Stencil Solution

Hey i've been looking into a few stencil solutions lately, and reading a bit about it, i was in town a minute ago looking for a deodorant stick to mix up to make a stencil solution

you need the 2 main ingredients for a successful stencil solution to pull the ink in afaik (there are many different mixtures people use)

- propelyn glycol
- alcohol denat

most of the sticks are anti persperants which don't include these 2 crucial ingredients, i then looked at regular deodorant bodyspray (lynx or anything)

it includes those 2 base ingredients, however i've never actually seen anyone use a deodorant spray as a stencil solution i'm going to experiment in a minute and try and transfer a stencil using it, it could be awesome too since it's very good for preventing Cross contamination (idiot proofed)

i've tried a deodorant stick i already have (cant find anymore of these in shops) and it also has alcohol denat, prop gylcol and works very well tranfering the stencils, what is the difference between alcohol and alcohol denat?

just wondering everyones opinions on this?

Mate I mean this in the most respectful way I swear and I hope you take what I'm about to say as friendly advice as I promise you its coming from a good place...

Don't bother trying to invent new ways of making stencil transfer fluid/mixes up, there are loads and loads of tried and tested recipes on this site that are solid - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yeah, most of them contain 'speed stick' which you won't find down your local high street but just go on eBay or amazon and you will find it.

Why just not buy some proper transfer fluid from an online tattoo store? You pay one price, it turns up and you have something that is ready to go straight out of the bottle!


learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out but, when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks'


Seriously, learning to tattoo is not easy and there are far to many people on here that make things much more difficult than they need to be and over think things!

My advice is to get all of the boring - and we all find it boring in the initial stages sterilization and safety / aftercare down, then learning a little about how your machine works, try out a few different needle groupings on piggy then move onto stencils and making them stick.

The hardest thing will be learning how to put down a solid line - keep things hyper basic and the rest will just fall in place gradually.


Cheers buddy,

Dave :icon_lol:

Dave Bird said:

Mate I mean this in the most respectful way I swear and I hope you take what I'm about to say as friendly advice as I promise you its coming from a good place...

Don't bother trying to invent new ways of making stencil transfer fluid/mixes up, there are loads and loads of tried and tested recipes on this site that are solid - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yeah, most of them contain 'speed stick' which you won't find down your local high street but just go on eBay or amazon and you will find it.

Why just not buy some proper transfer fluid from an online tattoo store? You pay one price, it turns up and you have something that is ready to go straight out of the bottle!


learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out but, when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks'


Seriously, learning to tattoo is not easy and there are far to many people on here that make things much more difficult than they need to be and over think things!

My advice is to get all of the boring - and we all find it boring in the initial stages sterilization and safety / aftercare down, then learning a little about how your machine works, try out a few different needle groupings on piggy then move onto stencils and making them stick.

The hardest thing will be learning how to put down a solid line - keep things hyper basic and the rest will just fall in place gradually.


Cheers buddy,

Dave :icon_lol:

Click to expand...

hey thankyou for the post, yeah most probably has been tried before but it just rang a bell and crossed my mind since i hadn't seen it i'm going to just continue using green soap for now since my stencils are awesome with that and the stencil is the most important part

thanks for the advice, i have been really geeking and looking into the sterilization/sanitization side for the last 3 months so i guess i'm two steps ahead there

recently i've been looking into machine tuning too and a lot of things to do with that, absorbing a LOT! like a sponge or something!

i'm getting some nice consistent lines working off the tip of my needle at the moment (on fake skin) and i just tried on melon (yellow honeydew) and got some consistent lines there too which is a challenge due to the uneven rigid surface should be better when i actually remake my machine with quality parts and springs

Sorry to be a hassle and ask about the spray deodorant i'm just one of those perfectionist people i guess who tries to learn all the ins and outs and cover every little thing

thanks for the reply dude

It's not hassle dude not at all! I'm obsessing about anything tattoo related recently!

A really simple recipe if you wanna make your own is one speed stick - take the stick out of all the plastic casing, melt in a microwave - won't take long before it turns to a (red hot) liquid. Then add equal parts alcohol and washing up liquid and give it a shake
:icon_cheesygrin:
Job done, will last ages and sticks like shit on a blanket lol.


And yeah, I see your looking into machine assembly/tuning - get that down and everything becomes easier

Cheers:icon_cheesygrin:

Dave Bird said:

Mate I mean this in the most respectful way I swear and I hope you take what I'm about to say as friendly advice as I promise you its coming from a good place...

Don't bother trying to invent new ways of making stencil transfer fluid/mixes up, there are loads and loads of tried and tested recipes on this site that are solid - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Why just not buy some proper transfer fluid from an online tattoo store? You pay one price, it turns up and you have something that is ready to go straight out of the bottle!


learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out but, when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks'



Dave :icon_lol:

Click to expand...

What's wrong with creating your OWN stencil solution!...how do you think all the other commercial recipes got formulated?

The original poster is right in stating 'propylene glycol' is the ONE main ingredient all the others have in common...I also did quite a lot of research into the formulations out there..including the expensive 'stencil stuff'...the active ingredient of which is 'propylene glycol'...the Third listed ingredient after water and aloe vera.

I make mine up using a simple mix of three cheap and easily available ingredients... the main one being propylene glycol and I have tried my solution and found it to be far better than stencil stuff and yet at a fraction of the cost of that product!...so you cant tell me it always better to buy the extortionate products out there if we can make superior and far cheaper ones ourselves!



You say ''learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out''............No its NOT!...

Then You say ''when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks''...What???...its nothing to do with it kinda clicks...it about a simple understanding of the correct+skin preparation and application technique coupled with a reliable stencil solution....its nothing to do with kinda clicks...

If people like you say stuff like this then you are offering nothing substantial to this site...indeed you are only adding to the confusion already out there for beginners!


I already posted about correct stencil application....first you clean the skin...i use pure isopropyl alcohol....it both cleans and degreases the skin...its the same stuff hospitals use before injecting a needle into you...

Then when the skin is dry and clean...apply your chosen stencil solution....let it dry till its almost dry to the touch.....then apply the stencil...leave for 20 secs...remove and thats it!

Others may use a different method but the one i use is sound and works without fail on any part of the body....




So i say well done to the original poster for using his intelligence and thinking about creating his own far cheaper and equally good stencil solution.....

Dave Bird said:

It's not hassle dude not at all! I'm obsessing about anything tattoo related recently!

A really simple recipe if you wanna make your own is one speed stick - take the stick out of all the plastic casing, melt in a microwave - won't take long before it turns to a (red hot) liquid. Then add equal parts alcohol and washing up liquid and give it a shake
:icon_cheesygrin:
Job done, will last ages and sticks like shit on a blanket lol.




Cheers:icon_cheesygrin:

Click to expand...

You neglect to mention which speed stick!..some of the latest speed stick deodorant does NOT contain the active ingredient 'propylene glycol' ...they will still melt in a microwave yes...but they dont contain anything remotely useful that will ensure a successful stencil application!..and using washing up liquid in the list will definitely hinder any successful stencil application!

Just using ANY old speed stick wont work!...

You really need to understand WHY the original speed stick that tattooists used (which does contain 'propylene glycol') was so successful!...it was because of the 'propylene glycol'...


here is the original


and here is another without the ALL IMPORTANT 'propylene glycol'...




I know how confusing it was when i read advice like YOURS!..I went out and purchased the nearest speed stick i could find, melted it down..mixed it with the other recommended ingredients and did my first couple of stencils and tattoos thinking this is really f-ing hard!..my stencils were not lasting two f-ing minutes!...and all because some guy uploaded a vague 'speed stick' is great post like yours!


If you are going to offer advice then make sure you dont confuse members here!...And anyone who wants to make their own stencil solution up at a fraction of the cost of all the rip-off commercial ingredients then remember to include 'propylene glycol' in it!...It also helps if you include aloe vera and some alcohol base too....its really not that hard!....

And DONT just use any old speed stick!

i've actually been considering just using the dettol disinfectant though instead of green soap

http://www.boots.com/en/Dettol-Antiseptic-and-Disinfectant-Liquid-250ml_12228/?cagpspn=pla&cm_mmc=bmm-_-google-_-Boots%20Beauty-_-Beauty%20-%20PLAs&kw={keyword}

heard good things about this dettol, then i could simply use this for a disinfectant to rub the area down and then use it after to apply the stencil too. instead of having to carry green soap and a stencil applicator around, and it's also a lot easier to get your hands on than greensoap in UK everywhere sells it

weird though since dettol doesn't include propelyn glycol yet i've still heard it's amazing for stencil transfers, must just be the alcohol in it doing wonders

You DONT need Speedstick! Sure some Speedstick works, but ANY clear/translucent deodorant works.

Also, why is Speedstick so rare in the UK?

ASH13 said:

You DONT need Speedstick! Sure some Speedstick works, but ANY clear/translucent deodorant works.

Also, why is Speedstick so rare in the UK?

Click to expand...

exactly, just the active ingredients such a P.G and Alcohol i don't know it's a shame really, i have a deodorant stick it's called 'lynx' it has those ingredients and does the job good also however i can't find any in town only the shitty anti persp sticks This is why i'm just looking at using dettol since it's so much easier buy it for a couple of *£ and you can use it to replace green soap and as a stencil transfer

daveb said:

What's wrong with creating your OWN stencil solution!...how do you think all the other commercial recipes got formulated?

The original poster is right in stating 'propylene glycol' is the ONE main ingredient all the others have in common...I also did quite a lot of research into the formulations out there..including the expensive 'stencil stuff'...the active ingredient of which is 'propylene glycol'...the Third listed ingredient after water and aloe vera.

I make mine up using a simple mix of three cheap and easily available ingredients... the main one being propylene glycol and I have tried my solution and found it to be far better than stencil stuff and yet at a fraction of the cost of that product!...so you cant tell me it always better to buy the extortionate products out there if we can make superior and far cheaper ones ourselves!



You say ''learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out''............No its NOT!...

Then You say ''when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks''...What???...its nothing to do with it kinda clicks...it about a simple understanding of the correct+skin preparation and application technique coupled with a reliable stencil solution....its nothing to do with kinda clicks...

If people like you say stuff like this then you are offering nothing substantial to this site...indeed you are only adding to the confusion already out there for beginners!


I already posted about correct stencil application....first you clean the skin...i use pure isopropyl alcohol....it both cleans and degreases the skin...its the same stuff hospitals use before injecting a needle into you...

Then when the skin is dry and clean...apply your chosen stencil solution....let it dry till its almost dry to the touch.....then apply the stencil...leave for 20 secs...remove and thats it!

Others may use a different method but the one i use is sound and works without fail on any part of the body....




So i say well done to the original poster for using his intelligence and thinking about creating his own far cheaper and equally good stencil solution.....

Click to expand...

I never said that there was anything wrong with anyone making stencil solution. Nothing at all.

I was saying to the op that there are plenty of good recipes on this very site - many tried and tested and easy to make

Ive noticed this guy is new and asking a lot of good questions on the site in other posts, including steriziation etc which many new people are eager to skip and get started inking sooner. Obviously anyone can do whatever they want, in any order but I was just suggesting that being so new, without much experience the op shouldn't need to worry about coming up with a method not mentioned anywhere before. Buying shop bought (which I agree is expensive but a bottle will last quite a while) or using a known recipe is a good thing to do as it free's up more time for getting the basics down - there is a lot to learn in the initial stages and a home made (and as far as the op is concerned not tried before)
stencil fluid is something that could maybe wait a while. Without any other stuff what would the comparison of it being good be compared to?

It took me a while to produce a nice stencil interms of knowing what to use, how much to use and the drying time. Through trial and error, it eventually 'clicked' for me - I dont understand how that would be an unhelpful thing to say

In terms of not mentioning what speed stick, as you have already pointed out, the op already knows that the main ingredients are - prop glyco etc. But, you are right, I didn't specify - when you go and look on ebay as I suggested, nearly every listing for speed stick is mentions tattooing as it is something we dont really have in the uk and the majority of people who by it, use it for tattoo stencils.

I then, posted up a simple, easy to make, effective recipe which works for me, that I got from a post on this very site - again trying to be helpful with a super simple, cheap easy recipe.



You state that people like me are offering nothing substantial to this site? Kinda unfair that comment, I simply said to the op that his time could be better spent doing other stuff and I posted up a known recipe. All whilst being polite, friendly and respectful.

Dave

Dave Bird said:

I never said that there was anything wrong with anyone making stencil solution. Nothing at all.

Click to expand...

Rubbish!....First off am not here on this site to antagonise or argue with people like you...but you DID say to the OP to ''Don't bother trying to invent new ways of making stencil transfer fluid/mixes up there are loads and loads of tried and tested recipes on this site that are solid - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.''

So now you are trying to tell me that you didn't say there was anything wrong with members making their own stencil solution!!!! YET YOU WERE QUITE FORCEFUL AND ADAMANT IN YOUR SENTENCES WHICH DISCREDITED THE WHOLE IDEA!.....sorry pal but in your own obvious and insinuating way you DID make it sound that it was wrong to even consider making your own stencil solution!

Dave Bird said:

stencil fluid is something that could maybe wait a while. Without any other stuff what would the comparison of it being good be compared to?

Click to expand...

Stencil solution is the ONE main important first step in being able to tattoo using an accurate legible and permanent stencil!....understanding how stencil solution works is paramount to success...and not something that can wait a while!.........like i said bad advice like the the Speed stick in the microwave trick led me to countless of failures!....I also found many commercial solutions to be not much better than plain old dettol..some are even worse!....so just buying a commercial product doesn't always achieve success and can be a hit or miss affair.

We can compare any stencil solution to our OWN TESTS and observations on our own skin!..that's how we compare solutions!!!!!......its not rocket science is it.... its how i made my own simple stencil solution!....trial and error and lots of research and failures......eventually i realised the ONE IMPORTANT INGREDIENT was 'propylene glycol'......i realised this was the key....along with two other simple ingredients cheaply available....like i said i have found my stencil solution to be just as good if not better than stencil stuff...all because i took the time to look into what is a confusing and often limiting factor in many early tattoo attempts...



You say there is no need to mess about with trying to make your own stencil solution ... BUT then you proceeded to give your own recipe!....and one that omits what type of speedstick to use!....

Dave Bird said:

I then, posted up a simple, easy to make, effective recipe which works for me,

Click to expand...

What you are saying is.....DONT bother making your own stencil solution..dont mess about with needless and confusing things like that....BUT if you do want a good DIY stencil solution then i suggest MINE!.. how arrogant is that!..ADD to the fact you then proceeded to give an incomplete and misleading recipe i would say your offerings on this thread are unhelpful and unsubstantial!

You're right. I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. You are someone to take advice from.

I'll just read posts from now on as I have nothing of value in anything I say. Have a fantastic day and I hope you manage to get a better nights sleep tonight :heart:

relax guys

I dunno, I tried using deodorant but it just woudlnt hold the stencil on too long

daveb said:

You neglect to mention which speed stick!..some of the latest speed stick deodorant does NOT contain the active ingredient 'propylene glycol' ...they will still melt in a microwave yes...but they dont contain anything remotely useful that will ensure a successful stencil application!..and using washing up liquid in the list will definitely hinder any successful stencil application!

Just using ANY old speed stick wont work!...

You really need to understand WHY the original speed stick that tattooists used (which does contain 'propylene glycol') was so successful!...it was because of the 'propylene glycol'...


here is the original

and here is another without the ALL IMPORTANT 'propylene glycol'...

I know how confusing it was when i read advice like YOURS!..I went out and purchased the nearest speed stick i could find, melted it down..mixed it with the other recommended ingredients and did my first couple of stencils and tattoos thinking this is really f-ing hard!..my stencils were not lasting two f-ing minutes!...and all because some guy uploaded a vague 'speed stick' is great post like yours!


If you are going to offer advice then make sure you dont confuse members here!...And anyone who wants to make their own stencil solution up at a fraction of the cost of all the rip-off commercial ingredients then remember to include 'propylene glycol' in it!...It also helps if you include aloe vera and some alcohol base too....its really not that hard!....

And DONT just use any old speed stick!

Click to expand...

Thank you couldn't understand why my bloody stencils don't last. .... need the damn proper speed stick

Hi Aldo I use the brut deodorant stick but as the guys said it must contain
Propylene glycol so read label ,for best results once you've prepped the skin is to apply the deodorant and let let dry ,also make sure stencil paper has had time to dry then once you place onto the skin let it dry again ,once all has dried the only way to remove it is fresh deodorant stick or green soap good luck

If you're going to use speed stick make sure you are not using it directly on the skin. For cross contamination purposes either cut it into small one time use pieces or rub it onto a clean paper towel and use the paper towel to apply it....

I might be playing with fire here, but i made a great mix from Dettol, distilled water and prop glycol (i keep this for making my vape) The stencil goes on really dark and strong and wont budge without a good cleaning.

Steadfast pigment company.. ther stuff is the best hands down

I've tried a couple of different brands stencil stuff, electrum, and hulk. So far the hulk seems to be the winner, that shit will last well after the tattoo is done. I still wanna try anchored(I've heard a lot of good reviews on it) but hulk is a solid stencil solution and it's nice not having to worry about my stencil coming off.

This post from over 2yrs ago and half of the people are no longer in here

Patch72 said:

This post from over 2yrs ago and half of the people are no longer in here

Click to expand...

damnit I keep falling for that lol

But the stencil solutions are still out there. Could be interesting read for someone.

MalligaMallan said:

But the stencil solutions are still out there. Could be interesting read for someone.

Click to expand...

true true, I'm gonna do some review thread so that way they wont have to look for the info

Rising Star said:

Mate I mean this in the most respectful way I swear and I hope you take what I'm about to say as friendly advice as I promise you its coming from a good place...

Don't bother trying to invent new ways of making stencil transfer fluid/mixes up, there are loads and loads of tried and tested recipes on this site that are solid - and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yeah, most of them contain 'speed stick' which you won't find down your local high street but just go on eBay or amazon and you will find it.

Why just not buy some proper transfer fluid from an online tattoo store? You pay one price, it turns up and you have something that is ready to go straight out of the bottle!


learning how to put down a solid stencil that will last many wipes without disappearing is actually a pretty hard thing to figure out but, when you work it out, you won't have anymore issues - it just kinda 'clicks'


Seriously, learning to tattoo is not easy and there are far to many people on here that make things much more difficult than they need to be and over think things!

My advice is to get all of the boring - and we all find it boring in the initial stages sterilization and safety / aftercare down, then learning a little about how your machine works, try out a few different needle groupings on piggy then move onto stencils and making them stick.

The hardest thing will be learning how to put down a solid line - keep things hyper basic and the rest will just fall in place gradually.


Cheers buddy,

Dave :icon_lol:

Click to expand...

Well said. People do love to over complicate stuff! .

Dettol is a really good stencil transfer apply to the skin then as soon as it feels sticky apply the stencil
Holds up very well

This may be an old post but this may help someone out there if they are still looking for home made stencil solutions.
This should be a good replacement for Speedstick.

Lynx Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Stick, Africa 50ml
Ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane,
Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY,
PPG-14 Butyl Ether,
Stearyl Alcohol,
Hydrogenated Castor Oil,
Talc,
PEG-8 Distearate,
Parfum,
BHT,
Butylphenyl Methylpropional,
Citronellol,
Coumarin,
Geraniol,
Hexyl Cinnamal,
Limonene,
Linalool

Available at Sainsbury's, and probably other supermarkets in the UK for around £3.

AndyCrap said:

This may be an old post but this may help someone out there if they are still looking for home made stencil solutions.
This should be a good replacement for Speedstick.

Lynx Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Stick, Africa 50ml
Ingredients
Cyclopentasiloxane,
Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY,
PPG-14 Butyl Ether,
Stearyl Alcohol,
Hydrogenated Castor Oil,
Talc,
PEG-8 Distearate,
Parfum,
BHT,
Butylphenyl Methylpropional,
Citronellol,
Coumarin,
Geraniol,
Hexyl Cinnamal,
Limonene,
Linalool

Available at Sainsbury's, and probably other supermarkets in the UK for around £3.

Click to expand...

Would you really risk that on the skin for the price of a small bottle of hulk or electrum ?

No
But for piggy or rubber yes.
Come to thing of it, its not really something you would want to use at all, when you read the ingredient.

Just reading this old post that just doesn't want to die, and for the sake of bringing life into a post that should have come to a natural death long ago I've got 1 comment. The reason people are referring to a speed stick or Lynx deodorant is for the propylene glycol and possibly the alcohol. The additional ingredients on the deodorant is my concern. It is very easy to purchase pure propylene glycol online and probably in person after a quick search, the alcohol should be just as easy to source. The less additional chemicals and shit your putting on your skin the better and the transfer outcomes should become a bit more predictable.

Now let this die.

Igletdatard said:

Just reading this old post that just doesn't want to die, and for the sake of bringing life into a post that should have come to a natural death long ago I've got 1 comment. The reason people are referring to a speed stick or Lynx deodorant is for the propylene glycol and possibly the alcohol. The additional ingredients on the deodorant is my concern. It is very easy to purchase pure propylene glycol online and probably in person after a quick search, the alcohol should be just as easy to source. The less additional chemicals and shit your putting on your skin the better and the transfer outcomes should become a bit more predictable.

Now let this die.

Click to expand...

Haha so you being a very fresh member felt an urge to dig up this very post, deciding it never wants to die? ?

On a side note - alcohol? I'm no expert on deo sticks for stencils, but as I recall it that usually is what people want to avoid when applying stencils as it ruins it.

Now we can let this post die ?

MalligaMallan said:

Now we can let this post die ?

Click to expand...

i vote

NO!

SoOo just to clarify are we saying that using this homemade solution is NOT safe for human tatts? In prison we use this same mixup but of course that says nothing to the safety of it. While not in prison I would prefer to use the safest but quick method and shipping Can be such a pain!
ThanXx

When I first started tattooing, Speed Stick or Brut deodorant was what was used, then someone realized that cross contamination could occur by using the stick on one person, then on another. I have found that most tattooists in my locality use undiluted Dettol....they spray it onto a piece of paper towel, then rub it onto the skin and wait until it becomes tacky, then apply the stencil. I have used this method and it works well, but I prefer using a dedicated stencil primer purchased from a tattoo supply store. my preference is Electrum Green Gold Stencil Primer, it works very well but you must ensure that it's not applied too thickly, it will blur the lines of the stencil