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Teflon Wire...special stripper needed?

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4/17/2000 2:40 PM
Chris Hogan	Teflon Wire...special stripper needed? I thought I remember reading here a while back that a special type of wire stripper was needed for teflon insulated wire. True? If so...what is it? Thanks!

4/17/2000 3:01 PM

Chris,

I actually got special jaws for the standard multi gauge automatic strippers that you can get in electrical supply wholesalers. I thought the special jaws were well worthwhile as teflon insulation can be pretty hard, but they were 70 pounds sterling (about 100 USD).

Since the strippers were less than a quarter of this I was pretty surprised. Evidently it's because they're laser cut. I can dig you out a part number for the UK supplier if you like.

Liam

4/17/2000 5:10 PM
Don Symes	Not required, as such, just d*mned convenient - much cleaner cut. Somebody makes a multi-gauge stripper calle dteh StripMaster, which can be had in a teflon-compatible version for less than (I think) $60US. Try www.jensentools.com

4/17/2000 5:22 PM

When it comes to stripping wire, there is a best & elegant way.

Sounds like that is what Liam is doing with one of the ergonomic & productive units.

Teflon is not only a hard insulation, but it has that famous non-stick property which makes it really hard to grip, so the need for special jaws is not a surprise.

Then there is the way I'm doing it, far from the best, but I crudely use hemostats to hold the cut end lengthwise, lock them, then use the cheapest hand-held stripper/crimper that itself is very poor for ordinary wire, and hold the tool at a very steep angle. Basically only one of the sharp semicircles then cuts the teflon and bends it back, then clip that off with small wire cutters. Doesn't take much practice to get 99percent perfect results without losing any of the inner strands, and can strip as little as 1/16 or over 1inch.

When I tell my sweetheart that I'll be spending another late night with a stripper, at least I don't have to explain about it costing $100 ;-)

;-)

4/17/2000 6:05 PM

When I worked in the hi-end audio business, we used alot of the silverplated teflon coated wire for internal wiring. The improvement in sound quality is debatable (subjective ?), and it tends to be both brittle, and quite subject to tarnishing as well. We actually used a heat stripper, made specifically for this use. The wire end was inserted between two heated elements (one was a 'U' shape and one was straight), and you pressed down a lever that closed the heated elements on the wire, then you pulled the wire out, and got a wonderfully clean strip without nicking the wire at all. A very sharp conventional wire stripper will work, but you must turn the wire 1/4 turn to cut the entire insulation. You can't count on ripping the remaining jacket, if you strip only the top and bottom of the jacket. I worry about the hostile enviroments of guitar amps, plus vibration etc, as a cause for failures "normal" wire could tolerate. The most amazing wire in the world is the aerospace wiring used in airplanes. It's a silver plated copper inside, a cloth jacket, and then a vinyl "shell". Talk about a pain in the *ss to work with, but it is durable.

4/17/2000 8:41 PM

quote:
"a special type of wire stripper was needed for teflon insulated wire."

I use a sharp exacto knife to score around the wire and then pull the cut insulation off with a pair of dykes, er diagonal-cutters. With practice you can make very clean strips with no nicked strands.
RE

4/17/2000 9:54 PM
Daver	Where To Get Teflon Coated Wire? Guys, Can you tell me where to get teflon coated wire? Mouser? Digikey? Is solid core available too? Thanks! Daver

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