This ebook from Tim Miller gives you the essential guide about how to tune a tattoo machine. This guide teaches you how to set up your gun, make sure the ink runs well, and learn new ways to use your equipment. This guide will teach you the best ways to set up your tattoo machine so that you will have the best setup to use for all of your tattooing needs. You will save a HUGE amount of time! You don't have to learn each part of the tattoo machine yourself; you can learn how to use the machine and all of the parts that you need to know in one easy guide! A ton of tattoo artists have found this guide to be very useful in saving them time and teaching them about their machine And you can learn how to do the same!
This book is an invaluable resource for any tattoo aritst who considers himself professional, modern and self sufficcient. It is a definitive work which clarifies and demystifies the science of the tattoo machine. In time, the I'm sure that the information contained in this book will become an industry standard. Like the Godoys say, There is no room for lies, magic or superstition when it comes to tattoo machines, this is science, you either know it or you don't. That's exactly what this book is about. The information contained in this book, in the right hands, can become an incredibly powerful tool --Casey Altorf-Tattoo artist, machine authority and builder, from Funhouse Tattoo, Vancouver Canada. These machines are not the typical home made machines like the jailhouse rotary machines we all think of when we hear home made . These are hand made machines.
tattoo machine tuning and building guide ebook
To understand a tattoo machine better let's break it down to nothing. The first things you need to look at are the coils. The tattoo machines heart is the coils. They are nothing more then electro-magnetic coils. A steel shaft wrapped with usually .022 gauge copper wire that has a thin nylon coating on them. The electricity flowing through the wire around the coils pulls the particles of the metal shaft into alignment causing a magnetic field. The steel shaft is solid with the exception of a screw hole in the bottom center to allow it to be fixed to the frame. Most of the time any machine parts will have an 832 thread pattern. This is so more parts are interchangeable. On the outside of the wire is a piece of heat shrink tubing to keep all of the wire nice and tight, topped off with a round piece of cardboard or plastic to hold its shape in both ends attached by a ring clip. In between the wire and the shaft is a thin piece of Teflon tape or cloth to separate the wire from the shaft.
Welcome to the world of tattooing keep it clean and honest, honor the trade and if you are skilled enough the trade will repay you. That being said, I would like to give back to the trade one of the most frequently asked questions that I recieve is about how to tune and maintain tattoo machines. The problem is that many a tattooist apprentice buy their rigs already tuned (or so they think) and never bother to adjust more than the tubes and the contact screw, and are too hesitant to tear it all the way down for fear that they'll never get it back together. For many tattooists, maintenance means changing the rubber bands. So for those of you who do not know where to start here is my detailed tutorial-if you have any questions mail them to Luna_c666 yahoo.com with the subject line Re Tuning Guide . Good Luck P.S.
In the tattooing industry, the individual needles are referred to as pins. There are a few different types of pins, and each configuration again, does something different. The needles used in tattoo originated from bug pins, sewing machine needles, and beading needles. Each of these of these types have different tips and sharpness. The most common metal used for tattooing is 304 stainless steel wire with a diameter of .33mm to .36mm and an average length of 30mm, each type can be polished or left course. 304 grade stainless steel is normally preferred due to its stronger resistance to corrosion. The polished pins are a little smoother so they don't over work the skin as bad. The course pins are fairly new the idea is that leaving the needles a little course will help put the pigment under the skin. I have not used this myself, but I have heard many good reports. You can also fine pins made from carbon, these I do not recommend.
Machine tuning is hands down the most important thing you will need to know about machines themselves. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say, I don't need to know how to tune a machine. I just use it out of the box and its fine. This kills me. If you are going to operate any kind of tool you need to know how to do so properly. The theory behind tuning your machine is to get the machine running as smooth as possible. The less vibration the easier operation will be. If you want a smooth straight line then the machine has to be in tune. When tuning a machine, many factors come into play. Your grommet on the armature nipple needs to be in good shape and your o ring on the front spring also needs to be in good condition. Another thing not everyone looks at is the quality of the contact screw. If it's dirty or has carbon build-up it will not get a nice smooth connection. Contact screws can be made from brass, steel, copper, and silver.
An electromagnetic tattoo machine is assembled with a pair of electromagnetic coils and a reciprocating armature bar. This is a what visually and functionally characterizes the electromagnetic tattoo machine and separates it operationally from a rotary machine, or a pneumatic machine. We all know that the coils are the main machine part responsible for attracting the armature bar which holds the needle bar with it's attached needle groupings, and forces the down ward motion which make the needles penetrate the skin. Inexperienced artists often blame the coils for a machine not functioning or running properly. So some myths and assumptions about coils must be addressed. Lets talk about the function of the Coil, starting with electrical current. force that causes current, in the form of electrons, to move through wires. Electrically charged particles move through material, they can move through water as well. Electrons are the most common moving charges.
It is often said that a machine is no better than the person operating it. This can also be applied to tattoo machines. A tattooist must have confidence with his machines and must learn to run them properly, not have them run him. Tattoo machines may vary in appearance but they all run basically the same, and perform the same function, driving a needle up and down very fast, perforating the skin and driving ink in as the operator steers it along while leaving a trail behind. This is done when the machine is connected into a power source and turned on, a full electrical circuit runs through it. When this happens, the two coils become magnetized (an electric magnet) and attract the metal armature bar down to ii. As the armature bar moves down, the needles move down. When this happens, the contact points separate from each other, causing a break in the electrical circuit. As soon as this happens, the machine stops, the coils become unmagnetized and the armature bar springs back up.
The Machine's Frame Having a solid base to secure the machine's components is the basic function of the tattoo machine frame. The rigidity of the tattoo machine frame is the most important quality of a frame, so the material used in it's construction must be considered. There are many materials that fit the rigidity requirements besides metals. Plastics, composites, even wood are acceptable. There are other reasons that the material used in frame construction should be considered beside rigidity. The material the frame is made out of will determine wether or not there is a need to use a yoke. A yoke is a piece of ferromagnetic material, without windings that connects 2 or more magnet cores. In order to make the coils work as a team , the coils must be connected to each other by a shared base made out of magnetic material, preferably the same material the coil's core's and armature bar are made from, because these are all part of the magnetic system.
Tattooing was revolutionized by Samuel O'Reilly's invention of the electric tattoo machine during the last decade of the 19 th century. The time required to complete a design went from hours to minutes, moving the art away from personally conceived, hand picked designs towards stock choices that were displayed like art on the walls of the tattoo parlor. Much of this tattooing was also conducted in the back of beer halls and barbershops. The years ahead would see vast improvements in O'Reilly's machine, plus the establishment of tattoo equipment manufacturing companies. This machine was the prototype for the tattoo gun that is the standard of the industry today.
In one of the booths was a charity called TIT 4 TAT, this Is a charily set up to help women who have had breast cancer and the aftermath of such a terrible disease. The TIT 4 TAT team were raising money to buy the Victoria Breast unit at Oldham hospital a tattoo machine of their own so that anyone having to go through traumatic breast reconstructive surgery can have the areola tattooed after surgery. This is a great cause and any money over the cost of a tattoo machine wil go directly to the hospital to hetp with other needy equipment. 2nd Adam, Artist Paul Owen Naughty needles
Holding a tattoo machine correctly entails much more than just getting a good grip on it and digging right in. All needle tubes should be stainless steel and all correctly manufactured stainless steel tubes come complete with a knurled grip on them. Knurling is a machinist's term used for pieces of metal with lathed on criss-crosses engraved in the metal, commonly used for grip-type surfaces. This is what the needle tubes should have on them. Metal knurled grips are much better than plastic or tape. With plastic type grips, llie hands seem to stick more to them, and shifting of the machine can be erratic. Metal knurling provides a sure grip but also allows readjustment of the fingers much easier in case some shifting around of the machine is necessary. The basic hold on the needle tube (already set-up in the machine) is the standard pencil-grip. A tattoo machine is held very much like a pencil or a pen. but with a few differences. 2ff7e9595c
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