We needed some small bubble machines at work and checking the usual stage equipment stores turned up nothing suitable. So I dropped into Kmart on my way home and found a $6 machine in just the right form factor.
First test with some half flat AA cells produced a louder than expected stream of bubbles that continued in the face of wind gusts and rapid movements as I tried to find its limits. After 15 minutes and clouds of bubbles I got bored and called it a success.
On opening the housing I was very impressed with the design simplicity the engineers achieved.
A single mabuchi 130 style motor drives the air blower, a peristaltic pump AND A little wiper in the nozzle that spreads the bubble fluid over the exhaust of the blower.
I especially liked the use of a farm machinery style power take off with a flexible shaft made of the same silicone tubing as the intake hose. The return hose is cheaper vinyl as it doesn’t need the squishiness required for the intake hose to work inside the peristaltic pump.
I’m still figuring out why the gearbox is so loud.
Making & Unmaking 