I'm trying to mine my own ore. I'm not sure how to get the ore and I do not want to purchase it from the shops. This is for roleplaying purposes, just can't figure out how to find the veins and get the ore from them

Well first you need a pickaxe.. I found one lying around somewhere, some shops might sell them. I don't know if there is a way to find ore besides just stumbling upon it. It will look different from the normal rocks. When you do find it you just press a hotkey and voila, you mine.

You need to find a Pick Axe. There was one leaning on the cave wall near the first mine I found. I've seen shops sell them too.

p.s. I'm slow.

the rocks look different than what you normally see around. They are all a goldish color stone from what i've seen with the ore viens running through them.You need a pickax to mine them. Usually they will be low profile barely out of the ground/wall and most often appear near other rock formations.

is it just a matter of activating the ore when i stumble upon a vein, or do i actually get to swing my pickaxe

You press the activate button and so long as you aren't in combat it will go to a preset animation.

Ok, much appreciated. hopefully i stumble across some. admittedly i wasn't looking for it before but i haven't seen a vein in 30 hours i've played so far.

Go to the very top of the biggest moutain, I forget what its called its where you meet a sertain someone who teaches you a sertain something in the MQ, There will be some rare ore and an enchanted pickaxe. Its sort oh hard to get there becouse there is no patch once you get high enough.

There's a mine in Dawnstar.