An apprentice in Tacoma showed me a trick with wire nuts I'd never seen

I was working a commercial job over in Tacoma last spring, and this kid fresh out of trade school was helping me on a panel swap. He was putting wire nuts on and using this little twist with his fingers to seat them tighter, not just spinning them on. I'd been doing this 12 years and never thought to do it that way. Has anyone else picked up a simple habit from a green apprentice that just stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_davis10d ago

Idk, doesn't that weaken the wire for no real reason though?

max_schmidt7711d ago

Picked up a trick from a kid maybe 20 years old on how to strip wire without nicking the copper. He just sort of bent it back and forth a bit before pulling the insulation off. Felt dumb for not figuring that out myself after all those years.

lisas7810d ago

I get what you're saying, but bending the wire back and forth can actually weaken the copper over time. If you do it a lot on the same spot, the wire might snap inside the insulation later when you're trying to make a connection. A good pair of strippers set to the right depth is still the safest way to avoid nicking.