Suggestion for wire stripper for small gauges

[Electro Fan]

Search on Amazon for Tubtap stripper.  Might be 2 models under $20.  Spec’d to 32 AWG.

[PlainName]

Seem to be a badge of the one I posted earlier (or vice versa, but most likely both are badges of something else). There's a more expensive (but a very small amount) one with adjustment but on the UK Amazon site the reviews are entirely Vine ones, a couple of which obviously haven't a clue why these might be useful, and even then it gets only 4.7 stars!

[wraper]

Seem to be a badge of the one I posted earlier (or vice versa, but most likely both are badges of something else). There's a more expensive (but a very small amount) one with adjustment but on the UK Amazon site the reviews are entirely Vine ones, a couple of which obviously haven't a clue why these might be useful, and even then it gets only 4.7 stars!

Shameless copy of Multistrip 10. Many reviews that they fall apart after barely any job done.

[shabaz]

There's no one-size-fits-all unfortunately, so sometimes several tools are needed. Here's a video summary of Knipex wire strippers that work well with PTFE:



PTFE is demonstrated 7mins30sec into the video. Excellent tool, doesn't leave any tool marks on the insulation. The wire depth guide could be a bit nicer but that mostly does the job.
However, that model isn't appropriate for thin wires.

There is an almost-identical model in that range, called 12 12 02 which is intended for finer wires down to 32 AWG. I have that model (sometimes it's on discount on Amazon, but still nowhere near a $30 ballpark, more like $150), but since the tool is physically large, I prefer using the smaller and slightly lower-cost Stripmaster Lite mentioned earlier (model 45-672) for typical 30 AWG Kynar wire etc. PTFE is quite a specialist use-case perhaps, that demands the better wire-strippers. Used stripmaster tools might approach $30 on ebay, but I have not checked. These tools are not very good when working in small spaces however, as discussed further up the thread. The head of the tools is quite bulky in comparison to other tool styles.

[Analog Kid]

OK, I get it that such a thing is "hard to find", but I'd like to know: is it impossible to find or just difficult? If impossible, then I'll quit and start looking for something else.

I do have non-automatic strippers like the ones suggested, and I think they may go down to 30 AWG; I'll have to check on that.

These look like very close clones of the Knipex job and cost a lot less (even below your ballpark). I am tempted to replace the real Knipex with these - there are a couple of reviews that say they are fragile, but it's Amazon (easy returns) and cheap enough to get several in the lifetime of a more professional tool.

Where (specifically)? How much?

[ebastler]

Where (specifically)? How much?

There's a link right there in the text you quoted...

[PlainName]

Here's a video summary of Knipex wire strippers that work well with PTFE:

When he is demoing how crap the cheap ones are, he is matching the cutter hole to the outside of the wire, so it's no surprise that it's not cutting them! Even if he thought that was the right one, he should have then tried the smaller hole to see if it nicked the wire.

I gave up there - I'd've ended up just shouting at the screen

[ebastler]

The Weidmüller Mini-Duro-Stripax claims to, using special blades. See page 52 of the PDF catalog: https://mdcop.weidmueller.com/awp/A/Weidmueller_Assets/88330

Thank you! The Mini-Duro-Stripax looks very good indeed. I like the "pistol" form factor, they seem to be quite lightweight and handy. Thanks for sharing the catalog link; one really needs the part numbers to know what one is buying!

The basic tool with a standard knife insert (for PVC AWG 18..28) is not that expensive at less than 60€; but the knife inserts are more than 40€ each -- hmm...

The Ideal Stripmaster line has gazillions of models and options, including special jaws to hold slippery insulation.

Not my favorite form factor, but a solid (and hopefully precise) all-metal construction. The datasheet gives an overview of what's available: https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2291620.pdf. It seems model 45-098 is what I want for wire sizes down to 30 AWG, or its metric equivalent  45-098-341. EDIT: Or maybe the smaller Stripmaster Lite, 45-672?

The replacement blade shows individual U-shaped openings for each wire diameter. That makes me confident that it can cut challenging insulation materials cleanly, but makes me wonder how the stripper is used. Are all these openings accessible in parallel and I have to make sure to put the wire into the right notch every time?



Either the Mini-Duro-Stripax or the Stripmaster will end up on my Christmas wishlist, I guess. Now all I have to do is make up my mind... 

[shabaz]

Here's a video summary of Knipex wire strippers that work well with PTFE:

When he is demoing how crap the cheap ones are, he is matching the cutter hole to the outside of the wire, so it's no surprise that it's not cutting them! Even if he thought that was the right one, he should have then tried the smaller hole to see if it nicked the wire.

I gave up there - I'd've ended up just shouting at the screen

It's quite an old video so I cannot say for sure, but I believe I would have done a dry run for that cheap tool and decided which hole was most suitable (for all three of the attempts shown). Sometimes it's easy to miss what people would like to focus more on, even though with hindsight it makes good sense.

For that Knipex tool, again I had already pre-determined which holes were the best to use for each wire type (there were a lot to go through in that 12-min video, and none of the attempts are shown, apart from an initial demonstration about how the tool is actually used). Really the key points in the video are the performance for the different wire types for the Knipex tool (granted I didn't show very well quite how poor the "cheaper" tool was, although it really did stink in comparison to, say, a Stripmaster which it was modeled on).

[shabaz]

...
EDIT: Or maybe the smaller Stripmaster Lite, 45-672?
...
The replacement blade shows individual U-shaped openings for each wire diameter. That makes me confident that it can cut challenging insulation materials cleanly, but makes me wonder how the stripper is used. Are all these openings accessible in parallel and I have to make sure to put the wire into the right notch every time?

I have the 45-672 model, so if there's any particular wire you'd like to see stripped with it, let me know, and I will see what's the closest wire I have, and will take a photo of it stripped with that tool.

Correct, as you say, all those are in parallel, and it's up to the user to insert into the correct notch. If it's in a wider notch, then insulation fragments remain, but if it's in a smaller notch then the wire can be accidentally cut. But once it has been determined which is the correct notch, then it's easy to always insert in the correct one.

With that tool, with solid-core 30 AWG Kynar wire for instance, then it's always the smallest notch that is used, and it's a clean strip every time. If I'm stripping general PVC hook-up wire (10/0.1 mm stranded) then I'll use the largest notch. For 30 AWG stranded, it can be one of the two center holes (and as mentioned earlier, if it is 30 AWG PTFE stranded, then there's no completely good notch; one notch will leave fragments of insulation, and the adjacent one will nick the wire).

[PlainName]

It's noticeable that all the 30awg strippers, that actually work, have fixed-size holes for cutters, whereas the self-adjusters don't work properly at that size. I am slightly put off by having fixed holes since there is a limit to how many are available, and I'd always be worried that I have wire size that falls in between holes. But realistically that's no different to the CK I already use.

The Mini-Duro-Stripax looks very good indeed

Yes. If I can find a decent local supplier I would struggle to ignore that one.

[ebastler]

I have the 45-672 model

Do you like the handling, especially in tight spots? (Say if one end of a short wire is already attached to the device under test or prototype, and you need to strip the other end?) I would imagine that strippers which have their "business end" on the front -- like the Stripax or Knipex Multistrip -- have an advantage there over the sideways orientation of the Stripmaster?

[shabaz]

The attached photo shows the only wire strippers I have that can be used with thin wires. Hopefully, it can help for a size comparison.

Of those tools, the one on the left is my most recent purchase, it can be set for 30 AWG Kynar, and works fine for that, but I bought it for 0.6 mm diameter solid-core wire (for solderless breadboards etc). It can also be used to snip wires.

The OK/Jonard tool hasn't been used in years (I found it in the back of a tool drawer just now); I think I damaged it at some point, but I've not retried it.

The Knipex 12 12 02 is physically massive in comparison to the others. It's the only tool I own that can reliably strip 30 AWG PTFE stranded wire as well as a range of other wires, but it has that size/weight disadvantage; it isn't a very general-purpose tool as a result.

In the other photo, there's a close-up of some wires stripped with the Stripmaster Lite. The red wire is about the thickest copper wire supported by the tool. The black stranded wire is 10/0.1mm. The thick blue insulation wire is silicone wire, and the thin blue is 30 AWG solid-core Kynar.

There's a circuit board in the photo, which shows the use-case where one end of the wire is soldered first, and then the other end is cut and stripped. I placed it between pin headers, to try to make it realistic since boards will have other tall components on them. I was able to comfortably strip the wire down to 19 mm of insulation remaining, although I could probably reduce that to 17 mm or so with more creative positioning of the tool. So, I think 19-20 mm is comfortably realistic in that scenario.

To be honest, I really like the Stripmaster Lite. It's the only pair of wire strippers I use regularly, since it will do the thin solid-core Kynar wire extremely well, plus the 10/0.1 mm normal PVC stranded wire for general PCB connections when prototyping. Those are the two wire types I use regularly.

Since I don't wish to strip thicker solid-core wire with the Stripmaster tool (I don't know if it would support it, but I don't want to risk damaging the blades), for that I will just use the lower-cost Knipex tool on the left in that photo (model 11 82 130) which is fine, but probably there are better and even more lower-cost tools around than that. Still, that tool is fine for my purposes, and seems durable.

[PlainName]

Well! Bless my soul...

Digging out some needle files from the back of my 'last resort' tool drawer and stumbled across the attached strippers, RS 544-493 (but that number now references blades for a lesser stripper). On a whim I tried some 30awg Kynar with the result shown.

I seem to recall acquiring these when an employee of a company that got purchased, and then closed down, by Cabletron when they were sweeping up competition. That's about 20 years ago, and I remember using them when that company was spawned, so add another decade or so. So old I forgot I'd forgotten about them!

[PlainName]

which shows the use-case where one end of the wire is soldered first, and then the other end is cut and stripped.

Thanks. Xmas is looking very expensive this year...

[ebastler]

The attached photo shows the only wire strippers I have that can be used with thin wires. Hopefully, it can help for a size comparison.

Thank you so much for the effort of documenting the size comparison and the "PCB + short wire" use case! That puts things in perspective, literally, and makes me feel much better about the Stripmaster Lite.

Digging out some needle files from the back of my 'last resort' tool drawer and stumbled across the attached strippers, RS 544-493 (but that number now references blades for a lesser stripper). On a whim I tried some 30awg Kynar with the result shown.

That's an impressive piece of kit -- looks rather like a Stripax or MultiStrip before those companies discovered thermoplastics... And a very nice result with the Kynar wire! How are the knife blades shaped on that tool? Just straight parallel blades, or individual grooves per wire size, or something else?

[PlainName]

How are the knife blades shaped on that tool?

Straight, just like the Multistrip 10. Has an adjustment wheel on the top (or bottom depending on preference), and even a screw adjuster to determine how much squeezing is needed to make it work.

I recall now one reason it fell out of favour is that the blades move about 5mm before becoming fully closed, and that eats into  how close to the other end you can get a cut - some mods would be 15 or 20mm of insulation. Thinking about it, similar strippers might be the same (forgot to check the Multistrip 10 before sending it back).

[PlainName]

I recall now one reason it fell out of favour is that the blades move about 5mm before becoming fully closed, and that eats into  how close to the other end you can get a cut

But more importantly, you can't tell where the cut will start. These are designed to leave a specific cut length and for that they're great (assuming you haven't lost the little plastic bit!), but for my purposes I typically solder one end to some pin, lay out the wire and see where I need to make that cut to have that patch fit exactly. The CK style are super for that, except they pull on the entire wire and risk detaching the first end.

Without trying them, I think the Stripmaster Lite would fit that usage.

[PlainName]

Got a Knipex 12 40 200 which is similar to the Multistrip 10 but has an adjuster. And is cheaper, for some reason. Tried the single-strand Kynar with a variety of adjustments, and it either cut off instead of stripping, or the wire slipped through the jaws as it was pulled. That's 0 out of 2 so far for Knipex.

Figured it's probably OK for other wires, though, and a quick try on mains cable showed that worked OK. Out with the UTP again and the effort looked very promising - nice cut, clean wires. Just like all those videos you see where they try various wires and it all looks good.

But... what they don't then do is look closely. Even with a microscope (sorry for the blurry image - got issues with the onboard camera at the moment) the wire looks good, although if you know what to look for you can see the damage in that photo. More obviously, though, is the snipped strand stuck in the cut off insulation. It was there in the first photo but not visible, and I suspect it's the same for all the Youtube ones - they look fine but no-one ever looks inside the strip just to check.

Another one en route back to Amazon...

[tooki]

The Weidmüller Mini-Duro-Stripax claims to, using special blades. See page 52 of the PDF catalog: https://mdcop.weidmueller.com/awp/A/Weidmueller_Assets/88330

Thank you! The Mini-Duro-Stripax looks very good indeed. I like the "pistol" form factor, they seem to be quite lightweight and handy. Thanks for sharing the catalog link; one really needs the part numbers to know what one is buying!

The basic tool with a standard knife insert (for PVC AWG 18..28) is not that expensive at less than 60€; but the knife inserts are more than 40€ each -- hmm...

The Ideal Stripmaster line has gazillions of models and options, including special jaws to hold slippery insulation.

Not my favorite form factor, but a solid (and hopefully precise) all-metal construction. The datasheet gives an overview of what's available: https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2291620.pdf. It seems model 45-098 is what I want for wire sizes down to 30 AWG, or its metric equivalent  45-098-341. EDIT: Or maybe the smaller Stripmaster Lite, 45-672?

The replacement blade shows individual U-shaped openings for each wire diameter. That makes me confident that it can cut challenging insulation materials cleanly, but makes me wonder how the stripper is used. Are all these openings accessible in parallel and I have to make sure to put the wire into the right notch every time?



Either the Mini-Duro-Stripax or the Stripmaster will end up on my Christmas wishlist, I guess. Now all I have to do is make up my mind... 

Did you take a look at the full Stripmaster catalog? It’s interesting in that it also has the actual specs of the cutter dies. (Close inspection finds some interesting things, like two models that have the same wire range, but a different cutter diameter for 22AWG wire.) It also lists the various parts and accessories:
https://www.idealind.com/content/dam/electrical/support/aerospace-catalog.pdf (2017 edition)

(The newer 2022 catalog omits all those specs.    https://www.idealind.com/content/dam/electrical/support/IDEAL-aerospace-catalog-2022.pdf  )

[tooki]

The stripmaster lite is certainly not in the $30 ballpark however. It costs $100 and is probably worth that (nowadays). When I purchased 10 years ago, it was closer to $40.

You sure about that? I remember looking at the Stripmaster products nearly a decade ago and finding that the Lite cost about $100 and the big ones (especially the “custom” line) being significantly more than that, like $300+.

[tooki]

Got a Knipex 12 40 200 which is similar to the Multistrip 10 but has an adjuster. And is cheaper, for some reason.

It’s an older model.

Tried the single-strand Kynar with a variety of adjustments, and it either cut off instead of stripping, or the wire slipped through the jaws as it was pulled. That's 0 out of 2 so far for Knipex.

Figured it's probably OK for other wires, though, and a quick try on mains cable showed that worked OK. Out with the UTP again and the effort looked very promising - nice cut, clean wires. Just like all those videos you see where they try various wires and it all looks good.

But... what they don't then do is look closely. Even with a microscope (sorry for the blurry image - got issues with the onboard camera at the moment) the wire looks good, although if you know what to look for you can see the damage in that photo. More obviously, though, is the snipped strand stuck in the cut off insulation. It was there in the first photo but not visible, and I suspect it's the same for all the Youtube ones - they look fine but no-one ever looks inside the strip just to check.

I always look at the waste insulation when checking a stripper on a particular wire. Easier than counting the strands on the stripped wire. 

I have yet to find one stripper that works best for every type of wire I’ve tried. So your approach of trying and sending back is not likely to be 100% fruitful, because you will always find some wire that a particular stripper isn’t good for. (And that’s even without considering the really challenging insulation types.) For example, the MultiStrip 10, which again is my favorite tool overall, does really poorly on the conductors of 4-wire flat modular phone cable (the kind normally used with RJ-11 plugs), usually cutting strands. Yet it works perfectly on other wires with similar dimensions. There are all manner of interactions of conductor diameter vs insulation diameter, insulation material, and probably more.

Also, an issue that pops up with small wires (but just isn’t as important with bigger ones) is the wire itself. If the wire is eccentric, i.e. conductors not perfectly centered in the insulation, a stripper is much more likely to damage strands. Top-quality wires are pretty much always perfect, but cheap wires can be all over the place. I think only a thermal stripper can really handle eccentric insulation while guaranteeing no conductor damage.

[shabaz]

Hi,

Not 100% sure, in GBP it was 36.04 + tax back then from Farnell, and I believe it was slightly cheaper than that in the US store (Newark). I also spec'd one for a lab in Germany at the time, and in Euro it was about the same. Maybe the larger stripmaster had a much higher cost.

I'm glad I ordered at that time, definitely one of the better purchases. I feel sorry for a lot of young engineers; prices are crazy for tools now.

[tooki]

Wow, that was a great deal indeed!!

[PlainName]

So your approach of trying and sending back is not likely to be 100% fruitful, because you will always find some wire that a particular stripper isn’t good for.

It's actually a small range of wire I'm interested in - 20-30awg would be great if it Just Worked. And I wouldn't resent paying for quality. But I'm not going to swallow an £80 tool that doesn't do the basics that its advertising says it will.

As it happens I spent the afternoon and a lot of wire fine tuning the 12 40 200, and it will now do UTP without breaking a strand but leaves the insulation ragged.  It can even do 30awg Kynar, but only if you hold the wire in place since it slips through the jaw otherwise. So I am on the fence at the moment. I have no doubt the Stripmaster and similar work due to the fixed holes, but one thing I dislike is having to place the wire in the right hole each time, so the Knipex style is attractive.

Before trying the second Knipex I was looking for the Duro-Stripax since that has specific jaws for kynar, but I can find only one UK source and even the UK Weidmuller website doesn't list it. I am dubious that spare parts would be easy to come by.

I think only a thermal stripper can really handle eccentric insulation while guaranteeing no conductor damage.

Got one. Never managed to successfully strip any wire. In fact, now you remind me I've been meaning to list it in Buy & Sell