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Bullwhip FAQ - Safety
 
Reprinted by permission of Phil Frank/San Francisco Chronicle
 

Steve:

1) I said earlier that in the hands of an expert a whip is safe, but in anyone else's hands... ouch. First off, you have to realize that you are going to whack yourself on the arms, legs and back of the head and neck. It goes with the territory until you learn how to control the whip.

2) The popper can pick up dirt and gravel and fling it through the air at 700 miles per hour. SO DON'T AIM AT PEOPLE IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE .

3) Including your arm's reach, your 10 foot whip will travel in a circle covering some 26 feet in diameter. So be very careful where you swing that thing. And always be aware of what's behind you. The whip travels backwards before it goes out in front of you. [Also look out for overhanging tree branches and electric cables - Andrew]

4) Swing easily at first. Proper whip technique does not require much muscle - it's timing. Swinging harder does create a bigger bang, but it also creates bigger welts and blisters too.

5) A proper whip throw is like casting a fishing line or throwing a baseball. The grip is just like holding a fishing pole. Grasp the handle and have your thumb on top pointing straight down along the length of the whip. You aim by pointing the thumb at your target and following through to that point. Pay close attention to the words "Follow through". The pop comes from following through towards your target NOT by pulling the whip back at the end. This is so important that I wish I could shout louder than typing in CAPS. Also, don't try to throw the whip out in an underhand throw and "snap" it back. As my mother used to shriek "you'll put your eye out". She was right. If the tip of the popper doesn't get you, the gravel will.

Andrew:

Other posters have suggested wearing safety glasses, leather jackets, crash helmets, chaps etc. Personally I wear normal glasses and a leather top hat, but I have been known to don a leather jacket and a hard hat when working on new stuff. The whip is at its most dangerous right at the tip just before it pops. After it has cracked, most of the energy has been expended, and it just hurts really badly, instead of slicing flesh and breaking bones.

Steve:

There's a lot of commentary about the dangers of the whip. This is completely and absolutely justified. But don't be too scared by it. For a whip to actually slice through tin or flesh, it must contact the target right at the point of highest acceleration. That's right at the point where the popper reaches the end of it's travels and pops. For most amateurs and newbies, that would be a rare shot... BUT IT COULD HAPPEN! So be CAREFUL! OK 'nuf said.

Andrew

Though it contains some adult content, there's an excellent article on Bullwhip Safety by Robert Dante on the Boudoir Noir web site.

 

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