# Wired My First House......



## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

....Using bent-nose Romex strippers. 


Things are so handy. Can't figure out why Klein discontinued them.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I dislike wire strippers, they wear out too fast, bent nose are nice for working in tight spaces.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> I dislike wire strippers, they wear out too fast, bent nose are nice for working in tight spaces.


Do you strip wires with your fingers?


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## mikeswoods (Oct 11, 2008)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Do you strip wires with your fingers?


Teeth---:laughing:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Do you strip wires with your fingers?


I use whatever I have in my pocket, normally a pair of scissors, but for stripping romex I use a pair of *****, for really heavy gauge wire I "pencil" it with a knife.


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## Red Adobe (Jul 26, 2008)

cut insul then move to next bigger slot and pull, stripper will last a very long time if the cutting edge isnt dragging on the copper


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

You're suposed to strip the wire?:blink:

Tom


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

I use some lineman pliers... After a few that 'I was sure were dead', there's notches for stripping


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Red Adobe said:


> cut insul then move to next bigger slot and pull, stripper will last a very long time if the cutting edge isnt dragging on the copper


I don't think I've ever worn out the cutting edge before someone tries to use them as pliers to loosen a bolt. :laughing:

I carry a pair like this but really only use them to shear machine screws:


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Well, when you have 200 romex ends to terminate, using a knife would get a little tedious.


I always used standard straight romex strippers, and just fudged my way into the box. Then on a whim, I decided to try the bent nose. Found out they were discontinued, but they scrounged me 2 sets from other stores. Greatest thing since beer in a can. :thumbsup:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

I can strip stranded as fast with a knife as I can with those strippers, solid core i'd risk ringing the wire and penciling is slower, but I bet I can strip with ***** about as fast as I can with wire strippers.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

I melt the insulation off with the lasers that eminate from my eyes. :laughing:


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)




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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Those really suck.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

My dad has a pair, and I've used them a few times... 

Seemed to work pretty well


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

TimelessQuality said:


> My dad has a pair, and I've used them a few times...
> 
> Seemed to work pretty well


They work ok for the first 10 wires...


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## tyb525 (Feb 26, 2013)

Red Adobe said:


> cut insul then move to next bigger slot and pull, stripper will last a very long time if the cutting edge isnt dragging on the copper


And don't loan them to someone to use for bolts.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

I guess I don't do it often enough to be all pro and do it faster with a knife. Lol. I have a pair of straight Klein strippers that I like a lot.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> I guess I don't do it often enough to be all pro and do it faster with a knife. Lol. I have a pair of straight Klein strippers that I like a lot.


Forget your strippers a few times and you will figure it out pretty fast.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> Forget your strippers a few times and you will figure it out pretty fast.


Oh I always bring my strippers...

But for stripping 14/2 or 12/2 how do you do it that's fast than strippers? Pencil style, or ringing it as you called it?


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## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

I've been using these Ideal strippers for resi work with NM and UF cables for the last few years. I wish I'd had them decades ago. There small enough to reach all the way to the back of a 1-gang box and lightweight with nonconductive handles and the blades are replaceable. They can remove any length of the outer jacket on 14/2 UF and 12/2 UF, 14/2 NM and flat 14/3 NM and 12/2 NM. I've even used them on 10/2 NM a few times without issue, even though they're not really rated for it. These can also strip the individual conductors as well. I've seen these same strippers sold under a German brand name, which makes sense since they there imported from the land that gave us sauerkraut and Ideal just puts their name on them.

http://www.tequipment.net/Ideal45-235.asp


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> Oh I always bring my strippers...
> 
> But for stripping 14/2 or 12/2 how do you do it that's fast than strippers? Pencil style, or ringing it as you called it?


You can't ring solid wire, it really comprises the wire. Pinch twist pull.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> You can't ring solid wire, it really comprises the wire. Pinch twist pull.


So is ringing it taking your knife and cutting a circle around it then sliding off the jacketing? Always wanting to learn, how does that damage the wire? I've never done it that way btw.

Pinch twist pull with what tool? If it's your fingers... Dang. Haha


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> So is ringing it taking your knife and cutting a circle around it then sliding off the jacketing? Always wanting to learn, how does that damage the wire? I've never done it that way btw.
> 
> Pinch twist pull with what tool? If it's your fingers... Dang. Haha


If you ring solid copper and your blade scores it all the way around it will snap off very easily...no bueno.

I'll have to make a video to explain.

Solid core:
*****: Pinch twist pull or pinch snip both sides then pull.
Knife: sink in the bottom pull straight off, then sink in the top pull straight off...Or pencil.
Linesmans: pinch rotate then grab the insulation and twist off.


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> If you ring solid copper and your blade scores it all the way around it will snap off very easily...no bueno. I'll have to make a video to explain. Solid core: *****: Pinch twist pull or pinch snip both sides then pull. Knife: sink in the bottom pull straight off, then sink in the top pull straight off...Or pencil. Linesmans: pinch rotate then grab the insulation and twist off.


A video would be cool. I'm all about what's faster and using less tools to do the job which saves time instead of switching. I just wired my garage today and used strippers and just to rough in a box you have to keep switching tools.


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## EcHoMaN (Jan 17, 2014)

Xtrememtnbiker said:


> A video would be cool. I'm all about what's faster and using less tools to do the job which saves time instead of switching. I just wired my garage today and used strippers and just to rough in a box you have to keep switching tools.


Only takes 2 seconds to switch a tool from a pouch You can always do things in a certain order, like pre stripping the romex sheathing, then stripping the wires with wire strippers, making your curls or leaving straight, shove in your 1104 box, then all you need is your red/green robbie....or

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/hand-tools/utility-knives/48-22-1902


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## tyb525 (Feb 26, 2013)

Cut off jacket with knife, use strippers to bare ends in one pull, make the curls, put away strippers and get out the screwdriver.


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## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

All this talk about strippers and not one joke yet. Shame on you guys. :laughing:


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## Irishslave (Jun 20, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> You can't ring solid wire, it really comprises the wire. Pinch twist pull.


Yep this is no joke. More than once I had to do a little troubleshooting behind some guy that said..."yeah I can run that. All it takes is twist that wire nut a little too tight and......snap. Luckily it was usually on a neutral and nothing worked caused it was snapped off, but for safety sake I check everything and always find exactly what you are talking about...conductor scored right at the insulation


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

aptpupil said:


> All this talk about strippers and not one joke yet. Shame on you guys. :laughing:


Uhmm.......It actually did go there, and the next day they were all gone. Moderated out of existance.


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