ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Sidecutters as Strippers

Gunther,

If you want to see production wireman, not electricians work, then you will see why they call them hatchet men. They cut the cable with a hatchet, strip down the covering with a hatchet, and then strip the wires with the hatchet.

My son just started his first year, and his first class, he was told to use the proper tools for the job.

Les

Gunther,

If you want to see production wireman, not electricians work, then you will see why they call them hatchet men. They cut the cable with a hatchet, strip down the covering with a hatchet, and then strip the wires with the hatchet.

My son just started his first year, and his first class, he was told to use the proper tools for the job.


Les

I have used strippers since day one.
I have had supervisors say it was slow.
I tried once to use my Kleins, and damaged the wire.
I wonder how may damaged wires are out there, caused by people 'practising' to use the wrong tool for the job.

I've used sidecutters as strippers before, but I almost always use a klein version of a t-stripper now. the problem with sidecutters (for me anyway!) is that I someimes nick the wire and a lot of the work I do now already has short leads from past electricians.

I think that people who use lineman's pliers for wire strippers are fooling themselves into thinking they're skilled enough to keep from nicking the copper.

Cut the insulation off with them and then look closely at the wire. It's got a groove in it. That's not the best way to go.

No matter how gentle a guy thinks he is, no matter how skilled, one side of the cutter gets through the plastic insulation before the other side. The first side is in the copper, and has to stay in the copper until the other side cuts through the plastic.

It's better to use the right tool. Some electricians seem to think that the best way to work is to keep the least number of tools and weight on their body as possible. If that's the goal, they've achieved it.

Look at the wire, see if there's a groove after you cut it with lineman's. Don't just assume there's no groove and brag. Look at it. You'll see that you're not as good as you think you are.

Now go pound a post in the ground with your lineman's pliers, then adjust your motorcycle chain with them, then eat your breakfast with them. A good electrician can do all of those things, right?

I can't believe what some people will tell themselves. It won't burn every building down to strip wire with lineman's pliers, but the fact remains that it scores the copper and that creates resistance and heat, even a small amount. People who strip with lineman's won't ever change, but are spreading shadetree techniques to tell people to do it the primitive way. Laziness is all it is. Anybody telling me to strip with lineman's probably works on their car and motorcycle with Channellocks. They've probably never owned a set of sockets or wrenches. Everything is probably done with crescent wrenches and pliers, lineman's and Channellocks.

Spark Master,
Now that's just being silly.
Never assume that people are all the same in basic technique.
I've just had a go at stripping(with my Kliens, using my usual method) a couple of pieces of 1.5mm2 and 2.5mm2 Conduit wire (which has a harder sheath) and there is no way that there are any nicks, gouges or so forth.
After all, you are(or should be) only clenching hard enough to break the surface of the insulation, not going through it into the copper.
Stripping wire takes brains, not muscles.

we use these ones



on the top, you can adjust how thick your insulation is. if you don't know, better set to thinner first, this will reduce the Strenght. With this tool, you can strip AWG 30 to AWG 9 stranded or solid, without any damage to the conductor. Great quality tool, i've seen they are over 100$ in the US , here you get a new one for $40 on ebay-

What about the sub-standard crimper's you get built in to some of these strippers.I have strippers in my pouch and use them when they are around for stripping and won't get off the ladder to get them.I will however walk a mile to go get a pair of real crimper's when it comes to putting on stake-ons.Just me i guess.

Speak for yourself sparkmaster flicker.

The only way I can see somebody not scoring the wire is if they only score the plastic most of the way through, then push the insulation off the wire, putting the scored plastic under enough tensile load to break the insulation at the score line.

That is too much work - could lead to repetitive motion injuries. Pushing the insulation off the wire when it's cut all the way through requires considerable effort, but it requires even more effort if the plastic isn't cut all the way.

Cutting all the way through will make a score line on one side at least.

Just my ignorant opinion!

Now if you don't mind, I have to go change my spark plugs with my lineman's pliers.