Wire stripping tool: dielectric stripping methods and work recommendations

Living comfortably in a home and a sustainable production process are similar in one thing: they require a stable power supply. For this, there are various systems for delivering electrical energy to the consumer. For successful operation, each connection requires a reliable contact, which is achieved by high-quality stripping and pulling of the conductors. For large volumes of work, a tool is used to remove insulation from wires.

Dielectric Removal Methods

In electrical installation, working with radio equipment and electronics, such a process as exposing a cable core cannot be avoided. It is produced mechanically, without focusing on the technique, in the following ways:

• Heating the stripping site to the melting point of the vinyl shell. This is done with a sting of a heated soldering iron, a lighter, a specially made device with a thread made of a refractory metal, for example, nichrome. Not the most pleasant method because of the pungent smell. And there is also a plaque on the spade, reminding of this process for weeks. It is better to use this method not on wires of small thickness and quantity.
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• The mechanical method relies on the contact of the pointed planes and the insulating coating. The simplest option is to use a knife. A regular cutter is used, or purchase a special cutter.

Due to the fact that cable products are produced with two types of cores, each has its own type of wire stripper:

• The round blade assembly knife is used to cut round wires. The sharpened round cuts into the shell and cuts through it with light sliding without damaging the metal.
• The flat cable cutter has a hook-shaped recess at the tip. It pries off the insulation layer, and due to the sharp sharpening, resting on the core with the blunt end, rips the tube without touching the live part.

The use of these devices requires only skill when working with piercing and cutting objects and should be performed on a rigid base, but not on the knee. Torn off by accident, the point can leave a deep cut.

Many people make their own knives from a hacksaw blade. The correct angle of the sharpened part and a reliable handle are important here.

Professional stripping methods

These tools are characterized by two methods of stripping insulation. In a breaking action, the force is directed horizontally between two fixed points.

The cutting technique consists in cutting the shell in a circle and pulling it off the core. Both of these methods are combined in professional cable stripping tools.

They are divided into three groups:

• manual;
• automatic;
• semi-automatic.

In addition to this division, there is a classification by type of instrument:

• Wire stripping pliers are adjusted for different wire cross-sections with an adjusting screw. They are used in confined spaces.
• For cables with round conductors, the use of special pliers is recommended. They have an unusual design: a cylindrical split body with built-in cutters. A wire is inserted into its middle, clamped, rotated around its axis and pulled off with the remains of an insulating tube.
• The pliers for cutting off the dielectric layer are distinguished by various functions. For opening cables of large cross-section, there are special machines with two shafts. One of them is supporting and fixed, a cable is laid on it. The clamp is completed with a cutter that rips open the shell and armor. This whole structure is driven by an electric motor.

Stripper capabilities

It is the most common cable stripping tool and comes in a variety of modifications.

With its help, without any extra effort, the following are cleaned:

• Separate vein.
• Twisted pair of network cable.
• Coaxial cords.
• Fiber optic wire.

Hand tools

To use such a device, a number of manipulations are performed. Hence the second name - a mechanical stripper for stripping wire insulation. It has an external resemblance to pliers: the same two handles with a dielectric and sponges. Only these planes have special pointed grooves, calibrated for the standard cross-section of cables of different sizes.

The pressing power is limited by the force of the user's hands, therefore the maximum area of ​​the core is limited, as a rule, to six square millimeters. The tool is quite versatile. Many varieties represent a whole harvester. Here and crimping tips, cutting wire, as well as small fasteners, making ring contacts.

The algorithm for using a stripper for stripping wires is simple:

• Insert the core according to the cross-section and the desired length of the exposed part.
• Press down on the biting handles.
• Rotate in a circle.
• Remove the instrument along with the vinyl tube.

The main requirement is the correct choice of the hole. Otherwise, the core will be damaged or the dielectric layer will not be cut.

Device - semi-automatic

For a large volume of work, it is more convenient to use this device. In appearance, such a stripper resembles a mechanical modification, only a little more complicated. To remove the insulation, nothing is required except placing the conductor in the desired socket and pressing the handles.

The peculiarity of the semi-automatic equipment consists in fixing the length of the strip to be cleaned. This is convenient for a large number of connections of the same type, for example, in control cabinets or relay protection.

Automatic device

Like the entire family of similar accessories, this stripper has the same shape as other modifications. But here the user is freed from the need to select the right socket for the wire. The tool itself determines the strength of the impact on the insulation. This device is able to remove not only the protection from the cable core, but also the primary sheath of both round and flat cross-section.

As with most of these devices, the automatic stripper performs many actions associated with manipulating cable products.

Recommendations for work

In order to avoid additional problems when performing this type of electrical installation, there is some helpful tips:

• When working with a coaxial cable, you must first remove the top protection with a soldering iron. Then remove the copper shield until the second dielectric layer appears. This step is best done with a knife.
• A wire of small cross-section (0.2 square millimeters or less) is more efficient to clean with a soldering iron or knife. It is also necessary to do the same with a dielectric made of paper.
• The enamel coating is removed with sandpaper.
• If the cable is not stripped from the edge, then the use of strippers is not possible. It remains to resort again to the help of a knife.

What equipment to choose

It is difficult to surprise someone with a technical novelty these days. Equipment of all kinds, prices and quality is being sold at every step. So it is with an electrical tool. The assortment is huge. If you need a stripper for several operations, there is no point in looking at expensive models. A simple tool for 200-400 rubles will do. For a better and better equipped device, you will have to pay from a thousand to one and a half thousand rubles.

A professional model with knives made of good steel, excellent sharpening and proven insulation is unlikely to be bought for less than 2,500 rubles. In this case, there is no need to rush. It is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, consult with experts. Only in this case it is possible to buy such a rather expensive tool without sacrificing quality and wallet.