Super V by Tattooed Pirate
I received my Super V in the post yesterday (should've been friday but i missed the delivery :( ) i always feel like a kid at xmas when i get a new machine! So imagine my excitement being multiplied when i realise Cary put a free t-shirt in with my machine! Things like this elevate builders to the next level in my opinion, putting in that little bit extra for the people that support them.
The machine is awesome looking and pretty ingenious. Assembled in a coil like frame with a coil like appearance, i just can't stop looking at it! I'll update this post as i get used to using it more, particularly as i know Cary's machines get better and better the more you use them. Can't wait to use it!
UPDATE: first of all the negatives; the tube vice is too big, i really had to crank the wrench to get it tight enough. Secondly it snaps rubber bands like there's no tomorrow, thirdly i would say the geometry was a little off as the needlebar was rubbing on the top of the back stem until i put the rubber bands on which rectified this slightly. Lastly, when i started to run it i was thinking it should be renamed thumper! Tried it on different voltages and stroke lengths and it wouldn't pack ink for anything. It was like it was pounding but not actually putting any ink in? I went back to my trusted Mike Metaxa to finish the piece.
I then had a little spare time and me being me i couldn't help but tinker with it. For those not familiar with these machines, they use an armature bar and back spring system similar to a standard coil machine. I noticed the back spring supplied seemed to be quite thin and probably contributed to the "slappy" action. Previously i thought it performed a lot like "The Adjuster" machine from china. I decided to switch the back spring for an eikon 22 gauge spring. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Now it lines as well as any coil machine i have and with the give released a bit shades really well too! It was like night and day! I don't know if this voids any warranty but i just couldn't resist trying to make it work for me. Being the owner of a Rapier 2 and a fan of Cary's i knew it wouldn't take much to make this run awesomely. Still not happy with the tube vice though. I keep expecting something to break cus i have to tighten the vice sooooooo much. Hopefully this will be helpful to anybody looking to buy one of these and i know builders appreciate feedback. Look out for further uopdates.
