making a whip

[troy]

just made this PDF describing how to make a 6foot cowhide bullwhip - a pro whipmaker over here in the UK maybe reviewing but thought I'd post it here as well to see what others think of it.

It is over 6.5mb large, contains a heap of photo's on 36 pages. I do regard my self as a beginner still at making whips and despite some very emthusiatic teachers, have sort of develop a different way to make whips without a bolster (cause no matter how I tried, I just could'nt make them!!!) plus there are other things i do differently - but have a look see - be warned it does take awhile to load. below is the finished whip I used for the tutorial.

Paul

[tonyc1]

Pretty!

Tony.

[troy]

Ye I guess pretty is one word to describe it, but has any body looked at the PDF - is too short, too long, rubbish, misleading, fantastic, or so good I should get an oscar????

I was gonna include a short vid of me cracking it, and while warming it up I was getting loads of them but as soon as I put the camera on - stage fraint happened plus I saw just how much weight I'd put on this year, looked like the michelin tyre man - gaslly is a good word and deleted the whole thing.

Paul

[rdb]

A most excellent tutorial. I need to see the closeup pictures in order to understand things. You did a great job showing, and explaining in this PDF. Thanks!

[rawhide1]

Paul

I haven't had time to download it yet as my computer can be slow. But I do appricate it when someone takes the time and effort to put something like that together. So I'm looking forward to seeing it when the wireless thing is working better.

Mike

[The Major]

I like the tutorial. It was put together very nicely. Might I ask you a dumb question. Is there a reason for making such a long handle for your bull whips? What is the advantage to a 18" handle on a 6 foot whip? Can you get enough speed out of the whip doing it that way?

[8thsinner]

I know I haven't been here for a while but I was just in to post a link to this tutorial, though I got it from BCUK...

Nice to see you here also troy

[troy]

Hi Major - it is the handle plus core that is 18 inches - the metal or solid bit of the handle should be only 8 inches.

Paul

[troy]

Cheers for every bodies feed back. Having only started this PDF writing (properly) thing a few months ago, it is hard to find a way to show these things - I have tried to guide people throught stages plus answer questions I knew I had while learning different things. Such as where do I get this or that material, how to I stand/hold the item etc etc - if there are such questions others ask but don't usually get answered, then please tell me and I'll try in next one's.

I know also that it is usually pro's that write these things, having done a particular job for years - I am obviously not that being as always a jack of all trades, flurting and flying around from one skill to another - I see these tutorials like I'm a scout on a patrol and as such know better one particular area/path of land that others may or may not have any knowledge of and hope to god I know a way out of the swamp!!!

Paul

[The Major]

Hi Major - it is the handle plus core that is 18 inches - the metal or solid bit of the handle should be only 8 inches.

Paul

Ahh, thanks for the clarification.

[Johanna]

I think you did a great job and explained things well. I like the way you included a table of contents for fast reference, too. Thank you very much for sharing. With your permission, I'd like to post the pdf in the tips and tricks section.

Johanna

[troy]

I think you did a great job and explained things well. I like the way you included a table of contents for fast reference, too. Thank you very much for sharing. With your permission, I'd like to post the pdf in the tips and tricks section.

Johanna

Ye, I'm OK with that Johanna. Cheers

Paul

[Handmadewhips]

Great job on the pdf... I have a question on what your using to dye your lace.. I'm a whip maker and I only work with cow hide. I have a hell of a time dying lace with a little wool dauber. What is your process for dying your lace?

thanx

skip

www.handmadewhips.com

[troy]

Great job on the pdf... I have a question on what your using to dye your lace.. I'm a whip maker and I only work with cow hide. I have a hell of a time dying lace with a little wool dauber. What is your process for dying your lace?

thanx

skip

www.handmadewhips.com

Hi Skip

if you look on page 7 of the whip tutorial it shows the set up I use for dyeing - I just used tandy professional dyes or codes 2110-whatever color you want. Plus for the different colors like the green etc I use the plain fiebings leather dye - or codes 2100-whatever color you want.

I can imagine the act you have to perform when using the little dauber that comes with these dyes - I use bits of shearling (used for saddles) you can buy remnants of it from tandy in 1/2lb bags - code 4717-00. Just cut to a suitable size i.e. 4 x 4 inches, pull or cut off all loose bits of the fleece then apply the dye by up ending the dye bottle onto the middle of the shearling - fold in half and run the lace through it. remember to have plastic on the table and on the floor when doing this (I just use large dustbin bags cut open) saves messing up the place. After appllying dyes, run aussie over them to seal the dye, stops them running.

Hope that helps mate.

Paul

[The Major]

Just to chime in here on dying strings. I dip dye my strings. I will use an old jar mix up my dye to the color I want and there you go. I will then let it dry and apply dressing to the strings.

[Handmadewhips]

Hi Skip

if you look on page 7 of the whip tutorial it shows the set up I use for dyeing - I just used tandy professional dyes or codes 2110-whatever color you want. Plus for the different colors like the green etc I use the plain fiebings leather dye - or codes 2100-whatever color you want.

I can imagine the act you have to perform when using the little dauber that comes with these dyes - I use bits of shearling (used for saddles) you can buy remnants of it from tandy in 1/2lb bags - code 4717-00. Just cut to a suitable size i.e. 4 x 4 inches, pull or cut off all loose bits of the fleece then apply the dye by up ending the dye bottle onto the middle of the shearling - fold in half and run the lace through it. remember to have plastic on the table and on the floor when doing this (I just use large dustbin bags cut open) saves messing up the place. After appllying dyes, run aussie over them to seal the dye, stops them running.

Hope that helps mate.

Paul

Thanx guys

@paul

.. When I saw the set up you have I wasn't sure if you pulled the strand through the wool or dragged the wool down the strand.. it makes more scents to pull the strand through.

@The Major

I dip dye on shorter strands but I have trouble with long strands getting tangled pulling them out of the jar.

thanx again guys.

[TexasLady]

I began reading books on braiding and collecting items a few days ago, with the intention of making a whip. After reading the books, and watching a free video online, I realized that I had more questions than answers. I've only glanced at your tutorial, but I just wanted to go ahead and write you to thank you for providing us all that information,... and the entertainment of your pretty pictures.

I'll go ahead and ask one of my questions now, although, I may find that you've already answered it in your pdf tutorial. I read that whip handles should be 'weighted'. How does one go about 'weighting' the whip handle?

Thanks so much,

TexasLady

[jerryrwm]

@The Major

I dip dye on shorter strands but I have trouble with long strands getting tangled pulling them out of the jar.

thanx again guys.

Skip

If you will make the 'tamales' as Grant and others call them, you can dip the lace and hang them up to dry and they won't tangle as readily.

Jerry

Edited July 30, 2009 by jerryrwm

[Handmadewhips]

I'll go ahead and ask one of my questions now, although, I may find that you've already answered it in your pdf tutorial. I read that whip handles should be 'weighted'. How does one go about 'weighting' the whip handle?

Thanks so much,

TexasLady

The weight of the handle is a function of what your going to use for the foundation. Most whip makers use a steel spike, that spike gives the weigh. in the PDF he uses a 5mm steel rod. if you need more balance on the back end you can add lead tape under the heal knot. I make wood handle whips mostly and the weight of the wood is enough for good balance.

@jerryrwm

I'm not sure I know what a Tamales is...

skip

[jerryrwm]

@jerryrwm

I'm not sure I know what a Tamales is...

skip

Skip..

If you have Grant's Encyclopedia look on pg 196 for instructions and plate 76 for illustrations.

It is a way of wrapping lace or cord into a bundle. The bundle is secured by wrapping the loose end around the bundle. You can then pull the length out of the center and it will not tangle. The illustrations will make it clearer. As to why they are called tamales...from the old vaqueros I would guess and we gringos bastardized the word. Like "darle vuelta" became "dally" as in dally roping.

[Handmadewhips]

Skip..

If you have Grant's Encyclopedia look on pg 196 for instructions and plate 76 for illustrations.

It is a way of wrapping lace or cord into a bundle.

Thanx

I've been through Grant's book 100 times and never gave that a second look. Now i don't know how I missed it..

thanx again

skip

[TexasLady]

8/1/09

Dear HandMadeWhips,

Thanks for getting back to me on the weighted handles. I found steel rods at a hardware store, but I wondered how difficult it would be to cut through them, how long of pieces to make, and what kind of saw I'd need, so I didn't buy the steel rod yet. I went out and tried to find a book on whipmaking today. Here's the results: at two Half Price Books stores, nada. At B&N, nada. At Borders, nada. At the Arlington TX Public Library, nada. And at the Grand Prairie TX Public Library, nada. I have the Enclyclopedia that Jerrywm mentioned, and it's a great book, but for whipmaking, it jumps around too much.

Jerrywm, regarding the word 'tamale'. I'm pretty sure that the choice of that word is based on the shape of the delicious Mexican tamale, and its similarity to the hand-sized elongated knot into which each strand is separately wound. I'm fluent in Spanish, an interpreter. It's my second language. As soon as I saw a picture in the Encyclopedia of what was being termed a 'tamale', it made me smile, as the imagery of the name given the clumps of leather strands amused me. Incidently, in South America, the marketplace ice-cream maker, who hand churns her product as she walks around the marketplace, calls the 'universal joint' (in the middle of her churn) the 'apple' (la manzana). - TexasLady

[Handmadewhips]

8/1/09

Dear HandMadeWhips,

Thanks for getting back to me on the weighted handles. I found steel rods at a hardware store, but I wondered how difficult it would be to cut through them, how long of pieces to make, and what kind of saw I'd need, so I didn't buy the steel rod yet. I went out and tried to find a book on whipmaking today. Here's the results: at two Half Price Books stores, nada. At B&N, nada. At Borders, nada. At the Arlington TX Public Library, nada. And at the Grand Prairie TX Public Library, nada. I have the Enclyclopedia that Jerrywm mentioned, and it's a great book, but for whipmaking, it jumps around too much.

TexasLady

Whips and Whipmaking by Ron Edwards is good.. if you Googal "Ram Skull Press" you'll find a lot of material there. For the most part there are 3 books on whips and whipmaking. Edwards book and David Morgans books. Amazon has them I think do a search for Whipmaking and you'll find them.

For the rod you can cut it nicly with an Hack Saw. How long depends on how long you would like the handle. I like 10inch but 8inch is good also. Some whipmakers go as long as 14inchs. 8 to 12 inches is the standered.

skip

[TexasLady]

8/9/09

Thanks very much, Handmadewhips. I really appreciate what you've told me. I did order Ron Edwards' Whips and Whipmaking. I love it. Still, I could have used more details and examples regarding the handles. I've bought two Hickory hammer handles at a hardware store, and I'm carving down one of them. I don't think that I'll put the metal rod in my first whip. Can it still be a good whip handle even without a metal rod? - TexasLady

[TexasLady]

8/10/09

I need to correct the name of the book that I put in my above post. I have Ron Edwards book called "How to Make Whips". (I couldn't find an Edit button to correct my above post. Is there one?) - TexasLady