Re-wrapping batteries

Hardware Batteries and Chargers
81

Yeah I will bin the sucker :slight_smile:

Not that I believe Iā€™ll end-up with my vaporizer exploding, crunching through my face and lodging in my brain, but I suppose third degree burns and my clothes set on fire donā€™t sound like a whole bunch of fun either :smirk:

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82

Rewrapping batteries is something every hobbyist vapor should be familiar with if not proficient in. For an investment of about $15 for a heat gun from somewhere like Harbor Freight and a few dollars for insulating disks and pre-sized battery wraps, you will protect yourself from potential disaster.

There is no reason to toss a battery just because the wrap is nicked, torn, and you lost the insulator. If the battery was not preforming i.e holding a charge or not fully charging, then itā€™s prolly time to responsibly dispose of. If it is dented in any fashion, dispose of it. I rotate about 8 pairs of married 18650ā€™s and honestly some of them are just fine and over 2 years old, if you donā€™t overheat them (while vaping) or over charge them they last a long time (especially charging them at .50 amps, if you are charging them at 2 amps they arenā€™t going to last as long). That said I have probably re-wrapped many of them multiple timesā€¦as long as the old insulator is in good shape then you can reuse it, often it is easier to use a replacement one.

There are many instructive videos around to become a pro in 15 minutes, the hardest thing is opening the new sleeve to slide get the battery started in it. -Note, I have found it easiest to use a chopstick to move the battery around when shrinking the wrap with the heat gun. (never use metal) Some people use hairdryers but I have found it much easier with a cheap heat-gun.

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83

Geez - paragraphs bro :slight_smile:

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84

Is this college revisited dude? Iā€™m degreed and retired - also tired and an insomniac.

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85

Nope: you can write unreadably large blocks of solid text all you like :+1:

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86

thanks for permission

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87

I thought this was a joke, but I guess it wasnā€™t.

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88

Oh it was.

Itā€™s a battery still in my possession and Iā€™m still willing to use it, but donā€™t very often so itā€™s goinā€™ in the bin.

First battery I bought, probably the only reason Iā€™ve still got it.

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89

Bro, pay it no mind, thats what i do.

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90

for the heat gun doubters. the heat gun is much hotter than a hair drier, so you end up burning your fingers less = yes, that is utterly correct. the hair drier takes a little while to start heating the wrap, so the fingers get heated up. the heat gun, its a quick zap and your done, the fingers hardly feel the heat. and the heat gun shrinks the wrap more thoroughly, no wrinkles. but, the heat gun can over heat if your not careful and ruin the wrap = over shrink it. .

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91

I use a countertop, starting with the battery, in the sleeve, standing on one end (insulator centered in the top). With the heat-gun on low I seal the middle to top and then put the battery on the side and so the bottom with a sweeping motionā€¦with a chopstick you can roll it around and tighten (even) up the seal. My method really requires no finger to heat exposure and takes about 15 seconds.

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92

Yes, it is time to properly dispose of this battery. With a dent in the top and other damage the cost of replacing the battery is much lower than the damage it cold cause after continued yes.

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