Machine or just me? Part 2

If you have read the other post and are trying to help you know the semi decent machines i have from Superior Tattoo. The color packing machine(Soba Pilot Shader, set to pack color). With this machine it comes set up by the tattoo artist and to be honest I needed it. The set up is 8 wrap, long stroke and im pretty sure 18g front and back. The website at the bottom shows it. I keep having a few problems.....one is having to make to many passes, two is once again machine not matching my hand speed, and the third is not sure which method to use. The main needle group I use is a 7 mag but there are bigger sections i jump to a 14(have another machine with 14 wrap coils i have tried big ass sections that I run a 25 mag on but decided to back off that till I get enough know how) and the machine handles it no problem at only 6 to 7 volts. What do i need to do to get a good solid color pack? Should I stay with the brush motion of back and forth or small circles? As far as which method to use im not sure have read/had people say both, and have read if you suck with a mag go to round. For some odd reason the mags work better for me than the round. Not always but when i make my first pass it comes out so many different ways, have had needle streaks which means im going to fast, and have a decent pack but then i go from a different angle and it still wont be a full pack, and the most common is I slow way down and it packs really good but my hand just wont stay at that speed. Which is telling me to tune my machine but that is the main problem not sure exactly how to get it right.

http://www.workhorseirons.com/cgi-bin/c ... &key=2SOPS

make sure skin is stretched

Check needle depth when the machine is loaded. Set it while it is off and then with the machine running move the machine over so the nipple on the armature bar hits your thumb. (this way you control the pressure with the machine and not your thumb). When it bogs down, make sure you still have enough needle coming out. If not you'll need to up the voltage a bit.

Slow your hand down if you are going to fast...seems like a silly answer but I had the same issue.

Make sure you make tight circles. If you are impatient and try to hurry (hand speed faster than machine) or you make big sweeping circles that don't let the needle fill the areas, your fill won't be solid.

Hope this helps. I've made all these mistakes so I had a pretty good idea on this one.

Oh...and if you are tattooing people. STOP. get this sorted out before you hurt someone.

I run the needle about a nickles width out of the tube, im not inept i know if what im doing is going to cause damage or not. I always test the set up on myself before anyone else, like I said practice skins do not help me at all. I am trying to get my hands on some pig skin but still no luck.

whatever depth you choose, make sure you still get that depth when it is running. How does it look when the machine is going and you bog it down? I was so concerned at one point to have a "soft" running machine that the poor thing was just dying under load. It took a couple extra volts to make the needle reach full extension.

my biggest lesson in color packing was be patient. I tried to rush it initially and my results showed it. Now I just slow my hands a big, tighter circles for solid color, and it all works out.

practice skins will work to let you know if you are on the mark with your machine. For tuning, it's fine. Not the same as the real deal though. Inkcraft.biz has some great ones that are inexpensive. very soft and pliable...much better than the hard rubber skins.

hope you get it figured out. I'd call Superior, too. I'm sure they'll help you out if you bought the kit from them.

Yea i make sure that the depth is the same when it makes contact, i guess im gonna have to put a ankle weight on my wrist to try and slow it down. Just to make sure even with a mag make circles or use a sweeping motion? Cus everywhere I look I get both answers. Thanks for the info.

You can do both, the point is to slow down. Are you using stacked of flat needles? The top row of stacked needles tend to not hit the skin well, and that could be your problem. Tattooing takes patience. It kind of like my form of meditation. Also 8 wraps for a color packer sound kinda weak. 10 or 12's would have more power to pack that color.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxep2dy4 ... re=related

good video on the subject. This guy's channel has TONS of great information

posted this same thing in your other "machine or just me", hope it helps.

Alot of new tattooers run into this problem and I know I did, the issue is typically a mental thing. You have your head wrapped around this piece of art you're doing and you're really excited to be doing it which makes you think you should be just rolling through this thing, this in turn makes you think your machine is not working the way you need it too. However, from the sound of it you've got your machine set up and running the way you need it too. Now you just need to slow down, take your time and enjoy the process.

I used to try to work fast and think that I actually did work fast, but I found I was having the same type of issues you're describing. I tuned and re-tuned machines non stop, hell I even started building machines. In the end I was watching a good friend do a tattoo and noticed he wasn't trying to go fast, his hand speed was slow and deliberate and he flew threw the tattoo. I mean all the ink just went in so easy and smooth. At that moment I decided I was just going to slow down and it worked, I'm much happier with my tattooing now and with my machines.

Just slow your hand down, eventually you'll get comfortable with your machines and tuning them and start being able to work faster. For now though, slow down, it ain't gonna hurt anyone.

There's a saying we have in the Infantry about entering and clearing rooms "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" I've found it applies in tattooing also.

Just my opinion on it, hope it helps

I use a stacked needle, and as far as an 8 wrap I thought the same thing but it seems to be working just fine when I slow way down. Plus thats how it came...but thanks for the info ill keep plugging away and hope for the best.