Help before i give up!

[inkkbully]

I currently own three rotarys.... Silver Med stroke Neotat... Silver Thunder & Swashdrive Whip (purple).
i can line with the neotat but slow..... the thunder is okay... but my swashdrive rocks..
I can line with it with a soft clip.... and color is easy... I have never put the hard clip back on..
I want to get the Swashdrive Gen 8 and just put everything else down.
Does anyone have any tips on how to run these beasts or is just I like the give that the whip
gives like a coil... i have 40 coil machines and only 3 rotary's i wanna keep learning and not let them
collect dust just because I'm not as confident with them. HELP!

[mattmillerink]

Takes time. Just be patient and let them into the rotation as you it comes. I tried jumping into rotaries headstrong but flopped. After some almost getting rid of all of them I just randomly thought "hmm maybe I'll use that for an upcoming piece". Just stick one into the rotation per piece or only use them for small tats and I think you will get the hang of them. I am still working on my rotary speed.

Also Gen 8 is pretty beast, hoping I can get my hands on another soon.

[inkkbully]

THanks sound advice.... i will take that into account... i have some small tattoos today!

[bretttattoos]

I picked up pretty quickly to lining with rotaries . I started using them off and on toward the end of my first year tattooing and for the longest time I lined with a mini hm evolution and shaded and color with coils . Bass akwards from most ppl that use coils and rotaries together but it made since to me to line with a rotary because of the lack of a bog down when you set the needle to skin which is what I hated about my coil liners . I think I went through five coil liners during my first year trying to find one I liked and was comfy using and finally said fuk it and took a gamble on a rotary and fell in love. I had quite a collection of coils since I was apprenticed and worked under a machine builder and went to conventions regularly for a while picking up a machine here and there but once I started using rotaries more I never touched my coil machines and then the whole collection was stolen from me (that's a story for another thread) and was left with only six rotary machines (two of them knok offs that I was embarrassed to use) and no money to buy more machines so I got comfy with rotaries fast haha and now I have a few more and have a strong desire to build a dd or something this winter during our down time. Just figure out a good voltage that allows the motor to spin fast enough but not over do it and learn to engage your lines (especially with a linear or no give style machine) instead of floating like you would with coils. My problem was I was hessitant to engage a line because I never want to go deep an have a blow out so I found myself getting weak ass lines and finally I said fuck it and started putting the needle right on in and pulled (not slamming in deep just being more affirmative) and found my happy place and now I'm pretty comfy and confident with line work which gave me a hard time for so long

[nivek]

I tried and sold 3 different rotaries - just didn't like them... I have now got at least 12.... I honestly didnt give them a chance, I kidna wish I didn't sell 2 of the 3 I did because now I would love to give em a shot....

Give it a chance - it takes a bit of time and patience to find the sweet spot - but once you do - its ALWAYS there.

[Heath]

I gave up. And before I did I had to try them all. I traded my rotaries for coils as I'm much more comfortable lining with them. Shading and coloring anything just about with no give I can use rotary wise. But the punch isn't the same on all of them and that's personal taste. But I can do everything as good with coils...

[ac30]

It sounds like you have found a rotary machine that work's for you and the way you tattoo. Why muck about trying others? I think the whips rock too. At the end of the day a tattoo Machine is nothing more than a tool. If that tool works then use it.

[inkkbully]

It sounds like you have found a rotary machine that work's for you and the way you tattoo. Why muck about trying others? I think the whips rock too. At the end of the day a tattoo Machine is nothing more than a tool. If that tool works then use it.

Indeed i might just trade the thunder and neotat for swashdrives...

[joelhague]

Its because the thunder and neo dont have slap or feel like the whip does the whip has inertia behind the hit to pop it thru the bouncyness of the skin the thunder and neo the skin will be moving with your needle more not puncturing in unless you give it that first pop that coils do themselves. i too am in the same boat i have gotten used to doing everything with a no give rotary but then you have to ask yourself why are you forcing yourself.to make.one machine work when you could use a variety each that are best at there own specific job. Me sticking to no give rotary was becausd of the conviences of carts and no tuning but the convience u get from that you lose in other aspects like ease of use or witch machine will give you the best artistic effect

[tattood]

It sounds like you have found a rotary machine that work's for you and the way you tattoo. Why muck about trying others? I think the whips rock too. At the end of the day a tattoo Machine is nothing more than a tool. If that tool works then use it.

What he said. I was big on no-give and to be honest not so much anymore, especially for lining. You need that little bit of force to puncture the skin without having to jam the needle in... I have a Mc 12 the one with the plastic flywheel connection to the Abar. There is much play in it, but it serves to slap the needle through the skin.. lines like no other. I like a bit of give, or maybe alot of dampening would be a better way to put it. I find i have a rotary set with alot of give, but if you run it fast it will not back off to much and puncture the skin much easier