Learning Books

Hello, I recently bought my first set of gravers and a pitch bowl. I have a 116 degree universal Lindsay sharpening template that worked a treat on the diamond sharpeners. I have a small and a large domed end, a flat door wedge graver and a scoopy graver I made from old tungsten carbide machine bits. I made the other gravers after I had shaped the Lindsay point so I could get the size ratio right. I don't have a rotating vice however so I welded a large bearing to the bottom of my pitch bowl to clamp into my engineers vice. it turns perfectly so it will do until I can get a proper one.
I think that's all I need to get me started, unless I'm missing anything?
I wanted to first try the hammer and chisel style of engraving and then try hand push engraving.
I am a welder fabricator and have worked with metal for years. I enjoy making sculptures and wanted to try something different. I don’t know if this experience will help but I am very excited and eager to try it.

Now I just need some engraving knowledge. I'm pretty old fashioned and was looking for some books that I can sit next to me while I work (I have no computer where I will be working) Can anybody help me?

Check out these compiled lists:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fEcTdUm1G1l_y58FaROOXIFSsXQVYjRomu3nGF2d7G4/pub
and also:
http://www.engraverscafe.com/showthread.php?1469-Cafe-Book-List

Ron Smith's book on Avanced Drawing of Scrolls. J.J.

Thanks guys, this should be more than enough to get me started

the james b. meeks book, "the art of engraving" is a good book to start with. this book covers many of the disciplines one would want to master to excel in the art of engraving. the book assumes little knowledge on the part of the reader. you already know about metalworking. you'll just be shifting way down in size. there are others, but i feel the meeks book keeps things at a very understandable level.

I second Monk's comment. It is the book I learned the most from many years ago and everything I do engraving wise is in that book in one form or another. Over the years I have altered many of them to suit me but that is where they originated.

There are many world class engravers located in Great Britain. It might be worth your while to get in touch with one of them

Welcome to the forum, and to the world of engraving!

I'm with Monk & Sam I got the Art of Engraving by Meek in 1973 and could'nt but it down,James Meek open it up for us in America and if it were'nt for Meek we would'nt be were sharing ideas today on two forums. J.J.

Most of us who have been engraving more than 30 years benefited by The Art of Engraving by James B. Meek as it was the only "how to" book out there for gun engravers for a long time. Most other engraving manuals were aimed at those who engraved jewelry and inscriptions on soft metals, using the burin (push graver). Just the same I could never understand how Meek was trying to explain graver sharpening. I thought I was too dense to get it until I later spoke with several other engravers who told me they had the same problem.

A few years ago the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Assn. published Engraving Historic Firearms by John Schippers. In my opinion, and that of many others, the Schippers book is the most complete and authoritative manual for beginning hand engravers. The title is a little deceptive, however. It doesn't matter if you intend to engrave any kind of firearms at all. The information contained applies equally to any type of engraving you might want to do. This manual may seem quite expensive but it contains 460 pages with over 2130 color photographs and illustrations. The techniques described are mostly directed at hammer and chisel engraving as well as burin work. Nevertheless, anyone using an air assisted system can benefit as well.

I got the Schippers book after I had been engraving for over 30 years and still gained useful information from it. If you were to buy only one instruction book, Engraving Historic Firearms is the one I would recommend. Here is a link for purchase: http://www.fega.com/prodserv/Books1.asp?recidparam=377

Here is another source: http://www.airgraver.com/Engraving-Historic-Firarms-John-Schippers.htm

I agree 1000% with everything that Roger stated. Meeks book is archaic and hard to understand. Shipper's book has the added advantage that it is spiral bound and actually designed to be placed next to your work so you can follow along. A lesser known fact is that if you take your time and progress slowly thru the book, rather than jump around, it is a well-ordered engraving course with pictures actually showing what the text is explaining.

I figured out how to sharpen that first onglette in Meek's book must have got lucky because it worked for me and it was a good geometry with H&C hand push engraving.I always been a big fan of the onglette graver,still use with hand push graver when engraving animals & birds in fine detail. J.J.

I agree with the comments of everyone here. I started with Meek's book, had tremendous difficulty understanding sharpening and finally got close to actually getting my graver sharp enough to work, only breaking points after every other tap of the hammer! Seriously, it is a great book although rather antiquated, as per the times in which it was written. Since then great strides have been made in available instruction in various formats, again in reference to the times in which they were written.

Buying your first book will lead you on a dangerous path, as I started with one book and now have a substantial library of engraving related books, videos and casts of several master's works and I'm studying constantly. Be prepared to invest substantially in resources, as it will become an obsession to learn as much as possible as your work progresses in complexity. If you're serious with engraving, it will become a passion that will be tough to satisfy. But, if that is you, the rewards are wonderful. I hope to see your work/progression photos shown for our pleasure and comments of encouragement.

Bill

I got so good at sharping the onglette I never had to stick them in a potato over night,spent new year eve engraving a squirrel on a .22 rifle with an onglette. Hope everyone is having has much fun as I'm. J.J.