plaiting help

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:29 pm

Ok, I'm stumped.

I am trying my hand at braiding and I went from 12 to 10, and now to 8....but I can't figure out the sequence for the 8 plait.

I am using Bruce Grants book and started with the 12 plait on page 41. I worked down to 10, but 8 is getting the better of me. I have found a few tutorials on the net, but it doesn't seem like it's for the same braid because it goes all wonky when I go over 2 under 2.

Any help would be great. Thanks!

LemonLauren · Post by **LemonLauren** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:33 pm

Try under 2, over 2.

Lauren Wickline
www.midwestwhips.com

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:41 pm

Hmmm, if I try that then it seems to work, but then my next strand in order ends up way on the top (if that makes sense) and I have to bring it over all the strands....it doesn't seem right.

To clarify, I had my strands numbered 1 - 12 and started with 2 over 2 under 2 over...then dropped to 5 strands....(I can't actually remember the sequence for that)

Bernardodc · Post by **Bernardodc** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:06 pm

My advise is undo your work and start over. Then braid the 12 plait section in under 3 over 3. Then you drop two strands and carry on in 10 plait in any of these sequences:

- under 3 over 2 for both sides,
- under 2 over 3 for both sides,
- under 3 over 2 on one side and under 2 over 3 on the other

Then you drop two more and braid in 8 plait in under 2 over 2.

Hope this helps.

Bernardo

www.delcarpiowhips.com

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:14 pm

Ummmm....alright, I'll do that on the next one, if I undo this you'll find me ripping my hair out, rocking back and fourth in the corner braiding it.

I'm going to post a photo in 5 seconds so you guys might get where I'm at and if it can be saved...

note to anyone that has these whip making books...cut them up and braid them into something nice for your mom...they're totally useless in my opinion. My little cousin could draw better than most of these illustrations.

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crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:32 pm

Above is where I'm at. The #7 strand broke so I decided to just drop 7 and 8....but this is where I'm lost on the sequence.

Cracker · Post by **Cracker** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:56 pm

Bring #1 around back and go under #4 and #2 and over #6, #10 and #8. Number 8 become a short belly in this case. Then bring #4 around and U2 O2.

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:00 pm

Sweet thanks, I'll try that right now.

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:37 pm

Hmmm, I don't think that works.

On the "back" there are two strands that come out of the center of the plait. If I follow the sequence of braiding numbers then the next strand should be #5.

Pulling number 5 around brings it across the back and follows the same pattern, but if I take #1, it crosses over and makes a bulge.

I'll try doing what you said, but using the next strand in order and see what I get.

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:49 pm

Sigh...forget it, this is stupid, I'll just redo it.
:evil:

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:00 pm

Can someone point me to a tutorial, or explain how to do the checkerboard braid with 12 strands for the handle?

Thanks,

Cracker · Post by **Cracker** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:40 pm

Look at Tony's post about doing the checker board plait. I couldn't do it until I read this and now it's no problem. My problem was just getting it started.
viewtopic.php?t=25992

Canuck Digger · Post by **Canuck Digger** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:16 pm

Well the first thing I would recommend you do at this point is to undo enough of your plaiting so that the strand that broke is at least 6 inches long. That should be your minimum length to properly anchor it so it won't budge from the core as the whip is broken in and used. This will also give you more room to breath as you drop your strands.

One thing you might want to try is to drop one strand at a time. By this I mean drop the shortest strand (I guess the one that broke), and plait over this for a bit and when the dropped strand has "found its place" in the core, then drop the next strand. This will also give you a bit more room to breath and allow you to make an easier drop point for your strands. Once you've plaited a bit over the dropped strand, pull on it gently, just to make sure its tight, but not enough so it comes out of line with the seam. Don't worry if you look closely as you're doing it, you'll understand what I mean. Once this is done and both your strands are dropped, you can either plait until you get to where they end and end your whip there, or you can add another strand or two in where these end (just make sure they don't both end at the same place), and splice in the new strand as the core. This is not ideal, as you are so close to the end of your whip that the added core strands will not be as strong as if they were not spliced in, but this will give you enough room to plait until you feel your whip has a "harmonious" taper. Another solution still, is to go wayy back and undo more of your whip so you can either splice in the new core strands earlier, thereby adding them when your whip is a bit bigger and not so close to the end, or you can start cutting out your core so you end you whip where the broken strands end, but by going back far enough, you will have the room to adjust the taper in a smoother rate. This last idea will produce a stronger point, because you are not splicing in anything, but since you didn't design your whip to end here, the taper will probably be affected by this and the effect of this early end, should be a harder hitting whip. But you can always put on a slightly longer/heavier fall to compensate if you feel the thong is a bit shorter than feels right.

Lots of options are available to you and you should welcome this as a wonderful opportunity to learn how to work with a less-than-ideal situation which we've all had to face at some point making whips.

Good luck.

Franco

louiefoxx · Post by **louiefoxx** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:41 pm

Also try getting Ron Edward's book, it's got great pictures of braiding and how to drop strands...then read Morgan's book and apply what you learned from Edwards to where morgan drops his strands from.

xoxo

Louie
http://www.bullwhips.org

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:14 pm

Cracker wrote:Look at Tony's post about doing the checker board plait. I couldn't do it until I read this and now it's no problem. My problem was just getting it started.
viewtopic.php?t=25992

Ya, I read it and I don't get how to start it....I'm not super good at visualizing text descriptions. I tried, but how do you do the very first steps in the checker pattern, then, how do you change to the 3 over 3 under one?

Cracker · Post by **Cracker** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:23 pm

I think your biggest problem is you keep wanting to go over then under. Do it the other way around, under 3 then over 3. You should always be going over the last strands, not under them.

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 1:52 pm

hehhe oops...no no, I got that part....I just can't type it right apparently.

I did a whole braid with the under over thing and it worked...it's the checker I can't get started.

midwestwhips · Post by **midwestwhips** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:15 pm

Hi Crazylegs,

Perhaps I can help. Starting at the very beginning of 12 plait for a checkerboard, I cross the first two strands on the front making an x so it is right over left. Then I take the next strand to the left, and cross it over the right strand. Then take the next strand to the right, and cross it under and then over.

So at this point you should have 4 strands crossed, and they are all under and over, and it should start looking like a checkerboard.

then take the next strand on the left and take it under and then over. Then the next strand on the right and take it over, then under, and then over. So now you should have the 6 strands on the front all crossed and in the beginning of the checkerboard pattern.

So at this point the last strand crossed should be right over left, and you should be able to hold 6 strands on the right side, and 6 strands on your left.

Now you start from the back. Take the 6th strand on your right side, and bring it around the back to the left side going under 1 over 1, under 1 over 1, under 1 over 1. And the last strand crossed should now be left over right.

Then you take the 6th strand on your left side, and bring it around the back to the right side going under 1 over 1, under 1 over 1, under 1 over 1. And the last strand crossed should now be right over left.

You continue this now for the length of the handle.

Basically what this does is it begins the plaiting in the front. In braiding this way the front side is always about an inch or so ahead of the back of the plaiting. So starting like this gets that situated so you can start plaiting regularly.

I hope this helps, Good Luck!

Regards,

Paul Nolan
www.midwestwhips.com

rjallen70 · Post by **rjallen70** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:26 pm

Thanks Paul,
I will try this new start soon!. Here to fore I have started mine in a cowtail above the pin to gang up my strands, switching to a checkerboard at the pin and then cutting off the cowtail plait above my binding. Hopefully I will get less wasted material your way.
Ron

crazylegsmurphy · Post by **crazylegsmurphy** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:56 pm

Argh...

What did I do wrong?

midwestwhips · Post by **midwestwhips** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:23 pm

Crazylegs,

The front looks great. The problem you are having in the back is common with the checkerboard. You have to think 3 dimensionally. With the checkerboard the strands are very far in the back, so you have to look around to the back and keep the 6 strands on either side apart. The first three from the back are great, but it looks like the order was screwed up somehow in the back. This is going to be something where you should do it over and over again until you get it right. That is the best way to learn. Start the checkerboard and then see what went wrong. Go back and redo it again, and see what went wrong, and then go back and do it again. The way to know when you've done it right is that no strand should go over or under 2 strands in a row.

Another thought is to maybe try to just plait 8 plait in checkerboard first. You will have less strands to keep track of, and it may help you work out the problems you are having in the back.

Keep at it, and you will work it out. Whipmaking is all about repetition.

Regards,

Paul Nolan
www.midwestwhips.com