yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I'm starting a new thread for this so I don't clutter up the grafting knife thread too much: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/need-a-grafting-knife.10362/
Just so you don't have to read the entire thread if you don't want to, my assessment is that the jig is not worth it for me. It may be for others.
The above picture is the jig with the scion in place. The grafting knife is opposite handed. I'm using the knife in my right hand, but it is a left handed grafting knife. The flat side is flush against the angle of the jig. The scion is laying flat in the trough. To make the cut, I simply stroke the knife along the angle of the wood in one fast cut while holding the scion in place with my left thumb.
The picture above is the scion in the jig after the cut.
The picture above shows the scion and rootstock after the first whip cuts were made. I then switched to a right handed knife, put down the jig, and cut a traditional tongue.
Sorry for the blur, but the picture above shows the graft union.
For comparison, I did a W&T graft traditionally using a right handed knife cutting toward myself. With several years of practice, I'm getting better with it.
The above picture shows the Whip cuts I made traditionally with a right handed knife. I faced the knife toward me and supported the scion with my thumb under it. I then pulled the scion away from me. It took me several attempts to get the cuts above.
The picture above is of the graft union of the traditional W&T graft. Not quite as good, but good enough for apples.
My assessment is this:
It takes some time and practice to cut a W&T graft properly. The idea is to keep the spacing between the knife and you thumb the same throughout the cut pulling the scion away with your off hand rather than the knife toward you. I've been bench grafting for a couple years now. I'm getting better with practice, but I still tend to pull the knife and put my thumb at risk.
Using the grafting jig and off-handed knife is an expensive solution for right handers, because of the cost of left-handed grafting knives (unless you create your own). It is a workable solution that lets you face the knife away from yourself and provides good cambium alignment (as long as you match scion diameter). I will probably use the jig for hard woods like jujube or persimmon. For apples and other softer wood trees that have thicker cambium layers, I will probably rely on traditional W&T more. Right now, both methods take me about the same time to execute. With practice, traditional W&T will be much faster.
I'm not sure if anyone else will find this useful, but I thought I'd post the results.
Thanks,
Jack
Just so you don't have to read the entire thread if you don't want to, my assessment is that the jig is not worth it for me. It may be for others.
The above picture is the jig with the scion in place. The grafting knife is opposite handed. I'm using the knife in my right hand, but it is a left handed grafting knife. The flat side is flush against the angle of the jig. The scion is laying flat in the trough. To make the cut, I simply stroke the knife along the angle of the wood in one fast cut while holding the scion in place with my left thumb.
The picture above is the scion in the jig after the cut.
The picture above shows the scion and rootstock after the first whip cuts were made. I then switched to a right handed knife, put down the jig, and cut a traditional tongue.
Sorry for the blur, but the picture above shows the graft union.
For comparison, I did a W&T graft traditionally using a right handed knife cutting toward myself. With several years of practice, I'm getting better with it.
The above picture shows the Whip cuts I made traditionally with a right handed knife. I faced the knife toward me and supported the scion with my thumb under it. I then pulled the scion away from me. It took me several attempts to get the cuts above.
The picture above is of the graft union of the traditional W&T graft. Not quite as good, but good enough for apples.
My assessment is this:
It takes some time and practice to cut a W&T graft properly. The idea is to keep the spacing between the knife and you thumb the same throughout the cut pulling the scion away with your off hand rather than the knife toward you. I've been bench grafting for a couple years now. I'm getting better with practice, but I still tend to pull the knife and put my thumb at risk.
Using the grafting jig and off-handed knife is an expensive solution for right handers, because of the cost of left-handed grafting knives (unless you create your own). It is a workable solution that lets you face the knife away from yourself and provides good cambium alignment (as long as you match scion diameter). I will probably use the jig for hard woods like jujube or persimmon. For apples and other softer wood trees that have thicker cambium layers, I will probably rely on traditional W&T more. Right now, both methods take me about the same time to execute. With practice, traditional W&T will be much faster.
I'm not sure if anyone else will find this useful, but I thought I'd post the results.
Thanks,
Jack
