Exist various wires and cables, some are laid along standard scheme, the second - by air. It is the former that have a special protective layer that prevents short circuits. Such a surface is subject to dismantling in the process of performing the simplest tasks. For example, this is the connection of two cables so that the contact point becomes as tight as possible and works efficiently.
The question arises: “How to remove insulation from wires?” To make this process easier, there are many different techniques and techniques. Because it is not always necessary to completely disassemble the cable; sometimes you just need to clean the contacts without damaging the main core.
In order not to make mistakes and understand exactly how to remove insulation from a wire, you should arm yourself with instructions and take the correct recommendations as a basis. But without the proper tools, the work will not be completed. In addition, wires and cables may have different bases, and the methods differ accordingly.
Features of stripping insulation and problems in performing the work
Before stripping the insulation from the wires, it is worth considering some of the nuances of the process. After all, the coating can be in one layer or several. The work is done quickly, but this will require the use of a stripper.
If you don’t go into details, many people don’t see any difficulties in the procedure for cleaning a cable or wire from protection. But without sharp, cutting objects, the work will not go smoothly. As a result, there is a possibility of compromising the integrity of the wire itself. The following may happen:
- Formation of holes in in the right place.
- There is a possibility of getting hurt.
- Damage to the conductor itself.
All this can be easily eliminated if simple and precise instructions for implementation are taken into service. In addition, special tools are required. There is no need to rush, even if you have experience in completing the task. It is worth at least theoretically understanding how to remove insulation from wires with a tool.
What kind of wires are there?
There are two main cores used in the process - copper and aluminum. If you remove the insulation, you will have to be careful with each type and take your time. When it comes to strength, copper retains its integrity longer than aluminum. Below we will consider the properties and characteristics of each.
Aluminum:
- Density is expressed in t/m3. More than 2.6.
- There is no resistance to frequent bending.
- It will not be possible to create a multi-wire core.
- The specific resistance is negligible.
- Density is expressed in t/m3. More than 8.8.
- Resistance to frequent bending is present.
- It will be possible to create a multi-wire core.
- The resistivity is good.
From these data we can conclude that copper wire is better and its conductivity is higher. But aluminum is not reliable high level, so it is used less often. Great care will have to be taken during the cleaning process. Therefore, before removing the insulation from a copper wire, it is worth making a small notch and preparing the appropriate tool. There are not many options for working with cables and wires; it is important to choose not just a suitable method, but an effective one.
What methods are effective?
Most of the skill in removing the protective layer from a cable or wire comes with time and practice. Especially when you need to do cleaning on the thinnest possible wire.
The main thing is to correctly choose the degree of application of force and pressure on the tool. In addition, the speed of work and the final result depend on the direction of movement. You will have to understand how deep the main vein is. This will determine whether it is damaged or not. Before you remove the insulation from or copper, you will have to figure out what kind of material is inside.
The most simple options carrying out the work:
- Using a stationery or regular knife. If you chose the first option, then you should not take one that is too large, they are inconvenient to work with. The pressure should not be maximum, since their blade is quite sharp. A simple knife should have a narrow blade and high-quality sharpening.
- Using side cutters. This is a convenient design, it is similar to scissors, but more durable and sharp. They are sold at any hardware store, although many always have them on hand.
- Burning. This is another good option and less dangerous. To do this, you need to apply high temperature so that the winding melts. If you need to make a small release, then this method ineffective, since a fairly large area is burned.
- Using a stripper. This is the tool chosen by professionals.
Using a knife
How to quickly remove insulation from wires? This is the most common and effective method, but it is very traumatic. When you need to process a small number of wires at home, this option is quite suitable. The main thing you need to know is at what angle to hold the tool. You can’t do circular movements, because it’s completely ineffective. Because with this option there is a high probability of cutting the main working core. After this, the wires will become unusable.
The angle of inclination is as sharp as possible so that the blade does not penetrate deeply into the body of the wire. Only minor slipping is allowed. You should choose the “pull away” position - such conditions are safe for the worker and for the cable itself.
Electrician's knife
An electrician's knife is the most convenient tool. It has a heel, making it quite easy to hold. At the same time, the core is protected as much as possible, your hands are safe, and the insulation is removed efficiently. This is the answer to the question: “How to quickly remove the insulation from a copper or aluminum wire?”
Side cutter - effective help
This is a metal tool with comfortable handles. But most often the work is done by craftsmen. This process requires knowing how much force to apply, otherwise the main core may be damaged. Electricians know how to carry out the stripping process. The side cutter is used in several cases:
- When the cable is too thick, biting is done in several places along the entire length, and then the insulation is removed by hand. This option is quite suitable for inexperienced people. But the cuts must be made carefully so as not to violate the integrity of the main cable.
- You need to run the strip along its entire length, and then remove the main winding downwards.
- Through a distance of 3 centimeters, cuts are made with a side cutter. After which you need to remove the winding in small pieces.
These are the simplest options for people without experience and more. Craftsmen can easily work with this tool. This option will help you easily remove the insulation from the wire for scrapping. In order not to damage the main core, it is worth holding the sharpened jaws in opposite direction pulling and removing insulation. This allows you to not disrupt anything and get the job done quickly.
Today there are wires on sale on which the manufacturer makes special notches during the creation process so that the insulation can be quickly removed. Therefore, before stripping the insulation from a copper wire, it is worth considering it: you may not even need tools.
Burning
This is the easiest way when you need to remove insulation to transfer wires. This is also the most effective method if the inside is made of polyvinyl chloride. When a small area needs to be treated, use a lighter or soldering iron. Under thermal influence, the winding softens and it simply comes off the wire. If the winding thickness is small, this option is the most effective.
There is one drawback - it has a smell. Therefore, work must be carried out in a room with access to fresh air. Toxic emissions during the firing process negatively affect the body.
What is a stripper?
These are the tools that help you do the procedure quickly and efficiently. But not every cable is suitable for such work. The cross-section must be at least 0.2 mm. You can find it on sale or from craftsmen different kinds devices:
- Manual stripper without add-ons. Its use is similar to working with a side cutter: notches are made, after which the winding is removed. But this option is not suitable for every section.
- Semi-automatic At the base there is an adjustment lever that regulates the degree of pressure, after which, when the handles are closed, the main process of stripping begins.
- Machine. This is the most the best option because it is based on several functions - cutting, stripping, crimping conductors.
As a result, this method brings many positive aspects. The main thing is that cuts in the main core are completely eliminated. As a result, this method can be called the best. It is the stripper that allows you to properly remove insulation from wires without damaging the core.
Cable check
When work in progress To get rid of the winding, you need to carry out actions in a clear sequence. Each cable has its own characteristics. Work on copper cable must be carried out in the following order, since it has two layers of PVC insulation:
- Electrical power is cut off.
- During the installation of the outlet, only a strictly defined area needs to be cleaned. 15 cm is quite enough. A person without experience should not reduce this distance. A side cutter is used for this procedure.
- The top part is cut and carefully removed.
- The required length is set on the stripper, after which the phase and neutral conductors are placed in the tool. A complete cleanup is being done.
This is the entire scope of the work, after which you need to fix the socket. This procedure is not difficult to carry out, although mistakes are often made. The wire breaks, and further stripping has to be done.
How not to perform pressure testing?
Experts believe that removing insulation from cables and wires is not so easy. As a result, many mistakes are made that lead to the main core being undercut. The main reason is the use of the wrong tool. Therefore, there is a special list of those violations that are worth knowing not only for beginners, but also for masters:
- When the top layer is removed and it needs to be cut, the craftsman often chooses the wrong angle, which leads to notches on the main core. Even a slight, imperceptible notch in the insulation of a current-carrying cable leads to a short circuit, and sometimes to complete failure of the entire device.
- Incorrect use of side cutters. They have a sharp side and a blunt side, often choosing the wrong side. As a result, a sharp sliding along the wire occurs, which leads to excessive tension and compression, and this already violates the integrity of the main core.
- A knife with a heel is convenient, but it must be clearly directed, namely, choose the angle of inclination. A mistake made leads to the main cable being cut. And violation of secondary insulation causes more serious problems.
Everything happens due to an illiterate choice of tool. But there are also other problems: a frivolous attitude towards the procedure of cleaning the main cable or wire from the winding. Before removing the insulation from a thin wire, you should know what actions you will have to perform, and do everything carefully and in a clear sequence. There are situations when the distance for work is minimal and it is unacceptable to take risks.
We repair headphones
A common problem when using headphones is a violation of the integrity of the wire. To restore it, you need to choose a simple stationery knife for the job. The procedure occurs in several stages:
- It is necessary to find the breakdown.
- Remove the top winding by making a neat longitudinal cut.
- Connect the components and insulate them.
How to remove wire insulation from headphones?
You can use a sheet of sandpaper. Its grain size does not matter (the main thing is to perform work on the front side of the element). Place the edge of the wire on sandpaper and press on top with a soldering iron. It will melt our winding. Then its remains can be removed by hand. As a result, we get a wire without insulation. After this, you can make the connection using the same soldering iron. This is not a long procedure, but everyone can achieve a positive result. There is no need to experiment; each tool does its job. When working with wires and cables, use a sharp knife and a stripper; in other situations, it is worth selecting the appropriate devices.
Conclusion
So, we looked at how to properly remove insulation from wires. As you can see, there are different tools and methods. You just have to choose the most suitable one and follow the instructions.
Copper wire is a fairly common thing. It is used for wiring, and worn-out ones are gladly accepted as non-ferrous scrap metal.
As a rule, such a wire is covered with a protective sheath, and enamel or plastic is used as insulation. If you have decided to hand over copper to St. Petersburg, then before doing this it makes sense to clean the wire, as this will increase its cost several times.
There are several cleaning methods:
- Using a utility knife. This option is the simplest and most affordable. Everything is done in two stages: the shell is first cut in a circle, and then along the length, only after that the insulation can be removed. However, such actions are dangerous - you can cut yourself with the blade if it slips.
- Take a paper cutter, secure one end of the wire well and lower the blade close to the wire - the insulation will be removed.
- Heating the copper wire will melt the insulation. This operation is carried out in small areas, but there is a risk of inhaling smoke and getting burned.
- Hammer - they simply hit the wire until the insulation breaks. This option is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming.
There is another option - to use a special installer's knife equipped with a hook. It is more convenient than the stationery one, as it prevents the blade from slipping: the hook bites well into the insulation and cannot jump out. Therefore, the incision can be obtained very quickly without any risks.
Special tool
Everything will turn out much faster and easier if you use a device that can now be freely purchased in the store. We're talking about a stripper.
It is not too expensive, and the quality of work is excellent. The principle of its operation is this.
The stripper handle contains a small knife that rotates around an axis. You need to pull the bracket on the tool with your finger and insert the wire under it - it will press against this knife.
Now the tool is wrapped around the wire several times, and a cut is made on the sheath. Next, the stripper is pulled towards the end of the wire, the knife will turn around and make a cut along.
Then the insulation is easily removed. As you can see, the manipulations are similar to those performed with a knife, but safer and faster.
The tool has one drawback: it must be adjusted to the thickness of a particular cable. This is done using a special wheel that controls the depth of the cut.
How to quickly strip insulation from wires. Watch the stripper in action in the video:
There is a protective layer on all wires and cables. Called insulation, it separates conductors from the surfaces they come into contact with, as well as from each other.
If you need to connect or install equipment, you need to strip the wires of insulation in separate areas to ensure good contact in the contact groups.
How to perform stripping so as not to damage the current-carrying conductors, we will consider in this article.
When choosing a method for removing the insulating coating, it is necessary to take into account its features. Insulation can be single plastic or multilayer. Resins, fabrics, and non-flammable dielectrics are used as the latter.
The procedure involves the use of sharp instruments. They can damage the wire, damage the insulation where it is not needed, and narrow the cross-section. If you use a tool ineptly, you cannot avoid injury.
The weakest point of the wiring is the end of the cable that has been stripped of insulation. If the core becomes less strong or its cross-section decreases, its original characteristics will deteriorate.
To reduce all risks to a minimum, special tools and techniques for working with them were developed.
Difference between wire and cable
When describing electrical wiring, the term “wire” or “cable” is often used as a conductor of current. To a person uninitiated in the intricacies of electrics, it may seem that this is one product. In fact, they are different.
A wire in the traditional sense is a cord with a small cross-section. Such a conductor can be single or multi-core. It may not have insulation at all, or if it does, it is light in the form of a tube. Removing it is not difficult at all.
The cable consists of a certain number of current carriers. They are connected into one unit, but do not touch each other and are enclosed in a shell made of a special material.
For a single-core wire, the cross-sectional area is determined by one core; for a multi-core wire, the cross-sectional area is determined by the sum of the cross-sections of all cores. To improve the performance properties of the cable, a nylon thread is introduced into the middle.
Any conductor should be handled with care, especially aluminum conductors. Compared to copper, they are more fragile. Bending loads reduce the already small margin of safety of aluminum cores.
Some characteristics for comparison:
- density of aluminum - 2.7, copper - 8.9 t/mᶾ;
- multi-wire design is excluded for aluminum, but possible for copper;
- resistivity of aluminum is 0.0294, copper - 0.0175 Ohm x mm²/m.
Damage during stripping of aluminum cores further reduces their performance.
You can read more about the types of cables and wires in.
Types of insulating materials
There are single and double insulation.
For its production, various insulating materials are used:
- Plastics based on organic compounds. These are mainly thermal plastics that soften when heated. When burned, these plastic masses are ejected into environment various toxins.
- Thermosetting plastics. They become harder when heated. Insulation made from them is used only in special cases when the requirements for it are increased.
- Natural or artificial rubber of different types. It hardens when heated and supports combustion.
- Fabric based insulation. Withstands a fairly high degree of heating (maximum 400⁰) while maintaining insulating properties.
- Shielding braid. This is not insulation in the literal sense, since the braid does not act as insulation, but it provides protection against mechanical damage.
- Armor braid. Also serves as protection against damage
The choice of tools for removing insulation depends on the material from which it is made.
How to strip wires correctly?
There are some nuances in this process, without knowing which you can make mistakes with irreversible consequences.
The stripped area should not protrude beyond the joint. If a bare wire is left exposed, a person may accidentally touch it and suffer an electrical shock.
The insulation from the core must be removed from all sides. Compressing the remaining insulation will reduce the reliability of the fastening.
When an error is made in the wiring of the vehicle, then under the influence of vibration, as a result of loosening of the fastening, the wire will fall out of the connection
Improper stripping will result in short circuits and even fire.
Popular methods of removing insulation
Practical skills play a big role in the process of stripping wire insulation. The main difficulties arise when working with thin wires, when every movement matters. Optimal pressure can only be achieved through practice.
The most commonly used methods for removing insulation are:
- using a knife;
- through side cutters;
- under the influence of high temperature;
- using a stripper.
Each option is preferable in specific circumstances.
Option No. 1 - using a knife to cut insulation
At home, a knife is most often used. When using this simple tool, it is important to choose the correct angle of the blade. The biggest mistake is cutting in a circle while holding the cutting part in a perpendicular position. In this case, it is difficult to avoid notching the core or breaking the secondary insulation.
The correct position of the knife is when the tool and the wire axis are in the same plane. First, cut the braid along the conductor. Next, separate the insulation, take it to the side and finally cut it off at the base.
It is better to use a special electrician’s knife with a straight or curved blade to remove hard insulation from wires. The main thing is that there are no jagged or burrs on it. If the knife is folding, it must be equipped with a lock so that it does not fold spontaneously.
A good blade has a double-sided sharpening at a slight angle and an internal rounding of the cutting edge. Some versions of mechanic's knives have a special blade design - it is short and rounded inward, and there is a “heel” at the end. It limits the depth of cut, which is important if it is necessary to remove the top layer of insulation without damaging the sheath of individual cores.
Option No. 2 - side cutters for stripping insulation
Side cutters are a convenient and safe tool, but only if correct application. What you need to pay attention to is the direction of the cutting edges and the force applied.
The tool is used in two ways:
- The sheath is cut from different sides, and then removed from the conductor. This method is suitable for working with wires with a large cross-section.
- The braid is fixed and cut with the cutting edges of a side cutter, and then pulled to the side, making axial movements.
In any case, you need to act extremely carefully, otherwise the conductor will be either damaged or bitten off.
When working with a side cutter, you need to take into account that the sharpened side of the tool jaws must be oriented in the direction opposite to the vector of tightening of the braid
They also produce side cutters with notches for conductors of a certain diameter. This simplifies the use of the tool at home.
Option No. 3 - thermochemical method of removal
With very thin conductors, with a cross-section of less than 0.2 mm, removing the insulation from an enamel wire or a wire with PVC insulation mechanically is a big risk. The thermochemical method is more suitable here.
In the first case, the technology is as follows:
- The wire is conveniently laid on a flat surface. Vinyl chloride insulation is placed under it.
- Heat up the soldering iron tip and carefully move it along the shell. When heated, it will disappear under the influence of the released chlorine.
There is another option for removing the enamel insulation from the cable. An aspirin tablet is placed on the wire, heated with a soldering iron and distributed along the entire length. Not only will the insulation be removed, but the wire will also be tinned.
Removing the braid by reflowing ensures the integrity of the conductor. The method works well on old wiring, since the winding here is hard and brittle.
Stripping the insulation of a thin enameled conductor can be done using fine sandpaper. Before removing the insulation layer from the wire, the sheet is bent in half so that the sandpaper is inside. Place the wire in the middle, lightly press it with your fingers and pull. Repeat the action until the enamel is completely cleansed.
Option No. 4 – stripping with a stripper
If the insulation stripping methods under consideration are manual, then some types of strippers allow this work to be partially mechanized. The tool most often consists of special pliers that work with a certain size of wires and cables.
Conventionally, strippers are divided into categories:
- miniature handheld;
- large rack;
- lever
The first ones look like clothespins. It has holes in the spring-loaded jaws - one or more. There are small multifunctional strippers in a case-like form. The drop-down body has holes with knives for different sections of wires.
In addition, the device has a knife that cuts the braid longitudinally, a knife that works in the transverse direction or cuts circularly. They are also equipped with a retractable knife for stripping wires.
The next design is a stripper with levers. Visually, the tool is similar to scissors and includes:
- Knives with a wedge-shaped cut;
- Adjusting screw, with its help you set the desired cross-section.
The cable is secured with clamps, then the levers are pulled together and the insulation is removed instantly. The removal length is set manually. The main disadvantage is the need for adjustment when removing insulation from wires of different sections.
If you mistakenly insert a thick wire when setting the jaws to a smaller cross-section, the conductor will be damaged.
In addition to the main functions, most of these hand tools are used for crimping the ends of stranded wires, cutting wires, and cutting bolts. Sometimes they are used like simple pliers.
A tool with sockets in the blades, like the previous one, is universal. When working with it, you must not relax your attention so as not to place the current conductor in a hole that does not correspond to its cross-section.
These disadvantages are not typical for automatic lever strippers. The wire size is set automatically here. The spring-loaded working element begins to operate when the handles are compressed. You can remove not only the insulation from the core, but also the outer braiding from a round or flat wire.
Many models are equipped with a length limiter that allows you to remove the braid to a set length. The required limit is set once, and further withdrawals occur based on the set limit.
Automatic models, like manual ones, may have additional functionality - crimping tips, cutting, etc.
When choosing a stripper model, you need to proceed from where you plan to use it. For normal work at home, a simple hand tool will do.
There is a special stripper designed to remove insulation from a television cable. Its peculiarity is the presence of two cutting edges located at a certain distance. This ensures convenient installation of the F-connector later
When working with a lot of wires and cables, it is better to arm yourself with a semi-automatic or automatic device. This tool is essential for professional electrical installers.
There is an article on our website where we talked in detail about strippers for stripping insulation from wires. Click here to view the material.
New removal tools
More recently, four new products have been added to the range:
- plow knife for removing hard insulation;
- stripper for cutting insulation 2.9 – 6.6 mm² in the longitudinal direction;
- tool for working with wire insulation 0.05 – 2.5 mm²;
- tool for cutting wire insulation 0.25 – 6 mm².
All of them are produced by the US company Jonard Tools.
The new case-type stripper is equipped with five grooves with a diameter of 2.9 - 6.8 mm. There are blades on both the top and bottom. Cuts lengthwise wires, optical modules, protective tubes.
A plow knife is used when it is necessary to remove the cable sheath made of rubber, PVC, PE. A knife with a double-sided blade makes longitudinal and transverse cuts up to 5 mm deep
The stripper for removing the PVC insulating layer from cables with a diameter of 0.05 - 2.5 mm² is automatically adjusted to the required cross-section. When pressure is applied to the handle, the conductor is grabbed, the blades enter the insulation and tighten it.
The latest model is similar to the previous one, but works with wires of other sections.
There are non-standard situations from which it is difficult even for a specialist to get out. In this case, you have to make creative decisions and use the tools at hand. Let's look at a couple of examples.
Example No. 1 - damage to the wires leading to the plug
The method is applied if, upon visual inspection, it is found that charger The thin wires leading to the plug are faulty. The main difficulty of the situation is not only the small cross-section, but also the multi-core nature of the cable. Another problematic aspect is that the wires are enclosed in a continuous braid, so the insulation serves not just as protection, but as a two or three-chamber collector.
To quickly remove the insulation in this case, experts use a thin blade taken from a razor cassette. The cable is secured using a clamp from a table lamp or a vice. The cable is divided into cores, and a blade is used to carefully make an incision in the right place, not too deep. Next, part of the layer is pryed off with a fingernail and carefully removed.
The protective layer can be in the form of rigid outer insulation, an internal filler layer, fabric insulation impregnated with resins, or individual insulation for each core
First, using a tool, the outer sheath is removed by cutting it along the cable. Then, using pliers, the cores are removed one by one. The remaining insulating layer is simply cut off.
Work related to electric shock, not easy. Therefore, even if you have certain knowledge, you must not forget that the damaged core will eventually fail.
For safety reasons, when removing insulation that is slightly longer than required, the excess must be cut off. Exposed veins are too dangerous.
It is not advisable for a home handyman to purchase expensive tools in order to use them several times while removing insulation. In most cases, simple means at hand are quite suitable.
It is not always advisable to remove the insulation if the cable consists of thin wires. It is possible, without removing the insulating layer, to separate the wires and use a special clamp with teeth to create contact
Contact when installing a piercing clamp will ensure the insulation is pierced. Sometimes that's enough.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Review of stripping tools - from cheapest to most expensive:
Whatever method you use to strip the insulation, you must remember that this work is dangerous. A careful and competent attitude to the tool used will help you avoid problems. Each product must be used in accordance with its intended purpose, with the utmost care.
What method do you use to strip insulation from wires? Please share your own experience with people who are faced with this task for the first time. Leave your comments, share your experience, ask questions in the block below the article.
Consisting of two single-core conductors covered with insulation and housed in a black protective sheath. How to remove the sheath and insulation from a cable so that it is fast, safe, high quality and reliable? And by quality I mean the stability of the result obtained.
Of course, when it is possible to remove the insulation from the cable on a table, and not in a cramped electrical box, and you need to make a couple of connections, everything can be done slowly, measuredly, checking every step. What if you need to finish the apartment in a couple of days before plastering?
I tried three options for removing insulation from the cable and, as usual, settled on the third:
Cleaning with a utility knife;
Cleaning with a special installer's knife;
Cleaning with a special device.
Stripping with a utility knife is the easiest and most affordable way to strip wires and cables. But also the lowest quality. Stripping the cable sheath is usually done in two stages. First, the shell is cut in a circle. Then the shell is cut along its length. And then it is removed, exposing individual wires in insulation.
So, if you make a cut around the cable with a utility knife and do not calculate the force, then the insulation of the wires is easily cut, which reduces the safety of such a cable in operation.
And if this is not scary when the cable has not yet been installed (you can cut off a piece and try again), then for a cable, for example, walled up in a wall, there is no room for error. When I did the wiring for my parents, I had to leave several wires cut in this way in the socket boxes.
Another problem is the cut along the length of the cable. Firstly, it is easy to cut the wire insulation lengthwise, which is even worse than cutting it. Secondly, it is easy to injure your finger if the blade slips.
The second method is with a special mounting knife. There are many models, I chose the one that is crocheted. This knife is slightly more convenient than a stationery knife. But due to the thicker blade, it can be used not with the caution of a surgeon, but more relaxed.
Although it is quite difficult for them to cut the insulation. But what makes a crochet knife useful is cutting along the cable. The hook fits securely into the cable sheath and is practically impossible to jump out of. Therefore, cutting along the cable is fast, safe and neat.
But still. Such a tool does not allow for high-quality stripping of the shell. By quality, in this context, I mean repeatability (sameness) of results for each removed shell. I recently came across this tool.
Its price varies greatly - from 600 rubles. up to 3500 rub. But in terms of quality of work there is almost no difference. The principle of its operation is as follows. Using your thumb, you pull off the bracket, under which the wire is inserted. A small knife appears from the handle, rotating around its axis.
When the cable gets there, the clamp presses it against the knife. Next, you need to wrap the tool around the cable several times. This achieves its incision.
Then, without removing the tool from the cable, you just need to pull it strongly towards the end. In this case, the knife will turn itself and begin cutting along the shell. All that remains is to remove the shell and continue installation work.
The only inconvenience of this tool is that you need to use the wheel at the end to set the cutting depth of the knife for each cable. It takes me about two minutes and a piece of cable on which I check the settings.
However, after adjustment, the quality of stripping is predictably good. I would also like to touch upon the issue of removing insulation from stripped conductors.
The tool described here does not cope well with this task, since it cannot “flatten” a thick cable, like many thin wires, it cuts the insulation only a little, pointwise, at the bottom and at the top. This is not enough for it to tear and come off. An attempt to apply force leads to scoring on the core due to the “biting” of the tool’s knives into the soft copper.
And here the installer’s knife described above is very effective. The hook blade increases the radius of hooking the knife onto the wire, and you can quickly, in a split second, cut it along almost its entire diameter. After which the insulation is quickly and carefully removed. Plus, the hook blade prevents the knife from slipping off the wire.
Previously, in the article I discussed methods for removing protective insulation from VVG cables. In principle, when it comes to round VVG, using a special tool with a stripping bracket is justified. But one day I had to work a lot with VVG-p (flat cable). Because of this, I slightly revised my preferences.
The VVG-p cable turned out to be much more convenient and practical. It is more convenient to place it under the plaster. Generally speaking, you can save a lot of time if you don’t make grooves under the plaster, but simply route the cable along the walls, and then plaster it on top. Therefore, VVG-p is preferable in this sense. The VVG-p 3×2.5 mm2 cable has a thickness of only 5.3 mm. Together with the dowel clamp - 9.3 mm. The layer of plaster, as a rule, is at least 1.5 cm, so everything grows together.
And cutting a flat cable turned out to be faster and more reliable with a knife with a hook. You put the cable on the board and run it. The main thing is to place the blade immediately deeper into the insulation so that it pushes the veins apart and cuts between them. Surprisingly, this knife has never cut the insulation from the cores themselves.
An excellent life hack for radio amateurs and more. For those who had to solder oxidized copper wires. This cleaning method can also be very useful for motorists. Main advantages: the method is fast, inexpensive, accessible to absolutely everyone.
Usually, in order to tin a wire, it is cleaned either mechanically by scraping it with a knife, or thermally - by heating it over an open flame. These methods are not always effective and even more convenient; for example, none of them are suitable for multi-core wires.
A chemical method for purifying copper and its alloys from natural oxide during long-term storage is well suited here.
Will need
Well, there is no need to indicate exact proportions; everything is mixed by eye:- Vinegar.
- Baking soda.
- Water.
- Table salt, food salt.
You will also need mixing containers. I took two test tubes, you can use any container, glass or ceramic. In the end, plastic disposable cups will do.
Place half a teaspoon of soda in one test tube and salt in the other.
We clean copper wires from oxide chemically
The whole process will take place in two stages: the first is etching in acid, and the second is neutralization.Pour vinegar into a test tube with salt. And put water in a test tube with soda. Mix everything well. Well, as far as possible, since neither soda nor salt dissolve completely.
Now we dip the exposed wire into vinegar and salt and wait.
It is advisable to stir the salt in the test tube with a wire.
Reaction time from 30 seconds to approximately 2 minutes. It all depends on the pollution. It may take 10 or even 20 minutes.
After the wire has been cleaned, we neutralize the effect of the acid by lowering the wires into a test tube with a soda solution for a couple of seconds.
Next, the wire can be dried. The result is excellent. Copper shines bright pink.
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