Help, please: I want to learn about and find tools needed for graving, I need an asist graver

Hello,
I am David Boles,
I want to learn, I need gravers, and will need assist system. I have looked, and seems things go quickly here. Also I have been reading a lot, and I like it here, everyone is good to each other. kindness goes along way. I have always done wood carving, and when I started looking at the metal I knew I was done for. It has became an obsession to draw and learn and make new friends. I would appreciate advise, as well as tips on what tools I will need, and any pointers as to where I could find a setup that I can use. I suppose everyone has asked that, sorry.
Thank you for the kindness
David Boles

David,
I can't tell you what to buy, that's totally a matter of preference. But You are more than welcome to sit down in my shop and try out what I have. I live in kingston springs, tn.

Todd

And that, folks... is the BEST way to buy.

Try it out for yourself first - if you possibly can.

Make the effort, take the time to travel if need be.

Do this more than once. COMPARE as much as you can!


Buying without first using it, holding it your hot, sweaty little hand - is always a bit of a gamble.

Buyers remorse can be expensive and last a long, long time...


I know it is difficult, once you are excited - but try to control yourself. You'll be glad you did.

I have had dozens of students who couldn't wait and bought everything they thought (or the salesman thought) they needed.

Then they come to class, try out everything else that was available and find that most of what they bought is not suited to what they intend to do...


Brian


Besides, you will have the opportunity to make a new friend or even meet a future mentor.

Thank you, thank you, I am humbled by the kindness in this place. I really appreciate all the remarks. and advise. Todd has offered to let me go up and actually see his shop and tooling, and guys I am just overwhelmed at this. I have done some carving and checkering, you know just as a hobby, for a friend or so. But sometime back I was stricken by a thought, why not try to learn to do those beautiful scrolls in metal. and wow! I have been off for the holidays and every night I have sat here and read post after post on graving, looking wishing , dreaming. this has to be the most addictive art form I have ever encountered. I love building and flying rc planes and thought that was an obsessive hobby. Boy was I wrong. I don't even have a graver and all I can do is sit with pen and paper drawing out scrolls, just never knew that I could do something like that. I am thankful to you all, for the kindness. and hope to become friends with everyone, for I have found what I want to do, Hopefully I can find somewhere close to get some classes. or help or something, anyway, thank you and I mean it, sincerely,
David

Hi David;
Welcome to the forum. I too have too many hobbies, I figure life is about trying everything. I started building furniture out of necessity 40 years ago. Did some RC flying in the early 90's, still have a ton of gear in the barn, never did much but crash them into the ground, it was there that I met a friend that did machine work, I was hooked on that at once, spent 15 years making tooling and parts, repairing everything I could. Have a wood lathe (great fun machine). Started wood carving six years ago very relaxing way to spend time. Then along came metal engraving, I thought it would be nice to develop some skills to embellish a couple of Colt 45's I have. I'm a long way off from that yet. Don't know of any engravers near my location, so if it wasn't for this forum I would be totally in the dark. This is a great place.
A piece of advice , if you see something in the Buy & sell that is on your list of must haves, don't hesitate, good stuff goes really quickly. Get a good sharpening system, metal engraving is like wood carving( except it's harder on the eyes) without properly shaped and sharpened tools your lost. Best of luck in your skills development, you are really lucky to have the offers of assistance for engravers near you.
Cheers
Don

After visiting with Todd, if you decide to take lessons, you can contact Scott Pilkington at: http://pilkguns.com/menu_engraving.shtml

Scott lives about an hour and a half from you in Monteagle. He is also the host of the engrave-in in June.

Please make the time to go to Monteagle for the Engrave-In. There will be 30 to 40 engravers and scrimshaw artist there. The second largest gathering in the work I expect soon to become the largest no doubt. Great fun, learn as much as you can hold and you can drop on down to Atlanta Blade sho, World largest knife show with some great engraved and scrimed knives. Rellay try to make it. Fred

Thanks for the tip, I can make that, I looked and it seems he is willing to work around complex schedules. I work for a valve company, and I may be here this week and somewhere in the US. the next. I work in the lab actually, and love doing that type work, so looks like I have a means to learn more, and thank you for your kindness in taking the time from your day to help me get more information. I do appreciate everyone's efforts. I will be a lot happier when I start to know enough to carry on a half intelligent conversation with everyone. but Id say for the next several years I will be listening, ha ha... at least I will be in the game. and if I can do anything to help someone, I have a full metal shop and don't mind as time permits, I have an eight year old daughter that is going on eighteen, and all my heart and attention belongs to her first, and mama of course. Thank you guys you sure do know how to welcome a new member, I really like this place. I can see why people stick close here, and money cant purchase that.
Have a great day
David

I was also going to mention your proximity to Scott. Another advantage of taking lessons from him - I think he has both GRS & Lindsay systems so you can try both. No great difference between them but they do have a different feel and some people prefer one over the other.