Club Obi Wan

This could possibly be the ugliest whip ever, but I still want to finish it.
I went to bed and my strands were neatly to the sides...I awoke to something far different. The cat apparently decided those nylon strands would be a great toy. It has unraveled a bit, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how to segregate those strands. I was running an over 2 under 2 12 plait.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Ron

If you carefully pick through the strands, you'll notice that half will encircle the belly clockwise, and half counter-clockwise. I've gotten lost occasionally, and have had to unbraid a little to sort it out.

Those pesky cats!

It also helps to have a stand or something to keep your project in---I use a mic boom stand with spring clips. When I'm done braiding for the day, I put a clip where I leave off, and the whip is ready to continue at a moment's notice..

I don't see a bolster in that pic. That's fairly important....Also, roll both the finished belly and overlay back & forth between two flat boards to smooth out the braid and tighten things up. The tighter the better---and doing this means the belly will be nice and smooth & compact when you braid the overlay over it---allowing the overlay to braid up tighter, as well. If you don't roll the finished braid, the whip will go limp over time as the laces find equilibrium.

Probably too much info, but I figure better too much rather than not enough...

Oh, and if you want 'the ugliest whip ever, you oughtta check out MY first whip...before I had a little knowledge and a lacing tool...HAND-CUT laces. Kudos to the pros who still do it this way...I have to cheat and use a lacer.

I'm not too proud to show this one off---EVERYONE has to start somewhere. That said, here it is...circa 1994.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj73 ... 9410x7.jpg

My second worked out much better. That was, of course, after I modified the basic design AND bought a lacer....This was my main whip for YEARS.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj73 ... 9510x7.jpg

So don't give up hope...Just pay attention to what works and what doesn't, and TAKE NOTES!

Thanks Blaster,
The FL Cow I have in nylon doesn't have a bolster...And it is the only thing I had to look at.
I am not too far along to un-braid and add one...and it would solve my dilemma.
It would give me an opportunity to transition from the under2 over2 on the handle to under3 over3 on the thong. Which should be faster?
Thanks for the advice....I really appreciate it.
Ron
PS I can only hope my first looks as good as yours.
At this point I only hope it cracks!

Actually, for 12 plait, I do under-three, over- three. Then, when I transition to 10, I move to under-three, over-two on one side, and under-two-over-three on the other. For the handle, under-one-over-one gives you that diamond pattern....

I would definitely try rolling the belly and adding a bolster, if possible---it'll make the whip much better in the long run. A lot of people use stuff like the tape used to wrap hockey stick handles, or cloth duct tape. I've seen all sorts, but it should be applied tightly, only after you roll the underlying braid.

I think in my case a bolster will help to keep things smoother. On my cow whip with out a bolster it does feel a bit bumpy where the laces nest into one another. Personally I crack the @#$% out of it, and it is still pretty stiff, but certainly looks less refined.
My very uneducated 2 cents.
I might as well post a pic or two of it...I'll start a new thread.
R

No, if you want ugly you should see the poly-cord snake whip I finnished a few weeks ago. It was my first whip and was going to be a 6 footer and ended up being 3 foot with the only taper in the last 9 inches. It has a little crack when thrown, and has no knots. I learned a lot with that whip. Now I have completed a 6 foot para-cord bull whip, shot core, 8 plait belly, and a 10 plait overlay. All it needs is a roll, fall and knots. I will post a thread showing both in a few days.[/img]

I am looking forward to your post Arthur!