So far I have a vice. I can make the engravers. What else do I need to get started?
What type of engraver is good to start out with.
How do I get patterns?
How do I apply them to the item i'm engraving.
All of these questions and more will be answered if you hop on over to the tips archive and spend a little time there. Engraving is a rewarding and fun endeavor with a fairly steep learning curve at the start, but with time, and effort and lots of practice, you can scratch with the best of them...
START by getting a pencil, an eraser and some paper... those are the first tools you will need.
nobody can answer those questions without knowing what sort of engraving you intend to pursue. jewelry, guns, knives, spurs, brass bells, musical instruments? the questions you have are here for you to look up. there's a whale of an amout of info you will have to digest just to get started. you're way ahead of the game if you are handy with a pencil and drawing paper. above all, don't get in a rush. learning this art will take time, and there's little "instant gratification" that will reward you. like any venture in life, what you get depends on what you put in. i wish you luck.
Visit the engraving glossary so that you know and understand the names of the tools and styles of ornament. For instance you ask "What type of engraver is good to start out with." An engraver is a person who engraves. You may be asking about a graver or an engraving system. Here is the link that will help you ask pertinent questions and understand some of the jargon in the tips archive: http://www.engravingglossary.com/
Without knowing anything about you or your background, my first suggestion would be to add a locality to your profile, and then try to find somebody or somewhere where you could spend a day, or three or a week of intense learning to find out if you really want to become an engraver.
Learning to engrave CAN be done on a shoestring, if you have unlimited time and are extremely persistant. For most people, a class will help determine whether or not you really are interested in spending the $5000 and up to get the tools, books etc that will help you become proficient enough to even go on.
It is not an inexpensive hobby, and unless you REALLY apply yourself, it is a road of years before it begins to make much sense, especially financially.