Question: Im a poor college student ixed on learning to engrave. Help on cheaper/homemade tools

[TheFirst]

I have always loved engraved firearms, and am an avid firearm owner, reloader, bullet caster. I just started reading up on hand engraving and I know I would love it. I made myself a grave out of the back of a high speed drill bit that turned out kind of nice, I cut a piece of dowel off and used a dremel to shape it into a handle, which turned out nicely, I just need to give it a nice finish. Unfortunately, I dont think my grave angles are going to be right since I just did it by eye.
Im wondering where a good place would be to start to get a couple simple gravers for hand push engraving and also what are your opinions on what I should make first to start out as far as other tools. I have a nice sharpening stone thats VERY fine grit on one side and even finer on the other that I got from my grandpa who was a woodcarver his whole life and needed extremely sharp tools. I think it should be good enough until I can afford something better.
I have a very limited budget, until around september, when I will have a little more money to use. Im extremely anxious to get started though. Im really good at learning things myself, and Ive always been good at making intricate patterns, and I also have always been one to make things myself rather than buy them when possible, so I think this art is something I really need to get into.

Thanks for reading all that rambling!

 

[dlilazteca]

The tips section, most if not all your questions have been asked and or answered, there is a list of tools for beginner's on a budget.

Your best friend the search button.

Saludos,

Carlos

 

[dogcatcher]

Put your location in your profile, you may someone close that can assist you.

 

[silverchip]

Ha!! that looks like my first tool!!! That was almost 40 yrs ago, somethings never change!!!!

 

[Brian Marshall]

You already have the most important requisite to learn.

You have genuine "want to".

And you've got the "make it yourself" going for you.

These two characteristics are very powerful - especially teamed up.


Put up location in your profile. You may find someone close by to advise or help...


Brian

 

[KCSteve]

Over on Steve Lindsay's site he's got a basic kit that's not too expensive. It includes one of his sharpening templates so you'll have at least one good point.
Go to http://www.handengravingforum.com/ and look for the 'Inexpensive Way to get Started' sticky thread.
You're doing it the old fashioned way which is as cheap as you can get. It will definitely work but it takes more time and determination than most folks have these days.
The more of the modern toys you can acquire the easier the tedious parts of engraving get. You still have to put in a lot of time and effort, but it's time cutting instead of trying to get a point that works.

 

[Haraga.com]

Sell a gun or two and buy some good tools. Sacrifice a little bit.

 

[TheFirst]

I added my location. I can definitely understand the "getting a good point" thing.. I have a piece of sheet steel and I cant for the life of me to get the point to slide without a ton of pressure and it just gets stuck in there. I see hand push examples on youtube and its like theyre gliding through butter. Ive been grinding it and sharpening different points on it but havent found a good one yet. The point on the hs steel deforms really easily too.
I can tell its gonna take time, but I dont give up on things I really want to do. Like guns. I didnt have a single family member that owned one and 2 years later I know more than anybody Ive met. This is one of those things.

 

[dlilazteca]

Sell a gun or two and buy some good tools. Sacrifice a little bit.

That's exactly what I did except I sold some tools and bought my first Lindsay Classic

Saludos,

Carlos

 

[dogcatcher]

First head to your library and look for Art of Engraving: A Book of Instructions by James B. Meek. If they don't have it, ask if they can get it through an interlibrary loan. If that fails look on Amazon. but I think I have seen it cheaper on Brownells. After studying the book you will find there are several ways to skin this cat, it can be cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. The more you do your homework the cheaper you can get started.

For me it was learning to draw and sharpening the gravers that was the key to getting started. A homemade jig covered the sharpening end, practice and more practice as me sort of on the way to engraving. Google sharpening gravers, look at the sharpening jigs, lots of ideas for cheap systems, these are not a $200 professional jig, but they do work.

Read the forum, take notes, good notes, it sucks to have to look for something when you need it the second time to understand what is being said in another area. Look at pictures for ideas on designs, the more you study and practice the easier it will become. Plan on using lots of time drawing scrolls etc., hopefully it will fall together. The more you read, the better you will understand the process, also don't forget the videos, lots of good videos out there, but unfortunately also some wasted time on some videos. The more you know the easier it will be to tell when a video is a lost cause.

 

[TheFirst]

Thanks a lot dogcatcher, the tip about taking notes is a great idea, I dont think I would have thought of that.
On the topic of selling a couple guns, I cant really do that. I have gone through a lot of trades to get exactly what I want with my limited money and its taken a long time. In September Ill have enough money to invest a decent amount so Id rather hold onto them. Ive always been told, never sell a gun you like, because youll just buy it again later at a higher price.

 

[Beathard]

Check out How to Become a Hand Engraver.