Quote Originally Posted by the moustache View Post
This is my first post aaand my first time with a rotary, go eeaasy ; )

So I borrowed a buddy's Stealth Lite to get a feel for rotaries and to decide if I'd like to buy one myself.

The heart was on the ribs and was previously outlined with my Soba, colored with the Stealth using One, Starbrite and Fusion with a 9 mag at around 8.5-9.

The flowers were done with the Stealth, Fusion, Starbrite, and 7 mag at around 9 volts. The lettering was there already.

I'm really digging how effortless using a rotary is, my speed with color has improved and the saturation is incredible comparatively. I'd like to try out a machine with adjustable "give" but they aren't nearly in my budget as of now. I've been looking at the Dragonfly and the Stigma Hyper V2, but I hear the Rapier 2 is where it's at. Any thoughts or guidance with this?

Thanks in advance!
I agree with others that if you would like to try a machine with 'give', to try Cary's out. They are priced well below some of those others with adjustable give. The 'give' isn't adjustable, but sometimes too many knobs and buttons can make life more difficult. I've tried the Blunderbuss, and was really impressed. I've passed it around to my coworkers who were rotary-phobic, and all were amazed at how much like a coil it felt, and how much they liked it for lining. If you want one specifically for that, you can speak with Cary and he can set you up with a rapier suited to your needs.

Quote Originally Posted by the moustache View Post
Thanks for the info and compliments fellas! I'll definitely check with Cary and Rotary Portal, and is there a suggested machine for smooth, soft black and gray for portrait work?
I enjoy using my neotats for black and grey. My preferred stroke models for that are medium and short. The short stroke takes a little more getting used to, but once you get the hang of layering with it, it really makes for some nice glassy black and grey. The medium stroke takes a little less figuring out, but can still get hung up in the skin if you have the needles hanging out too far.