# Stripping UF Cable?



## Going_Commando

I use a utility knife, and just try and be careful. UF is some of the toughest stuff to tell the difference in feel between the conductor insulation and the jacket, but it is still possible. The first couple times I did it, I hacked the insulation all up and had to tape the snot out of the conductors, but now I can do it without much trouble.


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## user4818

I slit the UF cable down the center (over the ground wire) with a razor knife, then pull the ground wire out with pliers. Then I pull the remaining conductors out with pliers.


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## dronai

Struggled with some #10 the other day !!! I slice it up the belly, then pull one of the conductors and ground apart.


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## dronai

Peter D said:


> I slit the UF cable down the center (over the ground wire) with a razor knife, then pull the ground wire out with pliers. Then I pull the remaining conductors out with pliers.


You beat me to it !


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## denny3992

i run the blade down the grnd wire as a guide
then just score the uf on the end of the insulateds and pull!


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## wireman64

denny3992 said:


> i run the blade down the grnd wire as a guide
> then just score the uf on the end of the insulateds and pull!


Exactly what I do , works great and never cut the conductors , except on the ends which get stripped anyway.


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## KayJay

12-Gauge said:


> What do you guys use to strip Underground Feeder (UF) Cable?
> 
> That stuff is tough to strip, even with a sharp knife. Any suggestions?


These Ideal strippers work good on UF, sometimes even on the older stuff. The covering usually slides off in one piece. I also use them to strip the sheath off romex, so they're not just a single purpose tool. I've had a pair for a few years now and they seem to be holding up okay. I'm still using the original blades that came with them, but the blades are replaceable if needed.

http://www.aikencolon.com/ideal-45-235-underground-feeder-uf-cable-stripper


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## KGN742003

best way I have found is to strip back 1" or so where the white and black are and grab the wire with your pliers. Hold the uf with another set of pliers/channel-locks and just rip the wire straight off to the side. repeat for the other wire and cut all the way around the ground with your knife. it should slide off the bare wire. 

It gets trickier with more conductors but the same basic principles apply. With larger wire you may want 2 people.


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## B4T

I skin the sheath off 1" of the cable.. grab the cable with my lineman's and the ground with my needle nose pliers..

Pull up on the ground and it should open up the cable like a pea pod...


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## Lone Crapshooter

I would use conduit and wire than use UF


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## user4818

Lone Crapshooter said:


> I would use conduit and wire than use UF


Most of us would, but there are occasions that call for UF cable.


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## nrp3

6/3 is a pain in the ass.


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## ralpha494

nrp3 said:


> 6/3 is a pain in the ass.


I don't think you're using it right.


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## NacBooster29

Use a heating gun and warm it up then run a utility knife at about a.30 degree angle. The jacket comes off like butter.


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## jimmy21

depends on if its old stuff or new. The older stuff can be a real pain to strip. The new stuff you buys actually had stripping in mind. 




Peter D said:


> I slit the UF cable down the center (over the ground wire) with a razor knife, then pull the ground wire out with pliers. Then I pull the remaining conductors out with pliers.


only thing to add, i make perpendicular cuts in the cable where i want the stripping to stop. So when youre done its nice and even


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## nrp3

Anyone using the epoxy splices?


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## Briancraig81

I've heard that a potato peeler works good but I never have tried it myself.


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## petek57

*This is how I do it*


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## macmikeman

Turn the blade of your razor knife around and aim it back towards the box. Cut from the end of the uf angling slightly towards the bare ground along both sides of the ground wire. Pull out the conductors.


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## macmikeman

petek57 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HnK_AOCp6o



I had the whole house wired and finished in UF in the same amount of time as you got the tail end of the cable clipped with your *****.......


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## Chase13

Looks like I'm lucky... The stuff my boss has I'm able to strip the sheathing with my nm strippers


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## macmikeman

Chase13 said:


> Looks like I'm lucky... The stuff my boss has I'm able to strip the sheathing with my nm strippers



UF used to be ten times harder to strip out than it is now. Like everything else, it has cheapened in quality of the sheath. However on the bright side, before 1987 the inside conductors were not 90 deg c insulation and now they are, so overall- win.


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## Spunk#7

First you need a sharp knife! I use a small Schrade single blade pocket knife and sharpen it each time I strip wire with a diamond fish hook steel in about 15 seconds. Lowes sells em'.


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## thoenew

Did someone say UF?


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## Chase13

Most of the time I'm able to use my nm strippers but if it's older I use my cable knife and touch up the blade before hand.


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## BababooeyHTJ

The newer southwire stuff strips pretty easily. I just pull on one conductor at a time


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## HackWork

Am I the only one who does it this way?

I got so sick of trying to strip UF that I stopped doing it. What I do is I cut it with a razor between the ground and neutral, all the way thru the cable. Then I pull the ground out from the sheath, done.

I still have the outer sheath on the neutral and hot, but who cares? I don't get inspections anyway.


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## Going_Commando

HackWork said:


> Am I the only one who does it this way?
> 
> I got so sick of trying to strip UF that I stopped doing it. What I do is I cut it with a razor between the ground and neutral, all the way thru the cable. Then I pull the ground out from the sheath, done.
> 
> I still have the outer sheath on the neutral and hot, but who cares? I don't get inspections anyway.


Thats like the lazier version of what I do.


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## wendon

Going_Commando said:


> Thats like the hack version of what I do.


Just use a sharp knife and do it right.


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## MTW

user4818 said:


> I slit the UF cable down the center (over the ground wire) with a razor knife, then pull the ground wire out with pliers. Then I pull the remaining conductors out with pliers.



Yeah, what he said.


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## MTW

thoenew said:


> Did someone say UF?


I assume there's a story here?


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## MTW

HackWork said:


> Am I the only one who does it this way?
> 
> I got so sick of trying to strip UF that I stopped doing it. What I do is I cut it with a razor between the ground and neutral, all the way thru the cable. Then I pull the ground out from the sheath, done.
> 
> I still have the outer sheath on the neutral and hot, but who cares? I don't get inspections anyway.


Hack.


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## HackWork

wendon said:


> Just use a sharp knife and do it right.


No...


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## Galt

In the eighties you use to get a roll once in a while that was almost impossible to strip I would set them aside and use them on a long run with fewer or no splices. I think they got it to hot when they made it was all stuck together.


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## RIVETER

12-Gauge said:


> What do you guys use to strip Underground Feeder (UF) Cable?
> 
> That stuff is tough to strip, even with a sharp knife. Any suggestions?


Farouk hair drier. Best $129.00 I ever spent.


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## thoenew

MTW said:


> I assume there's a story here?


They are 5,000' rolls of 12-2 UF. That was last years stock.


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## MTW

thoenew said:


> They are 5,000' rolls of 12-2 UF. That was last years stock.


What kind of work do you do that demands so much UF cable?


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## thoenew

MTW said:


> What kind of work do you do that demands so much UF cable?


Irrigation work. We use a lot of it in quarter or half mile runs.
The company I work for is also a plumbing contractor. 

So we bury a lot of 6" and 8" pipe. 

Here are are two big trenchers.


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## MTW

thoenew said:


> Irrigation work. We use a lot of it in quarter or half mile runs.
> The company I work for is also a plumbing contractor.
> 
> So we bury a lot of 6" and 8" pipe.
> 
> Here are are two big trenchers.


With runs that long, I'm guessing the UF is only for controls or sensors? Can you give some more details on these setups?


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## thoenew

MTW said:


> With runs that long, I'm guessing the UF is only for controls or sensors? Can you give some more details on these setups?


They are just control wires. They work to turn a well pump on and off from a center pivoting irrigation system.

Irrigation system calls for water, turns on either 120V or 24V (depending on brand).
Goes to the pump control panel. The control wires kick on a NO control relay. 
Pump starts, water fills the system, gets to pressure, system starts moving.
If the system would get stuck of malfunctions, control voltage stops, well shuts off.
Now it won't sit there and water in one spot.


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