Collins whips/making of

[Collin Weaver]

Ok, so here is the final 6ft 16 plait bullwhip. It has a 12" handle, 7x6b Turks head with coiled Paracord button, and I tried a twisted taper fall on this one that is about 20". Also, first off color handle which came out ok. The whip isn't perfect by an means but it's a work in progress. It's a little heavier in the thong and throws well. Still needs a wax bath which will only help stiffen everything up.

[Ron May]

Collin, your heel knots will get better with time. It looks a little wonky on the thong end of it.
You are making good progress.
I can definitely see a lot of Nicks influence in your work.

Ron

[Collin Weaver]

Thanks Ron. I would be lying if I said I haven't relied fairly heavily on Nick's videos in the beginning. As I spend more time here I'm seeing some better methods of doing things, as well as a little self discovery and learning from mistakes. As long as each whip is a little better than the last I'm happy.

[Ron May]

Collin, that's the way to progress.
Each one better than the last.
You're doing good.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

Definite progress, Collin! Keep at it!

[Jyri Haveri]

It looks great Collin! How does it crack?

[Mark Elliott]

Collin, that looks pretty good.

[Collin Weaver]

Thanks for the kind words everybody

It looks great Collin! How does it crack?

It cracks very easy. I might switch the fall to a lighter weight one though. I used 4 strands of gutted Paracord and I think that's too much for this size whip. I'll either try a 2 strand tiwsted taper or just a 2ft piece of single Paracord.

[Ethan Mitchell]

I can't see your pictures for some reason... What are you using to host them?

[Collin Weaver]

Ethan, I'm using imgr. They are still showing up on my end, not sure if there's a problem somewhere?

[Ron May]

They show up for me as well.
You might need to refresh your browser Ethan.
Maybe that will help.

Ron

[Ethan Mitchell]

I think they are just asking longer to load that usual... I'm sure you are doing great though Collin.

[Collin Weaver]

Well, after watching Nicks newest stock whip video, I am trying one for the first time and just going along with it for now. I'm very visual, so using this as an aid helps me a lot, personally, until I find things I want to change along the way and improve upon.

Here is the first core/belly with the 5 strand keeper loop. I need practice transitioning that into a diamond plait, as I'm pretty sure I mistook one of the top strands to bring over at one point and had a small goof up after I was finished. There isn't any stretch or play in it though.

[Scott A. Cary]

Collin, just out of curiosity - what is that you've got at the end around the loose strands?

[Collin Weaver]

Scott, it's just a piece of hockey tape to hold everything together overnight. Either way, it won't be staying on. I'm undecided if I want to leave them loose and plait over them, or give a light binding to keep everything together and constricted a little more, then plait over that.

[Mark Elliott]

Looks like the one from the video. Nice start.

[Scott A. Cary]

I usually recognize hockey tape. I guess I really am off of my game...

[Collin Weaver]

I was going to say, aren't you an actually hockey player Scott? :Lol:

[Collin Weaver]

Well, after flowing the directions except for one slight deviation (I ended up binding the loose strands together just to tidy it up, not for rigidity) here is the 5ft Adam Winrich style thong. Handle is next. This thong still needs a good rolling, but I'll wait until tomorrow night to do that.

[Sir Roger Tuson]

If I can add a few thoughts on binding:

When I bind, I start by following a single strand and laying the AS over the top of it. Using the doorknob method I maintain as much tension as I can hold and follow that strand all the way to the end of the belly, whether it be first or second. I then go back up to the heel again, following a strand all the way. On the next pass, I follow a different strand down to about 6" above the end of the belly and then return. I keep doing this until the pass is only going 6-8" past the transition.
I then change to a closed loop bind over the transition point, keeping closed until I reach about 6" then start to open it up for another 6-8". I do a return pass with a shallow open loop bind and then go down again with another closed loop bind, opening up the further away from the transition that I get. Repeat until stiffness is at desired point.

Each time I rotate the whip, I aim to get as much tension as I can, maintaining it wherever I happen to be on the belly. I never reduce tension the further down the whip I go.