Trevor MacKay aka Hungry Ghost

Maintaining a machine is pretty simple. Don’t over tighten an empty vice is a good start. Lol
I tell people when they are wiping down the machine with something like Cavicide to avoid getting it near the springs as this chemical is corrosive to metal. I say use it but just not around the springs. This is the best way to avoid unwanted rust and early spring breakage. You can use something like Clippercide in this area as this is what barbers use on their razors and clippers and it is a sufficient sanitizer for this part of the machine and as it is non corrosive should not damage your springs. Also I like to take a piece of plain paper and pull it between the contact screw and front spring weekly to remove any carbon build up as this can cause sub par running of your machine.. I also clean any unwanted carbon dust off the coils. You should keep an eye on your front spring and contact point at where they meet. If my contact screw is getting pitted or worn I will use a fine emery cloth or a fine file to remove a bit of material and reshape the tip and then give the contact screw a partial turn to retune it back to where it was running before. If the front spring is worn heavily and pitted or has small holes developing it is time to replace that as well.
If your machine came with extra springs then awesome. If not you should know how to replace one hopefully. If that is not the case then reach out to your local machine builder for help. If your frame is oil dipped or Raw and not clear coated I recommend a renaissance wax polish to keep it from rusting. There is also nothing wrong with checking the screws once in a while on your machine to ensure they have remained tight. One spot that gets overlooked a bit is at your clip cord connection holes. Once in a while it is good to give those a cleaning with a needle file or I keep a small piece of a needle bar in my drawer to get in there and scrape around. Also keep your clip cord ends clean.
The post Trevor MacKay aka Hungry Ghost appeared first on Tattoo Artist Magazine.