Hey Troy from Indiana, welcome to the forum. There are a lot of wonderful folks here who will be glad to help you help yourself. The best advice I can give you right now is to sign up for a basic engraving class just as soon as you can. You will save countless hours, day's and months of frustration. You will have questions answered about equipment and, as an added bonus you might just make some new friends.
Enjoy the journey and stay in touch.