a point worth considering ! if a handyman wires an electrical socket..he will strip back the insulation on the wires..more than likely scoring the copper conductor in the process..then..he will proceed to push the wires directly into the screw hole in the socket..and tighten the screw down too hard on the individual cores.. a recipe for disaster ! what will an experienced electrician do..how many know the correct answer?
Reminded of a scene from the original Wall Street movie... "Look at that... you're going to tell me the difference between this guy and that guy is luck?"
not answering directly..but you will often hear that.. "there is no such thing as luck" you will also hear things like.. "backtested with an 80% win rate" luck is "being in the right place..at the right time" but..if you don't know what to do when Mr Opportunity pops up..then..you might as well start chasing that rainbow like the thick Irish Paddy..who always starts off at the right end..but because he does not know it..he can never find the "Pot O' Gold"
Use the proper tool for the given gauge of wire that will cut the sheath and while leaving the core undisturbed. Once you do this enough times, it becomes worth it to get the proper tools, as not only will it leave you with a better work product, it will save you time. I have tons of wiring tools btw.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~Thomas A. Edison
none at all...blind luck i'm afraid, just a dumb arse with luck. The other thing is i hate being in the spotlight and i got sucked into posting stuff, so....
I wired our home myself, so I feel quite triggered to answer that question. Upfront I have to admit that in my country that kind of electrical installation - inculding switches and electrical sockets - with screws is outdated. Maybe for obvious reasons - everything is clamped. As a result, pressure on wires are limited; including solid copper core wires and flexible ones, which should be coverd with ferrules. For removing the insulation there is a tool for everything: removing the outside insulation you use a stripping tool. The blade will only scratch that insulation - enough to it break apart when moved in different directions. The wire insulation there is different tool, but teeth can do it aswell, if you have not one around. I even felt obliged to watch a video for anglo/american wiring. If the wire is bend around the screw, there is not much I guess you can do, but tighten gently. If a screw hole, do the same. But as always ... never take anyone's advice unless you fully understand..but..if you don't understand then that is your problem..
How to do it correctly (reminds me of the walking the path quote) in the first post and then for the second one it seems that the children would do it correctly, but then as adults we have been conditioned not to. Just a guess.