Would you like to recieve our blog posts by email? Subscribe below!
Dec 29, 2022
Nicholas Cordero
Starting on Boca Bearings brand new air hockey table project, the first thing to be done is to 3D print some parts. Though this is not a very big project, the time it takes to print all of the necessary parts are quite time consuming.
Dec 20, 2022
Boca Bearings
In this holiday season and as we approach a new year, we’re reminded about how grateful we’re for the tireless efforts of the whole Boca Bearings team. It’s thanks to this fantastic team that we have been able to reach this remarkable milestone of turning 35 years old.
Nov 21, 2022
Nicholas Cordero
Alongside the mechanical aspects of building a go kart, come the tedious challenges of wiring everything up correctly. Making sure everything is getting proper voltage, nothing more and nothing less, ensures that our kart will function just the way we want to.
Nov 01, 2022
James Laumeyer
Continuing with the race mower project one of the last major issues was the thing just keeps eating its belts. When we would run it it would go for a few minutes before the belt heated up to a point it was melting, stretching, and tearing itself apart.
Oct 17, 2022
Michael Rudinsky
The Vampire Bunny Moon was created by using Lithophanemaker.com to create the half moon, half bunny.
Oct 06, 2022
Boca Bearings
While at first glance one might think break fluid is break fluid, you put it in bleed the system and you're good to go. And while in most cases that is true there is one notable exception that being DOT5 brake fluid.
Sep 12, 2022
Boca Bearings
The Boca Bearing Workshop was founded in August of 2014 with the goal of creating an environment to promote creativity and innovation. This initiative was designed to allow Boca Bearing employees and engineering students alike, to collaborate on projects using 3D printers, CNC machines, and other equipment.
Sep 09, 2022
James Laumeyer
If you have ever worked with anything involving motor control you're probably familiar with PWM or Pulse Width Modulation.
Aug 29, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Throughout the Fall, I will be working on various 3D printed remote control projects. The first of these projects will be a printed-in-place car with a working drive axle and front-wheel drive. This model is the latest revision of the Gamma car found on Thingiverse
Aug 22, 2022
Boca Bearings
Florida Atlantic University’s Human Powered Submarine (HPS) team traveled to England in July 2022 to take part in the European International Submarine Races (EISR). The HPS members competed against teams from various universities around the world in the 11-day event, in competitions that tested various characteristics of the teams’ submarines, including speed and maneuverability.
Aug 15, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Over the past few weeks, I have continued working on the EezyBot MK2 Robotic Arm found on Thingiverse. The assembly and printing of the robotic arm were relatively simple, however, wiring and solving power issues for the arm have taken quite some time.
Aug 12, 2022
Nathan Fournier
As my Boca Bearings comparison tower project is now complete, I had to look for what I could do next. After scouring Thingiverse through many questionable things to 3D print, including a T-rex shower curtain holder, I found a robotic arm that had very straightforward instructions and many other users creating their own version.
Aug 08, 2022
James Laumeyer
After maker fair 2021 the pinball machine was feeling a little rough, two days of kids smashing buttons nonstop meant parts broke, coils started getting over heated from the excessive use, and relays failed. By the end of the even the machine was still functional but 3 relays died, the main launching system was getting weak from the coil not having enough cool down time, and a handful of 3d printed playfield pieces broke.
Aug 05, 2022
Marc zum Tobel
Going by the preliminary design I created in CAD I have been designing the rear drivetrain assembly of the power wheels kart with the twin alternators as motors.
Aug 04, 2022
Marc zum Tobel
As James and I begin designing the chassis for the electric go kart we must also take into account the drivetrain,major electronics and motor controllers, as well as wheels/tires and axles.
Jul 20, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Through the past few weeks of working on this bearing comparison tower, I’ve faced many technical difficulties through prototyping, designing, and other issues. Many of these issues not only helped me find a better way to complete this project but also gave me a better understanding of how to effectively prototype in engineering which will assist me in the future.
Jul 18, 2022
James Laumeyer
This week I have been working on the proof of concept utilizing a stepper motor drive train for our new power wheels cart system.
Jul 07, 2022
Michael Rudinsky
In honor of the 53rd anniversary of the first moon landing, I printed this Moon Lamp.
Jun 20, 2022
Marc zum Tobel
Boca Bearings has always attended the Maker Faire in Orlando but have never been super competitive in the Power wheels event. Jason, the visionary at Boca Bearings, wants James and I to design a reliable and competitive Power Wheels go kart to compete at Maker Faire.
Jun 20, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Starting this Monday, may 6, I came in and saw that the redesigned base printed successfully and is much sturdier than the previous design. I’m glad this change was made as the display is much sturdier and does not shake as much when the motor is running.
Jun 19, 2022
Boca Bearings
As Father’s Day approaches here at BB we take this opportunity to honor all those great dads who have had a tremendous impact on their children's lives.
Jun 17, 2022
James Laumeyer
As we enter the hurricane season here in south Florida that means afternoon thunderstorms are back. For most people this means little more than inconvenient flash flooding and slower commutes. But for those of us working with sensitive electronics it means something else is back too, dirty power.
Jun 14, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Starting this Monday, may 6, I came in and saw that the redesigned base printed successfully and is much sturdier than the previous design. I’m glad this change was made as the display is much sturdier and does not shake as much when the motor is running.
Jun 13, 2022
Marc zum Tobel
All the work James and I have put in for the new transmission mount has paid off. It holds up well under load and there is virtually no flex. This is good as it will provide longevity to the mower as well as robustness that is going to be needed.
Jun 07, 2022
Nathan Fournier
Throughout this week, I continued to work on the bearing comparison tower project, visualizing the differences between four types of bearing materials from Boca Bearings. From the first prototype in the last blog post, the design has changed a good amount as to counteract issues that came through testing.
Jun 01, 2022
Nathan Fournier
For my second project in my internship, I am designing and 3D printing a kinetic sculpture that will show the differences between different materials of bearings; stainless steel, plastic, hybrid, and full ceramic. In the photo below is the first prototype for what the tower would look like. The plan is to 3D print four of the long towers that house the bearings, one tower for each type of bearings, with gears to visualize the free rotation on the gears.
May 23, 2022
Nathan Fournier
As of Monday, May 16, most of the parts had printed successfully for my gravity powered wind turbine. Pretty much everything is assembled and printed. Only issue I had was the peg on the gear stand broke off again. I tried to super glue it but for some reason it wouldn’t cure so I ended up printing it again with more layers on the inside.
May 16, 2022
Boca Bearings
Upgrading is synonymous with Boca Bearings since we specialize in higher-end, technologically superior bearings for every application from RC, Fishing, Motorcycle, and Bike to Industry.
May 02, 2022
Boca Bearings
In this epic fishing video, Matt not only takes us to beautiful Baja but also gives us an inside look at his organizational process from picking the right lures and rods to choosing a Talica with the right fishing bearings.
Apr 22, 2022
Marc Tobel
As we continue with the mower project new issues have arisen that made themselves apparent through testing. During a low speed test of the mower with the new transmission, some warping occurred in the transmission mount due to the torque from the motor.
Mar 30, 2022
Boca Bearings
Our friend Mike from the local Coral Springs RC track tells us that the best thing in the world is not to love, money, or an all-paid trip to Paris (those are just cherries) but a local RC Track, now that's the cake! “One day a friend of mine came over to my house and told me the best thing in the world was just two miles from me. It turned out to be the Coral Springs RC Track.
Mar 21, 2022
James Laumeyer
I am excited to announce that the end is finally in site on this project, and this machine has made us work for every inch of progress Mark and I have made on it. If I were to do it all over again are there things I would change, absolutely. But as much as we may want to over engineer and fix this or that there comes a point where we have to draw the line and say this is good enough this is what we are going with.
Mar 01, 2022
Boca Bearings
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Michele was a natural entrepreneur. Sadly, Michele passed away in 2001, yet she left her mark and a lasting legacy. For Women’s History Monthwe honor her memory. Allen remarked “Michele did everything from picking orders, customer service, sales, and marketing. She worked with us side by side every day until the last year of her life.”
Feb 21, 2022
James Laumeyer
When buying tools for a workshop on a budget I believe Adam Savage said it best, "Buy cheap tools until you know what you really need from that tool, then buy the best one you can afford.”
Feb 14, 2022
Boca Bearings
The solid rear axle conversion has been going smoothly with no major hiccups along the way. The only thing that has been very time consuming is waiting for parts to come in so we can get to work. We did have to modify the brake disk mount a bit for the holes to line up but other than that the fit for the parts have been good.
Jan 14, 2022
Marc Tobel
The racing and parade Mower James and I have been working on for the past couple months has had some issues during testing
Jan 10, 2022
James Laumeyer
This project is a lesson in the failures that sometimes happen in engineering. I have learned many things in this project, how to weld, how to retrofit parts to an existing system, what conditions resin 3d printed parts, importance of tight tolerances, and how not to build a race mower. So while this project was on every level an important learning experience on my road to becoming an engineer, it is definitely a failure as it stands but we have a plan to change that.
Jan 04, 2022
Boca Bearings
When you’re a thrill seeker racing motorcycles will be high on your list! It’s high on ours! We even carry a special line of motorcycle bearings, CHIP for improved performance.
Jan 01, 2022
Boca Bearings
One thing is for sure; the clock is ticking figuratively and literally. When we commissioned this beautiful hand-made clock from Mike Bruck all of us were a year younger.
Dec 13, 2021
Boca Bearings
Finding the right bearing for the job is not always easy. That's here will explain how to download CADs models in our new and improved website so you can always rely on it for reference.
Dec 06, 2021
Boca Bearings
As a company, we are big fans and huge supporters of young innovators and we put our funding where our words are. Our corporate commitment was solidified this year when we partnered up with Scholarship America (SAI) to create the ACCEL Scholarship Program
Nov 04, 2021
Boca Bearings
In this month of November we are grateful for people and organizations that give back to the community even in challenging times and circumstances.
Oct 14, 2021
Boca Bearings
Allow us to introduce you to Millie Hart, a brilliant racer hailing from the UK. Millie tells us that her passion and destiny is to race!
Sep 22, 2021
James Laumeyer
the BBEGC it had two main problems, a bad battery pack, and a bad motor controller. As the motor that was mounted was a brushless motor we first attempted to use a brushless controller to swap in for it though the problem was getting KV values off of a part that was designed to work with a specific controller and had poor documentation.
Sep 20, 2021
Boca Bearings
Last year we had a conversation with Amos, well now we just want to share his kinetic art videos. Take a look and enjoy.
Sep 13, 2021
Boca Bearings
Trial and error is the name of the game when it comes to clock building. We are huge supporters of artistic talent so it comes to no surprise that we commissioned a clock from Mike Bruck, a very talented and experimental clockmaker. Mike is not afraid to try new machinery or processes for his craft.
Sep 08, 2021
Michael Rudinsky
The 3D printed R/C 3-Wheeler that I printed and built was designed by Andre Tessier. When you download the files, the instructions are very easy to follow with a complete list of materials and links to the parts required.
Sep 01, 2021
James Laumeyer
Continuing with our racing mower project significant progress has been made in the month and a half since our last blog update.
Aug 27, 2021
Boca Bearings
The initial set up of the project included a box leveled on top of the tank, in which a second bilge pump and tube entered and exited the box.
Aug 17, 2021
Boca Bearings
Matt Santora is an avid fisherman and owner of Finbomb, a fishing and diving apparel company. He holds 2 California State Records for fishing, and he truly loves all aspects of the sport, from reading signs of the birds overhead, to finding the boiling tuna, to choosing the best lure, to angling and cooking the fish.
Aug 10, 2021
Tyler Gilley
At the shop today I started by redesigning the Turbine housing the water turbine will sit inside. The problem I encountered with my first design was that the turbine did not sit centered.
Jul 30, 2021
Boca Bearings
At Boca Bearings we believe all hobbies are great, especially RC Aerobatics. As a matter of fact one of our team members, Jonathan, has been flying RC planes for over 30 years! But not only does he fly RC planes, he also has a private pilot’s license for real planes! How cool is that?!
Jul 29, 2021
Boca Bearings
Bikes and music go together like peanut butter and jelly! At least that’s what we believe here at Boca Bearings. Our friend Gerardo Martinez can wholeheartedly back us up on this since he is the General Manager for Nuclear Blast Records (Meshuggah, Testament, Slayer, Exodus, Rob Zombie) and a BMX fanatic!
Jul 28, 2021
Carmen Riggs
We recently changed directions from a waver energy conversion system to a Flow Hydro Conversion system due to some time constrains. However, the concept remains the same and the same materials will be used.
Jul 21, 2021
Dylan Butera
Here is my first entry for the humanoid Otto. Previously, I put together and coded the standard Otto DIY robot. For this project, I will be putting together the Otto Humanoid robot. The humanoid version has arms, a touch sensor, a sound sensor, an LED matrix to show emotions, metal gear servos as opposed to plastic, and a Bluetooth module, all of which the standard Otto does not have. I have started by printing out the shell, and now I’m ready to start assembling the robot.
Jul 07, 2021
Marc Tobel
For our next project James and I decided to do something a bit more ambitious than the previous projects we have worked on.
Jul 05, 2021
James Laumeyer
The intern team at Boca bearings is always busy turning out new and creative ways to showcase our bearings, as such we are always looking for ways to build upon our past experiences and leverage those skills to new projects.
Jul 01, 2021
Tyler Gilley
Upon receiving this kit, I was informed that the OTTO robot did not work outside of its USB port connection. For example, the OTTO DIY Robot has a USB connection that gives it the ability to import code into an Arduino circuit Board, once properly connected to a computer or laptop.
Jun 28, 2021
James Laumeyer
Over the past few weeks, the team at Boca Bearings has been working on revamping the workshop in the warehouse as the space was proving to be difficult to work in due to an inefficient use of space that caused tools to get lost or straight up not have
Jun 25, 2021
Dylan Butera
Now that the robot is fully assembled I have been using the Otto Blockly program to code the Arduino. This robot is only capable of doing simple actions like walking or dancing using servos, making it a great starter project for me. The eyes are ultrasonic sensors(the part is the HC-sr04) which can be used to make the robot perform an action when something comes within a certain range of them. I have programmed Otto to do a dance once something comes within about 10 cm of his face. This can also be used to make Otto avoid obstacles while he is walking. This project has introduced me to robotics and programming, and I look forward to working with the more complex options offered by OttoDIY.