I was very pleased to see the Western Union splice on this weeks Know How

[G+_Paul Hutchinson]

I was very pleased to see the Western Union splice on this weeks Know How.

 

There was something that wasn't mentioned, because it normally doesn't apply for makers, that I wanted to point out. When a Western Union splice is made on heavy gauge solid wire, the splice is strong enough to support itself in overhead wire applications, no soldering required. This is where the name comes from, the Western Union company developed this splice for use on telegraph wires in the 19th century.

 

I also want to point out that Jason certainly could, and to me should, have used the wire strippers to cut the wire. In a production environment it is essential to minimize swapping tools for increased productivity. The manufacturers of that type of strippers make the area between the notches and the handles a good wire cutter. So you can cut and strip without the time loss of changing tools. Many other styles of strippers also include built-in cutters for productivity improvement. This was one of the first lessons I got on the job when I started in electronics manufacturing 40 years ago.