cutting wire..

[TechPro]

im going to cut some speaker wire for my system..ive never done it before. ive always used the wires that came with htib. is there any things i need to do special, or is it pretty much straight forward..

i got the wire from monoprice..

[jomari]

terminating speaker wire is pretty much straightforward,

are you using any tools tho? wire cutter or plain ol scissors or knife technique?
- typically id cut the insulation a couple of mm off first prior to working with the wire...
- i typically just remove the wiring insulation, but also pull it with a twist motion to keep the strands all in one place PRIOR to removing it.

once terminated, are you planning to use terminals for it? banana plugs?
- depending on the banana plugs, you'd either have to
1. keep insulation on (some banana plugs have a 'needle' that pierces into the speaker wire)
2. terminate it and have enough to 'wrap' around the banana plugs contact point.

[Drew664]

I'd recommend buying a pair of wire strippers. Then, depending on what gauge wire you bought, will determine how fun it will be for you. The thicker the wire, the more aggravating it can be (at least with a cheap pair of wire cutters/strippers!).

[Rob J in WNY]

TechPro,

Here's a couple of simple points for you:

When figuring the length of wire needed for each speaker, add two extra feet if you can. Final wire routing and final speaker/amplifier location will make you glad you did.

When stripping the wire, take care not to cut away any strands of copper. When using the wire strippers, try to get mostly through the insulation, then pull it away, leaving all wire strands intact.

Happy installing!

[DiverSpear]

Get some Klien wire strippers and it will be like cutting butter with a hot knife. Piece of cake.

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by DiverSpear

Get some Klien wire strippers and it will be like cutting butter with a hot knife. Piece of cake.

+1!
I use these: http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-...atalogId=10053

[Hammie]

Just as an FYI, I got some of the 12AWG Monoprice wire and had to use the 10AWG setting on my sire strippers otherwise I was cutting the strands.

[mroe3469]

I have always cut and stripped wires using a decent pairs of dikes. It does take a little practice no to cut tiny strands when stripping. I never liked wire strippers I always cut some of the strands. That is what works for me.

[NorCo_1806]

Originally Posted by mroe3469

I have always cut and stripped wires using a decent pairs of dikes. It does take a little practice no to cut tiny strands when stripping. I never liked wire strippers I always cut some of the strands. That is what works for me.

And when I can't find my dikes, I resort to my teeth....really the best way to make sure you don't cut too much.

Oh, when twisting the strands back together, after stripping....make sure you twist the same way the company that made the wire did.