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Found out I was stripping NM cable wrong for 5 years
I was using my linesman pliers to yank the sheathing off and kept nicking the insulation inside until a dude in Phoenix showed me the trick with a utility knife for the rip cord. Anyone else have a basic skill they learned embarrassingly late?
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dakotacraig5mo ago
Nicking the insulation is the worst, man. That's a five year facepalm right there. Nothing beats that feeling when someone shows you the one simple trick you've been missing. Your mileage may vary, but the rip cord method is legit once you get the feel for it.
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hugo_nelson5mo ago
Oh man, tell me about it. I've definitely had that moment where you're staring at a roll of wire thinking "well, that's a wasted afternoon." The rip cord trick sounds like one of those things you either nail on the first try or end up with a tangled mess and a fresh appreciation for the old way. I swear every time someone shows me a "simple trick" it either saves me an hour or makes me want to throw the tools across the yard. No in-between with this stuff.
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harper_wright4mo ago
Yeah, the rip cord is one of those things where it feels wrong until it clicks, right? Hugo you're spot on that there's no middle ground with this stuff - you either get it perfect or spend an hour untangling a mess that somehow got worse. But once you hit that sweet spot where the jacket splits clean without even looking at the copper, you can't go back to the old way.
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