Making your own cables and using wire strippers

[TDM]

I'm sick of all my cheap leads breaking and I want to make some nice ones to use.

I've got the soldering side of things covered (admittedly I'm not great at it) but stripping wires is extremely unpleasant, especially since all I have is a swiss army knife.

Will something basic like [url="http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Wire-Strippers/Automatic-wire-stripper/30558/kw/stripper"]this[/url] work for stripping coaxial guitar leads?

[gnasher1993]

Wire strippers won't really work. You probably would be best with the swiss army knife because you want to strip each conductor layer separately.

Watch this video, it's a great demo:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smg68qgJa-I"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smg68qgJa-I[/url]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='691835' date='Dec 22 2009, 09:00 PM']I'm sick of all my cheap leads breaking and I want to make some nice ones to use.

I've got the soldering side of things covered (admittedly I'm not great at it) but stripping wires is extremely unpleasant, especially since all I have is a swiss army knife.

Will something basic like [url="http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Wire-Strippers/Automatic-wire-stripper/30558/kw/stripper"]this[/url] work for stripping coaxial guitar leads?[/quote]

[bumfrog]

if you really have to get a wire stripper, you'd be better off with something like this....
[url="http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Wire-Strippers/Coax-cable-stripper/60421"]http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners...-stripper/60421[/url]

[geoffbyrne]

Teeth.

[pete.young]

A decent pair of side cutters and a delicate touch.

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='691835' date='Dec 22 2009, 09:00 PM']Will something basic like [url="http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Wire-Strippers/Automatic-wire-stripper/30558/kw/stripper"]this[/url] work for stripping coaxial guitar leads?[/quote]
I've got one of these and it does a great job.

It'll strip the outer sleeve first, then do each individual sleeve one by one.

[thinman]

I did a Post Office/BT apprenticeship many years ago and wire/cable stripping, especially co-ax stuff, was major part of it!

Outer sheathing can either be cut with lots of small nips using sharp cutters or by using a very sharp knife (but not in the way you would sharpen a pencil - you gently make a cut around the cable so that it goes most, but not all, of the way through the sheathing such that a bit of bending does the final tearing of the sheath.

Normal insulated wires are best stripped with a decent pair of strippers.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='692589' date='Dec 23 2009, 09:17 PM']I've got one of these and it does a great job.

It'll strip the outer sleeve first, then do each individual sleeve one by one.[/quote]
That's been my experience too.

[morsefull]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='692158' date='Dec 23 2009, 10:35 AM']Teeth.[/quote]
+1

[Tengu]

I was taught to use a Stanley knife to strip the outer sheath and then any decent wire-stripper is good for the individual signal wires. I even have a small notch in one of my front teeth from years of doing it the cheap way.

For the outer insulation you make a cut around the circumference of the cable, being careful not to cut into the internals, and then cut length-wise from there to the end of the cable. You should then be able to peel the excess insulation off like a banana. That is particularly useful if you want to expose a larger length as you don't tug on the internal wires and screening.

[Guest johnzgerman]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='691835' date='Dec 22 2009, 09:00 PM']I'm sick of all my cheap leads breaking and I want to make some nice ones to use.

I've got the soldering side of things covered (admittedly I'm not great at it) but stripping wires is extremely unpleasant, especially since all I have is a swiss army knife.

Will something basic like [url="http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Hand-Tools/Wire-Strippers/Automatic-wire-stripper/30558/kw/stripper"]this[/url] work for stripping coaxial guitar leads?[/quote]

yes in my experience these work very well and they dont ruin your teeth

[chriswilliams666]

I make all my cables and i would definately recommend getting wire cutters/strippers. There's nothing worse then cable-ends in your stomach!

This is the cutter i use. Its great and will do all outer and inner cable. - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-DRAPER-VALUE-WIRE-STRIPPER-125MM-LOWEST-PRIC_W0QQitemZ370293576114QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item56373791b2"]Draper Cable Cutter[/url]

I would seriously look into Van Damme [url="http://www.vdctrading.com/"]VDC Site[/url] or Mogami Cables (if you can find a supplier) [url="http://www.mogamicable.com/index01.html"]Mogami Site[/url]

Switchcraft Jacks all the way. I use #226 and #228 Right angled jacks for Pedals and Wireless systems, and #280 for a straight jacks. - [url="http://www.vdctrading.com/products_gridview.asp?SubSectionID=170&secName=Audio+connectors&ProductID=938#p938"]Switchcraft @ VDC Site[/url]


Hope this helps.



[quote name='johnzgerman' post='696359' date='Dec 30 2009, 02:36 PM']yes in my experience these work very well and they dont ruin your teeth[/quote]