Luke Revercomb, John Koskela, Tevy Koh, Levi Priest

This project is fun and creative so it is a perfect little project. You can use things that you might have around your home to lower the cost of the build. This project uses some basic DC motors, a fan, and some basic electronics to make homemade bubble blowing machine.

Supplies

Tools:

Box knife

Electric drill

Solder iron

Solder

Duct Tape

Zip ties (optional)

Supplies:

Battery holder x 1 - Battery Holder

Battery x 4 (AA) - Batteries

Fan x 1 - Fan

Acrylic sheet (Bubble Wand) x 1 - Acrylic Sheet

Plastic tub (12.1”x5.5”x6.12”) x 1 - Tub

Breadboard x 1 - Breadboard

Potentiometer x 2 - Potentiometer

DC motor (6V - 12V) x 2 - DC Motor

Light x 1 - Light

Pack of jumper wires x 1 - Wires

Switch x 1 - Switch

Cardboard box x 1 - Use one that is used to deliver the other parts

Plastic platform x 1 - Platform

Bubble Wand x 1 - Bubble Wand

Step 1: Copy Circuit Show Below

- Positive end of battery pack (red wire) connected to one side of the toggle switch.

- The other end of the battery pack (black wire) connected to the breadboard ground bus (blue bus). The connection on the other side of the toggle switch (opposite to where the + end of the battery pack is connected) is then connected to the power bus on the breadboard (red bus).

- These connections serve to provide power to the overall circuit, and the toggle switch is used to cut the power to the circuit if needed (to turn bubble machine off).

- Next, the power bus is connected to the long (+) leg of the LED, and the short (-) end of the LED is connected to ground. This can be seen in the attached image.

- Example of indicator LED. The longer leg (left side) will be connected to positive power (+). The shorter leg (right side) will be connected to ground (-). This LED serves to be lit when the circuit is receiving power and the bubble blower is on.

- Next, connect the potentiometer. These have 3 connections (typically). The left and right ports will be connected to the power and ground buses respectively, it doesn’t matter if the left or right is connected to power or ground, either orientation is functional.

- The middle port of the potentiometer will be connected to one end of the motor that potentiometer is driving. This will be the voltage input that will power the motor.

- Finally, after the potentiometer is connected to one side of the motor, the other side is connected to the ground bus. This completes the circuit.

Step 2: Cut Acrylic Sheet Into Bubble Wand

  • Cut the outside diameter of 8 inches.
  • Cut 8 holes with a diameter of 0.75 inches, with the center of the small holes 0.75 inches away from the outer edge.
  • Drill a hole in the center of the disc with the same diameter as your motor axle.

Step 3: Cut Bubble Wand Circles and Attach to Bubble Wand Sheet

Dissemble bubble wands and cut out eight bubble wand circles. Attach the circles to the acrylic sheet cutout. Using bubble wand circles enables the acrylic sheet cutout to hold the bubble solution better.

Step 4: Cut Tub to Appropriate Height

  • Cut the tub so it is 4 inches deep.

Step 5: Cut Cardboard Into Frame

  • Cut the cardboard box so it forms a rectangle with the same shape as the tub.
  • Bend a piece of cardboard so it creates a platform that is 3 inches tall by 1 inch wide.
  • Tape the plastic platform on top of the cardboard box.
  • Put the smaller piece of cardboard on top of the platform so that it is inline with the bubble wand holes.

Step 6: Attach Tub to Box

  • Glue or tape the cardboard rectangle onto the back of the tub.

Step 7: Attach Circuit to the Inside of the Box

  • Fasten the circuit to the bottom of the cardboard bin using adhesive, zip ties, tape, etc.

Step 8: Attach Bubble Wand to Motor

  • Glue the motor axle into the hole in the center of the bubble wand.
  • Additionally cut out a few 1" by 2" pieces of cardboard and attach half of it to the frame of the machine and allow the other half to protrude out over the reservoir of the machine
  • The cardboard cut out will create more room for the wand to rotate

Step 9: Put Batteries in Battery Holder

  • Put the AA batteries in the battery holder.

Step 10: Fill Tub With Soap and Water

  • Create the bubble solution with 6 cups of water, 1 cup of dish soap, and 1/4 cup of corn syrup.

Step 11: Attach Fan to Frame

The fan uses a USB for its power source. Attach the base of the fan to the frame and power the fan through a USB outlet.

Step 12: References

Design References:

BambooBottleCo Team, 10 Best Bubble Machine for Kids Review – 2021, 1st ed. BambooBottleCo: BambooBottleCo, 2022

J. Christian, “DIY Dabble Controlled Bubble Machine,” STEMpedia, 11-Jan-2019. [Online]. Available: https://thestempedia.com/project/diy-dabble-contr... [Accessed: 26-Jan-2022].

Idea References:

S. X. staff, “Researchers uncover the science behind blowing bubbles,” Phys.org, 28-Aug-2018. [Online]. Available: https://phys.org/news/2018-08-uncover-science.htm... [Accessed: 26-Jan-2022].
E. Conover, “Physics of blowing bubbles,” Physics, vol. 9, 2016.

Safety References:

“What Does IP67 Mean? I Need to Get Waterproof Cable, Connectors, or Adapters.” L, https://www.l-com.com/frequently-asked-questions/i-need-to-get-waterproof-cable-connectors-or-adapters-what-does-ip67-mean.