Hey guys this is Jake from the tattoo improvement Network thanks for tuning in to another episode
of fireside technique. We received a inquiry or a question from a view a week or so ago,
it was an apprentice and he was looking to buy his first machines and he has to
me preferences on coils rotaries or cartridges and so I realized then that idea of cartridges
is a little bit confusing because he had the idea that cartridge machine
was a separate type of machine so I thought I would do a quick tutorial on
cartridges, on needle cartridges to let you know how they work and what they're about.
They work on either coil or rotary machines cartridge is not a specific type of machine.
Any grip that will allow the cartridge can fit on
either machine so with that said take a look at this I think it will help.
All right so, these are cartridges needle cartridges this is two different brands this
is Slot Lock and these are from T-Tech several brands make them Cheyenne who makes this machine
makes one I just don't happen to have it right here. So I'll show you basically how they work
this machine is set up to handle cartridges so basically you just snap them in (I got them lined
up a little crazy) snap them in and out as you need to the advantage to these over traditional
needles and tube setups is the ease of changing cartridges in and out so if I wanted to switch
from a liner to a shader or from a small shader to a to a large shader or anything in between,
I could have as many different needle setups as I wanted in using the same machine.
So traditionally with the coil machine in a needle and tube setup,
you might have if you wanted four different needle configurations you
would have four different tattoo machines that you would un-clip and re-clip a into
the power supply. So that's that's a big advantage let me show you how how they work.
Basically, and this is on this is the idea that makes it work with any type of machine I know
that FK irons is making what they call RPG I think grip and other manufacturers are making
them as well but there's basically a plunger and on a traditional coil machine this would
be a needle bar that hooked over the eyelet just like just like a traditional needle would
but it just would not have the needle soldered to the end the way that this one works is this
bar is attached to the rotary machine and it moves back and forth and it has a little ball
bearing on the end of it that lines up with a divot in the cartridge itself and presses
which is spring activated and it presses the needle in and out of the cartridge.
As far as the the manufacturers go, you just have to try it out everyone has their own preference,
I was told that these were terrible when I first started buying cartridges and I found
that I use them more than anything they're less expensive and they're the quietest ones
that I've found. These are a little chattery to me. Some of these I think these Slot Locks as
well as the Cheyennes allow you to remove this little front clear plastic part and
actually access the needles if you wanted to spread needles or whatever. I've never
found a need to do that if I needed to access the needles were to look at it like and press
this out and put an eye loop on it and make sure that my needles are in good shape. Now
I guess if you wanted to spread needles and you're trying to do some custom things to
your needle bar it might be easier to not have to press this out and just to snap this off.
So like I said your traditional coil machine will handle these you just have to buy a grip
they make them in both permanent and disposable grips, I'll try to link to a
couple of manufacturers that are putting these things out maybe I'll do a little download or
in the show notes I really love them there if depending on the machine that you're using you
might want to ask machine manufacturer how they work with them I know a couple of the rotaries
so that some friends were telling me that the Dan Cuban rotaries don't work great with
these because of the kind of the spring action here and then also the kind of dampening that
he has in his Sidewinder machines or in his a couple of his machines that kind of fight
against each other or something I don't know that firsthand that's just what I was told.
So if you're using a custom machine maybe he asked the manufacturer how they work with
cartridges before you go and buy one of these grips these things can get pretty pricey I
think this grip alone is like $150-$175. The RPG clip grips from from FK Irons,
I think comparably priced I've been real happy using the Cheyenne and these guys right here so
try them out see what you think some people like them some people don't,
it's mainly just an ease of use thing but you don't have to have a special machine you simply
have to have a grip that allows a grip and a plunger that allow for it so your coil machines
you can absolutely set up to work with these the as far as the pricing goes you always have to look
it up I can't really remember of these or less expensive than these and I and I really like them
I have no issues with them I read a lot of bad reviews but but for my experience they're fine .
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