INFORMATION SHEET 3.

TAPS, SPLICES AND JOINTS

Method of Skinning Electrical Wire

Removing the insulation in preparing the insulated conductors for making

joints or splices, the insulation must first be removed from each conductor a
proper distance depending upon the type of joint or splice to be made.
This process is called skinning or stripping.

Cleaning the Conductor

After removing the insulation, the wires must be thoroughly cleaned to

ensure good electric contact between the ends of the wires so that the solder will
adhere properly. The wire may be cleaned by scraping.

Different electrical wires, splices and joints

Types of taps, Splices and Joints of Conductor

Rat tail joints are used to join

conductors in outlet boxes or when
fixture leads are connected through Twists
conductors. The joints are made by
skinning about 2 inches, the end of
the conductor is to be joined. Then Cross
twist the bare conductors about six
times.

End turns
Western Union Short tie splice -
To make the splice, the wires are first
skinned

Tape
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for about 3 inches at the ends. They are then placed in crossed position about
1 inch from the insulation. Four or five short turns are then wrapped on each
side of the longest twist, and the free ends cut off and squeezed down closed to
the straight position of the wire so that they will not extend over the surface of
the short turns and permit the sharp to cut through the tape with the splice to
be wrapped.

Western Union Long Tie Splice is used

extensively for outside wiring and is quite
similar to the short tie splice. It is also being
used for interior wiring. The difference is that
a number of long twist are made before
wrapping the end turns. This is done so to
withstand greater stress of pressure on the
wire. The wire for this splice are bared about
4 inches. They are then placed in the form
of an X at a point midway between the insulation and the end of the base wire.
Five or six long twists are then made and each side those turns are wrapped.

Britannia Splice is used in interior

wiring where solid wires of No. 6 AWG
gauge or larger sizes are to be joined and
where large wire connectors or pliers are
not at hand. The two wires are based for
about 4 inches in a No. 6 wire. About
inch of the extreme end of each beat to
almost a right angle to the straight portion
of the conductor. A wrapping wire made of No. 18 bare wire copper is then cut
to about 6 ft. in length and prepared by cleaning and bending in half. The large
conductors are then laid together, one bent end pointing upward and the other
downward. The center of the wrapping wire is then brought to the center of the
conductor, one half of which is wrapped in one direction and other remaining
half in the other as far as the best portion. The free ends are then forced
through the grooves from one ends to the other end of the other of the large
single conductors. The best ends are then cut off close to the joint.

Scarfed splice. It is used only on a

large solid wire where there is an objection
to the bulkiness of the Western Union or
Britannia splice. The wires are bared for
about 3 inches when a No. 6 wire is used.

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 The bared wire is then filed to a wedge shape starting about inch from
the insulations. A piece of No. 18 bare copper wire is cut to about 5 ft. in
length and prepared by cleaning and bending in half.

The two file sides of the conductors are then laid together and wrapping
wire wound around them as similarly done in Britannia Splice. The wrapping is
completed by winding about six and seven turns of the free ends around the
unfilled portion of the conductor.

Multiple wrapped cable splice is used more

extensively on small strand wires and cables
because these stands are more pliable and may
be wound together without much difficulty. Large
strands are rigid and require considerable time in
making such a splice. To make the splice, the
ends of the conductors are skinned at the
distance of about 6 inches. The strands are
cleaned and spread about apart. Next, the strands are cut about 3 inches from
the insulation to right angle with the conductor. The strands of both
conductors are then laced together, one group of strands wounds in the
opposite direction. Care should be done that all strands in each group are
wrapped simultaneously and parallel to one another.

Plain tap or Tee Joints is used to a Solder

great extent joining a tap or other
conductor to a through conductor, as
for example, a branch or main circuit. Solder
To make the joint, skin the tap wire
about 2 inches and the main wire
about 1 inch. Next, the wires are
crossed intersecting about inch from the insulation of the tap wire and the
main wire. A hook or sharp bend is then made in the tap and about five or six
turns wound around the main wire. The joint is soldered and tape. Care must
be taken that the solder flows and sticks through all the crevices and that the
tape covers all part of the conductors, beginning and ending on the original
insulation.
Knotted or loop, tap joint is very
strong joint and will not untwist even
enough strain is placed upon it. It is
occasionally used in practice,
particularly for temporary lighting
systems, where time is not taken to
solder joints. To make the join using
No. 14 AWG wire, the tap wire is skinned about 3 inches and is then placed

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over the insulation of the tap and main wire. The tap wire is bent and hooked
over the main wire and brought forward and bent over itself. Lastly, the
remaining portion is wound into four or five short turns around the main wire.

Wrapped Tap, Tee Joint is used on large

solid conductors where is difficult to wrap the
heavy tap wire around the main wire. When a
No. 6 AGW wire is used, both the main wire and
the tap wire are skinned about 4 inches. The tap
wire is bent into an L shape about inches
from the insulation so that it will rest along the
side of the main wire. A wrapping wire is then
prepared using size No. 18 bare conductors terminating beyond the bent of tap
wire and up to the installation of the main conductor.

Ordinary Cable Tap or Tee Joint is

used where large stranded wire or
cables are tapped to a through
conductor. To make the joint, the
main strands should be scraped
through with a knife blade or
sandpaper. The tap wire of similar wire size cable should be skinned about 6
inches distance and the strands separated or fanned each strands of the tap
into the shape. The main cable is placed into this V-shaped space and forced
down to within 1 inch from the insulation of the tap conductor. One group of
tap wires is then wound around the main conductor, each strands should be
placed parallel to the other, and all wrapped at the same time and in one
direction. The other group is wound in similar manner but in opposite
directions.

Split Cable Tap or Tee Joint is

used where stranded cables or wire
are tapped to a through conductor.
This joint is stronger than the
ordinary cable tap and will not
unwrap even though a strain is
placed upon it prior soldering. To
make this joint, the main wire is skinned a distance of 5 inches No. 14
American Wire Gauge (AWG) wire size is used and the strands thoroughly
scraped as for the ordinary cable tap. The strands are next divided in half by
forcing the screw driver through the center of the bared portion of the main
wire. The tap wire is prepared by skinning it about 6 inches, scraping each
strand until thoroughly cleaned and fanning out the strands so that they can
be pushed around the space in the main wire. A space about 1 inch should
be left between the main wire and the insulation of the tap wire. In completing

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the joint, one group is wound around the main conductor, in one direction; and
the second group is wound in the opposite direction.

The Through Fixture Joint is

used where fixtures are connected to
branch wires at an intermediate
point. In making this joint, the end of
one conductor is skinned about 2
inches and the other about 4 inches.
At a point inches away from the
insulation of the longer wire, three or
four long twists are made similar to the rat-tail joint. The long bared portion of
the long wire is bent over parallel with the free ends. Both free ends are then
place alongside each other wrapped together around the straight bared portion.

Safety procedure in splicing and joining wire

Before the splice is made, the insulation is first removed on both ends with
the use of an electricians knife or diagonal pliers. An electrician should be very
careful in removing wire insulation in order that the wire will not be nicked by
the knife or pliers to prevent breaking. However, a specially designed tool to
avoid nicks is called automatic wire stripper. The function of the tool is to cut
the wire insulation and remove it automatically by inserting the wire
corresponding to the size of hole in the wire stripper. After removing the
insulation, the end of the wire is twisted firmly. When the joint has been made,
the correct practice is to solder it to prevent loose contact and to have a
continuous flow of electricity. The splice and joint are then covered properly
with an electrical tape in order to prevent short circuit.