cutting guitar wire any suggestions

[versuviusx]

hi i need a wire stripper that will strip my wires that are soo small in diameter. i tried using an ideal automatic stripper and my wires were to small. the one i used goes from 8-18 AWG and it was just to big. any suggestions.

 

[soundguy]

simply, radio shack sells a stripper that will work just fine. There are better ones and real expensive ones but the radio shack stripper will work fine and its probably $6.

dave

 

[Scenaria]

if you hold the strippers at an angle to the wire you can actually get em to grab on the wire and strip

 

[BYacey]

Contrary to what many people deem as unacceptable, I use plain old diagonal cutters; sharp ones. I just nick the insulation with the tips and use light pressure to slide the insulation off. This technique takes some practice, but I never have to go looking for wire strippers or carry around cutters and strippers.
For shielded cable I prefer using a utility knife, like the 1 inch blade made by Olfa. I just score the jacket enough that it can be pulled of easily by hand. I have been criticised for this technique, but I have yet to nick the inner conductors or destroy the shield. For really fine wire, if you heat the insulation slightly with a lighter, alcohol lamp or whatever, you can usually just pull the insulation off with your finger nail.

 

[northsiderap]

I use the plain cutters too.

Whatever you do, don't start doing it with your front teeth. I still have a tiny little groove in my front tooth from stripping wires on a large project...

:!:

 

[AnalogPackrat]

I sometimes use an alligator clip to strip small hookup wire. Works well on most solid core stuff and doesn't nick the conductor. I learned this trick from a lab TA in college.

Analog Packrat

 

[Guest]

I use a razor blade alot... I've been without strippers too many times... Once you get the hang of the wire you're working with it can go very quickly....

 

[ToobieSnack]

I agree ...side cutters ... it'll take some practice but will become natural soon.

also: never heard of the aligator clip idea...i think it would work nice for small wires if you use the razor trick too.
I nick the wire insulation all the way around, being careful not to go all the way through..then pull off the insulation and it will rip at the weak point where you scored your insulation. a fingernail works fine for that and i guess the aligator clip may improve this idea too. i'' have to try that.
anyway hope this helps
ts

 

[BYacey]

One other hint, when using diagonals, slide the insulation off with the deep bevel of the cutters facing towards you. If you use the bevel end away from you (sliding the insulation towards the end of the wire) it tends to bunch up inside the bevel and not strip off very well.

One little side note: If the wire insulation is teflon, none of the above seems to work very well. I did some wiring in an aircraft once with teflon bonded wire, and it was just plain (no pun intended) miserable to work with. It tends to stretch, deform, anything except strip off the conductor.

 

[pucho812]

If you know how much you want to strip off. Use a razor. Just grab and fold the wire over. On the outside of the fold start acut with the razor. Work it back and forth and the cut will grow enough to be removed.

Or do what I refer to as militar tech. Use a lighter. I have a buddy who used to work in the military As a nuclear something or other I forget but he tought me that they are not allowed to use strippers on nuclear bombs/missles well anything period as nicks and shorts would be very bad in these scenarios so use a lighter. Just run it under the wire you want to cut and as the plastic starts to melt pull away. It's like using a thermal stripper...

 

[Kev]

I often use the edge of the soldering iron tip to roll a melt/cut in the plastic and then pull the end off.
yes ... plastic burning fumes and smoke

 

[ToobieSnack]

yeah kev... you reminded me of another lil trick

this is nice for those "super tiny" wires like trafo connections:

ok you hold the base of the wire and holding in gently but with some friction and you pull the wire between your fingers again and again until you have the insulation streched (but not the delicate wire) .
you will be able to feel the wire inside the insulation and judge wheter or not you have enough insulation extending past the wire structure.
you can kinda look inside it from the end and see the resulting tunnel too.
then simply cut off what over hangs
and apply heat ...(soldering iron or a lighter etc)..
the heat will shrink the wire back down and .....magically .... :shock:
there is your exposed wire ready to solder.
works pretty well...try it...you'll like it.
later
ts

 

[CJ]

What, nobody uses their teeth anymore? :grin:

Enamel? What enamel? :roll:

 

[Kev]

[quote author="CJ"]What, nobody uses their teeth anymore? [/quote]
until they fell out
yeah
:green:
(they haven't really fallen out)

 

[NewYorkDave]

I picked up the habit of stripping wires with my teeth from my father. It took me years to un-learn that. I use a wire stripper now. :green: My standbys are the Stripmaster for hook-up wire, or the good ol' combination strip/crimp pliers for shielded pair audio.

You know what works well for removing the outer jacket from guitar cable, Star-Quad and other such cables? One of these cheap things:

It also does a bang-up job on CAT-5 and JK cable jackets. I once bought a bunch of 'em at a hamfest for less than a dollar each.