Stockwhip Build

[Ethan Mitchell]

Hey guys!
I am working on a Aussie stockwhip! I have some coyote brown that I am using for the thong. Also, I have some fiberglass rods as well as two different shades of brown on order from Roy. Here are a few quick photos of the TT core, along with a picture of my plan, if you can decipher it :p :

One pass of open-loop binding.


The thong is going to be four foot with a six point fall hitch.

[Ron May]

That sounds like a beefy stock whip for sure.
You're going to have some fun making this one.
Good luck Ethan.

Ron

[Ethan Mitchell]

Ron, I am planning on twelve plait as I still need to work in my seams and lining them up. My inspiration is Erik's stockwhip, but with my own spin on things.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Hey guys,
I have finished the belly, and I have a question about the binding. When I got to the end of the core and started the five strand TT there is a tension drop off, how should I go about binding the TT without causing a drop off at the end of the belly?

[Ethan Mitchell]

Here are a few more pics of the belly:


Nice, straight seams!

[Ron May]

It's looking good Ethan.

Ron

[Ron May]

The hinge at the start of the TT is usually a product of the start not being a tight enough twist at the beginning.
At least that's been my experience.

Ron

[Sir Roger Tuson]

I've suffered from this before, Ethan.

When I bind my TT cores, I always twist the core against itself as I bind. I find that this increases the tautness of the core. So, when you get to that 'soft' point, twist the core as tight as you can as you bind. This will bring it back closer to what you aimed for without having to undo and retwist. I've successfully added a little more sinew at the soft point too.

[Ben Varsek]

Ethan, you build looks very good - thank you for sharing!

What might also help to avoid a hinge when going from 4 plait into TT is to pay close attention to the way in which the strands are positioned before you start twisting.
The way of positioning the strands which Rhett Kelley shows in one of his videos has always worked very well for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTjbY5MQbA

In this video, he does a TT with 4 strands. Since you are making a TT with 5 strands, you could simply incooporate the 5th strand to either the "left side strings" or the "right side strings".

All the best
Ben

[Ethan Mitchell]

Thanks for the tip guys! I'll work on it.

[Mark Elliott]

Ethan, I did it like the Rhett Kelley vids as well and had no problems.

[Rachel McCollough]

Right, pair them up at four plait like you would for the twist on a cow whip tail just before you run one inside the other. Pick up single tail strand from belly. Twist tight tight tight. That's it! Looks like you have it down, just a bit tighter and you got.it. looking great!!!

[Ethan Mitchell]

I just got some 3/8" fiberglass rods from Roy the other day and I have a few questions. What can I use to cover the ends of the rods to protect the paracord and so they don't split? Also, how could I carve a grove so I can bind on the keeper?

[Rachel McCollough]

I use a round rough rasp a little bigger than a pencil I bought from the local hardware store (bigger and rougher than a chainsaw file, though that would work!) Alternatively, sand paper wrapped around a dowel (like, 60 or 80 grit) oitside and watch that dust.

A thin piece of fabric epoxied around it would work to cover the tip.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Ok, Thanks Rachel! Just wanted to make sure that there was no special way of sanding fiberglass. Though I'll be sure to wear gloves, I've already gotten one splinter. :p

[Ethan Mitchell]

Overlay in the works:

[Rachel McCollough]

Mask and long sleeve shirt! Eye protection! Don't take chances with it, its not worth it. Bad stuff!

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

Yeah, I just use a basic file - fibreglass is actually quite easy to file, so definitely mask and clothes are important!

Alternatively, I've covered my fibreglass rods with hockey tape when I cut them, so dust doesn't get into my hands when I use them to make things ^_^

[Ethan Mitchell]

Here is a very bad pic of what I have so far. It has a coyote brown thong and the handle is chocolate brown and dark acid brown.

I am still working of the overlay. Took a break so I could rework where I want to drop from ten to eight and plaited the first layer on the handle. I was going to do some fancy plaiting but I like how two tone basic herringbone looks. This time the keeper turned out very tight, possibly to tight... We'll see once I finish it.
I'm planning on a sixteen half-plait overlay for the handle in dark acid brown does that sound ok?

[Ethan Mitchell]

Oh, and here is a picture of the fiberglass rod before I plaited over it.

I haven't bound it with sinew yet.