chinese grafting tool

[michael-bees]

Is the quality of all chinese grafting tools the same. Who sells a good one?

[Michael Bush]

>Is the quality of all chinese grafting tools the same. Who sells a good one?

Basically. The secret is to buy a bunch of them and pick out the good ones.

[Michael Palmer]

Basically. The secret is to buy a bunch of them and pick out the good ones.

That's the truth. What you're looking for is...

The plunger contacts the flexible tip as you operate the plunger. If there is a space between the plunger and the tip, the larva can get stuck between them.

The flexible tip had a slight bend upwards...toward the plunger. This allows the tip to slide along, or conform to, the bottom of the cell, and under the puddle of jelly. Also insures good contact with the plunger.

One thing I do is suck on the end of the grafting tool. I keep it in my mouth between bars. Helps keep the tip flexible, and you can maintain the proper bend in the tip with your tongue.

[BWrangler]

Hi Michael and Everyone,

I've found two different kinds of Chinese grafting tools. The cheap one has an external spring on the far end of a bamboo plunger. It's the tool on the left of the photo at:

http://www.bwrangler.com/qtoo.htm

I've never found one of these that didn't need to be tweaked to work properly. It's not hard to do, but takes a little time and some experience.

This tool's bamboo plunger swells/shrinks as it's exposed to moisture. The swelling is problematic and can quickly cause a tool to become unusable until it dries out for a day or two.

The cheap tool costs a few dollars. Consider them disposable.

The second kind of Chinese grafting tool is seen at the right side of the photo. It's a solid plastic unit with an internal spring half way down the plunger. I've only seen them in that fluorescent green color.

They are superior in every aspect to the cheap tool mentioned above. Only minor modifications are needed to make them workable. No swelling, sticking problems. And if the tip is protected, they will last a lifetime.

They cost about twice as much as the cheapies.

Will a cheap tool do? Yes, if one is only grafting a few larva at a time, say a couple hundred or so. But they can be a pain in a commercial environment where many hundreds to a thousand or more are routinely grafted. The bamboo plunger quickly attracts debris, which requires rinsing, which causes swelling, then sticking.

I'm not sure where the superior tool can be obtained. I originally obtained my Thorne in England before any were available in the US. Looking at their site today, I can't determine, from their photo, which kind of tool they are selling. Maybe, I'll have to send them a email and ask.

I like the design, function and feel of the Chinese tool so much that I've thought about taking a machining course just so I could make a couple out of stainless steel.

Anyone know where the superior tool can be purchased?

Regards
BWrangler

[BWrangler]

Hi Guys,

Got to looking around for a superior type Chinese grafting tool. Swienty has a similar looking one. It appears to be all plastic, although it appears to have some minor differences with the plunger. It could even be a newer version of the same model I have.

Anyone have experience with this one?

http://www.swienty.com/?pid=1&id=112101

Looks like they're about $6.

Regards
BWrangler

[Jonathan Hofer]

The one I use can be seen at:

http://www.beemaidbeestore.com/product.php?txtCatID=103&txtProdID=181

It's really easy to take apart and clean, and quite simple to bend the flexible end to a desirable shape. Also, quite cheap, so they can be reckoned as disposable.

[TwT]

http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/prodinfo.asp?number=333 I am about to by about 10 of these from brushy mountain, they are all plastic also I think

[BeeCurious]

BWrangler,

I think this is the link you meant to post: http://bwrangler.com/qtoo.htm :thumbsup:

[BWrangler]

Thanks BeeCurious. That's the correct link.

Regards
BWrangler