CHAPTER 1 Care and Maintenance of the Tattoo Machine.
In this chapter we will look at all the aspects of the care and maintenance of the Tattoo Machine.
I have seen a lot of really disgustingly dirty Tattoo Machines being used by Tattoo Artists, it is so easy to keep your machines clean that there should be no excuse for having a dirty or ink riddled machine.
The most over looked part of most machines is right where the needle-bar attaches to the armature. Ink will splatter in the tube and blow back towards the armature and collect there. This was not much of a problem when tape was used on the armature nipple, now that we have rubber grommets for that area it is an often over looked area.
The tape was replaced after every tattoo, and so the ink splatter went with it into the trash. I have also seen a lot of Tattoo Artists bagging their machines, that represents another problem also. Any ink that may get blown back up the tube will go right into the enclosed bag and contaminate the entire machine.
I recommend either wiping down your machine with a sanitary wipe or another suitable cleaner, also a solution of bleach and water mixed appropriately. Then a final rinse with water won't hurt the machine either. Dry it off and you are ready to go.
Also a somewhat bad idea is to have the self-stick covers over the coils on your machine. They are a playground for bacteria, and some of the glues use to affix them are corrosive to the enamel coating on the coil windings.
I personally like the look of heat shrink tubing, it is also much easier to clean, and it lasts much longer that those shiny coil covers. Following these suggestions will lead to a much cleaner Tattoo Machine.
CHAPTER 2: Part 1 Tattoo Machine Construction.
The Tattoo Machine Frame Through out the history of the Tattoo Machine there have been numerous frame designs carved out of various materials and with various shapes to hold the working components.
Those of which are namely the coils, yoke, tube, springs, armature, and the top and bottom posts. The materials used for a machine frame have been as varied as the artists who use them.
The most common materials used are, Iron and Brass, but other materials such as Copper, Bronze, Aluminum, Lucite, and Bakelite have been used. Even exotic metals such as Stainless, Titanium, even Gold and Silver have been used. Of all the materials, Iron and Brass are the most common frame materials.
Any machine frames that are not made from Iron require the use of a yoke to complete the magnetic flow of the coils. The simplest way to check if a yoke is needed is to use a magnet, if the magnet is attracted to the frame then no yoke is needed. If the magnet is not drawn to the frame in question, then a yoke must be used, in order to have a proper magnetic polarity.
CHAPTER 2: Part 2 Tattoo Machine Construction,Iron Framed Machines.
Iron framed machines do not require the use of a yoke under the coils. The reason for this is because the frame is used to complete the electromagnetic polarity. Some artists swear by this configuration and will use nothing else. Others say that the iron frame will reduce the magnetic quality of the coils due to the large area of iron that makes up the frame. Because of this frame design some also believe that the frame will distort the electromagnetic field generated by the coils.
I think that any loss in magnetic quality is not due to the frame but due more in part to the magnetic memory of the of the iron used to make the frame. If the frame is made up of a low carbon 20-20 cold rolled iron, the magnetic memory will be lessened. On the other hand if a hardened metal is used, such as tooling steel or high carbon steel, then the frame will become magnetized during the use of the machine.
That is why some machines become less powerful as they are used, and later on in the day they become stronger running. The higher quality the iron or steel the more that they retain a magnetic memory, so time must pass to allow the frame to de-magnetize.
CHAPTER 2: Part 3 Tattoo Machine Construction, Non-Iron Framed Machines.
In this section I will discuss the pros and cons of the non-iron frame. A non-iron frame is considered to be non-magnetic, which means that a magnet will not be attracted to it. Such frames are made of Brass, Copper, Bronze, Aluminum, Lucite, Bakelite, or even Gold, Silver, and Titanium.
Because these metals are non-magnetic a yoke must be used to complete the magnetic flow, and maintain a correct magnetic polarity. The upside to this configuration is that the frame cannot distort the magnetic field or power of coils. The downside though is that the machine is at least a ¼ inch longer and heavier that an iron frame, unless the non-magnetic frame is made from aluminum or another lightweight material.
Although the lighter weight machines tend to vibrate a little more while running, which is caused by a harmonic resonance in the frame materials of aluminum and titanium.
Any frames made using Silver or Gold must also use a yoke and suffer some added shortcomings as well. The soft nature of the metal does not lend well to the sturdiness of the frame and therefore must be made both thicker and heavier than any other frame material to be as sturdy.
CHAPTER 2: Part 4 Tattoo Machine Construction, Coils.
The coils of a Tattoo Machine should be considered the heart of the machine. The coils are made up of an enamel-coated wire, commonly known as speaker wire, around an insulated core.
The core is usually made from a very low carbon iron and is normally 5/16 inch in diameter by 1 ¼ inches long. The wire is wrapped around this core material. The coil is then referred to by the amount of wraps, 8,10,12,14, The true measurement of a coils power is called ohms, to measure this you need to use an ohm meter.
A coil is nothing more that a simple electromagnet. Current is passed through the windings wound around the core which i-turn induces a magnetic state in the core material. The coils by themselves each conduct a magnetic field, and in order for this magnetic field to be effective the coils must be magnetically linked.
To achieve this link either the frame or a yoke must be used to maintain an accurate magnetic polarity.
CHAPTER 3 : Tattoo Machine Construction, Springs.
The springs of a Tattoo Machine are used for a dual purpose. The first is for the contact point connection to the binding post. This is called the front spring. The second or back spring is to connect the armature bar to the machine frame.
The springs of a tattoo machine are the most tunable part of any Tattoo Machine, and there are many different types of springs to choose from. An artist has a choice between namely a one-piece spring or a two-piece spring setup for their machines.
One of the many myths through out the tattoo community has to do with the amount of the springs contact point gap, in relation to how a machine will run. This is only a half-truth.
The true form of measurement is calibrated buy the amounts of time that the gap is open or closed. The gap measurement of a machine is thought to be the measurement needed to achieve this timing.
I myself think that the width of the open gap is directly related to type, shape, thickness, and length of the spring being used. Also, the amount of tension applied to the back spring should be considered a factor in achieving the correct timing of a Tattoo Machines running state.
A simple tool to use for measuring back spring tension is called a tension gauge. Using this tool on your machine will greatly aid you in making a correct measurement of the tension applied on your machines back spring. A measurement of 300 to 350 grams seems to work well for liners and a measurement of 350 to 400 grams seems to work well for shaders.
Of course these measurements will vary from machine to machine depending on the type of springs used. Spring length also plays a major roll on the tuning of a machine. Two springs of the same thickness but with different lengths will have different tension measurements, which will also affect the amount of gap.
A longer front spring will have more bounce and be more suitable for a shader setup, where as a shorter front spring will have less bounce and would be better suited for a liner setup.
Remember that these suggestions are just a starting point down the path to achieve a smooth and proper running Tattoo Machine. There will always be slight variations to each machine you may have.
