The "Making of" Gallery - Rachel McCollough

[Rachel McCollough]

I appreciate it!
Here’s this morning, continuing second belly. Line up those v’s.

[Flemming Bo Christiansen]

Rahchel , Why do you make the "fancy" plait in the middel of the picture, when there will be added and overlay ?

Garret - lucky guy. I have never found one

[Rachel McCollough]

Hi Flemming! It is the transition area; a few inches of smaller or diamond plait goes on the last of the internal rod handle and just past it. I know no one else really may never know it is there (except for those observant folks as you are ), but nearly every time I use an internal rod for a handle, I plait that way. For my personal knowledge, I believe it adds a little extra safety and stiffness there for extra support of the transition.

[Rachel McCollough]

Time to roll, bind, and plait overlay. Then, make a nice heel for it.

[Ron May]

This is looking very good Rachel.

Ron

[Jyri Haveri]

Beatiful!

Some times when i plait from the hook i struggle to keep my seam straight and some times my seams are straight but their spine is a bit off to the side even if i mach those v like you do. Any idea why this is happening?

[Julia De Jong]

Rachel, your plaiting is very meditative to look at. So precise and neat. Beautiful!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks, Julia!

Thanks, Jyri! I line up the v’s as in running the same way; all go pointing down. The side seams, as you know, point up.

An even numbered plait will run in the middle (when it is even number on both sides, like u3o3). An odd number plait will be off to one side due to one side being shorter (5 plait: one side, u3o2, other side, u2o2) and those v’s will NOT line up in the middle. The important thing there is to simply line your side seams when you look down it (like when you are fabricating and welding metal, or to see if lumber is straight) and make sure they are oriented in the same plane without a twist. The middle spine of the backbone of the point of the v’s will zigzag depending on the plait count and pattern, but with whipmaker’s plait it will always have two side seams that you can keep oriented as you plot. Those side seams will show a twist before anything.

[Jyri Haveri]

Thanks Rachel!

[Scott A. Cary]

Wonderful, as always, Rachel. And congratulations to Garret on his lucky find!

[Flemming Bo Christiansen]

Rachel - That is the difference between those people who make whips only for money and people who also put a lot of passion into them.

The last ones is the one which have with their own "soul" .

Belive me.. I have already seen so many things called "whips" , that behave almost like a wet piece of rope, that I am beginning to get mad at those "Whipmakers"

Glad to know you and so many others who are putting passion and a bit of themself into every whip.

[Rachel McCollough]

Flemming, thank you. I completely agree about a whip having a live feel to it, where it feels as though the soul of the whipmaker gives it some life.

8’, at 8 plait, time to go to another job for a little while...
and my dog Jerry needs a bath

[Ron May]

I'm anxious to see the final product.
Looking great.

Ron

[Robert Gage]

As am I, Ron!

[Julia De Jong]

Me three!

[Rachel McCollough]

Thank you! Little break until tomorrow, off to other work for today. The post office says I have a box of paracord there, too... that will be the overlay for the other whips. Yehaw!

[Rachel McCollough]

Box of paracord arrived safely for the overlay material for four whips. I’m very excited to have it on hand. They are all black, and will have all from the same roll the same overlay material so they will be certain to match.

Here is the little bullwhip for a young fellow I was working on in between supplies. It needs heel and transition knots and it is done.

[Ron May]

It's looking very good.
It looks like a 6.5 footer?

Ron

[Rachel McCollough]

Thanks, Ron! It is an 8’ 16 plait.

[Scott A. Cary]

That's my kinda color... Nice work, ma'am!