Arizona whips

[Rachel McCollough]

Solid is always good news
Looking good!!!

[Craig Frank]

Sorry for the false start, everyone. I finally got around to doing the first sinew wraps. Hopefully I can work on the first belly Tuesday. Honestly, though, I may have to trash this one and start over. When I was doing the first couple of tape wraps I developed a spiral ridge on the handle. I was able to flatten it out with the sinew and rolling, but if it starts to affect the feel of the handle when I'm braiding I'll have to start over.

[Mark Elliott]

Honestly, though, I may have to trash this one and start over.

Story of my life, Frank. Have to say though, you are your own worst critic. Sometimes you have to toss it, but give it every chance first.

[Craig Frank]

Thank you, Mark.

I know, second false start. Things have finally settled down enough that I can hopefully knock it out during the four day weekend. I actually don't have anything planned this weekend other than two races and putting up Christmas Lights, so I should get it done.

[Craig Frank]

Well, I didn't get as much progress as I had hoped, but I am starting on the overlay tonight. This one's going to be a beast, even compared to my previous whips.

[Craig Frank]

Oh, and the spiral on the core was absolutely a non issue.

[Craig Frank]

When your core and two bellies are thicker than most people's whole whip.

[Craig Frank]

I hate braiding this pattern, but I'm digging the results, even if it is a little gappy. No, the handle isn't bent. It's just some weird optical illusion.

[Mark Elliott]

Craig, that certainly is a big whip. Maybe even big enough for a 24 plait. I like the colors and the pattern as well. Looks good.

[Jyri Haveri]

That is a monster Craig! looks good!

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Jeez Craig! That's huuuuuge Can't imagine what it will end up weighing.

Have you thought about tying on your overlay strands rather than trying to Crown or Square start? I find it gives a much tidier start and also allows a far greater variation of strand order for patterns.

[Craig Frank]

Roger - I'd be interested in learning how. I like the square start better than how I used to do it, but I'm not completely happy with it.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Here's my latest whip, just waiting for a cord delivery to do heel and transition stuff.



I tie a loose clove hitch around the handle, then start passing each strand (usually cut to 2 x desired length) up and tying an overhand knot at the end. When all 16 strands are in place, I gently tighten the clove hitch until all the strands are loosely secure and then start arranging them in the correct order.

For a standard 16-plt half-and-half layout, you place four cords of one colour to the front left and the other colour to front right. Make sure that your lengths match depending on how your drop, single or double. If you double drop (as I tend to do) each length must mirror the one on the other side. At the rear of the handle, you place the 4 remaining strands of each colour on the opposite corner. If you have black at front right, the other black strands must be rear left. This is because you start the plaiting by crossing over the eight strands to the front left and right, and then start plaiting as usual, taking the 'uppermost' strand and bringing behind and around into the weave.

This whip actually has all one colour across the front 4 left and right positions, with the other colour across the back half.



I did this because I wanted all the black to eventually bleed out, leaving a completely golden tail. Like this...



However, this way of laying out the strands means that fancy plaiting becomes far more difficult and requires a lot of calculations and playing around with colour layout. I tried to change things up a bit by altering my plaiting pattern in the 14-plt section, going to an U3O1U1O2. Looks ok I reckon.

One last advantage of this way of tying on overlay strands is that before you tie on your heel knot, you can use pliers to grab the knotted end of each cord and do a little extra tightening. When complete, untie the knots, trim the ends to desired length and then I usually do another sinew pass as tight as I physically can before starting my heel knot foundation.

Hope this helps explain.

[Ron May]

Nice explanation Sir Roger.
Thanks for showing us how you tie on strands.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Craig, I think you should call this latest creation 'The Schwarzenegger'! :P

[Rachel McCollough]

"I'll be back..."

Wow, what a beast!!!

[Tyler Blake]

Good explanation Roger! Craig, that looks really cool- I think it would be neat if you named it M- (whichever number of whip this is for you), to make it sound like a military designation.

[Craig Frank]

Thank you, Roger. I'll try that on a future whip.

Sorry, everyone, but this one is still Frankenwhip 2.0.

Stiff and beefy. Hopefully it holds through break in.

[Sven van Leeuwen]

I like the colors. They go well together. The entire thong seems well constructed.
Great job!
Looking good already Craig.

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Jeez Craig that's massive! If you're finding that your diamond plait is too gappy, you might have to go up in plait count (I've had that issue in some of my works as well).

Otherwise, the colours look nice together, and I can't wait to see how this monster works in action :P