[nleahcim]

Howdy folks - I need to repair a headphone cable. I haven't cut it open yet - but I suspect it'll be the standard stranded enamel coated wire that is awful to work with.

Couple questions:

Is there a standard for what colors are what?

Are there any good methods for removing the enamel coating? I remember trying sandpaper, and that just tore up the strands. Then I tried just melting solder on it and leaving the moltent solder on the coating for a while - and that worked OK. Lastly I remember burning the enamel with a match - but my memory is that that left the strands really brittle. Maybe there are chemicals that will remove the enamel without messing anything else up? Ideas?

Thanks folks!

 

[nullstring]

Just use a multimeter to figure out which color is which.

for the enamel issue:
How do you remove the enamel from enamel coated magnet wire? - Yahoo! Answers

 

[Fred_fred2004]

JUst use a hot iron and a puddle of solder the enamel just melts off