I had a neighbor in east london who manufactured rods in the 60s and he had locals doing the whipping, I always thought I could never suss it out especially how to tie it off and prevent it all unravelling and now after watching your wonderfully simple expose on how to whip I feel much better about life, lol, am going to use whipping to connect a hoop of braided leather or at least I hope I can.
I built my own rods for many years from the 1970s. Carp rods when there were just no shops selling them. Totally fascinating to see the techniques I taught myself are so similar to those you show, things mostly I stumbled across over time too. Funny how pretty much all my kit was the same as yours…except I would run my fingers nails over to ensure there were no tiny gaps rather than using a ruler. Tension was the key and turning the whipping with a slight inward angle to the thread already on so it guided the new loops into place. I whipped on so many that I swear I could do it in the dark. Back then the first rods were all glass fibre. Names like Hunter, casting sticks. Then it was early carbons, north western blanks and Simpson’s of Turnford “ stepped up” 1 3/4lb test blanks. I would whip on Fuji clip style reels fittings too. Initially I used fine wire to pull tag ends through, replacing that for thread loops as the wire often cut the loop trying to pull it under. I used “dope” as a first application to the thread. That was meant to “ tighten it” but I was never convinced and if the whipping was anything other than black it could make the thread look patchy. I must have read all these things in a book or magazine but I met rod builders who showed me how to roll a blank to find the spline where the cloth finished in the blank making it slightly stronger for casting in a certain direction. I knew how many eyes I needed, what size and a rough spacing guide, but to place them I did something no one would do now when everyone wants precisely matching rods. With the reel on I would load up the rod against the resistance weight of the stated test curve, 1 3/4lb say of carefully weighed out lead in a bag to which the line out of the tip eye was tied. I pulled on the weight until it was just about to lift off the floor, see how the line followed the rods natural curve. I then moved eyes up and down so that the line matched the rod curve as closely as possible to minimise the gaps between the eyes and the blank. It took some time but when it looked right, the distance between eyes was set with another tighter piece of masking tape. It was amazing what weight you could lift with just taped eyes, but back then we used way more than 6 eyes on a 12 foot rod. Whipping the first side of each eye was the critical thing because once the whipping bumped up onto the leg it would often slip a bit. That was the time to sight down the rod straight through the guides like a gun sight and realign it. All the adjustment over on one side of the eye I would try to whip on the other side a little tighter. Sometimes I would tip the whipping with a coloured blue, green or red flash, but that served no strength giving purpose so it didn’t matter so much if it wasn’t so consistently taught. The amazing thing was I didn’t use epoxy on those guides just multiple varnish coats which dried with me constantly hand turning. I pretty much have all those early carbon rods to this day including Simpsons KM dual tapers, a strange concept which created a kind of flat middle section of the natural rod curve with more bending at the butt end. The most peculiar thing which annoys the hell out of a modern carper when you point it out, because the eyes were fixed in position so that the line matched the full test curve bend with minimal offset, and the true test curve of those blanks was slightly different because of the carbon cloth weave on the mandrel, the eyes didn’t get positioned to be precisely alongside their neighbour in that “ matched pair”. The eye spacing matched the specific rod action not the stated test curve. For me that was the right thing to do. I could of course just have matched precise positioning of the eyes on the second rod to the first rod of the pair, only moved the eyes up and down on the first “ master” rod to decide on the correct eye spacing. But you know what those old carbons, despite the blanks softening well below those earlier test curves, still have a lovely action with the line following the battle bend so precisely. I still use them floater fishing, even deadbaiting for pike as they rarely ping the bait off the hook. But mostly because I built them myself so they give huge satisfaction to use them. And although the varnish fish, multi layers, multi hand sanded, has seen better days, not a single one of the eyes has ever worked loose or needed replacement. Of course far too many eyes really and too small by the standard of today’s carp rods, but that doesn’t matter one bit. I meticulously filed any sharp edges on the legs to ensure they didn’t cut the whipping when flexing, so it all must have been worth it. One of those very Simpsons of Turnford blanks went on to catch me the lake record mirror carp from the famous Cuttle Mill at Wishaw, when Brewer owned it before Tony Higgins. A monster for the 1980s of 27lb 8oz, caught on my home made peanut special paste bait. I wouldn’t part with that rod for all the money in the world. There’s nothing to compare to catching a lake record on a rod you built yourself on a bait you made yourself. But it’s great to see how rod building techniques have come on so much and high standards maintained by the likes of your good selves. I should probably get the old girls a set of new clothes, a renovation and epoxy protection on those old whippings, still not sure though as right now they are the authentic original build. But what huge satisfaction I got from completing them, catching on them. If only modern day carp anglers knew how good that feels!! And you are based in my hometown area too, what could be better. So many great manufacturing skills were born in the North West unappreciated by the country at large. Keep up the good work.
Great stuff. Haven't whipped rings for 30 plus years when we bought blanks and whipped our own rings. Found this very useful. Though my efforts weren't great! 😝😝
Thank you for such a clear, concise and easy to follow video. The close-ups are absolutely fantastic. Explains everything in such a simple way and inspired me to re-whip an old sea rod. Really well done guys!
Great video.... I’ve got a rod that needs the whippings painting and also a drop shot lure rod that’s broken in 2 places 5” in from the tip section so I will be watching some of these videos to get some sort of ideas. I’m a total novice so my take me a lot longer then watching this guy. I so wish he was my best friend or one of my close relatives.... he certainly knows what he’s doing.... just perfection 👍🏽😀🎣
watched a different video, stressing all the while about not having a burnishing tool or a rotisserie or a bobbin tension device. Loved the practicality of your instruction, plastic ruler, cardboard box, zip lock freezer bag to hang the bobbin under your table with,..... sorted Thanks m8.
Thankyou for these videos, I have an old conoflex bass bones rod which one of the eyes had snapped and all the varnish was flaking off. I've taken the original measurements and stripped it down, I've then rubbed it back using wet and dry and now looking to put a new reel seat on it, new eyes and shrink tubing on the butt section. So have found your videos really helpful thanks
I have a pair of Harrison rods that my late dad had built , unfortunately on their way back from Thailand after he died, two rings were damaged, the ceramic centre fell out , do you supply spare rings so I can use the rods , cheers
I just googled "rod building near me" & luck had it 2 miles away. Otherwise you might inquire at the local bait shop. I was looking for a way to past the Winter months as well as repairing rods for the grandkids 😁.
![Lp. Последняя Реальность #107 РОДНОЙ ДОМ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3QKzKUlHM/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a neighbor in east london who manufactured rods in the 60s and he had locals doing the whipping, I always thought I could never suss it out especially how to tie it off and prevent it all unravelling and now after watching your wonderfully simple expose on how to whip I feel much better about life, lol, am going to use whipping to connect a hoop of braided leather or at least I hope I can.
I built my own rods for many years from the 1970s. Carp rods when there were just no shops selling them. Totally fascinating to see the techniques I taught myself are so similar to those you show, things mostly I stumbled across over time too. Funny how pretty much all my kit was the same as yours…except I would run my fingers nails over to ensure there were no tiny gaps rather than using a ruler.
Tension was the key and turning the whipping with a slight inward angle to the thread already on so it guided the new loops into place. I whipped on so many that I swear I could do it in the dark.
Back then the first rods were all glass fibre. Names like Hunter, casting sticks. Then it was early carbons, north western blanks and Simpson’s of Turnford “ stepped up” 1 3/4lb test blanks. I would whip on Fuji clip style reels fittings too. Initially I used fine wire to pull tag ends through, replacing that for thread loops as the wire often cut the loop trying to pull it under.
I used “dope” as a first application to the thread. That was meant to “ tighten it” but I was never convinced and if the whipping was anything other than black it could make the thread look patchy.
I must have read all these things in a book or magazine but I met rod builders who showed me how to roll a blank to find the spline where the cloth finished in the blank making it slightly stronger for casting in a certain direction. I knew how many eyes I needed, what size and a rough spacing guide, but to place them I did something no one would do now when everyone wants precisely matching rods.
With the reel on I would load up the rod against the resistance weight of the stated test curve, 1 3/4lb say of carefully weighed out lead in a bag to which the line out of the tip eye was tied. I pulled on the weight until it was just about to lift off the floor, see how the line followed the rods natural curve. I then moved eyes up and down so that the line matched the rod curve as closely as possible to minimise the gaps between the eyes and the blank.
It took some time but when it looked right, the distance between eyes was set with another tighter piece of masking tape. It was amazing what weight you could lift with just taped eyes, but back then we used way more than 6 eyes on a 12 foot rod.
Whipping the first side of each eye was the critical thing because once the whipping bumped up onto the leg it would often slip a bit. That was the time to sight down the rod straight through the guides like a gun sight and realign it. All the adjustment over on one side of the eye I would try to whip on the other side a little tighter.
Sometimes I would tip the whipping with a coloured blue, green or red flash, but that served no strength giving purpose so it didn’t matter so much if it wasn’t so consistently taught.
The amazing thing was I didn’t use epoxy on those guides just multiple varnish coats which dried with me constantly hand turning.
I pretty much have all those early carbon rods to this day including Simpsons KM dual tapers, a strange concept which created a kind of flat middle section of the natural rod curve with more bending at the butt end.
The most peculiar thing which annoys the hell out of a modern carper when you point it out, because the eyes were fixed in position so that the line matched the full test curve bend with minimal offset, and the true test curve of those blanks was slightly different because of the carbon cloth weave on the mandrel, the eyes didn’t get positioned to be precisely alongside their neighbour in that “ matched pair”.
The eye spacing matched the specific rod action not the stated test curve. For me that was the right thing to do. I could of course just have matched precise positioning of the eyes on the second rod to the first rod of the pair, only moved the eyes up and down on the first “ master” rod to decide on the correct eye spacing.
But you know what those old carbons, despite the blanks softening well below those earlier test curves, still have a lovely action with the line following the battle bend so precisely.
I still use them floater fishing, even deadbaiting for pike as they rarely ping the bait off the hook.
But mostly because I built them myself so they give huge satisfaction to use them.
And although the varnish fish, multi layers, multi hand sanded, has seen better days, not a single one of the eyes has ever worked loose or needed replacement. Of course far too many eyes really and too small by the standard of today’s carp rods, but that doesn’t matter one bit.
I meticulously filed any sharp edges on the legs to ensure they didn’t cut the whipping when flexing, so it all must have been worth it.
One of those very Simpsons of Turnford blanks went on to catch me the lake record mirror carp from the famous Cuttle Mill at Wishaw, when Brewer owned it before Tony Higgins. A monster for the 1980s of 27lb 8oz, caught on my home made peanut special paste bait.
I wouldn’t part with that rod for all the money in the world. There’s nothing to compare to catching a lake record on a rod you built yourself on a bait you made yourself.
But it’s great to see how rod building techniques have come on so much and high standards maintained by the likes of your good selves.
I should probably get the old girls a set of new clothes, a renovation and epoxy protection on those old whippings, still not sure though as right now they are the authentic original build.
But what huge satisfaction I got from completing them, catching on them. If only modern day carp anglers knew how good that feels!!
And you are based in my hometown area too, what could be better. So many great manufacturing skills were born in the North West unappreciated by the country at large.
Keep up the good work.
Wonderful reply, confidence comes from competence.
This is a fantastic video, and it showed me exactly what I needed to know, now on to part 2.
Great stuff. Haven't whipped rings for 30 plus years when we bought blanks and whipped our own rings. Found this very useful. Though my efforts weren't great! 😝😝
Thank you for such a clear, concise and easy to follow video. The close-ups are absolutely fantastic. Explains everything in such a simple way and inspired me to re-whip an old sea rod. Really well done guys!
Thank you for taking the time to share and for showing us how it should be done. Subscribed.
I am a fan, looking forward to more videos.
Thankyou so much for this great knowledge tuition on rod whipping very good indeed
Great video! Thanks for taking time to make so informative and easy to follow
Great video.... I’ve got a rod that needs the whippings painting and also a drop shot lure rod that’s broken in 2 places 5” in from the tip section so I will be watching some of these videos to get some sort of ideas. I’m a total novice so my take me a lot longer then watching this guy. I so wish he was my best friend or one of my close relatives.... he certainly knows what he’s doing.... just perfection 👍🏽😀🎣
watched a different video, stressing all the while about not having a burnishing tool or a rotisserie or a bobbin tension device.
Loved the practicality of your instruction, plastic ruler, cardboard box, zip lock freezer bag to hang the bobbin under your table with,..... sorted
Thanks m8.
Many thanks sir for taking time to teach us how it's made. Regards from Casablanca
Another excellent video "Great Work, Well Done"
Very well explained. Great video!
Thankyou for these videos, I have an old conoflex bass bones rod which one of the eyes had snapped and all the varnish was flaking off.
I've taken the original measurements and stripped it down, I've then rubbed it back using wet and dry and now looking to put a new reel seat on it, new eyes and shrink tubing on the butt section.
So have found your videos really helpful thanks
The Handmade Fisherman channel brought me here. Hope you are doing well!
Brilliant. many thanks, Ive subscribed !
Excellent informative video
Thanks for making this helpful video, I'm after a Q3 blank but can't find any suppliers.
The first rod I wrapped was with a cardboard box - brings back memories.
Thanks for sharing. Ive Liked & Subbed
I've made a few rods and I find it easiest to hold the thread bobbin between my knees and apply a little tension turning the rod in my hands.
Thanks for idea
best video
You have a Beatles’ accent!
Nice video. India- West Bengal- Cooch Behar
Hi, do you used flex coat after wrapping? thank you
I have a pair of Harrison rods that my late dad had built , unfortunately on their way back from Thailand after he died, two rings were damaged, the ceramic centre fell out , do you supply spare rings so I can use the rods , cheers
I'd love to learn how to build rods from start to finish, anyone know of any rod building courses?
I just googled "rod building near me" & luck had it 2 miles away. Otherwise you might inquire at the local bait shop. I was looking for a way to past the Winter months as well as repairing rods for the grandkids 😁.
I fdup the epoxy very upsetting
Y
Watched the video of you making the rod turning machine, but this one is ******* your voice is so blarrr