Anyone know of an cheap reliable wire stripper that will do Teflon wire? The cheapest thing I find when "Googling" is ~$60!
Yes, a stanley knife and some elbow grease....works wonders for smaller numbers of wires.
Magura 🙂
Magura 🙂
Member
Joined 2002
I use my 5$ wire strippers but i set the guage so it doesnt cut the silver / copper wire inside. what kind of teflone wire are you cutting cable coax ? got a pic or some more info ?
Just 600V hook-up wire. I've been using an exacto knife and curses.
My regular stripper just seems to slide off.
My regular stripper just seems to slide off.
Member
Joined 2002
There is a lot of them out there...do a Google..
At work I use one called Stripmaster L5560, but it is very expensive! ( appx 250USD!)
I think you will find it hard to find something specifically made for PTFE below a 100 ....
That is not to say some of the cheaper ones won't work...it just have to be tested..
At work I use one called Stripmaster L5560, but it is very expensive! ( appx 250USD!)
I think you will find it hard to find something specifically made for PTFE below a 100 ....
That is not to say some of the cheaper ones won't work...it just have to be tested..
You want to jerk the tool at an angle. That way it cuts through instead of slipping off or stretching the insulation.
Well, no breakthroughs, but at least it confirms my suspicion that unless I come into a sudden inheritance I just have to continue to fiddle, fuss and struggle. <shrug>
When I was working in a lab at MIT our tech stripped teflon wire by dipping it in liquid nitrogen and giving it a little crack. 🙂
The professional way to strip teflon insulation is to heat a set of blades to high enough temperature to melt it, a sort of (electrically) heated stripper. Blades do not even have to be sharp.
Perfect DIY project. 🙂
You can of course buy one for $500 plus. We have one like that where I work.
Patrick
Perfect DIY project. 🙂
You can of course buy one for $500 plus. We have one like that where I work.
Patrick
Are you using an adjustable stripper or one with a bunch of holes preset?
Adjustable should work a little better.
Adjustable should work a little better.
Like a pair of heated tongs (almost like those ladies use to pull eye brows, but heated to a few hundred degrees).
Since the (straight edged) blades are not sharp, you just press them against the wire until they burn through the insulation and stop at the copper conductors. Then one twist of 180 degrees, and it's done.
Patrick
Since the (straight edged) blades are not sharp, you just press them against the wire until they burn through the insulation and stop at the copper conductors. Then one twist of 180 degrees, and it's done.
Patrick
I used an Xcelite adjustable one and it is not very good with teflon. It close to a somewhat square section and you need to turn it around the wire to get good result.
I just bought one similar to this one http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_011_009_010_002&product_id=64-2980
The brand is Gardner Bender and it is of better quality than the Rat Shack one. Slightly more expensive though but $15 CDN is not that much. I still need to turn it around the wire but it is more easy to work with and I do not have to pull as hard on the wire.
I just bought one similar to this one http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_011_009_010_002&product_id=64-2980
The brand is Gardner Bender and it is of better quality than the Rat Shack one. Slightly more expensive though but $15 CDN is not that much. I still need to turn it around the wire but it is more easy to work with and I do not have to pull as hard on the wire.
I solved this problem recently for some particularly nasty stranded teflon wire (actual PTFE Teflon, not PFE or whatever).
I got one of those cheapie ($2) "bitey dinosaur" style strippers (for want of a better name or picture) which has straight blades in the mouth and only tears at the insulation. I then got a dremel type cut-off disk and ground little half holes in each blade, matching the angle of the front part of the blade which is angled. I did this a few times along the length of the blade (in desperation) until I made holes the right size and shape to cut / grab the teflon without tearing strands off the wire. Success!
This stripper also does single-strand silver teflon wire (which otherwise slips out of the jaws) and makes a clean CAT5 stripper too.
Apparently proper teflon strippers don't use sharp blades like normal professional die type strippers, they have a centre 'rib' which squashes the insulation and weakens it so it can be hauled apart. So you don't want to get the hole razor sharp. The hole that works in my DIY stripper is also a lot smaller and less circular than I would have expected.
Google for "Embla" (from memory) for a dedicated teflon stripper.
Also, don't use a heated teflon stripper anywhere near parrots! Birds are apparently very sensitive to the low fractions of PTFE that sublime? off as low as 200 deg C.
I got one of those cheapie ($2) "bitey dinosaur" style strippers (for want of a better name or picture) which has straight blades in the mouth and only tears at the insulation. I then got a dremel type cut-off disk and ground little half holes in each blade, matching the angle of the front part of the blade which is angled. I did this a few times along the length of the blade (in desperation) until I made holes the right size and shape to cut / grab the teflon without tearing strands off the wire. Success!
This stripper also does single-strand silver teflon wire (which otherwise slips out of the jaws) and makes a clean CAT5 stripper too.
Apparently proper teflon strippers don't use sharp blades like normal professional die type strippers, they have a centre 'rib' which squashes the insulation and weakens it so it can be hauled apart. So you don't want to get the hole razor sharp. The hole that works in my DIY stripper is also a lot smaller and less circular than I would have expected.
Google for "Embla" (from memory) for a dedicated teflon stripper.
Also, don't use a heated teflon stripper anywhere near parrots! Birds are apparently very sensitive to the low fractions of PTFE that sublime? off as low as 200 deg C.
I ahve a stripper, that appears to be very similar to the Ideal brand hand strippers that I've been using for 25 years, It still works like a champ. It was discarded where I worked because the spring broke. A rubber band makes it useable again. I also once worked at an xfmr shop that used to burn teflon. Be advised you have to use moe than a few hundred dgrees. that's how they can use teflon in frying pans.
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