Hildbrandt Blog

Tattoo ink allergy and reactions seldom occur but is something to consider when getting a tattoo. Common causes come from the pigments used in the ink. There are a variety of heavy metals that are often used as pigments that a small portion of people are allergic to. For example, red is a color that is more likely to give allergic problems than others. Patch testing is recommended if you are concerned about getting reactions.

What is in Tattoo Ink

Tattoo ink is made of two basic components: pigments and carrier. Pigments give the solution its color. The carrier keeps the pigment in suspension, acts as an anti-bacterial/anti-viral agent and carries the pigment into the dermis. Pigments consists of a wide range of bases like iron oxides, plastics, mercury, cadmium, nickel, zinc, titanium, iron and many others. Carriers commonly used are alcohol, water, methanol, propylene glycol, glycerin and witch hazel. The most common components to give people allergic problems are pigments.

Causes of Allergy and Reactions from Tattoo Ink

Allergy and reactions from tattoo ink may occur in varying situations. The most common problems come from allergies to heavy metal pigments. For example, some people are allergic to nickel, copper, iron or cadmium and these are commonly used as pigments. Red is a color that may give people problems more than other colors. This is because red is often made with mercury and there are more people allergic to mercury than other pigments. It is estimated that between 1 and 5 percent of the general population are allergic to mercury. Yellow is often made using cadmium and cadmium may cause eczematous reactions for some people. Cadmium is also associated with reactions when exposed to light in rare cases. Cobalt, used for blues, in rare cases will cause hypersensitivity reactions and uveitis. Chromium used in greens may cause eczematous reactions within the tattoo and surrounding areas. Manganese used for purple and violet may cause tattoo granulomas. Other sources of problems may come from the aftercare products used during the healing process. MRI exams may temporarily cause tattoos to burn or sting. These reactions are rare but if you are concerned about them, ask your artist to test a small part of your skin and wait a week or two to see if you develop any reactions. Always put safety first.

Types of Reactions from Tattoo Ink

There are a wide variety of possible reactions to tattoo ink but we will cover the most common ones. Tattoo granuloma refers to cells in the exposed area of skin having a foreign body reaction. Basically, your cells see the ink as something that shouldn’t be there and is generating an immune response to it. This typically shows up as firm localized swelling in the areas where the pigment the skin is allergic to is. Granulomas are often treated with topical steroids. Eczematous reactions are another type of allergic skin problem that may occur from tattooing in rare cases. Eczematous reactions will appear as a rash that may or may not appear at the site of the tattoo. These reactions are caused if the person is allergic to one of the pigments, a common one being mercury. These reactions may be temporary or may require treatment with topical steroids.

UV Blacklight Tattoo Ink Reactions

UV blacklight tattoo ink produces a visible glow when under UV light. It produces this glow by fluorescence. Like red, some UV blacklight inks are more prone to give allergy problems. This is why, if you get a tattoo using this type of ink in a parlour, the shop will require a waver signed before it does the tattoo. This kind of ink has been steadily improving in quality and safety in recent years and the incidence of allergy problems have decreased a lot. Some artists will recommend to their customer to test a small hidden area to see if the client will have a reaction from the UV blacklight ink. We recommend this practice as it is better to wait a week and be safe than encounter skin problems later.

Here is a tattoo machine diagram with all parts identified. We used a Hildbrandt .444 Marlin for the picture, all our other machines are of a similar setup with the exception of the geometry. We get people calling and emailing us all the time that are unable to identify a part so we figured we may as well post this up for everyone. All classic Hildbrandts have 4 frame styles. These four styles are broken down to either liner or shader. The liners consists of the .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .30 Carbine and .22 Rimfire. You will notice that the frames on them are very similar with the exception of the frame face. The truth is before the frame is laser cut, bent to shape and the designs drilled, they are exactly the same. These 4 models are based on the same frame stock. The geometry of this compact frame is best suited for lining and that is why all our liners are based on this design. Our shader models, .444 Marlin, .38 Calibre, .44 Winchester and .223 Remington are made by laser cut by a single piece block of low carbon stainless steel. There are 2 face styles divided between these models. Although they may look quite different, the geometry of them are almost identical. This geometry allows for more space for the back spring and front spring from the contact screw position. This is best suited for the longer springs of shading tattoo machines.

Basic post on how to fix a tattoo power supply using a vintage 2007 Hildbrandt pre-Spartan power supply as example.  We stumbled upon this broken unit when we were cleaning out the workshop.  I believe this was the one we used to use to quality check our machines.  This vintage 2007 Hildbrandt was the predecessor to the Spartan, now with a LCD screen and some improvements to the transformer and heat dispersion. Anyway, we’ll go over some of the most common problems that occur.

Power Cord Dead

This usually happens when the wiring in the cord loses connectivity due to wear and tear. For example, the Hildbrandt pre-Spartan had a detached wire that was supposed to be attached to the voltage switch, this likely happened from someone yanking on the cord or unit when it was still attached to the wall. The easiest way to check if your power cord is the problem is by getting another power cord to test your power supply with. For most tattoo power supplies, the cord (if it is detachable) is the same detachable cord as your computer, common kitchen appliance or electronics. Grab another cord from one of those devices and use it with the power supply. If the unit works with the replacement cord, the problem was your power cord. This problem is a common one. The Hildbrandt pre-Spartan unit we were fixing did not have a detachable cord but when we opened it up, it was obvious the power cord was unattached, so we soldered it back and the unit worked fine with the exception that we no longer had the voltage knob for it.

Foot Pedal Problem

Foot pedals will break or lose connectivity. Common problem is the wire that attaches the pedal to the power unit. If you yank on the pedal or the wires get twisted because you kick it around, the copper wiring may break inside the wire. The plug is a common place for the break to occur. Check it by unscrewing the housing and seeing if the negative and positive wires are still attached to the plug. If either one of those wires are detached or if the positive and negative is touching each other, the pedal will not work. If they are touching, separate them. If either one is not attached, solder the wire back. If you have another foot pedal handy, use that one to test to see if it is indeed the foot pedal that is the problem. It is always best to keep at least 1 or 2 additional pedals around just in case, they are cheap to buy anyways.

Clip Cord Problem

Clip cord issues are the same as foot pedal issues, the main problem is the wire that attaches the clip cord to the power supply. Check the mono plug the same way you did the foot pedal. If you have another clip cord handy, use that one to test to see if it is indeed the clip cord that is the problem. It is always best to keep at least 1 or 2 additional clip cords around, they don’t cost much anyways.

Taking Apart the Power Supply to Fix it

Taking apart the power supply to fix it is a last resort. We opened up this Hildbrandt pre-Spartan and found the issue immediately as we saw that a wire was not attached properly. Generally speaking, the only thing that is fixable when you open one up is detached wires. It is unlikely that the components will be fixable.  Check to see if you still have warranty, if you do, it may be better to just send it in to get fixed as taking it apart may void the warranty.  Our power supplies come with a 6 month warranty timed from the date of purchase.

This is a blast from the past we found while we were clearing out all the old parts and tools in the workshop.  It is a vintage tattoo machine, a Hildbrandt from 2004.  The frame was a cast iron frame.  This old tattoo machine was found amongst the frames and parts we used to use to build cast iron frame machines.  The process we would use to make the frame was called lost wax casting.

Lost Wax Casting Tattoo Machine

Same process my brother Mark uses to make jewellery. We make a rubber mold of the master frame.  Pour in molten wax into the rubber mold and compress it.  Put the cooled wax, now formed into the shape of the frame into an investment powder flask.  Process the investment powder into liquid, pour into investment powder flask.  Allow the investment powder to dry and solidify.  Heat the flask to allow the wax to drain out.  We now have the form of the frame in the solidified investment powder contained in the flask.  Put the flask into a centrifugal casting machine.  Superheat the iron into molten iron.  Wind up the centrifugal casting machine, pour in the molten iron and let the machine whip the iron into the flask, filling the shape of the frame.  Bust the flask open and chisel out the iron frame.  Sand and polish the frame, oil finish it and we are done.  Doesn’t sound that complicated while I’m describing the process in words, but this whole process takes roughly 2 days to finish.

Why are our Current Tattoo Machines so Different from our Old Tattoo Machines?

I would have loved to build all our Hildbrandt’s using this lost wax casting method. All of our old tattoo machine frames came out perfect and if it wasn’t perfect, we could sand and refinish them until they were. I purposely chose master frames that were thick so I had a lot of room to sand them down. Lost wax casting however, was time consuming. There was no way a lost wax cast iron tattoo machine can sell for $49 or even $100. Not using Canadian labor costs at least. So we ended up opting to go with the laser cut machine to make our frames. This reduced the time it needed to make a machine by a lot. Also, since the laser cut machine is computer programmed, the margin of error is low. Therefore reducing the need to spend time sanding frames down and balancing them.

Nostalgia with an Old Tattoo Machine

This old tattoo machine is not for sale. I’ve decided I’m going to keep this little gem for myself. After searching through the entire stack pit (the place we throw everything from bad frames to frayed wires) I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the very last of the cast iron machines I’ve ever built. Maybe I might do a tat or two with it just for kicks.

Rotary machines have become a popular choice in recent years. A rotary tattoo machine differs vs a coil machine in that it is driven by a DC motor instead of electromagnetic coils. A lot of new artists tend to find the rotary to be easier to setup. A rotary will run smoother and quieter than a coil machine.

Pros and Cons to a Rotary Machine

There are pros and cons to a rotary machine. Parts on a rotary machine are usually less expensive to replace. In addition, there are fewer parts to replace. Rotary machines are plug and play, there is little to adjust. The only adjustments are the needle depth which is adjusted via the position of the tube grip. Many new artists tend to opt for rotary machines as they have as much of a learning curve compared to coil machines. On the other hand, although the parts cost less to maintain, they are also less durable than a coil machine.

Tuning a Rotary Tattoo Gun

The rotary gun is easy to tune. They are referred to as plug and play machines because they are literally that easy to start using. The main adjustments you will make are to the position of the tube grip to determine needle depth. It is best to start off with the same standard needle depth for coil machines. Needle depth of the thickness of a dime for lining and a nickel for shading. These depths are a starting point, other factors that may change your required needle depth include: Output voltage of power supply, thickness of clients skin and size of cam wheel.

Liner or Shader?

Most rotary machines can be used for lining and shading. The only part of a rotary machine that will increase performance in either duty is the cam. The cam can come in different sizes. The larger the cam, the longer the rotation and the slower the machine. The smaller the cam, the smaller the rotation and the faster the machine. A smaller cam would be more suited for lining. A larger cam would be more suited for shading.

Mike Baxter is a great guy that we love hearing from. The work he shares with us are tattoo designs that are done on hog skin. I’ve never used hog skin to practice doing a tattoo before but looking at his work, I would definitely recommend using it if your looking to practice how to tattoo on something similar in texture and epithelial layers like human skin. I just don’t know where the hell your going to find a hog.
I personally love the pinup style girls. The one in the green reminds me of the old vintage Sailor Jerry tattoos of quasi pin up girl tattoo designs. The effect from the varied shading gives the piece a good textured look. That is the sexiest looking girl I could imagine sitting on a hog about to get slaughtered. I have yet to ask Mike the meaning or inspiration for that particular one but I’ve included a little excerpt from his email to share in this blog post. I hope I didn’t cross any boundaries by posting the excerpt Mike, let me know if you want me to edit that part out of the post. Anyway, Great job! Look forward to hearing from you again soon man!

Mikes description of his work: “Richard, Hopefully these make it to you. All of these are just practice done on Hog skins. The Rabbit was done with the .444 and the .38 (.444 Hildbrandt Magnum and .38 Hildbrandt Calibre). The Pinups were done exclusively with the Assassin, Sniper, and Hitman Rotary’s. If anyone has wondered how these perform they are flawless for lining, color, and shading as evidenced.”

A question that is asked by aspiring artists everyday is how to get a tattoo apprenticeship. First of all, if you are just thinking about getting one and stopping by every tattoo shop in town to try your luck, give up, now, this is not that kind of tutorial. Getting a tattoo apprenticeship is a commitment that only some aspiring artists are prepared to take on. Generally speaking, an apprenticeship will require up to 2 years or more to finish, you should ask yourself, are you in a position in life for that kind of commitment? The first thing you need to do is practice and get to know the trade, that is why Hildbrandt Tattoo Supply offers tattoo kits for sale. Build a proper portfolio by drawing, practicing on pigskin,practice skin and grapfruit. Once you have established a decent portfolio of work, show them around to people, not necessarily in the tattoo trade, see what regular people think of your work first. If you can’t get passed a regular persons eye, then you probably need more practice before you seek the approval of a studio. The following are videos and their summaries that will cover how to get a tattoo apprenticeship.

Learning How to Tattoo

Featuring Lenny Welch

Video Summary: If you have an artistic talent in drawing, joining the field of tattooing may be an interesting and profitable way for you to express yourself. When you are first starting out, you should practice your drawings on paper, practice skin, pigskin and grapefruit. By building a portfolio of your work, you are gaining a good amount of practice. One of the ways to get acquainted with the industry is by studying other peoples work via the internet, magazines or tv shows. The next step is to seek a tattoo apprenticeship in a reputable studio. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time learning and asking questions. Do not attempt to do skin work until the person you are apprenticing from feels you are ready to try it.

How to get a Tattoo Apprenticeship

Featuring Lenny Welch

Video Summary: A person with natural artistic talent and are interested in tattooing would look into seeking a tattoo apprenticeship. Skills needed would include the ability to draw tattoos in a way that people find interesting. You will need to build a portfolio to show your skills in color and black and grey. Get ample practice handling a tattoo machine by practicing on practice skin, pigskin or grapefruit. Once your portfolio is built up to certain level, seek out a studio willing to take on a new tattoo apprenticeship staff. Nowadays, apprenticeships can cost between 5000 to 10000 dollars. The timeframe is roughly 1 to 2 years to completion. It is a heavy commitment but the reward is reaped for a lifetime as a tattoo artist. For the first 6 months, expect to do mundane studio work like cleaning equipment, sweeping floors, filing paperwork and greeting customers. Be patient, it can take up to a year or two before you actually get to start skin work. The best times to approach tattoo shops would be during the slower months like fall and winter when the studio is not as busy.

Tattoo Artist Qualifications

Featuring Lenny Welch

Video Summary: Many states will have qualifications requirements for tattoo artists. These qualifications include but are not limited to a CPR Certificate, Red Cross Training and possible a basic First Aid course. In Florida there are no such qualifications requirements. The only requirements for a tattoo shop are a business license, tax account and registration with the health department. Generally health departments will focus on piercing and maintenance of a clean work environment.

Running a tattoo shop requires a lot of patience, planning and commitment. If you are just starting out, you will need all the advice you can get. This post will offer advice on topics like starting a tattoo shop, how to run a tattoo shop, tattoo supplies sourcing and average tattoo pricing. We by no means offer this information as a catch all troubleshooting guide as starting your own business is a complex endeavor and even the basic licensing will vary from state to state. The information provided herein is advice that may help the aspiring entrepreneur get started and nothing more.

How to Run a Tattoo Shop

Featuring Doc Lowry

Video Summary: The first order of starting a tattoo shop is to research the licensing required to operate one. Each city will have their own set of licenses required. In addition to licenses, you will likely be required to allow for the city and health department to inspect your business premises. Establishing a proper client space and reception area is important. Generally these areas should be kept quite separate from one another. Generally, people are nervous when they come in for a tattoo, it is important that your reception area is comfortable and your reception staff is friendly and knowledgeable. In addition, your reception staff is delegated to setup appointments, help with sterilization products and maintain the tattoo shop in an orderly fashion.

Starting a Tattoo Shop

Featuring Rick Wyckoff

Video Summary: First consideration to start a tattoo shop is licensing and fees. The city usually has licensing fees. You will need to register for and acquire a business license. Some cities may have zoning laws that will require you not operate near a school, church, government building, etc.. A tattoo shop generally runs as a sole proprietorship and the artists that work in the shop are independent contractors. There a lot of tattoo artists that will hold positions in shops all over the country and will usually not be exclusive to one shop. It is important that you find tattoo artists that are reputable and capable of doing things right as your shop may be held accountable in the event of a mishap. It is important to maintain proper bookkeeping for your inventory, sales and accounting so you can pay taxes. When scouting for a potential location, take into account that the location you are looking at will be capable of supporting your business. You will likely have to choose to specialize in being production shop, where passersby just come in for quick tattoos chosen from flash and simple custom work or a custom shop, specializing in custom work. It is crucial to create a legally binding consent form and if you are going to be tattooing minors, to create a separate parent consent form.

Most Painful Place to Get a Tattoo

Featuring Lenny Welch

Video Summary: Tattoo needles will hurt a little bit but in general it is bearable. There are certain areas that will hurt more than others. The high degree of pain areas include the areas under the arm, ribcage and lower back. If you are a first timer and don’t know what to expect, it may be advisable to steer clear of these areas. Other places that are moderately troublesome are the neck, feet, hands and ankles. Generally, places with very little skin padding are more painful than places that have a lot of fat to buffer your nerves. Good areas that don’t present as much of a challenge are the shoulders, hips and upper chest.

How to Determine Tattoo Price

Featuring Erick Wyckoff

Video Summary: Tattoo price varies from region to region and even from city to city. For an average or small piece, the general range is $40 to $60. This of course will depend on size, level of detail and location on the body. For larger work, prices are generally priced by the hour. The national average for the hourly tattoo price of a large piece is roughly $100 an hour. Most studios will have a minimum and would run in the range of $40 to $50. Larger work like a sleeve could be as much as $2500. The average price at a convention will vary on the ability of the artist, how famous they are and how much work they have at the convention. A famous artist can charge upwards of $300 to $500 an hour. For a local tattoo artist celebrity, the average is $100 an hour. If you are attending a lower swap meet or tattoo party, pricing could be a lot less, but as with anything in life, you get what you pay for. Generally speaking, the nicer the place, the better the work. This is because the more pride a studio takes in themselves and if they stock up on tattoo medical supplies, the higher the likelihood they will maintain a good level of professionalism and safety when they work on you.

Many of these videos were made possible by eHow.com

Some clients ask if the iron oxide in tattoo ink is harmful to the body. The fact is iron oxide pigments have been used in tattoo ink safely used for centuries. At present there have been no lawsuits to have successfully filed against iron oxide based inks. The basis for this concern is because natural iron oxides (dust and dirt) are found mixed with toxic metals like arsenic, lead and mercury. This is the reason the FDA has imposed regulations in the levels of such contaminants in tattoo ink. Many US tattoo ink manufacturers comply with the FDA suggested regulations, some however, have not. Tattoo inks that are made in China, are not regulated and recent news suggests that at least some of the made in China tattoo ink have unacceptable levels of contaminants.

What are Synthetic Iron Oxides?

Synthetic iron oxides are made with the goal of eliminating the toxic metals mixed with iron oxides. Synthetic iron oxides are inorganic and non magnetic, with the exception of some blacks. Their molecules are composed of many differently shaped crystals. UV light can change their structure resulting in loss of color. Many made in the USA tattoo ink that follow FDA guidelines use synthetic iron oxides.

Tattoo Ink Pigments Particles and the Dispersal Agent

Tattoo ink pigments are particles and therefore require a dispersal agent to make them flow to skin. The most common dispersal agents are water, ethyl alcohol and glycerin. There has been much disagreement over which dispersal agent is the best but their purpose is the same, to allow the pigment a means to disperse evenly in solution. At least some amount of alcohol mixed into the ink is highly recommended as alcohol is a very good sterilization medium.

What is Organic Pigment Tattoo Ink?

Some tattoo ink will use organic pigment. This is also popular with permanent makeup pigment and inks. Organic pigment are synthetic, not organic; they are named organic pigments because they are used to dye organic things. For example, organic pigments are used to make margarine appear more yellow. Some organic pigments have been found to be harmful whilst some are just fine, same goes with iron oxide pigments. There is no scientific proof that organic pigments as a whole are safer than iron oxides.

Allergic Reactions to Tattoo Ink

Some people say that iron oxide based pigment in tattoo ink is more likely to encourage allergic reactions. Allergic reactions from iron oxides are derived from various properties. Many allergic reactions to iron oxides can be explained by the presence of nickel. 18% of the general population is allergic to nickel and many iron oxide pigments contain at least some trace amounts of nickel. Many allergic reactions attributed to tattoo inks are actually the result of the person being allergic to the various ointments people use for tattoo aftercare.

Iron Oxides are Generally Safe

Iron oxides when processed properly are safe to use for pigments in tattoo ink. Human beings have been using iron oxides safely for a long duration of our history. Alternative pigments like organic pigments have not been proven to be safer than iron oxide. It is important to be aware of the potential dangers of all types of pigments before using them.