Wire Stripping Basics

Wire diameter affects stripping requirements.

A common mistake is to believe that a certain gauge of stranded conductor has the same diameter as a solid conductor of the same gauge. Stranded conductors are slightly larger than solid conductors of the same gauge. This is important when considering blade selection, stripper selection and stripping methods.

The type of wire to be stripped and the type of stripping required (commercial or precision) will help determine the stripping tool and/or method to be employed for the best results.

The following factors determine how precisely a wire can be stripped: insulation type, concentricity of insulation and conductor O.D.s, and adherence of insulation, etc.

The Wire Diameter Chart (below) references nominal sizes, as well as tolerances, for various gauges.

AWG
Diameter of
Solid Wire
Diameter of
Stranded Wire
Diameter of
Solid Wire
Diameter of
Stranded Wire
8
0.128 in.
0.145-0.149 in.
3.251 mm
3.68-3.78 mm
10
0.102 in.
0.116-0.119 in.
2.590 mm
2.45-3.02 mm
12
0.081 in.
0.091-0.093 in.
2.057 mm
2.31-2.36 mm
14
0.064 in.
0.072-0.074 in.
1.625 mm
1.82-1.88 mm
16
0.051 in.
0.058-0.060 in.
1.295 mm
1.47-1.52 mm
18
0.040 in.
0.047-0.049 in.
1.016 mm
1.19-1.24 mm
20
0.032 in.
0.038-0.040 in.
0.813 mm
0.965-1.02 mm
22
0.025 in.
0.029-0.030 in.
0.635 mm
0.736-0.762 mm
24
0.020 in.
0.024-0.025 in.
0.508 mm
0.609-0.635 mm
26
0.016 in.
0.019-0.020 in.
0.406 mm
0.482-0.508 mm
28
0.013 in.
0.016-0.017 in.
0.330 mm
0.406-0.432 mm
30
0.010 in.
0.012-0.013 in.
0.254 mm
0.305-0.330 mm

Article courtesy of IDEAL Industries