Tools

How To Cut Wire Without Wire Cutters

January 8, 2023

Wire cutters are the most appropriate tool for their job. A close second is the snip option on pliers. You can, however, avoid cutting the wire if you don’t have access to any of these tools. Despite the fact that they may not produce the best results, these strategies should help you achieve your goal.

In your toolkit, you’ll find a plethora of solutions for cutting wires. The optimal procedure will differ based on the wire used. Using this tutorial, you will learn which procedure to utilise on which wire!

When Cutting Wires, What Kind of Instrument is Used?

A wire cutter is the traditional name for the tool used to cut wires. Using a different blade style than scissors, these instruments are used to shred through wire with ease and precision, delivering a clean finish and an easy grip on the hand.

Wire cutters can be used to cut through anything from barbed wire to coat hangers to guitar strings with precision and accuracy.

Wire Cutters aren’t Required to Cut Wire.

Cutting wire without wire cutters is possible, despite the fact that it may not provide as clean a cut, be as quick, or damage the integrity of the wire.

If you don’t want to spend money on wire cutters or waste time travelling to the hardware store, there are a number of alternate methods you can use to cut wire.

Instead of a Wire Cutter, What Else Could I Use?

With the same amount of force and a sharp blade as wire cutters, pliers are often used as a substitute. In the absence of pliers or typical wire cutters, there are a variety of alternatives available.

Hacksaws, tin snips, Stanley blades, angle grinders, and reciprocating saws can all be used to cut wire, as can handheld bending tools.

On some wires, you can also use nail clippers, fire, and scissors. The effectiveness and time commitment of each of these strategies is debatable.

Scissors

In the past, scissors were employed as an alternative to wire cutters in the home. If you have a pair of regular scissors, you should be able to simply cut through the outer plastic coating and then into the wire.

You can, however, use household scissors to cut through the wire with a little wiggle and a lot of grip. It’s even easier and faster to cut tiny wire with a pair of scissors on a penknife/leatherman/folding-multi-tool.

In addition to the risk of being electrocuted, cutting with scissors can also cause damage to the wires because of their unavoidable hacking. In the future, this could lead to functional concerns and possibly dangerous developments.

Pull-Up Pliers

A pliers set is an excellent substitute for wire cutters if your toolbox lacks them. Pliers are excellent for cutting wires because of their rubberized current protection, comfortable grip, and razor-sharp blades, all of which provide for precise and accurate cutting.

In addition, pliers can be used to cut a variety of cables around the house. Next best thing, and a typical occurrence in garages around the country

Hacksaw

It should work in theory, right? In a technical sense, sure, it can cut wire. Is the slicing quality as good? No. The truth is that a hacksaw with a high TPI (tooth per inch) can easily cut through wire if it is properly honed.

Because of the nature of a hacksaw, a wire’s usefulness may be compromised by a harsh cut. You only need to hold the handle at a 90-degree angle to the wire and move forward and back like you would normally saw with applied pressure to cut the wire.

Grinder

That’s correct! When you need to cut a piece of wire that normal wire cutters or other equipment can’t handle, a grinder is a great tool to have on hand.

Angle grinders, in particular, make use of a spinning blade capable of quickly cutting through metal. Make sure you wear goggles and insert the wire under the grinder. Then, slowly move it into the path of the blades.

It should be able to make a precise cut with ease and accuracy. This is the ideal instrument for cutting larger cables.