Different types of rotary machines

[Rattus]

Being so new to the rotary tattoo machine side of the industry, I'm finding it to be a bit confusing. Whether it be the machine or the terms used by the builders.

I'd like to know the various types of rotaries. It seems like this could be easily broken down into a few main types with the different names associated with them.

I see/hear; direct drive, canister, cam drive, linear, glide, slider, swash...etc...etc..

What are the difference's in the way they operate?
What's the comparisons of them?
Why do you think one type is better then another?

Help a newbie out!

[Alie K]

For starters:

http://www.rotarytattoo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1449&d=1296846796 Direct drive rotary example. The cam/bearing is right at the end of the motor.

http://www.rotarytattoo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1502&d=1297314858 Armature bar style rotary example. The armature bar moves the needle - it's attached by a pin or a spring.

http://www.neo-tat.com/oscommerce/images/NMTPURPLE.jpg Linear action style rotary. The needle moves on a mechanism with a 'slider' in a channel.

[slicksteel]

Then you have a combo type like the rapier or dragonfly that use a crank and a slider and springs/piston to create give(needle backs up with certain amount of pressure),swash type would be the motor on its end useing several axis points to move the needle bar(know these all have adjustable give useing springs etc).
So you are getting hybrids now. Kind of like how coil machines are starting to use 3coils,1 coil with a back spring post in place of a coil or setups with halfcoils or even angled frames wit slated coils etc.

[The Limey]

Swashdrive machines use a swash plate (a disk and follower) to convert the rotation of the motor shaft into a reciprocating motion.

[Rattus]

OK, so the rotary side can just as confusing as learning the workings of a coil. UGH! lol

Thank you peeps. I'm finding this very interesting as I'm finding myself starting to come full circle.
What seems to be a few lifetimes ago, like 25 years now, I started with the old hand poke, then moved on to the homemade 'jailhouse' style of rotary (that lasted something like 3 days) before I got my first coil. This was all when I was still a minor with piss poor F you attitude but knew I wanted to tattoo.

Now I'm back interested in some hand poke and rotaries. Funny how life goes.


OK so, for those out there with different styles of machines, which is more to your liking and why?
I hear people say that a direct drive isn't good for shit but maybe dotwork, then come to find out these people don't touch rotaries anyway. So that doesn't help. I understand it comes down to technique, practice and building experience like coils but would like to hear from the users of these machines.

[slicksteel]

it all depends on what type of work you want to produce like coils machines some are better for certain tasks.I would say a good allrounder is the rapier2 or a dragonfly which are both ,I have had the rapiers and several people on here have dragonflys and they can pretty much do everything well.
It like anything the more you use a tool your body adapts to it flaws not the other way around and we tend to conform are art to what the machine is cable of doing.I tend to think of machines n needles as a paintbrush,sure you have that one brush that you can do alot of stuff well but not great ,so that is were you would want a certain running machine to preform that task with better results.
Just my take on it!lol