WESTERN UNION SHORT-TIE JOINT

The Western Union joint is used more frequently than any other joint. It is used in interior wiring in joining two lengths of wire to extend the conductors from outlet to outlet. In outside wiring, it is used extensively.

PROCEDURE:

1. Skin the wires about 6 cm from the ends at an angle of 45 degrees;2. Scrape or sandpaper the bared conductors;3. Place the two wires in “X” position at distance of about 3 cm form the end;4. Hold the wires firmly with pliers or your hand at their intersection and wrap one end a turn or two

around the other wire. Then do the same with the other end;5. Continue wrapping each wire, one against the other, until you have four full turns close together.

When unable to turn the wires with your fingers, use pliers in order to get the point wrapped tightly;6. Cut off any extra wire;7. Tighten and shape with the pliers;8. The splice is then soldered and taped.

WESTERN UNION LONG-TIE JOINT

The Western Union Long-Tie or telegraph splice, as it is frequently called, is used extensively for outside wiring and is quite similar to the short-tie splice, being used for the same purpose. The only difference is that a number of long twists are made before wrapping the end turns. This is claimed to be an advantage because it allows the solder to spread in between the wires more freely.

PROCEDURE:

1. The wires for this splice are bared about 11.4 cm;2. They are then placed on the form of an “X” at a point midway between the insulation and the end at eh

end of the bare wire;3. Five or six long twists are then made and on each side at least four turns;4. Continue wrapping each wire, one against the other, until you have four full turns close together.

When unable to turn the wires with your fingers, use pliers in order to get the point wrapped tightly;5. Cut off any extra wire;6. Tighten and shape with the pliers;7. The splice is then soldered and taped.

RAT-TAILED JOINT

The rat-tailed joint is used principally in joining conductors in outlet boxes. It is satisfactorily if no longitudinal strain is impressed on it. A longitudinal strain would cause to untwist the joint.

PROCEDURE:

1. Remove with your knife about 5 cm of the insulation from the ends of the wires;2. Remove any ragged insulation ends;3. Scrape the wires until they are bright and clean;4. Cross the two bare wires at approximately 4 cm from their insulation, and twist their ends making five or

six long twist; an5. Cut extra ends and clip it together making a tight joint.

END FIXTURE SPLICE

The end fixture splice is used when a fixture wire, usually No. 18 AWG, is to be joined to a terminating branch conductor, which I most frequently of No. 14 AWG.

PROCEDURE:

1. The bigger wire is bared for about 5 cm and the fixture wire for about 7.62 cm;2. Remove any ragged insulation ends and scrape the wires until they are bright and clean;3. Then a 5 cm length of the fixture wire is wrapped around the bared No. 14 AWG;4. Next, the end of the larger is bent back over the joint and the remaining portion of the fixture wire is

wound about it.

BACK TURN SPLICE

The back-turn splice is used when fixture leads are connected to branch wires at an intermediate point. This joint will withstand considerable longitudinal strain.

PROCEDURE:

1. Remove with your knife about 9 cm of insulation from the end of the branch wire (No. 12 AWG) and 7 cm form the end of the fixture wire (No. 16 or 14 AWG wire);

2. Remove any ragged insulation ends and scrape the wires until they are bright and clean;3. Cross the two bare wires at approximately 1 cm form the insulation fixture wire and 4 cm from

the insulation of the branch wire, and twist their ends making four long twist;4. Holding extra ends of both wires bend it together around the branch wire by forming two short

turns.

DOUBLE-WRAPPED CROSS-JOINT

The double-wrapped cross-joint is used for identically the same reason as the ordinary cross-joint, with the advantage of being stronger.

PROCEDURE:

1. The main wire for this joint is skinned 3.8 cm and the two tap wires about 6.35 cm;2. One of the tap wires is hooked over the main wire, where the other is placed in the U-shaped

bend alongside the first wire;3. The insulation of both tap wires should be about 0.64 cm form the main wire;4. The ends of both wires are turned in the same direction and wrapped parallel to each other

around the main conductor;5. The joint is soldered.