stripping insulation with side cutters

B

bazzel

• Sep 9, 2012

• #1

Whats the technique? Ive had a search online but havent found any tutorials. Do you score around the cable and then pull it off? Or use the ends to bite into the insulation?
Noob question,spark wannabe

 

OP

M

mayfair

• Sep 9, 2012

• #2

teeth!

 

OP

G

Guest123

• Sep 9, 2012

• #3

Gently score the insulation with the cutters then push the cutters forward from the score mark.

Getting used to your cutters and how much pressure to apply without damaging the copper conductor is the key.

 

johnboy6083

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• Sep 9, 2012

• #4

Larger cables require a knife to strip them. Wait till you start college, you will get plenty of practice then.

 

OP

G

Guest123

• Sep 9, 2012

• #5

Alternatively, until you get the feel, it may be safer to use something like this.....

 

OP

M

mayfair

• Sep 9, 2012

• #6

But watch you dont nip the palm of your hand (Near you thumb) in them bits halfway down........ouch

Lenny said:

Alternatively, until you get the feel, it may be safer to use something like this.....

Click to expand...

 

OP

A

Adam W

• Sep 9, 2012

• #7

Some sidecutters have notches in them, so you can just clip the notch around the cable and pull the insulation off.
I use cable shears, like this:

They're sharper, until someone tries cutting steel wire with them.

 

johnboy6083

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• Sep 9, 2012

• #8

I also use shears, as they're more versatile as they cut larger cables as well as smaller ones. To be honest, I don't even have a set of snips in my toolbag.

 

D Skelton

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• Sep 9, 2012

• #9

Lenny said:

Alternatively, until you get the feel, it may be safer to use something like this.....

Click to expand...

I still regularly use those! Much quicker than any other way of stripping considering you can strip at least 4 x 1mm cables or 2 x 2.5mm cables at once.

From 10mm up I use these for both cutting and stripping:

To the OP, like others have said, practice makes perfect, and the art is not to damage the copper conductor when you score the cable. My advice would be to get a pair of snips and a few meters of T+E and just get practicing.

 

E

ExArmy

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• Sep 9, 2012

• #10

johnboy6083 said:

Larger cables require a knife to strip them. Wait till you start college, you will get plenty of practice then.

Click to expand...

i wouldn't count on it! mostly health and safety in the classroom nowadays

 

OP

D

Deleted member 26818

• Sep 9, 2012

• #11

It's not really an accepted method to use side cutters to remove insulation.
You have to be very carefull that the cutters do not score into the conductor.
Scoring the conductor in many cases will not make any difference, although in some cases it reduces the CCC of the conductor which can lead to overheating and eventual failure.
Especially if the conductor is working close to or at it's CCC.
There's also the fact that scoring the conductor weakens it, and vibration (perhaps due to heavy traffic) can cause the conductor to fail.
The croppers shown in post 7 are probably the best and easiest to use if using any.

 

OP

J

Johnny-G

• Sep 9, 2012

• #12

D Skelton said:

I still regularly use those! Much quicker than any other way of stripping considering you can strip at least 4 x 1mm cables or 2 x 2.5mm cables at once.

Click to expand...

I use them too, it takes literally seconds to cut cables to length, remove the sheathing then strip the cores, brilliant things.
For more precise stuff I use these - C.K 39071 RedLine VDE Combicutter3MAX 180mm: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools
And for larger CSA's I use one of these - CK Electricians Lock Knife 95mm : Tooled-Up.com
Man likes knife.

 

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A

Andrew Cade

• Sep 9, 2012

• #13

I use side cutters. Apply gentle pressure around the cable and you can feel it bite the copper, Remove some pressure and use the thumb you are holding the cable to push the cutters away.

On bigger stuff I tend to use a knife to score.

 

E

ExArmy

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• Sep 9, 2012

• #14

spinlondon said:

It's not really an accepted method to use side cutters to remove insulation.

Click to expand...

but 95% of electricians do it?

 

OP

B

Bobster

• Sep 9, 2012

• #15

Knife, side cutters, pliars, Stanley knife. Whatever is at hand. Practice makes perfect.