If I'm dealing with solid wire I just make a loop at the end of the (pre-stripped) wire....I usually use one of those screwdrivers with the little looping posts in the handle.

If it's stranded zip cord around the terminal screw of a lamp-holder or a plug, I strip a little bit more than necessary so I can grab the tip with my fingers and wrap around the terminal screw. After the screw is tightened I use the tiny side-cutters for trimming the excess.

Maybe I should start doing the same with solid wire...it seems easier.

I pretwist solids and solid/stranded even if it's two wires.

Stranded, I let the wirenut take care of it. Never had a tight-fitting nut come off -always give them a little tug after they're tightened...just to make sure.

Outlets are ground down - because a lot of the heavy duty cords I use have right-angle plugs that point ground down and the cord exits down also.

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 03-21-2003).]