Binding

[riku1914]

How do you guys go about binding the transitions of your whips?

Do you do it like bernie wojcicki does:



Or is there another way you do it? If you do it different an explanation, and if possible a picture would be nice

Thanks again guys

[Canuck Digger]

Well like just about everything in whipmaking, everybody has their own way of doing things, so this is just my way and by no means is it meant to say it is the only way.

When you bind with artificial sinew, the sinew is flat and wide, but if care isn't taken to make sure the strand isn't folded back on itself, it can easily become more round than flat. This isn't necessarily bad, but it does mean that the thread will have more of a tendency to dig in to the leather than if it was unfolded to its full width. This can become an issue when binding over a belly because the belly has dips where two strands overlap and a thin thread will dig in there and cause an even bigger dip, while a flat thread will tend to cover a wider surface area and not make so much of a dip in the leather. At the end of the day you want to equalize the thong as much as possible, not accentuate the rise and dips of it, so taking the time to make sure the thread is flattened out is worthwhile in my opinion.

That said, I define bindings into three categories; the close loop, the open loop and the criss-cross loop.

The closed loop is when every pass with the sinew is close to the previous one so as not to create any "hole" in the binding, or areas where the leather "pops" out of the binding. This type of binding compresses the leather the most, and so creates the most rigidity. This can be good or bad depending on how it's done; if you have a closed loop binding right after the end of the handle foundation, because the thong doesn't bend as much there and because you will have many layers of leather and bindings, it will support the thong rather well. On the other hand, if you bring out a closed loop binding too far, say to a point on the thong that bends a lot, because the leather has nowhere to relieve some of the pressure, a breach or break, will happen at the point where the binding is the weakest and where the pressure from the flex is highest, and this will cause the thong to behave like it's got a broken leg. Imagine having two rigid sections with a flexible point in between... that's where it's going to bend, but because the area before and after the break are still rigid, it won't bend evenly. So closed loop bindings are good, close to the handle. but bad too far out.

The open loop binding is the opposite and every pass is spaced out from the previous one. Because there is room for the thong to bend in between each pass of the sinew, it isn't compressed as much and so will bend a lot more than a closed loop binding. On the other hand, it will never develop a break either. The level of rigidity of an open loop binding can be varied depending on how far apart each pass is from the previous one. So while an open loop binding may not support the thong as much as a closed loop binding, it will not break either. A "potential" (the actual extent of which remains to be calculated) drawback to the open loop, is that since the sinew is wound in one direction, it *might* cause a curve in the thong... But that is a maybe...

The criss-cross binding is when you double-back an open loop binding on itself. This type of binding is the simplest to make and has the fewest drawbacks of all bindings. It supports the thong twice as much by virtue of compressing the leather twice as much as an open loop binding, and because it inverses the direction of the original binding, it cancels out any twisting or spiraling that an open loop binding might have caused. Of course it doesn't support the thong as much as a closed loop binding, but then it won't ever break either.

My personal approach is to use a combination of all three. I bind in a closed loop binding right after the handle, I then gradually switch into a criss-cross binding after that, and sometimes I will end it all with a bit of an open-loop binding.

Now I've presented this in a categorized way here so you can understand the pros and cons of different approaches to binding, but in actual fact, it's a very organic process when you are doing it. The simplest way to explain how I do it is by saying I start by binding very tight and very close and the further I get from the handle, the more I space things out, and when I reach the place I want to end a given binding, I just double-back and do the opposite. Do this on a few layers, going further out every time, and you will create a transition zone of increasing flexibility. This is not mandatory for bullwhips, many don't do much binding at all. It's just how I do it.

Hope this helps,


Franco

[riku1914]

Thank you, you told me in a very simple informed way that help me more than : " I do this way and here's a pic"

You explained why they are. I'll do closed loop about an inch or so behind the transition and the same just after the transition, then

do the criss cross afterwards.
Thanks again.

[Canuck Digger]

Ya that sounds about right as a general guide, and if you go further every time, you can have a stronger transition zone. It doesn't always need to be very long, as a matter of fact, there is a sort of "sweet spot" where you can end you bindings (the last one I mean), and there will be enough leather at that point in the thong so that the end of the binding is not felt, in other words so there isn't a sharp change in flexibility characteristics. This can also be further improved by gradually lessening the amount of pull you use as you get further away from the handle. In many cases, three bindings are enough, but less than than may be a bit dodgy at the end of the handle because there might not be enough accumulated stiffness to prevent a sharp bend after the handle.

Having said this, a slow gradual increase in flexibility isn't very screen-accurate; if you look at Indy's whips, they all pretty much begin to flex fairly close to the handle. This is OK given Indy's use of the bullwhip-meaning little to no wrist action. Just so you know that what I am referring to in terms of bindings may not be how the Indy whips were originally constructed...

Also, depending on how you construct your whip, you may get a slight swell at the end of the handle, just before the ring knot. You can accentuate or diminish this swell depending on how you bind; If you bind some layers just before the swell but don't bind the rest of the handle too much, you compress the swell but not the rest, so you are effectively averaging the two out and thus reduce the swell. If on the other hand you bind the entire handle on all layers from the very base, you are compressing both the handle and the swell equally, and even if the swell may be reduced a bit, it will not minimize it as much. Keep in mind the swell is the result of construction and is not a bad thing, but it you prefer a straighter handle, this might be an interesting way to help minimize it. Now I don't mean to say you shouldn't bind the leather over the handle in favor of aesthetics. Function always comes first. But, you can lessen the pull and the number of passes you take to bind the area over the handle on ONE layer to reduce the effect of the swell, provided you have properly bound the area that will be covered by the butt. Since the binding over the end of the handle will be solid anyway, if you anchor the base solidly, binding the rest with a bit less force won't make it come undone later.

Most of this stuff is just common sense, you probably would have figured it out on your own anyway...
Hope this helps,

Franco

[riku1914]

I have figured much of this out, I have made three whips, one of which I knew almost nothing but how to place the strands to plait

( I didn't know to pull hard each time ) so I really don't even consider that one a whip very much. I have been getting some of the

tools necessary to make a leather whip ( splitter just came in few days ago ) and I wanted to have more opinions before starting

my leather whips.

Thanks again, You have helped me much on making decisions

edit: Also I had planned on binding my first 4 plait belly, the first bolster, and the second belly, leaving the second bolster alone as

far as bindings go.

[Canuck Digger]

Your binding scheme sounds good to me )
Cheers,


Franco