Help please

[riku1914]

So i've been plaiting for about 2 months now, i've had success making 3 whips now, but a problem that has been persistent, is i

can not keep my seams completely straight. When you are looking down the whip from the position you are sitting when plaiting,

the seams very slowly twist clockwise.

Help with this would be much appreciate, so thank you in advance whoever answers.

[rawvoodoo]

Use a vise. It really helps keep your work straight.



The strap of thick leather in the vise is to hold the whip. You put it down in the U shape. You do still have to be careful with overtightening but it does hold your whip nicely.
I have mine attached to a board that I can clamp down to my desk (at least till I get a workbench built). It makes it nice to be able to move it out of the way when Im not working at it.

[riku1914]

Already using one

[kwad]

You need to make sure you are pulling the strands with even tension on both sides of the thong.
It's one of those things that only comes with practice.

My first whips looked like candy canes.

[riku1914]

You need to make sure you are pulling the strands with even tension on both sides of the thong.
It's one of those things that only comes with practice.

My first whips looked like candy canes.

I thought that might be the problem, I'm trying and trying, guess it's good that i have extra materials for practice, that's what

i'm doing right now.

so if my seams ( from the perspective that you are sitting, plaiting the whip ) are slowly twisting clockwise, which strand am i pulling

too hard? ( i know it's not too lightly because i do pull hard and have even had a whip too stiff from it )

[fenris]

I have the same problem. But it only happened to me on my 3rd and 4th whip (the 4th was the last one I made).

[hit80s]

I think it helps a lot to stop every few inches and take a hard look at what you are doing. that way you can correct errors with out having to go back and redo several feet of work and really look at your work when dropping strands. I like to stand and work from a hook. I think it is easier to keep the tension and the angle the same.

[riku1914]

I think it helps a lot to stop every few inches and take a hard look at what you are doing. that way you can correct errors with out having to go back and redo several feet of work and really look at your work when dropping strands. I like to stand and work from a hook. I think it is easier to keep the tension and the angle the same.

I do look it over, sometimes too much, after plaiting more last night, it didn't twist, I guess I just needed to pay more attention.

Where i drop strands you can't even tell I did, I marked them on my last whip with a piece of tape and i couldn't see exactly where

for the life of me, so i guess that's good