8/17/2023 0 Comments Western union splice solderSo to make it easier to work with for the splice, you want to twist the individual strands together tightly-basically, you’re going to imitate a solid core wire here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Īgain, you’ll more than likely find stranded wire in your automotive wiring harness. Twist Each Wire’s Strands Together Tightly Tightly twisting the stranded wire together on each individual end makes the next few steps in the splicing process a bit easier. Just remember to use the right wire stripping die for the wire gauge you’re working with, as it’s easy to cut the tiny strands within. Grab our old pal the wire stripper tool, and remove about a half to three-quarters inch of insulation from each end. Strip Away the Insulator When we’re working around cars, we typically strip about a half to three-quarters inch from the wire ends for a basic Lineman’s Splice-but your mileage may vary. *** How to Make a Lineman’s (Western Union) Splice “Conductor” is the fancy word for the metal part of the wire that carries the electricity. Stranded wire is made up of tiny strands of conductor (again, usually copper), making it more flexible and resistant to breakage from stress and vibration. Yet it’s more prone to break when subjected to excessive flexing and vibration.įor that reason, you’ll likely find stranded wiring in your automotive electrical harness. Since it can handle a lot of current over longer distances relative to its size when compared to stranded wire, solid core wire is common in home electrical wiring. So without digressing too much, here’s the distinction in a nutshell:Ī solid core wire is a single piece of conductor (usually copper) wrapped in an insulator. The process for making the splice with stranded wire however, is pretty much identical. That means many of the Lineman’s Splice examples you’ll find online use solid core wire. (Image/OnAllCylinders)īefore we dive in, let’s quickly understand the difference between stranded and solid core wires, because the Lineman’s Splice was originally developed for the latter. Both are still very much in use today, just for different applications. Solid Core Wires Here’s an easy visual comparison between stranded (red) wire and solid core (white) wire. Putting your wiring in looms, wraps, or convoluted tubing is a smart move too. In other words, the Lineman’s Splice is plenty good enough for your car or truck.Ī strong splice won’t make up for poor wiring harness management however-first and foremost, always make sure your wire runs are neat, properly secured, and out of the way. It’s simple, easy, and strong, and is so reliable that NASA even includes it as a standard for wiring up rocket ships. That led the engineers at Western Union to develop what is known as the “Western Union” or “Lineman” splice. So being able to connect telegraph lines reliably was kind of a big deal. (Image/ Public Domain)īack in the 1800s, if a telegraph line broke, it could sever communications between entire cities. Suffice it to say, this photograph pre-dates OSHA. In fact, folks have been making reliable wire splices for over a century, which brings us to… The Lineman’s Splice A Lineman was the person who had to climb up the telegraph pole to make and repair connections to the telegraph line. The good news is, splicing electrical wire is pretty easy with some basic tools and know-how. And if you’ve ever dealt with intermittent electrical gremlins, you already know that making foolproof electrical connections is vital. Whether you’re retrofitting an EFI kit, replacing a crusty bulb socket, or installing a new stereo, if you work around cars long enough, you’ll eventually have to splice some wires.
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