HAND MADE V.S. MACHINE MADE

GREAT TOPIC TO DISSECT. IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE CRAFTSMANSHIP SHOULD BE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY WHERE CRAFTSMANSHIP AND KNOWLEDGE TAKE A BACK SEAT TO IMAGE, MAKING MONEY, ARTISTS BAFFLING CLIENTS WITH EXCUSES, THE SUPPLIERS AND BUILDERS BAFFLING THE IGNORANT ARTIST WITH BULLSHIT AND SUPERSTITION, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT LOGIC IS LOST IN THIS DEPARTMENT. IT'S NOT HARD TO IMPRESS THE IGNORANT.

WE HAVE SEEN MACHINES CUT BY HAND, ALL OF US WHO BUILD MACHINES HAVE DONE THIS. A SAW, MAYBE SOME DRILL BITS.. A FILE... TO CUT A FRAME. WINDING YOUR OWN COILS ON A DRILL OR MAYBE YOU MADE YOUR OWN WINDER.

WHICH IS BETTER?

IF YOU HAVE A TIGHTLY WOUND COIL WITH PERFECT LAYERS.. NO GAPS, YOUR COIL, WHEN ACTIVATED, WILL PRODUCE A BETTER MAGNETIC FIELD THAN A COIL WHICH HAS GAPS IN THE WIRE.

TO PROGRAM A COIL WINDING MACHINE TO DO THIS AND MAKE THE COILS PERFECT EVERY TIME VERSUS A HUMAN WINDING HIS OWN AND WITH HUMAN ERROR INCLUDED. WHICH HAS A BETTER CHANCE TO PRODUCE A PERFECT COIL?

HOW MANY OF YOU READERS HAVE EVER TRIED TO WIND YOUR OWN COILS? AFTER THE FIRST PERFECT LAYER, THEN IT'S TIME FOR THE SECOND. IT'S HARD TO GET A PERFECT AMOUNT OF TIGHT WINDS ON IT THE SECOND TIME, BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING! LET'S PUT THAT AGAINST A MACHINE WHICH CAN BE PROGRAMMED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TURNS PER PROVIDED SPACE AND DO THEM EVENLY, TIGHT AND PERFECT EVERY TIME...HMMM

WHICH IS BETTER?

A FRAME CUT ON A CNC MILL.... THE CNC WILL CONSISTENTLY PRODUCE A PERFECT PART. HUMAN ERROR IS NOT PART OF THE MACHINE'S EQUATION ONCE PROGRAMMED TO CUT PERFECT ANGLES, DRILL AND TAP TO EXACT DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS.

WHICH IS BETTER?

IT'S FUNNY TO STOP AND THINK THAT MOST MACHINE BUILDERS ARE LIKE HARLEY BUILDERS... THEY DESIGN A NEW KIND OF CHOPPER FRAME, MAYBE A NEW COOL PAINT JOB. AND YET THE MOTOR IS THE SAME EVO MOTOR MOUNTED ON EVERY BUILDER'S FRAME. DO THESE BIKE BUILDERS BUILD THEIR OWN MOTORS? DO THESE FRAME DESIGNERS USE THE SAME 8 LAYER COIL? SAME CAPACITOR AS THE NEXT GUY? DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT CAPACITANCE IS? DO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS NEEDED FOR PROPER MACHINE FUNCTION? WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO SAY TO EXPLAIN THE LACK OF INCREMENTAL SENSITIVITY IN THEIR MACHINES? ... NO USEFUL FUNCTION BETWEEN O AND 7 VOLTS!

BEFORE ANYBODY GETS ON THEIR "OLD SCHOOL" KICK... REMEMBER, WE ARE IN 2011. OLD SCHOOL ETHICS APPLY. OLD SCHOOL TECHNIQUE IS A CHOICE, MODERN APPLICATION AND EDUCATION IS A MUST. YOU HAVE THE CHOICE TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION OR TO BE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

MEXICO CITY TATTOO CONVENTION, OCT. 29 & 30, 2011

Mexico City Tattoo convention organizer Tony Serrano from Tatuajes Mexico, asked us to do a machine seminar. There were 16 artists in the class. We covered everything in our book and more. The goal is more than just to educate artists, for us, it's important to find people who are on the same page and want to be a part of the solution and NOT part of the problem. First you need to wake up and see that there is a problem and then tear it down bit by bit.

"HOW MANY OF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN NEEDLES?" Looks like 2 or so.. the rest?

The way to maintain quality control over every aspect of your tattooing is to understand every aspect of your tattooing. What you're actually doing when you step on the footswitch, when you put the needles in to the skin, the types of needles you are using, the quality of the pigment. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't care if you're doing good work with the products they sell. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't care if the products they sell are truly functional. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't understand what they are really selling. Almost all tattoo supply companies have never used the products they sell. Almost all artists trust these suppliers to supply them with quality functional products... these suppliers buy and sell products manufactured by people who do not tattoo, people who do not understand what functions are necessary in a tattoo machine. This is only a small part of the problem. Now, hopefully, these 16 students will not be taken by the hype in this unregulated business oriented supplier / artist relationship.

Art, Steve, Pablo Porno and Enrico Colombres.

While we were busy at the booth, selling machines, repairing machines and tattooing...

Juan "super" Arreguin was busy trying out his new prototype model machine, and having great results!

David "Scrappy Uno" Garcia was tattooing with his own model Scrappy Uno machine ...

Manuel "Master" Servin was tattooing also...

L to R: Pablo Porno, Scrappy Uno, and Master... All first place winners! Portrait, tattoo of the day, realism... the best of the best.

Congratulations to all 3 of these artists, we are proud to have them on Godoy Machines.

Mean while... Javier "Jade" Campos, was winning in Ecuador & Lima Peru with his own Javier Campos model machine!!!

The talent at this convention was incredible, the organization was perfect, the entertainment excellent.. thanks also to Tony Serrano for being a great host. And Enrico Colombres from Godoy Machines South America for being part of our crew.