Quick whippings

[pugwash]

What's a quick,tidy and reliable way to whip the end of a rope made of artificial fiber? I've tried cigarette lighters and still have burn scars on my thumb and finger tips. I've tried the cooker, same result. Is there a small hot-knife you can plug into a 12v socket perhaps? Does a soldering iron do the job? Tapes? Obviously a sailmaker's whipping is the professional thing to do but ropes and lines are so thin these days and nylon etc is hard to handle. Any ideas?

 

[LadyInBed]

Sellotape the end, get your chopping board out and heat up an old kitchen knife over the gas. Just like a hot knife through butter!!

 

[gus]

Re: Cutting!!!!!!

But then it leaves a sharp edge to tear you hands. Shove on a damp industrial glove and then you won't burn your hands as you round off the heated end.

 

[ianwright]

A hot knife is fine to cut off the rope you buy in the chandlery, but no rope should be put to use on board with those hard sharp plastic blobs still on the end. Any rope can be whipped, even 2mm flag halyards (use a constrictor knot) and a real whipping only takes two mins.
Once whipped cut off the blob and let the 1/8 inch bit of rope outside the whipping fluff up, It hurts much less when it hits you in the eye.
IanW.

 

[mica]

You can buy some liquid dip and whip stuff, but I have never tried it. All the ropes on our boat are French whipped. I find it neater and more durable than common whipping. Only takes a few minutes, well worth the effort.

MICA

 

[pugwash]

Some good thoughts here. Thanks fopr your input. But what's a French whipping? Saucy replies welcome but I'd really like to know !

 

[mica]

French Whipping - Sorry to disappoint you, but it is not a saucy reply. It is an actual whipping with a locking knot on each turn. I use it for anything and everything, finding it a more secure type of whipping. Send me your address and I will post a sample on to you, with instructions on how to do it.

MICA

 

[incognito]

I have tried this stuff, and it sort of works, but the tin dries up very quickly as it has some VERY volatile solvent.

Nothing to beat a nice simple whipping.

 

[jollyjacktar]

French Whipping?

Thought that this was called "West Country [County?] Whipping".

 

[mica]

Re: French Whipping?Re: Jollyjacktar

No, West Country Whipping looks untidy. French Whipping gives a neat spiral of knots down the side of the whipping. Perhaps I should have said, each turn has a half hitch rather than a knot. (See Des Pawson's book of knots).

MICA

 

[charles_reed]

There's nothing to touch sailmakers whipping though you can speed it up using a decent sized sailmaker's needle.

2nd best to that is good-quality adhesive tape around the end, but that only lasts a season.

 

[allanc]

Rotation of a hot end

But, if you really want the simplest way - cut the rope with a sharp knife leaving no frayed ends, hold the cut end in a flame until molten / burning, place hot end in a folded piece of thick cardboard held in the other hand and rotate rope in the direction of the lay for a few seconds until you get a pleasing end and let cool for another few seconds. A couple of attempts will enable you to produce a totally satisfacory result within seconds and you`ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[Guest]

Re: Quick whippings - cooker hotplate

Drives the wife mad but the cooker hotplate on "Number 4" does a great job. ("Number 5" is too hot and makes it hard to control - "Number 3" doesn't do it quick enough.)

To stop the rope from fraying before you start - whip a bit of insulation tape about 10mm from the end. Cut the rope. Dab the end at right angles on to the hotplate. Let it melt the end and then gently roll the rope around and lay it at a fairly steep angle to smooth it off.

Beware - too much melting results in a "mushroom" shaped end that has to be shaped with the fingers (the spit always seems to miss the bit of finger in contact with the melted bit) - and too little melting means it will still fray!!

Best regards )

Ian D

 

[jollyjacktar]

Trust the French.

Oh I get it now. Its new to me [and I can give it a name now], but then I have done just that system at times as it is very easy to keep things neat while doing it quickly. Nice of the French to come up with some fancy stuff. I thought that west country whipping was a half hitch on opposites sides [180 degrees apart]. Agreed hard to keep tidy as in haste the knots go all over the place. Personally I prefer the "sailmakers whipping".

 

[snowleopard]

gas-powered hot knife

refillable from cig lighter refill can. obtainable from good chandlers. costs around 35 quid but can also be fitted with soldering iron head and i wouldn't be without mine.