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  1. #1
    Member jeff tarinelli's Avatar
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    Kubin sidewinder just changed my life.

    Hey guys,
    I'm new to the forum and to Rotary's. I've been professionally tattooing just over 20 years and have been "loyal" to coil machines until this summer. I have always had issues with machines it seems like. Most of my daily runners are made by people I worked with back at Oddball, Jacob Redmond and Jason Liesge. Both great builders. Since like 90% of my machines are by those to gents last year I wanted to branch out and started buying machines from other builders. Long story short they all sit in a fucking drawer. Just seems like you hook them up and feel them run, then buy them and put on a needle and tube and the real machine appears. Machine after coil machine I bought, hoped, and was disappointed. A couple were just utter shit. I won't mention names but its not even like they just don't run good for my style of tattooing. Two of them I dare anyone to try to get a line out of. The other were fine but not great. I just started to wonder if coils just aren't for me.

    I had tried a couple early 2000's direct drive rotary's over the years and didn't care for them. Also bought a nice handbuilt inline one and just my bad luck it was a poor design and the builder ended up scraping the whole design. So I had this naive ignorant idea that since I tried a couple rotary's and didn't like them that I don't like all rotary's! I look back now and see how stupid that was. That would be like me trying a coil machine off ebay for the first time and saying, "nah, coils machines are shit" lol!

    I have really shit luck with buying machines. So this summer I am busier than ever and just hating life fighting my machines to get the job done. Going home exhausted from having to work and stretch too hard. Finally I had enough and last month decided that's it! I'm going to drop whatever cash it takes to find good rotary's and be done with this mess.

    Right out of the gate I nailed it buying a Kubin Sidewinder v2. Ill try to not get all sentimental but it was like someone read my mind and built me the perfect machine. It made me fall back in love with the ACT of tattooing not just the end product and creative side. I will be honest I have really not enjoyed the actual act of tattooing for the last couple years maybe more. My body is breaking down from the hard years and the machine problems really sucked the fun out.

    Anyways, I busted out a half sleeve outline in an hour 40 min that would have easily been 3 hours with my coils maybe longer. The line just went in like a child drawing with a sharpie. Not only that I could relax. Let the machine do the work rather than blowing my damn back and scapula out from stretching. I went home with energy not exhausted and cranky from a grueling day at the office.

    There so many things I preferred about this machine but the thing I noticed and liked best was the power it had at the tip. Hard to put into words but how the majority of the back off on a coil machine is in that initial and final entry and exit of the skin with the needle. So it a lot of "wasted" line that you know really isn't in there that you have to start the next pass partially in the previous line to make sure its all equally saturated. Well IMO all the extra work really adds a lot more time and energy than I ever thought. Its like even the slightest graze with the Kubin left the darkest line.
    I went home and bought 2 another and now also a Bishop for color. I do all black tattooing so really need to pack color clean and healthy.

    I'm not at all bashing or dis respecting coil machines. I understand the history and have love for and the utmost respect for builders. I think for me I have just had a run of bad luck and they just don't work they way I wished a machine could but never knew was possible.

    It feels so good to be excited to make tattoos again. To not dread stomachs and rib pieces. I really cant thank Dan Kubin enough.
    Cheers mates

  2. #2
    Knows Whats Up! skinmech's Avatar
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    Could you not just tune your Coils to suit the way you work..?

  3. #3
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    you cant tune them to add magic! love my sidewinder too.
    @bengriffiths_tattooer on instagram.

  4. #4
    Knows Whats Up! skinmech's Avatar
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    The Magic comes from tuning to suit..Only saying..

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  6. #5
    Member jeff tarinelli's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by skinmech View Post
    The Magic comes from tuning to suit..Only saying..
    I agree. I tune them as best I can and get them better but it usually comes down to needing to cut new springs to make major differences and I'm shit at cutting springs. I have built a few machines in my days including casting the frame, and winding coils but the machines never worked too good. I have a lot or respect for builders its not a skill set I have and TBH I don't enjoy working on machines so haven't put the time into getting better at it. Guess its just not my thing. I mostly only built the 3 machines because I think every tattooer should have a working understanding of how our tools work. Its frustrating to carve by hand the wax and do all that work and then it runs like a bag of shit.

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by skinmech View Post
    The Magic comes from tuning to suit..Only saying..

    I agree with that fully. I've been through and own a lot of machines. It's very rare that I get one that runs out of the box they way that works for me and how I do things, especially liners. If the geometry/Tension is there, it doesnt take me long to get it where i want it. I've also gotten some paper weights from reputable builders as well, so I feel your pain there too.

    Dans machines are pretty incredible. He takes care of his customers proper as well. I love my sidewinders, but prefer the V1. I can't really pin point why either.

  8. #7
    Knows Whats Up! thesmokingmirror's Avatar
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    The original minicranker by Dan Kubin was a big turning point for me. When I lived in portland I kept suggesting to Rose City Steel to carry his machines but they didnt know who he was or care to much about rotaries. I do remember Redmond building some rotaries at one point it seems every builder even ones that stick to being coil men have begun to release direct drives and are recognizing that they are great machines if built right

  9. #8
    Senior Member Butternuts's Avatar
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    It's a good feeling to sit down with a new machine and it compliments the way you do things and makes life easier. I've owned two Kubins and both were really solid machines. Very well built and cool looking.

  10. #9
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    Not to knock Dan's machines at all, (I own a V2), but have you looked into the Neuma 4? It'll push whatever you throw at it, and there's NO adjustments to be made. Works correctly right out of the box. Just throw the liner cam into it with a drop of oil and you're done!
    His other cams are all made to make his machine work for other uses too.
    Throw in a different cam and you have a really nice black and grey machine. A different cam and you have a solid color packer.
    Check them out! You won't be disappointed!

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