Would like tips on removing lacquer insulation from very small copper wire in the .003 to .009 range.

depending on how much you need to remove... if you just want to tin the ends.. you can just put some ( a small glob) of solder on your iron tip and then put the wire in that puddle and it will burn away the lacquer and come out tinned.

:depending on how much you need to remove... if you just want to tin the ends.. you can just put some ( a small glob) of solder on your iron tip and then put the wire in that puddle and it will burn away the lacquer and come out tinned.
..of course if you need to bare a longer area you can also try a piece of emery cloth.. folded over and draw the wire through it while you pinch it lightly... several draws through shoud clean it up fine... the finer the wire the lighter you squeeze.

Wire is insulated with enamel, not lacquer (just for a little corporate f.y.i.). If it was insulated with lacquer, the lacquer would flake off. Lacquer is very brittle. In many layers it can be quite strong (such as what you find on a model T, A, any car from the 1940s and prior, or on an old electric fan). It is not at all flexible, though. Enamel, on the other hand, depending upon its make-up, can be quite flexible. As it dries out, though (old hot motor or transformer), it becomes brittle, too.

Thomas

Basically, there are two different types of coatings on magnet wire. Enamel was used on all the old wire and probably some of the new wire available today. More and more though, a coating is used on new wire that is usually called ‘potable’, meaning that wire ends will tin in a solder pot. Obviously this wire cannot be used at temperatures that approach the melting point of solder. Modern coatings are available that will withstand higher temperatures, but they are not potable.

Enamel wire can withstand a higher temperature, and has been used since the year one. If you are able to heat it high enough, it usually makes a dirty solder joint that I do not recommend. Even a potable coating can sometimes leave some black in a joint that is heated with a dirty tip due to excessive heat. However, I am most likely to use that method with a potable coating, even though I don’t always like it.

Enameled wire was still available a few short years ago, but I haven’t tried to buy any recently, so can’t say about today. Of coarse, this wire is not supposed to be potable, and the ease of stripping depends on whether it is single enamel, double enamel, or triple enamel. As Peter suggested, emery cloth works pretty good, especially on wire sizes in the range of #30 (.01) or #31 (.0089) with triple enamel. For stripping enamel on small wire above #36 (.005), I prefer using a small folded piece of 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Second choice is #0000 steel wool, but it is pretty tough on #40 (.0031) or #42 (.0025”) wire. Thankfully I have used up most of the old enamel wire in these small sizes, and use modern wire for rewinding audio transformers and speaker fields....br

Well shucks, I hit the wrong button.

I failed to mention that the wire diameters used in my previous post are for bare copper, not coated wire....br

If you can find some Belden Thermaleze magnet wire, the enamel comes off when you heat the end of the wire with your soldering iron. I have also had good success with ordinary paint stripper gel, though it is messy and you should follow the safety rules on the can.

Rich

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:Well shucks, I hit the wrong button.
:
:I failed to mention that the wire diameters used in my previous post are for bare copper, not coated wire....br