Tools for makers · Workshop tools
Wire cutters and strippers
Cut wire to length and remove the insulation cleanly, for longer sensor cables and tidy, permanent projects.
- 10 lessons
What it is for
Jumper wires are fine on the desk, but a rain gauge in the garden or a sensor on a washing machine needs a longer cable. Wire strippers cut the wire and remove the plastic insulation from the end without nicking the copper inside.
Combined with a soldering iron and some heat-shrink tube, they let you make your own cables of any length.
Flush cutters, small pliers with flat blades, are also great for trimming component legs and removing support material from 3D prints.
Tips
- Choose the notch that matches the wire size, so you cut the plastic and not the copper.
- Strip about 5 mm for soldering, and twist the strands before you tin them.
- Cut component legs pointing away from your face; the ends can fly.
