How to Splice Shielded Wire

Shielded electric wire utilizes a built-in electromagnetic shield to limit the amount of electromagnetic interference between the cable and any nearby electrical, radio, or magnetic fields. Television cable, for instance, is shielded so that it doesn't transmit noise to your cable box from the other electrical fields in the house. When splicing together shielded wires, it is important that the wire remains shielded along its entire length, and there are tools and methods that can ensure the integrity of the shield.

Things You'll Need

• Wire stripper
• Electrical tape
• Wire mesh tape

Instructions

1. Strip the two ends of the wires you want to splice together. This will involve stripping the outer insulation, then the shield layer, then the inner insulation from the bare wires.

2. Twist the two wire ends together firmly. Try to get the spliced wires to go together as straight as possible.

3. Apply electrical tape or shrink tape to the bare wires, making sure to overlap with the original insulation to cover any bare wire completely.

4. Apply wire mesh tape to the spliced area. It should overlap with the outermost layer of insulation on either side of the gap.

5. Wrap the entire length of the wire mesh tape in electrical tape, so that it is well overlapped on either side.

References

• Spectrum Instruments: Splicing Shielded, Twisted Pair wire
• MMX Press: 12 Volt Electrical connections