So You Wanna . . . Jailhouse Tattoo?

I look forward to my lunch break every day; not just because I can eat or because I don't have to work for a half an hour, but because I get to visit with my co-workers.  As I've repeatedly said before, we have such interesting and stimulating lunchtime conversations.  Today's was no exception.  The conversation quickly went from co-workers asking me where my pizza came from to the topic of jailhouse tattoos.  But not JUST jailhouse tattoos - the topic was how they MAKE jailhouse tattoos. 

One co-worker and faithful reader explained that the inmates save up the ashes from their cigarettes and they mix them with a little bit of water to make the "ink."  Then, using a smuggled-in pointed object, they use the ash ink to make the tattoo.  I had no idea he was such an expert on jailhouse tattoos. 

I did some research on jailhouse tattoos, and my co-worker's information was correct.  Here's what I found:

A jailhouse tattoo gun is constructed of found objects. For the needle, a guitar string or paper clip is sharpened to a fine point on a rock or cinderblock. It is run through the hollow shaft of a ball point pen and the tip protrudes slightly from the writing end. The string is attached to a small motor, usually from a Walkman, and hooked up to the batteries. The apparatus is fortified for stability by being taped to popsicle sticks or a plastic eating utensil. The pen remains stable while the point jumps.

The ink of choice is waterproof black ink but it’s rarely available in prison and very expensive. Convicts invent a myriad of concoctions - scrapings from soft pastels, charcoal pencils, and carbon paper - the ash of burned books, lightweight paper preferred. The flying soot lands on a shiny magazine cover, is scraped off, and mixed with toothpaste and water. Green ink is produced from green toothpaste ("Crest is best") or Prell shampoo - blue from Head and Shoulders or Selsen Blue - red from Robitussen cough syrup.

After discussing this a bit more, I raised the question "What could we use here at work to make our version of jailhouse tattoos?"  My lunch companions from the Engineering department had the answer right away - cast iron dust from the Grinding Room.  They sure are a resourceful bunch - I guess that's why they work in Engineering.