What makes a great tattoo aside from the design, color and size? No matter how great the design looks if it’s done by someone who doesn’t have the proper experience and the right equipment it won’t give justice to the design. As a tattoo artist, you have to invest in your Tattoo Machine. If you’re planning on buying your first tattoo machine in this article I’ll give all of you some guidelines that may help you decide and choose the perfect tattoo machine for you.
The tattoo machine may be the most expensive thing you buy when you start your career as a tattoo artist, but this is the most important tool. Some start with two different machines, one for outlining and another one for shading. When choosing a tattoo machine, it’s best to ask more experienced tattoo artists and read reviews about different tattoo machine brands. The most important thing to consider is the quality of the tattoo machine. Choose tattoo machines that are made of copper, iron or brass. It might be a bit pricey, but in the long run, you’ll realize that you’ve made the right decision.
Aside from the tattoo machine, you also need to buy tattoo needles. There are different kinds of tattoo needles. Small needles are used to create thin outlines, small tattoos and details. Large needles are for bold outlines and shading.
You also need to complete the parts of your tattoo machine. You need the power supply, clip cord, and the foots witch. These parts can be bought separately or as a whole kit. It’s important to buy extra parts, so you have back up when needed.The tattoo machine must be compatible with the power supply, so check the specs of the machine to make sure it is compatible with the power supply. It is important that every part and equipment work perfectly together.
Other items you need to buy are grommets, O-rings, barrier bags and rubber bands. You also need to buy plastic tubes, decide whether to buy the disposable kind or the reusable ones.
You can find these items on different tattoo supply shops. To avoid the hassle, look for tattoo shops that have an online store. Look for online tattoo supplies shops and research the pricing, read reviews and send them questions you want to ask.
I’m pretty sure you have an idea of how a tattoo machine works. But just to be sure, research and try to look for manuals online before purchasing a tattoo machine. That way, you’ll have an idea of which one is best for you. Search for guides on how to clean and maintain the tattoo machine.
Coil vs. Rotary Tattoo Machines
Image showing the functionality of rotary tattoo machines rotary and coil tattoo machines operate in two different ways to achieve the same goal of inserting ink beneath the surface of the skin (i.e. epidermis) and depositing it into the second layer of skin, called the dermis. On a rotary tattoo machine, the needle bar is attached to a nub on top of a cylindrical motor that spins clockwise, moving the needle bar back and forth in a linear fashion as the motor rotates (see image to right). That motion inserts tattoo needles into the skin and retracts them smoothly, in a series of constant, fluid motions. Coil tattoo machines work quite differently, in a much more complicated fashion. They utilize electromagnetic currents to create and break a circuit in a cyclical fashion, moving the needles attached to the machine forward into the skin when the circuit is created and retracting them when the circuit breaks.
When power is delivered to a coil tattoo machine, the two coils are charged and turned into an electromagnet (see image below). The electromagnet created by the coils pulls the machine’s armature bar down towards the coils, which subsequently forces the attached tattoo needles down and into the skin. The downward motion of the armature bar pulls the front spring down with it and causes the spring to disconnect from the contact screw above it that a second before had completed a circuit. How Coil Tattoo Machines Work that break in the circuit causes the electromagnetic field to collapse momentarily, releasing the armature bar from the coils. The spring attached to the armature bar wants to move back to its natural position and it pulls the armature bar up with it. When the front spring reconnects with the contact screw, the circuit and electromagnetic field are re-established. That starts the process all over again, pulling the armature bar back down, forcing the attached needles into the skin, pulling the front spring away from the contact screw and breaking the circuit once more.
The way a coil machine is powered creates a hammer-like an effect that drives tattoo needles into the skin more forcefully than they’d be moved by a rotary motor. There’s constant power delivered to a rotary motor that keeps it moving in a fluid, clockwise pattern, pushing needles into the skin and pulling them back out more smoothly. Rotary tattoo machines, therefore, tend to be gentler on the skin and tattoos created with rotary tattoo machines often heal faster and with less scarring — particularly when inked by novice tattoo artists. That said, if you love the buzz of tattoo machines that’s traditionally associated with tattoo shops, then a coil tattoo machine is the option for you — particularly if you’re an experienced artist who can manage a coil machine with finesse. Rotary machines are incredibly quiet by comparison and there are fewer moving parts involved, which means they’re typically more low-maintenance than traditional coil machines.
What makes a great tattoo aside from the design, color and size? No matter how great the design looks if it’s done by someone who doesn’t have the proper experience and the right equipment it won’t give justice to the design. As a tattoo artist, you have to invest in your Tattoo Machine. If you’re planning on buying your first tattoo machine here are some guidelines that may help you decide and choose the perfect tattoo machine for you.
The tattoo machine may be the most expensive thing you buy when you start your career as a tattoo artist but this is the most important tool. Some start with two different machines, one for outlining and another one for shading. When choosing a tattoo machine, it’s best to ask more experienced tattoo artists and read reviews about different tattoo machine brands. The most important thing to consider is the quality of the tattoo machine. Choose tattoo machines that are made of copper, iron or brass. It might be a bit pricey, but in the long run, you’ll realize that you’ve made the right decision.
Aside from the tattoo machine, you also need to buy tattoo needles. There are different kinds of tattoo needles. Small needles are used to create thin outlines, small tattoos and details. Large needles are for bold outlines and shading.
You also need to complete the parts of your tattoo machine. You need the power supply, clip cord and the foots witch. These parts can be bought separately or as a whole kit. It’s important to buy extra parts, so you have back up when needed. The tattoo machine must be compatible with the power supply, so check the specs of the machine to make sure it is compatible with the power supply. It is important that every part and equipment work perfectly together. If you don’t know about the perfect tattoo you don’t understand the necessity of tattoos. So the perfect tattoo is about emotion, perfection and personalization at a level that’s greater than anything else. The main word in “Tattoo Artist” is the word artist. What you’re doing is art. But to make sure you end up with actual works of art, you need the right tools. These include a tattoo machine that you should actually be able to use.
Thread the needle through the barrel. Put the pointed end through the rear end of the barrel, leaving the looped end toward the rear.
Load the barrel onto the choosing a good tattoo machine confirm the larger end is that the end you attach to the frame.
Attach the loop on the rear of the needle to the front fringe of the armature bar. This may make the needle move in and out of the tube.
Use rubber bands to carry the needle back and keep it tight against the rear of the tube. This makes sure the needle doesn’t move around while you’re employed.