SWA cable preparation

[dextrous]

This is more of a curiousity than anything, since I am highly unlikely to do cable installations. However, if you can be bothered...

I keep coming across the need for specialist equipment being used when electricians use SWA cable. Apart from a ratchet cutter, what do you use to cut through the steels neatly when you prepare your cable? Is there a specialist tool or do you just use wire cutters/hacksaw. Like I say, idle curiousity.

 

[conny]

Preparing some 70mm swa on Friday and ratchet cutter wouldn't touch it so had to use the hacksaw method.
Carefully cut halfway through the steel wires, strip back the outer insulation and bend back and forth till they snap off neatly then the rest is done using ratchet cutters and stanley knife.
Oh, and heavy duty crimping tool!
Done carefully and accurately there was no need for insulation tape either.
Very proud of the finish but unfortunately not allowed cameras on site due to the nature of the business.

 

[ColJack]

new submain for the local whore house?

there is a tool for doing the armoured, it's called a blade runner..
I have one and it's not bad, but most people use a knife and a junior hacksaw..

put the shroud on the cable befoer you start to make it off... and the back part of the gland..

it's best if you leave the outer sheath on while you score the SWA with the saw, then strip the end outer sheath off, bend NO MORE THAN TWICE to snap the wire ( any more than 2 and the ends will bend outwards and makes it a pain to get the gland on properly )

strip the outer back another 1-1½ inches and "wiggle" the inner sheath in a circular fasion to spread the armour out..

strip the inner about 1½ inches forward of the end of the armour.

 

[dextrous]

there is a tool for doing the armoured, it's called a blade runner..

Interesting tool - bit like a pipecutter. Wonder if a pipecutter would work - might try it out sometime when the current wheel is starting to age!

 

[ColJack]

pipe cutter doesn't work..
tried and failed at some point by nearly every sparky that has to do lots of SWA no doubt..

it only scores the wires, and bends them inwards and drags them round and out of shape.. makes a right mess..

the trick with the blade runner is to let the spring do all the work..

 

[dextrous]

So stanley and hacksaw is safest bet. Like I said - just curious about the "specialist" tools needed when working with it.

 

[Spark123]

Just using a hacksaw and a knife is easy enough.
Haven't ever seen the need to use my ratchet cutter to cut SWA to length before, have used them to cut the copper to length before tho.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:swa-gland

 

[dextrous]

Looks easy enough , but as they say, practice makes perfect.

Thanks for all your responses

 

[JonoPashley]

Always had more issues stripping the inner sheath than doing the armor.

 

[RF Lighting]

I'd have thought the steel wire would damage the blades on ratchet cutters.

I would only ever use mine on copper / aluminium.

 

[conny]

Ratchet cutters were not mine, the guy whose they were tried them and gave up. Luckily it has a release mechanism otherwise he'd have been in the mire!

Have worked with 25mm and it wasn't too bad but 70sqmm!!!
Think the main feed coming in must have been about 120sqmm! Now that is some serious heavy stuff!

As I said earlier, hats off to you guys doing this kind of stuff every day! I salute you.

 

[Spark123]

I have cut bigger than 70mm copper cable with ratchet cutters before without any problem, I wouldn't even attempt to use that for cutting through the cable as a whole tho.

 

[RF Lighting]

To be fair, when you are working with SWA alot, it does get easier.

You learn stuff like the easiest way to bend it into panels etc.

Also you can cheat and use an electric cable winch

I've cut 185mm² tails with my cutters with a bit of effort, but no real trouble

 

[aptsys]

pipe cutter doesn't work..
tried and failed at some point by nearly every sparky that has to do lots of SWA no doubt..

it only scores the wires, and bends them inwards and drags them round and out of shape.. makes a right mess..

Out of curiosity I tried it a while back and it worked perfectly with a manual pipe cutter, but the automatic ones did what you describe. The trick was to score the wires through the insulation rather than strip the insulation first.

 

[dextrous]

pipe cutter doesn't work..
tried and failed at some point by nearly every sparky that has to do lots of SWA no doubt..

it only scores the wires, and bends them inwards and drags them round and out of shape.. makes a right mess..

Out of curiosity I tried it a while back and it worked perfectly with a manual pipe cutter, but the automatic ones did what you describe. The trick was to score the wires through the insulation rather than strip the insulation first.

I guess the secret would be to tighten the cutter by tiny fractions at a time to reduce bending the strands inwards?