looking for information

first off I just read through a forum on this web sight titled "machine set up", and am slightly discouraged. people talked about contamination, gave detailed jargon, made fun of, talked crap to, and didnt really help the guy. at one point someone says they have actually talked to the guy and seen his capabilities and he sucked. so maybe it was all for the better, so whatever. hopefully I can just get some real answers to some questions that I have. I will give a little bit of my history first so that maybe we can just skip the drama. I have spent quite a few years in prison, drug related, and while in prison I learned I could draw extemely well. of course everyone wants to find thier calling in life, and behind bars every one has thier hustles. I started tattoing from that point. now I know how to build homade guns know how to make them work great for myself. yadda yadda yadda. I started on myself covered both my legs and one arm. started "scratching". I am not your average scratcher, I want anything I do to be amazing. I got out of prison almost three years ago. did the whole I can tattoo thing. never bought a kit. just went with what I knew. it didnt take long for the frustration to set in and I stopped tattooing completely 2 and a half years ago. sense that time one of my good friends while thinking he knows what he is doing scratches damn near every day. for the past 6 months he has been trying to get me back into it with real equipment. he has no formal tatto expiriance and isnt all that great. he talks a good game and everyone wants work done at cut rates. I helpped him prepare a piece for a good friend of ours and in my opinion he did a shitty job. I decided to do this back piece on the friend that does the tattoos, cause I am interested in getting back into it with real equipment. I always loved it. I guess inside I hated to be a scratcher even though the word or phrase is new to me. and true to an art I know little of, I want to learn as much as I can first. I know about contamination. period. I am not stupid. I have been looking to buy my own "kit" before I do anything. so that the time spent on his back will get me accustomed to my machines. not his. but I would like to learn what the technical jargon is before I do buy anything. I am going to research the terms I found in the other post i mentioned before. maybe it will help. my biggest questions stem from what I know from homeade machines, I knew agzactly where the needle placement needed to be how far it came out how far it went back inside, both for laying ink and actual puncturing the skin. I have some proffessional tattoos. as does my wife. and I have watched and have asked random questions. but wasnt thinking about all this then. can anyone stear me in the right direction. without telling me to get an aprentaship. cause we all know that that would be amazing to come by. but I am telling you it isnt always a reality. I dont have the contacts I dont have the money. I would just like to learn before I start. because hoestly I am really headed in that direction at this point.