18650 Li-ion Battery Holder With Wires




The purpose is to create a permanent battery holder for a 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery using recycled or common use material. This will allow to use a battery without tabs through wires and a JST connector.

Step 1: Material Used and Preparation

Material used:
2 PE caps from water bottles;
8 tie wraps;
2 washers;
some wire from an old PC flat cable;
1 kit for a female JST connector;

using scissors remove everything but the inner portion of each cap  and make 4 buttonholes at 90° each other on the top just close to the rim. These buttonholes have to fit the width of the tie wraps, you can obtain them with a small screwdriver or the tip of the scissors.
Punch another hole on the side of the rim to let the wire go inside and solder the washer on its end.
Repeat the same for the other side.

Step 2: Install the Battery and Tighten the Tie Wraps

Insert the battery in the holder and position the washers on its poles adjusting the length of the wire that goes inside the cap.
Cut the head out of other 4 tie wraps and use them to tighten the tie wraps already installed on the battery holder.  To ensure a good electrical contact use the natural springiness of the cap that is going to bend a little bit around the washer.
Trim ties in excess and (optionally) also shorten the heads on the other side of the holder.
Install the JST connector on the wires according to the polarity of the battery, fix the wires with some duct tape to avoid their ripping.
It's done! :-)



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    3 Discussions

    Mário Césard1

    2 years ago

    Nice job, man!

    One question: can you remove the battery and put another one easely?

    1 reply
    Aik68Mário Césard1

    Reply 2 years ago

    Thank you :-)

    Battery replacement could be difficult if the plastic caps are rigid and the tie wraps are very tightened. If you need to change battery very often you can try to use 3 tie wraps at 120 degrees instead of 4 and adjust their tension to keep the battery in place and allow replacement at the same time. Since I use rechargeable batteries I prefer the robustness of the connection.