Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => BeePre => Topic started by: keithp on November 29, 2014, 11:28:33 AM

Title: best way to strip CAT-5 wires
Post by: keithp on November 29, 2014, 11:28:33 AM

Does anyone have a good suggestion for stripping the individual wires in a cat-5 cable? I have two stripping tools and neither will work with such thin wires. Do they make a tool that will do this easily?

Title: Re: best way to strip CAT-5 wires
Post by: Paul Birkeland on November 29, 2014, 11:32:51 AM

You can actually pinch around the wire with your fingernails, then just pull the jacket off.  If that doesn't work, use your needlenose pliers to yank the insulation off. 

If none of that works, tilt your strippers at an angle to get some purchase on the strand in question, then give it a tug.

Title: Re: best way to strip CAT-5 wires
Post by: Grainger49 on November 29, 2014, 11:47:09 AM

The answer is yes, they make a tool that strips Cat-5 wires.  The wires are 24 AWG, this one goes down to 26 AWG (~$11):

http://www.amazon.com/Klein-11046-Stripper-Cutter-Inches/dp/B0000302WS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417301041&sr=8-3&keywords=klein+wire+stripper

Title: Re: best way to strip CAT-5 wires
Post by: keithp on November 29, 2014, 02:48:25 PM

thanks for the tips, I couldn't quite do it with my fingernails and I kept breaking the wires when I tried to use my pliers, so I made a quick trip to Home Depot and found a Klein stripper that can handle wire as thin as 30 AWG. Works like a charm.