Wiring pencil

Two wiring pencils

Electronics board made with a wiring pencil

A wiring pencil (often sold under the trade names of road runner^[1] and verowire) is a tool for making electrical connections.

A small reel of copper wire coated with a special insulating varnish^[2] is mounted on the end of the tool. The wire runs down a thin tube in the center of the wiring pencil and the wiring pencil can be used to quickly and tightly wrap it onto connections and take it across the circuit board. Then the connections are soldered; the heat of the molten solder burns the varnish away and completes the joint.

A well ventilated area and/or fume extraction are very important when carrying out this process due to the toxic fumes. Sometimes, where there are many wires, plastic comb-like structures are used for wire management.

References

See also

• Wire wrap
• Solderable enamel wire
• http://www.instructables.com/id/Mechanical-Prototyping-Pencil/