So I finally orders a soldering station with extras. I also ordered some tenergy sub c NIMH batteries to rebuild a battery pack. So I will need solder flux and nickel strips. Is 60/40 tin and lead solder still preferred? Probably will get all three off Amazon. Flux brand recommend? Fwiw Ordered a t12 ksger v3.1s Appreciate any help.
You should weld those strips, not solder.
Stick with 63/37 or even 62/36/2. Both are better than 60/40. You’ll probably want to spot weld rather than solder to batteries. If you do go the solder route, use a fat tip and high temperatures to try to make the joint as quickly as possible.
I’ve soldered fanned-out 22ga wire to subCs before, and it’s not too bad. Just gotta get in there, hit it hard, then get out fast.
Fattest pyramid-tip you can get, set to highest heat, liquid/organic flux wetting both wire and cell, melt a blob of solder onto the tip so that it hangs off the tip, press the wire to the cell, squish the blob onto both and let it sizzle away the flux ’til you see the solder flow freely throughout, then lift the tip, holding the wire perfectly still ’til it sets up, done.
Whew.
You try heating the parts and melting solder-wire onto them, and that just sucks away necessary heat from the tip.
Definitely 63/37 solder, it gets solid faster so work time is lower.
Just remember to go hot, get in and out quickly. Try to keep heat time to a minimum.
Maybe practice on some old batteries first.
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i like the low temperature melting point of Rose’s Metal to use for cell solder. As with any alloy a good fluxing is important. i think Barkuti has posted a video of soldering battery cells with Rose’s in a thread about it.
What? No ” that’s what she said ” jokes?
That's what she said!
There it is.
Thanks for the information, flux and the deer from the link are ordered. Looking at spot welders now also. I’ve been wanting to setup a solder station for awhile, and try a few things so this is helping alot.