Coil machine, ink not flowing

Zippo · 15 Jul 2022

Hi everyone,

I got myself Adam Ciferri's Ghost Dog a little while back, after having it recommended to me.
I use plastic grips with it, and a 9er, but no matter what I do, it seems like the ink doesnt want to flow.
I tired turning up the voltage, turning it down (6-8V), tried putting the needle out more or less.
Tried bending the needle in different places and by different degrees but nothing seems to work. (Funnily, once i bend the needle up instead of down, it seems to work better

)
The ink flows sometimes, then just gets stuck and stops.
I have another coil and that one works without an issue, so I'm guessing its not my cord or power supply.
Does anyone have any advice? I'm a beginner so it is possible that there is a terribly simple reason for this that I am missing

hdlc · 15 Jul 2022

might want to see if the ink is to thick. I haven't used coils in a long time but I check my viscosity if the ink comes out to slow or falls out of the cartridge.

I found this online. It might help.

One Cause

One cause of ink not going in is:
Needle is set too far out for that viscosity ink.
The tip is the reservoir for the ink. Surface tension holds the ink in the tip and on an object (the needle cluster). You notice that when you prepare to work the ink does not dribble out the end. As the needles move very fast up and down (in and out) the surface tension is broken and the ink flows.
Thinner inks flow more freely and more easily. The farther the needle travels out and away from the tip the longer the distance the ink must flow down the needle and onto the point of the needle. Thick slowly-flowing inks cannot travel as far as thinner inks so hanging the needle way out will prevent the ink flowing such a long distance. Different inks have different viscosities and flow at different rates.
The distance the needle travels out of the tip is adjusted by moving the tube up or down.

Ink flow is regulated by moving the tube up or down.
Experimenting a bit you will notice that even with very thin inks if the needle hangs way out you may begin a line but quickly run out of ink. As you move the tube downward a little each time you will see that your line becomes longer and longer for each different setting. A point will be reached at which a small drop will form on the surface and move along with the needle as you make your line. Many artists use this droplet as a marker so that the ink line will be uniform in ink density. As the needle droplet begins to diminish the line is stopped for a refill. Of course you must visualize where your stencil line is if tolerances are critical while working in the droplet. This is the surest way to make certain your line work will have the same density of ink. Shadings with larger clusters of needles is often done in the same manner but usually with greater amounts of ink on the surface.

Big Pete · 15 Jul 2022

Does the tip of your needle retract into the tube or does it hang out a little at the top of it's stroke....this is the main cause of ink not attaching to the needle, the ink is stored in the tip of the tube, if the needle doesn't go up far enough it's not picking up any ink.

whippet · 16 Jul 2022

As above…typically the idle needle position, in or out of the tip, and how much…affects the ink flow.

Other things can be the viscosity of ink, i had some outdated Dynamic practise ink that clogged my tips up a lot.

Another issue can be ill-fitting needle groupings and tips, though you shouldn’t get this issue with carts. If you’re putting together tubes and needle bars separately, check you have the right ‘fit’. Saying that…I’ve also found some carts are more prone to clogging and struggling with ink flow than others. I love Ghost Hex carts but their power liners do give me ink flow problems with pen machines….so this problem is not limited to, or likely connected with, coil machines.

Coil machine, ink not flowing

Zippo

hdlc

Big Pete

whippet

Free Linework Secrets Guide