# battery cable stripping easilly and neatly.



## Electric Car-Nut (Jul 5, 2009)

Here is a “TECH. TIP” 

Stripping insulation from battery cable without nicking the metallic conductors.

This is using tools you already have (Probably) to keep costs down for a tool you might not use but once in 5 years, if ever again.

Most of us have a Soldering GUN. (An iron won’t work for this.) 
With a Wire like Tip. Remove the soldering GUN tip. 
Cut and strip a four inch length of #12 solid Copper wire. Bent wire to this shape /U\ and install into soldering gun with same fasteners as the soldering tip used. The U shape should wrap around the insulation of the wire you want to strip the insulation at the end off of.

If you want the ends very neat and for initial practice put a small hose clamp (Metal) around the wire so it protects the insulation you want to be left untouched. 

Then plug in the Soldering Gun and cut the wire to overall length desired. Install clamp as stripping guide. Hold wire piece in one hand and soldering gun in the other, squeeze switch on to heat up tip, Place the hot wire against the insulation and melt a grove around insulation all the way thru to the copper inside the battery cable. (Usually it is easier to hold the gun still and twist the battery cable.) Put gun down in a safe location and pull insulation off battery cable. 
Practice on some scraps and adjust the hotwire’s shape until you are comfortable with the insulation melt. The fumes are strong so do it in a well ventilated place. (I put a 24 in. square of ½ inch plywood on top of the kitchen range and turn on the range hood so I don’t have to work outside…) 

This works well for me, hope it works for you.


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## Sunking (Aug 10, 2009)

Or you can do it like the pros do and use a pipe cutter to score the insulation and pull the insulation off.

After that use a light coat of No-Ox-Id A Special to preserve the the skinner, apply a irreversible compression connector with a T&B 15-ton hydraulic compression tool and have yourself a 50-year connector.


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## Electric Car-Nut (Jul 5, 2009)

Back in 2000 to 2002 when I was teaching the Southern Electrical Code, either a carefully used knife or a thermal stripper were mandated for prepping the ends by removing insulation of larger conductors such as "0, or 00, or 000,or 0000," or larger for service connections to meter base and breaker panel main input. The copper specifically was not to show any scratch or nick at the end of the insulation. and the insulation was to be trimmed at a 45 degree taper from O. D. to I. D. not square cut!


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