Battery Drain

[stevelawiw]

@Burgerman

Its hard to drill deeper than the hole. If unsure, I would literally grind half the point off the drill bit, leaving the end flat. It will then only drill to the bottom of the hole. To break the tang off, you use pointed pliers. So you dont need a hammer... Or insert it upside down so its on top and easy to see. And you would coat the threaded insert LIGHTLY with red loctite. You dont want it getting into the new thread.

Are you sure about Helicoils working upside down? As you know I had to Helicoil all of my first set of primatic cells, and I tried this technique. It didn't work for me, I realised that by turning them upside down as you turn the coil spring clockwise it actualy makes the coil expand rather than contract as it does when you use it the right way up, so as the coil enters the tapped hole the friction builds up between the coil and the tapped hole too much far before the coil is seated correctly and then the tang breaks off too soon. Well it did for me anyway

[stevelawiw]

@Burgerman

Aluminium alloy is a stupid material to make those terminals from for so many reasons.

I agree it's far too soft. So why do they use it, why not use something that would take a thread better?

[Burgerman]

Not just that its soft. But its too shallow. The threads are not deep enough. Add to this that somehow they must connect the cells on the opposite side too! And that as soon as you clean/deoxidise alloys they reoxidise almost instantly. And aluminium oxide doen not conduct electricity.

So 3 issues! Why? No idea.

[Burgerman]

Upside down helicoils isnt a thing I ever actually tried. In many years using them I never had to do a hole that isnt deep enough. But you could well be right if they are tight. Beats me why they make them terminals so shallow. As above post. How did you get on removing that tang with them in a hole with a bottom? Or did you leave it? Was the helicoil short enough to not end up sticking up? Did you use a little loctite? It should lubricate as you screw in upside down so no jamming early?

[stevelawiw]

I found that as the coil hits the bottom of the threaded hole, as you keep turning the tang breaks off. Then you can either hook the tang out or turn the battery upside down and let it fall out. They make the coils in different lengths so you buy the size correct for the length of thread. Yes I used locktite but I can't remember which number it was.

[LROBBINS]

Calling that soft aluminum an alloy is misleading - unless you mean series 1000, pure or nearly pure aluminum. There are alloys that are much more able to take a thread and are almost as easy to machine e.g. 6063 (U.S), 6082 (Europe). Someone would have to ask one of the major manufacturers (CALD, LISHEN etc.) why they chose the soft stuff, the dealers surely won't know.

[Burgerman]

I think he and I mean generally in comparison to steel. Or even brass which is often used for batt terminals.

[expresso]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LL ... UTF8&psc=1

i just got this for the top of the battery pack when done - its seems perfect to me - Can i use it as is or should i have to duct tape it all over also - ?

i couldnt find this before on my previous one - and used cardboard and duct taped the whole thing -

i can use this as is ?

thanks

[Burgerman]

You could. Remember that it would be safer to use something that doesent burn though.

[expresso]

You could. Remember that it would be safer to use something that doesent burn though.

i cant seem to find anything that thin - when i asked if this was fine before - you said yes - maybe then would have been a good time to tell me this ?

[Burgerman]

It will be fine. The stock battery boxes we get with chairs are also plastic. But I might be tempted to use something that doesent burn if I could find anything that also didnt conduct.

You might be OK anyway some of this is fire redardent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrugated_plastic
Try lighting a small strip.

[expresso]

i have an idea - what if i layer the bottom side facing the pack with a layer of silicone sheet -

the same silicone i used in between the cells - i just have to buy more now -

on the pervious pack - i wrapped a card board in duct tape - top bottom etc, and used that - you think i should leave it now - its installed and being used - or should i consider swapping that out and do what i am doing to this new pack ?

on my packs - i have rubber caps over all the nuts - with the cover on top - - all the nuts on the battery posts have a rubber cap over them -

[Burgerman]

It will be fine. The stock battery boxes we get with chairs are also plastic. But I might be tempted to use something that doesent burn if I could find anything that also didnt conduct.

You might be OK anyway some of this is fire redardent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrugated_plastic
Try lighting a small strip.

[expresso]

yes i seen the link - i asked if you think i should change the other one also - i wrapped that in duct tape good all over - it was a card board box - i used there - wrapped in duct tape

[Burgerman]

No it will be fine.

[expresso]

ok thanks - the one part of this building is the wrapping - i cant get it nicely done - its better each time - and this one should be nicer wrapped when done - the problem is also very limited space - on top so i needed to find something thin that i could cut and size it etc,

now i found this one to use - i have to keep the pack at or below 9 inch high total with the screws in - using 20mm long screw which half should be in the cell - rubber caps over them

[ex-Gooserider]

Coroplast (one of the trade names) corrugated plastic is basically the same as the corrugated cardboard used in boxes, except that it doesn't fall apart when wet.... Strength and handling properties are about the same.... Fairly strong and stiff in one axis (across the corrugations) bendy in the other (parallel to them). It will crush if loaded heavily....

No idea about flammability, but almost certainly no worse than cardboard....

ex-Gooserider

[expresso]

its the best i can do - easy to work with and thin enough so it will fit - after i cut it to size - i will test some that i wont need - to see how it handles some heat - curious

if i have room and extra left over silicone - i can add a layer on the bottom end of it - - if that works out - i can see if one day i replace the other one - with this one also -

BM says its fine either way - cardboard wrapped with duct tape totally wrapped it - if i had room - i could enclose it completely - no room for that -

total when wrapped - i want to keep it at 9 inch high if i can - any more - may not fit or very hard to fit - i will have wiring -come out the top -

[LROBBINS]

Coroplast and like are polypropilene. While it can burn, it's not highly inflammable and if oriented properly is quite strong. I used to get pallets of glass bottles for my lab with inter-layers of this stuff and ended up using it for numerous things. One example is a pair of very lightweight, short, ramps for getting Rachi's chair over building entrances. Triangular form and some ribs inside and they've withstood >15 years use. Each one is made in two pieces that stack for high thresholds with the bottom one only used for low thresholds.