Actions
Forum Thread Details
  • Replies 13 replies
  • Subscribers 392 subscribers
  • Views 3995 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Tattoo machine controller?

Former Member

Is it possible to create a tattoo machine controller with arduino?  Tattoo machines usually work between 5-13vdc at less than 1 amp.  Right now most machines operate by opening and closing a circuit containing two electromagnets to pull the armature bar down (pushing the needle down) then breaking the circuit, releasing the needle/bar.

 

I'd be interested in creating something to either draw it's current from a deep cycle marine 12v allowing me to adjust the voltage or more preferably, something that would allow me to take either 120vac or 12vdc and convert it to an appropriate voltage that would allow me to turn on and off the electromagnetic coils using the arduino.

Parents

  • The tattoo machine is a very simple machine and works quite well. When something so simple works so well there is no point it messing things up and trying to over complicate it. The machine handles the firing of the coils just fine without a computer helping it along. As you probably know, when you turn the power on to the machine the coils fire drawing the armature bar to them and driving the needle to the skin. As soon as that happens the front spring leaves the adjustment screw breaking the circuit to the coils allowing the rear spring the draw the Armature bar back up making contact with the adjustment screw again and firing the coils again. A combination of the voltage from the power supply and the adjustment screw controls how smooth and how fast the machine runs. So where would an arduino be of any help? If you want to use it to control the voltage there are much simpler circuits you can make using an LM317M adjustable voltage regulator. If you wanted to make give it a digital readout an Arduino could come in handy for that.

  • in reply to Former Member

    I don't know if I want to improve it but I'd like to change how it works.  I know it's efficient but there are companies out there now offering systems that basically let you modify the force and duration of the needle strike electronically, the set screw only modifies the length of travel for the needle.

     

    either way, I'd really like running my machine on a 12v DC battery.  Could I just use a pot for that ?

     

    ^^^ pretty new to electronics, just got my first arduino a few days ago and the ideas are flying image    

  • in reply to Former Member

    No a pot on its own won't be enoug. You will need the LM317M and a few other components to create a circuit that can regulat the output of the battery. Here is a simple circuit that will do it for you.

    http://www.circuit-innovations.co.uk/LM317.html

Reply Children
No Data