What is this insulation (cable).

Factual Questions
1

It’s colored, and looks like it’s painted on. The wires (stranded, and very fine) are kinda encapsulated in a cable meant for an adapter to connect headphones to an iPhone.
I need to strip or clean it off so I can use the cable for a different purpose.
I’m making an adapter to connecy my GPS to an antenna and headphones at the same time.
A better description, I hope:
The cable itself is not jacketed, but is more like the material is extruded onto the four conductors, keeping them seperated. The stuff on the wires appears to be for identification, and three of them are colored. I can burn it off, but I’m afraid that weakens the (very fine) wires too much.
Any help?
Peace,
mangeorge

2

Urethane would be my first guess.

3

There is paint on insulator sold in the electrical department, so it could be painted on. I can’t tell you how to do what you want. I suggest a picture is important to get help with this.

4

Yuck
Barf
My phone isn’t up to close-ups.
Can’t find my camera. I’m sleepy.
I’ll try again later.
G’nite

5

Can you sand it off with some fine grit sand paper. Back when I was little that’s how we stripped that red wire that came with those 8 bazillion in 1 electronics kits.

6

Try scoring around the coating and then pull on the insulation. That’s about the best way, and yes it requires multiple tries to get them stripped without cutting off the wires. You can also use a soldering iron and the insulation will pull back from the hot end.

You can strip the wire with the scoring method and when it cuts some of the wires off, you apply the solder to the wire still there. The wire will heat and the insulation shrink back. Extend the solder along the newly exposed wire until you have enough of the good wiring tinned. You then cut off the extra wire from the end.

7

I can try that. That’s how we got the varnish off magnet wire when I used to re-wind motors. A long time ago.
Boy, am I glad I got out of that racket.

8

The insulation is so thin that it will cook out from under a soldering iron. I’ve used that technique in the past.

You might also try a chemical solvent. Probably a PVC cement if you have any somewhere. Or some plastic model cement.

9

That worked much better than i thought it would. The insulation did indeed melt and flow right out from under the solder. I got a physically strong and very low resistance joint. Looks a little dirty, but I can clean that up with a bit of practice.
I haven’t tried any solvent, but I think this is going to be so good I won’t have to.
Thanks
Mangeorge