Wire for Spot Welding

Riplash

Riplash

Member
Joined
May 27, 2018
Messages
72
Hello All;

Have any of you experimented with spot weldingfuse wire like Jehu did with 1/4 watt resistor legs? I would like to do the same thing because I can rapidly spot weld the glass fuse legs to the cells and solder the other end to the bus bar. I would like to use heavier wire on the negative side as bus wire going from the cells to the bus bar, and would like to spot weld the wire to cell end, and solder (or weld if the materials allow it) the wire to the bus bar. I also would like to use a smaller gauge wire like fuse wire the same way Jehu used his 1/4 Watt resistor wire. I could buy lots of resistors like Jehu did, but being the nerd I am I want the wire specifications and would rather buy a roll of wire rather than cutting off the ends of resistors for the wire?

Since the resistor leg wire, and glass fuse wirecan be easily bent and soldered I am guessing they are Nickel or Nickel Iron Alloys. I am finding all types of possibilities that they could be, and I am wondering if any of you have researched this. The material I am looking for doesn't have to be the same as the resistor leg wire, I just want it to be easily spot weldable, solderable, and be able to be used as bus and/or fuse wire.

Thanks,
Ryan
 
I can vouch for the 30ga Remington wire, did some testing here for it:

I would also strongly advise against the resistor legs, the 1/8 W resistor legs I had on hand didn't blow even at 20A. Maybe in a Li-Ion dead short but not the chance I'd like to take.
 
Thanks for the responses,

Right now I am only getting moderate results spot welding 30 AWG tinned Copper Wire, but am still trying different things. I just found a roll of 14/19 TCW wire at the surplus store. That should be made of 27 AWG strands so I am going to buy a small amount and test some of that before I buy a large amount of whatever gauge wire I think I need.

I also ordered 24 awg Ni200 wire it should be in Next week. This moment I am leaning towards spot welding the negative sides with nickel wire (If that works as well as I hope it does) , And will probably solder 30 AWG T.C.W. as fuse wire to the Positve terminal. By spot welding the nickel wire, I should be able to avoid heating up the negative terminal as much. And I can solder whatever fuse wire, or fuse method to the positve terminal easy too.

-Ryan
 
I recently found out that some small aircraft applications use nickel-plated copper wire.I went to ebay and after a run of aircraft wire is installed, there might be a significant length left over, but too short for the next job, therefore they sell it for whatever they can get. Many sizes are manufactured, but the affordable cutoffs seem toi be readily available in 16ga and 18ga. I bought a small roll, and it is stranded with fairly small diameter strands.

I am hopeful that the nickel-plating will allow the copper wire to be easily spot-welded, as I do not want to solder onto the negative end. I am sure others have been fine with soldering onto the negative, but I am searching for alternatives.

If anyone with a spot-welder wants a free sample, PM me an address you want it sent to. Even if each strand is too small, I am wondering if twisting two or three together will still spot weld.
 
spinningmagnets said:
I recently found out that some small aircraft applications use nickel-plated copper wire.I went to ebay and after a run of aircraft wire is installed, there might be a significant length left over, but too short for the next job, therefore they sell it for whatever they can get. Many sizes are manufactured, but the affordable cutoffs seem toi be readily available in 16ga and 18ga. I bought a small roll, and it is stranded with fairly small diameter strands.

I am hopeful that the nickel-plating will allow the copper wire to be easily spot-welded, as I do not want to solder onto the negative end. I am sure others have been fine with soldering onto the negative, but I am searching for alternatives.

If anyone with a spot-welder wants a free sample, PM me an address you want it sent to. Even if each strand is too small, I am wondering if twisting two or three together will still spot weld.
Click to expand...

Hello Spinningmagnets,

Thanks for information. I have been very busy with work and the rest of my life and stuff, and I have been so busy I haven't been able to read or comment on much stuff here. I know I missied some cool stuff on here. Let's get back to the thread topic.....I bought some24 AWG nickel wire and spot welded that to the negative end of the batteries, and I am using 30 awg T.C.W. (Tinned Copper Wire)that I solder to the positive end. So far with all the testing both the 24 awg nickel and the 30 TCW are working well. I can solder the 30 AWG TCW wire really quickly to the positve terminals without heating up the cell very much. And so far the spot welding of nickel is going very well. I have made 2 battery packs so far, and they are holding up well to the abuse that I have given them.

Do you have a Trade name for the nickel plated copper wire? I am not sure if I ever mentioned it here, but I am building a Velocity Dash-5 EAA aircraft with my Father and I may come across a bunch of the wire you mentioned when we get to that point.

Ryan"Rip" Lash

P.S. I have 1200 cells tested and catalogued, and have about 300 more in various testing states. I hope I can find time to post about them soon..
 
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