E
E Z Peaces
Before 1975 I preferred to splice with solder. Then I came to love wire
nuts: easier to use, less to go wrong, reliable, usable where I couldn't
get both hands, and undoable without tools.
About 1982 I discovered the B-cap. Apparently the only advantage was
that the spring would expand more than some designs. It meant one size
would work for most connections I needed, it seemed to grip more
securely, and it was easier to get it to encompass all the ends of my
conductors.
As I clipped some shrubs, I snipped the cord of my expensive headphones.
Those silky copper strands looked impossible to splice. I used
masking tape to splice each of the three conductors, then screwed a
B-cap over the whole thing. It has been trouble-free for years. I'd
call the B-cap a versatile wire nut.
I think they came in B1, B2, and B4. They were on Ideal's website a
month ago. Now I don't see them. Has the B-cap been made obsolete?
A neighbor prefers Scotchloks and crimped butt splices for his big rig.
Most of his electrical problems seem to come from old Scotchlok
connections, and they can be tricky to use even with two hands.
Over the years, I've often had wires pull loose after I crimped a butt
splice. On my neighbor's truck, mechanically strong butt splices may
feel warm in use.
Are Scotchlocks or butt splices or other methods somehow superior to a
good wire nut properly applied?
nuts: easier to use, less to go wrong, reliable, usable where I couldn't
get both hands, and undoable without tools.
About 1982 I discovered the B-cap. Apparently the only advantage was
that the spring would expand more than some designs. It meant one size
would work for most connections I needed, it seemed to grip more
securely, and it was easier to get it to encompass all the ends of my
conductors.
As I clipped some shrubs, I snipped the cord of my expensive headphones.
Those silky copper strands looked impossible to splice. I used
masking tape to splice each of the three conductors, then screwed a
B-cap over the whole thing. It has been trouble-free for years. I'd
call the B-cap a versatile wire nut.
I think they came in B1, B2, and B4. They were on Ideal's website a
month ago. Now I don't see them. Has the B-cap been made obsolete?
A neighbor prefers Scotchloks and crimped butt splices for his big rig.
Most of his electrical problems seem to come from old Scotchlok
connections, and they can be tricky to use even with two hands.
Over the years, I've often had wires pull loose after I crimped a butt
splice. On my neighbor's truck, mechanically strong butt splices may
feel warm in use.
Are Scotchlocks or butt splices or other methods somehow superior to a
good wire nut properly applied?