Build a Tree Grafting Wax Heater

Enlarge Image Image Gallery With two coffee cans, a coat hanger and a candle, you can make a tree grafting wax heater. ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF

A generous application of grafting wax is essential for a successful scion implant . . . it's the post-surgery bandage that protects the wound. And though there are lots of commercial grafting waxes on the market, I've had the best luck with plain old paraffin. It's inexpensive, easy to use, and sticks like glue, no matter the weather. But there is one little hitch to grafting with paraffin: You've got to brush it on while it's melted. Sure, you can melt the stuff on your kitchen stove, but keeping it in a liquid state—outside, on a cold February or March day—takes a little doing. It can be done, however, and at a cost of absolutely nothing! Read on, and I'll tell you how to build your own tree grafting wax heater, using only a few toss-away household items and a pair of pliers.

You'll need two tin cans of different sizes (I've had good luck with one- and two-pound-sized coffee cans), a straightened coat hanger, and a stubby candle. Cut the lids out of the cans and—if they're a little grungy—rinse them out. Now, gather everything up and move it to a flat working surface. Since the smaller tin will need to rest inside the larger container with enough clearance at the bottom to allow room for the candle, your first chore is to decide how far up from the bottom of the larger can the smaller tin will need to ride. (Hint: It's nice if the top of the inner container protrudes enough to make it easy to grasp with gloved hands.) When you've got it all figured out, mark a ring around the perimeter of the larger can at the correct height.

Now, drill or punch four holes in the outer can at the level of the mark . . . the first two a couple of inches or so apart, and the other pair in the same relative position on the opposite side of the can. Run a section of your coat-hanger wire in one hole and out its opposite mate, then snip off the excess with the pliers and bend the two ends down to lock the wire in place. Repeat this procedure with a second piece of wire so that you have a support "rack" for the smaller tin inside the larger one.