front spring alignment

[merle south]

So, I’m trying to get the most from my machines, the front spring has confused me and I feel like I’m chasing my tail. Ive been told that on a shader a long front spring is the norm , color packer too. But how long ? What I’ve got set up right now is 10 wrap coils,20 gage front and back with the end of the front spring (contact point) right above the nipple on the a- bar. It’s running well but I’m always trying to wring that little extra out of it ya know ? Ive got a longer front laying around but when I put it on the contact screw angle is very close to flat across, it just seems too extreme to me… Correct me if I’m mistaken but is the rule of thumb, shader/color packer contact point over the nipple and liner contact point midway between the nipple and the O ring…

[CR Jordan]

The configuration of the tattoo machines can vary by the artist. Some people like short stroke for shader, some like long stroke. I believe it is more of a combination of the stroke and the flex, but it also depends on how you tattoo. Some artists will rely on the needle grazing the skin, while others will rely on pressure and the front spring’s recoil… so in short: there is no real right or wrong answer. If you have a tattoo kit machine – it is probably not tuned at all…

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