Wire stripping

 

What you need to strip wire

A wire stripper is a true multitool and essentially consists of spring-loaded pliers with jaws that have notches of varying sizes. Their main function is to cut and remove the plastic insulation from solid or stranded copper wire without cutting the wire itself, so that the wire can be attached to a clamp or to another wire with a wire nut.

Many models can even cut to length the small screws used to attach outlets and switches in electrical boxes, preserving the thread of the screws.

Take a stroll through your local hardware store and you'll find both basic wire strippers and more specialized models that can also crimp terminals, strip coaxial cable, and even cut and remove excess insulation in a single operation.

Choosing a stripping tool

To choose the right wire stripper, you should know the AWG size of the cable you want to work with.

AWG numbers increase the smaller the wire gauge. Most wire strippers are designed for a specific range of wire sizes, such as 10-18 AWG for solid wire and 12-20 AWG for stranded wire.

Common household cables, known as NM cables, are usually made of AWG 14- or AWG 12-insulated copper conductors in a plastic jacket. The two-conductor wire used for light extension cords or power cords for lamps and other light equipment is often called lamp cord and is stranded rather than solid copper wire, usually of a smaller diameter of 16 or 18 AWG.

The individual strands that make up the conductors are thin and easily cut or broken. Therefore, it is important not to cut beyond the insulation when stripping.

How to strip cables

Removing the sheath and insulation

To strip NM cable, you must first remove the outer jacket to get to the conductors. This is another ingenious multi-function tool that can also be used to tighten wire connectors and twist and strip wires. You can also cut through the sheathing with a box cutter, but again, be careful not to cut into the insulation of the conductors.

Lay the cable on a flat surface and carefully cut along the length and between the conductors to expose the desired length of conductor. Pull the jacket off the conductors and cut it off. 

Insert a conductor into the appropriate notch in the jaws of the wire stripper, squeeze the handles together and pull it away from the cable.

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