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Debate: burning fiber drops vs cutting them clean... which is actually faster?
Ran into a job last Thursday where a customer's house had coax that was stapled so tight I spent 45 minutes trying to cut it clean with my Klein cutters and still got a bad bend. I know some guys just torch the end to melt the jacket off but I'm worried about messing up the copper. Which method do you swear by for getting through those tight spots quick?
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zara_sanchez1d ago
Heat gun's better than a torch for sure, but I still say you're wasting time burning anything off. A good pair of Klein coax strippers with the ring cutter gets through those tight staples way faster if you just slice the jacket lengthwise and peel it back. No heat, no waiting for stuff to cool down.
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wells.christopher1d ago
Burned my thumb learning that lesson last month." Yeah, I've got the scars to prove I tried the torch method too. Here's the thing nobody talks about: you can use a cheap heat gun instead of a torch. It melts the jacket without ever getting hot enough to damage the copper or set your jacket on fire. I keep one of those little $20 harbor freight heat guns in my bag just for those stupid stapled coax situations. Way more control, and you don't risk melting the copper itself or burning your thumb off. You ever try that route?
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