Author Topic: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper  (Read 7755 times)

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Offline made2hackTopic starter

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electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« on: October 29, 2016, 08:24:53 am »
Hello all,

I'm looking for a wire stripper but not one for the actual conductors. I have a wire stripper for a conductor.

I'm looking for a tool to strip the outer PVC sheath or insulation before getting to the individually insulated conductors.

Is an electrician's pocket knife still the way to go? Or is there something better? What should I search for?

Something similar?

What about this Jokari Tool? Does it do what I'm looking for?
Thanks

Offline P90

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2016, 10:34:38 am »
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2016, 01:32:52 pm »
With a knife like that I assume you're stripping lengthwise (if not, disregard - I scrap a lot of copper).  One of these has earned me a few thousand bucks over the years. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Pipe-Brake-Double-Flaring-Tool-Set-Kit-Aluminium-Copper-Tubing-Brakes-/252030027202?hash=item3aae2905c2:g:gDUAAOSwHnFVqRUU (get the type with wing-nuts for easy tool-less blade adjustments).

Stick it in a bench vice, plop your pile of old pvc cable down behind the vice and pull the cable through allow a common utility blade to slit down the PVC (for a bigger pile of heavy gauge cable, I get one of my son's to help guide the cable through).

Sometimes at $3 a pound, sending "bare-bright" copper in 5 gallon pails to a recycler can pay-off a few bills!
« Last Edit: October 29, 2016, 05:05:28 pm by Cliff Matthews »
 

Offline ZeTeX

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2016, 03:08:22 pm »
Do you mean this black insulation?

if yes, one of those automatic wire strippers:

Do a great job at stripping the outer insulation.
 


Offline made2hackTopic starter

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2016, 09:14:11 pm »
Yes, I do mean the black insulation. I have the exact tool you pictured that I strip the inside wires, but how do I use it for the outside?

Do you mean this black insulation?

if yes, one of those automatic wire strippers:

Do a great job at stripping the outer insulation.

Offline made2hackTopic starter

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2016, 09:18:03 pm »
You must strip lots of copper!

I am looking more fro something to use as a tool when I occasionally need to strip some wire. Although,, if I found a cheap (read free) source of used copper wiring, I would definitely look at something like that.

With a knife like that I assume you're stripping lengthwise (if not, disregard - I scrap a lot of copper).  One of these has earned me a few thousand bucks over the years. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-Pipe-Brake-Double-Flaring-Tool-Set-Kit-Aluminium-Copper-Tubing-Brakes-/252030027202?hash=item3aae2905c2:g:gDUAAOSwHnFVqRUU (get the type with wing-nuts for easy tool-less blade adjustments).

Stick it in a bench vice, plop your pile of old pvc cable down behind the vice and pull the cable through allow a common utility blade to slit down the PVC (for a bigger pile of heavy gauge cable, I get one of my son's to help guide the cable through).

Sometimes at $3 a pound, sending "bare-bright" copper in 5 gallon pails to a recycler can pay-off a few bills!

Offline kao

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2016, 09:34:17 pm »
Jokari N15.
Video (russian language):

 

Offline Delta

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2016, 11:05:27 pm »
Shoved in with my VDE toolkit is a small kitchen knife, I never go to a job without it!  It has small serrations along the blade.  The beauty of the serrations is that you can apply very little downwards force, just run the blade back and forth, as you get close to hitting the conductors, slow right down.  It won't just unless you move it.  It is the best knife I have used for getting through the outer sheath* on a cable without knicking the insulation on the cores.   :-+

<pedantic electrician>
The outer of a cable is called the sheath, not insulation.  ;)
</pedantic electrician>
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2016, 02:04:07 am »
The best strippers for cable jackets that I've ever used are this type:



There's a depth adjustable blade. You put the cable to be stripped into the sprung sliding V shaped channel and rotate the cutter once around the cable. You then press a button on the side of the stripper that rotates the blade though 90 degrees so that it is now set to cut along the length off the cable. You then just pull the stripper off the cable towards the free end and you have the insulation floating free and ready to be easily pulled off the cable.

Once it's adjusted to the right depth you can strip a cable end in literally one or two seconds. I've used nothing else that is easier, faster or more precise. Expect to pay around £20 GBP or equivalent.
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 
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Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2016, 02:30:03 am »
Looks interesting. like the Jonard Tools: CST-1900 or this one:

But the edges look like they could be chamfered more so they don't drag on soft PVC.
 

Offline Delta

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2016, 02:41:55 am »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2016, 02:48:21 am »
Looks interesting. like the Jonard Tools: CST-1900 or this one:
But the edges look like they could be chamfered more so they don't drag on soft PVC.

Yeah, it's a standard style manufactured by a bunch of people, I just grabbed the first photo I could find. I've never had a problem with one dragging or grabbing the cable but that's not to say it couldn't happen with a cheap one. Best bet, as always with tools, is to go with 'reassuringly expensive' as long as you have enough smarts to not be the kind of person who's described as "Oh, they saw you coming"..
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline Cerebus

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #13 on: October 30, 2016, 02:54:17 am »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...

I've always found that the little triangular fillet that's left between individual flex cores snaps out easily so there's no need to set the blade too deep. Also, I now know what to call it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Rabbi" - "Here John? Bris the end of that flex for me will ya?".
Anybody got a syringe I can use to squeeze the magic smoke back into this?
 

Offline P90

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #14 on: October 30, 2016, 03:10:26 am »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...

I've always found that the little triangular fillet that's left between individual flex cores snaps out easily so there's no need to set the blade too deep. Also, I now know what to call it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Rabbi" - "Here John? Bris the end of that flex for me will ya?".

I thought it was called the "MoyleMaster"  lol
 

Offline Cliff Matthews

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2016, 03:33:09 am »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...

I've always found that the little triangular fillet that's left between individual flex cores snaps out easily so there's no need to set the blade too deep. Also, I now know what to call it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Rabbi" - "Here John? Bris the end of that flex for me will ya?".

I thought it was called the "MoyleMaster"  lol
On this side of the pond, we might call it a Bobbitt tool. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_and_Lorena_Bobbitt
 

Offline radar_macgyver

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #16 on: October 30, 2016, 04:28:38 am »
For type SJT/SVT cable, the best results I've had are with a Wiha cable stripping tool:

http://www.wihatools.com/tech-tools/stripping-tools/precision-adjustable-stripping-tool

I use my thumb to keep the tool from cutting a spiral instead of a circle.
 

Offline cs.dk

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #17 on: October 30, 2016, 07:05:22 am »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...

I agree.. I almost use them on 12 to 80 core machinecable.

This one however is quite good for standard 2 or 3 core 0,75/1,5 mm2 and similar "household" cable. It works great on those small 4 core sensorcables to.
https://www.amazon.com/Platinum-Tools-15010-Cyclops-Stripper/dp/B000BY8BY2
 

Offline made2hackTopic starter

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #18 on: October 30, 2016, 06:13:43 pm »
Thanks everyone, I think I'm gonna try with something along the lines of what Jokari has on offering since TME carries some and maybe try a pocket knife as well.

Although you've all given me quite a few ideas now that I know what to search for.

Offline made2hackTopic starter

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #19 on: October 30, 2016, 06:21:45 pm »
watching the Russian video with auto generated CC and auto-translate on was brilliant.

there was "Sex, sex" and Mugabe at the Oscars, I think!!!

Still don't know which he preferred but it doesn't matter!

Offline P90

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #20 on: October 30, 2016, 10:54:33 pm »
watching the Russian video with auto generated CC and auto-translate on was brilliant.

there was "Sex, sex" and Mugabe at the Oscars, I think!!!

Still don't know which he preferred but it doesn't matter!

LOL. :) ?:)
 

Offline kao

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #21 on: November 05, 2016, 07:33:58 pm »
watching the Russian video with auto generated CC and auto-translate on was brilliant.

there was "Sex, sex" and Mugabe at the Oscars, I think!!!

Still don't know which he preferred but it doesn't matter!

I would choose Jokari N15.

For PVC shell, not tightly to the wire, I would choose Knipex 9855:



Attention! The blade is very sharp and the risk of damage to the hand.

P.S. Sorry for my english.

 

Offline ZeTeX

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Re: electrician's tool - pvc insulation stripper
« Reply #22 on: November 10, 2016, 04:39:37 pm »
Those "circumcision" tools are excellent on armoured or braided cable, but for standard flex they aren't too good, due to the differing sheath depths around the cross-section of the cable...

I've always found that the little triangular fillet that's left between individual flex cores snaps out easily so there's no need to set the blade too deep. Also, I now know what to call it. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Rabbi" - "Here John? Bris the end of that flex for me will ya?".
I thought it was called the "MoyleMaster"  lol
On this side of the pond, we might call it a Bobbitt tool. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_and_Lorena_Bobbitt
What. The. Fuck.
The pain, I can't even.. fuck.
 


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