Advice on Machinery

I began my apprenticeship in a small shop with an artist i've known for at least 10 years about 3 weeks ago. I have learned a great deal in this time concerning proper sterilization, how different skin reacts to ink, not to mention being a shop b*tch! I asked when I would be able to start actually learning tattoo and he said that it would be best if I bought my own equipment, including machines, needles, tubes, ink, power supply, and foot pedal. Where would you advise I purchase this equipment because he advised me not to go with Spaulding. About how much do you foresee an apprentice spending on starting-out equipment and if you could point me in the right direction, I'd be grateful.

youve been a apprentice for only 3 weeks you have so much more to learn like how insulting this would be to your mentor your teacher my advice is keep quite on the equipment PATIENCE MAN! if you were my apprentice and i found this out youd be scrubbing tubes and toilets for a month first learn eat sleep your cleaning and cross contamination and whatever else he is willing to teach you watch all you can draw all you can STUDY STUDY STUDY! LOOK AT HIS MACHINES WAIT BEFORE ASKING WATCH LOOK YOU ARE THERE TO LEARN NOT TATTOO JUST YET GIVE THIS TIME whoops sorry caps was on not yelling at ya but take time you will find out who to get supplies from and all soon enough. several reputable suppliers out there. be patient its hard yes the life of a tattoo artist looks glamorous and all but what people do not see is the behind the scenes thats what you are learning when a client ask you a question it needs to be a confident and educated answer best of luck

No doubts on anything you're saying, but the thing is, he's the one that told me I need to buy my own machines and supplies before he teaches me anything at all. Yeah man, I been cleaning like crazy and I am constantly sterilizing everything, so I think i'm pretty up-to-par on cross-contamination ;] and my hand hurts from all the drawing/outlining i've been doing for the past month. it's nuts. but i'm having fun.

ok thats great and im sorry for my misunderstanding as far as power pulse or eikon produce some great power supplies as far as machines go well i personally use a foweler time machine and a mickey sharpz machine there are lots of them out there e mail me and we can discuss this in greater detail on a more private matter as i do not wish to release to much info out to the public thanks lol on the hurting hands know what ya mean there