Wire stripping: tool, thin wires, quickly strip insulation

To connect wires to each other, connect to contact groups, or terminate (use terminals, sleeves, etc.), they must be stripped.

The tip of the cable, freed from insulation, becomes the weakest link in the entire multi-meter wiring. If the metal core loses its cross-section or strength, the characteristics laid down by the manufacturer will be nullified. How to remove insulation from a wire without damaging its properties?

When applying a protective coating, you have to solve opposite problems. The shell should be strong but flexible. Provide protection from moisture penetration, while at the same time being easy to remove from the core.

Effective cleaning methods

There are many proven methods that allow you to clean copper products even at home.
Let's get acquainted with the most effective of them. One of the most accessible home remedies for cleaning objects made of copper is regular tomato ketchup. In order to clean copper with this product, it is simply applied to the surface to be treated and left on it for 1-2 minutes. After this exposure, the ketchup is washed off with a stream of warm water. As a result of this procedure, the copper product will return to its original shine and brightness of color.

You can clean copper items, if they are not very dirty, at home using regular dishwashing gel. To do this, use a soft sponge on which detergent is applied. Wash it off under running warm water.

This cleaning method is used if it is necessary to clean a large copper product that cannot be placed in any container. The surface of such an object is wiped with half a lemon. To enhance the effect of lemon juice on copper, you can clean it with a brush with bristles that have sufficient elasticity.

A product called “vinegar paste” helps give copper its former shine. It is prepared as follows. In a special container, mix wheat flour and vinegar in equal proportions, bringing the resulting mass to a homogeneous state. Then the dough is applied to a copper object and left until completely dry. The crust formed after the mixture has dried is carefully removed, and the copper surface is polished to a shine with a piece of soft cloth.

There is a radical and effective method of cleaning products made of copper, which is used if their surface is heavily soiled and it was not possible to clean them with other means.

Vinegar is poured into a specially prepared stainless steel container, which is mixed with a small amount of table salt.
Place the item to be cleaned into the resulting solution and place the container on the fire.
After the cleaning solution has reached a boil, turn off the heat under the container and leave it on the stove until it cools completely.
After the solution has cooled, the product to be cleaned is removed, washed under running warm water and its surface wiped dry.

How to strip a wire while maintaining its properties

Let's start with simple methods.

Knife

A universal tool is used: a regular pen or office tool.

Improving the use of knives, many electricians make homemade devices for stripping insulation. For example, you can use a safety razor blade by simply screwing it to a clothespin.

Using holes of different diameters (on a clothespin), you get a universal tool for removing both the outer sheath and the coating directly on the conductors.

The simplest factory-made insulation stripping pliers work on this principle. The outer sheath is removed using calibrated holes, and conductors of small diameter are stripped using a blade with a molded hole.

Thermal method

If the question arises: how to quickly remove insulation from a wire, all means are good. Many craftsmen simply burn the ends of the conductors with a lighter or match. The method is not the best: Firstly, the cable may catch fire. Secondly, the remaining part of the shell loses its properties at a distance of 1–2 cm from the cleaned area. And finally, the conductor itself (copper or aluminum) is destroyed by such thermal effects.

If you need to quickly strip the wire, but there are no cutting tools, you can use a soldering iron. The tip of the conductor is burned with a hot tip, after which the insulation is easily removed.

There are thermal tools of industrial design.

Stripping the wires of insulation is carried out as follows: the heating elements are pressed to the cut point, the sheath is melted with a short pulse, the conductor remains untouched. Such devices can be stand-alone or part of soldering stations.

Advantage of wire thermocouples:

Heating occurs pointwise; the copper or aluminum core does not change its properties.
A thin melt line does not lead to waste of material.
A sealed ring is formed around the shell, preventing the penetration of moisture.

The only limitation is the insulation material. Thermal stripping is used only in cables with polyvinyl chloride insulation. The fluoroplastic or rubber shell can only be removed mechanically.

Mechanical devices for stripping industrial wires

The most popular electrician tool is the “Insulation Stripping Complex”, known by the abbreviation KSI.

The operating principle is as follows:

During the initial compression of the pliers, the conductor is clamped between the grooved jaws (as in pliers), the other end is captured by the knife mechanism. The cutting attachment is spring-loaded and does not cut through the shell to the metal. This way the current-carrying core is guaranteed to be preserved. Next, the working levers are separated, and the notched sheath is removed from the wire.

The length of the area to be stripped is set using a limiter, against which the front wire rests when inserted into the tool.

There are certain restrictions: the tip cannot be too long. If you need to clean a long area, the process is repeated several times. In this case, the wire does not rest against the limiter, and the shifted section of the sheath is removed manually.

The complex copes well with both mono conductors and multi-core cores. There are restrictions on the diameter of the wire: a cable with a cross-section of more than 4.0 is almost impossible to process.

The next tool is simpler. End pliers for stripping insulation.

Designed for a diameter of up to 6.0 squares; it is difficult to expose a thicker wire manually. Between the cutting tips there is a screw stop, with which the diameter of the conductor is set. The distance between the grips is chosen to be slightly larger than the diameter of the current-carrying conductor. This is done to reduce the risk of damaging the metal. After squeezing the handles, the sheath is removed with a sharp movement along the wire. Working with such a device is not as convenient as with a CSI, but this is justified by its low cost.

Nippers, or the cutting sector of pliers, work in a similar way. Only stripping the wire with their help requires some skill.

The following device is designed to work with large diameter cables. This is a complex knife with a grip.

It can be used to strip wires of any length. First, a transverse incision is made, then a longitudinal one.

After which the sheath is easily removed without damaging the central conductor.

Stripping varnish-coated conductors

Such a conductor is used in transformer windings. Instead of a dielectric sheath, a thin varnish coating is applied to the copper core. The conductor is cleaned with a knife or sandpaper.

What can you use to strip wires?

Even if there is no stripper in the house, you can always find something to expose the metal end of the wire. This could really be any sharp object used to cut the plastic and something that can apply pressure to remove it. But in order for the work to be carried out more efficiently, it is worth having one of the following devices in the house.

Cable knife

A cable knife differs from a kitchen knife both in shape and in the quality of the steel. It's worth having in your closet just in case. Moreover, it costs very little, and can be useful for a wide range of tasks besides exposing the wire tip. The shape of the blade is similar to an eagle's beak, the tip runs along a concave line.

Pliers

Insulation stripping pliers – not to be confused with regular pliers. They are very different in appearance. This tool has protrusions with holes for wires of a certain diameter range. Another feature is the presence of a cutting edge. These pliers can be adjusted to the wire diameter of a given range. That is, this part is quite highly specialized and requires time spent on adjustments. There are much more convenient devices.

Pliers

The tool is similar to pliers, which are the prototype of pliers. But unlike their predecessor, they have two or three toothed recesses. When the wire is exposed, the smallest notch may be useful, and for stripping the cable, the larger one will be useful. This tool will be useful in the home where it may be needed infrequently, say, to fix an outlet. The car owner should think about something more convenient.

Automatic pliers

The mechanism of their work is very interesting to observe. At the ends of the clamps there are special jaws, which, when compressed, make an additional movement that pushes the insulation apart. This tool, unlike those listed above, is capable of carefully exposing the wire not at the end, but in the middle.

Stripper

For those who deal with wires more than once a year, it is highly recommended to purchase a stripper. The device is similar in principle to pliers, but at the end it has several holes for different wire diameters. Usually there are five.

Which stripping tool should I choose?

So what should you choose? Those who constantly work with wires need to have at least two tools - a stripper and automatic pliers. The stripper works only with the tip of a cable or wire, in this it is inferior in versatility to pliers. However, among all the tools considered, it performs its functions the fastest, is the simplest of all, and harms the wire less than other tools. Both pliers, knives, and pliers are designed in such a way that they can scratch the metal part, and this will negatively affect the conduction of current. The stripper does the job without any damage.

Automatic pliers are the only one of the listed tools that strips the wire in the middle. More precisely, a knife can perform the same function, but there is a risk of damaging the metal. Well, those who do not have any of the tools in the house will have to perform the operation with an ordinary well-sharpened kitchen knife. The process will require skill, and an amateur electrician risks cutting himself.

The principle of stripping wires from insulation

Wire stripping

Professional tools use two principles for removing protective coating from cables:

Break. This method can be compared to stripping wires with teeth, when a piece of insulation, clamped between the teeth, is torn off from the rest of the coating layer with a force directed along the conductor.
Cutting. In this case, the cutting edge cuts through the protective layer in a circle, without damaging the current-carrying core. Then, part of the cut tube is removed from the conductor with little effort.

Professional tools for stripping wires are:

Manual.
Semi-automatic.
Automatic.

To work with a small number of wires at home, you can use simple methods for stripping their ends.

Simple ways to strip wires

Stripping cable ends can be done in two ways:

Thermal influence. This involves heating the core to the melting temperature of the insulation. This is done:

Melting the PVC insulating layer with a soldering iron, and then removing the coating with pliers. The big disadvantage is the presence of toxic fumes and corrosion on the soldering iron tip.
A lighter.
Heated nichrome thread.

Removing insulation using thermal method

Such techniques are best used for thin, low-power conductors, which are used in electronics, communication devices, and audio equipment with stranded soft conductors operating in circuits where the voltage is approximately 5 volts.

Electrician's knife

Electricians often make their own knives. For this:

Security measures

A conductor stripped of insulation is potentially a source of danger. After processing the wire, especially in places where it is pressed and scored, the insulation resistance should be measured. This is done when putting the electrical installation into operation, then the frequency of measuring the electrical wiring insulation is carried out according to the approved schedule.

If there is damage that reduces the protective ability of the shell, it is necessary to cut off the damaged area or put a dielectric casing on it.

That's all we wanted to say about it. To fully understand the issue, we recommend watching the video.

How to Strip Insulation from a Round Cable

How and where to work with such a stripper, what methods and knives to remove insulation, and what are their advantages? One of the advantages is the ease of operation of Jokari inside switchboards, when all the cables are already routed inside and the distances between them and the switching equipment are minimal.

That is, there is no longer any free space for wide sweeping movements with a knife and hands. In addition, when you work in such conditions with the same knife with a heel, there is a risk that when the blade comes off the insulation of one cable, you can accidentally damage another, or hit the wall and equipment. And this again is a dent and sharpening.

Circular cut

The first method of removing insulation is a ring cut. For this purpose, self-adjusting blades are used at the end of the tool. The entire cable is placed inside the stripper, compressed with a slight force, and two or three turns around the axis are made, back and forth. A circular cut occurs in the outer shell.

If the stripper does not cut the insulation to the very end, this is especially true for cables with a more rigid VVGng sheath - this is normal. Rather than making a through cut, he makes a kind of notch. Otherwise, there would be a high risk of damaging the insulation of the internal cores.

This method is ideal for nym cables. I do not recommend using it for wires of a similar design of the PVS brand. With nym, all the cores inside the shell are centered, while with PVA they are twisted using a different technology. Therefore, they can be damaged by such a cut without calculating the compression force.

If a ring cut was made at the end of the cable, then, as a rule, the insulation can then be easily pulled off by hand. There is no need to drag it with closed blades when both halves of the tool are compressed. This reduces the life of the knife. It is better to bend the cable as much as possible and remove everything with your hands or pliers.

Longitudinal section

When the first method does not help, you can use a fang knife. Insert it into the cut you have already made, pass the cable through the upper window, make a slight slope of the knife in relation to the wire and stretch the puller to the end of the insulation.

This makes a longitudinal cut of the outer shell. It goes the same depth throughout and does not cut the vein anywhere. After these two cuts, any sheath, even a hard or slightly hardened cable, can be easily removed.

If you have a different brand of knife, without a hole in the body, you will have to hold the wires with two fingers, manually adjust the tilt and constantly monitor the compression force so as not to cut through the outer layer too much.

Special tool

Professional workers at electronics repair service centers use a special tool, which they call a “burner,” to remove insulation from wires. On one side, it is equipped with two terminals with an incandescent filament attached to them, and on the other, an electrical wire comes out to power the device. During operation, this thread is heated to a very high temperature, which makes it easy to burn through insulation of any thickness and material of manufacture.

This is especially important when stripping PTFE-coated wires. As in the previous case, during operation smoke, unpleasant odors and harmful substances are released, so the room must be ventilated or equipped with a ventilation hood

And also, among other things, the tool requires a power source to operate.

How to properly strip wires of insulation

Wire stripping requirements:

the stripped (bare) part must be completely hidden inside the connection;
Insulation must be removed from all sides from the surface of the core.

Mistakes made by DIYers:

DIYers often leave exposed wires exposed. If accidentally touched, a person can short-circuit these places and receive an electric shock;
If fragments of insulation remain on the cores, then compressing it inside may not be sufficient for reliable fastening. When there is vibration, for example, electrical wiring in a car, the connection will loosen, the wire will come out of the terminals of the device, and a short circuit to ground will occur. The vehicle may catch fire.

Cutting insulation from wires using a knife

The knife is the most common tool, so it is used most often. It is necessary to expose not only individual conductors, but also cables that contain several wires. Therefore, at the first stage, the cable is cut along its length, the wires are routed in different directions, and then the outer sheath is cut across. If necessary, this operation is repeated.

To strip a wire of insulation, you need to set the blade almost parallel to the core, and then cut off a thin layer of insulation. Subsequently, slightly turning the conductor, cut off the remaining thin layers. By turning completely 360°, complete cutting of the coating is achieved. These steps are easy to perform if you need to strip fairly thick wires.

When stripping thin wires with a knife, you only need to cut through the insulation layer.

Attention! You cannot leave a mark from the blade on the surface of the conductor, since this is where the critical zone will appear. The conductor is susceptible to breaking if bent.

After circular cutting to a small depth, it is easy to strip the wires of insulation; it is removed from the surface in the form of a tube

After circular cutting to a shallow depth, it is easy to strip the wires of insulation; it is removed from the surface in the form of a tube.

Thick cable cores for high power supply are cleaned by cutting the plastic across and then along. Then the protective shell can be easily removed.

Removing insulation with special devices

Professionals have a fairly extensive range of auxiliary devices for removing insulation. The principle of their operation is as follows:

A suitable stream is selected on the tool to expose the desired conductor.
The wire is installed in this stream.
Squeeze the handles.
First, the wire is crimped, and then the scraper removes the insulating layer.

The entire procedure takes no more than one second of time. But such devices have a fairly high price, so they are purchased by professionals who have to perform a large amount of such work during a work shift.

For more information about insulation stripping tools (strippers), see this video:

Some home craftsmen solve the question of how to remove insulation from a wire by making a simple device on their own. To do this, use a strip of metal (preferably a piece of blade from a hacksaw). An angular slot is made on it to suit the size of the wire. The inside surface of this slot is ground to produce sharp edges.

To learn how to make a device for stripping wires, watch this video:

If it is necessary to remove the insulation from the wires, each conductor is clamped in the corner slot to the required amount, and then pulled out with force. As a result, the plastic can be easily removed from the metal.

On sale you can sometimes find special pliers that have similar slots. There are usually several of them to strip insulation from wires of different diameters. To perform the operation, the conductor is clamped in the stream, and then simply pulled in the desired direction.

There are special combs for single- and double-sided removal of insulation. They are inexpensive, take up little space, and cut off the insulation quite easily.

Some craftsmen use side cutters. They also crimp the conductor on both sides. By pulling the wire through, you can quickly remove the plastic insulation.

Attention! When using side cutters, do not squeeze the handles too hard. You can easily cut the core itself. You need to get used to the compression force.

You need to get used to the compression force.

How to clean cable insulation: several effective ways

Several methods are used to remove the insulating coating:

manual stripping;
burning;
use of special equipment.

Manual stripping involves using a knife (a regular stationery or construction knife will do) or a hammer. The principle of operation is quite simple: you need to carefully cut the insulation along the core, take it to the side and trim it. This method, which allows you to clean the wire, is a rather labor-intensive process and requires skills and experience. And its use is rational if the volume of scrap metal is small. Otherwise, reflow will be the best alternative.

Firing is a fairly effective method to quickly remove insulation from copper or aluminum wire. However, when working, you should strictly adhere to safety precautions. Reflow must be carried out outdoors or in well-ventilated areas, since toxins are released when the winding is heated. The wire is laid on a horizontal surface and passed along the insulation with a soldering iron. After melting, it can be easily removed using ordinary pliers

It is important to remember that this technique, in addition to the advantages of saving time, also has its disadvantages, namely a negative impact on the environment and human health. In addition, it is not recommended to burn thin-stranded wires, since the metal burns out along with the insulation. One of the most effective and safest ways to quickly clean a cable is to use tools such as a side cutter or stripper.

They allow you to significantly speed up work and are suitable for cleaning large quantities of scrap. A side cutter is a special wire cutter for cutting wires. The free end of the cable is clamped between the blades and gently pulled. The cutting edges should be directed strictly in the direction of movement of the tool, which allows you to remove the winding without much effort. If used incorrectly, the lead may break off along with the insulation.

One of the most effective and safest ways to quickly clean cables is to use tools such as a side cutter or stripper. They allow you to significantly speed up work and are suitable for cleaning large quantities of scrap. A side cutter is a special wire cutter for cutting wires. The free end of the cable is clamped between the blades and gently pulled. The cutting edges should be directed strictly in the direction of movement of the tool, which allows you to remove the winding without much effort. If used incorrectly, the lead may break off along with the insulation.

A stripper will help automate and significantly speed up the process. To clean the wire for non-ferrous metal, you need to insert the end of the cable into a special hole, hold the handles of the stripper to cut through the winding, and pull the conductor out, thereby freeing it from the insulation. The advantages of the tool are ease of operation and the ability to clean both thick- and thin-core wires.

To clean large quantities of scrap metal, special equipment is also used, which is rented out by the collection points themselves.

Option No. 3 - thermochemical method of removal

Compare prices for scrap copper cable at various locations. Order a preliminary assessment of the material from companies offering the most favorable conditions, and choose the most suitable option for yourself.
Check out the buyer's reputation ; check whether he has a license to receive non-ferrous metal.
Accumulate more raw materials for delivery . A large batch of scrap copper cable allows you to sell it at a better price.
Objectively evaluate the conditions of admission . Free dismantling of scrap and its delivery to the enterprise is often compensated by the reduced cost of receiving the metal, so it is necessary to evaluate the range of services as a whole.
Clean the cable . Wire stripped of braiding is accepted at reception points at much higher prices. If the insulation can be removed by hand, then roasting should not be used, as annealed copper is considered a lower quality material.

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.

Self-cleaning of insulation

If you don't have time, you can hand over the copper cable uncleaned. In this case, the reward will be less.

The process of cleaning copper wire from the braid is unsafe and technologically complex. This requires appropriate equipment and special knowledge.

Minuses

self-cleaning:

Large time and labor costs.
Special knowledge and equipment required.
The efforts expended do not always pay off, since cleaning large volumes is much easier, faster and more profitable to carry out at specialized enterprises.

Cable stripping equipment can be purchased, for example, from a Chinese supplier on aliexpress:

The main methods for cleaning copper cable are:

Heat treatment
. This method is not used often, as it contradicts environmental standards. In addition, it has certain limitations: burning thin-stranded cable scrap is not recommended, since the metal can burn out along with the insulation.
Mechanical
. Removing insulation manually (stripping). A long and labor-intensive process. Its implementation is not always justified in terms of time and labor costs. To speed up the process, you can use a manual mechanical stripper.
Modern cleaning methods
using special technological equipment. For example, a powerful and productive automatic stripper. This method is the most effective and safe from an environmental point of view. And the removed insulation can also be sent for recycling.

To find out how to clean copper cable at home using available tools

, watch this video:

Admission conditions and restrictions

Scrap copper cable is a valuable type of secondary raw material and is accepted in almost any form. The cost at which you can hand over copper wire to a collection point depends on a number of factors:

Quality of raw materials . The higher the copper content in the cable, the higher its cost.
Core section thickness.
Purity . The cable should be free of visible traces of grease, enamel, varnish, welding and oxides.
The integrity of the shell and the complexity of further processing of scrap.
Batch size . The larger the batch, the higher the price per 1 kg of cable.

It is not recommended to hand over scrap metal to small private collection points . As a rule, they do not have documents confirming the right to conduct such activities and are simple resellers who announce the minimum price for metal.

A higher price for scrap metal is offered by processing plants and metal depots that have all the necessary technological and material capabilities for its transportation, evaluation and further processing.

Features of working with machines for armored cables

Armored cable is a universal conductor of electric current. Unlike simple insulated wires, the metal braiding of the conductor gives it special strength and creates reliable protection from external negative factors.

The armor is a two-layer spiral shell made of steel tape. The cross-sectional structure of the armored cable is shown in the lower figure.

Cross section of armored cable

Removing metal tape requires a powerful power unit and durable, sharp disc blades. Industrial machines are equipped with cutting units that can clean several armored cables of different diameters at once. This is due to the need to process large quantities of wire products per work shift.

Note! Passing through the cutting block, the knife cleans the cable from the surface polymer or rubber hose, electrically conductive screen (armor) and PVC belt insulation. Only factory-made machines can remove metal insulation

They are large units. After the armor is removed, as a rule, three insulated cores are obtained. They are cut on the same machine, placing them in other openings of the cutting block

Only factory-made machines can remove metal insulation. They are large units. After the armor is removed, as a rule, three insulated cores are obtained. They are cut on the same machine, placing them in other openings of the cutting block.

Stripper for cutting armored cable

Stripping fluoroplastic insulation

PTFE insulation is a chemically produced polymer. Has a number of positive properties. For example, it does not get wet in water and is highly resistant to various organic substances. Its parameters allow it to be resistant to temperatures up to 300 °C. It is an ideal electrical dielectric. However, there is one main drawback - cost. It is precisely because of its high price that it is used only in exceptional cases. In everyday conditions, radio amateurs fell in love with it, because. after soldering, it has an aesthetic appearance, does not melt, and takes up little space.

The fluoroplastic itself appears in the form of a narrow thin strip, which is tightly wound around a stranded core. The fluoroplastic version can only be removed with a knife. It is scraped down to the length you need. After it is exposed, the shell is taken aside and the remains are cut off.

Please pay attention! Fabric or rubber insulation can be removed using any of the methods described above. The main task is to prevent cuts in the main core.

cable reception price for 1 kg/ton in Moscow

We offer high purchasing prices per kilogram of any type of cable. We accept any quantity (from a kilogram to several tons) from individuals, organizations, enterprises, and small procurement sites. The more you donate, the higher the value you will receive per kilogram.

Find out the current prices for today

This price list is not a public offer. Prices may vary depending on quantity, grade, uniformity and other factors. The price is agreed upon before ordering metal removal

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Contacts

Addresses: Moscow, (metro station Rizhskaya); Moscow, (metro station Kolomenskaya); Vidnoe, Kashirskoe highway, Kashirskoe highway, 29th kilometer, vl14c1; Removal of scrap throughout Moscow and Moscow Region!