Time: One of our most variable commodities. When early, we have more - when late, we run out. This measurable value, magnified to the atomic scale, dominates the action-reaction duet housed in the machinery of our trade.

In a dimly lit basement, a hand-tool nightmare lay before me. A journey filled with questions to be answered. Trial and error the only path to fulfill the mysteries of the tattoo machine lying in a not so appealing heap. Like many of you, I also searched to find the perfect tattoo machine amongst this bucket of bolts. Maximum performance…
Was it just a dream?

At first, the plan was to map out the disassembly sequence, in order to make the re-assembly process chartable. I missed this important step, and learned a priceless lesson… draw the map first. (LOST IN SPACE)

20 years later: It took me countless spring cuts, slipped screwdriver pokes and other battle scars, before I found the most important tool in a tattoo machine builder’s arsenal; education. Only through education, including the study of metallurgy, magnetism, electronics, harmonic motion, inertia, acceleration, and most importantly, common sense, could this goal be realized.

First: Considering the frame materials, one must take the following into account; we are surrounding a magnetic field with this frame. We all know or at least we have been taught, that iron is the material of choice; myself, through literally hundreds of hours spent with Paul Rogers “ THE TRUE MACHINE BLACKSMITH “ of our time. I too was confident, and still am, in this man’s tattoo machine knowledge. Paul had a great influence on my thinking for many years. His machines ran better than any you could buy on the market. His dedication to the craft of machine building set him far ahead of the other builders….. of that time.
However, Paul never really answered the questions that I had deep down inside. For example: What is the best core material? What about wire, what kind and how much? What is the real science involved in core construction? Spring materials, how hard and what tensions? I can still picture him showing me his way, yet for me that was just not enough. I wanted to know the science behind the art.

The search was on: An iron frame, is not just a frame, it also acts as the yoke in the magnetic field. The yoke’s weight and density is one of the most important calculations in the design of the horseshoe magnet. The laws of physics dictate, that the yoke weight must be equal to the weight of the two uprights (cores) of the horseshoe magnet. (After all that’s what we’re doing here.)

With iron frames, the yoke/upright ratios are grossly out-of-balance, and this dramatically reduces the effectiveness of the electromagnet balance. This increases power consumption and all the inherent problems this creates. Isolating your magnetics is probably the most important consideration in frame design. Understand, if both core centers, before they’re drilled, weigh say, (hypothetically) 12 grams. The yoke and the armature bar must weigh the same, separately, plus or minus 50 grains. This is only one reason an iron frame, (extra yoke), will bleed off magnetic energy. And consider this. The magnetic field, itself, is blind, and will search for any and all ferrous material, an upright, back post, and even screws.

The studies we’ve done here at Time Machine have shown that, casted iron frames are undeniably problematic, for a few reasons. Castings exclude cool-down times. Uncontrolled cooling of iron confuses the carbon/atom flake separation signature. This occurrence inhibits rapid magnetic flux deployment between the coils. These castings are also filled with open pockets of air (porosity), forcing electrons to jump over and around their intended route, between point A and point B. (And welding on frames?) Forget about it. Invision this: Working, with any iron machine, (more often a shader…) four to five hours in, the machine just doesn’t have the punch it had when you started. I use to think, the skin was too traumatized. I’d check out the needles/tubes. Hell, even change it all out, scratch my head. Take a break. Was this all in my head? Frustrated I’d set up an appointment to finish the job later. (“Piece of junk”) After the weekend, on Monday, the junk ran fine. “What da hell?” After fifteen years of trial and error, I’d had enough.

The science of Metallurgy is the key, to unlocking this problem. What was happening to the core material is this. Each and every time the cores were charged with current, a very small amount of magnetic flux, i.e., residue, was left behind, causing the core to hold a magnetic charge. (On its own.) The core was holding more and more, until the magnetic force left behind, had a hold on the armature bar. This situation particularly robs the rear spring’s use of its potential energy, slowing down its out-bound retreat. The machine becomes lazy. Fact: The higher the carbon values in the core iron, the more magnetic flux retention.


TECH TIP
Material Balancing
When preparing the mounting screw used to fasten the armature bar to the springs, make sure the screw is ferric (not stainless steel). The drilled and threaded hole in the armature bar has to be completely filled. This screw needs to be long enough so when both spring washers and dress buttons etc. are in place, it still allows at least two threads to protrude though the underside of the armature. This extra length needs to be cut down flush as you de-plate the contact side of the A-Bar. Float filing is preferred, yet a quick way is the use of emery cloth on a flat surface. The filling of the A-Bar’s hole gives the rear coil a flat full surface to react with. But now, the A-Bar is somewhat out of balance with the core and yoke!! Solution? Removing the nipple from the A-Bar, drilling and replacing with a stainless steel dowel brings it back into sync (a stainless dowel in the A-Bar hole doesn’t register in the crucial ferric balance.)


Bio:
Danny Fowler has been a tattoo artist for 30 years. He is president and CEO of Time Machine, and Danny’s Ancient Art Tattoo Studios, Both companies are headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. Contact Danny: danny@atimemachine.com