How to strip speaker wire (step by step guide)

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5 Step Guide to Stripping Speaker Wire
Learn more about stripping speaker wires
Wire twisting

Wire stripping requires a delicate touch, and when it comes to speaker wires, the process becomes even more difficult. Someone might ask, why is everything so much more complicated with speaker wires? Speaker wires range from 12 AWG to 18 AWG. This means that speaker wires are smaller in diameter than most conventional wires. This can make it difficult for you to strip speaker wires. So today I will teach you how to strip a speaker wire with our guide below.

Generally, to strip a speaker wire, follow these steps:

Separate the negative and positive wires first.
Then insert the positive wire into the wire stripper.
Pinch the blades of the wire stripper until they touch the plastic sheath of the wire. Do not fully tighten the blades.
Then pull the wire back to remove the plastic shroud.
Finally, do the same for the negative wire.

That's all. You now have two stripped speaker wires.

We'll go through the entire process in detail below.

5 Step Guide to Stripping Speaker Wire

You won't need many tools for this process. All you need is a wire stripper. So, if you have a wire stripper, you are ready to strip your speaker wires.

Step 1 - Separate the two wires

Typically, the speaker wire comes with two different wires; positive and negative. Black is negative, red is positive. The plastic sheaths of these wires are glued together. But they are separable.

Separate these two wires first. You can do this by pulling the wires in opposite directions. Use your hands for this. Do not use any tools such as a utility knife. This may damage the wire strands. Only use a utility knife for cutting wires.

Separate the wires just 1-2 inches from the ferrule.

Step 2 - Insert the first wire into the wire stripper

Now insert the first wire into the wire stripper. The plastic sheath of the wire must be in contact with the blades of the wire stripper. So, we select a suitable hole according to the size of the wire.

Step 3 - Clamp the wire

Then, clamp the wire by pressing the two handles of the wire stripper. Remember that you should not clamp to the end. The clamp should stop right above the strands of the wire. Otherwise, you will get damaged strands.

Tip: If the wire is too tight, you may need to try a larger hole instead of the current one.

Step 4 - Pull out the wire

Then, pull out the wire while holding the wire stripper firmly. If the procedure is performed correctly, the plastic casing should come out smoothly. (1)

Now you have a properly stripped wire in your hands.

Step 5 - Strip the Second Wire

Finally, follow the same process and remove the second wire's plastic shroud.

Learn more about stripping speaker wires

Stripping wires doesn't have to be a difficult task. But some people have great difficulty trying to strip the wire. Ultimately, they can damage the wire or cut it completely. The main reason for this is the lack of knowledge and execution. (2)

Modern electrical wires have several types of cores. In addition, the number of strands can vary from wire to wire.

Wire twisting

Basically there are two types of twist; twisting bundles and twisting ropes. A bundle of strands consists of any number of strands in random order. Rope twisting, on the other hand, occurs with a rope-like wire assembly.

Thus, when you crimp a wire, knowing the type of strand will help a lot. If the wire is of cable construction, you may need to be more careful when clamping the wire with a wire stripper.

A complete wire strand chart can be found on the Calmont Wire & Cable website.

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