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...easiest way to make a tattoo gun

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Answer by src
Submitted on 2/25/2004
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(Copied from a SlashDot post) Make a Tattoo Gun Things you'll need: * bic pen (this is your tube that houses the needle) * 4 or 5" section of guitar string ,second one from the smallest. ( this is your needle) * tooth brush ( this gets bent like a "7" and joins the pen to the motor) * an eraser from a pencil (this joins the shaft of the motor to the needle/guitar string) * small battery operated motor (from a "walkman" or a hand held fan) * some tape (to join everything together) Putting the pieces together: 1. Take the guitar string and bend a little bit of the end down or up. 2. Take out the ink tube of the pen, and cut it to about a 3 or 4" length, now file down the brass tip of the pen to get the ball out, make the hole big enough to allow passage of the needle. 3. Insert the needle into the pen. 4. Now take the tooth brush and cut off the bristles making it about 4" long. Heat it up in the middle with a lighter and bend it in to a "7" and hold in place untill stiff. 5. Join/tape the pen needle assembly to the tooth brush. 6. Now take the eraser from the pencil and shove it onto the shaft of the motor, try to get it as dead center as possible. Join the pen/needle/tooth brush to the motor/eraser assembly, tape the brush to the motor. 7. Take the bent part of the needle/guitar stirng and stick it into the eraser, IMPORTANT- the needle must be purposely OFF CENTER. 8. Now all that is left to do is find a power source, I used the plug-in adapter frrom a cd player. i guess you could hook up some batteries to a switch and then to the contacts of the motor.

Answer by kauboy
Submitted on 5/30/2004
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Here's How: 1. Use clean, sterile materials (see note below), put on a paper mask and gloves. 2. Mix until clear: about 7/8 quart vodka, 1 tablespoon glycerine, and 1 tablespoon propylene glycol. 3. In blender or jar that fits on blender, add an inch or two of powdered pigment and stir in enough liquid from step 2 to create a slurry. 4. Blend on a low speed for about 15 minutes, then on a medium speed for an hour. If you are using a jar on the blender, release pressure buildup every fifteen minutes or so. 5. Use a baster to siphon ink or pour it through a funnel into ink bottles. You may add a sterile marble to each bottle to aid in mixing. 6. Store the ink away from sunlight or fluorescent lighting, since ultraviolet radiation will alter some pigments. 7. Keeping track of the amounts of liquid and powdered pigment will help you make consistent batches and improve your technique. 8. You can use smaller amounts of glycerine and propylene glycol, but probably not larger amounts. Too much glycerine will make the ink oily and too much glycol will form a hard shell on top of the ink. 9. If you are not conversant with aseptic techniques, don't make your own ink! Tips: Obtain dry pigment from a tattoo supply house. It is much more difficult to order pure pigment directly from a chemical supplier. You may substitute Listerine or witch hazel for the vodka. Some people use distilled water. I don't recommend rubbing alcohol or methanol. Water is not antibacterial. While your supplies should be clean and sterile, do not heat-sterilize pigments or their mixtures. The pigment chemistry will change and may become toxic. Although pigments normally are not toxic, you need a mask because breathing pigment particles can cause permanent lung damage. You can use mason jars directly on the blender as long as you unscrew them periodically during mixing to prevent overpressure breakage from heating. We CAN USE IRON OXIDE FOR BLACK COLOUR, AND

Answer by canvasyou
Submitted on 11/17/2004
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HaHa! - I like the one about shampoo! Very creative. It think if you really MUST make your own tattoo - its easier, safer, and cheaper to buy pre-dispersed inks from a supplier. Try www.superiortattoo.com for you new to the whole tattoo thing. Don't make your own! Don't be stupid - go to a tattoo studio. Kids are gonna be kids and try to give themselves tattoos - so do it safely. No matter what you stick yourself or your buddies with... make sure its used on one person one time. Make sure its non toxic. Make sure its in a hidden place... no one wants prison tats visible when they go for the job interview! If you are interested in tattooing I have a bunch of old crap I used to use.. and taught myself on I would sell or even give away. Shoot me an email. www.canvasyou.com

Answer by tattooingisfun
Submitted on 12/9/2004
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this is the best way to make ink... first start out with a small cup or something small that will hold small amount of liquid. you need to make a wick or you can use a lantern wick from a kerosene lantern, new you can get them at wal-mart. first off you fill the container about 3/4 full, of baby oil this is the purest ingredient you can use also the ink will be extremely dark. take the metal ring from a pencil and suspend it about a quarter inch above the container.you can use a paper clip to do this. just make sure it stays above the middle of the container about a quarter inch from the top. next feed the wick, cut to size of course through the pencil ring. leave about 1 inch above ring but have a good amount down in the oil.after the wick has soaked up the oil light the wick and use a brown paper bag or cookie sheet works best. and catch the suit. take a playing card to collect the suit. and store in a dry container. you will have to email me to get mixing instructions because to get the ink perfect it needs to be mixed right... jessilyn@earthlink.net