Rotary Works 6v Motor Problems, My solution, Possible upgrade/fix?

[Mister P]

Hey guys, let me start off by saying I'm no expert on these things, I've simply been playing around a found a possible solution to a common problem. I've had a 6v Rotary Works (plain brass) for a while now and I loved it, great all round machine, does it all however after a few months the motor started the usual slowing down thing and I stopped using it. I then ordered a new motor and that was great however this lasted maybe 4 tattoos before the same problem. At first I thought maybe it was a dodgy clip cord etc but everything ran fan just not the RW.

I thought it might have been the clip cord as I noticed if you moved the cord as the machine was running it would speed up or slow down. What I noticed was that when I applied more outward pressure to the binding posts effectively pushing them apart it sped up. I stripped the machine down and discovered that although the binding posts were still firm and not loose or broken, the actual connection into the motor was loose on one side. Not a lot but enough that you could here the it click as you wiggled it. A few tests running just the motor proved that this play was causing the running issue. I did my best to solder up the connection to stop the movement and this was great but what it made me think is that with high spring tension clip cords, you will inevitably be putting too much stress on these binding posts so I decided to come up with a solution.

With this in mind I figured the most obvious fix is to take the pressure of the motor connections. I had a little sketch and found a neat solution using an old 35mm film canister. I chose this for a few reasons, first was the weight, I didn't see the point in adding a lot of extra weight to what is a nice balanced machine, also the plastic case wont cause grounding issues, and lastly the top comes off making it easy to wire up.

This prototype is extremely crude but I think I could make a better looking version. First off was to reinforce the lid of the canister slightly as I noticed it was bit flimsy. Two pieces of decent plastic inside and out did the trick. Next I made two binders out of brass bolts and drilled a snug hole in each for the clip cord, I like the holes to be tight as you sometimes get speed issues from the clip cord moving around. At this point I must say that this idea would also wok well for RCA connections, however I don't like RCA personally as it tends to pop off all the time.

Before i threaded them into the lid, I soldered two lengths of wire directly to the head of the bolts. You will notice on this example the melted mark in the lid where I attempted to solder with them in situ!! Doh Once threaded through the top I secured them with washers and nuts and buttoned them up tight and obviously in line for the clip cord. Next I cut out a hole in the bottom of the canister to allow the motor spindle and mounting holes to be used. The screws in the RW were long enough to tighten up properly and if you leave enough of the bottom it holds the canister tight one you tighten up the mounting screws. What I made sure was to cut as close as possible so there were no gaps around the motor and it was encased properly. I then soldered the wires to the motor leaving a fair bit of wire length so the motor connections would not receive any strain from pulling etc and then assembled it as normal.

With it all together it now runs as perfectly as when I got it plus I didn't have to buy another motor. I've hung it upside down, pulled it etc and the motor looses no power. Its also easy to clean as its plastic and you could use black canisters and tops, or the slightly transparent ones like I've used and maybe put some stickers on it or a design inside. I've also started thinking of making some mounts similar to the Kubin MC that allow the rubber bands to snap on to the canister.

I'm going to give it a good test over the next few weeks and make sure it lasts but hopefully some food for thought for anyone using one and maybe even Dale? As I said I'm no expert and I'm not knocking Dales machines at all, they are one of the best machines out there in my opinion, but this issue seems to have affected a few people.

photo 1.jpgphoto 2.jpgphoto 3.jpg