Building circuits, the tools you need: Wire Strippers, and more


As I'm interested in electronics and computers as a hobby I'm well acquainted with the tools of the trade that one uses during building circuitry etc. There are a steep learning curve for some, like soldering, it took me at least a month before I could do it successfully with ease and without wasting solder. Take stripping wire for instance, you can do this easily with just a pocket knife, but you won't get the same consistent result as you would if you used a proper wire stripping tool


Up until recently I had just been using my pocket knife, or whatever knife was available to me at the time. The result wasn't pretty, in fact it was quite rough - but it got the job done. I thought I'd keep stripping wires in this way until I could be bothered buying the proper tool, that was until I slipped and gave my finger a good nick. After that adverse advent I decided it was definitely time to buy a proper damn wire stripper. I started browsing the web looking for the best models. I really liked the look of the IRWIN stripper but to be honest I wasn't sure until I could try it out. So I took a weekend and traveled to my local hardware store, I managed to find some wire strippers, however not the IRWIN model I was looking for. Never the less I gave them a try, had a look at the quality etc, and decided on the klein brand in the end.


They were a little more expensive than I thought I'd end up paying (around $30 if I remember correctly). But now I have the tool, and won't need to buy it again as these are very high quality and should last a long time. One thing to consider when you're looking at wire strippers is that depending on the model you buy they might not actually accommodate the wire gauge that's necessary for you. For instance, if you work with small wires on circuitry and computer boards you should probably look for a model with ability to strip wires of a very small AWG gauge. If you get some that auto-adjust somewhere around 8 - 24 AWG you should be covered for most different electrical wire sizes.


A primer on how to use them: Okay so maybe you have some great wire strippers but don't know how to use them properly yet. If this is the case fret not! as it's actually a very simple process. They are much like pliers in the way you must hold and use them. Instead of a blade/edge like pliers have they have holes where you insert the wire. You enclose the wire inside of the appropriate sized hole and then simply pull. This should remove the plastic outer coating to reveal the copper wire underneath it. Most stripping tools also come equipped with a wire cutter, and crimper which I think is pretty helpful. Often to twist stripped wires a pair of needle nose pliers can come in handy as well. As a final tip - remember to check the gauge of the wire before you choose a tool, you can usually find it printed on the outer plastic sheathing.


For a video guide, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dWSqfyn9aQ