# Old splices



## zwodubber

Have a thread in resi but thought these deserved a spot here


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## 480sparky

I call foul! I thought this was going to be about the aftershave you got for Christmas!


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## joethemechanic

K & T guys first experience with that newfangled cable stuff?


I mean really, it kinda looks like he was trying not to be a hack


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## zwodubber

480sparky said:


> I call foul! I thought this was going to be about the aftershave you got for Christmas!


My bad, luckily I always keep some in the van :thumbup:


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## Briancraig81

I'd like to have a few of those porcelain connectors/adapters/ whatever they are. Never seen them before.


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## BuzzKill

Briancraig81 said:


> I'd like to have a few of those porcelain connectors/adapters/ whatever they are. Never seen them before.


No sh*t, that looks way cool. Don't work on a whole lot of k&t.


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## oldtimer

Briancraig81 said:


> I'd like to have a few of those porcelain connectors/adapters/ whatever they are. Never seen them before.


 I believe they were nicknamed, Monkey Faces!


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## joethemechanic

Was any of that soldered?


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## zwodubber

joethemechanic said:


> Was any of that soldered?


Didn't open up the main splices but all the JB's were just tape.


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## zwodubber

Briancraig81 said:


> I'd like to have a few of those porcelain connectors/adapters/ whatever they are. Never seen them before.


If I get the go ahead to rewire I'll mail you a few.


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## BuzzKill

zwodubber said:


> If I get the go ahead to rewire I'll mail you a few.


Me too! And one extra for RudeBoy, I'd know he'd like one too, if he doesn't have one already.


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## zwodubber

BuzzKill said:


> Me too! And one extra for RudeBoy, I'd know he'd like one too, if he doesn't have one already.


No prob, I'll get one out to the 3 of you guys :thumbsup:


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## Hippie

I've got a few of the porcelain ends that I pulled out of a house, mine are made for BX though they used them to transition to the k&t. That's a crazy looking splice what was going on there?


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## dmxtothemax

Might not be considered best practice today,
But a long time ago it was considered normal,
And the fact that it has worked for so long,
and is still in good condition,
tells me it was done pretty well.
They obviously spent some time tapping it up !

Intersting picture !

Old timers wouldnt even blink,
But the modern breed of electricain
would be horrified to see it .


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## nolabama

are those porcelains lamp/fuse holders ? if so cool work


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## zwodubber

dmxtothemax said:


> Might not be considered best practice today,
> But a long time ago it was considered normal,
> And the fact that it has worked for so long,
> and is still in good condition,
> tells me it was done pretty well.
> They obviously spent some time tapping it up !
> 
> Intersting picture !
> 
> Old timers wouldnt even blink,
> But the modern breed of electricain
> would be horrified to see it .


Everything does still work and obviously when the house was wired there were much less electronic devices being used. This was really a matter of too much load on the breaker due to the entire floor being on one circuit otherwise I never would have got the call 

Now it's just a matter of adding circuits with current romex, hell in 60 years people will wonder what the hell we were thinking :laughing:

And only being 32 I have not seen a lot of older wiring techniques, It's all very interesting to me and like the new challenges.


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## zwodubber

nolabama said:


> are those porcelains lamp/fuse holders ? if so cool work


yep, all porcelain


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## HARRY304E

zwodubber said:


> My bad, luckily I always keep some in the van :thumbup:


good stuff..:thumbup:


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## zwodubber

HARRY304E said:


> good stuff..:thumbup:


Felt bad for misleading 480Sparky :laughing:


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## MDShunk

Those transition fittings were completely legal back in the day. They're actually still made, but listed as service entrance fittings. "Monkey face connector" and "End-O fitting" were two slang names people know them by.


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## HARRY304E

zwodubber said:


> Felt bad for misleading 480Sparky :laughing:


:laughing:

That will be fun puling apart that splice..:thumbup:


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## zwodubber

MDShunk said:


> Those transition fittings were completely legal back in the day. They're actually still made, but listed as service entrance fittings. "Monkey face connector" and "End-O fitting" were two slang names people know them by.


Any ideas how old this work is?


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## MDShunk

zwodubber said:


> Any ideas how old this work is?


Early to mid-40's is my best guess.

That rat's nest you found is pretty typical. I'd venture to guess that most old houses have a similar one under the attic floorboards somewhere, unless they're bone original or have been rewired in modern times. When houses were originally wired in the Northeast (at least central PA), they featured 3 circuits. The "upstairs". The "downstairs", and the "kitchen". A small house would have 2 circuits. The "kitchen", and "everything else".


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## zwodubber

MDShunk said:


> Early to mid-40's is my best guess.


Thanks, like I said I have not seen a lot of the older stuff


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## MDShunk

zwodubber said:


> Thanks, like I said I have not seen a lot of the older stuff


I've said it before, but I think it bears repeating... I'd take a K&T install any day over the old cloth insulated NM cable, as far as safety goes. In my stupid opinion, that cloth insulated NM is far more hazardous than K&T ever was or ever will be.


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## HARRY304E

MDShunk said:


> I've said it before, but I think it bears repeating... I'd take a K&T install any day over the old cloth insulated NM cable, as far as safety goes. In my stupid opinion, that cloth insulated NM is far more hazardous than K&T ever was or ever will be.


Same with the old old BX before the 1950's


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## MDShunk

HARRY304E said:


> Same with the old old BX before the 1950's


Damn little of that installed around my area. Mostly old garages, outbuildings, and barns. But, I agree with you.


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## HARRY304E

MDShunk said:


> Damn little of that installed around my area. Mostly old garages, outbuildings, and barns. But, I agree with you.



I have a lot of that stuff glowing like a toaster because the BX connector is not tight at all.
and the open air splices with no box rapped together with friction tape.

some of the insurance company's want the K&T ripped out but the BX is okay with them..:blink:


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## Big John

MDShunk said:


> ...I'd take a K&T install any day over the old cloth insulated NM cable, as far as safety goes. In my stupid opinion, that cloth insulated NM is far more hazardous than K&T ever was or ever will be.


 It's a bit melodramatic, but I've heard that cloth NM called "fire wire." It's just nasty stuff.

-John


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## zwodubber

Getting supplies ready, gotta hand it to the guy he really twisted those wires.


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## zwodubber

MDShunk said:


> When houses were originally wired in the Northeast (at least central PA), they featured 3 circuits. The "upstairs". The "downstairs", and the "kitchen". A small house would have 2 circuits. The "kitchen", and "everything else".


This is the "upstairs" and part of "downstairs"


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## BuzzKill

tiny little heaters!


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## oldtimer

BuzzKill said:


> tiny little heaters!



Usually, those joints were soldered, then taped with friction tape.


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## zwodubber

oldtimer said:


> Usually, those joints were soldered, then taped with friction tape.


I was expecting solder but was kind of thankful there wasn't any. And the tape was a  to get off


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## BryanMD

MDShunk said:


> *I've said it before, *but I think it bears repeating...
> ...that *cloth insulated NM is far more hazardous *than K&T ever was or ever will be.


I guess I missed it then... but what makes that NM so dangerous?
Thanks.


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## MechanicalDVR

BryanMD said:


> I guess I missed it then... but what makes that NM so dangerous?
> Thanks.


 
The proximity of the conductors and the ease of shorting with dried out insulation.


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## captkirk

I run into that a lot around here.. Lots of old homes going back to turn of century.


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## joethemechanic

BryanMD said:


> I guess I missed it then... but what makes that NM so dangerous?
> Thanks.



Yeah what MechanicalDVR said. It gets dried and brittle. Pretty much the same insulating material as K & T, but without large conductor spacing for a safety factor


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## Briancraig81

zwodubber said:


> If I get the go ahead to rewire I'll mail you a few.


Awesome! That's very nice of you to offer. I'll pay the S&H. If you do get the job, PM me and I'll send you a MO for the shipping. I'm only online for an hour or so a few days a week but I will get back to you.


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## chicken steve

here's the kind that does BX to K&T......~CS~


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## chicken steve

in my experience, the ungrounded BX was a bigger hazard than the K&T.....~CS~


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## zwodubber

Got pulled for a commercial job yesterday but was back today prepping a route for the new romex. 

Got to play with the camera for the first time, pretty cool tool. Found some low voltage stuff in the walls, the pic is blurry.


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## zwodubber

Briancraig81 said:


> Awesome! That's very nice of you to offer. I'll pay the S&H. If you do get the job, PM me and I'll send you a MO for the shipping. I'm only online for an hour or so a few days a week but I will get back to you.


Doing the rewire so once I have them cut out I will PM you, Buzzkill, and rudeboy :thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150

zwodubber said:


> Doing the rewire so once I have them cut out I will PM you, Buzzkill, and rudeboy :thumbsup:


Got another that you are willing to part with?? If so, send 2 to Rudeboy :thumbsup:


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## zwodubber

TOOL_5150 said:


> Got another that you are willing to part with?? If so, send 2 to Rudeboy :thumbsup:


I should have 9 altogether.


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## dmxtothemax

OK ! 
Start the bidding folks !
How much beer are you willing to part with ?


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## zwodubber

should have these cut out monday, will send out PM's when I'm done


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## reddog552

*Trade*

Ill trade one of these Crouse&Hines Condulets. Im starting a collection of old K&T era parts.PM Me if interested


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## zwodubber

Project is taking longer due to the customer only being home limited periods of time. I only get 1 or 2 days a week there but have plenty in between. Getting holes drilled for the new romex in a closet. All the plaster on this wall was cracked and falling off so I got to make a nice big hole.


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## zwodubber

Finally getting back to this project, the customer is only allowing certain times to work... Been busy as hell anyway so it's ok. Don't worry guys you will get your packages as soon as possible :thumbsup:

New romex is not live at the panel, I just wire nutted them and did a continuity test so I was sure I new which wires they were.


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## kaboler

zwodubber said:


> My bad, luckily I always keep some in the van :thumbup:


 That's art!


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## zwodubber

Finally got around to this job, PM's are being sent now to those who were interested in having one.


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## Meadow

zwodubber said:


> Finally got around to this job, PM's are being sent now to those who were interested in having one.



Me want one pm


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## mamills1

It's amazing how good a condition these items are in. Nice additions to a collection. PLEASE be sure to include photos of your finish work, too.

Mike


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## Dhfisher

Some of those old boys knew their stuff, I have a old elect. Trade book that shows all the different splices and the names of the splices, friction tape was it for that era, Dad would to get on our cases because we would help ourselves to the friction tape to repair our cracked baseball bats, it made for nice stickey grips, also the wire was much harder than today's copper, The rubber and fiber insulation was a "booger" to strip. A trip down memory lane.


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