This whip ain't just for whippin' cows. It's for whippin' the darkness away.

Now most folks believed it couldn't be done. "Lefty," they told me, "ain't no way you're makin' a whip that both cracks up loud n' lights up bright at the same time. Them e-lectronics is delicate," they said, "ain't no way you can do it." 

Well, like my momma always taught me, there's plenty-a ways to skin a cat. The proof is in the pudding. And after throwin' out half a dozen puddings, you always find one that hangs together. Sometimes, you find one that grabs you by the roots of your soul and don't let go.

This whip is made from a Feather NRF32840 Sense board soldered to a PropMaker wing. It's got sound reactivity - whenever the whip cracks, a bright animation lights up the whole length of the whip.

But we can do you one better n' that. This whip's also got motion sensitivity, with two levels of swing-based animations, triggered by the motion of your arm. Choose your own custom colors and speeds to truly make it yours.

This project requires a bit of tricky solderin' and a bit of patience. But the end result will complete you, and feed that little outlaw in your soul.

Adafruit Parts Needed

Angled shot of blue, rectangular, microcontroller.
The Adafruit Feather Bluefruit Sense takes our popular Feather nRF52840 Express and adds a smorgasbord of sensors...
$39.50
In Stock
Angled shot of a Adafruit Prop-Maker FeatherWing.
The Adafruit Feather series gives you lots of options for a small, portable, rechargeable microcontroller board. Perfect for fitting into your next prop build! This FeatherWing will...
Out of Stock
4 x 2" LED Strands
Adafruit NeoPixel LED Dots Strand - 20 LEDs at 2" Pitch
1 x On/Off Switch
Rugged Metal On/Off Switch with Green LED Ring
1 x Ribbon Cable
Silicone Cover Stranded-Core Ribbon Cable - 10 Wire 1 Meter Long
1 x Battery
Lithium Ion Cylindrical Battery - 3.7v 2200mAh
1 x Battery Extension Cable
JST PH 2-Pin Cable – Male Header 200mm
1 x Female USB Connector
USB DIY Connector - MicroB Female Plug
1 x Male USB Connector
USB DIY Slim Connector Shell - MicroB Plug

Additional Materials

  • A 6ft bullwhip - we used this leather one
  • 12" PVC pipe with a 1" interior (not exterior) diameter. The electronics won't fit in a 1" exterior pipe so be sure to get the right size! We found this at our local ACE hardware.
  • PVC end cap that fits onto your pipe
  • Sports grip tape or leather cord to wrap your handle
  • Strong tape and/or needle & heavy duty thread

Tools Needed

  • Soldering iron & accessories
  • Saw for cutting the wooden handle
  • Drill & various sized bits
  • Screwdriver
  • Rotary tool or chisel & file
  • Patience

This guide was first published on Jul 08, 2020. It was last updated on Mar 15, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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