Back in April 2022 we posted a Blog about Five (5) Nicknames of Aircraft Wiring Harness Parts. It was a popular Blog, and I received many phone calls talking about the various nicknames we mentioned. I even heard a different nickname for one of the parts we discussed in the first Blog (see number 2 on this list). Because of that, I thought it would be educational to have another Blog about five (5) more nicknames associated with wiring harnesses that we use here at InterConnect Wiring.
1. Dog Bone
We start our list with an item that we talked about in our most recent VLOG, Dog Bones! Like our training manager mentioned in that VLOG a Dog Bone (aka a Filler Plug) is used to fill unused cavities in a connector on a wiring harness or cockpit panel. These filler plugs ensure that no Foreign Object Debris (FOD) of any kind can enter the connector. They are called Dog Bones because the small protrusion on the end is similar to a dog bone!
2. Pigtails
This nickname is one that I received a phone call about! Thank you kind caller! By the way, if you want to call me InterConnect’s phone number is (817) 377-WIRE[9473]. Pigtails aka M83519/2 are solder sleeves that each have a 6 inch wire coming out of the bottom of them. In our previous Blog about Nicknames we called them by their other nickname, Bottle Rockets. The Pigtail nickname is appropriate because during assembly of the wiring harness the wire coming off the solder sleeve looks like a pigtail.
3. Bees Wax
Speaking of solder, did you know that before soldering a terminal onto the end of a wiring harness’ wire, or soldering a wire onto a relay panel’s relay, you must use flux? When soldering, you should always apply flux before adding solder to the joint being terminated. Flux helps to clean the surfaces of the metals being joined, and it also helps to prevent the formation of oxides on the surface of the soldering iron tip. Our next nickname is Bees Wax, which is flux. While some might say that “information about solder is none of your bees wax,” we beg to differ. That is why we have a VLOG on our website where Steve Floyd teaches you all about Soldering A Wire To A Switch In An Aircraft Panel. The nickname bees wax comes from the way flux looks, both in color and in texture. It looks like bees wax.
4. Spider Harness
Time for another insect themed nickname! This time it is a Spider Harness which goes great with the Halloween Season! The Spider Harness’s official part number is H16DW2714-XXX, which is a wiring harness on an F-16 fighter jet. This harness received its nickname due to all the breakouts it has, which makes it look like a spider. In fact, this harness, and others like it on the F-16 are called branched wiring harnesses, which has a name that further backs up the spider-like sentiment. Branch harnesses makes me think of tree branches coming off in every direction. Be sure to go to our website and find a picture of a spider harness, or better yet, come for a tour!
5. Bologna
You might say that it is a bunch of Bologna that we didn’t keep the animal theme throughout this blog, but this nickname was just too good to pass up. The last nickname is for a tool we use called Bologna. The tool is a natural gum rubber gasket which we use to help remove insulation from wires. The Bologna is a great tool because it allows a great grip on the wire. Speaking of removing insulation from wire, we also have a VLOG about Removing the Insulation From An F-16 Wiring Harness on our website as well. However, in that video Steve uses a mechanical strip tool. We use the Bologna to get a good grip on a wire’s insulation to expose more of the wire’s conductor. Bologna is a “must have” for any assembler’s toolbox and might even be in their lunchbox as well.
And there we have it! 5 More Nicknames of tools, parts, or even a wiring harness itself. I would really like to hear any new or different nicknames that you may use as well. Feel free to contact us. Who knows, maybe the one you mention will make it into another future blog about nicknames!
