Is there an easy trick to stripping SJTW cordage?

I need to strip some of the outer jacket off a SJTW extension cord so I can access the individual wires, however I need all three wires and the male and female cord caps intact, Is there a trick to this as I don't want to damage the inner wires insulation. Yes this is for a clamp on amp meter.

 

I make a slight ring where I want the jacket to be removed to and then use a pair of wire cutters to get the jacket started to split. You can use a knife to split the jacket too.

 

How much of the outer orange insulation has to be removed? just enough to allow the clamp to be placed around the black hot wire? PS: This is the cord I have

 

There are pre-made splitters for ampmeters. You could also use two cord caps with individual conductors between them to allow testing instead of trashing a cord.

https://www.google.com/search?q=amme...hrome&ie=UTF-8

 

That's thermoplastic cable and a little tougher to strip.
That's what I use..... a dedicated block for measuring current. I like the idea of two caps.

 

Call me cheap (or frugal) but I did it and yes it was a little difficult to strip but I managed to do it without damaging the inner wires , which is a first for me as I usually damage the insulation on the inner wires when striping round style power cords

I know its not pretty but for temporary use of measuring current draw of an appliance it is fine.

Yes I did use a different cord then I originally was going to use. It is 14/3 and not 16/3 like the orange cord

PS: What is that white powder like stuff that is coating the individual conductors? I have seen that stuff on a lot of the cords I work with

 

It's basically a dry lubricant powder like cornstarch, talc or chalk that acts as a dry lubricant. It keeps the hot plastic layers from fusing to each other during manufacturing, and it keeps the cord flexible by preventing the wire insulation from binding tightly inside the rubber jacket.