quote:

Originally posted by CowboyCS:
I agree that learning to sharpen your gravers is probably the mos important thing you need to learn because a poorly sharpened graver is nothing but pure frustration when you are first learning to engrave.

Now having said that let me tell about the the first couple months of my engraving experience. I apprenticed under a master gunsmtih and he taught me to hand sharpen...it was a very frustrating process because while he could tell me and show me how to properly sharpen a graver I must have tried it 1000 times before I got the first one correct and then it was probably another 100 more times before I was able to consistently do it properly.

Then I bought my first Lindasy template system and I've never sharpened a graver by hand since then, the consistency and repeatability of the Lindsay system makes life so much easier and better. Instead of spending so much time resharpening broken points till your eyes hurt and your fingers bleed you can spend your time actually practicing engraving.

http://www.airgraver.com/sharpening.htm
http://www.engravingschool.com...dsay%20Sharpener.htm

Beyond sharpening you will need graver blanks, a chasing hammer and a way to hold the material you want to engrave.
Chasing hammers can be bought for about $30.00. Graver Blanks are around $5-30 /ea. depending on what grade you buy. And you can make your own vice from a bowling ball and a drill press vice.

I'm near Washington Kansas, about 5.5 hours from you and if you would like you can contact me and I will let you come try-out my equipment and give you some basic lessons for free. At least then you will know if you want to pursue it further or not without spending any money.

I can teach you the basics of push graving, Hammer and Chisel and I can let you try-out my Lindsay Classic Airgraver.
http://www.airgraver.com/Engraving_Tools.htm