Conductor insulation damage

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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.
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 🤠
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
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.

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>
 

jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
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 🤠

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>
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
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 🤠
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.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
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>
For sure. I got to where I rarely damaged my cables but 3 wire is still a slower process due to the twisting.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
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.
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.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
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.
 

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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
All of the 10/3, 12/3, and 14/3 NM cables I have seen have come with parallel conductors for years.
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.
 
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