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18650 Holders

18650 battery holders that do not require soldering or spot welding.

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I have two different techniques in this project that make it easy to create a reliable battery holder for 18650 batteries. One method is to use PVC pipe and PVC end caps. The second is to 3D print them. My 3D printables I will post in my github and have a link here to all the files with the STL files and the FreeCAD files. I won't do the G-code since every printer is different and in the past year that I have had a 3D printer I have learned that even different spools of the same color from the same manufacturer can use every so slightly different settings.

The other method is using a 3d printer. The printer I have only has a 230 by 230 by 230 print bed space. so I am unable to print a tube long enough for 4 18650 batteries. Which is pretty much the configuration I like to use. Either single battery or 4 of them in series. However while working on this 3D process, I did a holder design that with five distinct pieces I can have the batteries in series in 1, 2, 3, or 4 batteri

The PVC pipe version is fairly simply, I used 3/4 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe for the holder. Cut to length of the battery(s) length - 1/4 inch (~6 or 7 mm). I use a spring (Digikey BCAA-ND, Battery Contact Spring AA) to help apply decent pressure against the battery. I use a screw (#6-32 Flat head) through the spring and through the PVC pipe cap. I only use a pressure fit currently but I have noticed that if I use flat end caps they have more surface area to hold onto the pipe itself. 

JPEG Image - 190.43 kB - 11/30/2022 at 00:36

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  • 1 × 3/4 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe
  • 1 × 3/4 PVC End Caps
  • 1 × Digikey BCAA-ND, Battery Contact Spring AA
  • 1 × #6-32 Flat head screw Electronic Components / Misc. Electronic Components

  • Setback Solution

    cyplesma12/11/2022 at 17:37 0 comments

    Seems it was just a couple of batteries that had the issue of not providing contact with each other. Not an issue with the holders themselves. But I will have to setup the holders with a through hole for the battery sensing wire for the BMS. That will make sure this will work for any battery. As it is now I will definitely have to test the batteries I want to use in these holders.

  • Setback

    cyplesma12/02/2022 at 01:13 0 comments

    Seems when I printed my 3rd pair of holders the positive end does not connect to the negative of the other battery. This worked fine for the first time using these batteries i the first two holders I made, but when I tested the third one they didn't. I even tried the first two again and now they don't work for them either. Most of the 18650 batteries I have do have little bits of the nickel connector that was spot welded to the batteries when they were part of the part of the laptop battery that I pulled them from. The ones I am testing with I managed to get all of that connector off them. 

    I do have a bunch of 18650 batteries I bought years ago that have the button caps on them and those work fine. As well as the batteries that still have the bits of the connectors stuck to them. 

    I do plan on having some type of washer of wire with a bit of solder on it t put between the batteries when I plan on adding a BMS to to them. That certainly will work for making that connection, but I was hoping not to have to rely on that.

  • Fog Flashlight

    cyplesma11/30/2022 at 02:53 1 comment

    Added a like to my fog flashlight video on my You Tube channel. It makes use the PVC pipe 18650 battery holders.

  • A little extra for the detail section.

    cyplesma11/30/2022 at 00:58 0 comments

    Adding to the description, The 3D printed holders use a twist lock. I do still need to add a retaining block so you have to push and twist the pieces to separate or join them. I have uploaded the STL files and the FreeCAD files to my github. The twist does use the standard lefty loosy and righty tighty action.

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