Hey y'all,
So I got the Hawk Pen maybe two months ago and I love love love it. Shading and packing with it are a breeze...but I'm struggling hard with lining. I understand Cheyenne carts are made with #10 needles, and I haven't tried their power liners yet, and I've played around with #8 bugpins as well as the regular taper liners...a 7 runs like a 4 and a 13 runs like a 7 or 8 and it's infuriating. That said, I cannot get consistent lines to save my life. I've tried different angles, pushing, pulling, stretching tight, relaxing...nothing. The closest I manage to get to good solid lines is pushing at a pretty steep angle, which is incredibly uncomfortable for me. I'm running on an Eikon at about 10-11v, no issues with blowouts whatsoever, more that I can't get the needle to penetrate to proper depth no matter what I try.
Has anyone had this experience? I'm hestitant to buy more Cheyenne carts - their shaders are fabulous but after dropping a grand on needles alone I need to really nail down which ones I can make use of. I've ordered a few of Kingpin's cartridges, the Slot Lock - they have the membrane and are made the same standard needle size as all their others, which I've always used with my coils. Plus if you get a 10 cart box, it's $20, but if you get a 20 cart box it's $30.
Until I figure this out I think i'll need to go back to lining with a coil machine...which is a shame because I really enjoy using the pen for everything. The healing alone has been fantastic.
I started using T-Tech cartridges in 2008, and I still love them. The King Pin cartridges that I have ordered, I have thrown away. They were so bad. Cheyenne carts to me are much too tight for me to get a good line with.
My suggestion is to spend $20 on a box of T-techs, whatever size you normally line with, i.e, a 9 will feel like a 9, a 7 will feel like a 7..... and give it a shot. Also don't be afraid to crank it up a little if you aren't getting a good line, I consistently run pens at 10- 13. My first one was the original Stylus, and I ran it at 16v.
As a side note, I prefer the ttechs, because the rubber band system that they use makes for less stress on your motor.... meaning that if you run a Cheyenne cart at 10, you would run a ttech at 9 for the same effect. And since 2008, I have never once had an off center needle.... where with other companies you regularly have to pull them apart to adjust them. Give it a shot.
I had read about the ttechs, I was hesitant to try because they lack the membrane and I worry about ink getting up in the machine. Has that ever been an issue for you? A lot of people seem to like them.
Ive tried the slot lock carts, and I like the needles themselves but they. Are. So. Noisy. Better lines than the Cheyenne but I really feel like I have to WORK for them. Which seems counter productive. I like how they heal out better, though.
I will give the ttechs a try.
thanks!
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