How do you strip small conductors (below #10)?

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How do you strip small conductors (below #10)?

  • Lineman pliers

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Pocket knife or electricians knife

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Combination of methods

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1
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peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
I always use T-strippers. I will occasionally use lineman's pliers if my strippers are not available at the moment.

As the saying goes, you repeat what you were taught. I was taught to use strippers and that's what works the best for me. :)
 

Minuteman

Senior Member
I believe in using the right tool for the job, so I use strippers. I can't say that I have never used my lineman's or dikes to strip with, but I can say that I have also seen the wire accidentally cut or severely nicked.

I don't hammer very much with my lineman's either. I know guys who have beaten theirs to death. Of course, I have lost several pair over the years, so, who knows what shape my lineman's would be in if I still had my first pair?
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
What is a 'small' conductor?

24 AWG? No need to strip

18 AWG? Linemens

14 AWG? Linemens

8 AWG? Utility Knife or linemens

1 AWG? Utility Knife
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
I'm with Bob, my first thought when I read the poll was define 'small conductors'. I will use wire strippers up to #10 AWG and a utility knife for sizes larger than that.
 

JES2727

Senior Member
Location
NJ
I also use wire strippers. As a side note, I'm especially fond of the kind with the curved handle.

John
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
Small conductors-anything below #10. For these sizes I think the T-strippers work the best.

Anything above #10 I use a utility knife. Nothing else works as well as a nice sharp razor blade on THHN/THWN insulation. 8)
 

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
When I put together my wife's model train layout, I used my teeth to strip the (I guess) #22 wires. :shock: I suppose I would not make it as an electrician. I'd have to learn how to strip 500 MCM without using my teeth. :lol: :lol:
 

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
charlie b said:
When I put together my wife's model train layout, I used my teeth to strip the (I guess) #22 wires. :shock:

I was going to put "teeth" as one of the choices, but then I realized it would turn the survey into a joke. :lol:
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
I don't know if anybody else likes the electricians scissors


But I have found that they work really well on phone wire and other small conductors. I takes a little while to get use to using them, but its less painful then using your teeth. I know that from experience, chipped tooth. :shock:

Chris
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
It really depends on what I'm doing....
....if I am roughing in a dwelling unit - linemans for AC/MC
D2000-9NE-CR_ICON.jpg

Klein D2000-9NE


and strippers for Romex
bc4a7220eca0e5ec43878010.L.jpg

Klein 1412



...if I am finishing/trimming a dwelling - 1412's


...if I am doing tele/data - scissors and knife (coax is another tool)
Klein scissors/knife kit #46037
B0002RI5NU.01-A3REKJCJFKDI0B._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


...which also comes in handy for MV cable splicing.

Once we get over say a #8, a knife...I have so many, I don't have a favorite :) , the fav right now is this one from Sear's:
009_94845_12115sol2-f500.jpg

..got it for $10 @ Sears.
Works real well sharpening pencils...LOL...which is what I am doing mostly right now (desk/office work)
 

JohnE

Senior Member
Location
Milford, MA
For solid conductors, always use linesman's. For large quantity of stranded use strippers, but for a few will just use linesman's. For larger conductors use old fashioned jack knife (also use this exclusively for romex.) For really large conductors use hook blade knife graciously donated by N-Grid.
 
I Never ever use Linesman pliers for stripping. I learned that method as an Apprentice in the Local. It was a lazy method used by macho guys proving they only need to carry 3 tools to be good.
Well... I Need 4 tools to be good.
Linesman pliers are not recommended for stripping insulation. Plain & simple!
Use the T stripper & be the professional you are supposed to be!
 

izak

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MO
one of my working partners uses linemens and or dikes to strip solid #12

one time we got done with a job, turned on the circuit, flipped the switches, and nothing worked.
i crawled back up into the attic, opened the jbox he spliced in, and found the wires he stripped with the IMPROPER TOOL had broken when he tied the joint. exactly where the insulation had been removed..

my father once worked for a company that handed out a new pair of t-strippers once a month. about the time you could start seeing a little score mark on the wire, they gave you a new set.
 
why anyone would use linemans pliers to strip wire is beyond me. especially solid wire. they nick the wire around the circumference and weaken the wire. only wire strippers or a knife are acceptable.
 

mulllet

Member
For the tiny stuff such as phone wire, old twin lead ect, I use my zippo.
Just heat and pulloff with fingernail. :D
 

JohnE

Senior Member
Location
Milford, MA
brian wisemiller said:
why anyone would use linemans pliers to strip wire is beyond me. especially solid wire. they nick the wire around the circumference and weaken the wire. only wire strippers or a knife are acceptable.

Please speak for yourself. I strip solid 14, 12, and 10 with linesman's. I can priomise you that conductors are never nicked. I'd invite you to spend a day with me to prove me wrong.
 
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