This video provides step by step instructions on adjusting your spring tension properly.
Some tattooers may rely on sound alone to determine if his or her machine is running properly. This isn’t always the final step in machine tuning. Often you can look at the armature bar and determine if you’ve got enough “throw” or up and down movement in your machine for good tattooing technique. Often a machine with a too short or too long throw can sound as if it’s running properly when a little fine tuning will increase its performance. Without the correct spring tension, your armature bar will not have the correct throw.
Apply slight pressure to the assembly, pushing it up to put a little bend in the spring. Be careful here not to kink your spring or crack it. A cracked spring needs to be replaced immediately. Springs are inexpensive, and you’ll find different spring configurations work well with various machines.
After gaining the spring tension you need, swing the armature bar assembly back into position and retighten the rear socket head cap screw. You’ll want to adjust the contact post to match the new throw of the bar.
Superior Tattoo Equipment recommends you try a variety of springs with your machines to custom tune them to your own preference. Also, combinations of o-rings will effect how your machine runs. There are dozens of ways to fine tune your machine to get the performance you desire, and Superior Tattoo Equipment provides you with all the machine parts you need to keep your investment running smoothly.
