[TowerTalk] Soldering flex-weave

[Martin Ewing AA6E]

I've got some dipoles built from Flex-weave wire -- stranded with 
zillions of small conductors.  The wire is indeed very flexible, but I 
need to shorten one of my antennas.  The problem is that the copper is 
weathered pretty well by now, and it can't be soldered as it is.   (This 
is the downside of stranded antenna wire -- it turns into Litz wire 
after a while, you can't be sure the current divides equally, etc.)

So the Big Question:  What's a simple, efficient way to clean the oxide 
off finely stranded wire in the field?  I've tried abrasive methods 
(sandpaper, knife blades), but they don't do well.  Do you know any good 
tricks?

If nothing better comes along, I will try acid.  That should be 
effective, but it's not user friendly.

TIA / 73 / New Year's greetings,

Martin AA6E