What is the most easy way to remove protection from copper wire

[luka]

I will have to solder many copper wires, so i would like to get some suggestions.
Thx

[BWRX]

I'll assume you mean removing the wire jacket from the wire. For that it's easiest to use wire strippers. Something like this for instance: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=360-015

Or you can get fancy and go for one that does it automatically: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=360-627

If you mean removing the varnish coating from magnetic wire then you'll need to scrape that off with a blade or use sandpaper. Also, some just melt off when you go to solder them.

[I_Forgot]

Teflon insulated wire is easiest to strip with a thermal stripper:
http://www.omega.com/pptst/TW_TWC_STRIPALL.html

You might be able to find one used cheap. I found mine for $15.

I don't recommend this method for vinyl insulated wire- it stinks!

I_F

[luka]

what about some sort of liquid

[Cal Weldon]

luka,

What wire are you trying to strip? Perhaps post a pic.

BWRX,

That second link for the stripper says "automatic". I wonder what they mean by that. My set doesn't seem to be very automatic.

Cal

[BWRX]

By automatic they mean that it cuts the jacket and then pulls it off as well. I have an old one that does the same thing and it really is quite nifty. But the simple ones work just as well and are cheaper.

Here's a quick mpg movie (about 5MB) I just made with my camera to show you how it works.

Please right click and save as: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/b/...9/MOV01479.MPG

[Cal Weldon]

Excellent flick.

Does the one in your movie work sideways? If not it sure looked like it.

Anyway, the pair I have looks identical to the one in the parts express link (except for colour), where you load the wire from the front not the side.

I am still wondering what the atuomatic part is.

[jleaman]

Originally posted by I_Forgot
Teflon insulated wire is easiest to strip with a thermal stripper:
http://www.omega.com/pptst/TW_TWC_STRIPALL.html

You might be able to find one used cheap. I found mine for $15.

I don't recommend this method for vinyl insulated wire- it stinks!

I_F

I use alot of teflon wire.. Where did you get this ? I need one.. totally..

[BWRX]

Yes, the one I have works sideways. I thought the automatic part was that it cuts and removes the jacket from the end of the wire. I could be wrong as I've never seen one of those front loaders in action.

[I_Forgot]

Originally posted by jleaman
I use alot of teflon wire.. Where did you get this ? I need one.. totally..

Teflon wire is great stuff. The insulation doesn't burn or melt while soldering so the result is much neater than PVC wire.

I picked my wire stripper up at an electronic swapmeet in Dallas a couple years ago. Look for amateur radio groups in your area- they have a lot of swapmeets where you can find all sorts of useful stuff for pennies on the dollar.

The electric stripper is quite similar in construction to solder "guns". There send a lot of current through a pair of "blades" to heat them up. You might be able to make something like it out of an old solder gun.


I_F