Stripping Insulation Off Thin Wire


Greg@mnrr

Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
The discuss about installing the operating cross-bucks and the "fun" time of stripping the insulation off the thin hookup wires, especially stranded wire, without breaking or cutting the wire brings up this question for the Forum.

What method or technique do you use to strip the insulation off thin wire? I use my finger nails and its a hit or miss situation. Never found wire strippers that could handle this task.

Please share you methods.

Thanks.

Greg
 
I've been trying to find some of this type for a long time locally (have seen people with very old ones). They have an adjustable stop to suit the wire gauge.
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Greg, ya beat me to it - I was going to start a thread on this very topic!

Both Tony's and D&J-Ken's heat-based methods seem like the most effective options. I think that, no matter how tiny a hole you might get with a stripper tool, the insulation is wrapped so tightly around the fragile wire that it just won't let go of it - it just hangs on and breaks off the whole section of wire.

Once I finish my current project, I'll try the soldering iron experiment on some 'junk' wire first and then do that on my damaged signal mast wire if it works.
 
When I was installing the Woodland Scenics LED street lights, I used a Bic lighter. Barely toughed the flame to the very end of the wire and quickly wiped the melted insulation off with my fingers. Boy, those fine wires are a pain in the butt.
 
I have had good luck using a finger nail clippers, takes a little practice, but once you get on to it, it becomes pretty consistent.
 
All of those methods will work, but in your situation I'd try melting/softening it with a soldering gun. If you try a wire stripper and the wire breaks, you're out of luck. The soldering gun trick shouldn't damage the wire. Heat it up until it's soft and runny and then pull it off (be careful to not burn your hand!)
 
wombat457 said:
The only problem I see using a soldering iron is the molten plastic sticking to the tip of it and "messing up" the iron.
Click to expand...

If you're good, you can do it without the iron ever actually touching it. If you're clumsy like me, simply burn it off once you're done (in a well ventilated area) and clean and tin your gun. It's something that should be done periodically anyway.
 
As a child I always had good luck with my teeth! Seems I could always bite just the exact amount pressure. As I got older my teeth started hurting when I did that. I have found that now I can touch the soldering iron to the end of the wire and the insulation will contract back away from the end. So I guess I'm heating it up from the inside.

You know, it also depends on what the insulation is made out of. There is some material I end up just cutting with a hobby knife. Have to cut with just enough pressure that one doesn't cut the wire strands inside. Smaller than awg 22 that gets really hard. I'll put the wire on something flat and roll it with the blade.
 
Ok, I tried the melting-with-a-solder-iron approach on my CPL signal with the broken red wire, and spliced an extension onto it:

CPL_BrokenWireResoldered.jpg


It looks and feels like a good solder joint. As to whether or not it is electrically sound - I won't have the answer to that until I get ahold of a correct-rated resistor like the one that NJ International had on there, and can test the red LEDs with a 9-volt battery. (I threw out all the old resistors because I didn't think this thing could be salvaged!:rolleyes:)
 
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Looks good Ken so don't think you'll have any electrical problems from the look of it. Isn't that the way it goes ... you get rid of things you'll "never need or use" :)
 
KeN: Don't feel bad...I have a couple of three LED signals from Tomar that I have to extent a wire or two that I broke off and are really short. A rainy day project. I'll try the soldering iron trick to loosen the insulation and then attach a new lead.

Greg
 
I still like using a Bic lighter. When I was hooking up the extremely fine wires on the W/S LED lights, it worked just fine. It is a pain trying to get the wires into the fisture, but I would twist three or even four wires together and then solder them together before inserting them. Works good so far.
 
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