Hello,

I was wondering if there is a better way of removing enamel from the magnet wire than sandpaper or using a knife to scrape it off. Somekind of solvent?

thanks,

George L.

 

Fire

__________________
Il give you shocking experience.

 

yeah ... ... a good enamel remover, don't forget to clean the ash

 

Some wires have enamel which will burn off when hot solder is applied to them.
Otherwise, a quick scrape with a sharp knife does the trick!

JimB

__________________
Experience is directly proportional to the value of the equipment ruined.

 

Yup, fire works great.
I always find it hard to scrape with a knife because it ruins the nice windings that I've made when the knife slips, and I never can seem to get all of it off.

__________________
I'm no electronics god, i just talk too much.

 

If you srape it of whith stomhing sharp (Even an transfomer E core dose the trick) Put the wire on some surface that can be damaged (In case knife slips)
and srape to the end of the wire while slowly rotating the wire this gets the most off.But still not all of it.

__________________
Il give you shocking experience.

 

Where you serious when you said fire, I am about to try this...It sounds so easy. If it works...you will he my hero.

George L.

 

Buy Heat Stripable Enamel Wire. Than you can remove it with your soldering iron and solder.

__________________
I No Longer accept Private Messages on here.
All Emails to me Must Contain the Word \"Electronic\" in the \"Subject Line\"
or they go Directly to my Junk Mail Folder.
Email me at: chemelec@hotmail.com
Website: http://www3.telus.net/chemelec

 

Yeah, fire is cool. hehe.... he he. Cool.

__________________
I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.

 

don't place the thin wire too long in fire... it may melt

 

Yea for that hair thin wire wave it in and out of the fire.

EDIT: and use a cigarete lighter NOT a blow torch.

__________________
Il give you shocking experience.

 

Who said Fire?

But most manufacturers sell enamel coated wire that has a Relatively low temperature insulation that can be removed with a soldering iron and solder. (or with the use of a solder pot.)

__________________
I No Longer accept Private Messages on here.
All Emails to me Must Contain the Word \"Electronic\" in the \"Subject Line\"
or they go Directly to my Junk Mail Folder.
Email me at: chemelec@hotmail.com
Website: http://www3.telus.net/chemelec

 

Not all insulation will and the soldering iron takes a long time to warm up while an cigarete lighter is in instant.

__________________
Il give you shocking experience.

 

For old enamelled wire, of the sort you can't solder through, do the following. Get a small metal bottle cap, half fill it with methylated spirit or isopropyl alcohol, and light it. Heat the wire to red heat in the flame, and quench it in the alcohol. Remove the wire quickly, don't allow the flame to heat it again. You'll be astonished. If you've done it right the end of the wire will be bright pink copper. It will solder beautifully. You have to be more careful with thinner wires, as they melt too easily. Get a few metres and practice!

 

For simple enamel magnet wire, you can use paint stripper to remove it. The best ones contain methylene chloride and make short work of it. Best of all you can pick it up right at your local hardware store. Back in the day there was a product called Strip-X used for stripping enamelled magnet wire. It worked like a charm and its active ingredient was methylene chloride.

This will not work on magnet wires that use a polyimide coating.