i know that there are loads of other tattoo guns on instructables, but i thought I'd upload this one as it runs from a mini fan, rather than a toothbrush.

this is my first instructable so please hold off on the 'non-productive' comments about how bad it is to tattoo with this.

iv only ever used this as a joke to tattoo my name on fruit as a way of claiming it.

disclaimer: i am not responsible for anything you do with this tattoo gun when its finished, as i said, its for tattooing fruit with food dye not people with anything else.

Step 1: Parts

you'll need

a mini fan - i got mine in a 99p shop

mechanical pencil

paper clip

needle - mine were from a diabetes home check system (the part that stabs your finger)

tape

a ruler

also... i know its used as an excuse alot but my camera's broke so i havnt got many pictures (the ones i have got were taken long before i decided to make an instructable on it, hence, they are of the gun before i refined it)

Step 2: Take the Top Off the Fan

Fans will probably vary, but i got the top off mine by just grabbing the soft 'blades' and pulling

you should be left with half the plastic top still attached to the motor. this should have two off center holes oposite eachother (if not you could drill them yourself)

Step 3: Ruler

heat up an area of the ruler and bend it at a 90 degree angle by puttin part of it on a table and bending the other part down.

where you bend it is realy up to you, as long as one end can be taped to the fan, and the other taped to the mechanical pencil.

after it is bent, tape it to the fan so that the part sticking ut is level with the top of the fan. (in the picture, my ruler is a bit too low, and not very firmly taped)

Step 4: The Pencil and Paper Clip

first of all, remove the ruber from the pencil and straighten out the paperclip.

now stick the paper clip throught the rubber and bend to secure.

on the other end of the paperclipleave about an inch and bend at 90 degrees. you can then cut off any excess after about an inch of the second bend, and put the rubber back in the pencil.

i feel like such a hypocrite because i hate it when people use paint drawings as picture but this mite help

Step 5: Needle

you may have to improvise this bit depending on what needle you use the one from the finger pricker had a pice of plastic already attached so i just jammed that into the tube

Step 6: Final Assembly

stick the end of the paperclip into one of the off center holes

now hold the mechanical pencil on the ruler and test. if the top gets stuck you may have to move the ruler a bit, or trim the part of the paperclip thats sticking into the top of the fan. when you have found the 'money spot' where every thing works well tape it onto the ruler as strongly as you can.

congratulations you have now finished!

p.s. i know that its impossible to sterilise plastic, and i hope i dont offend any actual tattoo artists. i also know that this is a very basic instructable and each individual machine will need to be tinkered with to get right - but if you cant figure out how to make it work please leave a comment and i'll help if i can.