Coastal waters machine?

Buy a $15 machine and learn to tear it apart and put it back together. Learn how to make it go fast, slow, long stroke, short stroke, hard, soft, etc. Make it run poorly…then fix it. Have it run well…and then unscrew something until it sputters or quit…remember what made that happen and how to fix it. Buy springs for it…see how different combos react front and rear, long and short, stiff and soft. This way…if you kill it…not a big deal. :)

If you buy a professional machine…let them send it tuned and then leave it alone. They know what they are doing.

Just my .02

Mark

I can’t top what has been said above about the machine theory, so I will just add my advice, and that is to not ever tattoo practice materials ie rubber or fruit. The control of the machine you will develop, will be either too hard or too soft (rubber is too hard, fruit is too soft) when you come to then work on Human skin, with habits and working speed already partially ingrained. If you want to practice, drop your pants, and tattoo your own thighs… I know some would say to use practice materials first, but my personal experience, is that my very first ever tattoo was on my own leg, then on a friend, then my wife. When she wanted to try tattooing a grapefruit (she didn’t want to actually tattoo per se, just try the machine) I also tried one, and found the pressure I habitually used was too fast for the fruit and my lines went crazy. After hearing about people criticizing rubber practice mats for being too tough, it was not a stretch of the imagination to realize that someone used to tattooing rubber mats and then moving onto Human skin would experience the same ‘runaway lines’, and equally, someone used to tattooing fruit, would probably be working too slowly on skin, so my advice is always to learn how to tattoo properly, by using the medium you will be tattooing in the future: Human skin, and that means practicing on yourself. That does not necessarily mean having to do random stuff, you can always plan pieces which will look good if left by themselves or incorporated into a larger piece :) And to conclude, I would also recommend stripping your machines and re-building, as that’s the only way to know not only when they’re running properly, but most importantly, why they’re running properly :)

I have to disagree with Kitchen wizard on the practice skin front, yes they are horrible and nothing like the real thing, although you can drape it over your thigh to get some shape to it,

BUT if you get the thin ones they are about the right thickness for you to learn how deep to go, if you start tattooing the table underneath or it comes through to flesh then you know you are way too deep.

Once you are happy with depth move on to pig skin (if you can get it) and get stretching down. once youre happy with that then go ahead and work on your leg, better to use materials that are available than to seriously damage yourself or another person.

@Tarantula wrote:

I have to disagree with Kitchen wizard on the practice skin front, yes they are horrible and nothing like the real thing, although you can drape it over your thigh to get some shape to it,

BUT if you get the thin ones they are about the right thickness for you to learn how deep to go, if you start tattooing the table underneath or it comes through to flesh then you know you are way too deep.

Once you are happy with depth move on to pig skin (if you can get it) and get stretching down. once youre happy with that then go ahead and work on your leg, better to use materials that are available than to seriously damage yourself or another person.

If someone isn’t willing to tattoo themself as part of their learning curve, they have no right to even think about tattooing another person. Tattooing others is a whole different deal, and requires more experience and confidence, but why try to learn by tattooing materials other than skin anyway? The feel will be wrong, so why risk developing the bad habits from the different medium? As before, self-applied/learning tattoos do not have to be random, and their significance with regards to learning and development will give them more meaning than most other received tattoos, so there really is no reason for not doing them, other than lack of commitment to learning the art of tattooing, as generations of artists before had to learn. No practice skins available for the guy who tattooed John Rutherford…

I think tattoing yourself gets you prepared to tattoo others because you feel the needle and understand how flesh reacts. And it IS different.

However…

Tattooing a practice skin lets you develop skills like putting the needle where you aim, following a line, controlling hand speed to match your machine. I’m glad I used practice skins initially but now I am on to the real thing.

pig ears are da bomb!!! ……………………. :D

@Chelsea3ann wrote:

Wow! Thanks so much for all the helpful replies! In reply to kitchen wizard, I am female and truly do not want to mark up my thighs with crap lol BUT once I get used to how my machine runs on the pigskin suggestion (that I love) I will do some skin work because I agree that I definitely want to learn the right technique for actual skin. Luckily for me I have an amazing fiancé who will allow me to use his thighs once I learn the machine and safe sanitary practices. Thanks again all :)

Don’t choose crap designs to do then ;) A few cherry blossoms for example :) Doesn’t necessarily have to be your thighs, but shins/legs etc are all available practice skin, even your own arms and wrists if you have a gloved-up volunteer to stretch the skin for you :) That’s awesome that your fiance is donating his thighs, working on yourself and then others really is the best way to go :) Best of luck with your progress :)