Hand Wire Stripper

2-3 Hand Wire Stripper The procedure for stripping wire with the hand wire stripper is as follows (refer to figure 2-2): Figure 2-2.—Stripping wire with a hand stripper. 1. Insert the wire into the center of the correct cutting slot for the wire size to be stripped. The wire sizes are listed on the cutting jaws of the hand wire strippers beneath each slot. 2. After inserting the wire into the proper slot, close the handles together as far as they will go. 3. Slowly release the pressure on the handles so as not to allow the cutting blades to make contact with the stripped conductor. On some of the newer style hand wire strippers, the cutting jaws have a safety lock that helps prevent this from happening. Continue to release pressure until the gripper jaws release the stripped wire, then remove. Knife Stripping A sharp knife may be used to strip the insulation from a conductor. The procedure is much the same as for sharpening a pencil. The knife should be held at approximately a 60º angle to the conductor. Use extreme care when cutting through the insulation to avoid nicking or cutting the conductor. This procedure produces a taper on the cut insulation as shown in figure 2-3.