Cable bender and stripper

[Bluedog225]

I’ve heard there is a tool for bending thick wire to facilitate installation in tight spaces. Would someone post an example?

And in practice, I guess you would put the bend in, then cut the cable, then crimp the lug on. Correct?

Is this not needed with the fine strand stuff like welding wire? Only for the thicker stranded material?

Also, I’ve never had a good wire stripper. I’ve always been fine just using a carpet knife. Are those things super handy? Or just nice to have.

Thanks

 

[rhino]

I’ve heard there is a tool for bending thick wire to facilitate installation in tight spaces. Would someone post an example?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B87Y8FMV

Is this not needed with the fine strand stuff like welding wire? Only for the thicker stranded material?

Only for the cable with few strands in it like THHN.

 

[timselectric]

Is this not needed with the fine strand stuff like welding wire? Only for the thicker stranded material?

Correct

I like this style

77455 Cable Bender, Wire Bender Tool, Connected to 1/2 "Ratchet, Maximum Bending Up to 500 MCM, Cable Bender Tool,Electrical Compact Cable Benders, Knuckle Benders, Bending Machines https://a.co/d/7NOxADT

 

[Bluedog225]

Great. Thanks!

 

[Batvette]

Back in the 80s I worked on the production floor doing wiring for a San Jose manufacturer of various electro mechanical factory machines. (The machines I built at the time were used for punching 5 1/4" floppy discs, then folding and sealing their jackets. Our machines were shipped to Sony, Maxell. TDK, etc.)
Anyway, it was not permissable to put bends in any of the wiring. All had to be graceful arcs of the precise length, then bundled with zip ties.
I remember this because I thought I knew what I was doing with a background in aircraft wiring, but my first day on the job I thought it would look nifty to put perfectly ataggered bends at the terminal blocks. I had to tear it all out and rewire the whole thing, I thought they were going to fire me on the spot.
I was told the rationale was that a sharp intentional bend provides a stress point which could fracture over time.

Of course thats worrying about something that rarely happens, but it is a valid point.

 

[timselectric]

Back in the 80s I worked on the production floor doing wiring for a San Jose manufacturer of various electro mechanical factory machines. (The machines I built at the time were used for punching 5 1/4" floppy discs, then folding and sealing their jackets. Our machines were shipped to Sony, Maxell. TDK, etc.)
Anyway, it was not permissable to put bends in any of the wiring. All had to be graceful arcs of the precise length, then bundled with zip ties.
I remember this because I thought I knew what I was doing with a background in aircraft wiring, but my first day on the job I thought it would look nifty to put perfectly ataggered bends at the terminal blocks. I had to tear it all out and rewire the whole thing, I thought they were going to fire me on the spot.
I was told the rationale was that a sharp intentional bend provides a stress point which could fracture over time.

Of course thats worrying about something that rarely happens, but it is a valid point.

It depends on how much vibration exists. Which can stress the wiring. This is only valid in machinery.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

Back in the 80s I worked on the production floor doing wiring for a San Jose manufacturer of various electro mechanical factory machines. (The machines I built at the time were used for punching 5 1/4" floppy discs, then folding and sealing their jackets. Our machines were shipped to Sony, Maxell. TDK, etc.)
Anyway, it was not permissable to put bends in any of the wiring. All had to be graceful arcs of the precise length, then bundled with zip ties.
I remember this because I thought I knew what I was doing with a background in aircraft wiring, but my first day on the job I thought it would look nifty to put perfectly ataggered bends at the terminal blocks. I had to tear it all out and rewire the whole thing, I thought they were going to fire me on the spot.
I was told the rationale was that a sharp intentional bend provides a stress point which could fracture over time.

Of course thats worrying about something that rarely happens, but it is a valid point.

If I remember correctly, for residential wiring, there is a specific bend radius acceptable for different gauge wires

 

[Tulex]

Back in the 80s I worked on the production floor doing wiring for a San Jose manufacturer of various electro mechanical factory machines. (The machines I built at the time were used for punching 5 1/4" floppy discs, then folding and sealing their jackets. Our machines were shipped to Sony, Maxell. TDK, etc.)
Anyway, it was not permissable to put bends in any of the wiring. All had to be graceful arcs of the precise length, then bundled with zip ties.
I remember this because I thought I knew what I was doing with a background in aircraft wiring, but my first day on the job I thought it would look nifty to put perfectly ataggered bends at the terminal blocks. I had to tear it all out and rewire the whole thing, I thought they were going to fire me on the spot.
I was told the rationale was that a sharp intentional bend provides a stress point which could fracture over time.

Of course thats worrying about something that rarely happens, but it is a valid point.

Pretty sure those sharp bends would have outlasted the production life of floppies.

 

[SilverbackMP]

I have a bender that works in a ratchet but I used a wood faced Vice most of the time.

As far as stripping large gauge wire, these things were the cat’s rear in stripping 4/0:


They are cutters but with a little practice you can click a few notches, spin it a couple of times, maybe click one more, spin it, and pull off the sheathing with no damage to the wire.

I tried the Klein 4 in one dilly-Bob, but the insulation on my wire (Ancor brand) was too thick for it to work.

 

[Batvette]

Correct

I like this style

77455 Cable Bender, Wire Bender Tool, Connected to 1/2 "Ratchet, Maximum Bending Up to 500 MCM, Cable Bender Tool,Electrical Compact Cable Benders, Knuckle Benders, Bending Machines https://a.co/d/7NOxADT

Thats funny they say it fits 1/2" ratchet but the opening is .45". I would have thought the male fitting on the ratchet would be around that size to fit a .50" square female hole on a socket or extension. Either thats gonna be a helluva tight fit or Im gonna have to measure some tools with a digital caliper.

 

[Batvette]

Pretty sure those sharp bends would have outlasted the production life of floppies.

Pretty much what I was thinking at the time, although I think I expressed it as "does it really f***ing matter?"
When all the other machines were wired the other way, and the customer had several of them already... it probably did matter.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Correct

I like this style

77455 Cable Bender, Wire Bender Tool, Connected to 1/2 "Ratchet, Maximum Bending Up to 500 MCM, Cable Bender Tool,Electrical Compact Cable Benders, Knuckle Benders, Bending Machines https://a.co/d/7NOxADT

This is one I used.

I hand bent my 4/0 but had to use this for the 400 mcm thhn copper.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I’ve heard there is a tool for bending thick wire to facilitate installation in tight spaces. Would someone post an example?

And in practice, I guess you would put the bend in, then cut the cable, then crimp the lug on. Correct?

Is this not needed with the fine strand stuff like welding wire? Only for the thicker stranded material?

Also, I’ve never had a good wire stripper. I’ve always been fine just using a carpet knife. Are those things super handy? Or just nice to have.

Thanks

Use this one for the bigger stuff

Klein Tools 21051 Large Cable Stripper (2/0-250 MCM) https://a.co/d/aBiYkxM

This one for everything else.

Klein Tools 11063W Wire Cutter / Wire Stripper, Heavy Duty Automatic Wire Stripper Tool for 8-20 AWG Solid and 10-22 AWG Stranded Electrical Wire,Blue/Black https://a.co/d/2I7wG9D

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I have a bender that works in a ratchet but I used a wood faced Vice most of the time.

As far as stripping large gauge wire, these things were the cat’s rear in stripping 4/0:

View attachment 161965
They are cutters but with a little practice you can click a few notches, spin it a couple of times, maybe click one more, spin it, and pull off the sheathing with no damage to the wire.

I tried the Klein 4 in one dilly-Bob, but the insulation on my wire (Ancor brand) was too thick for it to work.

I have these exact one for cutting but never tried stripping with it.

Just used the Klein tool.

 

[webbbn]

I have a bender that works in a ratchet but I used a wood faced Vice most of the time.

As far as stripping large gauge wire, these things were the cat’s rear in stripping 4/0:

View attachment 161965
They are cutters but with a little practice you can click a few notches, spin it a couple of times, maybe click one more, spin it, and pull off the sheathing with no damage to the wire.

I tried the Klein 4 in one dilly-Bob, but the insulation on my wire (Ancor brand) was too thick for it to work.

I'm also looking for something better for stripping large wire. Is "cat's rear" good or bad.

 

[Batvette]

Use this one for the bigger stuff

Klein Tools 21051 Large Cable Stripper (2/0-250 MCM) https://a.co/d/aBiYkxM

This one for everything else.

Klein Tools 11063W Wire Cutter / Wire Stripper, Heavy Duty Automatic Wire Stripper Tool for 8-20 AWG Solid and 10-22 AWG Stranded Electrical Wire,Blue/Black https://a.co/d/2I7wG9D

Klein also makes an auto adjust auto stripper:

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Adjusting-Stripper-Klein-Tools-11061/dp/B00CXKOEQ6

Or I should say its made for them since its chinese. It was $20 at home depot. Once I removed the annoying wire length gauge it works well. I have one like yours, its generally more precise but the auto adjust one is better if the wire is really short or hard to see.

I also bought kleins biggest diagonal cutters, was somewhat disappointed. Theyre sturdy and strong but arent sharp at all so struggle with cutting thick cable in one shot.

 

[ampmike]

I tried the Jokari 10270 Secura Cable Stripping Knife
and tried to use it on 4/0 cable from Windy nation. It was really hard to extend it far enough to get the cable in.
I adjusted it to start cutting the insulation the way you would use a tubing cutter to cut tubing, a little at a time.
The blade just would not cut the insulation without spiraling. I then got out my exacto knife with a curved carving blade as pictured and rolled the cable and it cuts great.

 

[OzSolar]

Is this not needed with the fine strand stuff like welding wire? Only for the thicker stranded material?

My 2 cents. If you need a tool for bending welding cable tighter than you can get it with your hands your way over bending it.

For big THHN a 18" piece of 3/4 EMT does just fine.

With a bit of practice this guy is pretty useful for both stripping and cutting fine stranded (welding cable) cutting cable up 2/0.