Whip Basics. The Forum

Instead of reading everything I can about building whips, I might as well just try my next build. I'm sure I'll learn as I go. (It's ok to make mistakes, even though my mind tries to tell me otherwise. )

I am planning a 7 foot bullwhip with a 10 inch handle, a TT core and two bellies. It'll be 8 and 12 plait for the bellies and 16 plait for the overlay. I want to try my hand at some sturdy and nifty (artificial binding) binding and that will be a strong focus. The plaiting will be quite straightforward with a diamond pattern on the handle and herringbone on the rest of the thong. I really want to get the basis right for a decent bullwhip.

I'd like to try working from a hook, but haven't figured out how to attach the handle of the whip to a hook when I'm starting out by plaiting over the steel rod and then transferring into a TT core. Tips on that would be welcome. (Other feednack I wouldn't mind either. )

The ovelay will be 7'. I'm not sure about the TT core. That will either be at 1/3 of the total length, or 1/2 of the total length. Depending on the length of the core, I will decide on the length of the first two bellies to make sure of a slow and smooth taper. (I'm also thinking I an drop strands per two, so I won't have any uneven plaiting.)

So, it'll be:
Overlay: 7' (100%)
TT core: 3.5' (50%)
1st belly: 4.69' (67%)
2nd belly: 5.88' (84%)

or

Overlay: 7' (100%)
TT core: 2.3' (33%)
1st belly: 3.5' (50%)
2nd belly: 5.25' (75%)

Strand length will be 2.5 the length of the belly or overlay and I will take notes at what length I dropped and how much is left. For the TT core strand lengths will be 2 the lenth of the core itself.

As for stupid questions... Am I correct in thinking I will be plaiting my first belly for the last part (after the TT core ends) over nothing? As goes for the second belly, will I be plaiting the last part over thin air? I am used to plaiting over a single strand as a core, which goes on just till the fall hitch. So I am a bit confused how this works out with a TT core that is 1/3 or 1/2 of the total length of the whip.

I might also want to try a tapering twist on finish the bellies, square starts at the beginning, outside strand dropping on the bellies en inside strand dropping on the core. I'll possibly also insert some swearing when working on the turk's head knot, as adviced by Jessie.

The color of the whip will be whatever paracord I have lying around the house from other non whipmaking projects.

Step one is finshed at least, my 10 inch steel rod. Tapered just a little bit at the end and made rougher a wee bit at the other end so the plaiting won't just slide down.


I also made the handles to start on the TT core.


On we go!

Leave a strand of your TT core hanging, about 12”, and when you plait to the end of 2TT drop down to 4 plait in the last inch, pick up your strand from the TT and twist it with the 4plait to extent your belly. This ties everything together. If it is not twisted very precisely and very tightly it will leave a hinge, but done right it is really good base.

That’s 3 strands on one side (counting the TT core strand you pick up) and 2 on the other for a 5TT. Drop strands just like in the core, roll and bind. Leave a tail hanging for the next one... same process, and you’ll never plait over nothing.

Half hitch a piece of cord around your handle and hang it up with it. Plait 6” or so and then half hitch

Rachel, thank you so much for your quick reply! (I think I get it now.) I'm off to practice. Woohoo!

Julia, as far as plaiting over nothing goes, for me that doesn't happen.
At the end of the TT from the handle, I just insert one cord into the other and carry the double cord to half of the first belly and one cord to the other half. with the gutted cord going way beyond the second belly so it can become part of the TT after the second belly.

In reality, I have three TT. One on the handle for the first belly to plait over, one after the first belly to be plaited over on the second belly and one after the second belly to be plaited over with the overlay, of course plaiting from the tip for the English eye.

I hope that's not too confusing. It's hard for me to explain accurately.

There's as many ways to do a TT, core two belly whip as there are whip makers.

Ron

Ron, plaiting from the tip towards the handle is something I need to look into still. That's something I want to do for a next project. I plan on plaiting from the handle towards the tip for my current whip.

Am I wrong in thinking I can still follow the advice from your first paragraph?

(I love all the advice averyone is giving all over this forum. It makes my head spin, in a good way. )

Julia, yes it still works no matter where you plait the overlay from.
I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

Ron

The first TT core is a fact. But I might want to do it again tomorrow and discard this first one. I'm not quite satisfied with it yet; I think it can be smoother. Or would closed loop binding and a good rolling work our some of the bumps?

Julia, thanks for sharing this build thread!

Julia, as long as you don't have any "hinge" problems, I think rolling it will do a lot to smooth it out.

I take the whip and, holding my finger horizontally, drag the whip across it. If it stays consistent , then you have no hinges, if it droops in one section then raises to the level of the rest of the whip then you have a hinge.

It looks like a very good start.

Ron

Scott, you're welcome. And it's only the beginning.

Ron, I just did the horizontal finger test and it doesn't seem to have any hinges. Apart from the part where the steel rod ends, but that I think, needs some extra, extra secure binding. It's good to know of the test though. Thanks for that.

There are some bumps along the core that are not to my liking though, so I will be redoing the TT core. Better to be safe than sorry. (I wonder how Rachel makes it look so easy in her video. )

Julia De Jong wrote:I wonder how Rachel makes it look so easy in her video.

Julia, I think the answer is easy: 'Practise, practise and more practise!'

I think you're right on that one Robert. Good thing I'm redoing my core. That'll get me some of that needed extra practise. Haha.

I'm trying to tinker what I can in between preparing Christmas dinner and attending to four energetic kids...

The undoing of my first TT core:

Julia build threads are always welcome!

Julia, it looks pretty good. The lumps are caused by letting one of the twists coil around the other instead of them both twisting equally around each other. It's a common problem and one that is easily fixed by controlling the tension on each side. Rachel shows this in the video when she pulls each side outwards and strictly controls how it twists as she releases the tension. If you don't get it right the first time, just pull out again and let it twist back up.

We've all torn cores, bellies, and overlays apart and re-made them. I still have to do it a lot. A belly or a core may get covered over if it's not perfect but I (as the one who made it) know that it's not right in there and it bugs the hell out of me, even if it doesn't affect the movement of the whip (it usually does, though.)

We all love watching how other folks do things, so build threads are always a treat. Thanks.

This is bound to be an interesting project, filled with many, many questions.

Yesterday I made my second TT core and it felt a lot better. I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like though, so I'm guessing here. It is stiff, but not completely stiff. Does that make any sense?

I also started my (first ever artificial sinew) binding. I was planning on doing a closed loop binding all the way down to the end of the core. That's quite the chore, I started on the handle, as a practice. That went well, as the handle is straight and smooth. Then (ofcourse) I encountered a hickup along the way. The twisted part is quite stiff and doesn't bulge, this makes a closed loop binding, as in completely closed with no gaps, near to impossible. Also, the core is nowhere near smooth or completely round with the gutted paracordstrands twisted over one another. I'll show some pictures, that'll better explain what I am trying to say.

Is it supposed to look like this? And if not, what could I do different? Should I be twisting not as hard? Should I be binding even harder? Should I just suck it up and try again from scratch? Should I have several bindings over one another?

Binding the handle:


A part of the TT core up close:


Trying to bind the twisted part:

Flat artificial sinew would make a big difference!
Also binding in an open x over the closed loop!

And rolling it good! You’ll be surprised what it will do when you put a high enough plait over it. I would do a 10 plait belly...

I had trouble sourcing flat artificial sinew in The Netherlands. Perhaps I should see if I can find it elsewhere. Will give that another try! As well as the 10 plait and the open x binding.

I think two layers of binding over the core will be enough with regards to the stifness of the core. And rolling, I have not yet done so. I'll give that a swirl after I'm completely done (:)) with the binding.

Thanks for the tips Rachel! Much appreciated.