[KurtB]

Dan, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. Don't hinder yourself by trying to do it too cheaply. Engraving is hard enough even with the very best of tools. Let's face it, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it and there'd be little demand for the finished work. But it IS difficult. And that's what makes it desireable. I've been "into" it for about 4 months now. Sometimes I feel like I'm going nowhere, and then I look at earlier work and realize that I'm the tortoise making slow and steady progress.

another analogy: It's very much like a musical instrument. You could pick up a saxophone and make BRRAAMMPHH noises, but to make beautiful music requires years of dedicated practice.

You can find a lot of used GRS equipment on eBay. People buy the tools, get discouraged, and bail out with a lighter wallet. Like these guys mentioned, though, you won't find many of Steve's tools out there on the used market.

Anyway, I've already learned that it is going to take a long time to get proficient, and that's OK. It's a journey, not a destination, and I'm into it for the long haul. This is something that will give me satisfaction when I'm well into my "senior" years, and I'm very hopeful that I will leave behind objects of beauty that will be around for centuries.

I get disgusted with myself and discouraged sometimes, and put the tools down, but within a day, sometimes within hours, my sour mood evaporates and I pick up my Palmcontrol (or my pencil) once more. So realize that it's a long process, and will require a serious desire to learn. You've got to want it, bad.

Suggestion: Start with a sketch book. Date each page as you execute practice drawings. Same thing with practice plates. You will be able to look back and see progress. It might be slow, but it'll be there.