2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Couldn't you vaccinate? So they used a bad knife. It doesn't matter if it is an apple tree or a rose - the result of the "operation" is 80% dependent on the quality of the blade. Let's deal with the grafting knife. Learning to choose and sharpen
What are grafting knives
There is no great variety in this inventory. There are three types that differ in their functionality.
1. The rounding knife has a thin curved blade and double-sided sharpening. Designed for inoculation by eye or kidney. The technique is called "budding" and is widely used in horticulture and floriculture.
2. The copulation knife is made of stronger steel and has a straight, one-sided blade. Used for copulation - grafting by cutting.
3. The utility knife is a popular tool for experienced gardeners. It can have various shapes of the blade, which has a sharp "horn" to aid in budding. There is one more element on the handle: a "bone" made of plastic or metal. It is convenient to use this device to push the bark apart at the cut.
All types of grafting knives are made of high quality steel, suitable for sharp sharpening. Able to easily cut tree branches and produce a perfect cut. This is a necessary condition for joining wood tissues and for further survival.
Learning to choose a knife
You do not need special knowledge when buying a grafting knife. It is important to remember that the purpose of this tool is to make an even cut. Therefore, the blade must meet all the requirements to create a sharp edge like a straight razor. The surface to be ground must extend over the entire plane at a steep angle. Other nuances are also important:
• no nicks or grooves on the edge of the blade.
• thorough polishing, with a reflective effect, like a mirror.
• the comfort of the handle and the comfortable feeling of your hand are important.
• the thickness of the blade of a quality tool should not exceed 2 mm. The best option would be 1.5 mm. It is better not to take thick options, they will injure the kidney / stalk.
• we check the sharpening and quality of steel in the store. You need a standard A4 sheet of paper. While holding it in the canopy, make cuts. If after the first ten cuts, torn edges begin to appear, refuse to buy.
Considering the manufacturer, we can say that two companies will be the leaders in quality assurance: Victorinox, Fiskars. Their products are expensive but perfect ($ 15-25).
How to sharpen a grafting knife
Knives are known to be dull and need correction. Before each "operation" requires preparation. Your goal is to make the knife not sharp, but very sharp. As a result, the blade must not only cut the canopy paper, but also shave off the hairs on the body. For work, prepare a bar with a large and small texture, P400 and P1500 sandpaper. For "finishing" leather belt, GOI paste. These are all purchased from the hardware store.
Sharpening technique
Get ready for a lengthy process. Place the knife in your hand. The blade should be facing away from you. Place a jar of water next to it. We put the block with the coarse-grained side up. We moisten the blade, put it on a block at an angle of 15-20 degrees.
Creating a slight pressure, we begin with smooth movements to drive the blade along the surface of the bar. Do about 20-30 movements. Then we turn the block over and also do it on fine grain, at the same angle. Remember to wet the knife periodically.
Grinding
After the first stage, micro notches remain on the blade, they must be removed. We begin to do the finishing on sandpaper (we look at the brand number on the back side). First we grind on P400, then we go to fine sandpaper P1500. We perform the actions while observing the same tilt angle of 15-20 degrees.
We check the quality of work on hanging paper. If the cut is done easily and evenly, then micro burrs are eliminated. Let's move on to the final part. We take a leather belt, oiled with GOI (polishing paste). The belt must be tightened: fix it on the board or fix the end on the wall, and take the second one in your hand and pull it.
Using the same technique and movements, we bring the blade to perfect condition. By the way, the pastes differ in number, ideally it is better to start with No. 4, then move on to medium polish No. 3 and finish with a fine polish No. 1 or No. 2.
The process is not difficult, but it takes patience. But now you can get a high-quality vaccination and enjoy the positive result.
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