safety terminals for my 12volt NiCads

[Norm]

Ever since I discovered how to sweat solder tin to NiCads,
and especially since I got my new 40 watt Weller soldering
iron, its been easy to sweat solder connections.

This morning I uncurled the part of a male quick connect that
the wire is supposed to fit into, flattened, cleaned, and tinned.....
it was easy to solder them onto the soldered ends of the NiCads.



Next is to fit short plastic tubing over them to prevent accidental contact
and shorting....tape over the tubes or a hinged flap.
What I've always wanted to have on them.
Norm.

[brucedownunder]

Thanks for that post Norm ..

  I've kept away from trying these connections in the past because,  I allways thought you cannot tin stainless steel ?.

 I thought most of these little tabs are stainless, ,, so, maybe I have been wrong ,you can tin stainless ??.  ( my assumption was that copper wires had to have a tinned surface to be soldered to?.

  let me know,thanks

 Bruce

[Norm]

Well actually these are tabs.....they're quick connects male....the part that
takes the wire is round which I 'unrounded' ....I took a pair of diagonal wire
cutters and across to wedge the seam apart then a  pair of needle nose pliers
to unfold them the rest of the way and flatten with a hammer on an anvil
grind them clean with a mini-grinder flux and tinned with some solder.....

Gripping the spot welded tabs on the batteries....curl them off with the needle-
nose pliers grind and flux where the flattened quick connect goes and solder a
nice round little smear of solder on that area   (my well cleaned and soldertinned
Weller soldering iron 40 watt) works so beautiful I felt the adrenalin flowing ! LOL !
.....holding the slightly angled quick connect with a pair of needle -nose....I put
the flat of the chisel-point on top of the part that is to be sweat-soldered to the top
of the battery ( a drop of solder on top of tab ensures that there is good heat transfer
to the tab ....the solder is all melted on the tab as you place it in position with the
needle-nose .....as you see the solder melt on the battery I roll the solder tip on edge
(the edge of the tip doesn't conduct enough heat to keep the solder melted) and the battery
aand the nose of the pliers act as a heat sink to allow the solder to solidify....
it's done almost as quick as you curl the iron on it's side....
in 2 or 3 seconds afterward if you've done it right you can touch where you soldered and
it is just warm.....

The whole secret of soldering on these batteries is to heat the surface quickly and apply
the solder before the battery can absorb the heat  to where the whole battery gets hot.

This is where all the hype about needing a special tab spot welder being required comes
from........Bull !

BTW there is no stainless involved that I can see...the batteries have a Film on them
and like all solder projects the surface has to be clean ground .....fine sandpaper
or steel wool and a light film of flux in fact after you solder.....might be a good idea to
apply a drop of oil ? to avoid rust or corrosion....
 
Might have went into the instruction a little deep....but just in case a newbie  tries his
hand at soldering, might help him.

Thanks for listening people....
Norm.

[Norm]

BTW the quick connects are copper.....tin plated or whatever that solder
bonds too .....if clean and fluxed...
Norm.

[ghurd]

"The whole secret of soldering on these batteries is to heat the surface quickly and apply
the solder before the battery can absorb the heat  to where the whole battery gets hot."

Things like this need a big hot iron with a big fat tip.
It gets the area hot enought to solder, before the slower/lower heat can get sucked into the rest of the area.

"grind them clean with a mini-grinder flux and tinned with some solder..."
I usually do not fint that required.
Whatever they coat them with is usually solderable.

I am a big believer in that whatever is being soldered, it is best to tin both before starting on larger parts.
And if it is something 'big' like a battery, I leave a bit extra solder on the part that will be above when soldering the parts together because it is faster, stronger, better, and easier.
G-

[Norm]

You're right on the same track as I the only part I would like to grind
down is those little tips of spot weld that stick up after tearing the tabs
off....but I usually make do with just filing them down a little bit...
the battery as is has an oxide coating that is not solderable....sometimes
and most times flux does the job....but I scrape it with a utility knife....
I'd rather do a little extra than find out when I solder it that it isn't
working as good as I would like.....I'm an old man and when something
isn't working right  I get really p....ss...d !  LOL ?
Norm.

since I got the Weller 40 watt....soldering is a snap.
I thought I was saving money by buying a wallyworld $10
soldering pen....about 20 watts and 1/2 the dia. of the Weller
I suppose they are just about right for soldering diodes and such
on printed circuits but not for tabs on batterys.
Only $17 for the Weller and worth every penny ....should have bought one
looonggg ago !

[tomw]

Norm;

An old trick from my early days soldering transistors is to clip a hemostat / alligator clip between the end of the lead you are soldering and the device body. Perhaps a small clip could fit. It  wicks the heat into the clip and stops it going into the part.

Tom