I gotta tell ya when I first started writing this column the response was somewhat of a mixed bag in the opinion department. Most of you thought an informative snippet of information that could do nothing but help understand the working of a tattoo machine, making your job easier. Then on the side of the coin some thought I’d gone to far. At any rate my atomic fal-de-ral was being read, and that’s a good thing.

In this collision, many new paths of thought were brought forth, and forced me to drill down deep, in an attempt to answer the barrage of some really complex questions. I must say some of these questions had me standing on my head. Battered and bruised you I tended to my wounds, and move onward. You know, there is a saying: Knowledge is Power. It’s really true,” the more you know the faster you grow,” and without the help of the readers, many rants of questionable interests may have gone unanswered addressed. I learned a great deal myself; do in no small part to your overwhelming feedback from the readers.

New concepts are often hard to swallow at first, but after the first few articles the positive input far out weigh the negative. And with this, I learned a great deal more with your help, than I could have on my own. I noticed quite a few more of us ended up thinking outside the box, and I thank you for that.

As you may remember, we journeyed to the abysmal atomic depths where the view often became quite murky. I too found myself with a physics book in one hand, and a dictionary in the other, while never forgetting this gadget (machine) for the most part, all look the same on the outside. A handful of individuals insisted on filtering the haze, in an attempt to find the hidden truths in the magnetics, and metallurgic physics. This truly showed a thirst to improve the performance of the tattoo machine. After all, that’s what the column intended to do.

Moving forward from issue to issue the battle scars healed, and more and more of you sent in letters of approval. My dignity was restored, in no small part to Bob Baxter and diligent pep talks and assurances that kept me on track. Many thanks to Larry Flint Publications, and the staff of Skin & Ink Magazine. Hopefully I’ll drop a short snippet from time to time in the Bits and Snatches, as well as dropping by the online chat room at: www.skinandink.com

Make sure to keep in touch with the magazine and the tattoo convention schedules, as I’ll be holding seminars at quite a few conventions around the world this year. The seminar/workshops will be in a private forum i.e. hospitality suite format. I feel this concept should be more informative than ever. Bring your machines for a little one on one. Nothing really has the bunch, like good ole practical experience. We intend to send out invitations to all the tattoo shops in a 200-mile area of any of the conventions on my schedule. I hope to see you there.
I have many new projects in the works in the coming years and have simply run out of the hours needed to the article the proper and diligence it deserves. So in closing, Thanks again for taking part in the success of Skin & Ink.

Kudos, Bob at Skin & Ink Magazine…Great Job…We’ll Do Lunch….