How to Twist Stranded Wire

You can twist stranded wire conductors with a cordless drill.

Twisted multiple-stranded wires are used in everything from constructing low-voltage wire harness bundles to jewelry making. Consolidating the individual wires into one compact rope makes using and installing the wires that much easier. Twisting the wires also precludes the need to assemble the conductors using wire ties or other external accessories. All you need for this task are a sturdy set of needle-nose pliers and a cordless drill.

Things You'll Need

• Cordless drill
• Needle-nose pliers
• Stranded wire
• Wire snips
• Assistant (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the individual strands to length. Snip the ends of the wire to ensure they are the same length.

2. Grab the chuck on the drill. Flip the switch to put the drill in reverse, and slowly press the trigger to open the chuck mouth.

3. Insert the individual wire ends into the chuck mouth. Slightly twisting the ends together prior to insertion will make this easier.

4. Flip the direction switch on the drill and slightly depress the trigger to close the chuck mouth.

5. Place the other conductors together into the needle-nose pliers. Hold the wires at arm's length, or have an assistant hold the pliers if the wire bundle is long enough.

6. Depress the trigger on the drill. The wires will twist themselves together. Do not over-twist the wires, or you could break the conductors.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a vise to hold the other end of the wire bundle in lieu of needle-nose pliers.

References

• Evil Mad Scientist: Twisting Wire Bundles
• JagWear: How to Make Your Own Wire Twister