Wire Stripper vs. Self-Stripping Tool
Another type of wire stripper is a self-stripping tool, or self-adjusting wire strippers, that removes wire insulation with a compound action. This means that three actions take place when you squeeze the handle: grip, strip, and remove. After you precisely place the wire in the head and squeeze the handle, the stripper grabs onto the wire, cuts the insulation, and completely removes it from the wire, all in one motion. Self-stripping wire strippers are more expensive than normal strippers. They serve one function only and are normally owned by professional electricians who prefer specialty tools for each function.
Wire Stripper vs. Combination Wire Stripper
Combination wire tools, or combination wire strippers, are multi-function tools that have sharp cutting jaws to cut non-metallic (NM) cables or to trim individual wires down to size. They may also have pliers jaws that can be used to bend wires. The same jaws may also be used to ream the inside of the metal conduit after it is cut, using the outsides of the jaws when they are in the closed position. Most combination strippers also have two different holes for cutting machine bolts, usually 6-32 and 8-32 sizes. You thread a bolt into the hole to the desired depth, then squeeze the tool’s handles to cut off the end of the bolt. When you twist the bolt out of the hole, the threads in the hole realign the threads on the cut end of the bolt.
Parts of a Wire Stripper
In whatever form the tool takes, a wire stripper has a series of labeled holes that match the common wire gauges, typically 10-gauge to 20-gauge. When you insert the wire into the proper hole and squeeze the tool’s handles, it precisely severs through the plastic insulation layer without damaging the copper wire. The tool then removes the wire insulation, using one of two methods. It’s important to note that copper wire commonly comes in either solid or stranded forms. Stranded wire is slightly larger in diameter than solid wire of the same gauge. For this reason, wire strippers often have two sets of numbers indicating the stripper hole sizes. For example, the hole that is marked for 10-gauge solid wire is the same hole you use for 12-gauge stranded wire. Always make sure you’re using the correct set of markings for the wire type you are cutting.
How to Use a Wire Stripper
Although different manufacturers offer different versions of the tool, the process for stripping wires is largely the same with each tool. This is the process for the standard or combination-style tool:
