Thermal Wire Stripper - the most amazing timesaver ever.

Wed 2018.08.15

The link to this post turned up in a Google search result set for tools, and was surprised to find myself back here in the Espruino forum.

I debated about even posting as my response would date me a bit and the original post is aging. What pushed me over the edge was the following two exclamations:

re: Has anyone else experienced the magic of these? Why are these such a
well kept secret?

re: Interesting - I'd never heard of these

Maybe this PTS-10 tool use is regional perhaps, as I'm surprised to see that others haven't seen this type of tool. My first exposure was over thirty years ago, back in the eighties working for a small electronics manufacturing facility in Butler, a suburb outside Milwaukee Wisconsin USA. Near Harley Davidson mfg for we bikers out there. . . . I digress.

A colleague of mine made the purchase in an attempt to find a suitable tool to strip 30AWG Kynar wire-wrapping wire. Does anybody still wire wrap circuit boards anymore? The thermal strip tool was produced for and marketed by Amp back then, but hasn't changed a bit. We used a C-Clamp to fix to the end of our bench to make a more stable work surface and could easily strip 30 wires a minute using the adjustable stop. We had contests to see who could prep wire harness bundles the quickest to pass on to the crimpers. Boy does that bring back memories!!

USA - Maryland

https://patcoinc.net/products/pts-10/

The tool was good for PVC type insulation but was lousy for Teflon or the inner insulator of Coax cables. Never did get it to work reliably for the Kynar wire as it was just too small a diameter and not suitable for the angled thermal blade innermost edge.

My preference for stripping tools is this one, StripMaster

https://www.zoro.com/ideal-wire-stripper­-22-to-10-awg-7-in-45-092/i/G2785745/

The one I own, also thirty plus years old, has an adjustable stop and years ago had a small plastic enclosure that captured the trimmed ends, although that got in the way more than it helped. Just slide the wire in, up to the stop and squeeze. The wire is trapped in the spring loaded jaw that allows for the expanding mated jaw to slide off the stripped end, all in one squeeze. No nicked strands as can occur during rapid use of the Ideal/Klein type:

https://www.zoro.com/klein-tools-wire-st­ripper-18-to-10-awg-6-14-in-11045/i/G289­1043/

Brought back a load of memories from my 'youth and treachery' days. Now it's 'age and wisdom' I rely on.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane!