DIY Wire Cable Stripper Peeler Using Tube Cutter Hack Copper Recycling

Recycling is a great way to make a little extra money and help the environment at the same time. Recycling centers pay much less for coated wire than they do for clean copper in order to compensate for the weight of the coating. Stripped wire is also easier to store. Stripping wires can be a real pain when using a blade, not to mention it takes forever. Wire strippers are expensive but I found a cheap quick way to strip wire that I will be sharing with you. This is how I turned a $15.00 tube cutter into a nice wire stripper. When you are done you can turn it back to a tube cutter so win-win.
We start with a tube cutter. This is a very popular classic style which is still made by various brands. You can a find a cheap one on Amazon for around $15.00.
This is the link to the one I used: amzn.to/3pg3zYC
First remove the screw holding the blade.
Slide the pin and blade out.
Take a drill, or chisel, and remove the ends of the two pins holding the rollers.
Slide the pins out using a pliers or nail and pull the rollers out.
Turn the top knob clockwise making the blade square shaft go down until it comes out. It should come down the bottom and slide out.
Insert the blade shaft back with the blade facing the same direction of the rollers.
Turn the knob counterclockwise so it starts sliding up.
Put the Blade and rollers back in place. Slide the pins removed back in to hold rollers in place.
At the end that you drilled or chisel off, add some adhesive so that the pins don’t slide out and allow to dry.
Place the cutter in a vice or clamp.
Lower the blade so the wire you are inserting fits tight and push it through to the other side (If it’s too hard to push the wire through, loosen it a little to get the tip through). Once through, tighten the blade and pull the cable forward and back until you see it’s cutting. Start pulling the wire through until you reach the end. The blade effortlessly cuts through the rubber.
Once you finish pulling the whole length of cable separate coating from copper. With your fingers or pliers separate coating from copper. You can then effortlessly pull the coating away from the wire.
This length of wire would take forever with a blade. With this method it took about 20 seconds.
As you can see I was able to peal all that wire in less than 5 minutes and avoided a bunch of blisters and cuts.
Whenever you need the cutter for cutting a tube just reverse the process. Hope this helps and remember to always recycle. Best Wishes, Ed
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#wirestrippingmachine #recycling #cablestrippingmachine

[@douglasallen8596]

thank you using a modified version of this I stripped 800 ft of # 6 with the help of my wife and my john deere tractor pulled two hundred feet at a time in about 30 minutes adain thanks for sharing

[@awhaletale]

Thank you, I really appreciate it. l'm glad you enjoyed it, found it helpful, and were able to use your modified version to strip all that wire. The amount of wire you were able to strip in that time is awesome. Thanks again for sharing your experience. Best Wishes

[@offwithhishead2556]

I've been toying with the idea of buying a wire stripper, but I'm going to give this a whirl first! Cheers man!

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching Offwith Hishead, I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it and giving it a try. Cheers man

[@ryanreynolds6235]

Damn that is the best ideal I've seen in awhile genius

[@awhaletale]

Thank you, Ryan Reynolds, I truly appreciate it. l'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks again.

[@johnharrison2466]

Neat trick gonna give it a go,I have 600 feet of 10 gauge stranded to strip

[@awhaletale]

Thank you, johnharrison2466.I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It should make stripping the 600 feet much easier.

[@notwrkn2mch]

That is actually a really good idea 👍👍

[@awhaletale]

Thank you Joe Z, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@6980869]

Pretty cool idea! I wish this came out about 3 years earlier. Now all u gotta do is secure that vise to the workbench, then u can use both hands to pull the wire. Thanks for sharing! Aloha

[@awhaletale]

Thanks Agboo Hans, I appreciate it. I do as well. Your idea is great. That way you would be able to use both hands. I'm glad you enjoyed, and thanks for your idea. Aloha

[@stephensmith3708]

Real GENIUS! AND I WASTED NEARLY $500 ON A STRIPMEISTER E250, ANGRY 😡. Well you live and learn, right? Again true GENIUS!!!!!!!

[@awhaletale]

Thank you Stephen Smith really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful. The say Necessity is the Mother of Invention. We definitely live to learn friend. Thanks again

[@wuz2do]

Great idea thanks for sharing this video with us

[@awhaletale]

Thank you Wuz2do, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@samuelstahl3782]

Great idea!! Great job!!😎👌

[@awhaletale]

Thanks Samuel Stahl, I truly appreciate it. I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks again

[@MrGolfballsack]

Excellent and simple

[@awhaletale]

Thank you MrGolfballsack , I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@davidcraven2870]

Good idea thanks for the video

[@awhaletale]

Thanks David Craven, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and found it helpful.

[@jaimebernabesanchezparedes4234]

saludos muy excelente tu idea gracias

[@awhaletale]

Saludos, Gracias, Me alegra que te gusto

[@jefferylittleton1005]

This is really cool. I have a Klein cutter I'm trying to take apart, but it seems like I'll have to completely disassemble it to get the cutting shank out. It won't fall out, so I think it's attached all the way at the bearing. I'll update you when I figure it out.

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching Jeffrey Littleton, really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed. Mine just dropped down when I removed the rollers, and kept turning. Good luck with your cutter. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks again, Best Wishes

[@jefferylittleton1005]

@@awhaletale so I didn't have to remove the bearing, but just pry a ring off holding it together. I had to force it back together a bit after turning the shank 90°. It keeps slipping out from underneath the blade and off to one side though, so I shelved it for now. I think I'm going to work on a handheld jig I can just walk down the wire and tie the end of the wire to a stationary object.

[@awhaletale]

@@jefferylittleton1005 Great to hear. A handheld Jig is a Great Idea. 👍 Best Wishes

[@jamesmclean4495]

@@jefferylittleton1005 I have made several hand held strippers out of pliers cutting a rounded groove on one side and a sharp point on the other so when you squeeze it cuts insulation works ok if groove is right size I have a couple for different sizes I've stripped many miles of wire

[@mikeybatts69]

Awesome idea bro, I rarely come across alot of wire I need to strip, but I'm gonna pick up a tube cutter and modify it as you did for future use. Yeah, why buy a stripmeister or use a labor intensive blade, Genius!!!

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching Michael Batteiger. I really appreciate it brother. I'm glad you found it helpful and will be using it. Thanks again.

[@jamesdorrill9933]

I will definitely build one

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching James Dorrill. Really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful.

[@bbbruh8809]

How did it work for 26 to 30 gauge wire?

[@dolfinwriter5389]

This is an amazing idea. I was wondering why did you have to remove the rollers? Does the square shaft not slide out far enough to remove and turn it if you don't remove the rollers? Then instead of using epoxy to secure one end of the pins, could you have used cotter pins instead to replace the original pins? I think I will try @pundabear14's idea of drilling a hole in the back and just pull the wire through the rollers and cutter that way.

[@awhaletale]

Thanks dolfinwriter, really glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, you are correct. There is not enough space for the square shaft to slide out with the rollers there. Your idea of using cotter pins is great, I just didn't have them at the time. Pundabear14's idea is great as well. I just felt the way I had it. The V the rollers create would help hold the cable in the middle of the blade as you slide it through. Hope it works, Thanks again for watching, and I appreciate your suggestions.

[@keithruss1925]

i can see your style works well if you are doing different sizes but if you were only doing small solid wires i would have left it all put together and just drilled a small hole to still use the wheel to cut it without rotating it

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching and your comment keithruss1925, I appreciate it. That's a great idea for small solid wires. I'm glad you enjoyed, and thanks again for sharing your idea.

[@HVAC_Jae]

Well damn, will be doing this.

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching HVAC-Jae. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful. Good luck with it.

[@erics2506]

Bolting your vise to the bench would help.

[@awhaletale]

Thanks Eric for watching. I really appreciate your advice, and will definitely do.

[@pundabear14]

Could you have maybe drilled a hole in the back and made a grove in the rollers? I might buy one tomorrow and try that way first

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching Punda Bear. That's a great idea. If you can make the grove on the rollers, it should work fine, with hole in the back. Hope it works. Best Wishes

[@bazonis1gp]

👍👍

[@awhaletale]

Thanks panos Skrap. gr, I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@DesertRATyoutube]

I tried this with two different cutters and new cut wheels didn’t work with either

[@awhaletale]

Thank you for watching. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I'm not sure what could have gone wrong. As you can see from the video, it worked fine in my application and has as well for others. Maybe the coating on the wires you are stripping is different. Best Wishes

[@charlestubaugh6560]

What model did you use

[@awhaletale]

Charles Tubaugh, thank you for watching. The one I used didn't have a model number but it's the classic looking one. There are many brands that make this model some expensive others you can get on Amazon for around $9.00. I will put a link to the model I'm referring to soon so you can see the shape. The important part is that the shaft that goes up and down holding the blade is square so you can remove and insert it back with blade sideways. The 9 dollar model should work fine, but you can go with a more expensive similar one as well. I will attach a link, as it is a similar model with a square blade shaft. Hope that helps, Best Wishes

[@ronnieschaeffer3726]

Well, I'll be damned!

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching Ronnie Schaeffer, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Best Wishes

[@bbbruh8809]

Does it work on 26 to 30 gauge stranded wire?

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching BBbruh. That is a thin gauge, and it might not stick out high enough in between the rollers for the blade to cut. You could put a small v shaped piece of metal between the rollers that would raise the wire to the needed height if it doesn't reach and hold it in place with the vise. I only had thicker gauge at the time and, therefore, didn't test on the thinner gauge. Hope that helps, Best Wishes

[@bbbruh8809]

@@awhaletale Oh thats good idea, I will be trying that out then. I dont know why but the wooden piece with holes i seen on yt just doesnt work for it. And commercial wire strippers are only down to 16 gauge...

[@awhaletale]

@BBbruh Thanks BBbruh, hope it works. Let me know when you try it out. You are right it's hard finding one that works for thinner gauge wire. Let me know hope it works, Best Wishes

[@bbbruh8809]

@@awhaletale ok in the end I didn't try this method So I tried another method from internet I bought filleting knife, and damn that thing goes trough power cables and smaller gauges like butter It doesn't get stuck at all And for large gauges 16 and above I just strip with box cutter knife For 10 bucks best investment, it is very fast

[@awhaletale]

@bbbruh8809 Great to hear you were able to find a method that worked for you. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes

[@charlesinscore4107]

Why did you drill the hole ?

[@awhaletale]

Hey Charles, Thanks for watching. I used the drill bit to remove the lips from the pins holding the rollers in place,in order to slide the pins out. I could not invert the square shaft holding the blade without removing the rollers, since the shaft slides out from the bottom. Thanks again for watching appreciate it.

[@blakeb9792]

This is a great idea! Nice work. Now I don’t have to invent my own thing to scrap all this wire I have. Thanks for sharing

[@awhaletale]

@@blakeb9792 Thanks Blake, I appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and that you found it helpful.

[@chrisminor8372]

I've been a pipe fitter for 23 years now and never thought about doing that now I will thank you for the video I just stripped 300 foot of wire with a pocket knife lol

[@awhaletale]

@@chrisminor8372 Thanks Chris, I appreciate it. Lol Wish you had seen the video before the 300 ft of wire and pocket knife. I've been there many times and not fun. Sometimes when we use a tool that is crucial in our line of work and it functions efficiently we prefer to leave it as it is, happens to me all the time. Glad you enjoyed and found it helpful. Best Wishes

[@aldeletronica]

Show😊😊

[@awhaletale]

Thanks @aldelectronica,Glad you enjoyed the video. 👍

[@stevevorpe5735]

Traduire en Francais

[@StonemanRocks]

Ya man thats brilliant!

[@awhaletale]

Thank you Stoneman Rocks, I really appreciate it man. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@user-Dmitij]

Воры все в тишине делают!!!

[@awhaletale]

Thank you, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@etherealnine]

I have a motorized one and even with that I'm starting think it's not worth the time. Well, perhaps the larger wires perhaps but #12 and smaller seems like such a waste of time.

[@awhaletale]

Thanks for watching etherealnine. It's a pain stripping wires, regardless of the method, but if your recycling center is far away, and you have to store it for some time, it helps when they are stripped. Best Wishes

[@FC-qe1wl]

Not worth the time ? All depends on how one looks at it. Being at home watching TV isnt making you any money, so use that idle time to actually earn cash, and you can even strip copper while watching that tv...