Those are surprisingly perky. Is it cold today?
Quite
Nice job!
And.welcome to BLF pistol86!
Will update list later
(Wow 1400+ when updating this morning)
Sure you have a good connection there? Looks like a bad solder connection
100% sure
First i scratched on top of every cell a * shape and cleaned it with cleaner and fluxed them to guarantee a good connection after soldering.
Then applied some good heat to the top of the cell and some good old leaded solder which melted nice to the surface
These are permanently perky. Independent to any temperature changes … 
Sparky said it… onplants.
Add a Q8 for me too. -thanks
I just found some small copper balls online, i intent to buy them and then file down one side a little to get a flat surface i can solder to the cell.
I cant find any size on the balls but i think they are around 3 mm in diameter.
Just mentioned this in case anyone else want to make a higher class boob job in the future,
BTW there are also similar ones in pure Tin, but i am not sure how conductive that stuff are compared to copper.
That seems like an awful lot of work for a cell topper. Easier would be to buy some large gauge copper wire, like #4 AWG, and slice off pieces to solder to your cell tops. Probably a lot cheaper than those balls too. And, since the cut-offs would be flat on both sides, they’ll make great contact with both the cell top and the contact ring of the flashlight.
Sparky, those are only copper plated. The underlying metal is carbon steel. I wouldn’t want to be sliding steel against the contact ring, not to consider the conductivity of steel.
Pure copper would be much better, and from the standpoint of wear alone a solder blob would be better.
Something like this might work
Maybe the heavy gauge that’s .9mm thickness.
I happen to have a Metal Supermarket near work. I went in and bought a scrap of copper sheet for around 3 bucks that is about 3 inches by 8 inches to make battery contact plates for a pack that I am building. Using a hole punch like this one will supply me with lots of copper discs from the scrap of the scrap.
Check around and see if there is a Metal Supermarket near you, they are quite friendly and have MUCH better prices than anywhere else, especially if you can find a piece they don’t need to cut for you.
Over $3.00 for 10 of those, and Lowe’s sells #4 AWG solid copper wire for less than $1.50/foot (Lowe’s store not relevant For Denmark probably). I’m not picking on you, Brian. I just don’t see a reason to buy pre-made “balls” OR “discs” or any other such thing.
EDIT: Lazy-R-us, that’s another great idea! ^
THX i did think they was pure copper, but i must have mixed 2 products together.
The slicing pieces of a copper rod are also good, but then i need to buy something as i only have small pliers for electrical stuff, and those seem a bit small even for copper.
Nearest thing i could do in that regard would be to use a old knife and a hammer to chisel off little sections of a copper rod.
Damn shame i cant find the little copper disks i know i have, they are 3-4 mm in diameter and made in 2 mm copper so just about perfect if my memory remember 36 years back correct.
But they must be buried in my long time storage place, and i am not going there and rip it all out to find them.
Two ways I’ve used to cut discs off of #4 AWG wire for cell toppers - hacksaw and/or rotary tool with a cut-off wheel. There is some waste that way, but the cut is flat (versus using a plier/cutter style tool).
Perhaps an even more ubiquitous source for copper would be a plumbing supply shop. No matter what country you are in you should be able to get a small piece of pipe. BLF members who are building custom lights by cutting open the pipe, then flattening it out have shown that it works great for heat sink fins.
Copper is pretty soft, a hammer and some kind of anvil will make short work of making two flat sides on any shape of small enough to make button tops copper.
I didn’t take it that you were arguing David. Sparky seemed intent on purchasing, I was just giving a purchase alternative. What we’re doing is brainstorming.
Personally I use solder blobs because they’re easy, inexpensive, soft, and can be renewed if required. I learned long ago that one keeps the expensive part from being worn and allows the easily replaced and inexpensive parts to take the wear or modification.
Sparky, you have no idea how many things I’ve put “in a safe place for later” and later found that they were even made safe from me finding them. We all do that.
One could take cuttings of large gauge wire and pound it flatish, or form lighter gauge wire into a tiny ring. But again, I much prefer blobs due to the softness of the alloy. But maybe copper is softer than lead/tin solder?
Any news from the manufacturer on the PCB issue?
Ordered some Sony VT6C in a fit of excitement…
Thats what worried me too the copper deforming if clipping with pliers, but i have now changed my approach to sourcing some 5 mm copper rivets i can part up with a chisel / old knife as i think that will give me the cleanest cut.
And this way i can do it at home and not have to go use my friends dremel with the little cutting disks.
Okay i am not sure my little soldering station can handle soldering such a copper disk to a cell, if the weller WHS 40 have to tap out on the job i will have to go to my friend and use his ( what we lovingly call the soldering bat ) as that SOB will be fine.
What about small copper washers or small copper nuts ? Completely uniform and available from most hardware stores, plumbing or electrical supplie or places that sell car parts etc