Stripping Stranded Wire Question

[The Monkey]

My wire stripping skills and tools (when in doubt, blame the tools) leave something to be desired. Occasionally, when I strip stranded wire, I will also kill some strands. How many strands can one safely get away with cutting while still maintaining a good signal (sorry for the layman terminology)?

 

[arspy87]

I'd set the wire stripper to a little thicker gauge to avoid pulling strands off with the insulation. Also, if you're using one of those wire strippers that has a square-ish hole, you could clip it on the wire once, then rotate it 1/8 of a turn around the wire and clip again, then pull the insulation off with it. That's what I usually do.

 

[Syzygies]

I bought a pair of good wire strippers at Fry's, intended separately for stranded and solid wire. I sometimes cheat by intentionally using the wrong one at my peril, e.g. with particularly tenacious insulation, but at least my tools recognize the issue.

 

[rickcr42]

Proper tool for the job.you can pound a nail in with a rock in a pinch and strip any wire with a cheasy wire stripper but if the end result is important enough then it comes time to use a hammer for the nail and one of these puppies for stripping :

http://tools.tycoelectronics.com/autwirstrip.html

the problem with most wire strippers is they ony have wire guage as the guide and do not take insulation thickness into account.this puppy does but at a price....

 

[RnB180]

I use a cheapo wire stripper from frys,

has holes for stranded and solid core.

as recommended already, rotate the cutter around the insulation before flicking at an angle

anyhow, if you knock off a couple of strands, dont sweat it, you wont here any sonic changes.

 

[rickcr42]

Quote:

anyhow, if you knock off a couple of strands, dont sweat it, you wont here any sonic changes.

It is not just knocked off strands you need worry about but nicked strands as well which are another weak point in the cable.
Nothing worse than having a plug or jack beome intermittant through use over time from all the flexing that a headphone cable goes through when the solution is to simply do it right from the start.

anything woth doing is worth doing right

 

[PinkFloyd]

I used to use my teeth to strip the sheath from the wire but these days I use an electricians wire stripper which is very good.

 

[Sinbios]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd I used to use my teeth to strip the sheath from the wire

When in doubt, use teeth!

I have a set of wire strippers, but I like my flush cutters much better for the job.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinbios When in doubt, use teeth! I have a set of wire strippers, but I like my flush cutters much better for the job.

Joking aside, teeth are very good tools to strip wire with.... they are sharp enough to bite through the sheath but will not damage the wire or bite clean through it. Your teeth have to be in pretty good shape and it takes a bit of practice stripping with your teeth but they make a good job of it once you get the hang of it.

Halcion days when I could snap the tops off beer bottles with my teeth and crack walnuts..... these days I can't even bite into an apple

 

[headchange4u]

I bought a set of good quality strippers for Lowes. The are made so that they will not nick stranded wire. They work very well.

If I do nick a few wires all I do is add a little extra flux to the area where the wire comes out of the jacket. That way when I tin the wire, the solder will flow down into the wire jacket just a little bit and tie all the wires together.

 

[RnB180]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickcr42 It is not just knocked off strands you need worry about but nicked strands as well which are another weak point in the cable. Nothing worse than having a plug or jack beome intermittant through use over time from all the flexing that a headphone cable goes through when the solution is to simply do it right from the start. anything woth doing is worth doing right

its always best to do it right, though IMO if you are using stradned wire there should be plenty of strands to avoid intermittancy. The wire would pretty much have to be severely damaged to cause future problems. If done right, one should have the insulation up to the very tip of the terminal, even if the resulting strip has a few knicks or strands cut short, there is still a mechanical connection and flux/solder seals everything up. there will be no intermittance since the the solder is solid and strain relief holds the wire prior to the solder location. there would never be any bending of the joint, ever. and also the insulation should butt up against the terminal, so there is absolutely no exposed wires at all other then the small amount needed for solder, excess should be snipped.



of course only if the wire is stripped within reason. and you dont take off a bunch of strands. or cut the wire halfway through and even if that, the solder would fuse to the strands and act as the conductor anyway.

just my opinion of course.

I also think if one were to build two identical cables and had half the strands knicked off one and the other stripped perfectly, while both soldered correctly. I think both cables would sound indentical and not distinguishable.

so ya, try not to knick or strip off wire. but if lack experience and accidentally do so, I wouldnt sweat it.

 

[Emon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Halcion days when I could snap the tops off beer bottles with my teeth and crack walnuts..... these days I can't even bite into an apple

I'm seeing a connection here.

Teeth are great wire strippers, but over time the copper will wear down the enamel on your teeth. Your dentist will probably notice, and you'll feel like a stupid when you tell him you were stripping wires with your incisors.

As said, proper tool for the job. But when you get good at stripping, you can strip almost any wire with plain wire cutters, without any knicking. My personal favorites are the springed, square bite kind and the cut/strip/crimp multitools (which usually have several stripping holes in the handle area).

 

[drewd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd Halcion days when I could snap the tops off beer bottles with my teeth and crack walnuts..... these days I can't even bite into an apple

Cause and effect?

 

[Garbz]

common people the proper tool is obviously a pocket knife

 

[pne]

i've always used a lighter or a torch. Heat the wire under the flame for a second, the with a quick pinching motion using your nails pull the insulation off. Don't be afraid of burning yourself or it wont work.