my machine keeps stopping

I'm a total beginner, and i just dare i say purchased my first kit. I'v adjusted the springs and screws for lining and shading on my machines, but for some reason all of my machines keep stopping in the middle of tattoing. Dont be alarmed i'm not tattooing people, just fake skin and fruit for now, and i want to do myself but not until i fix my problem. The machines just stop, there is still power getting to them but the needle just isnt moving unless i flick the coils. Any advice is helpful advice and i appreciate it all. Thank you.

Possibilities include but are not limited to...

Too large a gap on contact screw keeping machine from getting power to the magnets from a stand still. (this would explain why when you flick it, and create momentum they run again)

Voltage too low (not all machines run at specific voltage...just because a book or a forum said 6v you might need 9)

maybe the contact screws are not tightened enough. I've had them spin both in and out...both end up with machine at a standstill at some point.

If you don't have the Fundamentals of tattooing book yet, get it. Lots of information on stuff like this.

my gap is set at a dime, the voltage is up around 8 when lining, i just ordered the book, i appreciate the response

turn your voltage to 11 and see if it stalls

I know this is no prof. answer ... but a year ago I had the same problem and fixed it by simply using a rubber band - ... for my hair.

Was working on pigskin and the every now and then it stopped without any reason - till I noticed that one of my hairs was in the way and broke the contact. Now when working on friends I always have my hair in a knot and not just for working clean but also for saving me lots of anger.

So if all the technical solutions wont work... give the simple answer a try

Thank you but I don't think its my hair, I appreciate the reply though. I turned up my amperage and so far so good. I thank you all for the help.

.......................check to make sure the Rubber bands your using arent too tight, after you use the machine for a while with a combination of ink build up and and too tight of a rubber band it will stop all together. That rubber band isnt supposed to used like a come-along and tight as can be ya know!!!!

been there done that!

I have noticed that also someone said that isn't possible but I don't see how not. I started stretching them out a lil and it didn't do it as much, also I started running my liner on 9 and it seems to be running fine. Thank you all for your replies.

I have noticed that also someone said that isn't possible but I don't see how not. I started stretching them out a lil and it didn't do it as much, also I started running my liner on 9 and it seems to be running fine. Thank you all for your replies.

whoever said that obviously knows absolutely nothing about physics, not to mention a tattoo machine. the more pressure you put on that needle with the rubber band the more heat you generate causing the machine to work that much harder, eventually causeing the machine to stop completely ...overheated. After you stop for a minute or two and it cools down i bet it runs like a champ again for a while longer....
turning up the liner to 9 isnt a solution in my book, its properly adjusting the machine. Thats not to say your machine isnt running sweet at 9 thats just saying turning up the dial isnt "Fixing" anything....

I have noticed that my rubberband seemed tight and my coils were heating up, so I started prestretching the rubber bands and the coils are still getting warm but nothing like before. I just didn't see how the bubberband being too tight couldn't affect the machine, it just didn't seem logical so I paid no attention to that advice. I have also been able to turn the dial down to about 8.3 and I seem to be getting smooth lines.