On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:56:27 -0400, "RBM" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:34:06 -0400, "RBM" wrote:



When I started in the early 70's we still had a few electric soldering
irons
in the shop. I don't think they used them since the 50's. The splices were
wrapped in rubber tape, then covered with friction tape. Unless they made
a
"cold" joint accidentally, those splices lasted forever, or at least until
the next guy came along to add to it

That practice went out with knob and tube wiring. A "western union" or
"lineman's " splice was used. This was all well before a unified code
was in existance, IIRC.
Maximum load in those days was about 50 amps for the whole house -
with a "ring topology" meaning the load was shared over both ends of
the circuit - totally different system in North America today - with
single loads often exceding the total house load of years gone by.

These are typical twisted wire splices, made in junction boxes, not western
union, the same type you'd put a wire nut on today


Not common practice, and not normally used in the old knob and tube
wiring.. At least not up here.