Stripping wire

[dharma14]

Is it okay if the some of the copper comes out when stripping the speaker wire? like 10 strands came out when I did it.

[gearyt]

tis not a good thing.
you just reduced the gauge of the wire
and probably weakened the next group of strands
so they will break off

[Johnny Vinyl]

Not a good thing indeed...get a wire stripper (just a few bucks) and place the wire in the appropriate gauge indicator. You should be fine then.

[dharma14]

Originally Posted by John72953

Not a good thing indeed...get a wire stripper (just a few bucks) and place the wire in the appropriate gauge indicator. You should be fine then.

I do, it's so hard to get it off though, I have to pull so hard.

[gearyt]

while closed, rotate the stripper 30 - 45 degrees, it will help cut the insulation

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by dharma14

I do, it's so hard to get it off though, I have to pull so hard.

Then either you're not doing it right or you need a new stripper. Try the gauges on either side and see if that makes a difference. You shouldn't have to pull hard. Just a slight force with your thumb behind the stripper to push it forward should be enough.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by gearyt

while closed, rotate the stripper 30 - 45 degrees, it will help cut the insulation

Try that as well....it works!

[JJ]

I used the 12-awg hole on my Klein stripper to strip out 14-awg cable perfectly cleanly. When I used the 14-awg hole, it took out some of the wire as well. Use the bigger hole, it'll take the insulation off without touching the wires.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

I used the 14-awg hole on my Klein stripper to strip out 12-awg cable perfectly cleanly. When I used the 12-awg hole, it took out some of the wire as well. Use the smaller hole, it'll take the insulation off without touching the wires.

Very good point, and kind of what I said earlier. Remember, although the gauge may indicate 12 or 14 or whatever, the outer lining on some wire is thicker than others.

Experiment, but hopefully you bought a long enough strand!

[dharma14]

okay it's working better now, how do I know which side is positive and negative? One side has a blue stripe on it and the other is just clear.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by dharma14

okay it's working better now, how do I know which side is positive and negative? One side has a blue stripe on it and the other is just clear.

Usually the "marked" side is Positive.