Whip Basics. The Forum

That taper does look good. I'm curious to see the next belly.

The strands are cut and ready for the 12 plait second belly.
The longer strands are going to end in a 4 strand TT to form an ending core for the overlay.
I have no idea what the pattern will be using two colors, midnight blue and electric blue, ( I ran out of the other substandard cord) but it's going to be interesting to say the least. Hopefully it won't end up being a random mish-mosh pattern.




Ron

Your taper came out very nice indeed. Your strands appear to be short though, what are you using to calculate the length?

Devin, 2 x desired length + a little is what I am using.
On the longest strands I had to add a bit more to compensate for TT it's going to end in.
If they look like they will be too short, I can start over with longer ones.

Each strand is cut to the length of the drop that the strand will end.

(in the photo they are doubled over)

Ron

If you use a crown/square start you want 4x the desired length. Single strands are 2x length.

I only ask because it looks like you only have long enough strands for singles.

Devin, I'm not sure I am following what a single vs crown/square start is.
I am not using either. I'm using what I thought was just a standard start.

For example, the 4x method would mean for a 10' whip the longest strands on an overlay would be 40' long before plaiting?
That seems way too long.

Are you saying that a single strand is one that is not doubled over?

Here's what I do. I take the strands from behind the handle and bring the right side over the left side in the front.
Then for then for the other side I just slip the strand through the loop in the front of the handle that the strands going behind the handle make.

I know that sounds very confusing and I am not sure how to explain it.

Now I am really confused.

Ron

Devin, maybe this will help.
The first belly is 3.3' which is approximately 1/3 the length of a 10' whip measured from the heel of the handle.

The second belly will end at 6.6' which is 2/3 the length.
This is going to be 12 plait and I just divided 6.6' by 8 for the drop points. (it will end in a 4 strand TT )
Then I took those measurements and doubled them plus a little for the over all strand length.

The overlay will complete the whip at 10'.
16 plait with according drop points of 10' divided by 12. Ending in a 4 point fall hitch.

Does that give you or any one else a better picture of how I came to those cut strand lengths?

You used the same math Im using on my whip #3, to calculate belly length and strand drop. Only difference is I divided the thong into three parts, and used those as my belly lengths, since the handle doesn't move. It's kind of an experiment.I'm plaiting over the handle so I did include that in the calculations for strand length.

So, if you want a 10ft whip ending in a 4 plait you will want the longest 4 strands to be at least about 20ft, or if you double the strands you would need 2 40ft strands - at least for the overlay, to cover the whole length.

What I think Devin is concerned is that in the picture it seems you have 4 strands only little bit over the length of the whip when they should be twice as long.

As an advice from myself, it's good to take note how every little bump and bulge multiplies the more layers are added - there's no way to hide those so you have to be careful from the beginning to have a nice, smooth and evenly tapering core and bellies.

But anyway don't sweat it's only your second whip and I think it's coming along fine and the binding looks sufficient and the taper is subtle but it's there! For me bellies are nice surface to experiment on some color patterns, interested to see how this turns out.

Brandon, the to 'divide into thirds' is exactly how I determined the belly lengths but added a little for the TT each belly will end in.

So, if I have this right, the doubled strands for a 6' 8" belly (80") should be 26.6' (320") ?
And using the same math to calculate the strand drop lengths as well ?

Looks like I will be cutting some more cord. It's a good thing I have more.

All this time I understood it wrong.


Ron

In my early whip-making days I had to recut cord a number of times after discovering too late that the originals wouldn't be long enough. It's just part of the learning curve.

Fortunately you can always use the ones you cut for another part of the whip, knots, falls, around the house, or in another whip! I do that alot

Roger and Efren, I can, if absolutely needed ' splice' two strands together.
I saw a video a good while back that explained how using a method similar to making a fall by
threading one strand into the other type of thing.
I am almost done measuring and cutting. (I did measure twice, thrice and obviously cut once)

Lesson learned and never to be forgotten.
Thank you Devin and thank you all!


Ron

It looking great so far! I really love the binding picture. That's a whip maker selfie right there!

Thanks Bobbi.
I didn't think of it that way but you're right a selfie for sure. (wasn't easy either)


Ron

The strands are re-measured and new strands cut.
I don't think any drops or lengths will be short now.
Over all a sum of 116' of cord.
The extra on the midnight blue is for the TT ending.



My hands just gave me notice from their Union that multiple breaks are mandatory.
(this is going to hurt)


Ron

That looks better, good luck Ron!

This is a thread for the Square start. It is a common, clean way to start plaiting and uses strands folded in half, so 8 strands make a 16 plait. This requires 4x the desired length for cordage since each half has to be 2x the desired length.
viewtopic.php?id=2193

For applications where you want a split color pattern, you would want a crown start instead.
viewtopic.php?id=4376
Jessie has kindly compiled an excellent list of links for this, including the gaucho variant of the square start I like to use.

Devin, you were so right and I thank you for all your help.
I also thank Rachel, for her help as well. Between the two of you I
was able to make sense of it all.

Yeah, the next stop was the square start in the FAQ thread that Jessie so greatly put together.

Then the crown start for the overlay.
Any patterns will have to be decided on after my hands and fingers quit bitching.

Ron

Glad it helped Ron, I would have hated to see you get part way done and discover you were short on cord. I managed to do that on my first whip and it rather killed my enthusiasm for a few weeks.
With what you have cut it looks like a simple pair of chevrons would work fine using the your longest strands which are darker right? As you move down the thong they would take precedence aesthetically as you drop out the lighter strands. Give it sort of a "whoosh" look I suppose.

I am not sure how to do a chevron, but I think it will just work out naturally when plaiting ?
I suppose it would be the long strands on the top working down to the short strands when starting the square start as shown in Mr. Lewis's video? Or does it matter where they are when starting for the chevron thing to occur ?

Ron