SWA, hacksaw or cutters?.

[GrannySmiff]

Quick question do you use hacksaw or cutters like in this diy wiki Terminating SWA - DIYWiki I was taught to use hacksaw as cutters does something bad but can't remember what the something bad was.

I think I could do a neater job with cutters?.

 

[Des 56]

Are the posts refering to cutting through the armourings ?
I expect I must be reading the posts wrong

The hacksaw to scour the armourings,then strip off the outer insulation and bend them off,they will break clean, then strip back the required insulation for the gland
That method shown is a load of nonesense,ringing the inner insulation and twisting it off
Some inner cable cores that are found would need a JCB puling at it,for it to strip

Using cutters to remove armourings is not a particularly good idea at all

 

[telectrix]

agreed, with cutters/snips you get curled up ends which are a pig when you try and gland it

 

[AlanWirral]

Hack and Stan over here too! Although I have thought about a regular pipe cutter but never tried it.

 

[High Tower]

Hack and Stan over here too! Although I have thought about a regular pipe cutter but never tried it.

I had that thought but not willing to destroy the blade in my rothenberger pipe cutter to find out

 

[Max Clayton]

Hacksaw/stanley

 

[Lucas]

Depends on the armoured size. Anything below 6mm I use the blade runner. Perfect termianation every time and It's reasonably fast too use

 

[cagedanimal2010]

Hacksaw and stanley never goes wrong! :-D

 

[J@mes]

Tried it with cutters once when terminating a 50mm 4C, never again. Might a right sodding mess and was a pain in the **** to get the gland on!

 

[GrannySmiff]

its a unanimous vote for the hacksaw not cutters but I still think I shall learn the hard way and try it myself with the cutters just to see, just don't tell the boss.

 

[mogga]

aparet from the cutting issue the glanding into a 2g box probably wouldnt be able to fit a socket best to use bush and coupling to reduce the encroaching into the box

 

[telectrix]

use your cutters for cutting ends off, stripping, tightening ridiculous small nuts for which you don't have a spanner to fit. pinching apprentices,for armour, use hacksaw.

 

[john46]

hacksaw for big SWA and junior for smaller SWA

 

[Jurassic Sparks]

I was taught to wrap a turn of electrical tape round, that way as you use the hacksaw it follows a straight line and then you cut the outer sheath on the other side of the tape and this gives the correct lenght for making it off
mind i can still mess it up

 

[Marty48]

Have to agree that the hacksaw is better than using "snips". Was always the way I used to do it. Think thats how its taught in Colleges as well.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Hacksaw and stanley with a jubilee clip. Before you start on the armour slide a jubilee clip over it and tighten it about 20mm above where you trimed the outer pvc. When you score around the armour with you hacksaw you follow the top of the jubilee clip, bend against the clip and after you take it off all strands are the same length, perfect for glanding.