How to cut a power cable? A tool for high-quality stripping of wires Cut off the cable.

A good electrician has a variety of tools in his arsenal. After all, high-quality wiring installation often depends not only on knowledge and skills, but also on the availability of certain devices, as well as skills on how to handle them.

Even a seemingly simple question, how to strip a wire from insulation, requires a certain set of tools. An experienced electrician has a tool for high-quality stripping of wires of any type and section.

The importance of proper cleaning

For a high-quality and reliable electrical connection, it is important not only to correctly twist or solder. It is equally important to carefully clean the core from insulation. In a hurry or improper use of the tool, it is easy to damage (cut) the conductive core itself. This leads to a decrease in the cross section of the wire and a faster failure of the junction: breakage or burning.
As a rule, wires and cables used in everyday life have a single-core or multi-core structure. Depending on this, various tools and methods can be used to release the core from insulation. Let's consider the most commonly used of them, which are used by home and professional electricians to remove insulation.

professional tool

Professional electricians use a special device called a stripper (KSI). Such a tool can be of three types:

Manual;
semi-automatic;
Auto.

Let's consider their device in more detail.

The handheld device is perhaps the most common stripper option. Several positive factors come into play here:

Light weight;
Compact size;
Several additional features that make this tool more versatile.

Such a stripper has several (usually up to seven) fixed gaps, which allow you to quickly strip the wire with a cross section of 0.25 to 2.5 mm. Of the additional features, cable cutters and the crimping function of the lugs are the most useful.

One of the varieties of a manual stripper, allows you to remove insulation from wires with a cross section from 0.6 mm to 2.6 mm

Semi-automatic KSI

This tool also has a certain number of holes in which you need to insert a wire to strip it. After that, it is enough to squeeze the handles: the sponges will close and hold the wire, and the knife will cut the insulation. As a result, the stripper will open, removing the insulation.

The advantage of such a tool is the simplicity of design and ease of use. The disadvantages include some bulkiness and impracticality: additional functions are not provided. That is why such a device has not been widely used even by professionals.

Semi-automatic stripping pliers KBT WS-03A

KSI-machine

Deservedly popular with electricians who have to make a large number of different connections every day, automatic strippers are used. Such a tool is extremely easy to use: just insert the wire into the work area and squeeze the handles. The device will carefully remove the braid from the wire, automatically determining the cross section of the core.

Without tuning, such a tool works with a wire with a cross section of 0.2 to 6 mm 2. It is worth noting that modern strippers have an adjustment screw that allows you to adjust the device to work with a smaller diameter wire.

KBT WS-03A pliers automatically determine the wire cross section

In addition, the popular WS-04 stripper model has many additional features:

Combs on the inside of the handles allow crimping of cores in round terminals;
Cable cutters are installed next to the combs, allowing you to quickly cut the ends of the wire;
If necessary, you can set the limiter for stripping, for example, 2 cm.

The multifunctional automatic stripper is designed for stripping both single and double insulation. But it is worth noting that one layer of braid is removed in one operation. That is, in order to remove double insulation, it is necessary to perform two manipulations.

improvised means

But not everyone needs to strip dozens of wires every day. In addition, a quality professional tool costs decent money. Therefore, in everyday life, when it is necessary to clean several ends, it is quite possible to get by with improvised means and a tool that any owner has.

Stripping with a knife

The most popular tool for one-time cleaning of insulation is a regular knife. But its use is fraught with damage to the cable core. Therefore, the knife should not be held straight, but at an acute angle to the wire and "cut off" the insulating layer. When using a knife, care must be taken as it is easy to cut yourself. A clerical knife is also often used, but it is even more inconvenient to work with them, and it breaks easily if the sheath is very hard.

A hook-shaped knife is often used to cut cables. This knife has a wider blade and is designed to cut the insulation along the cable.

Hook-shaped knife for stripping KNIPPEX KN-1220165SB is used for longitudinal cutting of insulation

A knife is also available in the form of a special clip. The wire is inserted under the clamping bar where the blade is installed. Pressing the bar with your thumb, the knife is drawn along the braid, cutting it, after which the insulation is easily removed. Such a knife costs about 200 rubles and is a fairly versatile tool.

Such a knife is often used to strip the insulation from a UTP cable. Also on this device there is a device for clamping the UTP cable into sockets and cross-panels

It is very convenient to use wire cutters, which are also called side cutters. In order to quickly strip the wire from insulation, the wire cutters must be correctly taken in hand. It is better to take the wire cutters with the reverse side: so that the cutting edges are directed against the stroke. This will allow the blades to easily cut into the sheath without violating the integrity of the strand. This method is easy to implement, and every owner has wire cutters. Therefore, this method of stripping wires has found wide application.

Side cutters are an essential tool for any electrician.

Reflow method

The insulation melting method is most suitable for cleaning old wiring. The fact is that over time, the winding loses its elasticity, becomes rigid and at the same time fragile. If you use a mechanical tool, such as wire cutters or a stripper, the braid can crack anywhere.

In this case, you can use a soldering iron or a wood burning device. With a heated soldering iron, the braid is melted in a circle, after which it is easily removed with wire cutters or pliers.

The advantages of this method include the ability to remove the insulation from very thin wires without the risk of damaging them. Of the minuses, we note the presence of acrid smoke during reflow and, of course, electricity is required.

It is not recommended to use teeth to remove insulation. Not only does this damage tooth enamel, but it can also cause damage from static electricity accumulated during wiring. It's not fatal, but very annoying.

How to strip some types of wire

Sometimes there is a need to connect not an ordinary soft-braided wire, but a conductive core with a specific coating. Removing such isolation requires extraordinary approaches. Let's look at some options.

enameled wire

To strip such insulation, two methods are used:

mechanical method. For this method, it is best to use fine sandpaper. A piece of paper is folded in half, then the wire is inserted into the sheet. Lightly squeezing the sandpaper with your fingers, the wire is pulled over the free end. Such manipulations should be continued until the enamel is completely erased. This method is suitable for enameled wire with a cross section of more than 0.2 mm 2;
The thermochemical method is often used by radio amateurs to clean enamel from wires with a cross section of less than 0.2 mm 2. Its essence lies in the use of a soldering iron and vinyl chloride material (an ordinary electrical tape with such a coating is suitable). A piece of tape lies on a flat surface, a piece of wire is laid on top. A heated soldering iron should be slowly drawn through the wire. The chlorine released at the same time perfectly removes the enamel coating from the wire.

PTFE Coated Wire

Fluoroplastic is a polymeric material, for a protective coating of wires, it is produced in the form of a narrow tape, which is tightly wound on a conductive core. Such insulation has high thermal stability (up to 300°C), does not let moisture through and is suitable for use in various difficult operating conditions.

Such a braid can only be removed mechanically. To do this, on one side along the wire, the insulation is carefully scraped off with a knife so as not to damage the core. As soon as the wire is exposed, the insulation is laid aside and cut to the desired length.

Cable laying can hardly be called an easy job. The cable must be fed evenly, without kinks ("winglets") and kinks, in compliance with a number of technological standards (minimum bending radii, maximum traction force, absence of twisting deformations, etc.). Violation of these standards threatens to reduce the frequency properties or damage the cable.

But after laying, it is time for even more responsible operations. The price of a mistake when cutting a cable, cutting, stripping and installing cable endings (joining on a cross or mounting connectors) is even higher - the cable can be damaged so that it has to be laid again.

That is why, during the development of routes near the ends of the cable line, it is necessary to provide places for placing a reserve stock. And during laying, it is necessary not only to create such a margin, but also to leave segments sufficient for terminating the cable at its ends. When determining the length of the segments, it is necessary to calculate the technological reserves for cutting the cable and for mounting the connector or cross (both depending on their type and manufacturer's recommendations). Since both of them are mounted in some structures, you also need a margin for placing the cable inside them (socket box, cross cabinet, patch panel, etc.), taking into account the appropriate mounting methods and internal organizers. Since the exact location of the structure relative to the cable outlet is usually not known in advance, a margin is required to cover the installation tolerance of the structure.

In addition, the necessary safety margin should be provided for in case of possible damage to the cable during termination (usually it is a multiple of the sum of technological reserves). And the less experience the installer has, the more safety stock should be.

The possibility of cable damage also depends on the tool used. We can say that the final quality of the termination of cable lines equally depends not only on the accuracy and experience of the installer, but also on the degree of "professionalism" of the tool. And it is determined by the level of his specialization (accurate, high-quality and fast execution of individual operations requires the use of a special tool), as well as the durability of the working surfaces (when they wear out, the quality of operations decreases).

In tool catalogs, you can always find several types of tools that are similar in function, designed to perform the same operations, but differ significantly in price. In the lower price range there is a tool with a short service life. Such a tool is usually used for small repairs in the office or at home. Ergonomics, ease of operation and productivity are sacrificed for low price. The tool of this class has a simplified design using inexpensive materials (especially working bodies). In the upper price range, a high-performance automated tool is presented, the acquisition of which will undoubtedly pay off if the amount of work is large enough. And somewhere in the middle of the entire price range, you can find an ergonomic and reliable tool with a long service life. The information below will help those who install cables with metal conductors of any type to make the right choice.

The first thing you have to deal with is cutting the cable. The cut is considered to be of high quality if it does not violate the structure of the cable, does not deform (does not flatten) its outer coating, and does not create burrs on the cores. This cut can only be made with a cable cutter. Specially profiled blades grip the cable and prevent it from being squeezed out when cutting. The profile of the blades and the angle of their sharpening depend on the size and type of cable. Special models are available for cutting twisted pair, coaxial, power, armored and steel-bearing cables. You need to be especially careful with the latter, since trying to use a cable cutter that is not designed to work on steel will only disable it.

It should be noted that cutting optical cables, especially those reinforced with steel wire, and cables in a metal sheath (for example, corrugated) requires the use of appropriate cable cutters. As a rule, they have a separate removable pad on the tip of one of the blades. When cutting side-mounted self-supporting cables, the cable must be bitten out with a special tool before cutting the rest of the cable.)

Depending on the outer diameter and type of cable cores, the cable cutter can be simple (single-way) or with a ratchet (multi-way). Since the latter cuts in a few clicks, it may have a stop shoe on one of the handles. For telephone cables with a large number of pairs (over 500) or electrical cables with large cross-sections, cable cutters with electric and manual hydraulic drives are used.

The next operation - cutting the cable - is to remove all layers of insulation in the right order and to the right length. The more layers of insulation, the more difficult it is to cut the cable. Metal or polymer armor, hydrophobic filling, load-bearing elements (cables or fiber) add difficulties. Therefore, in order to do the job correctly, you need to clearly understand the internal structure and sequence of cutting this cable. Since the layers are cut from outside to inside, the upper ones must be cut to a greater length than the lower ones (“herringbone”). It is best to use the template recommended by the manufacturer of the cable or connector for which such cutting is performed. Failure to comply with this requirement may complicate the installation of the connector or reduce the quality of the cable termination into it, which will cause problems during operation, since the cable will “hang” on the same cores.

When choosing a tool for cutting, it is necessary to take into account the directions of cuts that it can perform. If there is only one possible option in the transverse direction, then the cut along the cable can be straight longitudinal or spiral. The choice depends on the presence and location of metal armor, as well as the type of insulation. If hard and dense polymer insulation is easy to cut in any direction, then soft and loose (loose type) - only in a straight line along the cable. Otherwise, it turns, and the knife damages the veins. Cross cutting of loose insulation is best done after a longitudinal cut and separation from the cable.

Since the top layers of cable insulation fit tightly to the cores, the most common damage to the cores occurs when cutting the top layers of insulation. The use of knives with adjustable cutting depth and their fine tuning for this type of insulation is guaranteed to protect against such a nuisance. And the only possible way to perfect tuning is preliminary practice on a piece of cable with which to work. From what has been said, it is clear that for fast and high-quality cutting of a cable with several layers of insulation, several identical, but pre-configured differently knives may be required.

In cases where it is required to remove the insulation not at the end of the cable, but at an intermediate point, the cutting technology turns out to be different. Here you need to be especially careful - if, when processing the end of the cable, the damaged part can be cut off and start all over again, then there is no such chance when cutting the middle part. Therefore, it must be remembered that not every tool is suitable for this work.

Removal of external polymer insulation from thin (up to four pairs) Category 3, 5 or higher cables is carried out using a combined stripper tool. But for thicker cables there is no combined tool - they are cut with special knives.

The simplest of them is a cable knife (manual plow knife) with a protective pad at the tip of the blade that prevents cutting of the cable cores. This is the only knife that provides quality cutting of cables with soft loose polymer insulation. However, it is quite versatile, as it can also be used for cutting cables with rigid polymer insulation. Its main advantage is the arbitrary direction of the cut.

The other type of blades (swivel blades) are designed for this type of external insulation only. Despite the apparent difference, they are built the same - a cable grip (sometimes spring-loaded) and a blade with a depth adjustment screw, with the ability to turn 900 for longitudinal and transverse cuts, and also, for some knives, 450 for obtaining a spiral cut.

A particular problem is the cutting of cables (most often optical) in rigid polymer insulation with metal corrugation or wire armor. For the first type, there are special varieties of the knives mentioned above. Their main difference is a hardened construction and a blade made of high quality steel. The plow knife has a ratchet drive and a stop for adjusting the blade immersion depth. The swivel blade knife has two heavy-duty handles and a cable grip secured by a lever. This design allows cutting the corrugation together with two layers of polymer insulation in one pass of the tool without the risk of damaging the cable cores. Cutting cables with wire armor is performed in several passes. It is more convenient to remove the upper polymer insulation with a knife with a swivel blade, setting the cutting depth so that the knife does not touch the armor wires. Then, with wire cutters for steel, all the wire of the armor is bitten in turn. The remaining polymer insulation is removed in any convenient way.

How to cut wires under voltage 220v?

Well, according to the mind, you still need to turn them off first. As a rule, if you do not have such an opportunity and do not have access to the switch (knife switch), then these wires are not yours and it is better not to touch them at all. However, if that's what it takes...

About dielectric wire cutters in the first answer has already been said. Additionally, you can put on special dielectric gloves, lay a dielectric (rubber or thick plastic) mat under your feet and / or wear rubber shoes, and it is better to ground the wire cutters.

It has already been said about the fact that it is necessary to cut the wires one at a time and at different distances from the attachment point. But at the same time, try to cut in such a way that the part of the wires that is closer to the source of electricity and remains energized after cutting remains hanging in the air, preferably high enough, and not lying under your feet. If you don’t know which side the electricity comes through the wires, it’s better to cut a piece out of them so that all the scraps hang in the air. Well, do not forget to insulate the place of the cut. It is necessary to isolate those ends of the wires that come from the source of electricity, and if this is unknown, then all ends.

By the way, there is also a very original way of cutting such wires, but it is only suitable if you are absolutely confident in yourself, in the reliability of the circuit breaker or fuses and you have all the necessary dielectric protection equipment plus, for example, eye protection glasses, and the wire cutters are securely grounded. Then you can just cut both wires (phase and zero) at the same time with wire cutters in one place. The wire cutters close the wires to each other, a short circuit will occur and the automatic protection will turn off this section of the network. So, for example, firefighters and rescuers sometimes do it when they need to quickly turn off unknown wiring at the scene of a fire or emergency rescue work ...

It is very simple to check whether the automation has worked - you need to cut off another piece of wiring in the same way from the side of the energy source or, if its location is unknown, from both sides. If at the same time there is no re-closing, then the section of the network of interest to you is de-energized.

I remind you that the wires must be cut as it is said in the first option, so that there is no live wire accidentally under your feet. what else have you turned off - there can always be a kind soul who, suddenly left without light, can turn the machine back on without any ulterior motive ...

In the process of installing wires, one of the most important stages of work is the removal of insulation. It doesn't matter if the wire is aluminum, copper, enameled or plastic insulated, in each individual case it is necessary to follow the technology when stripping it. If you ignore the recommendations and advice on how to strip the wire, then the technical characteristics of the manufactured electrical system will be low. Consider several techniques for stripping insulation from a variety of coated wires.

Structural features of wires

Wires are of two types:

Single core.
Stranded.

Single-core means a wire in which the cross section is formed by one core or wiring. As for stranded wires, the cross section of such a wire is formed by several thin wires, which in some cases are intertwined with each other. In order for the stranded wire to be resilient and elastic, a thread is added to the structure that resembles nylon. Taking into account these features, the technology for stripping insulation in each individual case may differ.

Stripping with a knife

When removing the insulation with a knife, it is impossible to cut the wire in a circle with a blade in a perpendicular position - a notch of the copper core may form. As a result, with a slight bend, the wire will easily and quickly break in this particular place, especially if you undertook to strip the wire with a thickness of 0.6–0.8 mm. After a few bends, the wire breaks completely. When stripping the wire with a knife, the blade should be almost in the same plane with the axis of the wire. Pre-insulation is cut along the core. The insulation cut along the length is laid aside and simply cut off.

With this option for stripping, it is important to be careful, as you can easily injure your hands.

Using side cutters

A tool such as side cutters is often used incorrectly. The tool is taken in hand as it should, absolutely no attention is paid to the direction of the cutting edges. If you use the side cutters incorrectly, you will have to make great efforts. In addition, in this case there is a high risk of breaking off the wire along with the insulation.

It is important that the cutting edges are directed in the direction opposite to the movement of the tool. With this option, the blade will cut into the insulation even with little effort. As a result, the tube insulation is removed from the surface of the core without damaging it.

Reflow method

If you have a soldering iron, you can quickly remove the insulation by thermal method. To do this, heat up the soldering iron tip and run lightly over the plastic insulation. After heating, the plastic will melt and be removed. This method does not violate the conductor in any way. If you need to strip a large number of wires with such a winding, then it is recommended to use a special tool. For example, a special wood burner, which was previously known as "Pattern", would be suitable.

The reflow method is most effective if your wiring is old. After a long service life, the plastic winding on the wire becomes hard and brittle. Moreover, if the wire peeks out two or three centimeters from the junction box, neither the wire cutters nor the knife can handle it. And if you use a lighter or crawl with a soldering iron, then you can strip the wire.

And if enameled wire

If the conductor has a thickness of 0.2 mm, then the mechanical method of stripping is the best option. For this, a knife or sandpaper is used to scrape off the insulation.

To process a cable that has thin insulation, you can use fine sandpaper. Bend it in half with sandpaper inward. Then wind the cable into a bent sheet of emery and, lightly pressing your fingers, pull the wire. This procedure should be continued until the enamel is cleaned.
If a knife is used, it is necessary to lay part of the cable on a solid base. Then it is necessary to rotate it in a circle until the enamel is scraped off the surface of the conductor.

If the conductor is even thinner and has a diameter of less than 0.2 millimeters, then the mechanical method will not be effective. This is due to the fact that the enamel will not be removed as a result, and the wire itself may break. In this case, you can master the thermochemical method using a soldering iron and vinyl chloride insulation. To begin with, heat the soldering iron, then put the vinyl chloride on the table, and lead the wire over it with a soldering iron. Under the influence of high temperature, chlorine is produced, which will clean the wire from the enamel.

In most cases, such wires are used in radio communications, and it is he who is wound on inductive coils. It also has a name - littsendrat. In its appearance, it is distinguished by the presence of a large number of thin wires, which are twisted into one conductor and at the same time covered with enamel.

No less interesting is another option for removing enameled insulation from the wire. You will need to buy aspirin tablets. A wire is laid on them and a heated tip of a soldering iron is similarly passed along it. As a result, the wire is exposed and plus everything else and tinned.

Removal of PTFE insulation

Fluoroplastic is a polymer that is produced by a chemical method. It has a number of positive characteristics, for example, it does not get wet from water and is highly resistant to organic substances. Its technical characteristics allow it to withstand temperatures up to 300 ° C! As insulation, it is ideal, but the main disadvantage is the high price. In this regard, it is used in special cases. In everyday life, it is applicable to many radio amateurs, since after soldering it has an aesthetic appearance, takes up little space and does not melt.

The material itself has the form of a thin narrow ribbon. She, in turn, is tightly wound on a twisted stranded wire. It is possible to clean such insulation only with a knife. The PTFE is scraped off to the desired length. As soon as the wire is exposed, the insulation is taken to the desired length, and the remaining fluoroplastic is cut off.

Insulation from fabric, rubber is cleaned by any of the above methods. The main thing is to prevent notches of the main core!

All of the above methods are manual. They require more time and attention, not to mention experience, when it comes to stranded wires with a small cross section. If you work in this area, and you regularly need to strip wires from insulation, then it is best to partially automate this process. For this, pliers were specially developed, or they are also called a stripper.

With the help of a stripper, the insulation is removed with one touch of the palm of your hand. Consider how to strip wires using the WS-04 stripper.

Specifications of stripper WS-04:

It is possible to remove the insulation and cut wires Ø0.5–2.7 mm with a cross section from 0.2 to 6.0 mm 2 without prior adjustment.
When adjusting the microscopic screw, you can strip the insulation from a thin wire ranging in size from 0.25 to 0.5 mm.
The stripper allows you to crimp on wires connectors without insulation, insulated or automotive wires for a double clamp 0.8-2.7 mm.

In appearance, the stripper resembles pincers, at the end of which there is a cam lever. The upper jaws are movable, while the lower ones are fixed. The left pair is used to clamp the wire, and the right pair is used to remove and cut the insulation. At the first reduction of the handles, the left cam clamps the wire, and the right cam cuts its sharp edge into the insulation. With the constant reduction of the levers, the insulation is gradually removed from the wire. The process of stripping the wire with a stripper takes a few seconds.

The process of sequential operation of the stripper model WS-04 with single-core, stranded and two-core wire:

The wire is wound between the cutting knives, which are located on the inside of the handle. Then they should be brought together. The result is a cut of the end of the wire without deformation. To compare the cut with wire cutters, the end is always flattened and slightly pointed.
At the next stage, one end of the wire is wound between the movable and fixed sponge. After squeezing the handles, the insulation is removed. With such work, no notches are observed on the conductor.
To adjust the exact length of the stripped insulation, you can use the blue movable limiter.
On a two-core wire, the insulation is removed with a stripper in two passes.
From the first run, the PVC tube is removed.
At the second stage, insulation is simultaneously removed from two wires.

The operation time can take no more than 5 seconds!

Among other things, the stripper can also be used to strip the insulation of a telephone cable before pressing it into an RJ-11 connector. If a screw connection is used, then with just one movement, the insulation is removed from the wires.

A stripper can also be used to strip shielded wires. First of all, it should be noted that this is a rather difficult task, especially if the conductor is thin. So, the first step is to remove the insulation from the shielding braid. To expose the central wire, the braid is untwisted with a needle or spike. It remains to make one movement with the stripper and the wire is released from insulation. Cleaning shielded wire by hand is a tedious job, especially if all you have at hand is a knife. It is very easy to damage the wire with a knife!

So, as you can see, the stripper is a fairly versatile tool that cleans different wires from insulation.

Coaxial cable

You can strip the insulation on the coaxial cable with your own hands. While the equipment for this purpose is inexpensive and readily available, we'll walk you through how to get the job done with wire cutters and a knife. As a rule, such a cable is used for connecting satellite TV and for standard F.

Step-by-step instructions on how to strip a coaxial wire:

The cable should be taken away from your body.
Take a utility knife and press firmly on the cable at a right angle from the end of the cable at a distance of 2.5 cm. Do not press with the end of the blade otherwise it will break off and may bounce into the eyes.
At this stage, it is necessary to cut through the outer jacket, braid, foil layer and dielectric foam. In most cases, it is white. It is with such layers that the vein is surrounded. You will feel some resistance as the blade plunges into the cable. As soon as the blade has reached half of the wire, you need to put less pressure on it. It is extremely important not to damage the central core!
Next, you should walk around the circle of the cable. When doing this, be careful not to leave notches on the core.
Now pull and twist the cut edge of the insulation. By doing this, you can remove the cut end of the insulation.
If wires stick out from under the cable sheath, then cut them off with wire cutters so that they do not go beyond the edge of the sheath. It is important to examine the wire for notches. If there are any, then the above procedure will have to be repeated.
Dielectric foam may partially remain on the main core. You can simply remove it with a fingernail.
To connect the cable to connector F, first remove a small part of the top sheath.
To do this, measure eight millimeters from the previous cut point. Make an incision in the top shell. As in the previous case, the incision is made perpendicular to the wire. Be careful not to snag the braid. In some modifications of the F connector, there is no need to remove the braid, while in others, on the contrary, it should be removed.
If you are not sure whether a braid is needed in your case, then leave it temporarily. This braid is around the dielectric foam. Her wiring is less than a human hair thick, so all work should be done carefully. Just the same, now the incision needs to be made with the tip of the blade along the entire wire.
Remove eight millimeters of the cable sheath so that the dielectric foam wrapped in the winding remains on the core.
The braid wraps over the outer sheath. So, the dielectric is exposed. At this stage, pay attention to the requirement of the F-connector: which end of the wire should be in your case.
All possible wiring should be absent between the braid and the central core. Against the background of a white dielectric, this will be clearly visible.
An F-connector is placed on the end of the cable.
The dielectric must be at the bottom of the connector after it is seated on it. It is unacceptable that he looks out or does not reach the bottom of the connector.

Under no circumstances should the tip come into contact with the F-connector.

The F-connector is now ready for use.

Cable stripping knives

Separately, it should be said about special knives that are directly used to strip the insulation from the cable. For example, the most popular is a knife with a hook. In the process of operation, it is much more convenient than stationery. Moreover, thanks to the thick blade, they can work more confidently and boldly. It will be difficult for them to cut the wire insulation, but cutting the cable along: this is what you need. Such a hook digs well into the cable sheath, so it will not jump out of it. However, such a tool does not have all the advantages, since it cannot provide good cable stripping.

Another special knife is known.

It is very easy to work. To begin with, pull the special bracket with your thumb. It is under it that you will thread the wire. At this point, a small knife peeps out of the handle, rotating around its axis. After laying the cable, the bracket presses it against this knife. Make two or three turns around the wire until you get a notch. Now, without removing the wire, pull the tool firmly towards the end. The knife will turn and cut along the casing. In the end, it remains just to remove the cut off part and continue working.

The only drawback of such a device is that it is necessary to adjust the wheel directly to the depth of one or another type of wire. You can use a piece of wire to adjust.

Also, such a knife does not cope very well with the elimination of insulation. This is due to the fact that the device can flatten a thick cable with careless actions.

So, we looked at the most common methods for stripping wire insulation. Perhaps one of the above methods will be useful in your case. Successful work!

Interestingly, the "fashion" to cut wires and cables has already passed? All the same, the welfare of the homeless has probably increased slightly. Although I remember it used to be done by simply enterprising people.

The photo shows a cross section of a submarine cable. More specifically, it's a power cable used to transmit underwater 3-phase electricity from an offshore windmill in England. Three bold cores are power lines, and a small one is for data transmission. By the way, horseradish in two rows along the edge is a metal cord to increase the insulation strength (like an automobile cord). If the cable is underwater, then it is lowered from the ship, and if the depth is 2-3 km, then imagine the load on the cable.

Right here in English exactly where it was cut from.

For reference, here is the section of the ground wire, which distributes electricity at 110 kV (high-voltage cable line 110,000 Volts).

By the way, the white insulating part is cross-linked polyethylene. It withstands a greater electric field strength without breakdown than ordinary polyethylene insulation and has a very small dielectric loss tangent. The technology of its production is very complex and the equipment for its production, as they say, costs the wildest money.

More about the first picture:

Many immediately began to dream:

And some elevate it to the rank of art:

But somehow he showed you such a "rainbow in the archive":

Here is a huge 2400x26 cable that is used in telecommunications

2400PR 26AWG (2400 pairs of 26AWG type) , single core 26 AWG ~ 0.405 mm2

American Wire Gauge (AWG) is an American wire thickness marking system used since 1857, primarily in the United States.
Photo with dollar for comparison.