Will soldering heat ruin an 18650 cell?
September 13, 2014 7:44 AM Subscribe
Will soldering heat ruin an 18650 cell?
I'd like to solder some wires directly to the terminals to the cell. Heat isn't great for these cells, as I understand it. Will I bugger it up?
I'd like to solder some wires directly to the terminals to the cell. Heat isn't great for these cells, as I understand it. Will I bugger it up?
Best answer: You're correct that lithium cells are sensitive to heat.
I've soldered similar batteries many times with the following protocol:
1. Use coarse sandpaper to scuff the terminals of the battery
2. Use an iron that is 30W or less
3. Put flux on the scuffed battery terminals
4. Tin your leads that will connect to the terminals
5. Tin your iron's tip
6. Hold the tinned iron tip and lead together near the terminal so that they heat together and the metal is liquid
7. Press them against the terminal and flux just long enough to get a good solder
8. Blow gently on the solder patch to cool it.
Works great for me, and the batteries I install usually last about as long as the factory ones did.
posted by SlyBevel at 8:18 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've soldered similar batteries many times with the following protocol:
1. Use coarse sandpaper to scuff the terminals of the battery
2. Use an iron that is 30W or less
3. Put flux on the scuffed battery terminals
4. Tin your leads that will connect to the terminals
5. Tin your iron's tip
6. Hold the tinned iron tip and lead together near the terminal so that they heat together and the metal is liquid
7. Press them against the terminal and flux just long enough to get a good solder
8. Blow gently on the solder patch to cool it.
Works great for me, and the batteries I install usually last about as long as the factory ones did.
posted by SlyBevel at 8:18 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have bunch of these cells. Part of the concen isn't how long most of the cells will last, it's how spectacularly some of them will fail.
I'd probably use a cell holder unless the current demanded a better connection. If I had to solder, SlyBevel's approach sounds good, though sometimes a more powerful iron is better since you can get to the needed temp more quickly.
posted by Good Brain at 9:04 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'd probably use a cell holder unless the current demanded a better connection. If I had to solder, SlyBevel's approach sounds good, though sometimes a more powerful iron is better since you can get to the needed temp more quickly.
posted by Good Brain at 9:04 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you're concerned, get a soldering heat sink clip to draw off the heat near the battery. Something like http://www.jameco.com/1/1/25581-gt-ch51-clip-heat-sink-absorbs-dissipates-heat-during-soldering-desoldering-of-sensitive-parts.html would do the trick.
posted by dws at 9:38 AM on September 13, 2014
posted by dws at 9:38 AM on September 13, 2014
Best answer: AFAIK, the "correct" way to connect leads to batteries is with a spot welder. You can make one, but if you only have to do a few connections, you might have better luck visiting your local replacement-battery store. They rebuild battery packs for laptops and cordless tools using replacement cells, and they'll have a proper spot welder.
I've had completely custom packs made (you pick the cells and tell them how you want them packed, etc.) but -- at least for my local store, where I'm friendly with the owner -- I'm sure she'd spot-weld tabs onto a battery if I asked her. It'd probably cost a couple of bucks per weld.
posted by spacewrench at 12:34 PM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've had completely custom packs made (you pick the cells and tell them how you want them packed, etc.) but -- at least for my local store, where I'm friendly with the owner -- I'm sure she'd spot-weld tabs onto a battery if I asked her. It'd probably cost a couple of bucks per weld.
posted by spacewrench at 12:34 PM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ta all.
FWIW: I have a few holders (which are shit, connection-wise, as it happens, but there you go), but for the wrong number (ie >1) of cells. The reason for the query was that I wanted to make this thing go now. Then I got curious about how much damage I'd cause if I just went for it.
posted by pompomtom at 5:44 AM on September 14, 2014
FWIW: I have a few holders (which are shit, connection-wise, as it happens, but there you go), but for the wrong number (ie >1) of cells. The reason for the query was that I wanted to make this thing go now. Then I got curious about how much damage I'd cause if I just went for it.
posted by pompomtom at 5:44 AM on September 14, 2014
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But, why not just buy a battery holder ? They're like 2 bucks.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:50 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]