Hello from PA

[Sam]

Hi my name is Sam, i live in western PA. Tinkering with guns is my biggest hobby. some day i'd like to be able to engrave a couple of my guns. Right now i don't know hardly anything about engraving but i hope to learn. From reading all the different threads i sort of figured out what i need so start. i have a bunch of stuff on order from various places. I ordered some gravers and a sharpening kit from steve and some handles from gesswein. I also picked up a DVD called Engraving Methods & Techniques by Don Glaser and a copy of "Art of Engraving: A Book of Instructions" by James B. Meek. i'm keeping an eye out for a used vise, but if i can't find one in the next few weeks i'll probably buy a new one. If theres anything else anyone can think of that i might need i'd appreciate the help. thanks

[Dave London]

Welcome Sam
Lots of good info here. check out ebay for a vise, also check out the vices on Steves tool web site. BTW where in Western PA

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Dave London

Welcome Sam
Lots of good info here. check out ebay for a vise, also check out the vices on Steves tool web site. BTW where in Western PA

Dave, there's a vise listed right now that i have been watching. we'll see what happens. I live about 6 miles south of Indiana, Pa.

[Dave London]

Good luck on the bidding, I am from Springdale a little NE of Pittsburgh.Moved to Co in 73

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Dave London

Good luck on the bidding

I decided not to bid on the vise. the guy has it advertised as a magna block but the picture he has posted is a standard block. for a couple of bucks more i could get it brand new.

[Roger Bleile]

Sam,

You may have read this on this or the other engraving forum already but I will repeat it anyway. Learn to draw properly formed and detailed scroll work before you start cutting on guns. Nearly 100% of all the poorly engraved guns I have examined over the last 35 years were due to poorly designed scroll work. Many were poorly cut but the design flaws were what made them stand out as the work of a beginner. I don't know what your art background is but even accomplished artists must study proper gun scroll to avoid the "beginner" look. Most of us who are seasoned engravers draw endlessly in our spare moments to improve our design abilities. Everyone who has come to me wanting to learn gun engraving was focused on tooling and cutting techniques. Before I will discuss tools and cutting I require that they present acceptable examples of properly drawn scroll. The very best source of design study for gun engraving is the books by Ron Smith available through FEGA. If I had only had those books available when I started. What a difference they would have made! Even though I have been engraving for over 30 years I still do drawing exercises based on the Smith books.

Good luck,

Roger Bleile

[MikeDubber]

Roger:

It's good to see your name on the the forum. You are absolutley correct in your assessment of the need to establish a good routine of drawing and creating proper scroll. I have two students in my studio this week and I have repeated over and over the need for properly designed scrolls.

I also agree that studying Ron Smith's books are the best source for learning basic scroll design. Not more than a few minutres ago, I told my students that I estimate that about 1/3 of my studio time is spent engraving steel - the remainer is spent designing and laying out scrolls and figures...and this is after spending the last 45 years at the engraving bench.

Like you, I have studied the art in America and in Europe, I have taught engraving to about 300 students, and I recognize the fundamental need to draw proper scrolls. The engraver's devotion to drawing and layout exists world wide, and it is the same in every studio I've ever visited.

Mike Dubber

[Sam]

Roger;
Thanks for all the good advice. I really don't know a whole lot about anything yet, but i have seen some of those guns you are talking about at gun shows. I figured it would be a long long long long time before i would even attempt a gun. I did see the Ron Smith books on FEGA's website the other day. Is the "advanced drawing of scrolls" the one you are talking about?

edited.
I just ordered both of his books..