Conductor insulation damage

Status
Not open for further replies.
jmellc said:
Not too hard to do with flat 2 wire NM but 14-3 or 12-3 is a different story. I hate the twisting, makes it hard to find a clean path. I'd like to see all NM with wires laid straight.
Click to expand...
Regardless of how one strips NM sheath, IMO being able to score conductors, cables, cord, etc effectively with a knife is an important skill all electricians will need so might as well get good at it 🤠
 
jmellc said:
Not too hard to do with flat 2 wire NM but 14-3 or 12-3 is a different story. I hate the twisting, makes it hard to find a clean path. I'd like to see all NM with wires laid straight.
Click to expand...

Point is, it's not about the knife, it's about the operator.

I can count on one hand the number of cables I've damaged over my career and I've stripped a ton of all makes and models.

JAP>
 
electrofelon said:
Regardless of how one strips NM sheath, IMO being able to score conductors, cables, cord, etc effectively with a knife is an important skill all electricians will need so might as well get good at it 🤠
Click to expand...

That's where I differ also.

I never strip any type of SO, SJ or the like with a knife or razor.

I nibble around the outer jacket with my dikes without fully breaking through it, bend it, break it, and pull it off.

JAP>
 
electrofelon said:
Regardless of how one strips NM sheath, IMO being able to score conductors, cables, cord, etc effectively with a knife is an important skill all electricians will need so might as well get good at it 🤠
Click to expand...
When I was still fairly new in this trade I didn't have too much trouble with stripping NM cable, then was a time we were running a lot of UF cable in ag buildings. I skinned a lot of conductors on those projects at that time. Over time I got better and now hardly ever skin conductors if stripping UF cable. And I don't seem to run into UF cable all that much lately but still haven't forgotten how to do it I guess.
 
jap said:
Point is, it's not about the knife, it's about the operator.

I can count on one hand the number of cables I've damaged over my career and I've stripped a ton of all makes and models.

JAP>
Click to expand...
For sure. I got to where I rarely damaged my cables but 3 wire is still a slower process due to the twisting.
 
kwired said:
When I was still fairly new in this trade I didn't have too much trouble with stripping NM cable, then was a time we were running a lot of UF cable in ag buildings. I skinned a lot of conductors on those projects at that time. Over time I got better and now hardly ever skin conductors if stripping UF cable. And I don't seem to run into UF cable all that much lately but still haven't forgotten how to do it I guess.
Click to expand...
I usually start UF at the end, split it first by pulling the ground. Then repeat with other wires. On some UF, I can pull the others all at once, if the inner part of jacket is a bit thinner or softer.
 
Here is the knife I spoke of. One sheepsfoot blade & one with blunt tip to start at end & rip jacket into box. Worked very well with some cables.
 

Attachments

  • 1B2A1ADB-8157-4CFE-B7A1-87A68DEF7A3B.jpeg
    1B2A1ADB-8157-4CFE-B7A1-87A68DEF7A3B.jpeg
    194.7 KB · Views: 12
LarryFine said:
All of the 10/3, 12/3, and 14/3 NM cables I have seen have come with parallel conductors for years.
Click to expand...
I'm still seeing a mixture of flat vs twisted, in particular I have right now a reel of 10-3 that is flatter than it used to be but still has twisted conductors inside. Most the 14 and 12 I've has has been flat for a few years now but have occasionally had twisted.
 
Flat is more practical for us to run, twisted actually helps lessen possible RF interference or emissions though.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top