If you're just looking to strip the ends, you can put a blob of solder on the end of a soldering iron and immerse the end of the wire in it. No chance of fire, no carbolising, no corrosion, no sanding, no anything. You can rest the iron and the blob on cardboard, it is not likely to burn it even with the lead free temperatures, though keep your eye on it of course.

I've done it with butane lighters and had to clean the carbon off, I also skinned it with a knife or razor. But when my ex-boss showed me that technique I was convinced. Almost no smoke, and the copper is about tinned as well..

He taught me a couple of things, and I him as well. One fault, I told him what it was and his response was "I'll not soon forget that".

This guy had a couple of other talents. Like rebuilding a cam gear in a VCR, even recreating the teeth with pieces of paper clip, shaped just right.

Anyway, he ****ed me off later and I went to work for his olady, and that didn't work well. Ditzy bitch. Paychecks bounced and she sports a new necklace. That was pretty much the end of that. See he got drunk and hit a cop car and figured they were going to sue his balls off so he gave the business to her.

Anyway, just get some cardboard and your iron and some solder and it will strip. I have used that method many times.