electricallightswitch
I have two switches that control one light. I would like to close one of the switches, so that the light is only turned on and off by one of them. I removed the light switch from one of them (pictured), but now the other light switch won't turn on the light (also pictured with connected wires. Do I need to close the circuit somehow by connecting the wires from the old switch?
Another thing that seriously needs to get corrected is the totally unacceptable workmanship of the wire attachment at the switches. The wire insulation should be right up at the screw head. The tail end of the wire should only extend out from under the screw heads by a very small amount.
If this wiring was prepared by someone that you paid to do the work you should take proper recourse to get them back to correct this extremely shoddy work.
If you have no recourse then you owe it to yourself, for safety and peace of mind, to get this mess cleaned up.
I don't believe you have four way switches. Four way switches do not have commons as they do not control the light directly, they simply break the path of two other three ways. Three ways have 3 screws, four ways have 4. (And the ground)
Next, (to answer your question) since the exterior light only works when one of the switches are on, most likely you've connected to the final wire feeding from the switches to the light. I believe this imagine below will help you out:
Basically, you use 3 way switches coming from the power source and then leading to the light. Then you can use an infinite amount of four way switches between these two.
Since you can control your light from 3 locations, but this location has 3 screws - this switch is a 3 way. Now it's just finding out if it's either the first or the last. If it were the first, connecting to the common would give you what you want. However, you've most likely tied off from the last switch leading to the light and so it only works when the overhead light works. There is no way to split off power from the current location and work as you desire. You'll have to run another wire.
Best Answer
This is what happens when you randomly tear stuff off the wall without taking pix first. I'm guessing you assume the wire colors are meaningful in some way; colors mean less than than you think, and less than nothing at all in 3-way circuits. That stinks, so get some yellow electrical tape; we need to make colors meaningful.
Looking at the 3-way switch still wired, it appears a black wire is on the black screw (coincidentally). That means the two brass screws are red and white -- those are travelers and mark them both yellow with tape.
On 3-way switches, travelers go to brass screws. That's what you must remember. Switch manufacturers randomize the location of black and brass screws on every model of switch.
The other switch, we don't know. However, 90% of the same time, the travelers here are simply the other end of the same cable, so they'll be the same colors -- red and white in this case.
That's tricky because there are two reds, but hold on, didja catch that? The travelers are in the same cable. So follow the white wire back, see which red wire joins it in the same cable, and voila - those two are your travelers. Mark them yellow.
Whoo! We now have the 2 travelers identified. Now everything gets easy.
There were 3 wires (besides ground) going to the old switch. Pick one traveler at random and cap it off. You will need tape to hold a wire nut on a single wire. Join the remaining two wires with a wire nut, but don't tape it - if it won't hold by itself, it's a bad connection and it will arc and start a fire.
At that point, the switch will work in one position. If it works in the "down" position, flip the switch over when you install it.
A few more matters
You may notice you can go into 99% of rooms and find the light switch immediately. That works because the Building Codes require you have switches in certain locations. You are not allowed to have "secret switches" that only you know how to turn on. This protects both your invited guests and first responders: so the EMT can see to save your life, and the cop can see that's a computer mouse not a gun in your son's hand. Make sure that your switch removal does not violate the building codes or make it hard (for visitors) to get a light switched on in that room.
Also, I must warn you that you cannot bury electrical junction boxes. You currently have a blank cover there; that must stay there forever until you run a new cable which bypasses this box, and remove those cables. Further, you may want to leave it as a house feature, in case the new owner wants to restore that switch. (or the pre-sale inspection reveals the switch is mandatory).