My personal specs' for prefered stuff O' terminations / splices (S.E.T. specs [Linked Image]...):

Ideal Yellow (451) and Red (452) for nearly 90% of makeup.
Ideal Orange guys for Ballast kits + similar Fluorescent fixture stuff.
Also, the smaller Blue guys work great for Ballast change-outs, Back-Up Ballast kit installs, and other such redundant class work in Fluorescent fixtures.

The Ideal Tan wirenuts are really cool too!

And, of course, there are always a few situations when the need to pull out the "Big Blues" or "Big Grays" occurs.
Once again, Ideal brand has been very loyal to me for + 20 years.

Definitely a Pre-Twist person! With practice, twisting various combinations of conductor types (stranded + solid) can achieve good results (AKA - bored at home??? pull out some scrap wire, strippers and wirenuts - no longer bored!).

No tape on splices with wirenuts.
Also position the wirenut upwards, to keep things from settling inside the splice (dust, water, dog pee, etc.), like a few members mentioned.

When capping off a lead, I'll strip back Insulation to expose about 1/8" conductor, then land a wirenut.

Don't use a twisting tool - except fingers / wrist tool [Linked Image]
(standard issue to all people ... AKA hand twist / Carpal Tunnel Syndrome aggravator).

When doing "Re-Splices" (undoing an existing splice, then reconnecting), the original exposed conductor gets trimmed down to the insulation on all conductors affected. Then they get re-stripped, pre-twisted, and finished off with a new wirenut.
The original wirenut goes in one of three places:
<OL TYPE=A>

[*] Flying away from the jobsite, preferably into a nearby busy street where it's reuse ability is squashed - due to cars smashing it,

[*] Into the jobsite dumpster,

[*] Down a wall which has both sides drywalled - via a Comm outlet P ring or a K.O. punched in the top plate / track.
</OL>
If none of these are available, then default to option Xf1.1: start a small fire, then add wirenut to fire [Linked Image]
(joking on the Pyro - Kee option).

p.s. "Pyro - Kee" is a PYROmaniac sparKEE.

Last item - opt to tape sides of devices - such as recepts and switches.

Let's see, did anything get left out??? Guess not.

Scott35 S.E.T.

p.s. edited tare-i-bull spell-leeng.

[This message has been edited by Scott35 (edited 02-04-2003).]

Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!