Another little gem on ES Forum.

Custom Mini Arduino spot welder for 18650 etc, runs off a 3s lipo max 12.6v. Kit approx $100 delivered.

Developed by a guy in Korea and payment only via Paypal. Also comes with a solder iron operated from another port which can use up to 6s lipo.

 

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=89076

Gulp...

 

So a HL case full of 30Q has just become an option for my future build, $100 shipped is a steal!

Has anyone got one of these ?

 

If not I guess its one of these

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2in-1-18650-788H-60A-Spot-Welding-Spot-welder-Soldering-DIY-for-Battery-Charger-/272356077511?hash=item3f69afefc7:g:NOgAAOSwq1JZEYTl

 

Jerry

Not quite Jerry .

The Boss mini spot welder fits in your pocket, it is possible if a user is careful and experiments that a 4s lipo may be possible but 3s is the ideal solution for any welds, it also doubles up with a solder port for soldering using a 6s lipo. It can only carry out one option at a time.

 

The uploaded videos on ES from Spain by rojitor are very good .

Spot welds 0.1- 0.2mm pure nickel with excellent proper results.

The power is totally adjustable so you get the exact strength of weld without any burning or deep damaging welds.

 

 

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by Nealh

I emailed him about it.

 

Most of my builds are 5s2p or 5s4p packs that I then series together. This allows me to balance them using a cheap model charger balancer as and when. I dont use a BMS!

 

 

I set the cutout on the controllers to 31v.

 

I have used Sony Konion cells for over three years with no cell failures balanced once on build and maybe 2 or 3 times over the three years.

 

These were 1600mha cells you can now buy them in 3100mah cells so I could get twice the capacity for half the weight

 

PS I can't see a use for the soldering iron as I have a welding station though I guess this is more portable.

 

Jerry

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

Has anyone got one of these ?

 

If not I guess its one of these

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2in-1-18650-788H-60A-Spot-Welding-Spot-welder-Soldering-DIY-for-Battery-Charger-/272356077511?hash=item3f69afefc7:g:NOgAAOSwq1JZEYTl

 

Jerry

That's exactly the one I have.

I have taken a punt on the small one of this post. Will report back once it arrives.

 

So how do you find the larger from ebay Dave ?

 

I am fed up with trying to find cells with tags on them or ready made up. This should enable me to experiment with lots of different sizes/capacitiesvoltages.

 

This seems like a nice place to to get cells.

 

https://eu.nkon.nl/

 

Loads of options for Konion ones of difference capactities. Is there limit to EU imports in terms of paying import duty I read £135 or something ?

 

Jerry

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

You are still in it for the moment Jerry so no duty from the EU.

Thanks good point

 

Jerry

I have taken a punt on the small one of this post. Will report back once it arrives.

Yes, please report back, also on the order page I notice he asks how much value to put for duty reasons.

How much is the max we can put for duty free UK delivery?

I think its around £34 or possibly £39 not clear. There seems to be a different options of gift or sample when I read the gov.uk site. All rather confusing.

 

I left it to him rather than ask him to mark it down.

 

I have a few packages coming from China and have selected different couriers to see who hits me with import duty. In the past I have always found it to be hit and miss. These aren't huge amounts of money and its more fun to see what happens

 

Jerry

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

I like the look of this stuff

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1M-0-15x25-5mm-Pure-Ni-Plate-Nickel-Strip-Tape-for-18650-Battery-Spot-Welding-/401299421123?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

 

Jerry

I like the look of this stuff

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1M-0-15x25-5mm-Pure-Ni-Plate-Nickel-Strip-Tape-for-18650-Battery-Spot-Welding-/401299421123?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

 

Jerry

It's an inch wide which is wider than the cells.

What about this-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3m-8mm-x-0-15-Pure-Ni-plate-nickel-strip-tape-for-Li-18650-battery-spot-M-C/302372478114?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D75495823566947f5a6694453bec7d447%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D401299421123

Yes It was generic I hadn't checked the width.

 

Still can't decide which VTC cells to get VTC5 2600mAh or VTC6 3120mAh. I guess as I am a weight weenie I should get the higher capacity ones

 

These have come a long way from my Makita based Sony Konion VTC 2 1600mAh cells now three years old. Hope they self balance as well. I never charge them behond 4.1V as I read this helps them live longer which seems to be the case so far.

 

PS that strip I linked is for connecting up parallel strip pairs like my pic above. Neat sollution.

 

Sorry I am going off topic. Will post back when I get the gizmo.

 

Jerry

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

PS that strip I linked is for connecting up parallel strip pairs like my pic above. Neat sollution.

Good idea, it will make neat parallel connections.

It's an inch wide which is wider than the cells.

What about this-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3m-8mm-x-0-15-Pure-Ni-plate-nickel-strip-tape-for-Li-18650-battery-spot-M-C/302372478114?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=2&asc=20140122125356&meid=75495823566947f5a6694453bec7d447&pid=100005&rk=5&rkt=6&sd=401299421123

 

That nickel strip isn't pure nickel but Ni plated steel.

 

Pure nickel here;

https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?spm=a2g0s.9042647.0.0.eKa1pS&orderId=503360286972934&productId=32333149144

 

Test Ni strip for purity with sand paper a dip in saline solution and 24 hrs should tell if it oxidises or not.

Edited July 22, 20178 yr by Nealh

I have a Boss mini coming from Korea via the slow boat route, I asked him to mark it as $35. I didn't see the need for the solder iron.

The cells from Nkon are all duty free as in the EU as stated by AK, the p&p is very good at approx. 10 - 12 euros only.

Nkon also sells nickel strips like those and 99.x pure.

Thanks guys I had noticed/wondered if those strips were pure Ni.

 

Good call

 

https://eu.nkon.nl/nikkel-batterijpack-verbinding-soldeerstrip-27mm.html

 

Like those spacers to make it all neat and tidy.

 

https://eu.nkon.nl/keeppower-3-18650-battery-spacer.html

 

Edited July 23, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

Buying pure Ni strips from Nkon makes sense if you are also buying cells but on their own with p & p price is a bit high compared to the Aliexp offering.

Like those spacers to make it all neat and tidy.

 

https://eu.nkon.nl/keeppower-3-18650-battery-spacer.html

 

 

What is the preference for building guys ?

Is it spacers or hot glueing cells together ?

It depends on your configuration. Those spacers only allow square parking. If you want a compact battery, like my bottle battery, you need 45 deg parking, in which case hot melt is better.

 

If you build a big battery, you need to think about how heat will get out of the middle. Those spacers are better for that because they leave gaps for air flow, but that would get wasted if you sealed everything up.

I wonder if small blocks of 10S (call it a salami slice) connected via an 11-pin balance wire bus could be an efficient answer to incremental capacity.

Each wire only needs to carry less than 2C, with 3000mAH cells for example, each wire would carry 6A max, thus does not have to be any more than 16 AWG. The bus can thus be laid alongside the cradle spine, you plug in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 salami slices according to the range you want on the day.

I was planning to start with a 10s3p which I will build in 5s3p blocks for easy balancing. That would give me 9.3Ah at 1.5kg.

 

My existing Konion packs are built that way and I have two 10s2p, 3Ah and one 10s4p, 6Ah packs I have been using for over three years with no BMS and no failed cells.

 

The new Sony Konion 3120mAh cells would effectively give me twice the capacity for half the weight. Thinking about it I probably won't bother with the blocks as mine are all gaffer taped up and shrink wrapped.

 

Woosh (sorry I forget your name), incremental packs have to be the way forward for flatter terrain riders in the likes of Cambridge. There is just no point in carrying around a 3-4kg pack when a 1kg pack of 6Ah using these cells would get me 25 miles on my Brompton.

 

I think even a 1s, 3Ah, 0.5kg ( I may try one) pack would do me for most rides, though probably restricted to low current draw like my Tongxin.

 

Jerry

Edited July 23, 20178 yr by jerrysimon

I follow with (commercial) interest d8veh's lightweight conversion using the YTW06 motor. I don't know if it would pull d8veh up his 14% test hill but lightweight conversion would suit commuting because lightweight motors coupled to high quality lightweight donor bikes are usually very, very reliable.

 

Tony