New Here with a Few Questions

[PT]

Hi all. I've been coming here (and many other places) and doing LOTS of reading and re-reading for the last few weeks so tonight I decided to ask a few questions.
I've been searching for a half decent beginner's kit and so far I've come up with 4 different ones and would like your opinions of them.
The first one is the $119 Pro-Kit3 from here: http://www.tat2kits.com
The second one is the $149 Economy Travel Kit from here: http://www.tattooequipment.com/tattoo_kits.htm#economykit
The third one is the $149 Beginners kit from here: http://www.inkcraft.biz/zbeginner.html
The Fourth one is the $182 kit from Needle Jack: http://www.supplytattoo.com/beginners-tattoo-p-549.html

Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about any of these kits?

I understand the reasons for autoclaving everything so I'll be using disposable needles and tubes but can someone explain why I couldn't just sterilize my equipment in boiling water. I thought that killed any contaminants... no?

I guess here's where I'll probably get a lot of grief but I'll say it anyway.....
The reason I want to get my own tattoo equipment isn't so I can get into the tattoo business some day. It's strictly a personal reason. I've been wanting to learn how to tattoo for many years (I'm 41) but not so I can tattoo other people. I want to tattoo myself..... mostly in areas that I can reach easily. I've already got 10 tattoos that I've paid professionals to do but I've got a lot of ideas for smaller tattoos that I've designed and would like to learn to do them myself. My original intentions were to build a home made machine but after LOTS of reading and learning I decided that if I'm going to do this I want to do it right.
Naturally, after I get my equipment I would start off on grape fruits, pig ears, and maybe even some of that crappy imitation practice skin.
My intentions aren't to just buy a kit and start scratching myself to death, rather than to learn how to do it properly and in doing so give myself some decent tattoos (in time). I know it's a little out of the norm but this will just be a hobby for me..... a hobby that I can do on myself.

Ok, I'm ready.... start your opinions. Please be gentle. :P

[gremlin]

First off welcome to the forum!

personaly I would go with the beginner kit from Needle Jack, mainly because chris sells good stuff and stands behind it (and this is his forum so we need to support him) he ships fast and will make things right if you have a problem with your order.

The fake skin I would pass on because its nothing like skin and expensive to boot, grapefruits, pig ears, a real cheap and grapefruits will help you get used to tattooing on a compound curve(also afterward you can peel it and see if you went to deep)

as for boiling your instruments, it doesn't kill everything. boiling was an accepted method for sterlization way back when (civil war era and before) and a lot of people died from staph, gangrene, and god knows what. they thought they used sterile instruments.
alcohol and the cold sterilization stuff are disenfectants and will not achieve the level of sterility needed for tattooing. i have seen people "sterilize" sewing needles for poping boils with a flame, I later learned all this does is dull the needle and kill some bacteria. The only way to you are going to sterilize your stuff is live seam (steam under pressure) and that is an autoclave. But an autoclave is only good if you follow proper procedure and spore test regularly. There is a site that will give you a lot of good info on bloodbourne pathogens and cross contamination and a bunch of other good stuff. It only costs you if you decide to take the test, but i would advise reading every page they have on the subject the site is http://www.tatsmart.com/ I printed out all the info there and put it in a notebook, it is the most important book in my tattoo work area.

No one will give you grief here, your reasons for picking up the machine are your own.we don't do that unless it is completly called for and that is very rare. we are like a family here and like all families we squabble every now and then (its unhealthy not to) but we are here to help each other. You will probably find after you have been here a while is that nost of the members here want to improve their skills, and help newbies learn to do a safe clean tattoo with minimal risk to you and the person being tattooed, which in your case is you. I would take a few days and read every post here a couple of times. someone even suggested in another post to read everything and print out what you want to keep for future refrence and put in a binder... sage advice if i ever heard it.

If you have any question at all don't hesitate to ask, and if you don't feel comfortable about posting it in the forum just pm me and i will try to help!
If i don't know the answer I will find out.

I apologise for being long winded, i tend to do that but I hope i helped you some. :)

[PT]

Thanks Gremlin. I have already printed out all of the info at www.tatsmart.com and went over most of it. I should be finished reading it all tomorrow.

I've got another question that I haven't been able to find a clear answer on. I know this is a simple one but I want to make sure.
What are the rubber bands for that you put around the tattoo machine? I know they hold the needle bar in the tube but doesn't it make the needle bar pull in close and rub against the tube? :?:

[Papa Gee]

The rubber bands serve at least three purposes that I can think of right off the bat.

The first being to stabilize the needle in the tube and keep it from jumping around. The second would be to fine tune a machine with a needle grouping. IE: Add a band slow down the machine slightly. Remove a band to speed up a machine slightly. And the third as a vibration damper for the needle bar.

[JosephBigBear]

Welcome PT you are lready heading in the right direction good job with going to Tatsmart.com is a good site to learn what u can from. Hell take the test atleast you will get a certicicate.

For all of you peps in here the wife is designing a BBP course for Tattooing she has been a Rn for the past 20 years she is in Infection Control at our local Hosp. she handles all of the hosp. BBP courses.

[tadt]

well i got my beginner kit from inkcraft. Everything was going fine until about 20 minutes into a tattoo and the machine stopped on me and wouldnt start again, id let it set for an hour or so and it would work for about 20 minutes and stop again. i called them up and they said they would send me a new machine with postage to return the old one, they sent me a new machine, power suplly and foot switch and the new machine works great havent had any problems with it and ive had a couple hour sessions with it. its a decent machine i will probably keep it as a liner but want to buy a new machine soon for filling (the machine is nice and light easy to move, want a heavier one for filling i will buy it from here as i do all my supplys, i use to buy them from inkcraft but since i found needlejack i havent went back to inkcraft.

[JosephBigBear]

SO PT how did you make out?

[PT]

SO PT how did you make out?

Make out? I didn't.
I've decided to further my knowledge base first and then buy the equipment later. I want to soak up as much info as possible before I even think of actually tattooing myself. I think I've decided that when the time comes and I feel I have enough knowledge to give it a try and do it properly I'll get my equipment from Needle Jack.

[framey]

:evil:

[Dirty Sharpz]

5 years ago a friend of mine bought a kit....it was 300 pounds thats like nearly 600 dollars....when he got home he tallied up all the gear he got and individually priced them.....it came to 280 pounds....

buy individually...that way you never get surplus crap

[JosephBigBear]

:twisted: Good Job PT thats what we like to hear !!!!!!

[Duger]

I've decided to further my knowledge base first and then buy the equipment later. I want to soak up as much info as possible before I even think of actually tattooing myself. I think I've decided that when the time comes and I feel I have enough knowledge to give it a try and do it properly I'll get my equipment from Needle Jack.

Good to Hear PT
I never bought a kit right off the bat, after reading and reading some more, I bought a few things to get started on grapefriuts and pig ears, then when some spare $$$ came along I buy a little bit more.

[gremlin]

when ya feel you are ready, and before you buy a kit . seriously come on over anytime (its only about a 45 minute drive)and bring a sack of grapefruits and ill let ya try some different machines, power supplies, grip sizes, tubes, inks and needle groupings. (you just have to clean up the mess afterward)

[PT]

when ya feel you are ready, and before you buy a kit . seriously come on over anytime (its only about a 45 minute drive)and bring a sack of grapefruits and ill let ya try some different machines, power supplies, grip sizes, tubes, inks and needle groupings. (you just have to clean up the mess afterward)

Thanks. You don't know how great that makes me feel to have someone give me that kind of an experience. Besides that, It'll probably be a hell of a lot of fun.
You Da Man! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v170/PTCruzr/notworthy2.gif

[freakz]

first off bro im new to this site but ive been in the business for 15 years.check it out,no dissrespsct to anybody selling kits,but why???hell no dont buy a kit buy the stuff ya need,check ebay or right here first.second off and most importantly unless ya take a b.b.p. course and have a autoclave or access to one.BUY DISSPOSABLES PLEASE.there is no need to take the chance killin some one.its that serious bro.and third get machine bags just to be safe,ya know.have fun be safe.:D