What is the settings on a tattoo machine?

Answer 1

The modern tattoo machine has taken many forms as of late. As science finds more funding from the privet sector and better communication between artists has brought technical information closer to the tattoo industry we have seen the method of depositing ink into the skin change. This article will discuss the power settings for both line work and shading. The modern two coil tattoo machine is the most widely used machine today, all in all a proved work horse in today's shop. This is tho machine I dicuss.

First off I cannot stress enough the importance of having the proper capacitor for the job, to high of a volt failure listing can really effect the fine tuning and power set up for your machine.

Most tattoo machines use a 12 volt system and a rheostat controls the base power output of the power supply. The clip cord (The wire that runs from power source to the machine) is polarity constant, that is to say one wire is + the other is - this is important as the capacitor can heat up and explode, Ive never seen this but hear of it from time to time. As most supply houses do not typically mark the polarity of the clip cord an easy way to find out is to hook up the machine and let it run for a few seconds and touch the capacitor, if it is hot or warm switch the polarity and mark one for the front of the machine.

Next off an adjustment to the contact screw and point on the spring need to be made. Back in the late 1970s "Dime for a line, nickel for a shade." was a jingle we often heard and still stands in my book. This meaning with the armature bar fully depressed to the coil a dime thickness between the contact point on the spring and the end of the contact screw is a good place to start the tuning process. Now set your power supply on the low end abuot 10 volts and depress the foot switch, Listen for "stops" and increase power slowely "stops are when the capacitor is not relesing power at a stedy rate this sounds like sputtering or "stops". stop the power increase