Auto Clave

Hi All When choosing what auto clave to use, what should i look for? I see them in the prize range from $300-$4000! Any recommendations of shops?

Im also looking for information on ultra-sonic cleaners. What equipment do you use ultra-sonic cleaner for, and what equipment do you use Auto Clave for? Introduction before you flame me :-) No no and no. I am not about to start tattooing in my kitchen. Im doing research on what equipment i need and what it will cost me to start a shop when i have learned everything there is to learn. Yes my goal is to start my own shop... SOMEDAY but not tomorrow. Im doing research on the best machines, best ink, power supply etc. and got that covered but i havent sorted the abouve question, and hygine if one, if not the most important aspect. A little more background info. Im an artist... :-D i see many here dont like when you use that term, but anyways. I have always been skilled at drawing and painting art and now i have decided that i want to learn the art of tatooing. I know it wont be easy, and i will try and get a apprentiseship, however to start with i will be training on my own on fake skin, fruits pigskin etc. and build a portfolio. I have bought a machine ON EBAY... yes thats right, but dont worry this is only for practise and i already have a good idea on what machines i will buy in a years time when im skilled enough to start tatooing myself and friends. Ups... i stated above that i would try and get a apprentiseship! That is my goal, but if it for some reason dosent happen, then i will teach myself what i need to learn. I belive that most people are not capable of doing this, but a few are. I just want to get started ASAP with the practise, and also just get a feeling of using the machine to draw on paper with a stencil. I also want to say that although there are some very ... ehhh not so friendly comments in alot of the threads here, but i have found alot of very useful information and i want to thank you all for that. You will hear alot more from me in the future. I will also launch a blog later where i will document my journey to become a tattoo artist. That should be enough info for now.

I have to say that what you seem to be proposing is a huge pet peeve of mine, even though I know you said you would like to get an apprenticeship. Either way, you don't need the information you are seeking right now. You need to crawl before you run. And a self-taught artist needs to, if not serve an apprenticeship, eventually get into a shop and work for MANY years before opening his/her own shop. You need to built a good reputation and gain a clientele in an existing shop before you open your own or you are destined to fail. My opinion is that the only tattooers who open their own shops right away are the tattooers that know they aren't talented enough to get hired by a shop owner with experience. Just my opinion...

Thx for the reply. You have some good points. "Either way, you don't need the information you are seeking right now. You need to crawl before you run" That is true, but i would like to make a complete list of what i will need, and an estimated prize on how much it will cost me. Whether i will get a job in a shop or not, only the future will tell. To be honest, i really dont like working under people and in general i have problems with authorities and the shop where i will be getting a apprentiseship at will need to respect me as a person, and threat me fair. Im not saying that those places dont exist, but from all the other threads that i have read, it seems like they are rare. I know that this is an obstructle for me, but i cant change who i am. What im considering is taking an apprentiseship in another country if thats what it takes, just to widen my search field. But all that wont be something im looking for for some time. I expect to be grinding the fake leather an stuff for awhile, and then take it from there when the time is right. I might add that im not from the US i live in Denmark.

I hear ya and I'm not usually guarded when it comes to health and safety advice and while I still stand by everything I said here is some very basic information. First, I'm not sure what currency you use so you will need to search for a "medical grade/commercial ultrasonic cleaner". And a "medical grade/commercial STEAM heat autoclave". It must be medical grade (not the $300.00 pressure cookers). You also need to learn about skin anatomy, blood-borne pathogens, cross contamination prevention, the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. You need to learn what an ultrasonic does and the steam heat autoclave sterilization process, as well as spore testing. Then there's regulated waste (used needles and items soiled with bodily fluids). Then there are your local laws and health regulations... I could go on and on but these are not questions that can simply be answered on a forum. This is why apprenticeships are encouraged. Artists are not trying to be rude when they shoo self-taught tattooers away. But why should they waste their time typing all of that out for you when A). There are better ways of obtaining this information and B) They paid a lot of money and/or sweat their ass off scrubbing toilets to learn what you are hoping to gain for free. By the way, I am not "one of them". I am not a pro at all. I am also self taught but the best thing I think I have learned is to respect and understand the true tattoo artists perspective on these matters.

Thx for your post. A lot of good info there to look into. About the apprentiseship. I will try and get one very activly when im ready and have a portfolio of drawings, and fake skin. And since im ready to live in another country for a period of time to learn the trade, it should be possible to find a master when i have some work to show. I cannot stress enough that im only doing research at the moment, and have no plans on being a kitchen tatooist.

If you use only disposable tubes, you dont need an autoclave or ultrasonic. Research disposable tubes and you will see they have many benefits (especially those new rubber grip ones. And get an apprenticeship, teaching yourself is very difficult and even if you think you know everything you probably dont and learning the hard way unfortunatly cand be life threatining. Tattoos are permanent and so are diseases.

quote: "Tattoos are permanent and so are diseases" Yeah i hear ya. Im sure i will eventually land a apprentiseship so i can learn all the important stuff about hygine an d tattoo techniques, its just a question of where in the world its gonna be :-) I had hoped to get my practise machine today, but it dident arrive so i will have to wait till monday. Im just exited to get started i cant describe it. I also look forward to writing down and documenting my journey.

Getting an apprenticeship is your first step in the process of becoming a respected tattoo artist. Every question you have will be answered when you get your apprenticeship. I personally wouldn't suggest for you to purchase a "starter kit". Here are some reason's. Learning to tattoo without the proper guidance is by no means impossible but you can gaurantee you will pick up alot of bad habits along the way. You will also be constantly asked by your friends to tattoo on them. I already know there are hundreds of people on here who say tattooing is not hard to learn and anyone can learn it at home etc...You just seem you already have the mind set of actually learning how to tattoo the proper way. Focus on your drawing. Make them superb. Go take a BBP class and put that in your portfolio for your apprenticeship. It shows how serious you really are about getting it. No matter what anyone says to you I promise you teaching yourself at home in this day and age will never gain you respect in this industry. There are hundreds of great artist out there who have taught themselves. That was also 20 years ago when getting an apprenticeship wasn't even heard of. If your honestly serious about pursuing a career in tattooing then go balls to wall and do it right. Don't cut corners or try and teach yourself. I totally understand your eager to start but this is long, time consuming process that is well worth the hard work. Take the time and put in the hard work man and I promise you it will all be worth it. Good luck in your journey and I hope the best for you.

@t.d Interesting So you dont think its a good idea to practise with a machine to begin with. There are a lot of videos online that gives guidense, and i know that many of them are bad but a few gives some good instructions about techniques i think. I dont think it would harm to practise on fake skin leather etc. and if bad habits are picked up, it should be possible to get rid of them once starting as an apprentise. quote: "teaching yourself at home in this day and age will never gain you respect in this industry" Many may feel this way, but if you manage to become a great tattoo artist whether you have trained yourself or been taught, im sure you can earn respect. quote: "Don't cut corners or try and teach yourself." It is not about cutting corners. It about learning the trade if you cant get an apprentiseship right away, and maybe never. But i guess i will find out within the next few years. Hopefully i will get a apprentiseship, but if not then we will see how my skills turn out after being self taught. I can understand that it is frustrating for established tattoo artists to see a lot of kitchen tattooists not tattooing in the right inviroment etc. and its a shame that there is not a single real tattoo school in the world where you can get a proper tattoo education.

I can only share what I have learned: Listen and absorb. And do not try to rationalize what you are doing. Being self taught, you will pick up bad habits that are hard to break. You need to watch and learn from a pro so that the habits that become second nature to you are good ones. I mean, how will you know about proper station set-up and breakdown, among a zillion other things? About fake skins...There is no replica for real skin which hurts, bleeds, flinches, has curves, can scar, etc.. And if you ever worked real skin like you need to with fake skin, you'd be doing a ton of damage. Lastly, a shop will want to see your drawings. They will not want to see your efforts on fake skin. A mentor will most likely want to teach you from scratch THEIR way of doing things. They don't want to have to undo your poor habits. The standards of tattooing are and have been improving greatly in all aspects. It's a bit arrogant for us to think we can learn on our own and actually be great with the kind of work being done today. And being great IS the goal, is it not? Do you have any artwork posted online that we can see? Also, if you don't mind answering, how old are you? Please remember, I am not against you, I am trying to help you through what I have learned. :)

I think his mind is made up. You have been given some great advice. Not by people trying to keep you down or who don't want you to steal there customers but by people who have been through it and are in this industry. We see this everyday. Even when we give advice it is never good enough for the person who wants to hear it. The bottom line is this, you WILL pick up bad habits and they are NOT easy to break. Tattooing is an art NOT a fucking hobby and you have to earn your way to achive greatness. I'm not telling yout this so you can fail. Im telling you this so you can make it. If all you can do is make excuses on why what your going to do is ok then why bother even responding. The route your taking is the wrong way period. Don't listen to the advice given. Your post started off trying to find the best autoclave to buy. You know nothing of the sterilization process, proper set-up of your machine, marketing your shop etc.... and yet feel like you should get a list of things to buy once your Hacking kit arrives. It truly blows my mind how some of you people think this industry is so fucking easy. And then you wonder why alot of proffesional artist are so easy to tell a scratcher to fuck off. Maybe if all the times they tried to lead them in the right direction they just listened. Once again good luck man.

why dont all you scratchers fuck off!

@inksane gina Quote: "Do you have any artwork posted online that we can see? Also, if you don't mind answering, how old are you?" I have just launched a website today where i will document my journey. I need a copy/scanner/printer and i will get that tomorrow. Then i can start to add some of my old drawing, my paintings and the drawings that i will make from now on, and i will post a link later. And im 32 years young ;-) @ t.d. Quote: "I think his mind is made up." My mind is made up that i want to learn to tattoo, and be great at it, but not by cutting corners. I can say now that from all the posts i have read and the great responces i have gotten my main priority now it to buid a portfolio and find a apprentiseship. I need to work on my drawing skills since i have been painting for the last 6 years and only made a few drawings drawings. Im drawing every day from now on, and also looking at some different drawing courses to learn new techniques and get back in shape Equipment is no longer important, i was just trying to work out how much it would cost me to start a shop once i was skilled enough, but i now know that it will take a while before im skilled enough and i will learn about all that through a apprentiseship. @bingo Quote: "why dont all you scratchers fuck off!" That a "great productive" question, and im sure someone can explain that to you! :-) I dont really consider myself a scratcher since im not tattooing yet...

Hey, it will be fun to look at your artwork and painting is a great art form that also lends itself to tattooing. So, you're off to a great start it seems. I only asked your age because I was 33 when I decided I want to tattoo and I see a lot of people around my age are wanting to do the same. But life situations often present a problem to people who have a mortgage, spouse, kids, job, etc... that gets in the way of devoting yourself to an apprenticeship. Despite my age, those weren't really concerns of mine but they are for many. Anyway, I look forward to seeing your work. :)