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.