I just strip it by hand with a folding razor blade. A pack of blades is like $1.50, i think 10 blades, and I can make a blade last quite awhile. It's a pain in the @$$ until I pick up my copper bucket...just feeling the weight makes it worth it to me. Plus when the blade wears out I toss it in the scrap bucket. I don't mess around with the transformers, too much tape. Sell 'em as motors. I do bust up the other little pieces with copper wire on them tho, if i'm not in an area I can do it with a hammer a wire cutter to the ferrite works well. Then just pull off the spool and done.