Needle getting stuck???

[MiniFox]

I have been “practicing” for about 6 years- pigskin, fruit, my adoring and willing husband and myself. I have never came across this problem before but I just did a large cross for him and everything was going fine until the end of the tattoo. I was almost done with shading when all of a sudden my needles kept getting stuck in the skin? So I changed everything out- needle tip and tube and started again but the same thing? That was two days ago. Last night I put a papa smurf on my upper thight (small about 2″ x 4″) and again no problem until I started the shading then my needle kept getting stuck in the skin. I’ve never had any scarring from my work and I didn’t want it to happen now (I was just getting more confident). So I did the best I could after trying to change parts again and again, then I just quit and figured I would go back and fix it once it healed. His came out fine but mine is obviously patchy in the parts I got stuck on-to me anyways, others said it looks good but I know what I’m looking for and they are just looking at the overall tattoo. Does anyone know why this is happeneing? Does my machine suck or am I doing something wrong?

[MiniFox]

Follow up…
I forgot to mention that I am using a shding machine and that I tried round shaders, mags and double stack mags all with the same result. I did have my water handy as well but that wasn’t helping either. Because I don’t do this professionally (yet?) :? I buy most of my needles in small amounts so they don’t sit around too long. I don’t know how much it matters but I feel better knowing my needles just came out of a box. I can buy them very close to home for a decent price.

[KitchenWizard]

Is the needle actually snagging in the skin? When dipping your needle, did you hit the bottom or sides of the ink cap? I’m wondering if the issue is the armature bar getting magnetized and sticking to the back of the coils, and giving the illusion of the needle sticking in the skin…

[MiniFox]

Actually that is exactly what was happening! I just logged on here to see if I could figure out why. When I start up my machine it just gives a little bz then the armature bar is actually stuck to the top of my coils and I have to physically remove it. I thought my machine just quit on me until I saw what was going on. Does anyone have an explanation as to why this is happening or more importantly HOW to fix it?

[murai89]

i know its been a while idk if u solved it or not but it sounds like a ground problem of some sort
or the coils have too little resistance that when it heats up it acts like its grounded and not enough force to
full pull down the armature bar.. i would need to see that machine itself.

[MiniFox]

Any chance I could get you to look at it? Don’t know where you are but I’m in Cleveland. I just found out that my local tattoo retail shop wil diagnose machines but they do NOT fix them… just sell the parts for a huge mark-up. I’d really like to learn how to diagnose AND build machines myself but in the mean time I just want my machine to work :?
Thanks!

[Viper65]

what kind of machine are you using? what are the volts? Whats the gap? How far out are you letting the needles hang out???? Lots of questions I know but this may help you out. Also post a pic of the machine it self if you can……

[Author]

Posts