Whip It Good!

We just got back from Fall Camporee and the theme was pioneering.  Our troop built an hour glass tower, a gateway, a tall flag pole, and several camp gadgets.  I was the one who cut all the ropes to length and whipped them.  Hundreds of whippings.  I tried different styles, and got to see what worked and what didn't.

For larger rope (3/8" +), the sailmaker's whipping with waxed sail thread is the way to go.  It looks neat, and the knot is buried inside the rope where it won't come untied.  This whipping is hard to do on smaller 1/4" rope.  It's hard to keep the 3 strands neatly separated on small diameter rope.

Here is a sailmaker's whipping on a 1/2" Manila rope.  Note the piece of yellow heat shrink tubing, indicating that this is a 50' length.  

I tried the West country whipping, which is easy to tie and also looks neat.  The problem was the square knot on the end came untied with minimal use.

Then there is the method that is shown in the Boy Scout Handbook.  I don't think this one has a name.  This one is quick and easy to tie, but I have come up with a modified method for tying it that gives the same result, but it easier to tie.  (see below).

I have found that the dental floss works well as whipping thread. The tape kind that is like a miniature version of teflon plumbers tape, not the thread kind.  This stuff comes in a handy dispenser with cutter, the knots stay tied, and my dentist gives it to me for free with every cleaning.

I like to use a surgeon's knot with an extra half hitch instead of a square knot.  I think it holds better.

Here is how I do it:

Use a piece of tape type dental floss about 18" long.  Make a bight in one end and hold it against the end of your rope.

Wrap in around until the width of your whipping is about the same as the diameter of your rope.

Put the free end through the bight.

Pull the short end until the bite goes under the whipping.  

Surgeon's knot:  1.  Right over left and then around again.

2.  Left over right.

Now do an extra right over left.

Cut the ends.

This gives you the same whipping as the one in the Boy Scout Handbook.  The only differences are the manner in which it is tied, and the end knot.  The book method works with the middle of the whipping thread, and my method works with the end.  I think mine is easier to tie.  I also use the surgeon's knot with extra half hitch to finish the sailmaker's whipping.