So you want to learn to engrave on a small budget!!

[Thierry Duguet]

Learning to engrave does not necessarily require a big budget here is what you need:

1) Vise
2) One or two diamond stone (two different grip)
3) 2 tool holders
4) 5 tool blanks (high speed)
5) A few practice plate
6) A hammer, a Belgium one the German ones are a little heavy for my test
7) A divider
8) A pencil
9) Baby powder
10) modeling clay

Total cost retail less than $800.00, if you are a little handy you can save a lot by not buying an engraver vise but just a small machinist vise mounted on a pod so it could turn 360 degrees, actually you do not even need a rotating vise but it is convenient total for this option less than $400.00
Needless to say that I do not subscribe to the magic of the Tool.

 

[JJ Roberts]

Thierry,Sounds good many of the tools you listed can be found at a flea market that's how I got started. J.J.

 

[Sam]

Modern tools can make learning faster and easier, but they cost much more.
And of course there is no tool magic. If there is magic, it will be in the design, not the tool.

 

[silverchip]

I thought we had a list of tools and instructional avenues listed for beginners on a budget?????

 

[Sam]

I thought we had a list of tools and instructional avenues listed for beginners on a budget?????

We do. It's a sticky in the Tips Archive.

 

[monk]

man, alive ! you're way over budget. i started with a couple of used 3 corner files and 2 hammers made from automobile valves. the rest was just junk i had layin around in drawers.
my first serious expenditure was the "meeks book". then came the gravermeister. i can honestly say-- the book,"the art of engraving", by james b. meeks truly changed my "lifes' path".

 

[JJ Roberts]

monk, The Art of Engraving by James B. Meek changed my life also and if it was'nt for Mr. Meek and his book we would'nt be were today on the two engraving forums exchanging ideas. J.J.

 

[monk]

i couldn't agree more, jj. aside from his book, he was more than willing to chat on the phone. a real gentleman to a newbie like me. a pleasure to have talked with this man !
through his book, i learned of the gravermeister, invented by john rohner. needless to say, the book introducing johns' invention, has changed the life path of so many people- and opened so many doors of oppurtunity. :clapping:

 

[ericjames]

Good post Thierry!! I am a newbie in engraving and I wanted to learn engraving so that I could engrave names on the trophies and award plaques for our local club competitions. We don’t have a big budget, which means we can’t use a shop for doing the job. I have every item listed here, including a machinist vice. Hope I can learn it quickly and well. How is the book mentioned by Monk, “Art of Engravingâ€￾ by James B Meek? I found that in amazon. If it is a really helpful book, I plan to buy a copy.

 

[diandwill]

It will take quite awhile to become proficient enough to engrave names on plaques and trophys. You might be money ahead buying one of these:
http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Flat-Engraver/115113?Pos=19
A used unit can probably also be found for less money, but beware that the brass fonts can be worn out through misuse, making staying in the grooves even harder. Other fonts are also available,

 

[Agnis]

Hello.
I'm Agnis and I'm from Latvia.
As a beginner in engraving (practicing hammer & chissel), I can say that you can start in a very cheap way.

First of all - thanks to Mr. Sam Alfano, for posting this video (link) on Youtube, and introduced me with engraving.
The next step to me, was the search for alternative of a vise (budget), here I can say thanks to Mr. Dave London - hotglue works for me too.
I use soldiering iron to melt it over nut (DIN 6334 m14). The nut is fixed on a m14 threaded rod, which is attached to "not so sturdy workbench". In botton of the rod is attached round wooden part of wire reel for turning the "system" with my legs.
For graver handle I use this crafted holder (I had to saw it shorter to make it lighter).
Hammer is ordinary, bought in shop.
For now I'm just practicing straight lines and examining graver geometry on some plain washers, and I don't use any optics, except for my glasses.

Agnis.

P.S. I apologize for my English language, because I haven't used it for some time.

 

[Dave London]

Good job, and your English is just fine. Keep cutting