Stripping Small Jumper Wires

Building circuits on a solderless breadboard is fun! Debugging a rats-nest of wires looping around a circuit that doesn't work is not! Here's a little instructable on neat trick for making small jumpers.

Step 1: Srip One:

Strip off about twice as much insulation as you would expect to for breadboarding: 1/2" to 5/8".

Comments

[mobby666]

Am able to strip fine stranded wires with a 'stanley' knife, it's just a matter of touch...................Oh & 36 years experience helps a bit too............lol

[Phil B]

Thank you for your response and the link. It seems I often need to solder a piece of stranded wire to something, as I did in this recent Instructable.

[Phil B]

This is a good idea. I was hoping your Instructable would say something about stripping small stranded wires. It is often a challenge to remove the plastic insulation without cutting off one or two of the fine strands. Of course, you would not choose stranded wire for use on a solderless breadboard, which is a key aspect of your Instructable. I do have a wire stripper, but it is for regular electrical wiring, not for wires down to #40 like yours.

[Rachels Instructs]

Hi Phil, I have not found it useful to strip short lengths of stranded wire. Usually when I use stranded wire, I need them for length and flexibility. That said, I have the same problem when stripping and occasionally loosing a few strands in the process. I've been chalking it up to the "stranded wire stripper's tax" but also find that using a better quality stripper and matching the guage works nicely. Jameco sells a very affordable stripper that cuts 16g to 26g rather nicely. 

[Rachels Instructs]

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that the .40 is a reference to milimeters, not guage.