I see pictures of different grafting techniques, watched harvey's and others video's but still have major problems with them taking.I think the problem is in identifying layers or some other issue. Is there a magic bullet? Is there a resource or very close up pictures you've found helpful. I'm about to give up on the whole mess. Out of 20 or so grafts over the last year, only one has taken even though I wrap them properly, etc. etc.  Thanks for any info.      

Have you reviewed the linked discussion and gone to the picture repository with albums that Jaime and Francisco and others have posted on the subject?

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/what-to-do-with-a-small-cutting-best-option-is-grafting-8471345?pid=1295524102

All the video's are great but I have found the step by step stills posted in the albums to be extremely informative and helpful in following along without the need to halt a video or rewind one back to re-view a step...

I found from searching online that matching the cambium layer at one or more edges is most important.
I have whip grafted one of my seed grown apple trees with 3 varieties so far. Its 8 feet tall now.
Just one of my grafting practice trees.
Cambium matching is most important to get a graft to take.
Doug

I was feeling the same frustration last year about my grafts not taking. The advice I got was to stick with it and practice and that turned out to be spot on, 7 of 8 grafts of different types are successful this year. Can't say that I have any better overall knowledge on grafting but I think with time we learn how to apply key points in the act and details of making the grafts.

If you can describe what type of grafts you attempted during what seasons and conditions you may be able to get more specific help. Pic are also a huge help. Also I think you need to give them enough time. After three weeks and no scion growth I thought all mine failed again. But after 2 months there is vigorous growth.

This link on citrus has really good quality videos:

http://www.fruitmentor.com/grafting-citrus-trees-cleft-graft

   

   That pic may be a big help, Timo...

   I think that a lot of people that are just starting out, even if they grasp the concept of having to get the cambium layers of the scion and the host to match up,  they still aren't really able to identify the cambium itself.  I've seen many posts here instruct people to align the green section of the two pieces together.   This can be where the trouble lies.

   I can envision a person using the green section of bark on their scion and on the rootstock as the target to align, rather than the cambium layer.  And in as much as the thickness of the bark on the various cultivars can differ widely, this can place the cambium layers of the two pieces far apart.

Thanks everyone for the input and Timo those were good pictures of the cambium layer which I think I was missing and instead trying to get the green layers to match. Appreciate all your input and links.

Ross recently did a video on tilting the cutting so you made contact somewhere along the length of the cutting on both sides by virtue of the tilt.

Which technique did you use to make the 20 grafts that failed you last year, Noel?

Just used a single cleft graft. Wrapped them in parafilm and rubberband. Even added a support stick just in case on a couple. Complete failures. Now that I'm thinking on it, some were pretty late in the season, if that has any bearing. But even with the grafts from this spring, only one has taken. 

Temperature is the biggest reason why grafts don't heal and take the new scion.

My understanding of the cambium layer thickness is that it just the width of a few plant cells, so a thickness about like a thin sheet of paper. When you peel slipping bark the separation happens by tearing the cambium layer and as a result there are cambium cells on the both the inner bark and exposed wood surfaces. In the below pic copied from a link posted above it shows a dimension CA that may give the impression that the cambium is much thicker than it truly is. Some experience grafters make the point that it is nearly impossible to match cambium layers along most of the length of even one edge, so they advise deliberately making a slight misalignment to ensure the layers cross and at that point there will be cambium contact.

 

The cleft graft is probably one of the worst in terms of possibility of cambium misalignment if people try to align scion and rootstock perfectly (that's why i prefer whip and tongue or chip-bud grafting there is a much greater chance of crossing cambiums with those techniques without any effort from the grafter).
The best option with cleft grafting is deliberately slanting the scion (just a bit), as Conrad is saying, so the cambiums cross at some point.

I second that,I only graft whip and tongue.
You have more cambium contact points.
I've had 90% success useing this method.

I use one of the grafting tools from ebay I did massive plums this year I think most took I will be trying figs next year it makes it so easy and fast with the tool I just use the v blade you can do a saddle on a very small stick.

Hi,
Aligning the bark with wavy cuts is really hard. So your tool need to be sharp and clean.
You need to cut straight so that the surfaces are flat.
The scion should be kept aside for it to slow down and later give a chance to the surfaces to heal together before the scion starves from lacking sap and general humidity.

I have a hard time with grafting too. But I'm not grafting figs as they root or/and send root-shoots so easily. I'm trying with cherry-trees and peartrees .
From my readings now is the best time to take the scions ( well a bit late already) and keep them fresh to use in a month when the root-stocks are fully growing.
Good luck !