New guy with some old questions!

[mitch_04]

Hi everyone,
I've been lurking on this forum for a little while, figured it's time to introduce myself and ask a few questions that have been building up. I'm from South Dakota, love hunting with special priority towards prairie dogs, love long range shooting, rimfires, and doing things myself. I'm a mechanic by trade, grew up in my dad's shop, now working there full time with a wife and little one on the way. Also in the Army National Guard, about 8 years with no deployment so far. I have worked in a gun store, Gat Guns out of Dundee, IL, and always been around guns. I love the look of engraving, and I am going to try my hand at it. I have made gunstocks from scratch, have done enough gunsmithing to call myself an amateur, and have a wife with an art degree to help me draw something worth scratching at.

Now onto my questions. Does anyone have any used books/dvd's that they would sell to help me start off? I plan on beginning by push graving and chasing. I was going to by the Meek book with graver combo from Brownell's, but they are out of the gravers, so I'm looking at GRS's starter kit. Would these be good beginner tools? Brownells offers a mililtary discount that helps, but if they don't have them in stock it doesn't help me much. I plan on practicing with softer metals, and if all goes well I will engrave my 10/22. Being that it is aluminum and pretty flat, I figure it should be a good starting piece.

I've tried to talk my wife into trying it with me, but she likes her drawing and photography enough not to be coerced into making my guns look a little prettier.

On a side note to this long winded run of words, has anyone done any tribal engraving, similar to the popular but, IMHO overdone, tattoos? I have a .22LR bolt action that I'm going to build into a "tactical trainer" and though this would be more fitting design than the classic leaves and scrolls.

Hope someone can help me out with one of the questions, if not I'll keep lurking and learning from all the amazing pictures and posts!

Thanks,

Mitch

[SEngraver]

Hi Mitch,

Awesome, Welcome to the Engraving Forum,good to have you.


All tools are on this page;

http://www.engravingforum.com/newrep...uote=1&p=67955

A good manual starter kit for hand tool kit,push gravers,h/chisel or both;

http://www.airgraver.com/Hand_Engrav...Graver%20Tools

Air graver Kits:

http://www.airgraver.com/Hand_Engrav...graving%20Sets

You need sharpening templates,sharpening fixture, diamond bench-stones ans some graver blanks.

Books;
http://www.airgraver.com/Hand_Engrav...rview.htm#BOOK

Try actually using Steve.L tools and the Grs tools before you buy them. A visit to an engraver near you will help.
Dont buy tools because of a discount buy them for quality and the long run.

All the best.

SE

[mitch_04]

Thanks for the reply. Do you know anywhere to find used books? $100 is alot to invest in a book, especially since I don't know if I'll have a "knack" for it yet.

I'll have to look for an engraver around SD to try and help me out, but I'm kind of in the boonies, about 2 hours from Sioux Falls, 4 from Rapid City.

I don't think the Brownells gravers would be horrible, at least not going by the price, but a military discount really helps out when it's available. I definetly don't have the funds to get an air graver setup, even though it looks amazing. I would like to find some used hand tools to start with. I already have stones that work for sharpening, they are part of a knife stone kit I have. I would have to get the templates however.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by mitch_04

$100 is alot to invest in a book, especially since I don't know if I'll have a "knack" for it yet.

.

Mitch, If that $100 investment saves you 100 hours of your time, is the "investment" alot? And it saves you hundreds of dollars in unneeded tool and equipment costs?

And yes, a good book can save you 100 hours of time. If you are doing things fundamentally wrong, you can spend hundreds of hours at engraving and only have poor results and frustration.

I would get John Schippers book, "Engraving on Historic Firearms". I don't have it, but should get it. It has gotten great reviews from experienced and new engravers.

At $129.95 it is not cheap. But you are better off with one great book, than four lesser quality books. Buy this book before buying any tools or anything else.

If engraving is turns out being not for you, I think you could resell the book for $75 since the book just came out and there are no used copies for sale. And the people that have bought it don't sound like they will be selling their copy soon.
Search the forums for info on the book.

[SEngraver]

Originally Posted by mitch_04

Thanks for the reply. Do you know anywhere to find used books? $100 is alot to invest in a book, especially since I don't know if I'll have a "knack" for it yet.

I'll have to look for an engraver around SD to try and help me out, but I'm kind of in the boonies, about 2 hours from Sioux Falls, 4 from Rapid City.

I don't think the Brownells gravers would be horrible, at least not going by the price, but a military discount really helps out when it's available. I definetly don't have the funds to get an air graver setup, even though it looks amazing. I would like to find some used hand tools to start with. I already have stones that work for sharpening, they are part of a knife stone kit I have. I would have to get the templates however.

Hi Mitch,

I understand
Brownells gravers are good too,no doubt about that.Dont get me wrong as I have not used them I cant say... .
Second-hand books do appear on Amazon but those listed on the link are recent and folks ,I reckon,would not like to part with them as yet.In the meantime if I see any I will give you s shout,but Mitch I am in the UK,these superb books are mostly available first in the US first.
As for an engraver I am sure someone will direct you to one as this post progresses.

As for the templates get the ;
Clear template V angle -116
Black template - Flat and knife combination

And if possible the detailing Red V angle 96

These will suffice and go a long way.(my opinion)

http://www.airgraver.com/Hand_Engrav...R%20SHARPENING

SE

[PS_Bond]

On the books front, there's also this that's worth a look - http://www.engravingforum.com/showthread.php?t=258

Not as nice as having the print copy, but a lot cheaper.

[mitch_04]

Well, I just ordered the manual engraving kit with presharpened graver, handle, chasing handle, stone, template, and practice plate. I couldn't find where to purchase the "Lindsay Patience" or "Lindsay Skill", I guess I'll have to wait and see if I can make some of my own! I also ordered the James Meek book from Brownells, so now my wife will have to put up with me bugging her for some outlines(she has an art degree)!