Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine: Review

Introduction

Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine Review

Tattoo Machines And The History They Carry

An overview of the Tattoo Machines

You might have seen Tattoo Machines on television or in a shop nearby, and hence know for a fact that it is a handheld device used to create Tattoos, which are permanent markings in the skin, with the use of indelible ink. 

Unlike the older versions of Tattoo Machines, the modern ones use electromagnetic coils for easy manoeuvring of the armature to move up and down. The armature bar is connected with a barred needle, which further groups and pushes the ink into the skin.

It is to be known that Tattoo Artists usually call the Machines pen or iron, while the word gun is frequently used as well. But, professional artists refrain from using the word gun as they think that it is offensive. 

We also see Rotary Tattoo Machines today powered by regulated motors instead of electromagnetic coils regarding the coiled Tattoo Machines. Other types include a Pneumatic Machine that uses compressed air instead of electricity, but the manual work is quite similar to the coiled ones. 

The History

Before the use of machines, inking was done through Electric Pens invented by Thomas Alva Edison and patented under stencil pens in New Jersey, United States, in the year 1876. The use of an Electric Pen was originally designed for duplicating. But, Samuel O’Reilly, in 1891, discovered how Edison’s machine could be changed and used for introducing ink into one’s skin. This was later patented as a tube and a needle to provide sufficient support to his theory. 

O’Reilly’s machine was based on the use of tattoo Rotary Technology that we see today through Edison’s device, but the modern machines use electromagnets. So, how are these two related? You see, the first machine based on modern technology was a single coil machine by Thomas Riley of London, patented just 20 days after O’Reilly filed his patent for the Rotary Machine. 

Thomas, for his machine, placed a modification of a doorbell assembly in a brass box which can be compared with the modern two-coil configuration presented by Alfred Charles South, who was also a citizen of London at that time but, as the assembly was too heavy, a spring was attached to the top of the machine to take the weight off from the operator’s hand. 

In the year of 1978, a German Tattoo Artist named Manfred Kohrs introduced his first new design for the Rotary machine, which had a similar functioning to O’reilly’s except the use of an Electric DC Motor instead of the Electrified Magnets that drove the needles. Manfred’s assembly was slimmer and a streamlined version of the original machine.

It was lighter, portable, and quieter than the original machines. This gave Tattoo Artists the extra control required in their hands and fingers, resulting in fewer cramps and difficulties. Many artists upgraded to these new levels of Rotary Machines, while others preferred their original coiled machines. 

Today, most of the modern Tattoo Machines can control speed, required needle depth, and force of application for the allowance of tattooing to become precise and less difficult. All of these advances in precision have been produced through a series of evolution, which resulted in a style of facial tattooing attributed to the mainstream popularity of permanent cosmetics in America, creating methods such as the addition and removal of freckles and scars and beauty spots. 

Types Of Tattoo Machines

Tattoo Machines can be classified into five types: shaders and liners are some of the most common machines, as far as we look at their technical standpoint. 

Mechanically, the machines can be classified into coiled tattoo machines, pneumatic machines, rotary machines, and linear tattoo machines. Let us discuss each one of them below – 

1. Rotary Tattoo Machine

As mentioned above, the Rotary Tattoo Machines were the original machines based on the rotary technology invented by Samuel O’Reilly and later improved by several tattoo artists through the years. The Rotary Tattoo Machines uses an electric motor to drive the needles in the machine.

The recent upgrades in the machine include the use of an armature bar to increase the efficiency and characteristic of coiled machines. Other improvements in the machine include the formation of a pneumatic type of machine instead of electric motors. 

2. Coil Tattoo Machine 

The Coil Tattoo Machines are some of the most commonly used tattoo machines in the market. The machines use an electromagnetic circuit for the movement of the needle groupings. It includes different variations ranging from single-coiled machine to triple-coiled machines which can be made from various materials in different shapes and sizes.

The dual coiled machines are a standard for tattoo machines. The coils used in the Coil Tattoo Machines range from 8 to 10 wraps, which helps create the resistance and impedance used for the proper regulation of the machine’s power and speed. This also causes less trauma to one’s skin. 

3. Liner Tattoo Machine 

The most important aspect of a Liner Tattoo Machine is in laying down the ink within the skin in one single pass to create a dominant line. The Liner Tattoo Machine uses a short circuit of contact about 1.5 mm to 2mm, resulting in a faster machine cycle. 

4. Shader Tattoo Machine 

The Shader Tattoo Machine is usually used to shade black ink or variations of black ink in the art of tattooing. Other colours are also used, but the main focus is given to black shades. The machine has a low saturation level but uses a bigger contact gap than that of a Liner Tattoo Machine ranging from about 2 mm to 3.5 mm, making the machine cycle slower.

The machine is used for sculpting lines, making it efficient for tattoo artists to use it for lines that need to be traced with less trauma to one’s skin. 

5. Pneumatic Tattoo Machine

The first Pneumatic Tattoo Machine was invented by a Tattoo Artist named Carson Hill in the year 2000. The tattoo machine uses an air compressor instead of the usual electromagnetic method that results in an extremely light machine.

The Pneumatic Tattoo Machines uses this pressurized air to drive its needles up and down, so these tattoo machines are sterilized, and the entire setup can be placed in an autoclave without any drastic disassembly unlike the traditional coil machines. It is to be noted that the device did not gain much popularity according to its hype. 

Even though there are five classifications for tattoo machines, the machines cannot be limited to just these types. 

The Machines sometimes use a “cutback” for stiffer front springs. These are commonly used in Liners, but some are also used on Shader machines for portrait work. They can also be classified into short stroke and long stroke variations. 

A longer stroke machine is used for good coloring and shading as well as sculpting, while the shorter stroke machines are used for lining in a single pass style. They are also used for shade setups to achieve subtle gradation of black shades.

The length, tension, angle, and stiffness of the spring varies with machine-to-machine. The contact gaps and capacitors and style of machines, and their angle of deflections can also be classified in different settings. The amount of tuning required for each machine and the type of tattoos best made for a machine can also be used for its different classifications. 

Our Review On The Best – The Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine

Product Description

The Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine is designed with some of the most top quality products manufactured by top sellers in the market. The Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine is equipped with an adjustable dampening which can be controlled by a dial located on the top of the machine.

For specific hard works such as color packing and lining shades, you can turn the control screw in a clockwise direction while, for those going for a softer work such as shading, you are to turn the control screw in the counterclockwise direction. The Hummingbird Machine can inky softer textures compared with some of the best conventional coil shading machines.

It only needs about 5 seconds to switch it from a liner to a shader without any extra need of touching the power supply. The retainer in the needle makes it possible to perfect the needle groups with no need for extra rubber bands.

The machine has an improved tube vice locking system for efficient grips for the user. The Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine can be connected to a power supply with the help of an RCA cord. The machine has a built-in general Swiss motor which is not only powerful but very durable.

Reasons That Make It Better Than Other Products

The Hummingbird V1 Rotary Tattoo Machine is designed with overall well-balanced features. The machine produces low noise and low vibration, making it a popular choice for many artists. The needle bar stabilizer in the machine can accept standard tubes, grips, needles, and power supplies with the help of an RCA jack, which makes the Hummingbird Machine the most compatible and successful tattoo machine ever made.

With top-quality Swiss-made motors, the Hummingbird is one of the most powerful and durable machines with a long life period lasting up to 10,000 hours of speed and control with a reverse function that can adopt the traditional power supply. The machine can use 49 needles or more than that, without any difficulties.

The Hummingbird is made up of light materials such as aluminum alloy, resulting in better heat dissipation and a low risk of hand cramps. It has been designed with the mind of a Tattoo Artist with high-quality materials and products.

It is a state of an art machine with features that offer a wide range of advantages compared with other machines found in the market. It is compact, lightweight, and flexible. The product can be set up from a medium, short, and long stroke with a simple change of interchangeable extenders in the front of the motor.

The machine is capable of inking at a stroke length ranging from 2.6 mm to 5.5 mm, allowing maximum efficiency and short healing passage. 

The main components in the machine include a precision CNC machining centre production system ensuring the overall proper functioning of the machine. There is also a vibration amplitude of 3.2 to 4.4, making sure that the product provides the best possible floating proportion for a tattoo machine.

The calculated rated speed of 20,000 found on the original Swiss motor helps it achieve efficient speed power. The black knob located on the top of the machine has the ability to control the distance of needles and fine-tuning strength.

The clockwise direction adjustment increases the needle intensity and is suited for a large area of heavy coloring, while the counterclockwise adjustment makes the needle strength weak and is suitable for portrait effects. The user can choose the appropriate adjustments according to their preferences. 

Product Features 

• Low vibration. 
• Ergonomic design.
• Lightweight (only 80g).
• Adjustable hitting force.
• Standard grips, tubes, and needles.
• RCA connection. 
• No need for rubber bands. 
• Compatible with power supplies 0-14 Volt.
• Good product for shading, lining, and filling.
• Stops in the upper position. 
• No moving components. 
• Stays in contact with the plastic barrier.

HUMMINGBIRD ROTARY Liner & Shader Tattoo Machine RCA

How Does A Tattoo Machine Work?

As you might have learned by now, there are a few basic classifications of the Tattoo machines, including the coil, rotary, and pneumatic machine type.

• The Magnetic Coil Machine is one of the most classic machines used for tattoos that uses an alternating electromagnetic current to pass through its coils, turning the magnets on and off in rapid succession. This movement pulls a spring-loaded armature bar which creates an up and down motion resulting in the armature bar tapping the needles into the skin. The Coil Machines creates a buzzing sound during their process. 

• As for the Rotary Motor Machines, it is powered up with the use of a small spinning motor attached to its armature resulting in the production of an up and down motion. The Rotary Machines are much quieter in comparison to the coil machines. They are known to move the needles far more smoothly and precisely in comparison to the coil machine. 

• The Pneumatic Tattoo Machines, first invented by Carson Hill in the year 2000, works with the help of pressurised air from air compressors for the movement of the up and down direction of the needles. Some of the major advantages of the Pneumatic Tattoo Machine are that they are safer to use, lightweight, and can be placed in an autoclave without any difficulties.

Needles and Tubes

As for the Tattoo Needles that are set at the end of the armature connecting to the part of the machine that travels up and down, its mechanism involves the passage of the armature bar through the tube attaching itself to the handgrip, that is fitted into the vice of the machine to hold the assembly in a stable position.

Some artists prefer tubes made of stainless steel that must be sterilized and cleaned after each use. Steel tubes are highly preferable for many other reasons, but many artists have upgraded to disposable plastic tubes for safety concerns and convenience over time. 

As for the Tube set in the needles, they are usually extended beyond the tip of the tube at an appropriate distance. The motion of the needles in the tube results in the creation of certain conditions to draw the tattoo pigment into the tube, allowing it to be released when the needles are running in one’s skin. The whole assembly of the machine is connected to a power supply with a special wiring harness, called an RCA code or clipboard.

The power supply has certain settings that control the speed of the machines and other features. A footswitch most commonly activates it to keep the artist’s hands-free of difficulties. When the artist is working, they usually stretch their client’s skin and press the foot pedal, which results in the running of the needles up and down as they pass the tip of the tube over the skin. These needles carry color pigments as they travel and deposit the colors into the skin forever. 

Tattoo needles can be compared with individual hair of a paintbrush, all of which are of the same height, weight, and width, but they all come in various shapes and sizes. Similarly, tattoo needles can vary in shapes and sizes; for instance, some needles taper at the end while some are long and some are short. Some hands are used for smooth colours, while others are used for textured features, but they are more or less the same. 

Liners and Shaders

Liner needles are classified in various quantities, which are often tightly tapered for close textures, while shading needles can be termed within round patterns as they fan out into what is known as magnums for mags.

A few minor variations can be found with individual needle groups together, forming a tattoo needle that is then soldered onto a needle bar with a length of stainless steel wire looping on the end, which can be fitted into a tattoo machine. The unit as a whole has to be sterilized and cleaned after every use.

As for the needle bar, reusable stainless steel, rubber, and plastic that can be disposed of are provided with the handgrip that allows the machine’s proper functioning. It also has a reservoir for pigment.

The thickness with which the needles need to be implemented for the penetration is about the thickness of a nickel. A tattoo artist works with a range of different needles to create their individual style of tattooing. Some might use a tiny stainless steel paintbrush, while others resort to tapered brushes.

Things To Look Out For In a Tattoo Machine – Your Buying Guide To a Good Purchase

It is crucial to do proper research before purchasing, whether it is a decorative item or an important digital asset. Everything should be looked into and read about before you invest your time and money in that particular object so that you don’t have regrets after you buy it and waste your money.

In the same way, a suitable Tattoo Machine requires a good amount of study so that you buy the best product for your use, satisfying all your Tattoo needs and requirements. Taking these things in mind, here are some of the factors to look out for before you indulge in purchasing a Tattoo Machine – 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is a Hummingbird Machine? 

Ans. The Hummingbird Rotary Tattoo Machines are a series of tattoo machines designed and made by the Hummingbird company. The machine has a dampening control over different features that its users can change according to their preferences. 

Q2. Is tuning required in a Rotary Tattoo Machine? 

Ans. Rotary machines have to be plugged in and played, so there are very few requirements for adjustments. The only adjustments required is the needle depth with the use of the position of the tube grip. 

Q3. Why is my Tattoo Machine not working? 

Ans. A few of the reasons why your tattoo machine might not be working must be due to an open circuit or a shortage of power. You need to make sure that all your points are clean and make sure if the circuit is not broken or something is caught between the wires. You need to open the assembly and pinpoint the problem so that you can fix it. 

Q4. What is the correct voltage required to run a Rotary Tattoo Machine?

Ans. The correct voltage for a Rotary Machine to run efficiently is about 5.75 volts to 7 volts. 

Q5. How do I set up a Hummingbird Tattoo Machine?

Ans. To set up a hummingbird tattoo machine, you need first to hit the dial at the top of the machine and turn it clockwise and counterclockwise so that it hits hard and vice versa. To make it softer for lining and colour packing, the harder hit would work better, while for the lighter shading, the lighter strokes will work much better.

Final Words

The art of inking in one’s skin to preserve memories and show love to one’s passion and things of importance is quite an important task. So, it is only important that a Tattoo Artist be very sure of their products and services; whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, it can be quite overwhelming while choosing a Tattoo Machine and its various accessories.

While beginners are more prone to making mistakes, even professionals can make a few mistakes here and there. This is why the most effective way to make a smart decision is to buy the Hummingbird Rotary V1 Tattoo Machine, which will minimize your chances of mistakes in your artistic career.

We hope that through this article reviewed on the product, you now know how efficient the product can be for your career and provide a lot of benefits for your future work.