Maintaining your tattoo gun
If you want your tattoo machine to work well for you then you need to learn how to look after it properly; a well maintained machine will pay dividends. In the next part of this book we will discuss all the things you need to keep your tattoo gun working effectively for years to come.
Replace any parts that are wearing out
It will be possible for you to find replacement parts in most shops that deal with tattoo supplies. These parts are expected to wear out because of all he use they get; the constant motion and vibration wears the parts out. This is why most retailers will keep a supply of almost any replacement part you could want from coils to rubber bands.
Keep your tattoo gun clean
It really is important that you keep your tattoo gun clean. You should treat this with the same effort as you will put into keeping the work environment sterile and clean. If you allow dust, oil, ink or grit to build up it can really interfere with the functioning of the machine. The other thing is that a customer seeing you holding a dirty machine is likely to have second thoughts.
Watch your power supply
This is even more important if you are running on batteries. It is easy to cause damage to the coils in your gun when the power supply is playing up; this will also occur with a trickle charge setup. It might even occur that a power supply battery explodes; this is dangerous and can waste a lot of time while you’re trying to locate a replacement.
You should also remember to be constantly checking your cords. If a short occurs it can really interfere with your supply of electricity. If a cord has a short in it then replace it immediately. This is not only because it is much better for the machine, but also because it could be a potential fire waiting to happen. You might not only lose your tattoo gone, but your whole tattoo parlor could be gone as well.
It is a great idea to keep as many spare parts lying around the shop as you can. At least that way they will be there when you need them and you won’t have to be wasting time and money while you’re waiting for new parts to arrive.
