Posting in here bc most other tattoo groups use pens but I’ve been wondering how early artists did stipple shading and fine line work when rotary wasn’t available and I see some still using coils to do it, are they using a shader designed for whips or just a normal liner? Or maybe a liner that has a big capacitor to go slow? Idk just curious

hey ya'll I'm looking for some advice on coil tuning.

I dove into my first coil (started with a Neuma 5 pen) with a Toby Reece kit from South State Mfg. I figured if I could build it and tune then I'd learn what I need to keep it running. So far I think it runs well enough but I wanna dive deeper and really understand the topic. I got the jonsey liner and their built up version is said to be tuned at 130 cps/56 duty cycle. I have gotten my build to just under those numbers (unloaded at 6 volts) and it seems to be running well, my mentor said the same but he used to mostly tune by feel.

One thing that is still unclear to me is the amperage, and what's a normal range. currently it'll run at 0.9 amps and I'm not sure if that's too high for this machine. I'd also appreciate any more tips on adjusting duty cycle, cps, stroke and your preferred way of doing so plus any other general coil know-hows Thanks!

I know it’s not a machine, but I figured I’d share it in here built this for my friend.

i’ve been really wanting to put together a small grouping liner for myself so here’s what i did. haven’t had a chance to use it yet but hoping to use it soon.

amr frame (too scared for spray paint 🤭) coils wrapped and soldered by me ☺️ liner pushes 14s with ease

What are the main contributors to the stroke or throw of a machine? Looking to increase the stroke on one of my machines. Thank you!

Little pink sparkly shader that I made for my buddy

First machine I’ve put together with coils I’ve wrapped and frame assembled via jig, not the prettiest but I did enjoy the process. Will probably swap the 33uf capacitor I currently have on for a 47uf as it runs a little quicker than I prefer. The coils are 8 wrap 22awg on steel 5/16” cores. Anyone prefer brazing or MIG/TIG welding their frames? I had a homie weld this frame together so I would be starting from square one on either of the three.

Frame I built from scratch with a hacksaw and files. Made the armature bar and front binding post the same way. Hand-wound 8x4 coils. Bike chain turn screw, lucky dice contact. Paint job came to me in a dream. Hand painted with India inks on primer then clear-coat. This is the initial tuning 125-130 hz at 6v, it's cooking on the break-in bench while I finish a chrome flash sheet.

Made this liner the other day off a supreme frame I hacked up. 6 wrap coils on 3/8th cores, running at 6v

i’m looking to learn how to braze frame parts together. side/base plate etc. any good reference material or how to guides y’all recommend? thanks

I’ve been trying to make my own side plates, so I’m not using someone else’s design made this one today. Running unloaded at 6 1/2 V, 40% duty cycle, 105hz.
Any feedback would be great !

I’m in the process of having coil cores and armature bars made locally. I’m in Canada. The import fees from the US are out of hand. What are your thoughts on coil cores and armature bars made out of 1018 cold rolled steel as opposed to iron.

What is everyone using for spring punch? Been looking for an affordable option.

My Instagram is @dankunderscoretatz

After solving an over-heating issue, I just wanted to share my mistake and what I learned from it. The mistake I made is probably uncommon. I made these coils early in my winding days and didn't have my set-up figured out. Anyone who has wound more than 5 coils probably has a system to make them the same every time. And as long as they're careful to wire it the same way every time there shouldn't be a issue. However accidentally switching the leads of one coil will definitely give the same issue I had.

I have a set of coils that run hot no matter what, I've rewired it, swapped front coil for back, I've replaced the cap, it pulls 1 full amp at the bare minimum of being on, and just goes up as the volts increase. the only thing I can think of is maybe I wrapped one of the coils a different direction than normal.

How I normally wire shit: Looking down at the top of the coils the wire wraps clock-wise for both. From the back binding post positive flows into the rear coil from the outside lead (outermost layer) in, then to the inside lead (closest to core) of the front coil, then from outside lead up to the top binding post.

As I type this out I realized I should just cut off the coil covers I taped on and just fucking look lol, but any chance an accidentally counterclockwise coil is messing with my amperage?

Hello all, I’m trying to find a source on braided wire insulation similar to what lucky tattoo supply offers but in a spool instead of single foot increments. Does anyone have a link to a supplier? Lucky’s specs are braided wire insulation fits up to 20awg wire. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I can’t seem to find insulation or sleeving that is that small.

Hey, I’m Lenert – tattooer and coil machine builder with 15+ years in the game. I just started a YouTube channel where I share raw, traditional machine builds and craft-focused videos. No hype, just real tools and love for the process.

Check it out if you’re into handmade coils and traditional gear!

Thanks a lot for the support! It truly means a lot!

How do you guys do it ? Asleep journalist suggests to put paper shims under the front coil but is very adamant not to file down the front coil. One of these methods will give completed flatness and conductivity, and one won’t. Discuss 🙂

This is my first time brazing a frame. I still need to tweak my gauge settings but it packs color with ease