curious about soldering technique

I completely agree with the statement about the wire stripper not working in all situations. Sometimes there's just no other way but to get out the ol' SHARP razor blade and go at it.

That Ideal unit is really nice but bulkey, I have a few of those type, but the one I like is automaticly sets for wire awg and is really narrow.. no dies.. fits in a lot of tight places.. and of course it's so beat up that it doesn't have a mfg label on it anymore.. Im pretty sure I got it at menards.. anyway Its kind of an odd looking device but works on the same principal as the ideal stripper...Tire Proz Stillwater Mn

High End Restyling and Comlete Repair

Hymer, I actually have two different size Ideal strippers. Yes, the bigger one is a little hefty at 7" and almost a pound in weight (cuts wires 14 to 10 gauge in size) but, being that I pretty much only use it to tap into the ignition, power, starter, etc. wires that are right there in front of you (once you remove the column cover), the bulkiness isn't a problem. The smaller stripper (weighs just under 6oz., is a little under 6" in length, and quite thin) works great under the dash for the rest of the wires. That one is the stripmaster 'lite' model. By the way, neither one has any plastic anywhere on them, either. If you ever become interested in buying the two different sizes, the model numbers for mine are 45-2131-1 (smaller one -worth adding to your 'favorite searches' on eBay imo) and 45-1611-1 (bigger one). They may have been discontinued now though as mine have red handles on them and I've noticed that Ideal is using a light blue on their current stripmaster units. In any case, you can check out Ideal's site for current model numbers -if you're interested. The strippers that 'automatically' set the wire size. What I don't like about those types of strippers is that they only cut through the insulation around the top and bottom of the wire as opposed to all sides like the ones with the dies do. As a result they don't always manage to pull the entire insulation back on the wire and you have to finish it off with a razor blade. If the one that you're using isn't like that though, I sure would like to know the model and manufacturer (too bad it's worn off on yours). Hey, it isn't like the one under item# 230090170296 , is it?      -Jose And like I said, the key to using the stripmaster type units is selecting the correct cutting head (hole) for the wire that you're stripping. Using the right cutter will result in a perfect strip every time with no wires being cut and no insulation being left around them. It will have a lot to do with the quality of the stripper and the cutting blades on it too, though....

By the way, the smaller Ideal unit that I have (45-2131-1) strips 24-16 gauge wires.