Higher Strand Count Handle

[Brandon "Sparky" Lam]

I agree with Jessie - I find that a good roll helps a lot with any intricate patterning~

[Ron May]

Sir Roger, are using the spiral method?
I'm just guessing but it doesn't appear to be strand plaited.

Ron

[Sir Roger Tuson]

No Ron, standard left then right. 14 strands on either side is messy.

I am now doing a simpler, cowtail style plait at the front with a repeating pattern down the sides. It's bedding in very nicely as I tighten.

[Scott A. Cary]

Roger, I'm getting an error from Imgur stating that the image is no longer available.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Imgur has been having some problems recently but seems to be up and running again.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Design attempt #3. I have good coverage at the front but I'm not happy about the back. I can do more tightening from the top of the handle which should sort out some of those loose-looking cords behind. Overall I'm still not happy with it.

Front





Back

[Jessie Edwards]

I had huge issues with gapping lower on the thong. My guess would be that the higher count you have here, the better coverage. Have you tried rolling it? I like to tape off a problem area and roll it just to see if it will straighten out on its own. I'm seeing some twisting too. When plaiting, I would pinch the strand flat as I pulled it over. I'm sorry it's so fiddly. I think you are onto something, its just a matter of learning how to control it. Just like we know how 550 behaves, we have to learn how this little stuff behaves. It's not been used before, so we have a lot of trial and error to go through. . I do like this pattern though.

[Ron May]

This is a very nice and different pattern.
Yeah, it's going to take a lot of experimenting.

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Jess is right about pinching it and pulling it. It will kind of iron it as you pull it around. Chocolate 550 Gladding has to be done like that or it twists too.

It is looking really cool.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

It's very frustrating to work with, fiddly and easy to cross strands over without noticing. You have to work slowly which given the larger strand count means it takes a long time to get anywhere. And again, because of the number of strands, you end up with loose sections inches above where you're working.

On the plus side, I do feel that the 275 tightens very well. You can see it moving way up the handle as you pull.

I think I'm going to take a break from it today. I've been working with it a few hours a day everyday for the last week and tbh, I need a rest from it!

[Jessie Edwards]

Well Rog, when you are ready to go at it again, I have my colors picked and ready to go for TPE 2.0. When I get caught up and my other stuff done, we can suffer through together.

[Ron May]

Jessie, that's going to look great.
Love those colors.
400' ? It takes that much?

Ron

[Jessie Edwards]

i only had 300' with the first one and had gaps. i need to up the strand count all the way through.

[Ron May]

I need to order some more then.
I have only 200'.

I'm now leaning more to making the whole thing out of 275.
If the bellies of the whip are 550 and only the overlay is 275, I don't know if it would have that much of a positive effect in performance as a whole whip made out of 275.

I'm probably going to end being up a dead squirrel.
Indecision just kills my momentum and enthusiasm.

Ron

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Come join me and Jessie in a world of cursing and frustration

[Jessie Edwards]

Haha! Let the salty rain fall from the cheeks of a thousand pissed off whipmakers...

Ron, I'm thinking of ending the next one in a 6 plait. I am thinking the 4 plait is too thin. A 275 fall is also a tricky thing...

[Ben Varsek]

Sir Roger, the plaiting pattern/design of your third attempt looks very stylish - my compliments to your work!


I have about 30 foot of 275 cord in my "whipmaking storrage", but I might join you, Jessie and Ron on your "smaller cord journey" by making a whip out of type 1 paracord.

All the best
Ben

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Progress update: NONE!

Yes, I've had other non-whip things to concentrate on but every time I look at that handle (still gently held in the vice btw) I suddenly find something else to do!
I'm hoping to be able to give it some more time later this week

[Sir Roger Tuson]

Unbelievably, I started this whip just after Christmas. I am pleased to be able to say that I am near completion at last.

Here's the handle...



And the top of the thong which is complete except for the fall which I just need to tie on.




As you can see, I gave up on any fancy design for the handle. I ended up with a 30-plt count of 75 passes to cover the handle to transition. I started with a loose diamond U1O1 and then slid that up past the beginning of the handle and tied it off so that I could start straightaway with the U8O7 sequence. Looks ok but not exactly what I was thinking about when I went for the 275 cord. Never mind.

The thong is red all the way with a bit of Birds Eye in the 16 plt and 12 plt sections. I'm hoping the thong will darken towards the handle colours as they are noticeably different shades.


Thanks to Kat I have an idea for the transition which has promise. Let me try it before saying what it is

[Mark Elliott]

Very nice work, Sir Roger.