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

Article courtesy of IDEAL Industries