What Voltage? Tattoo Rotary Machine. How To Set Correct Power

This video has been made to explain how & why the voltage on a rotary tattoo machine should be set.
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[@tiffanystorm5750]

This was so helpful, thank you. I'm currently doing my apprenticeship and this is the best video I've found explaining it. I'm glad you actually explained it, instead of giving numbers.

[@gavrill8239]

Pĺ

[@mr.carter2066]

Im so happy i learned how to tattoo with coil machines

[@nickc1913]

Thank you so much man, absolute legend, I haven't tattooed in about 4 years, decided to get back into it, remembered everything else involved but was drawing a massive blank when it came to what I used to run my machines at 🤦‍♂️

[@maniemane1030]

The car comparison was the best way i understood thanx brother

[@WTF_World_]

Thank u for this video, it really helped out, I was wondering about that.. I started with a Coil Machine, then got a Rotary Machine, & I think that starting with a coil machine first like u said, then try out the rotary machine..

[@kissasaara]

Thank you a lot for the video. Im using Wuko Rotary I but i cant find any info about rpm anywhere. I emailed a local distributor expecting them to answer in rmp-volts but they just answered "950rmp". They mean per voltage? I multiplied 950*8 (maximum recomended voltage) =7600 and /60 = 126. So the maximum recomended cps is 126? Am i doing this right? Thnak you!

[@shanejeanfaivre3313]

I've been tattooing for over 25 years and I never run any of my top quality rotary machines over 6 volts. I can tell you after using coil machines most of my 25 years that because they're so quiet I use to run them on higher volts which only burns out the motors much faster. You can quite them down and get them to run much smoother and faster just by putting a drop of oil on the bearing. Another thing is don't skimp on quality especially with rotary machines. If you buy one new for less than $120.00 you'd be lucky to make your money back doing tattoos before the motor burns out

[@PsykotikTattoo_ACUS]

Same here, never tops 7.5-8 cause that's the max for me, if you wanta tattoo done quickly, up the voltage and get a low class tattoo, the volt at which youu ran the tattoos corresponds to the speed you tattoo at, always remember that the lower volume of a rotary doesn't mean it is running slower than a coil

[@blackhawksnation4310]

thank you very much, I appreciate it. I will try your calculations and try to adjust from there. keep the vids coming, i have found more knowledge from your videos than any other

[@a2-387]

Just found your channel, thanks for straight forward and valuable information. You are really good at explaining the concepts you present with no bullshit and it is appreciated!

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Thank you!

[@juliandelgadoaraque]

the best technical explication of the voltage. thanks Jono, for me it's very important all the technical tips before the personal tips... getting knowledge from different people its a good start and you give us that and more ✌️✌️

[@kinamaerick1568]

Jono you are a gem🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

[@monicang8910]

This was so helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to explain this. I've been struggling with my voltages and I'm sure this will help heaps. I watched your other video on how to pack colour and that was also amazing. Thanks again ^_^

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Thanks Monica, glad it’s helped you out. Got loads more videos coming soon.

[@antoinenavarra4769]

hi sir i just have a question if you change the stroke of the machine the speed will change also ......so for the same motor the dragonfly for example if you calculate the speed with the convetional stroke wich is 3.2 i not sure when you change the cam for a longer stroke how can you define the speed of the machine ?

[@jokergod5438]

What about bronc hummingbird pen rpm 16000 but says 5-7 working volts

[@patvickery1635]

very useful chart, helped me narrow down some issues as I'm learning

[@ericamagdaleno9796]

Thank you for the cps vs voltage. This was a huge help!

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Thanks for watching!

[@Lolololo-lm4lh]

I try with a butterfly and a pen with a Hertz meter, with and whihout cartridges, at 10volts on a 5w Japan motor with hard membrane cartridges 90cps , without 94cps 6w German motor ,at 10v 130cps with cartrdg, 136 without

[@annatemnyy]

Wow a very thorough and informative video. Thank you so much!

[@thunderbird3353]

I disagree to the point that every beginner should always start with a coil machine. Time has changed, rotaries are so much more easier when it comes to comfort. There’s no need to set up 3 to 4 machines by your desk. We all know this already. Every new technology has its own pros and cons. Every new process has a learning phase of its own. If one has to use rotaries for all his life then there’s no point in wasting time after coil machines. He or she will learn through the experience how these machines work and eventually he will make the best out it.

[@nunezinkgaming]

You got it I started with coils and regular needles then got my bishop rotary with cartridge needles I was like god damn and never looked back ever since

[@LinkiGallant]

@@nunezinkgaming I also started with a coil and then decided to invest into buying a rotary. I also never looked back lol. I love my coil mashine but dang it gave me so much headaches! :D

[@chaosclg]

thing is though a properly set up coil machine is still better than a rotary any day. and there are a lot of people just picking up a rotary and thinking they can just use that without coils then when you look at their healed work the lines are not at the correct depth and they havent held

[@chaosclg]

not to mention most rotaries do not bog in the same way a coil does so they tend to chew up skin a lot easier. get less trauma with coils as well. then theres the ridiculously varying range of skin types etc. 1 rotary cannot fill in for 4 coil machines its all about healed work

[@jerkov420]

I guess it all comes back to Jono's statement, "knowledge is power", which the reason why he's putting all these videos out in the first place. If one wants to be a good artist, he should really know his tools. And the best way is to learn about coil machines and how they work, opposed to only learning about rotaries. Likewise, a good mechanic should know how to drive both a manual and an automatic, as opposed to only knowing how to drive an automatic

[@Outlabyrinth]

thank you so much , this is really usefull !! i tried ti apply this methode on my stigma hyper but i found a different number of voltage / cps according to the minimu m and maximum voltage spec: Stroke: 3.6-6.0 mm manually adjustable Engine: 4.5 watt Voltage adjustment: 7-12 volt Stitches per minute: 3,000-10,000 12v = 10,000 ÷ 60 = 166.66 cps ÷ 12v = 13.88 cps/volt 7v = 3,000 ÷ 60 = 50 cps ÷ 7v = 7.14 cps/volt i have a different ratio cps/volt at the minimum and maximum voltage ? so should i peak a number in between such as 10 cps / volt ? is there something wrong ? would you mind having a look ? please ?

[@agelvis1996]

Your way of teaching is amazing, you really know how to explain stuff, thank you so much for your videos! Keep uploading!

[@TerryLivelyInk]

This is awesome.. I have several Halos, just bought a dragonfly x2 and you've worked it all out for me...xoxo

[@priestsonsofwar]

Thanx Jono this will help out a great deal. I have a rotary style and a pen rotary style that I put on the back burner cause I was having a hell of a time figuring out the voltage. However they are a mid range to low end machines cause I'm not really sure if I want to make the move from coil to rotary. I love my coils song they sing when their running. Thanx again and great video.

[@antonioalbadias8912]

the Dragonfly X2 is prepared to trace the source? or you have to hit manually?

[@jcjgr183]

Great video! Just bought my first rotary and have no idea what to do with it. Its been nothing but coils for me, so rotaries just seem alien.

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

It takes a little getting used to swapping to a rotary but it won't take long if you're used to coils. I found just slowing my hand speed a little made the jump from coils to rotaries easier.

[@riozest6078]

Hi bro..pls make this kind of video about machine pen rotary too. Thanks

[@Lolololo-lm4lh]

Ive got an awesome tips for you, sorry for my English its not my language, take a guitar tuner, android or what u want and you can know the hertz of you rotary at different Volt, just touch the mic with the cartridge s body when youre rotary is in fonction and u can check the hertz /cps

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

That’s really interesting. I’ll give it a go.

[@patvickery1635]

very helpful I appreciate your time and help.

[@robertpullen5102]

Great video. I'm having trouble understanding my stealth 1st generation rotary, it stats that maximum rps is 7,000 rps which converts to 116.67 cps , which means i can't get it up to 130hz . Any help would be much appreciated.

[@JohndeWit]

Hey, nice video! Very good explanation thanks! I use my smartphone voor RPM detection using a small app called 'car RPM'. It is used to detect the rpm for engine cycles.

[@manulatorres]

Hey thats awesome but, do you plug it to the machine somehow or the mere sound of it tells you??

[@JohndeWit]

It's an app for your phone. Just hold the phone close to your machine in a silent room. The rpm will show in the app

[@JSRGuitarFromHell]

Sorry! I can't find the app car RPM on my app store! is it the good name? thanks

[@JohndeWit]

look for rpm gauge app

[@thebongmaster]

I'm picking up tattooing as a bit of a hobby, so trying it out with some cheap machines to get the feel of it before buying something more expensive just in case it ends up gathering dust in a drawer. not looking to be working on real skin or people, just practice on fruit and fake skin. if it ends up being something I know I'll have promise at, I'll invest and seek proper training. till then I'll be making pretty bananas :v .. These videos are great information for those of us starting out and can point us in the right directions. thanks for this. :)

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

thebongmaster good luck with it and thanks for watching!

[@simoncox4085]

Is it the same for coil machines? How do i work out if im running it at the right voltage?

[@CHUEYINK]

Does this change for "Throw length?"

[@santinomagnolia4971]

Trying to figure this out, I understand what you are saying, but not what the company is saying. Operating voltage: 5-10 V DC, Rpm range Stitches / Sec: 8V-8000rpm / min 8-800 / sec

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi, just looking at the specs you’ve put down. They do look a little confusing. From what I get make out, your machine runs at 8000 rpm at 8v. So if you do 8000rpm / 60 = 133 cps (cycles per second). Which means your machine achieves 133 cps when running at 8v. Now dived 133cps by 8v makes your machine run at 16 cps per volt. So 1v = 16cps, 2v = 32cps etc. So if those stats are right, I’d line at around 8v & shade at around 6.5v to 7v with your particular machine. Hope this helps.

[@santinomagnolia4971]

Thank you for your time sir, I total understand what you are saying now, much respect.

[@unoindustry7340]

Hi Jono after seen your video about clone ink I realised my supplier from Liverpool send me a 25 pack colours look like clones. How is possible a famous supplier as killer ink send me a clone ? Thanks so much

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

If it’s KillerInk they will be legit. They’re a very reputable company. You might have old style bottles that’s all.

[@600rrcbr7]

I have a monsterpoint mp5 power supply similar to this. MINE picks up nothing like my coil machines. I thought about buying a hurricane. I've only been tattooing a year and a half. My boss only runs coils. Hates Rotarys. I was the same til I shaded with a swashdrive whip. How I have a stigma bizarre, hummingbird gen2 which surprised the shit out of me for the price. Have a stigma hyper and Diablo Swiss on the way. Does it not pick up the load on coils? It show me no hertz

[@rebelangel8227]

the nice thing about a coil machine....in a post appocolyptic world you can build one from scratch out of scraps and have it performing like a pro machine....hell if you got a bit of patience you can make your own coils while your at it...

[@leonorearcache2]

Hi ! thanks for your video it was really helpful ! but I just have a question : I recently received a dragonfly machine, and I don't clearly understand the difference between the adjustment that can be made by turning the caps (the big black screw above the machine) , and the one that can be made directly by adjusting the voltage on the power supply. For example, if I run the machine at 8.5 V, do I have also to turn the cap on the machine for adjusting to the power of the apply ? I hope it's clear enough ! Thank you :)

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi on a rotary machine such as a dragonfly, the screw at the top only adjusts the 'hit' of the machine. The more you screw it clockwise, the harder your machine will hit. The more you screw it anti-clockwise, the softer the machine will hit. The power only controls the speed of a rotary machine. Sounds like you might be getting a little confused with coil machines where everything is back to front. If you haven't seen it already, search my videos for 'The fundamental differences between coil & rotary machines'. It goes in depth explaining the differences between the 2. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@leonorearcache2]

I will watch it immediately ! thank you very much ! Yes, I was only on coil machine since before so this is a bit disturbing ;)

[@BrandonAndrewLocklear]

Hey brother my pen manuf states that at 8v its stitches per second is 8000 and min 8-00 sec? Please help

[@gardogarcia3417]

okay, so let's get to the point : I'm using dragonfly rotary, what voltage for LINING and what voltage for SHADING? thanks

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

It been a while since I owned one of these but I seem to remember lining at around 10-11v and shading at around 8-9v. But that was a speed that matched my hand speed.

[@gardogarcia3417]

@@JonoSmithTattoo thanks man, you rock!

[@blackhawksnation4310]

I have been tattooing for a little over a year with coil machines and decided to try a rotary machine, I didn't want to spend a lot to start incase I didn't like them so I purchased a stigma prodigy knock off, only thing is it didn't come with any instructions on how to set it up. i searched for them on line with no luck. the only thing I could find was that it runs at 7-12 volts and 3,000-10,000 rpms. your video helped me some but I still get confused on the math, could you help me with setting up for lining, shading and coloring and also which excenters to use for each?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi dude you can't really trust the specs on clone machines because often the factory that kicks them out will just tell you what the 'original' runs at, which is information based on the original motor & not a Chinese one. But let's assume it's right at 12v=10,000rpm (which is per minute). So 10,000 \ 12v = 833rpm per volt per minute. So 833rpm / 60secs = 14cps per volt. So at 8.5 volts you'll achieve 119cps which is good for lining. 7.5v will achieve 105cps which is pretty good for shade and colour packing. I use 3.5mm for everything on my rotaries though when I use a coil I have it set to 2.5mm throw for lining. Just because I prefer to run coils that way which is a little different to using rotaries. Hope this helps.

[@ludovicmarchand5535]

Hi Jono I got the Bishop wand packer and it only says 7 to 9v so how can I figure out the CPS? Thank you

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

If you try their official website there’s most likely some info about it. Usually the big brands such as Bishop will give ‘stitch count’ to volts. Failing this I’d suggest just experimenting between that volt range to see what works for you.

[@ludovicmarchand5535]

@@JonoSmithTattoo I just looked but they only show the voltage. I sent them an email. Thank you. I will let you know if I get an answer.

[@ludovicmarchand5535]

@@JonoSmithTattoo hi I just got an answer from Bishop they told me that the motor is 7900rpm at 6v and recommended is 6 to 8v but they don't know the stitches so how can I calculate the cps? Thank you very much

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Ludovic Marchand I’ve just done a quick calculation for you. So 7900cpm at 6v works out at: 22cps per 1volt. So 6v=132cps, 7v=154cps, 8v=176cps, 9v=198cps. So as you can see you got a pretty beastie machine! If I was to use this machine, personally I’d use it at the lower end of the voltage range to suit my hand speed. Hope this helps!

[@ludovicmarchand5535]

@@JonoSmithTattoo thank you so much. How did you figure out the 22cps?? I understood how you find the speed from your video. Very cool of you to take time to answer my question. I really appreciate it

[@lourdescruznegron4679]

Wauuu, great explaining!

[@SanjuStarkOfficial]

helloo sir.. how much voltage i set for stealth 3 rotary?? for lineing,shadeing,colour packing???

[@manulatorres]

Awesome video man! Learned a LOT! I've got a question thou, if I had a clone chine and I were to use a tester to measure the cycles per second, because I have no digital power supply, should I be measuring the Hertz? and where should I place the ends of the tester? at the clip cord's ends?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi, thanks for the comment! As far as I know you're not going to be able to get the cps from the hertz on a rotary machine. It's all to do with how the motor works. The hertz will only give the cps on a traditional coil machine. It's going to be really hard to find the cps on a Chinese machine to be honest. It's only the original top end machines that come with the motor specifics.

[@massimilianperetti7331]

great video, thanks!

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Thanks for watching!

[@Patrik95]

Nice video ! Thanks a lot! 👍

[@jonpemberton7066]

wondered if you had any info on the ego v2 (original not the new plus ones)Just bought one but nothing in manual, can't find anything on website and not replied to email ! love the videos keep em coming

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi Jon I've never used any of the ego's so I couldn't comment with regards to how good they are. I understand the ego's have colour coded rubbers for give? So my advice would be to first work out your cps so you're running at the correct speed based on the motor. Then when you've got that, personally I'd use a soft-ish rubber for colour packing and shading and a firm rubber for lining. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@jonpemberton7066]

Jono Smith , yeah it's the info on the motor I can't find anywhere to work out the cps, the triangles are quality for adjusting hit

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Oh that's weird it didn't come with the info in a manual. I've never owned one so I don't know. I'd just keep trying to contact them.

[@jonpemberton7066]

think I've found it after trawling rotary forums! Faulhaber 172412SR I think 7900 rpm at 12v, so I'm gonna see how it performs using 1v =11cps, thanks anyway, keep up the good work!

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Great stuff. That sounds pretty normal cps/volts for a decent machine. Good luck with it all.

[@patvickery1635]

that dose help though I do run both rotary and coil

[@doctorshakes]

could it not be done by sound. matching the pitch of the vibration to a liner shader amd a packer. also with rotaries the colour flys in so fast when i watch videos why is this? is it because they can run faster with a long throw where a coil will alwys run slower with a long throw

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

I don't think matching sound would be very accurate to be honest. The throw of a machine doesn't really effect the speed of a machine. So whether it's a coil or rotary, the throw and speed are completely independent. Rotaries in my opinion don't put ink in any faster than coil machines. Both coil and rotaries can be set to run the same as each other. It's all down to personal preference. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@ILONALIONESS]

so helpful thanks heaps!

[@donatasrimeikis5835]

Hi, in one of your previous videos you mentioned that you use the Hummingbird tattoo machine for shading (5,6 V). I calculated that this machine works at approximately 60 cps, and you said you recommend approx. 100 cps for shading. Could you explain more please? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi you're absolutely right. You've worked out the Hummingbird voltage perfectly. I wasn't going to go into this on my videos as it can all get rather in depth and sometimes it tends to confuse people rather than educate them. But I will explain since you've asked a really good question. Hummingbird state not to use their machine for long periods above 5v. So taking this into account and not wanting to burn my machine out, I started to use it at the lowest voltage I could get away with and still achieve good results. I found 5v was just too slow. So 5.6v just seemed to be able to do the job without compromising killing the machine. Continued below.....

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Cont.... To use this machine at this low voltage I have to slightly adjust my technique by slowing down my hand speed to match the machine. To be honest, any piece I do now, I will usually choose my Dragonfly X2 to do the bulk of the work and maybe use the hummingbird with a small round shader to get into little areas. I run my dragonfly at 9v and my hand speed matches it. Then when I switch to the Hummingbird, I'll drop the volts and automatically slow my hand speed. I do it that often now it just comes automatic. Hope this explains your question. Thanks for watch.

[@kellydog1763]

I just want to know what voltage to put it on that’s it

[@rewbennava7015]

Exactly tgis video sucks

[@gothicstink752]

I see someone didnt listen......

[@rubenleopardi5333]

hi you also have experience or a tip for the stigma hyper v3 rotary? I use for lining 10.5 and 7.5 for shading the results are good but not perfect. For lining i use a hard hitting of course, but it is difficult to sting a clean line. Can you help?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi I've never used a Stigma but I've heard they are good machines. You're right to have a nice hard hitting liner. It might not be the actual machine it could be your technique. I struggled with lining when I passed over to rotaries from coils. Before you give up on the machine, try slowing your hand speed down a little and really stretching the skin. If you haven't seen it already, check out my video called 'Tattoo Stretch, In Depth Analogy. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@rubenleopardi5333]

thanks for your help, cheers from germany

[@1madphoenix]

I have just switched to the stigma h3. Yes there is a learning curve and not that much info on them. So thank you for sharing your experience. Now I don't know if it is me but I have had peers also find that the stretch is also different with rotary. I don't stretch as tight if I do it seems a bit more traumatic. What are your thoughts?

[@barnvagnsnorden2280]

Just wondering. One of my machines are a hummingbird rotary. However when I look it up on there website and do the math I got the result 1 volt = 10.8cps. BUT they also recommend that you do not run the machine on higher voltage then 6. And well that would result in 64.8 cps on 6V. Not close to any of the ballpart figures :/ Luckly tomorrow my Dragonfly is arriving. But is the Hummingbird crap? Or am I missing out on some info?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Stroller Addiction you're absolutely right and it was a problem I struggled with. Basically the original hummingbird needs to run at a higher voltage to achieve the cps you'd get from a high end rotary like a dragonfly. The Hummingbird with the Maxon motor is a little more versatile and can be run at a higher voltage without damaging it. Hummingbirds are pretty good for shading but I find they're not amazing for lining because of that very reason, they just can't hit the cps for any length of time without risk of damaging them. Congrats on your Dragonfly purchase. They are really good machines and although Hummingbirds are good for the price, you'll definitely notice the difference with a higher end machine like a Dragonfly. Hope this helps.

[@barnvagnsnorden2280]

Jono Smith Thanks! Appreciate that you take your time answering! Tomorrow will be Christmas for me ;) and hopefully the reel skin will be here soon. Looking forward to more in depth videos. Always taking notes 👌

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Stroller Addiction yes got plenty of videos in the pipeline coming soon. Thanks for watching and enjoy your new machine!

[@rosscaldwell4938]

Hello, I can't find any of this info for the halo 2.. can you help?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi I've had a good search & oddly there doesn't seem to be any motor specifics? I did find the manual for it online and the manufacturer recommend 7.5-10v. So going off that I would probably start colour packing at 7.5v shading at 9v and lining at 10v. Then see how you get on. You might get a definite answer on motor specifics if you contact FKirons direct and ask for the info. It's worth a try. Hope this helps.

[@rosscaldwell4938]

Thanks very much for trying.. I got the same info. I'll try contacting them.Thanks again..

[@awltattooinstafb3083]

The Spektra Halo 2 will run on any high quality rotary compatible power supply from 6.5v-14v depending on the brand of needle / cartridge and size of the grouping that are used. Optimal voltage for the machine is generally achieved between 7.5-10v. Be aware that it is not suggested to run the machine above 12v to avoid over-working the skin due to the high RPMs reached.

[@slangingink]

Pawel Szy so i asked fkirons what the rpm was at 9v and they told me 10000. So divide that by 60 for 1 minute. And that 18.5 volts a second. So times that by 6 volts and that puts you at 111 cps.... so to achieve 80-100 it barley even runs.

[@westsidedavie]

hey..u just got a humming bird gen 2. with a Swiss motor ..now it states 0-12 volts ( max 5 volt dc ) recommendation 4 -7.5. ..rpm 8000. ..130 stich a sec....so came up with around 10 stich a sec a volt ..so that's 110 130 at 11 13 volts..but that seems way to hight on this machine ..can u please tell me what to run this machine at for line shade color at max

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi, you're absolutely right and it was a problem I struggled with. Basically the swiss motor hummingbird needs to run at a higher voltage to achieve the cps you'd get from a high end rotary like a dragonfly. The Hummingbird with the Maxon motor is a little more versatile and can be run at a higher voltage without damaging it. Hummingbirds are pretty good for shading but I find they're not amazing for lining because of that very reason, they just can't hit the cps for any length of time without risk of damaging them. That's not to say you can't tattoo with them. Basically because the hummingbird runs at a lower voltage you have to adjust your hand speed (slow it down) to compensate the lower cps. I found with the swiss motor like you've got, you can get away with 7 volts for lining and around 6 for shade & colour. BUT you have to adapt your hand speed to compensate the slower speed. Hope this helps.

[@westsidedavie]

Jono Smith hwy..thanks man ..um a beginner ..self teaching so trying to go as is....ok...now how should I color with this?? like how many turns of the give should u do for color ?? and also with shading ..I know it all depends but a ballpark would he great ..also I have a nick off stealth ..with changeable stroke lengh...1 mm 1.5.. and 2mm. which one should I line with on it. it has no give at all

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

It's so individual tattooing & what one person tells you, someone else might tell you the exact oppersite. But my personal opinion is that I prefeer a softer hitting machine for shade & colour. I'd put 3 full turns anticlockwise on the screw to make the machine hit soft for shading & colour. For lining I would screw it all the way down for no give at all. As for stroke lenght, I've always prefered a longer stroke with all my rotary machines (3.5mm). My coils used to be set at 2.5mm for lining but just got used to the longer stroke & stayed with it when I changed to rotaries. Hand speed & technique have a lot to do with it also. Good luck with it all. Thanks for watching.

[@sonnenkanal420]

thanks you saved my ass 4real

[@calinmerge8312]

Hello. I've been using dragonflyx2. It's ok with lining. I'm using 7.0 voltage maybe 8.0 maximum. But if i have a linework tattoo, sometimes, after a while the ink doesn't get into the skin no more. Can you tell me why is that happening ?! Thank you !

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

First of all I'd probably go a little higher on the volts and make sure there is no 'give'. There could be a number of reasons the ink doesn't seem to go in after a while. It could be cheap needles. Very cheap needles get blunt very quickly. It could be you are using too much barrier cream like Vaseline. If you put too much on the skin, it will eventually clog up the tip and prevent the ink from flowing properly. Make sure you rinse the tip at regular intervals to avoid this from happening. It could be that after a while, your stretching hand gets lazy and doesn't stretch the skin enough which will in turn not let the needles penetrate the skin properly. This is a common mistake if you're new to tattooing (see my video on 'stretching'). Another cause of this (though rare) if you've been tattooing for several hours from the same ink cap and you've been getting a lot of blood, the blood can actually dilute the ink so it no longer goes in the skin nice and bold. If this is the case then you need to fill up a fresh cap. Hope this helps and you fix your problem. Let me know how you get on. Thanks.

[@calinmerge8312]

Jono Smith yes, i think that the voltage increase and get the skin streched is the problem. Because several time after i'm tattooing, i concentrate to much on the tattoo and i forget about streching the skin properly. Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it !!

[@calinmerge8312]

Jono Smith i didn't understand the last part, sorry. What did you mean by "fill up a fresh cap" ?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

I mean throw away the ink cap that's diluted with blood and fill up a new one with fresh ink. As I've said, it's not a common thing to happen but it can happen.

[@angelosanchez6415]

calin merge

[@tommygunntattoo]

Brilliant!

[@UltraSound-NoCopyrightMusic]

lines on 13v ?? NO

[@justinataylor8479]

cps - voltage =?

[@wajih176]

Awesome video as usual. Very informative. I just received the hawk pen after watching your amazing review on that. I just wanted to know that i checked their website to know the exact cps of the hawk pen and it says "stitch frequency 70-160 hz" How can i know the exact amount of CPS from that? Thanks in advance mate 😊

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Thanks dude. An original Cheyenne Pen pretty much works out at 12.5cps per 1volt. So basically if you were running at 10volts your machine would be running at around 125cps. 8volts work out at around 100cps and so on. So basically multiply 12.5 by however many volts and that's your cps. Hope this helps.

[@wajih176]

+Jono Smith thanks mate 😊 It was helpful. How did you get 12.5 from 70-160?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

I've got the original manual with the specs so I've worked it out from that.

[@BrandonAndrewLocklear]

Have you used the solong hybrid tattoo pen machines the em 108.? I cant find anywhere online for the perfect voltages for lining and shading for my pen i believe its a 10watt motor but should i be running at like 9 or 10 for lining and 7-8 for shading?

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

I've never used one of those so I can't really give advice about it. If you have the specifics for the motor then you'll be able to work out what it should run at. Did you get an information leaflet with it stating the motor max volt / cps? If you haven't got that then I suppose you'll just have to experiment with it.

[@BrandonAndrewLocklear]

Jono Smith yes . it says its range is no higher than 12 volts .. So im thinking like you said i should be fine running lines at like 9 or 10 and shading at like 8 volts?

[@flighboy83]

King Him I have this same machine...did you ever figure out good ballparks for running this machine for lining, Shading and color packing? @Jono Smith my pamphlet says, revolution per minute 20,000 to 25,000 - working voltage 7v to 12v...not quite sure if this video would be the same breakdown as far as determining ballparks?

[@Shiretops]

I like this guy but rotary is the future,, I don't agree that you need a coil machine theses days.. I'm not from the past

[@patvickery1635]

okay thank you so much.

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Ok here goes: Your machine runs at 10,000rpm at 10v. Therefore 10,000rpm / 60secs = 166cps at 10v. Which means 1v=17cps. So now we can say 4v=68cps, 5v=85cps, 6v=102cps, 7v=117cps, 8v=136cps, 9=153cps, 10v=166cps. Personally I would line at 6.5v, shade at 6v and colour pack at 5v using that machine. Hope this helps.

[@rafaeltravis3858]

So accurate

[@patvickery1635]

it's a rotary machine I have the screen shots but I cant post it here.

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

I've just found it on amazon with all the specs. Give me a few minutes to check it out and I'll let you know what the cps is.

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Ok here goes: Your machine runs at 10,000rpm @ 10V. Therefore 10,000rpm % 60secs = 166cps at 10v. Which means 1v = 17cps. So now we can say: 4v=68cps 5v=85cps 6v=102cps 7v=119cps 8v=136cps 9v=153 10v=166. Personally I would line at 6.5v, shade at 6v and colour pack at 5v. Hope this helps.

[@Xplorer228]

I mean.. I've gone my whole life without having to drive a stick and automatic cars have suited me just fine. So if this analogy is true I'm more convinced I don't need to own a coil.

[@chaosclg]

its not really the best analogy tbh. its more like using a blunt knife to cut a steak. you can do it but its not gonna be as clean as using a steak knife and a fork. proper tools for the proper job gets the proper results

[@abelliguez4976]

Dude you spent 90% showing that coil gun and talking about it. You spent about 5% talking about the rotary....what kind if shit is this?

[@patvickery1635]

I am using W1 liner/ shader the description is 9000-1000 rounds a minute but don't say cps, I usually line at 7volts shade at 5 - 6 . is this accurate . any he'll would be appreciated

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Hi yes I can work out what cps your machine runs at. You know the information on your machine says 9000-10000 rounds per minute. Does it also state a 'Maximum' voltage next to it? For example it might say: 10,000 rpm @ 13v.

[@hacedms]

@@JonoSmithTattoo Hi Jono, how to work out the RPM knowing only the voltage and the rounds per minute?

[@kchun5515]

@@JonoSmithTattoo hello? the answer?

[@patvickery1635]

capacitor - 47u/22V, working volt, 8-10, starting 4v, optimum voltage 5-8v

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

Oh sorry I thought it was a rotary machine you were talking about. I presume it's a coil you've got because of the capacitor. Voltage in a coil machine only really controls the 'hit' of the machine (how hard the needle hits the skin). More volts= more hit. The gap between the front contact screw and front spring actually control the speed of the machine (the cps). The only real way to tell how many cps a coil machine is running at is to plug it into a digital power supply. On the screen there will be 'Hertz' or 'Htz'. This is the cps. Hope this helps.

[@tattoo1237]

MISINFORMATION AT ITS FINEST

[@JonoSmithTattoo]

How so?

[@body.cult.tattoo.supplies]

Interessantes Video :)