TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

College of Industrial Technology

Electrical Engineering Technology Department

ET 2L LABORATORY

Laboratory Activity No.5– Splices and Joints

Week 5 (Laboratory)

Student ID
Section
No.
Student’s Date of
Name Submission

Date
Submitted:

ASSESSMENT: NOTE:

Max. Marks For minor plagiarism:

Assessment
Marks Awarded
Timeliness 10 Both student who copied and student
Presentation of who allowed another student to copy
20 his/her work will be given Zero Mark.
Output
Contents 30
For late submission:
Accuracy/Simulation 40
A deduction of 10 Marks / Day out of
Total 100 100 marks for late submission of
module activities will apply.
Lecturer
Signature:

OBJECTIVES:

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 At the end of the laboratory activity, the students should be able to:
1. Identify the different splices and joints and their uses.
2. Perform the ten splices and joint that is electrically and mechanically
secured.
3. Develop the proper use of hand tools in doing the splices and joints.

II. TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Splices and joints are necessary if you will be required to add a length of wire in order to
prolong or join wires together as needed in a particular wiring system.
The first step in any splicing operation is to remove the insulation from the wire with a knife
the same way you sharpen a pencil. Care should be considered so that the wires are not
nicked the knife blade that might cause breakage of wires later. In order to ensure good
electrical contact between the wires in the splice you may scrape the bare wires with the back
of the knife blade and clean bright before splicing them together. A splice or a joint consists of
several twists and/or turns of wires. However, a good splice is not just made. Improperly
spliced or loose wires cause a fire hazard.
Due to inherent dangerous potentials electric current present in any complete wiring system, it
is always necessary to insulate all joints and splices. Thus, a rubber tape should be wrapped
next to it, which would equal in thickness to the original insulation thickness of the wire.
Insulating the wire joints and splices eliminates the dangers arising from short and ground
circuit whenever these wires come in contact with outlet boxes plumbing and other conductive
materials and devices. In the case of slow burning or weatherproof wires, it is sufficient if the
friction tape equal to the original thickness of the insulation is wrapped around the splices and
joints.
Insulating the wire joints and splices eliminates the dangers arising from shorts and grounds
whenever these wires come in contact with outlet boxes plumbing and other conducting
materials or devices.

TECHNICAL TERMS:

1. TAP - is a connection or an intermediate at where an electrical connection may be made. It is a

tapping connection of the end of the conductors to an electric coil making it possible to place only
part of the coil in circuit.

1. SPLICES – are connections of the conductors for the purpose of extending them, moreover,
these are also joining of two cords or two ropes or two parts of the same cord or rope made by
interweaving and intertwining the strands in such a way that the circumference of the joint is no
greater or not much greater than the circumference of the cord.
2. JOINTS – are connections of three or more conductors for a connecting purpose. It is also a
union of two or more smooth or even surface admitting of a close fitting or junction whether
movable or immovable.

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III. MATERIALS NEEDED:

Qty Unit Description Unit Cost Total Cost

5 m Wire, TW # 14 , solid

1 m Flat cord, # 18/2

Total Amount

IV. TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

1. Electrician’s knife
2. Steel tape/ ruler
3. Long nose pliers
4. Diagonal pliers
4. Side cutting pliers
5. Standard screwdriver

V. PROCEDURE:

1. Rattail joint is used on parts of the wiring where there is no pulling stress. It is usually
used inside utility boxes where wires are not subjected to tension.

1.1 Prepare two pieces of 8-cm. Wires.

1.2 Remove 5 cm. Insulation from each wire.
1.3 Cross wires at an angle of 60 º
1.4 Twist both wires together making at least five turns.
1.5 Bend 0.5 cm. From end of twisted wires.

(3)
(1) (2)

Figure 1 Figure 1: Rattail or Pigtail joint – A rattail joint

2. Plain taps or tee joint is used when joining a branch wire to a main wire so as to extend
the circuit.

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 2.1 Prepare a 13-cm. Branch wire (A) and an 8-cm. Main wire (B).
2.2 Remove insulation 10-cm. from branch wire and 2-cm. from main wire at a point
where the joint is to be made.
2.3 Cross two wires at an angle of 90º then wrap the branch wire around the main wire,
making at least five full turns.
2.4 Tighten end of branch wire.

(1) (2)

Figure 2 – A plain tap or tee joint

3. Terminating fixture joint is used when a fixture wire, usually #18, is to be connected to
a terminating branch wire.

3.1 Prepare 8-cm. branch wire (A) and 15-cm.-fixture wire.

3.2 Remove insulation 5 cm. from branch wire and 12 cm. from fixture wire.
3.3 Cross wires at 60º angles.
3.4 Wrap fixture wire simultaneously around heavy wire.
3.5 Bend 0.1 cm. from end of heavy wire enclosing a part of fixture wire.

(1) (2) (3)

Figure 3 – A terminating fixture joint

4. Western union short splice is used in interior wiring for joining two lengths of wire
extending from outlet to outlet.

4.1 Prepare two pieces of 8-cm. wires.

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 4.2 Remove 5-cm. insulation from each wire.
4.3 Cross two wires at an angle of 60º
4.4 Make 3 short neck turns.
4.5 Make at least five full turns.
4.6 Tighten wire ends.

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

Figure 4 – A western union short splice

5. Western union long splice is used when joining two lengths of wire to extend the
conductor from outlet to outlet in exterior wiring.

5.1 Prepare two pieces of 10-cm. wires.

5.2 Remove 7-cm. insulation from both wires.
5.3 Cross-uninsulated part of wires at 60º angles.
5.4 Make five long neck turns.
5.5 Make at least four full turns.
5.6 Tighten wire ends.

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

Figure 5 – A western union long splice

6. Through-end fixture joint is used when joining a fixture wire to a branch wire where
the sizes of which are not the same.

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 5.1 Prepare 8-cm.-branch wire (B) and a 10-cm.-fixture wire (A).
5.2 Remove insulation 5 cm. from branch wire and 7 cm. from fixture wire.
5.3 Cross and then twist wires together making four full turns.
5.4 Wrap remaining uninsulated part of both wires around uninsulated portion of the
branch wire making at least five turns.
5.5 Tighten ends of wires.

(BLANK)

Figure 6 – A through-end fixture joint

7. Ordinary cross joint is used when it is necessary to splice two branch wires, which
extend to main conductor.

7.1 Prepare three pieces of 8-cm. wires.

7.2 Remove insulation 5 cm. from branch wires (A & B) and 3 cm. from main wire (C) at
a point where the splice is to be made.
7.3 Position branch wires at 90º angles to main wire placing the two in opposite
direction.
7.4 Wrap branch wires to main wire one at a time making at least five full turns for each
wire.
7.5 Tighten wire ends.

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

Figure 7 – An ordinary cross joint

8. Double-wrapped cross joint is used just as the ordinary cross joint with an advantage
of being stronger.

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 8.1 Prepare three pieces of 8-cm. wires.
8.2 Remove insulation 5 cm. from branch wires (A & B) and 3 cm. from main wire © at
a point where the splice will be made.
8.3 Parallel branch wires to main wire and then wrap branch wires to main wire
simultaneously.
8.4 Tighten wire ends.
8.5 Separate insulated ends of branch wires in opposite direction.

(1) (2) (3)

Figure 8 – A double-wrapped cross-joint

9. Octopus Joint- it is used when joining ends of three wires inside utility and / or junction
boxes.

9.1 Prepare two pieces of 6 cm. wires and one piece of a 12-cm. wire (A).
9.2 Remove insulation 3 cm. from 6 cm. wires and 9 cm. from 12-cm. wires.
9.3 Parallel all wires to one another.
9.4 Wrap uninsulated part of the longer wire around two other wires.
9.5 Tighten end of longer wire and bend ends of shorter wires to form a hoe.

(1) (2) (3)

Figure 9 – An octopus joint

10. Underwriter’s knot is used to take up the stress between the lamp and the socket or
the tension on the separable plug.

10.1 Prepare an 8-cm. duplex wire.

10.2 Measure 5 cm. from end of wire and separate.
10.3 Twist separated wires.
10.4 One wire is looped around the other wire.

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 10.5 Second wire is passed around the first wire through loop to form a knot.
10.6 Pull end of wire to tighten knot.
10.7 Remove insulation of both ends of wires enough for the screw.
10.8 Connect the wires to terminals of a male plug passing behind the prongs.

2
1

3
4

Figure 10 – An underwriter’s knot

VI. Conclusion

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