Finally The Build Starts

[BigGun]

Took forever, but finally finished testing all 24 cells. All tested great with only a 4 AH variance in 24. Resistance is mostly .16 with a few at .17

I'm a carpenter so of coarse my boxes will be wood. These cells don't need compression, but I compress just enough where the cells don't move. The wood strips on one side of the box are removable. I use a thin foam between the cells and the wood. This method worked well on my other builds, so why change now

Triplets





Bus Bars Tomorrow. Lots of holes to drill.


Anticipation Top Balancing First 8

 

[MakeMePower]

where did you get your psu jumper cables and alligator clamps

 

[BigGun]

I made them. #10 silicone wire with some old NOCO clamps.

 

[MakeMePower]

I made them. #10 silicone wire with some old NOCO clamps.

I thought it was Noco, thought maybe you had a source to those clamps

 

[BigGun]

Bus Bars today. An old guy ( He worked on rigs as a specialized fixer, weld winch cases, etc . He made me an adapter to mount a Willys 3 speed to a SB Chevy. In his back yard with simple tools ) showed me this when i was a young guy. Put masking tape on your stock, this way I use a ball point pen for true marks. Drill a partial indent with a smaller bit, then drill the size you need. It's easier with a 12v ( slow ) battery drill than my drill press. Cut off with a jigsaw. I'll clean them up with my belt sander and some 400 paper

 

[BigGun]

Finally felt like putting the first battery together, sometimes I think being retired makes me have more misc things to do

Joy turned sour pretty quickly with the JK BMS bolts. I was only trying to reluctantly torque to 60 in lbs. One of the bolts pulled the threads out so I decided to fix them the way I'll do them all from now on. Now with longer better grade bolts I was able to torque to 75 in lbs. The bolt and nut in the vise went to 100 in lbs.

Modified BMS with backing nuts


Finally mounted in the box. I put spacers behind BMS for airflow


A few things left, Time to get ready for LSU game

 

[BigGun]

I finally found something I would starve doing more than painting. The time it takes me to build one battery, I could of framed a 20 x 20 garage.

Any way, First battery done, Two more to go. I'm pleased the way it turned out.

Purdy


All Ready to Go



It's Alive

 

[BigGun]

My first builds with these type cells were all used and of different capacities. I'm not use to seeing my cells run so even. Under 125 amp load the furthest they drifted was .05 and now after using some today back to .01. Hope they stay this way

 

[740GLE]

For your BMS negative lead attached to the cell. Do you have the BMS sensing lug under the BMS lug?

From the picture it almost looks like that the sensing lug is sandwiched in the middle, it should be on top.

 

[BigGun]

It's on Top.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Great thread - step by step, short dialogue and good pictures.
I particularly like the safey shown (wrapped wrench, covers on the cells etc)
Question: why 24v instead of 48v?

 

[BigGun]

Was involved with 24v , Inverter, Controllers, Etc , I just decided to stay there. Might of been a good time to change I guess. We never intend to go this deep down the rabbit hole
As far as tape over cells, One of my first builds years ago, I was making bus bars and shorted my wedding ring between the wrench and a terminal. Only 6.8v, but my wedding ring was glowing red in a nanosecond. Luckily it cooled as fast and the burn wasn't that bad.

 

[Drunkin Solar]

Nice build on that battery

I went 24v for the same reasons as you. It was already there. Built three 280ah boxes and have no regrets using 24v. If I wanted much more than a 5000 watt inverter it would concern me and probably would have made the switch to 48v.

 

[BigGun]

That's what I'm running 5000w LF Inverter. This system is more or less to Off Grid my shed and some backup with outages. Our house is too big to go off grid. I'd need a bigger yard for panels. I might play around with pool pump usage also.

 

[OffGridForGood]

We never intend to go this deep down the rabbit hole

Words for all the members here to live by !
{I just wanted to run the shop lights, and a few small hand tools during a grid outage...Honest!}

 

[740GLE]

Words for all the members here to live by !
{I just wanted to run the shop lights, and a few small hand tools during a grid outage...Honest!}

But mind as well toss this new mini split on it as well!!! Then gotta size it to run my table saw.

 

[BigGun]

Battery #2 Done

I never take for granted connections are clean and ready to go. From my Stereo/PC/ Flashlight adventures. Sand with 400 with paper around a flat block, a little fine scotch brite pad and in this case just a dry rag buff. With PC and Flashlight heatsinks we'd go up to 2000 grit and then polish. ( High end audio I was such a Fanatic/ Nut, I'd polish the damm plugs that went in the wall sockets )

Before

After


These batteries are really impressing me so far. This batch was top balanced over the weekend and separated Monday morning. Still within .002 of each other

 

[740GLE]

What are you using for anti corrosion prevention on those bare copper terms and bus bars?

 

[BigGun]

NO OX to be safe , but if it's torqued and there's a bond between the two surfaces you shouldn't need anything.

 

[BigGun]

Finally finished building #3. You know the Old Saying " Do your hobby too much, It becomes a job " well I got to that point. Testing and building three batteries at one time did me in. My old knees are hurting and might need some juice shot in the left one.

 

[MattMan119]

Finally finished building #3. You know the Old Saying " Do your hobby too much, It becomes a job " well I got to that point. Testing and building three batteries at one time did me in. My old knees are hurting and might need some juice shot in the left one.

View attachment 252728

Those are nice ass looking batteries.

 

[yabert]

but if it's torqued and there's a bond between the two surfaces you shouldn't need anything.

Do you believe in Santa?
Humidity in the air can go anywhere between this copper and aluminum and there start galvanic corrosion.

NO OX to be safe

Absolutely! No ox id will prevent air/humidity intrusion between dissimilar metal.

BTW, awesome job on those batteries

 

[BigGun]

I do believe in Santa, He use to look just like me. Now he looks just like my son and son in law

 

[doctron]

What cells are they m

 

[BigGun]

CALB 180 AH They are NOS cells from 3/11/21