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ink king

some of you were haveing trouble understsnding how to tune a machine now that im on a cumputer and not on my phone i can copy and past some stuff that i got ages ago from somewere that i pm to somebody anyway the fowlling text that is below should help some of you out. I dont fully agree on some things but thats my personal prefrence and everyone this is only a rough guide for people to get an idea of how things
work.... hope it helps Cool

The very first thing you should do when you receive your new machine is run it for 10 hours or so straight. To do this put your machine on a cloth (so it doesn't move when it's vibrating) then place something heavy on your footswitch so that it stays on. Check on it every now and again for safety but don't switch it off til it's been on for long enough. This process is to help settle the parts and is something often neglected by beginners.

Right, now that's done, it's time to tune! This is something that strikes fear into the heart of A LOT of tattooists, so to help you avoid reoccuring machine nightmares heres a few explanations of the major parts of a tattoo machine and their functions.

Coils:
Your coils are the engine of your machine and therefore are very important for a nice running machine. Despite what is generally believed there is no must have coil wrap (layer) that is ideal for liners or shaders, a 12 wrap machine can be made to run similar to a 6 wrap with a few alterations. But having said that 6-8 wrap coils are more popular for liners and 10-12 wrap coils are more popular for shaders. A 12 wrap machine will get hotter than a 6 wrap machine because the wire is longer in a 12 wrap machine thus more resistance is encountered and more heat is produced as a result. Coils are very simple things, their purpose is to allow current to flow through the wires wrapped around their cores thus creating a magnetic field which pulls the armature bar down. It's really that simple. Your armature bar should only hit the front coil and it should hit it at parallel or close to it. There should be a small gap between your rear coil and the armature bar, about enough to place a folded cigarette paper in (according to the great Paul Rogers).

Springs:
In order for your liner to have a strong hit you want a relatively stiff spring gauge. The higher the number of the gauge of the spring, the stiffer the spring is e.g. a 22 gauge spring is stiffer than an 18 gauge spring. An 18-20 gauge front spring and back spring combination is ideal for a liner, 16-18 is better for a shader. Remember that because of the extra spring stiffness the liner will have to work harder in order to bring the armature bar down than the shader. The tension of the back spring decides the compression of the front spring, with this in mind a 16 front spring with a 20 back spring wouldn't work together efficiently. The angle of your springs depends greatly on what stroke length you are after. Which leads us to:

Stroke:
This is down to pure preference but i tend to like a medium to long stroke on my liners and my shaders. You can achieve this by increasing the angle of your back spring. To do this undo the screw on your spring saddle, swing your spring and armature bar out 180 degrees and bend your back spring SLIGHTLY. Put your spring and armature back ensuring that it is lined up with your contact screw and tube vice. Do this by looking down the nipple on your armature bar and through the tube vice, adjust as necessary. You will have to back off on your contact screw to allow for this adjustment. Set the screw until you are happy with the sound and performance of your machine. Your long stroke machines armature bar should have an almost wavering motion when switched on, this is an optical illusion and is also a good indicator that your duty cycle is close to the ideal of 50%. Another trick to tell how your machine is running is to look down on the top of your armature bar and look for a "figure of 8" that appears and gives an idea to how well your machine is running. The potential for skin damage is increased by the longer stroke so be sure that you are confident with your machines before attempting this. Do not hang your needles out while shading/colouring because it will just snag on the skin and cause excessive skin trauma.

Capacitor:
Capacitors block direct current and allow alternating current to pass. An eletrolytic axial capacitor consists of a ceramic cylinder with a wire coming out of each end. A smaller capacitor will make the machine run faster because it stores and releases the current quicker. Capacitors are measured in microfiads which symbol is uf. 47uf 35v or 47uf 25v capacitors are ideal for liners of configurations 1-3 needles. Capacitors that are ideal for tattoo machines are 47uf 35v, 47uf 63v, 100uf 35v, 100uf 25v. Voltage should be no more than 63v as it is excessive. Capacitors are regulators of the current passing through the coils. The current is thus regulated and smoother.

Remember that your power supply effects the power of the pull of your coils NOT the speed of your machine. The speed is highered/lowered by adjusting springs, stroke and to some degree the capacitor used.

The speed (Hz) and voltage you choose to run your machines at is down to your personal preferance and tattooing style. There is a synchronicity that needs to be present between the tattooist and the machine he/she is using. A fast hand movement with a slow machine = chewed up skin, a slow hand with a fast machine will produce the same result. Therefore try to gauge wether your hand speed is slow or fast and adjust your machine accordingly. Try to tune your machine according to your pigment consistency too. A thick ink won't be injected into the skin sufficiently with a fast machine, again adjust your machine accordingly ie slow it down possibly by backing off on the contact screw or using softer springs. Obviously you will need to increased the hit of the machine the bigger the needle configuration you are using, do this by simply turning your power supply up. The bigger the surface area of the needles the more resistance they will encounter from the skin thus needing more power to puncture the skin sufficiently enough to successfully deposit your pigments.

Be sure to maintain your machines by cleaning them regularly, put a protection bag over them while they are in use and clean off any carbon deposits that might collect on the front coils by a little gentle filing. Little things like this can keep your machine purring like a spoilt fat cat. Look after your machines because they are tattooing, not you!

Hears some more info: How To Set Your Machine

It is very important to keep your equipment operating smoothly and to do so you need a little know how. You must know and understand every aspect of your machine from top to bottom including how to tune it.

One of your regular responsibilities will be to check every contact point regularly. In order for them to make good "contact" the contact screws and points need to be kept in good condition.

Before setting points make sure that they are clean and smooth. If either point is pitted or burned you may use a point file to flatten them. Silver points are readily replaceable, and if they can't be filed back into shape, you can either file off the old point and replace it with a new one or put on a new spring with a new contact point on it. If it can be repaired, you may do so, being careful not to file off any more of the point than you need to. For effectively cleaning the points and the contact screw two methods that work well are an emery cloth or a burnishing file.

Use light pressure when cleaning up contact points or you will go through a lot more of them then necessary. A light buff when they get slightly pitted is all that is really necessary and makes sure to remember to buff the contact screw as well so it also will have good contact there.

Spraying your contact points with a good contact cleaner every now and then will extend their life.

The front spring that holds the contact point and the back spring that holds the armature bar to the frame will weaken upon continued use and will need to be replaced. If your coloring is getting sketchy, it could be week springs; one or both of them, so check them. If they are weak, they will be springing back before any depth is attained because they won't have enough bounce in them to penetrate the skin. Before removing the spring and armature bar; put a mark on the side of the armature bar and continue the mark across the center of the washer on top of the front coil. After you have made your repairs, be sure both marks line up when replacing the armature bar. This step is very important because the armature bar has been seated in on the top of the front coil and should go back in the EXACT same place for top performance of your machine.

To replace the springs, take the needle and bands off, loosen the setscrew on the front binding post and back the contact screw out four or five turns. Then loosen the rear screw in top of the machine and remove the entire assembly consisting of the rear spring, the armature bar and the front (contact) spring.

Remove the screw that is holding both springs to the armature bar. First, put the screw back in the hole in the rear spring and start it into the armature bar. Mare sure you still have both the washers on the screw, on top, above the springs. Next put on the front spring, placing it on top of the rear spring and under both washers. This front spring will just slide on the screw. Tighten finger tight. Before replacing assembly, take this opportunity to buff your contact screw, removing any pits.

To replace the assembly, slide the rear spring under the loosened rear screw, making sure the rear spring is back all the way against the screw and under both washers. Tighten finger tight.

Next, line up the contact point in a direct line over the nipple on the armature bar and tighten. Then line up the contact point in the front spring in a direct line with the contact screw. The rear spring should be snug against the rear screw in most cases. Tighten rear screw. The contact screw points to One o'clock, when you hold up the machine and point the front (tube end) to your left. It is in this position when it is new, and should stay in this position.

Attach the clip cord to your machine and turn on your power pack. Holding the machine firmly in your left hand by the frame, slowly turn the contact screw down (clockwise) to meet the contact point on the front spring. Be careful to only touch the contact screw by the rubber tip or it will shock you. If the rubber tip is missing, you can wrap a piece of electrical tape around the end, or even a rubber band in an emergency.

As you keep the foot pedal pushed down, slowly turn the contact screw down to meet the contact point. Your machine will start to run when the contacts get close enough together to make a circuit. A general rule of thumb is that the gap between the shader points when you push down on the armature bar is the thickness of a nickel. The gap between the points on the liner should be about the thickness of a dime. Nickel shader, dime liner. This distance will change slightly with each machine and with the shape the springs are in. If they are week you can compensate by turning the contact screw down a bit, not too much. This measure has to be done with the machine off and the armature bar held in the down position. On a machine with heavy-duty coils, this measurement may be doubled. Another way to do it is to eyeball the distance the armature bar is traveling, as the machine runs, while you adjust the contact screw. When the distance the armature bar is traveling up and down is about the same distance as a nickel or dime, depending on which machine you are tuning at the time, then you are right.

Listen very carefully to the buzz of your machine. You might have to turn the contact screw in or out just a little until you get that right sound. It should sound real smooth. Listen carefully to the sound of the machine as you turn the contact screw and you will be able to "hear" the ideal setting if you pay attention. It wont be choppy and clatter, yet it will have plenty of power and have a long enough stroke to allow the needle bar to travel between 1/16 and 3/32 inch up and down.

Once you get used to the "purr" that it makes when it is running good, you will be able to keep your points set at optimum efficiency quickly and easily just by hearing it. When is begins to "purr" take your foot off the pedal and tighten the setscrew to lock the contact screw in that position. Then push the foot pedal again to be sure that it is still tuned "right" and doesn't need any further adjustment.

After you attach the tube and needle bar, you may have to readjust the point gap slightly to compensate for the extra weight. If so, loosen the set screw and push down on the pedal as you screw the contact screw down a tiny bit more, listening to the sound of the machine until it is running smoothly and strongly. Just remember that the smoother your machine runs, the better it will tattoo for you.

If you are going along and all of a sudden your machine quits, first check to see if it is your machine or your power pack. To do this, try your machine to see if it will work. If it is your machine and you can fix it on the spot, you can always put your needle bar and tube on your other machine and reset the point gap as a last resort to finish the tattoo.

If your machine won't run at all, it is either a short or an open in your circuit. First check to make sure your points are clean. If there is something caught between them, it will break the circuit. Hold the armature bar down with your thumb to open the contact and blow hard on the points. If this doesn't clean them, try pulling a small strip of paper through the points while they are closed. If this doesn't work try pulling a strip of emery cloth through them, grit side up then grit side down. Then blow to get any grit out. If this works, you will probably want to readjust the point setting slightly to get it buzzing "just right" again.

Another area that shouldn't be overlooked is weak coils. If your machine won't run at all, or has very little power, it might be the coils. If your coils are bad, you can replace them by taking out the two screws in the bottom of the frame, being careful to note which washers go where, under the coils. Replace with new coils. When you melt the solder to disconnect the old coils, reattach your new coil wires at the same time. If your machine has a capacitor on it, you may want to replace it too, at the same time.

If your machine just up and quits on you all at once, or won't run when you take it out, look for any loose or broken wires or connections. The tattoo machine is really quite simple, with few adjustments and fewer moving parts. Due to the constant vibration of the machine, you have to constantly fool with it, readjusting and tightening this and that. Daily maintenance is the key.

If you are having trouble with ink splattering out of your tube tip, there could be several reasons for it. A slight splattering is normal. Sometimes it is caused by ink overloading . The reservoir on some bottom ends doesn't allow for much ink. A square tip is more prone to splattering then a round one. Some lighter frames tend to splatter more than others. Check the tube tips for wear, change them before they wear down to a sharp edge. A machine that is properly tuned and used puts the ink out uniformly and rarely splatters.

By paying attention to these points, you will most likely eliminate any problem:

First, make sure your needle is in the tube right with the needle on the bottom side of the tip. Make sure the open side of the needle bar loop is to your left when it is attached to the armature bar.

Second, make sure the needle bar isn't hitting the side of the tube as it goes up and down.

Third, make sure all the rubber bands are in good shape and are all pulling evenly. Pull them away from the needle bar one at a time and snap them back into place. Check them to be sure they aren't week or worn. It doesn't hurt to replace your rubber bands ever 15 to 20 hours of tattoo time. They don't cost much and if they aren't doing their job properly, you can really tax your brain trying to figure out why it's splattering.

Fourth, make sure your points are properly set.

Fifth, look at your tube tips. If they are worn, you will get splatter. Take out the needle and look inside the tip. If there is a groove where the needle rides, file it smooth again. Be very careful not to file away any more of the metal then you have to. The tip is made of soft metal and it's easy to get carried away. Be careful, a little at a time.

On liner tips there will be one groove. On shader tips there will be several separate grooves, like railroad tracks. On the round tips, use a round Swiss needle file to smooth it back out. On flat shader tips and your one needle liner tip use a square Swiss needle file. If you have to file a tip to get it to stop splattering, be sure to clean it out good with a brush. Sterilize it before you use it again.

The splattering could come from one or all of the above. If one thing doesn't work, try something else, until you figure it out.

If none of the above worked, change the needle bar to see if that helps.

If that doesn't work check the springs and replace them if necessary. Sometimes one side of a spring will break where the screw is holding it. It's hard to spot.

The hard part is, if it starts splattering in the middle of a tattoo, you have to be able to figure it out, or continue with a splattering machine. This will take a lot longer to do if you don't know what's going on and your nerves will be shot from anxiety dealing with it.

moondog · Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:35 pm Post subject:

i totaly forgot to run my machines for 10 hours; heard about it years back briefly. too late now i guess they've run about that much anyhow just not solid run. thanks man this should be stickied imho. thanks for this info explains everything. Very Happy

heathmalc · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:26 pm Post subject:

Nice post! Should help a lot of people!

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Why post this on a public forum? Stop helping this kitchen magicians, who think buying all the seasons of miami ink and a starter kit is a great way to learn to tattoo. I couldn't even read that wall of txt. I didn't bother after that run your machine for 10 hours *****.

ink king · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:38 pm Post subject:

[quote="zapzapzap"]Why post this on a public forum? Stop helping this kitchen magicians, who think buying all the seasons of miami ink and a starter kit is a great way to learn to tattoo. I couldn't even read that wall of txt. I didn't bother after that run your machine for 10 hours *****.[/quote]

man your a bit of negative f%^ker arnt ya, from all the replies iv read from you. the reason i want to help people evan back yarders is because everyone gotta learn from some were and the less damage i can cause by given people some info to help, the better, if you are a tattooist you your self would know a crappy tat is a lot easier to fix or cover up if its not scared or damaged by a badly tuned machine. it makes me feel heaps easier about my self that iv given someone some info to head them in the right direction. it makes me sleep a lot better at night. thats why i post this stuff on a public fourm. anyways tell me this, were do you think most tattooist started?

the more knowledge that is out there for people to access, the less bad tattoos we will see. when it all comes down to it if, everyone in the world was willing to help each other instead of sticking to there dumb opinions and wanting to argue over it (even if they know they are wrong). wouldn't the world be a better place Sad

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

I can't even comprehend why you would want to help much of anyone, aside for your lack of respect for the trade.

I really wish I never had to cover up or correct a poorly applied tattoo. I hate doing cover ups, I hate reworking stuff. Since these bullshit tv shows started and less than reputable supply companies started flooding the market with cheap Chinese starter kits the scratcher population has skyrocketed.

Pointing these hacks in the "right" (never mind that the info you posted sucks) makes you feel better about your self? That just doesn't make any sense at all. You know what would make me feel better? I would be happy as a pig in ***** if someone went around breaking all these fuckers hands so they could never tattoo anyone ever again.

I will tell you where most tattooers DID NOT start. On some fucking internet forum thats for sure. There are about as many different ways to get into the trade as there are tattooers out there. Why give your hard earned information (let me remind you again that it is pretty weak) away freely on the internet? If you really paid your dues I don't think you would give this up so easily. I'm just gonna guess that your idea of paying your dues was lurking on some other scratch forum.

Most tattooists fucking suck by the way. For every decent artist I know, I come across easily 20 who have no clue how to draw, let alone properly apply a tattoo.

Your advise adds to the problem. It is incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, ill informed. You have NO respect for the trade. When it all comes down to it this will only increase the number of bad tattoos out there by instilling some false sense of knowledge in people who are already looking to be the next tv tattoo allstar fuck up with no respect for anything.

Want to decrease the number of bad tattoos out there? You need to inform the consumer. Make sure they know someones house/trailer/basement/kitchen is NOT a good place to get tattooed. Teach them that tattoo parties are a terrible idea. Teach them what a good tattoo looks like. Teach them what styles are available, and how to find the right artist for them. It is the consumers responsibility to make an informed choice when finding an artist. They are as much at fault as the tattooer if they get a bad tattoo, for failing to educate themselves. However I am more than happy to answer any of their questions (non-technical only) when it comes to getting a tattoo. Teach them to find the good artists and the hacks wont have anyone to work on anymore.

You called my opinions dumb? Thats fine, I wont take offense. Don't be offended what I say that I think you are a tool. PM a link to your portfolio.

heathmalc · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:

Zap-

You are a F***ing idiot! You're thinking is outdated, and your method of communication is probably as good as your so-called ability to tattoo. I just got an apprenticeship TODAY from one of the top tattoo artists in the USA. If you are such a great tattooist, you surely make a good amount of money.

Come see me. I am in Shelbyville, Indiana. I am REALLY EASY to find, as I do art shows in Indy, Cincy, and Louisville all the time. My name is HEATH, and most people in the art-community (Tattooing or fine-brush) know who I am, so a meeting wont be hard on you.

As for your "ideas" on how every thing is "earned" (as far as your knowledge on tattooing), the way you act, I would guess you got your scratcher info from your prison cell.

GET A LIFE!!!

ink king · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:

well ya basically answered your own questions as to why i post this stuff. when i first started tattooing when i was 14 or 15 (I'm 24 now and yes Ill admit I was a scratcher once) there was no info on the net, i had teach my self witch takes years witch means i did some bad tattoos back in the day, i'll be the first to say that. if any tattooist trys to say to me that they have never done a bad tattoo in there life is a liar simple as that we all had to start some were. the same if a tattooist trys to tell me they know everything about tattooing its a lie, the knowledge you gain from tattooing is never ending besides what works for one wont work for another. if ya feel this info is crap and outdated that’s fine i don’t care, if ya feel like i haven’t payed my debt to tattooing i don’t care I’m mostly self taught Smile

The reason that there is 1 good tattooist out of 10 is that unless your a freak it takes a years to be able lay a tattoo properly. the few tattooist that did help me out (they have been tattooing 15 years plus) have told me the same thing and i quote "it takes 10 to 13 years of tattooing before ya can call ya self a true tattooist" so yeah I say Im still learning. as for the hand breaking thing its mostly the crapy tattooist that go about doing this uslay because they are worried about losing business not because of a crappy tattooist.

I will agree with you about all the tattoo tv shows that are on now. dogs and cats in the shop is a big one for me. I will agree on cheap Chinese crap (tho if ya know what ya looking at ya can pick the good from the bad). and yeah ill agree with the info i posted being a little sketchy. i posted it not as a "how to" more of a guide to understanding as to how the tattoo machine works witch is the first step of learning to tune.

the sad thing is i don’t believe in putting photos of my work on the net. when i see a tattoos that people have clamed to of done on the net i take it with a pinch of salt its to easy to steel someone else work and say its there own. I have walked into tattoo studios before only to find photos of MY WORK (it was my work, it was my custom design on my customer) being clamed by some else. Evil or Very Mad

anyways I know you don’t like me and ya think I’m a tool and ya gonna hate me more when i say i work from home. but hey if I’m good enough for my tattooist to come see me for tattoo work (he got to ride over 300km to come see me) and he dose not have a problem with my set up, and complements me on my sanitation then Im happy. i really don’t care what the rest of world has gotta say Cool

when push comes to shove I'll bet 85% of people who clam they are a professional tattooist on the net are full of ***** they are just scratches them self’s who are trying to big note Sad

ink king · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject:

sorry to double post, but thanks healthmalc for ya support

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

Just putting this out there... Healthmalc who is planning on opening a shop in 2010 lol... and has been on half of the terrible tattoo forums all over the internet begging for advice. Here is his myspace take a look. Fucking horrible.

You must be the best tattooer out there EVAR if you are so scared of people biting your ***** you can't have an online portfolio... I mean, I know artists who are really selective about what they but up so they don't get their ***** ripped off but to not have anything up.... Your technique and ideas must be so over the top! I guess you stay plenty busy doing word of mouth worth out of your home studio.... I bet its a fucking mansion with how good you are!

Heath. I would love to know who took you on as an apprentice. You know with those AWESOME TATS you did and posted on your myspace.... I bet you showed them that "drawing" and that got you right in the door. You know the one you did of predator and alien and the skull, that looks like you stole some poor middle school kids sketches for art class and crudely photo shopped them together. If you are so well known in the art and tattoo community why cant I find ***** else with your name on it art wise? I would have an easier time believing you are a used car salesman from what I found about you than a tattooer.

There are a couple world class tattooers out in Shelbyville, thats for sure. I seriously doubt anyone at the shop I am thinking of would consider taking you on. If you got your sticky little fingers on one of the people I am thinking of DvD (its for pros only you know... so you wouldnt have gotten it from him) it doesn't count as an apprenticeship.

I do have a good amount of money. I like to blow off steam visiting forums like this.

I assure you I didnt get my start in prison.

ink king · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:44 pm Post subject:

mate Ive seen a lot worse come out of studio, if health is asking around to better his knowlage then good, hes doing the right thing in my eyes. what do ya want him to do, be ignorant.

Did i say i was the best tattooer? no. all i said is that i dont beleave in online portfolios (like a lot of other people and artist out there are the same) because it is TO EASY TO STEEL AND LIE.

im not going to argue with you anymore ya think what ever ya want to think about people your only makeing a bad picture of your self hear mate. there are proberly tattooist who read this every day and have not felt the need to spray there opinons around. so why do you?

by the way i dont need word of mouth for my tattoos my art speeks for it self. people see my work and go "mad where did you get that done at?" ....lol i dont need to advertise if ya as good as ya say you are you should know that

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

What you described would be considered word of mouth advertising, as opposed to taking out ads.

What would I like him to do? I would like him to stop fucking up peoples tattoos. Stop tattooing all together. And at the very least learn how to fucking draw before he even thinks about doing it again.

I have seen horrible tattoos come out of studios as well. ***** there is a shop about a half mile away from mine and I cover up or rework something from there nearly every day. There is NO excuse for what he is doing to people, and what I would assume you are doing as well.

You don't believe in online portfolios? Give me a break. You are so willing go give up what used to be considered guarded trade secrets, but you are not willing to put your money where your mouth is and show that you actually know how to do a tattoo? You're the one who is full of ***** mate.

I don't know why any tattoo artist would dick around on these shitty forums other than to get cheap laughs at other peoples expense. Which is why I am tossing my opinion around here.

ink king · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:31 am Post subject:

mate if some one is asking around for a cheep tattoo and gets told to go see billy blog, thats word of mouth. if some one see's a great peace on some else they dont know across the road, then approch that person to ask who did it. now thats the art speeking.

why dont ya post some links to your art, bet i could tell a million things wrong with it. not saying i can do better but its easy to point out mistakes, or to say thats not the way to do it. any one can be negitive. if ya do i might be able to tell every one who actuly did the peace in the first place, with refences.

i poke about these forums when im not busy for the same thing as you for a laugh but i dont poke a stick at people, if read a post were i can help ill help. evan if i dont want to. its better to help people and put them in the right drection than to through insults and degrade them it only makes people want to proove you wrong and will proberly go the wrong way about it

anyways im sick of this i dont need to go on any futher people, i know im nether right or wrong its just down to the perspective of others

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

That is up with your total lack of conviction man?

Neither right or wrong blah blah blargggggg....

If you were right, you would know it. You know that that makes you?

heathmalc · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject:

[quote="zapzapzap"]Just putting this out there... Healthmalc who is planning on opening a shop in 2010 lol... and has been on half of the terrible tattoo forums all over the internet begging for advice. Here is his myspace take a look. Fucking horrible.

You must be the best tattooer out there EVAR if you are so scared of people biting your ***** you can't have an online portfolio... I mean, I know artists who are really selective about what they but up so they don't get their ***** ripped off but to not have anything up.... Your technique and ideas must be so over the top! I guess you stay plenty busy doing word of mouth worth out of your home studio.... I bet its a fucking mansion with how good you are!

Heath. I would love to know who took you on as an apprentice. You know with those AWESOME TATS you did and posted on your myspace.... I bet you showed them that "drawing" and that got you right in the door. You know the one you did of predator and alien and the skull, that looks like you stole some poor middle school kids sketches for art class and crudely photo shopped them together. If you are so well known in the art and tattoo community why cant I find ***** else with your name on it art wise? I would have an easier time believing you are a used car salesman from what I found about you than a tattooer.

There are a couple world class tattooers out in Shelbyville, thats for sure. I seriously doubt anyone at the shop I am thinking of would consider taking you on. If you got your sticky little fingers on one of the people I am thinking of DvD (its for pros only you know... so you wouldnt have gotten it from him) it doesn't count as an apprenticeship.

I do have a good amount of money. I like to blow off steam visiting forums like this.

I assure you I didnt get my start in prison.[/quote]
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You ARE an idiot!!! The link you put up :

#1 Was put-up in MARCH.

#2 greenish tattoo (middle picture in link) is OBVIOUSLY very old (Of course you would know that being such a great & experienced tattooist), and it was really crappy. The "skulls" is the cover-up of the "greenish" tattoo, and if you look real close, you can still see the old, green tattoo UNDER the skulls.

#3 Those skulls were done with a home-made gun, at my brother's house, at his request, and were not finished at the time.

#4 I am not the type of person who has to "prove" himself to an internet wannabe, so I won't get into semantics with you, but I will correct your mistakes (you have a lot of them) so that you don't poison other readers into believing the crap you spread.

#5 How hard is it to LOOK AT THE DATE ON MYSPACE??????

Once again, get a life!

PS: Spell-check is your friend Richy Rich. LMAO!

zapzapzap · Tattoo lover Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 45

So who is teaching you? This internet wanna be is curious. Please fill me in on the mistakes I have made. And lets see some current work of yours.... I put a link to min in one of these threads, lets see yours.

Put your money where your mouth is.

lamfdtk · Tattoo lover Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 4

Whats up with all this paranoia about giving away information about tattooing? This bull about it destroying the integrity of "real tattoo artists".
If someone has talent it will only help them along, and if they don't all the info in the world won't help. What the hell are these "real" guys afraid of?
And crying about paying dues? If you suck, all the dues paid won't change
that. If you are not confident in your talent you can continue to live your life in fear and whine about what other people are doing.

moondog · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

well i am so damn frustrated. i have never tattooed anyone, and yet i tattoo myself for practice; which i have stopped doing. and i am called a "scratcher". now never heard the term before i started, heard it but never knew what in my head will be drawn. im just confused. i want to keep practising on my body. but think i am just going tp hold off.