Stripping thin Teflon coated wire

[majoconz]

There's two varieties of SnapOn strippers, the 10 to 20 AWG and 22 to 30 AWG.

[Chris Wilson]

Originally Posted by Denis G4DWC

I have been using PTFE (Teflon) wires for many years and the only thing I've found that does the job properly is a little stripper from one of the usual big distributors. Have a look here:-
http://www.rapidonline.com/tools-equ...-0-4mm-93-0000
It's not cheap and almost twice the price from RS but it's the best thing I've found that really does the job.

I ended up buying a similar CK tool, but the one in your link looks adjustable for conductor diameter. mine isn't and is for the single core cable size I wanted to strip. As such Sod's Law states it almost does a good job, but not quite... It doesn't always get through the insulation with its cutter jaws enough to pull it cleanly off. I am beginning to wish I'd gone the whole hog and bought heated strippers. Having been persuaded to buy a Metcal RF soldering station, and now some Metcal RF tweezers I am starting to appreciate that electronic tools are like most things in life, and you get what you pay for.

The *ADJUSTABLE* stripper in you link Denis would no doubt have been far better, but the single size version was cheaper.... Hmm, shouldn't have been a cheapskate, should I?

Thanks for the info everyone, and interesting and diverse set of answers.

[kalee20]

Even heated strippers don't always give a clean strip on PTFE wire. And of course you have to be super-careful about over-cooking the stuff and its lethal fumes.

If you can, use Type B PTFE wire (1,000V) not Type A (600V). PTFE is an excellent insulator, and at 600V it is so thin that strippers hardly have anything to grab hold of. Its low-friction surface doesn't help either - you bless it when you are feeding a wire along a convoluted wiring loom, but curse it when you try and terminate it.

PTFE's virtues are very much a double-edged sword!

[Chris Wilson]

So I am finding! I just love the no shrink back, but stripping the stuff is a PITA. I have some double Teflon insulated stuff that's even worse to strip cleanly. These rally bargain spools eh?

[DangerMan]

It's well worth the trouble though. I've built many a compact veroboard project that would have been either extremely messy or impossible without it.
Once you've mastered it you won't look back, I promise.

P.S. I have one of the proper strippers, but the old method still wins! (for me)

[BottleMan]

Perhaps it's worth try Raychem 44 wire instead of PTFE. It seems that most of the aerospace companies have changed over to it. Perhaps cost, perhaps ease of stripping. Doesn't run back when soldering. Just a thought.

Graham