The world we live in is a connected and technologically advanced one.
From electricity to communications, and everything in between, wires help in making this connectivity possible, as well as allowing us the privilege of living in this modern era.
And as with everything else in the world, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. This holds perfectly true when it comes to the modern technological infrastructure, as much as for anything else.
Of the many things that go about behind the scenes with these wires, one of the most common things that happen, is that of the ‘stripping of the wires’, typically done with the help of wire strippers.
To begin with, a wire stripper is used for the purpose of ‘stripping a wire’. This is just another way to say that the protective layer of insulation, usually made of rubber, PVC, plastic or other such non-conducting materials. The exact purpose may be anything from laying a new electric line to routine maintenance and repairs.
Mentioned in the steps below, are the direction to properly use a wire stripper.
1. Figure out the wire that must be stripped
The first step to use the wire stripper, would be with the actual wire itself.
There are a variety of different wires to choose from, ranging from small wires for everyday connections, to thicker ones for large scale connections. While there are several differences between them, one of the most important happens to be that of the thickness of the wires, as well as the insulation around it.
It must be first figured out as to the kind of wire that must be cut, for that would determine other things like the size of the incisions, pressure, etc.
2. Determine the exact location of wire stripping
It must be first decided as to the place where the insulation would be removed on the wire, and only then start using the wire stripper.
Also, one should also check whether the insulation is to be removed from one end or both. New lines will generally require the insulation on both ends to be removed, while routine maintenance will generally need just one.
Once the spot has been decided, it is a good idea to have the same marked with a pen. Then again, this part may be skipped if the stripping of the insulation is only to be done for a certain extent and nothing more.
3. Place the wire at the cutting head of the tool
Having decided where the wire would have to be cut, place the same at the cutting head of the wire stripper.
A wire stripper will have one of two cutting shapes. One will be a flat bladed edge, while the other has a curved groove at the center.
A bladed edge cuts away everything including the wire, meaning that one will have to be careful when actually cutting the wire. Using a wire stripper with the groove will allow for one to cut away the insulation, without damaging the copper inside it.
It is always a good idea to go for a wire stripper that has a hole to allow for the copper wire to be protected, when the insulation is being cut.
4. Apply the right amount of pressure on the wire stripper
Once the wire has been placed at the cutting edge, apply pressure to make incisions into the wire’s insulation.
The exact amount of pressure will vary depending on the thickness of the wire and the material used for the insulation. Smaller wires in general are easily damaged, making it necessary to be gentle with them. Larger power cables on the other hand, have a thick layer of plastic or PVC coating on them, making it necessary to use more pressure to make the right cuts.
You will need to use less pressure in case the wire stripper happens to have a flat edge, as you may end up cutting the copper wire inside it. This is however not a concern in case of tools that have space for the copper inside it.
5. Pull away the insulation
Once the cuts have been made, the insulating surface will be freed from the rest of the wire.
All that has to be done now is to simply ‘slide’ it off the wire and that’s it. Do note that this process can be a challenge unto itself. This is because softer insulation is a lot easier to remove in comparison to the harder ones. The process is generally easy in the case of wires which are manufactured to allow for smooth removal of the insulation. It isn’t much of a problem in a lot of cases, as the insulating layer smoothly ‘slides’ free from the wire.
Also to note is that it may not always be easy to pull away harder insulating materials with a single cut. On the contrary, it may be required that one makes multiple cuts in order to fully remove it from the wire. Should the former be the case, take care that the multiple cuts are done without any harm being caused to the copper wire underneath all that insulating material.
6. Trim away any excess on the wire
This would be the last step in the process of stripping a wire.
Using the cutting head of a wire trimmer, or perhaps a scissor, remove any excess insulation or wire that may be left after the wire was stripped.
Do note that this can be avoided entirely, if the wire is stripped of its insulation in a professional way without leaving any residue behind.
In all, the directions mentioned above give a good idea of how to go about with the wire stripping process.
In addition to this, there may be other strategies and steps as well, depending on the exact wire. Depending on the make, composition of the insulation and other such factors, the exact process will certainly change.
At the same time however, the basics of it all happens to be the same, in almost all cases.
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