stripping copper wire

[HVAC HAWK]

does anyone have a quick and easy way to strip 1AWG and smaller wire.

now that copper price is up i like to get as much as i can for it .they take a lot off the cost for the % of coating that is o the wire .so I'd rather have $1.80 a LB :D and not $.95 a LB .:eek:

how about some ideas :rolleyes:

thanks charlie

[oldslowchevy]

if you can deal with the smell of it and IF it is LEAGLE in your area i have an old grill that isn't fit for cooking any more so i just burn it off than when it is cool i just run it though my hand as i hold a peice of sandpaper i like 100 grit.i could do that in Maryland but now that i live in Florida it is illeagle to do it that way here.hope that might be of some help.

[HVAC HAWK]

i did that at one time but if they see i was heated up they did not take it .
and with the fire dpt showing up for all the black smoke i had to stop.
thanks

[Polar Sparky 1224]

The only safe way i know of is to use the sharpest utility knife you have and cut into the insulation parallel to the wire, This allows you to strip of enough of the insulation that it will just peel open from the sides.

I wouldn't try any chemicals or melting either.

[dakeeper]

I used a right angle grinder with a thin blade sideways and just ran down the length and peeled it off. I was stripping some heavier wire but it should work for your application.

[Roadrunner]

My Father in Law scraps, and I suggested this, take some steel plate and drill the appropriate size hole to pass the unstripped wire through. Weld some sharp barbs 180 degrees away from each other to the backside of the plate. Strip the first few feet of wire, then feed it in the hole and attach to a winch/spindle/capstan on the downside and start cranking. The barbs would score the insulation and allow it to fall/be easily pulled off before reaching the spool. That way he could have one plate with various size wire holes in it that would process various sizes of wire.

[bob1]

as stated by polar sparky 1224, the best way is with a sharp utility knife. a good helper is to lay the wire out on a hot driveway for 10-15 minutes to loosen up the insulation. if you cut the wire into managable lengths you then can put one end in a vise, start at the far end with your utility knife and walk toward the vise slicing as you go. in colder weather you can also cut the wire up (larger sizes) and place it into a hot water-filled wash tub or utility sink. it has the same effect as leaving the wire out on a hot driveway. good luck.

[JimDon]

You might want to take a look at this site. There actually is a tool made for that purpose. It is a little pricey, but if you have a lot of wire to strip, will probably pay for itself in a short period of time.
www.bigbuks.com
Jim Don

[HVAC HAWK]

JimDon
you are right not cheep :eek: but now it looks like this is something i might try to make :rolleyes:

thanks :D