The "Making of" Gallery - Rachel McCollough

[Ethan Mitchell]

Hey Rachel! I love the charcoal grey with the Bocoté! And people say tan and gray don't match! :p

One thing I'm interested in is how you bind down the overlay on your stockwhips. I was thinking of using that on a twenty plait bull so I could still have the sixteen plait handle. This is looking well into the future as I don't think I'll have time for that right now, just an idea.

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you, Ethan! A little thread, a constrictor knot, wind and bind, French whipping, a little LITTLE epoxy/glue on the thread. That's it. Cover with a knot or whatever you like.

[Ethan Mitchell]

Ok, That makes sense. Wouldn't of thought to use the glue to give more durability to the thread. Thanks!

[Rachel McCollough]

Ethan if it is a core or a moving part of the whip itself in shy of using glue or epoxy on that portion. However, on the thread and that short bit of overlay only right there, that is a pretty solid portion. There is expansion and contraction... But by using on the thread and not much of the overlay, especially a bendable glue... It would be fine, in my opinion. If not, on mine, I fix it.

[Craig Frank]

Awesome wood work. Did you use wax on it?

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks, Craig! The wood is finished with tung oil. I like that on the oily wood it is not an overpowering finish.

[Craig Frank]

Rachel - understood. That's why I always use beeswax on the few wood projects that I do. Brings out the natural color and layers without being too strong.

[Rachel McCollough]

Craig, that's it exactly!

[Rachel McCollough]

One of my favorite views of any whip I make, when it is almost time to crack... Waxed! Granted, not as much fun when it is raining.




My audience and cheer section when I wax the whips:


Time to make crackers.








How it flies:
https://youtu.be/jgen8MfaDo8

[Mark Elliott]

Beautiful job, Rachel.

[Ron May]

Great job Rachel.
It performs like a hot knife through butter.

Ron

[Scott A. Cary]

Fantastic - that moves really nicely! Well done.

[Jyri Haveri]

Beatiful Rachel!
It looks so elegantly beefy at the very beginning of that thong on that one pic!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you very much, I'm excited to see the next one- same measurements but different feel in appearance....just totally different personality and has a mind all its own. Time to go back to work!

[Robert Gage]

Magnificent, Rachel. I am speechless with admiration!

I like the audience and cheering section! And does that handle really say 'Rachel Stock 103? Wow!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you very much, Mr. Robert! No sir, it is #003, though the cow whips are indeed past that number.

[Rachel McCollough]

... And I enjoy my watchers quite a lot, they will play all their games over there. One climbs and hangs from the wire roof of her pen. She is more cat than dog!

[Ethan Mitchell]

Very Cool Rachel! Do you have any idea how many whips you've made to date?

[Rachel McCollough]

Rachel - I really like the variations of the plaiting, which are subtle with the mono-color. However, have you every noticed any change in consistency of flow along the thong from doing that?

Hey Craig, we are not commenting in the actual gallery now so I will copy your comment here, if that's ok!

Thank you!

It depends on the pattern and it depends on the base layers. How the whip is made on the inside is the first thing. It is uniform all the way down and fully connected which seems to dictate the movement more than anything.

Certain patterns can indeed change the movement. Most patterns do not seem to, on my whips. Where you change pattern can be influenced by what is under it: if you've got a long stretch of tightly bound whip, it should do just fine.

[Giovanni Celeste]

Great job Rachel!
I live the leather details on the keeper and handle.
In the Penultimate pics you've caught the essence of the whip!!
Congrats!