The making of whip #2

[Rachel McCollough]

If I were to cut the strands and splice one to another color..... I would do it like this:
http://www.paracordguild.com/how-to-joi ... ny-method/
Maybe you can do the square start then?

Then wrap it tight with sinew like is done for the single strand methods under your knot foundation. Put you a small spot of (whatever glue you favor) glue on the join after you get down a few inches and I don't see it failing.
1-I use that splice to fix cow whips. There are neater ways, but that one seems to be solid thus far. That's on the tail end of whips that get used and abused, and suffer some of the highest strains of velocity the whole thong is subjected to.

2-I tied strands on the first whip I built, they're still there almost a year later, and that whip has been used, used. If it's done tight with a glued heel knot foundation over, it's not likely to move...

[Ron May]

Rachel, that method looks like another version of the Manny method.
I think it's good if you have access to both ends of the cord (one to go inside the other and coming out the ends or each), but I can't see how to make that work for joining one end to another with out threading it through each other like shown.

Maybe welding (melting) them together and using a little thread to secure it more ?

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

If you weld it together it ought to hold if you bind over it like tying on single strands after you plait down a ways I would think. A spot of good glue... Just in case.... It will be covered with a good solid foundation for your heel knot as well.

[Ron May]

Thanks Rachel, I think I might give that a try.
I hate to give up on the 'fancy' plaiting with out a fight or find out I am not yet ready to do it.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Man do I understand that!

[Robert Gage]

Ron, I greatly admire your 'do or die' attitude. Hang in there!

[Ron May]

Thank you Mr. Robert.
It's either that or give up.
I can't do that with out exploring all the other options and know why it won't work.
Then that time will turn into a valuable lesson I will not be likely to forget.

Ron

[Ron May]

I think I am going to "weld" splice the shorter strands the same length as the longest strands.
I hate doing that and plaiting with such long strands for every working strand is not very attractive either.
Hearing myself saying that I am going to do some more thinking .

Ron

[Brandon Lewis]

Ron, I tried to have a pattern of two different colors, one on each side. I started with the crown start. I ended up with all the long strands on one side. I realized this after halfway down the whip. Are you wanting to do that same pattern?

[Brandon Lewis]

I see what your going for now.Would plaiting the handle in light blue only then adding in your dark blue strands at the transition work. Then dropping the light blue strands as you plait down the thong. I've seen adding of strands at the transition, but I'm not sure if it would work for what you've in visioned.

[Ron May]

Brandon, the problem is about maybe not having enough strands in stock of the darker color, otherwise I would just cut some more and start the crown start again.
Plaiting the handle and thong in one piece is better for me.

Ron

[Ron May]

I have decided to see if I have enough strands to do the crown start over.
If not then I will use the existing strands and do a square start and go with a semi random pattern that evolves from it.
It should still sort of fade the lighter blue to the darker one towards the end of the thong.

Lesson learned.

Ron

[Brandon Lewis]

i prefer the handle and thong in one piece too.

[Devin Bauer]

Well, you can use a square start instead and order the two colors into blocks of color so that as you go down the thong the light blue section gets thinner and disappear towards the end of the thong. I have purposefully done something similar.

Something like Nutella, except one color would get thinner and disappear, whereas I kept the dark brown throughout on Nutella.

[Ron May]

I found that I did have enough cord to start over with the crown start and with Bobbi's help I am going ahead with the patterned handle.
WhooooHooo, thank you Bobbi!

Ron

[Ron May]

The crown start is finished . (after 4 hrs. of messing with loooooong strands)
Now to attach it to the handle and snug it up and start the plaiting process.

Roy, I sure feel for you when you were doing those two 14 footers.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Yeah, good going!!!! Plait on!

[Devin Bauer]

Glad to hear it Roy, good luck.

[Philbert Lim]

Awesome, can't wait to see how it looks when you're done with it

[Ron May]

Thanks, Devin and Philbert.

Ron