Wire and cable tools cut, strip, crimp and terminate the cable used for welding leads, power supply and control wiring. A bad termination is a hot joint and a voltage drop that shows up as a weak arc.
Cutters are rated by the cable size and material they will cut. Copper and aluminium cable cut easily; steel and ACSR need a different cutter. Ratcheting cutters reduce hand force on large cable.
Strippers must match the insulation and the conductor size — a stripper set for the wrong gauge nicks the conductor, which creates a stress point that fails later. Self-adjusting strippers handle a range of sizes; fixed-gauge strippers are more precise for a single size.
Crimpers and lugs must match. The crimp die, the lug and the cable gauge form a system — using a die for the wrong lug gives a crimp that pulls out under load. Hex crimps are standard for welding cable lugs; indent crimps are used on smaller control wire. Heat shrink and tape finish the joint and provide strain relief.
