machines
the transition from tattooing to machine building was a natural one, in that my curiousity has always caused me to wonder what, exactly, made things work.
not one to leave well enough alone, in 1994 i set out on my course of attempting to fix the things that were not broken.
dissasembling the machines that were given to me by my brother, Adam , gave a basic handle on the function of the tools, but i was still missing the mark.
i was fortunate to meet Clay Decker in 1995, who was an innovative machine builder, in his own right. Clay was the first person which i encountered who was using such raw materials as bolts, railroad spikes, re-bar, and large washers, welded and fabricated into beautiful and functional machine frames. Clay introduced me to Danny Dringenberg.
at the time, Danny was the only person who was selling handmade parts for tattoo machines. the acquisition of these items flipped a switch in my brain, which led to the further dissection of my tools, and how they functioned.
thanks Danny! i owe you a ton for your help.
in early 1997, i began to work with www.aaroncain.com Aaron Cain| , in a very small workshop that i had set up in my basement. he brought some much needed new ideas, and a wealth of inspiration. over the course of the next several years, Aaron and i worked on numerous projects together.
my first cast frames (1998) were based on the tried and true "Johnny Walker" design. with the support and guidance of Mike Malone (R.I.P.), these initial frames served as the foundation for each and every machine that i build, to this day.
(Malone used these castings for the "rollomatic mk2", until Kieth Underwood and Mike designed their current incarnation, the "rollomatic mk3" www.luckysupply.com )
in march of 2003, workhorse irons was launched by Bj "SOBA" Johnson, and myself, as a parent company which brought together, for the first time, several top shelf builders under one marque. we brought to market the "entry level" version of a high-end tattoo machine, offering function over form, and further distinguishing our custom tools.
from almost the very beginning of workhorse, SOBA was running the company on his own, so it only made sense, two years into the endeavor, to turn over the operation to him, in full. (i continue to build machines for workhorse, and they are available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis.)
www.workhorseirons.com workhorse is currently undergoing a full overhaul, so the website is currently inoperable. i will offer my workhorse machines HERE until the site is reopened and revamped.
not one to leave well enough alone, in 1994 i set out on my course of attempting to fix the things that were not broken.
dissasembling the machines that were given to me by my brother, Adam , gave a basic handle on the function of the tools, but i was still missing the mark.
i was fortunate to meet Clay Decker in 1995, who was an innovative machine builder, in his own right. Clay was the first person which i encountered who was using such raw materials as bolts, railroad spikes, re-bar, and large washers, welded and fabricated into beautiful and functional machine frames. Clay introduced me to Danny Dringenberg.
at the time, Danny was the only person who was selling handmade parts for tattoo machines. the acquisition of these items flipped a switch in my brain, which led to the further dissection of my tools, and how they functioned.
thanks Danny! i owe you a ton for your help.
in early 1997, i began to work with www.aaroncain.com Aaron Cain| , in a very small workshop that i had set up in my basement. he brought some much needed new ideas, and a wealth of inspiration. over the course of the next several years, Aaron and i worked on numerous projects together.
my first cast frames (1998) were based on the tried and true "Johnny Walker" design. with the support and guidance of Mike Malone (R.I.P.), these initial frames served as the foundation for each and every machine that i build, to this day.
(Malone used these castings for the "rollomatic mk2", until Kieth Underwood and Mike designed their current incarnation, the "rollomatic mk3" www.luckysupply.com )
in march of 2003, workhorse irons was launched by Bj "SOBA" Johnson, and myself, as a parent company which brought together, for the first time, several top shelf builders under one marque. we brought to market the "entry level" version of a high-end tattoo machine, offering function over form, and further distinguishing our custom tools.
from almost the very beginning of workhorse, SOBA was running the company on his own, so it only made sense, two years into the endeavor, to turn over the operation to him, in full. (i continue to build machines for workhorse, and they are available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis.)
www.workhorseirons.com workhorse is currently undergoing a full overhaul, so the website is currently inoperable. i will offer my workhorse machines HERE until the site is reopened and revamped.
