Frames Tattoo mashine

Frames

Machine frames are made out of cast iron, copper, brass, bronze,
stainless steel, and aluminum.
Each weighs differently and each has a
different level of electrical conductivity which affects the strength of your
machine. The weight of your machine will come from the frame so you need
to decide what kind of machine you will be running. Cast iron frames are
molten metal poured into a cast for the shape. Cast iron machines are made
of one piece while machines that the side arm is attached with screws are
called bolt on frames. Most machines frames are made from a piece of metal
cut into shape then welded together and ground smooth. Cast frames can be
made of any type of metal but the most common cast are iron. Cast frames
are very heavy. Heavy machines can be good because they make really
smooth lines. The weight of the machine help to hold it steady, but your hand
will tire out really fast. So they are great for little tattoos or for a lining
session, but for the long haul you may want to consider stainless or copper
which are much lighter so you will have a longer dexterity. Weight of the
machine will affect many things like hand cramps and back pain while
tattooing. If your back is constantly hurting during a tattoo then switch to a
lighter frame. Brass is right in the center of cast and stainless. Aluminum in
my opinion is the worst thing to make a machine out of. It is so light that you
can’t really hold it steady because you feel every vibration, and they sound
like your going to cut off the arm of your client, they are really loud. The less
Metal on a machine frame the better. Less weight equals more tattooing. If
you can find a barebones cast frame without all the dragons and yin-yang’s on
it them you might have a good machine. I use a copper machine most of the
time due to its light weight and strong conductivity. Why is conductivity
important? When you have a stronger electronic signal then you have a
stronger stroke (the motion of the needle). This means smooth lines and
flawless shading.
Tattoo supply companies make frames with all kinds of designs on them
like dragons and skulls but this makes the machine heavy and run not so
smoothly. They look cool but are otherwise useless. The extra weight will
damage your hand in the long run. What you need to be looking for when you
pick out a machine is weight, balance, and quality. If you buy a fifty dollar
machine you are going to get a fifty dollar machine. For a good machine
average cost is about two to three hundred dollars and average weight is
between seven and eight ounces. Lighter machines weigh about six ounces
and most cast machines are over ten. This doesn’t sound like a lot but after
and hour or more, it’s a mile. The down side to copper and brass is unlike
stainless, besides regular cleaning you have to polish away all of the tarnish
about twice a month. They get black pretty quick. Another thing you may
have noticed about machine frames is that they all have different tube vices
(the part that locks in the tube). All of them are pretty affective so none is
really better than another. If it uses a piece of metal that screws down on the
tube then it’s called a tube vice. If it’s a curved part of the frame with a
separate piece of metal pulling up then it a guillotine, and a frame cut in two
that squeezes is a quick lock.
The Armature Bar and Spring Assembly
The rest of the machine is pretty simple. Above the coils you have the
armature bar. This is a rectangular piece of metal that has a screw hole in one
side and a small shaft sticking out of the other. The small shaft it called an
armature nipple. This is where you put the grommet and then the needle loop
attaching the needle to the machine. The armature bar is the piece that the
coil heads magnetically attract making the oscillating motion. A cool trick I
have used for years it to take the bottom of you’re armature bar and apply
two layers of masking tape. Trim the masking tape with a razor to the exact
size to the armature bar. Never use more than two layers because the
machine will loose its magnetic pull and weaken the stroke. The application
of the masking tape does three things. It quiets down the machine because it
acts like a damper between the armature bar and the coils heads. It protects
the armature bar against unnecessary ware, and it also acts like another shock
absorber smoothing out the performance of your machine. It’s amazing what a
difference it makes. Most commonly the armature bars sold on the market are
made from cold rolled steel and are nickel plated.
Some have been made of many materials but this seems to have little
effect on the performance of a machine. Most commonly, armature bars
weight about thirteen grams and are 1 3/8 inches long, 3/8 of an inch wide
and 1/16 or an inch thick. The armature nipple or armature pin is around 1/8
of an inch thick and 1/4 to 3/16 of an inch long. Armature bars are also
threaded with an 8-32 thread pattern. There are a few different shapes of
armature bars out there. The most standard is a rectangle shape. Though
many shapes have been experimented with over the years they have all come
to one conclusion. A lighter bar if faster and a heavier bar in slower. The
addition of weight means that the gap closing time is longer, more weight to
move. Faster is better for lining where slower movement is better for shading.
Basically, the job of the armature bar is to hold the needle loop and establish
the speed of the machine, not to be confused with strength.
Springs
Attached to the armature bar and the frame are the springs. The back
spring is the spring that attaches the armature bar to the frame. The front
spring is attached to the armature bar but on top of the back spring, and is
the point of contact for the contact screw. This is the one that sticks upward.
The back spring is usually on the armature bar first, then the front spring,
washer, and last the screw head. Some artist do prefer to place the front
spring on the armature bar first then the back spring. Just keep in mind that
placing the front spring on the armature bar first will lower your spring
assembly the width of the spring its’ self. The front spring combined with the
armature bar will establish the speed at which the machine will run. The back
spring will determine the strength in which the machine will hit and basically
determine the efficiency at which the front spring functions. There are many
different gauges of springs, and what you use will determine how your
machine works. I can’t just say “use this” because it’s something you will
have to determine by what works best for you. A stiffer or hard front spring
will only stay closed (the amount of time it touches the contact screw) for a
short time while a lighter of softer front spring will stay closed longer. The
softer more flexible front spring has bowing effect when it hits the contacts
screw. As it hits it will flex to a certain point, then it has to flex the exact
same amount before disengaging from the contact screw. This causes a longer
closed time. So you can see that a stiffer spring has less flex therefore less
time closed.
The average measurement of the front spring is 1 ½ inches tall, ½ inch
wide, and is tapered from ½ inch up the spring to the tip. So the taper will be
1 inch long leaving a spring base of ½ inch. The taper makes the front spring
more flexible allowing for the proper closed time, it also acts like a buffer
allowing the smoother operation of the machine. The front spring screw hole
should be drilled at 5/16 on an inch from the bottom and centered. Most front
springs will come flat from the supplier so you will have to but a bend in it
yourself. There are two methods of though on this subject. The first is called
rolling. This is where you bend the spring using just your fingers. Rolling
leaves no clear line of angle so it is impossible to get the proper angel of bend
every time. The second method is creasing. This is strongly recommended.
The easiest way of doing this is by taking a pair of pliers and grabbing the
back by the fork (where the screw goes). Make sure your grip is a little toward
the tip, or in front of the fork. Level the pliers to the back and slightly bend
upward. The crease should be exactly ½ of an inch forward leaving 1 inch
bent. You want a bend of 15 degrees for the best performance. You can
measure the degree with a simple protractor. The back spring is measured ½
inch wide, 1 ½ inch tall, and will have two holes measured at 5/16 and 1 1/16
of an inch from the bottom. The back spring will have no taper. Once the
back spring is attached to the armature bar and the spring saddle on the
frame, you will have to bend the back spring to give a 4mm air gap from the
bottom of the armature bar to the top of the front coil. This must be 4mm
without anything touching the front spring; it should stand at 4mm on its own.
Sometimes there isn’t enough room for the armature bar to move away from
the coils heads. This can be fixed by putting a thin washer between the spring
saddle and the back spring. This will provide a better backpressure for the
stroke of the machine.
The measured distance of the back spring once on the machine is
actually the distance from the armature bar to the spring saddle; this is
because this is the only section of spring that will be flexible do to the rest
being tightened down to the machine. Really, to get the best operation of a
tattoo machine, the armature bar, front spring and back spring should be view
as one component simple because the three part working together is the basic
function of the machine, and all three parts have to work in unison. Some
examples of voltage versus spring gauge in my opinion.
Front Spring Rear Spring Coil to A Bar gap Voltage Use
.013 .015 3mm 6.5 Portrait
shading
.014 .016 2.4mm 5.6 Grey
shading
.016 .016 2mm 5 Color
shading
.022 (standard) .019 (standard) 3.mm 5.4 Darker lining
.019 .019 2mm 5 Softer lining
When putting this assembly together, remember that the easiest way
to make sure its set right is to look inside the tube hole back at the armature
nipple, kind of like a gun sight. The armature nipple should be the full length
of the hole. If you see more of the armature bar then you need to move the
armature bar closer to the spring saddle or the back spring closer to the
spring saddle. Sometimes you need to adjust both to get it just right. Make
sure that your armature bar is directly over top of your coils head as well, if
it’s a little to the right or left the needle bar will rub the side of the tube
causing the needle to shake. You can also make an armature adjustment tool
by cutting a slot wide enough for the armature nipple in the end of an old or
unused tube. Then slide the cut tube into the vice, all the way to the
armature bar till the armature nipple fits in the slot.
O Ring
The circular piece of rubber that is on the armature bar is called an o
ring. This is a needed piece although a lot of artist removes it. The o ring pulls
back on the front spring making it push up with a little more force. It also
works as another shock absorber cutting down on the feed back as the front
spring hit’s the contact screw. When new from the factory the o ring is under
the front spring and stretched back to the screw holding the armature bar,
front spring, and back spring together. This is fine, but I find that it works just
a little smoother if you go the opposite direction and stretch it to the back of
the armature bar. Figure out which works best for you, either of the two will
work just fine. After many debates with collogues, I have determined two
things. First, many artist don’t use o rings. Second, I personally think they are
important for the proper tuning and operation of the machine. So, I guess this
is a matter of opinion. Find what works best for you.
The Rest of the Machine
The front binding post is the entire assembly that holds your contact
screw, and the rear binding post is opposite the spring saddle. One side of
your clip cord will go into the little hole in the spring saddle, while the other
fits into the rear binding post. The contact screw is the long screw that sticks
out the top of the machine. Contact screws are most commonly made from
silver, steel, and brass. Silver provides the best solution. Brass and steel are
harder metals so they will provide more wear and tear over the term of
operation. They will spark a lot more than sliver; this causes the contact
screw to eat through the front spring requiring more replacement. Sliver is by
far my personal choice. Less spark, less damage, and smoother operation of
the machine. What the contact screw does is tune the machine by threading it
in or out, closing the distance the armature bar needs to travel. This alters
the speed of the machine. The set screw holds the contact screw in place
once adjusted. Set screws are made from brass, steel, cooper, and plastic.
When threaded tightly it applies pressure to the side of the contact screw
locking it in place. I strongly recommend plastic because it will not damage
the threads on the contact screw. This is very important if you are using a
sliver contact screw because the threads will be softer and easier to damage.
Another thing you will notice is a small capacitor wired between the
rear binding post and the front binding post. The job of this capacitor is to
absorb loose energy with the intent on making your machine run more
smoothly. Basically it’s a filter. Most of the time this will be a 35v x 47mf
capacitor, but you can change the rating to better fit your machine. This is
something you’ll just have to play around with to see what fits best for you.
What is a capacitor? A capacitor is made from is a ceramic cylinder with a
wire coming out at each end or side by side. A smaller capacitor will make the
machine run faster because it cannot store as much energy. Think of it like a
glass of water, you pour the water in till it overflows, now use a smaller cup.
Capacitors are measured in microfiads which is what the “uf” stands for. Most
commonly 47uf 35v or 47uf 63v are used for liners and 100uf 35v or 100uf 25v
are used for shaders.
Now, the most complicated part of a machine for students to
understand is the shoulder washers. Shoulder washers are plastic washers that
separate the electrical wiring from the frame. The frame of a tattoo machine
is its own ground, so the wire harness should never touch the frame. If you
turn on your machine and the armature bar goes down and stays down then
you have something touching you’re frame. Here is and easy way to
remember where they go. The only parts of the machine that should touch
the frame are the coil shafts and your back spring at the spring saddle.
Everywhere else should have a pair of shoulder washers (both binding posts).
There are two places, so that means four plastic washers, one on each side of
the frame. The front binding post should be set screw, contact screw housing,
washer, solder lug, shoulder washer, frame, shoulder washer, washer, and
screw. The rear binding post should be similar with the rear binding post,
washer, solder lug bent to hold rubber bands, shoulder washer, frame,
shoulder washer, washer, and screw. The grommet is a small piece of rubber
that sits between the needle loop and the nipple. Its purpose is to hold the
needle in place on the machine and act as a shock absorber to smooth out the
way the machine feels.
Machine Cleaning
For machine cleaning the entire machine should be disassembled. You
want to rubber band the coils together. If you move them too much you will
weaken the coil wires until they break. Lay every part of the machine on a
paper towel then spray with your bleach and water mix. Let them soak for
about a minute to ensure and viruses are killed. After soaking, clean every
part of the machine with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol. Make sure to get
all of the bleach off because it will make your machine rust. Remove any rust
or rough surfaces with a high grit sandpaper such as 2000 grit. Use the same
sand paper to polish your coil heads and tip of your contact screw. I
personally prefer a buffing wheel, like you find on a grinder. If any screw or
washers have any rust on them, then you need to replace them. Apply new
masking tape on the armature bar, if you choose. Then reassemble your
machine. Be careful not to force any of the screws, you don’t want to strip
them or scar up the metal. Always use the proper tools, if you try to force
something or rig up something that doesn’t belong there, you will damage
something.
Machine Tuning
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. Copper is fair, stainless and
brass will work, but in my personal opinion silver is the better choice. Brass
and steel are a very hard metal and they also spark a little. Over time they
will burn a hole all the way through the tip of a front spring. If the machine is
out of tune it will burn a hole much faster. Silver is a softer metal so front
springs will last a very long time. Silver is also less incline to spark so you have
less problems with plastic machine covers. The only thing I don’t like about
silver and brass is that they tarnish. Because silver is a very soft metal you
have to be careful not to tighten you’re set screw to hard, it can eat the
threads right off of the contact screw.
You also want to take a look at the hole in the frame that your front
binding post screws into. Almost all machines have a longer hole than needed.
The reason for this is more adjustment. With the machine sitting on its yoke,
if you barely loosen the screw you can move the entire front binding post
assembly up or down to adjust for lining or shading. Moving the front binding
post upward is better for color and shading, down is better for lining, and the
center is universal. I just run the binding post in the center. Either way you
set this option, the tip of your contact screw should be dead center in line
with the hole for your tube vice. The best way to check the alignment is to
hold the machine like a pistol that you’re about to fire. Hold the machine so
that you can see the contact screw tip closer to you. While holding the
machine at this angle, move your head a little to one side to see if the
machine is level. If not pivot the “contact screw” up or down till it is level.
You can check to see if the armature bar is also in the center position by
doing the same thing only looking in the tube hole with the armature bar
away from you. The more in line the armature bar and the tip of the contact
screw are to the center of the machine then the less resistance you have
while the needle bar is in motion. This will make for a steadier stroke.
I have already talked a little about the stroke but what exactly is it?
The stroke of your machine is the distance traveled by your armature bar
while in motion. The duty cycle of the machine is the length of time that the
front spring stays in contact with the contact screw. The duty cycle is
measured in percentages. If your duty cycle is 50% then the time the front
spring touches the contact screw and time it does not touch the contact
screw while open is the same. If the duty cycle of the machine is 40% then the
front spring is in contact with the contact screw 40% of the time and away
from the contact screw 60% of the time. Studies have shown that optimum
duty cycle is around 55%. This can be measured by using an electronic
multimeter that has a duty cycle setting on it. You attach one lead to the clip
cord post in the spring saddle and the other lead to the contact screw. Some
newer power supplies come equipped with a duty cycle reader. The stroke
strength is hand measured by taking your thumb while the machine is off and
pressing on the armature bar nipple. You want to push the armature bar all
the way to the coils. If you apply pressure to the front spring then it will bend
and you will not get an accurate measurement. The old way of machine
tuning is a little less technical. If you've been around tattooing you may have
hear of the old nickel and dime trick. A nickel is about two millimeters thick
and a dime is about one and a half millimeters thick. The nickel and dime
trick means that if you can just fit a nickel in that space then you’re good for
lining, and a dime if good for shading. This is not always the case.
I believe this image is from the A to Z guide to Tattooing from Spaulding. I found it online at
HTTP:// www. Forum.Ink-Trails.com (You Guys are Awesome)
The idea is that if your lining, then you need to be a little deeper so
you’re black is darker, while shading your working the skin a little more so
you don’t want as much depth to avoid scarring. Definitely sounds like a good
idea, but all this does it set the stroke a little different and it does not
smooth out the action of the machine. Like a few close held ideas about
tattooing, this was cool for the sixties but not by today’s standards. Most
tattoo artist use two machines in the course of one tattoo. You set one
machine up for shading and one for lining. Doing this means you don't have to
switch needles and tubes. You just use one for each. Since this is a guide for
beginners, most apprentices can only afford one machine at first (speaking as
a veteran artist I find it's easier to do this anyway) you can also set one
machine up universally to do both. I set a few machines up to do different
things and different styles but any artist can tell you they have one machine
that they like more than any other.
Liner or Shader
To set a machine up for lining you want to adjust the front binding post
all the way down, as far from the top of the frame arm as possible. Make sure
to pivot the contact screw tip to the dead center of the tube vice; unless you
choose to use a cutback. For a liner, if the machine is sitting on the yoke and
you are looking at the frame side, the contact screw will be at about six
o’clock, where a shader will be about four o’clock. Some machines are made
specifically to accommodate these angles, and some are universal. If your
front spring isn't touching the contact screw just right then loosen it and move
it up till it fully touches the screw tip. To properly tune your machine you
need to put a grommet on the armature nipple. Black is the best color
because you can see it best as it moves. Barely loosen your set screw. Make
sure it’s still tight enough so that you have to use a little bit of pressure to
turn the contact screw. If it’s too loose then when you turn on the machine
the contact screw will unscrew its self and you'll have to start over every time
you let go of it. Now, hold the machine sideways so your looking at the coils
and the armature bar is standing straight up and down. You want your power
supply to be about three volts and apply more as needed. Turn on the
machine. If it doesn't move then make sure you contact screw is touching the
front spring. If it doesn't move then turn up your power supply slowly till it
starts. If it still doesn't move then check your machine assembly, something is
wrong. If you hold the machine so you can clearly see the grommet moving
you may notice and oscillation in the movement. This means that you
machine will be running but you will be able to see another pattern of
movement. The movement is comparable to watching a bike tire move. Even
though it’s moving forward it looks like its going back and forth. This part is
hard to explain but if you watch the grommet and slowly turn the contact
screw you will see what I’m talking about.
That oscillation means your machine is out of tune. It’s kind of like
tuning a guitar for those of you that play; you have to remove the vibration.
You have to adjust the contact screw until even though the machine is running
you have to get this secondary movement to stop completely, which is almost
impossible to do using the contact screw. You will have to get as close as you
can and fine tune the machine using very slight adjustments with the power
supply. You’re not done yet. The next thing you do is barley touch your thumb
nails to the armature nipple. You touch the part that sticks up while the
grommet is on it and running. This is to test the stroke to see if it’s hitting
hard enough. Barely come into contact with the grommet, just enough to feel
it hit you but without slowing it down. You want the stroke to feel smooth
and just strong enough to not slow down the needle. It does not need to be a
chainsaw. The softer you can get it to run without slowing the better your
tattoo will be. If the stroke is too weak then turn up the power supply slowly
till it feels just right. If it is to hard then turn it down. After you adjust the
power supply then you need to tune using the contact screw again. It takes
both the power supply strength and the contact screw adjustment to tune
your machine. They both have to work together. Your power supply controls
the strength of your stroke or "power" while the contact screw controls the
smoothness of the machine. Once you are close to tuning your machine with
the contact screw you can use your power supply to gently and slowly fine
tune the machine to remove all secondary motion. It will take some time to
get this just right, so you want to practice un-tuning your machine and putting
it back in tune. Once you put a needle and tube along with the rubber bands
on the machine you will have to adjust the contact screw just a little. Once
you’re happy with the adjustment then gently tighten your set screw to hold
the setting. Remember not to tighten it too tight because you may eat the
threads off of the contact screw. Now you have a liner. Once set, every time
you pick the machine up and load it with a needle and tube it will be ready to
go till you move the adjustment or drop the machine. Try not to drop it; you
can bend the upper frame arm really easy.
To set up a shadier repeat the exact same process only adjust the front
binding post all the way to the top of the frame arm or four o‘clock. If you
want a universal machine the set it to the center or five o‘clock. That’s it;
you now know how to tune a machine. Another helpful tip that I know I
mentioned once before is to apply two pieces of masking tape to the
underside of your armature bar. Stick them on and trim them to fit with a
razor making sure not to cut your o ring. This quiets your machine, smoothes
out the action even more, and reduces long term wear and tear on your
armature bar and coils heads. Your machine will sound better which will
please you and your clients as well as make your parts last longer. Make sure
to change the tape about every week if you use it on a regular basis.
Other Supplies
During a tattoo you will be using a few other supplies. Green soap is
the most common chemical of tattooing. If you hear someone talk about the
smell of a tattoo, that’s it. You can order green soap from any tattoo supply
company but I have never found it in a medical supply store. Green soap is an
anti-bacterial soap that comes in a gallon jug and is very concentrated. Go
down to your local “buy everything store“, in the back of the health and
beauty section you will find hand sized plastic spray bottles. You need five or
six of these. Your green soap, bleach and water mix, rubbing alcohol, witch
hazel, glycerin, and water should all be in these bottles. Make sure to label
them properly with a magic marker. When you fill the green soap you want a
mix of 25% green soap, and 75% percent water. Make sure to shake it well so
it’s properly mixed. All of the other chemicals need to be full concentration.
Another thing that will be used a lot is the sheets of carbon copy paper you
will use to make your stencils. They make a machine called a thermo fax that
lets you scan in the images then it prints you line work stencil for you. I think
these are a huge waste of time and money. If you just order the sheets and
copy the pattern by hand then you have already drawn the image once before
you ever tattoo it. And never use speed stick or any other for of deodorant to
transfer your pattern unless you use one stick per client. There are a few
companies that make a spray on tattoo stencil chemical and they are not that
expensive. In the long run its worth what little you may spend to get it. If you
have to use speed stick then go to the travel section of your local store and
buy the little sizes that are fifty cents each. This way you can use one per
client and then throw it away.
Another thing you will need is rubber bands for the machine. You want
them to be about and inch long when they are lying on the table, not too big
or too small. Disposable razors are another item that you need, as well as
small plastic drinking cups. The kind that is only about two or three inches
tall, I think they are 3 ounces. Make sure to get the plastic not paper, after
time the paper will leak. Plastic baggies are to fit over the spray bottles and
your machine. You need the non-locking kind. Small paper plates and
petroleum jelly are for the pigment. Set up will be the only time you will
have to use petroleum jelly while tattooing. Wax paper will be what you set
everything on. The last thing I want you to remember is that rubbing alcohol
has no place during a tattoo. Rubbing alcohol is used to clean surfaces not
skin, it will dry out the tattoo causing it to heal two and three times slower.