Where to buy nickel strips for battery tabs cheap?

[Probedude]

I'm finally going to build a battery tab welder (nimh and nicad cells). What I haven't been able to find for a cheap price is a source for the nickel strips.

Anyone have a source? I've seen McMasterCarr mentioned but the price ($68 for a small roll) seems outrageous. This stuff must be dirt cheap to obtain, no?

Dave

[Bluehawk]

http://www.powerstream.com

Click on "Spot Welders"
Scroll down on that page. 100 pieces, pre-cut $19.

[Probedude]

http://www.powerstream.com

Click on "Spot Welders"
Scroll down on that page. 100 pieces, pre-cut $19.

Thanks. The 25' rolls and the 3 qty 10' rolls look good.

Pretty surprised how hard this is to find at a good price.

[davemac2]

I'm finally going to build a battery tab welder (nimh and nicad cells). What I haven't been able to find for a cheap price is a source for the nickel strips.

Anyone have a source? I've seen McMasterCarr mentioned but the price ($68 for a small roll) seems outrageous. This stuff must be dirt cheap to obtain, no?

Dave

Just curious how you are going to build your spot welder. I looked on that site mentioned above and they seem to be really expensive. I would assume that since the weld spot is so small, it's not a huge amount of energy, but is very high current; which implies some expensive, large capacitors? But not $1500?! Can you elablorate?

thanks

dave mc

[Probedude]

Dave,
There's a site that a guy did that shows how to make one using a bunch of large value capacitors, an SCR and a variable power supply. I think this is the link but it's not coming up at the moment.

http://www.philpem.me.uk/elec/welder/

I think he quoted the cap bank he put together for ~ $40.

I believe pressure is also as important as current so I'll need to jig up some fixture that I can lower the copper weld tips onto the battery/strap with some force.

[olmod]

I was told just recently that one of the large pack builders here uses a hand held gun for welding, soz i havent a pix.