How to Strip Wire with a Drill (6 Steps & Tricks)
Content
By the end of this article, you will understand how to strip wires with an electric drill.
As an electrician, I use power drills daily and occasionally to strip wires, so I have some experience that I can share with you. You can attach a wire stripper to your drill and strip multiple wires at once to achieve finely ground surfaces. Features such as speed, torque and reverse control allow you to fine-tune your settings for optimal results.
To strip wires with a wire stripper mounted on a drill:
- Attach a suitable size wire stripper to the drill.
- Turn on the drill and place it on a sturdy work bench.
- Grab the wires with pliers
- Feed the wires into the rotating wire stripper.
- Let the stripper work for a few seconds and then disconnect the wires.
- Adjust the rotation speed with the speed or torque control and repeat the process if you are not satisfied with the first attempt.
More details below.
What do you need
Gather the following equipment.
- Electric drill
- Several wires - different sections
- Compatible Wire Stripper
- Pliers
Which wire stripper to use with your drill
Find the right size wire stripper that is compatible with your drill.
You can get them at your local store or Amazon. Most wire strippers that can be used on a drill cost about $6. The type, quality, and size of the wire stripper significantly affect the cost.
Follow the steps below to strip wires with an electric drill.
Step 1 Insert the wire stripper into the drill
To install a compatible wire stripper in your power drill:
Position the drill correctly and install the wire stripper in the chuck. Secure it by adjusting the chuck. You can use a hex wrench to tighten or loosen the chuck until you get the best setting.
Step 2: Turn on the drill
When you turn on the drill, make sure you are holding the drill on a sturdy and well-leveled work bench. (1)
Attention:
The spinning part (wire stripping tool) is sharp. Also, handle the drill with care to avoid horrific accidents.
Step 3: Grasp the wires with pliers
Any pliers will do. Go ahead and cut the solid wires into about five pieces with pliers. You can either hold the drill with your free hand or hold the pliers with both hands.
Attention:
Single core wires are fragile. An electric drill can break them. However, if you carefully feed the wire into the drill, you will get good results.
Step 4. Insert the wires into the drill
Now carefully insert the wires into the rotating drill. The electric drill will remove the insulating coating from the wires in just a few seconds.
Also, be careful not to strip the wires beyond the required length - 1/2 to 1 inch is enough conductive surface for most connections. To make sure you've only cut a sensible depth, grab the wires (with pliers) close to the end so that only a few inches will go into the drill.
Step 5: Adjust Wire Stripper Holes
Use the shaft on the wire stripper to adjust the wire stripper. Note that a setting that is too narrow may not give the best result. So, try adjusting it and repeat the wire stripping process.
Step 6: Strip another set of wires
As before, take another set of wires; this time try using fewer wires (maybe two instead of 5), fire up the power drill and insert the wires into the rotating hole section on the wire stripper.
Wait a few seconds and remove the wires. Check the texture of the sanded areas. If you are satisfied, save your settings and strip all wires. If not, consider resetting the rotation speed of the electric drill. You can reset the speed of the wire stripper with the torque function or the speed control trigger. Torque is also known as clutch. However, not all electric drills have this feature. Your best bet is to purchase one with a clutch attachment.
Benefits of Using Electric Drills for Wire Stripping
Using an electric drill to strip the insulating coating of wires is perhaps the best method after manual.
The process is fast
Once your settings are optimal, it will only take you a few seconds to strip a bunch of wires. With optimal settings, you will also get the best conductive surface texture.
Less energy required
The machine will do all the work for you. You don't have to apply pressure like you would with a conventional wire stripper.
Disadvantages of a no deposit bonus
Well, there are some downsides to using this method to strip wires. (2)
Possible accidents
The tool may injure fingers if handled carelessly or due to malfunction. Handle the power drill with care.
Excessive wire stripping
Untimely removal of the wires can lead to excessive stripping of the insulating sheath. The power drill spins very fast, and any delay in removal can cause the wire stripper to eat away at both the sheath and the wire itself.
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- How to use left hand drills
- What is the size of the dowel drill
- What is a step drill used for?
Recommendations
(1) desktop - https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2022/03/04/best-desks/
(2) insulating coating - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/insulation-coating
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