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The best specialty tools and DIY wire stripper solutions
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Whether you’re working on a home electrical project or removing the metal to sell scrap, wire stripping is really simple, and there are quite a few different tools you can use to do it. Keep reading to learn how to use standard wire strippers and other specialty tools, a utility knife , or even scissors to strip wire insulation without any hassle.
How to Strip Wire
If you don’t have a wire stripper, use a utility knife, scissors, or lineman’s pliers. Grip the wire between the blades (scissors or pliers) or against a flat surface (utility knife) and score the insulation all the way around. Bend the wire back and forth to separate the insulation, then slide the insulation off the wire.
Steps
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Fit the wire into the notch on the wire stripper with the matching gauge. Check your wire’s gauge by looking for the American wire gauge (AWG) number on the insulation. Once you find the gauge, locate the corresponding notch along the jaws of your wire strippers and place the wire inside. According to electrician Ricardo Mitchell, “you have to use the correct measurements. If you see an AWG number of 12, then on the stripper, you have to put the wire in the number 12 slot so that you have a perfectly stripped wire when you’re done.” [1] X Expert Source Ricardo Mitchell
Electrician Expert Interview- If you don’t know the wire’s gauge or if your tool isn’t labeled, place the wire in each notch to find where it fits the most snugly.
- Wire strippers have set gauges they’re compatible with. If none of the notches work for your wire, then use a different stripping method.
- A standard wire stripper usually works for wires between 10 and 22 AWG, although specialty sizes are available for smaller wires.
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Squeeze the wire stripper’s handles gently. Try to use just enough pressure until you feel the jaws cut into the insulation. Avoid squeezing too hard so you don’t damage the wire beneath the insulation, or else it will be unsuitable for an electrical project. [2] X Research source
- If you’re using the notch with the right gauge, the stripper will cut through the insulation without doing any damage to the metal underneath.
- If you’re using a notch that is too small, you may cut into the wire by accident.
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Spin the stripper around the wire to fully cut the insulation. After you’ve closed the jaws around the wire, use the wire stripper by carefully rotating the tool around the wire. This ensures the tool has cut through the entire circumference of the insulation. [3] X Research source
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Slide the stripper off the wire to pull off the insulation. Keep the tool’s jaws closed as you slide it off the wire to remove the insulation from the tip. Pull the tool toward the short end of the wire to expose the metal conductors underneath the insulation. [4] X Research source
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Insert the wire between the jaws of the self-adjusting wire stripper . Self-adjusting wire strippers work with multiple wire gauges without having to change positions or settings. Guide the wire between the jaws at the end of the stripper, starting on the side with the crimped teeth. Position the length of wire you want to strip the insulation on the other side of the teeth. [5] X Research source
- Typically, self-adjusting wire strippers work for wires between 10–24 AWG, but it may vary between tools.
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Adjust the length limiter to remove a fixed length of insulation. The length limiter is a plastic piece that stops the end of the wire at a specific length. If you’re stripping wires to connect electronics, set the length limiter down so you don’t accidentally remove too much insulation. [6] X Research source
- Flip the length limiter up and out of the way if you need to strip a longer piece of wire.
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Squeeze the handles together to cut and strip the wire’s insulation. Gently squeeze the handles so the teeth grip onto the wire’s insulation and automatically adjust to the right gauge. Keep bringing the handles together so the blades dig into the insulation and pull it apart, eventually pushing the excess insulation off the end of the wire. Toss the excess insulation in the trash when you’re finished. [7] X Research source
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4Use self-adjusting strippers to strip the middle of a wire, too. While most wires only need to be stripped toward the ends, sometimes, you have to expose some wire further down. To do this, feed your wire through the tool’s jaws until you reach the point you need to strip, then squeeze the handles slowly but firmly to separate the insulation. [8] X Research source
- Most insulation is soft and malleable enough to be pushed to the side without having to remove it from the wire altogether.
- Alternatively, score the insulation all the way around the wire with a utility knife or scissors around the segment you need to remove. Then, slice the insulation lengthwise to peel it off the wire. (This works best with fairly large or thick wires, as you might damage thinner wires.)
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Rest the utility knife’s blade on the wire’s insulation. Place the wire on a flat, sturdy work surface. Use one hand to hold the utility knife against the end of the wire where you want to strip the insulation. Don’t do any cutting just yet, but let the knife rest on the exact spot you want to cut. [9] X Research source
- For most electrical projects, remove 1 inch (2.5 cm) of insulation from the end of the wire.
- A utility knife is a great tool to use if you don’t have a wire stripper.
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Roll the wire under the blade to score the insulation. Keep holding the knife steady with one hand. With your other hand, spin the wire so the blade cuts into the insulation all the way around and makes a score that’s easier to break. [10] X Research source
- Avoid pressing down too hard with the knife, or you could slice through the insulation and nick the metal conductors.
- It might take some practice before you can apply the correct amount of pressure, so try out this technique on scrap wires first.
- If you’re stripping wires to sell the scrap metal , lay the wire flat on your work surface. Slice along the length of the wire with your knife to flay the insulation open. Because you’re scrapping the metal, it doesn't matter if you accidentally nick or damage it with the knife. [11] X Research source
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Bend the wire at the scored line to break off the insulation. After scoring all the way around the insulation sheathing, bend the tip of the wire up and down to break through the score completely. Once you’ve broken the insulation at the scored line, slide it off the tip of the wire. [12] X Research source
- Carefully scoring and bending the wire is useful if you want to reuse the wire in an electrical project.
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Pinch the wire between the blades of your scissors. Any sharp pair of scissors will work for stripping your wire. Open the scissors and place the wire between the blades. Gently squeeze the handles together so they bite into the wire’s insulation. [13] X Research source
- Electrician’s scissors have built-in notches like wire strippers to remove insulation from wire.
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Twist the wire to slice through the insulation. While the wire is pinched in the blades, spin the wire between your fingers. Keep squeezing the scissors’ handles so the blades slice through the insulation as you rotate the wire. [14] X Research source
- Avoid squeezing the blades so tight that you cut through the wire or nick the metal inside.
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Slide the insulation off the end of the wire. Once you finish slicing through the insulation, it will easily slide off the wire. Hold onto the loose piece of insulation and slide it toward the end to completely remove it from the wire. [15] X Research source
- If the insulation is stuck, keep squeezing the scissors around the wire. Pull the blades toward the end of the wire to help force the insulation off.
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Pinch the wire between the stripping blades on your lineman’s pliers . Lineman’s pliers have blades built into the side of the jaws so you can easily grip and strip wires without switching tools. Open the jaws of your pliers and set the wire near the base between the blades. Gently squeeze the handles together until you feel the pliers dig into the wire’s insulation. [16] X Research source
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Rotate the pliers around the wire to cut through the insulation. Loosen your grip on the handles slightly so the pliers’ blades aren’t digging as deeply into the insulation. Turn the pliers so the blades are on an uncut portion of the wire and gently squeeze the handles together again to make another cut. Continue rotating the pliers until you cut around the insulation completely. [17] X Research source
- Be careful not to squeeze so hard that it digs into the metal, or else you may damage the conductors.
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Move the pliers towards the end of the wire to strip the insulation. Hold the wire firmly in one hand, and firmly squeeze the pliers with your other. Pull the pliers toward the end of the wire so the insulation slides off and the metal is exposed. [18] X Research source
- Toss the wire insulation in the trash after you remove it.
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Insert the wire between the wire wrap tool ’s blades. Wire wrap tools are normally used to coil wires around electrical components, but they also have stripping blades for smaller gauges. Look for the hole with the stripping blades in the middle of the tool’s body. Slide the wire through the main hole until the length you want to strip pokes through the other side. [19] X Research source
- The compatible wire gauges are listed on the side of the wire wrap tool and typically range between 22–30 AWG.
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Guide the wire into the slot so it fits snugly. Look for the straight, narrow slot on one side of the hole. Hold onto the wire on both sides of the tool and slowly pull it into the slot. The wire will fit snugly in the slot, and the blades will cut into the insulation. [20] X Research source
- If the wire easily slides out of the slot, then the wire’s gauge is too small for the blades. Use a wrapping tool that matches the gauge of your wire.
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Pull the wire straight out from the tool to remove the insulation. Firmly hold onto the wire with one hand and the wire wrap tool in the other. Simply pull the wire through the slot so the blades cut through the rubber or plastic insulation and strip it off of the metal. [21] X Research source
- If you have trouble stripping the insulation off the wire, try twisting the wire wrap tool around the wire before pulling it.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do I properly use wire strippers to remove insulation?Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Lead EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Certified construction company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full home renovation, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, furniture restoration, OATH/ECB (Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings/Environmental Control Board) violations removal, and DOB (Department of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over 10 years of electrical and construction experience and his partners have over 30 years of relevant experience.If you know the gauge of your wire, be sure to match it to the notch with the same number on the pair of strippers so you don't damage the metal.
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Tips
- You don’t have to strip wires to recycle them, but you’re likely to get a higher payout for clean, uninsulated wires (especially for thick, high-grade wire).Thanks
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Warnings
- Work in a well-lit area when handling sharp tools so you can see what you’re doing and prevent injuries.Thanks
- Wear work gloves when using sharp tools for extra protection.Thanks
- Always inspect the wire after stripping it and avoid using any damaged ones for your electrical projects.Thanks
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References
- ↑ Ricardo Mitchell. Electrician. Expert Interview
- ↑ https://youtu.be/fDo-KbKRd4A?t=91
- ↑ https://youtu.be/N__OLJvq2HE?t=486
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Ry7w5Fm5iQo?t=130
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZwUgMQOGh0&t=76s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4xQ2IVNxOI&t=23s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJQio2EqkOs&t=92s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/GJQio2EqkOs?t=103
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFAmhZ3o7dM&t=45s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLbUlOe-3E&t=62s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiYUZDm8-q0&t=52s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/1zLbUlOe-3E?t=74
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-strip-wire/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-strip-wire/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-strip-wire/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-2gchJfynE&t=82s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Hm6IRH54s&t=398s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mvzrfvJZBKk?t=88
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRqUccPacKY&t=7s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLt6a6_Rm20&t=83s
- ↑ http://www.ee.nmt.edu/~elosery/fall_2008/ee231L/wirewrapping.pdf
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you need to strip the ends off of a wire, place the wire into the appropriately-sized notch in a pair of wire strippers. Gently close the wire strippers around the insulation about 1 inch from the end of the wire. Squeeze the handles just enough to cut into the insulation and spin the tool in a circle so you make a cut all the way around the wire. Then, without easing your grip, pull the wire strippers sharply down to the end of the wire. The insulation should come free without damaging the wire. If you do accidentally cut into the wire, snip off that portion and start over. To learn how to strip wire for scrap, read on!
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