Two of My Whips

[Ethan Mitchell]

I used the steel rod because I did not have anything else on hand. Where would you guys recommend I get some fiberglass rods? I might, in future, see if I can make a heavy snake whip style thong to go with the heavy handle. Maybe it would make a good can cutter.....?

[Robert Gage]

Ethan, you might try a bit of an old fishing rod. Or perhaps a fibreglass drumstick?

[Ron May]

Ethan, you can also find some fiberglass rods at a home improvement center.
Like this driveway marker.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Blazer-Inter ... /202498050
It looks like it could be cut down and used as a handle.

You can also look at golf club shafts as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-NANO-Made ... lub+shafts

But a fishing pole blank has a good taper to it and would work well too, but are a little pricey.

Ron

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Very nice whips Ethan.

[Ben Varsek]

Ethan, thank you for sharing pictures of your work!
Both, #6 and #7 look very good and I like how you've attached the cracker on the stockwhip.

All the best
Ben

[Matt Henderson]

Nice job Ethan, they look pretty good!

I might have missed this, but how long is the handle of your stockwhip?

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Still they look good Ethan .

Just a general question, does fiberglass not bend too much? Haven't got any experience with it.

Sven

[Ethan Mitchell]

Robert, I have used an old ice fishing pole as the core for a riding crop for my sister. Which turned out fine, but it had lumps where the rings holding the line had been. I could not scrape them off, they looked like they had been fastened with more fiber glass.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Thanks Ron! I'll definitely make use of these when I go to make another stockwhip.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Ben, Thanks, the poppers were originally attached the same way, but the fall on the mini bull was too thick to hold the knot properly.
I believe Lauren Wickline was the one who came up with this popper attachment method.
http://thewhipchick.com/PopperKnotWhip.jpg

[Ethan Mitchell]

Matt,
The handle is two feet long.

[Ron May]

Ethan that method has been around for decades, if not centuries, I believe.

Ron

[Ethan Mitchell]

Sven,
It depends on the thickness of the fiberglass rod. Most fishing rods are made with fiberglass.

[Sven van Leeuwen]

Ah yes. I also read some people use springsteel. I think if you compare springsteel and fiberglass, the bending or spingyness might be somewhat the same.
So I guess there wouldn't be really any problem there.

Sven

[Ben Varsek]

Thank you Ethan!

As far as I know this knot is the most solid knot for attaching a cracker to the fall!
An even more solid method would be an eyeloop for the cracker at the end of the fall (no knot needed and it makes changing crackers a lot more conveniant). Tyler made two very good video tutorials on how to make those:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO2DZ26Rx9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMeHI1ct6k4

All the best
Ben