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Last night while running trains.All of a sudden the train stopped running.I checked every thing out.I decided to put another locomotive on the tracks.Still nothing no light sounds just nothing.Well that meant ether the locomotives were both  broken.Which I did not believe for a minute.That meant my mth Z4000 had broken or something was wrong with it.I checked it out gave it the once over.All the lights and every thing seemed to work.And yet nothing was working.And that that is when I noticed it.One of the wires that goes from the transformer to the track had came apart.It seems the electrical tape holding the wires together gave out.Any way I reconnected the wires.Now every thing is back to normal.My friends when stuff like this happens.Try to stay cool its a change that the trouble could be a simple fix.Raised my blood pressure up a few notch or 2.I look back at this a laugh a little at my self.  

Last edited by OGR CEO-PUBLISHER
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wild mary posted:

WOW Seaboard, my guess is that you won't be doing that again. Electrical tape has one purpose - TO INSULATE.  If you must splice two wire together and you don't feel comfortable soldering, use this splice then you can insulate it with electrical tape such as Scotch 33.

splice

 

Now the diagrams you have here.Is how I had the wires together.I then had tape around them.

NYC Z-MAN posted:

The title of this post should be “Don’t use electrical tape to hold wires together like I do”

I’m sure a lot of us have opened shells to see 2 or 3 PCB’s sandwiched and taped together.  Remove the tape and all the residue from the adhesive left on the board.  I don’t know if it is electrically conductive.  If yes, I could see possibility of carrying voltage across the solder traces.  If not conductive, great.  But the point is that the holding ability of the tape adhesive degrades over time and has the consistency of sticky glue or maple syrup.  I use wire ties if I can.  Solder or wire nut connections.  Tape is the last thing I use.

seaboardm2 posted:
wild mary posted:

WOW Seaboard, my guess is that you won't be doing that again. Electrical tape has one purpose - TO INSULATE.  If you must splice two wire together and you don't feel comfortable soldering, use this splice then you can insulate it with electrical tape such as Scotch 33.

splice

 

Now the diagrams you have here.Is how I had the wires together.I then had tape around them.

When you got a splice like this put shrink-wrap around it and apply heat to it. (A hair dryer will do for a heat gun...). Much, much better than tape!

Lately I have become a fan of heat shrink tubing for insulating wires vs electrical tape as I have found over time electrical tape looses its sticky ness and fails to hold. I still solder wires together, but before I solder the wires together I slip on a section of heat shrink tubing to one of the ends of wire, twist them together, solder the twisted joint and then slip the tubing over the joint and finally apply heat gently and evenly over the tubing to make a nice secure neat connection.

Great suggestions from all the folks here. I have used almost all of these methods at one time or another. I have even twisted wires together and taped them. I have also used the telecom splice that Wild Mary posted. For a more permanent setup and even most temporary ones, I have an assortment of wire nuts and telco crush connectors. I save solder for certain track connections and for creating electronic controls like relays.

George

Tom Tee posted:

Duct tape is for HVAC ducts.

I thought similar to electrical tape I had heard that "duct" tape is really mislabeled in terms of appropriate use.

Aren't we supposed to use metal foil tape for ducts, as opposed to "duct" tape?

Or is that urban legend?  The ducts in my basement all used foil tape (by the builders - around 12 years ago).

-Dave

Rich Melvin posted:

Electrical tape is not designed to hold wires together! They should be soldered, screwed to a terminal strip or fastened some other way - ANY other way other than electrical tape!

Really any kind of mechanical connection will do. Twisting, nutting, soldering are all good. I happen to like crimp on butt splices and other crimp connectors.

The only thing electrical tape is good for is insulation of bare wires. I also use ten colors of electrical tape for marking, according to the resistor color code, color symbol for number.

Dave45681 posted:
Tom Tee posted:

Duct tape is for HVAC ducts.

I thought similar to electrical tape I had heard that "duct" tape is really mislabeled in terms of appropriate use.

Aren't we supposed to use metal foil tape for ducts, as opposed to "duct" tape?

Or is that urban legend?  The ducts in my basement all used foil tape (by the builders - around 12 years ago).

-Dave

I don't believe their was foil tape back in the day. So they used duct tape. Foil tape is better to use now that you have that choice. There are even better products out now too. The old duct tape would fall apart early if in a hot zone like an attic.

OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

I have used wire nuts on the entire layout....been working for a decade now.  I can make quick changes if needed, add feeds, etc.  Works like a charm!

I prefer wire nuts if the joint needs to be serviceable. I have seen wire nut joints fail. I use pliers to twist the solid copper wires together first, then add the wire nut just to hold that joint.

I don't like crimp where if not done just right, the wires can arc or not carry higher amp loads. When I use crimp on stranded wires, I usually solder them once every things completed. I've had wires slip out of crimp joints too many times. Probably better tools out there to do that job. I just don't have them.

I can't apply the right amount of pressure to squeeze them fully closed I guess?

 I also don't use the stab in ports on fixtures where possible. I prefer using wire nuts and sending a single wire to the outlet or switch's screw terminal.

Last edited by Engineer-Joe
Engineer-Joe posted:
OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

I have used wire nuts on the entire layout....been working for a decade now.  I can make quick changes if needed, add feeds, etc.  Works like a charm!

I prefer wire nuts if the joint needs to be serviceable. I have seen wire nut joints fail. I use pliers to twist the solid copper wires together first, then add the wire nut just to hold that joint.

I don't like crimp where if not done just right, the wires can arc or not carry higher amp loads. When I use crimp on stranded wires, I usually solder them once every things completed. I've had wires slip out of crimp joints too many times. Probably better tools out there to do that job. I just don't have them.

I can't apply the right amount of pressure to squeeze them fully closed I guess?

 I also don't use the stab in ports on fixtures where possible. I prefer using wire nuts and sending a single wire to the outlet or switch's screw terminal.

Joe...if one uses a slightly smaller sized wire nut than recommended for a particular size wire, and then twist very tightly, there should never be a problem.  Keep in mind, I am talking about for inside layouts.  An outside situation with the wild swings in temperature is a different situation....even so....we have a very extensive outdoor landscape lighting system and all of the connections are mechanical....been in for 15 years now and no problems....(fingers crossed)

Greywoulf posted:
seaboardm2 posted:
wild mary posted:

WOW Seaboard, my guess is that you won't be doing that again. Electrical tape has one purpose - TO INSULATE.  If you must splice two wire together and you don't feel comfortable soldering, use this splice then you can insulate it with electrical tape such as Scotch 33.

splice

 

Now the diagrams you have here.Is how I had the wires together.I then had tape around them.

When you got a splice like this put shrink-wrap around it and apply heat to it. (A hair dryer will do for a heat gun...). Much, much better than tape!

I might give that a shot.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I really recommend you invest in a quality soldering iron and learn to use it.  You'll save yourself countless hours of annoyance.

I use the Hakko FX-888D

Well I have to think about it.I am kind of not sure about soldering.See I have tried that once and it did not turn out well.I do not know maybe I did not get the right soldering iron.

I use wire nuts a lot, but not always.  It all depends upon type of connection.  My soldering connections all get heat shrink, and some mechanical twist connections also.  With wire nuts, a practice from being in heavy construction, after the wire nut is secure, I wrap with Scotch electrical tape.  This ensures even with a tug or pull on the line in question, the wire nut and connection stays secure.

Jesse   TCA

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