How to Make a Tattoo Gun With Guitar String

The art of tattooing has been around for centuries and has had many different uses, including cultural identification, body art and self-expression as well as creating a subculture of artists all its own. Many individuals opt to build their own tattoo guns from a few household items and give themselves a tattoo.

Take the small pointy end of the smallest gauge guitar string and bend it. The shape should be similar to a seven or an L.

Grab a Bic-style pen and remove the ink from the tube. Take a file and rub it across the ball in the brass tip of the pen until it pops out. Take a knife or a really sharp pair of scissors and cut the empty pen tube down to 3 inches in length.

Slide the guitar string into the empty ink pen tube.

Take your scissors and cut off all of the nylon bristles from a plastic toothbrush. Chop the plastic toothbrush down to a 4-inch piece. Grab a lighter and use it to heat up the middle of the toothbrush and make it bendable. Take the plastic and bend it into the shape of a 7.

Use some Scotch tape to fasten the bent plastic to the ink pen tubing.

Remove the motor from an old Sony Walkman. Remove the eraser from a number 2 pencil and slide it on the shaft of the Walkman motor. Use your tape to attach the motor to the toothbrush.

Take the bent end of the guitar string and force it through the pencil eraser. The guitar string will be a bit off center.

Connect the motor to some type of power source. You can either use the battery pack from the Walkman or plug it directly into the wall outlet.

Pour out a glob of tattoo ink on a folded paper towel. Dip the guitar string tip into a glob of tattoo ink. You can purchase this ink at local tattoo shops or online. Tattoo ink comes in a variety of colors and can be mixed with different colors for shading and coloring.

Switch the motor of the Walkman to the "On" position. The motor should make the guitar string vibrate. Now apply the ink to the skin you desire to tattoo, drawing the design.

Remove the guitar string after the tattoo design is complete. Wrap the string in a paper towel, place it in a plastic sandwich bag and throw it away. Take some rubbing alcohol or other disinfectant, apply some to a paper towel and clean the tattoo gun.