Wanting to get started

I am getting ready to start my wife got me this set for christmas hope it is ok to start with
Description: six carbon steel gravers. One onglette #2 onglette. One oval #6. One flat #38. One square #6 square. One knife #2. One tapered square #3.

The first thing to learn is sharpening those gravers. There is a lot of info on this site in the tutorials section. If you learn to sharpen properly, it will make every thing 100x easier.
What are you going to cut? If it is steel, get some steel strap iron at the hardware store, sand it clean and you are ready to go. You can also get practice plates, in steel and brass, from GRS. If you don't have a graver ball, you can buy an old bowling ball, cut the top flat, and use shellac to glue your plates in place. You also need it to be able to turn freely, and a truck wheel bearing can do the trick. Of course you can buy a flat vise and a lazy susan to get to the same place.
There are some great videos available, on all different styles of engraving. Some are on you tube, and are free to view, some can be rented and others must be purchased. It is worth the time to view them, as you will see what it is you are trying to do. If you get the opportunity, attend a class. It speeds the learning curve up exponentially. It absolutely is worth the money.
Read about transfering designs, here in the forum or in the tutorials section, pick a few easy designs and transfer them and you are ready.
Remember too, that there are plateaus that you will reach. It will take 25-30 hours to start to get the feel. Another 20-25 and things will start to get easier and make more sense. The more you cut, the more you will improve. Just keep at it, keep you gravers SHARP, and KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!!
Will

Thank you I got some copper from Ace hardware to pratice on is brass better
do they need to be shaprened before use and are these good to start with
again thank you

I am a beginer too but I have learned here that gravers do not come ready to use. You need to shorten them so that the most that sticks out of the handle is about two inches. If you are using a hammer to drive them they will vibrate if too long and the points will chip. If you are push engraving, be careful of the other hand. When, it slips and it will a lot at first,it will give you a bad cut if the other hand is in the way. Copper is good. Brass is ok but more slipery than copper. Some copper is soft and some really hard.
They HAVE to be sharpened before use. You must have a sharpening fixture for that. I have a crocker sharpening fixture but I do not recomend it. They are about fifty dollars. They are not indexed and so you will most likely pull out your hair (might be what happened to some of the guys here), trying to get it the same each time.
As for the gravers you have, All I ever use, or plan to use for a long time is the square. Eventually you will need a flat or two for background removal.
Correct me guys if I am wrong here.
Warning : if you get them sharp and start cutting it is addictive. Very addictive.
Welcome, these are some wonderful people here both guys and gals. Mack

GRS tools have worked very well for me the quick change sharpening fixture is what i have

also there is a great sharpening video that Sam Alfano did

If you don't have a graver ball, you can buy an old bowling ball,

Click to expand...

They seem to be hard to come by anymore. Somewhere on the web are plans for building one by using masonry cement poured into a round bottom plastic bowl with lead wheel weights added to the mix for additional weight. It was mounted via pipe flanges with a bearing for rotation. I thought it was pretty ingenious.

Dave

Hi dscott

It might be more helpful if you explained yourself a bit more as to exactley what you have got (or not got).

I would highly recommend that you start with 2 books.

Meeks "art of engraving" which is available from GRS http://www.grstools.com/b-general.html

Hartleips "The basics of firearms engraving" from Brownells here http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/st...p=1701&title=THE BASICS OF FIREARMS ENGRAVING

These two books will eplain how to get started and particulary Harleips book will show you some very basic tools that will get you well on your way.

Your biggest challenge is tool sharpening at the beginning. By hand or by using a jig like the GRS dual angle sharpener or the Lindsay templates.

Cheers
Andrew

My two cents worth:
1.)Grab Ron Smith's Book(s) Drawing and Understanding Scroll Designs and Advanced Drawing of Scrolls.
2.)Learn what a pencil can really do for your engraving skills. You'll be in much better shape if your drawing skills are up to snuff. NOTHING can advance your engraving skills like the pencil.

The actual engraving process is just the final stage of the artform.
Learning this craft sure is a ton of fun and you came to the right place to jump in.

I am a beginner also and you have been given great advice so far on the best books for the beginner.

I am just learning the power of the pencil as BrianPowley talked about. I always knew I didn't have much talent when it comes to art but when I started to draw scrolls , like music , I can't sing but I know a beautiful voice when I hear it. I can't draw but when a line flows I can see it. when it doesn't flow I can erase it and try again and again untill I get it right. Even if you can't draw a scroll yet and can only make a mess like I have been doing, you know when you see beautiful design. I think we all have that talent.

I got into the transfer stuff and it's a great and needful thing but the things I have drawn by hand are easier to cut for some reason.

Thank you all for the great responses like I said i am just starting and have got a lot of good information on here
Andrew I have got the gravers I described and going to make a vice i have bought some copper and cut it for some sample plates. my Wife also got me the book The jewelry engravers manual and i am going to check out the books you talked about
Again thanks to all

Its a pity that we could'nt have gottten together yesterday when I was in Englewood. If you get chance, come over to Monteagle.

Seems like I'm not the only one who got an engraving set for Christmas. My wife had the same idea and I'm planning to engrave some metal as soon as I'm done practicing and getting used to it.

Scott i know it was a bussy weekend i go that way a lot i have friends in Nashville so i am over that way once or twice a month

Sounds like you guys had a great Christmas!

I got my first stuff in June 2007. You'll have much fun cutting lines but as the others have said, it's what to do with those lines that's most valuable.

Ron's books are great - you'll be amazed as you find out you can draw scrolls. Someone either here or over on the Lindsay forums mentioned the reason for something I'd never figured out. You'll find that you can cut a better curve than you can draw. I never knew why until someone explained that it's because the graver is pushing through the metal while your pencil glides across the paper.

If you can get to a class - or take advantage of an offer like Scott's to get some one-on-one tips you'll make a huge leap forward. I always explain it like this: Reading the books and forums and watching the videos is like someone telling you about their steak. A class is getting a bite.

BTW, in my first class I was taught to make the gravers about the same length as your thumb - hold the graver in the handle and extend your thumb along the graver. If you make it end right about where your thumb ends it should be about right. Works for me so far!