ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Tools

Is anyone familiar with the "speed" tools neccessary to terminate/splice HV cables up to 25kv?

There has got to be something better than just a knife....as the 7 stiches in my hand will attest to.

Try www.ripley-tools.com

Look under "Utility-Tool"
~Peter

Hi there Celtic,
I find that a knife is one of the best tools you can own.
If it is kept razor sharp and used so that the knife always cuts away from any part of your body.
I use a pocket knife for most of the cable work I do and like anything else, it takes practice to get it right.
If a knife is kept sharp, it takes less force to effect the same result as a blunt one doing the same job.

Yes there is a special tool for HV splicing to cut thru the different layers with out going to deep, I worked in the HV trade for 25 years and I be dammed if if could tell you the brand name, I worked in the HV substations and power plants and allways had to borrow it from the lineman, which meant most of the time I would just use a new blade in my utility knife (my Special tool)and to tell you the truth if you dont use the thing daily you just fumble around with that special tool getting right anyhow, so if just doing one 3phase hook up not worth it unless you doing a very big switchgear setup

Peter...thanks !! I couldn't remember the brand name of the tool, but this is it: http://www.ripley-tools.com/tools.php?tool=BP_1A&category=Primary

*****
Trumpy,
while I agree that a knife is a great multi-putpose tool for prepping cables, under certain conditions it can be dangerous.
My conditions were as such: 20 +/- degrees, dead of night (but with work lights), well into my 16th hour that day, skipped dinner break to "hurry up and get it done", lack of sleep, etc. This combination resulted in a trip to the ER. The injury occurred while sharpening my knife...and was it sharp! The Dr. on duty commented on how it was a "nice clean cut" (thanks, doc...LOL).
The shapener i was using was a hand held model - DEFINITLEY time to get a stone, and toss the hand held model in the garbage (I'll never toss the knives).

******
The end result...terminated 12 15kv cables, meggered, hi-potted, energized, etc in under 40 hours over the course of 2 days. The customer was quite pleased and impressed I finished as scheduled (even with the jaunt to the ER)

Thanks for the speedy replies.

Egads! What have I wrought? I sent in one of those reader reply cards I found in one of those trade magazines and they sent me this little spiral bound catalog and I looked at it and it was sitting out there in the rain.
So I saw your question and thought it might give you a lead - I've been reading the Mike Hammer books - and viola!
I looked at that link you posted and couldn't make head nor tail of it but I'm glad it helped you out. I guess advertising pays off in the long run.
~Peter

Peter,
First ...LOL
Second, it was for a "banana peeler". One of the two tools I have actually seen anyone use. By Friday I hope to have it in my possession(sp?), as Saturday I will be splicing again.
Thanks again..from all ten(fingers!).