DIY Turnigy Hardcase Lipos

[icecube57]

Since Im at the point of finalizing my pack 24s3p 88v 15AH I thought it would be a good idea to protect my packs. The heatshrink was starting to crack on some of the first packs I aqquired. The tape bonding my pack sections was starting too fail. Its time to protect this investment a little bit better. I have tons of peel and stick floor tile. I thought this would be a good workable material to protect my packs.

To prep the packs I discharged them near empty. When I taped them before they were fully charge. As the packs discharge they shrink a bit. This caused the pack to become loose. This time Im taping them near fully discharged and compress them while taping. I removed the old tape and applied 1 1/2 inch clear packing tape to the packs.As I was taping I pulled it really tight to compress the pack. I did 3 rows of tape across the pack. When I was done the 3 packs felt firm and solid.

I then took sheets of paper and traced the pack. One thing i did notice was the packs werent the same height when I taped them together. They were physically different sizes. So Instead of covering the whole pack i left the top 1/4 inch uncover to allow the discharge and balance wires to exit. The main part of the pack is protected and that was the goal.I had to slighly oversize my tracing to make sure they fit the other packs i will do in the future. I will trim the excess when I do the rest of the packs. I copied my templates to the tile. Cut them out and applied it to the pack. It takes a little bit of work. They arent going to line up perfectly but It will be nice and neat if you measured pefectly. Me personally... Im going to make another Identical pack to the one pictured below. Im going to pair them together and finish the pack with Black Gorilla Tape to make two 44v 15Ah sections. I will even make a carrying handle for easy transport. =P They will neatly fit in my rear trunk bag. 12 packs stacked neatly in a trunk. Can be take off for transport. Well protected incase of a wipeout. Range for days.

 

[amberwolf]

They look nice enough.

I'll grant that stuff can be tough, but beware puncture-type impacts, as I've dropped who knows how many tools on tile like that and if they land point first they usually go thru till they hit the concrete underneath. But it will pad broader types of impacts and spread the forces across the face of them a little.

If you can heat the stuff evenly enough, you could bend some pieces around the corners to help keep it from peeling away at those edges. Without the heating it may just crack as it's bent, depending on the type.

Or better yet, if you have any of those peel-and-stick tub/tile joint strips, just fold them the "wrong" way to seal the corners and join the sides/edges.

 

[icecube57]

The packs will be wrapped with Gorilla Tape over the tile. Gorrila tape is which is very excellent tape. I used it to hold 24 20AH Thundersky cells together. I actually did the same thing with those cells and it turned out well.

 

[Lessss]

3 layers of Vinyl please

 

[icecube57]

I might consider 2 but im not trying to make it into a chinese duct tape pack where you need precision cutlery to disect it.

 

[dogman dan]

I think it's a darn good idea. Somebody else did the same thing a few years back, I don't recall who. Protection is an important thing. Only reason I use other materials is the floor tiles are a bit heavy. So I'm doing lots of stuff with expired political signs made of coroplast. So my metal box is often lined with the plastic cardboard.

 

[icecube57]

Peel and stick tiles are easy to cut and flexible but there is some weight added. I feel it. But there is another plastic tile thats even harder thats not peel and stick That may give the ultra hard quality that Lesss and Amberwolf would like.

 

[Ypedal]

I used Armstrong tiles : http://www.ypedal.com/cammycc/Index.htm ( bottom of the page )

Has held up very well so far..

 

[icecube57]

I used Armstrong tiles : http://www.ypedal.com/cammycc/Index.htm ( bottom of the page )

Has held up very well so far..

Same thing I have. I have 3 cases worth. You would have to be rough or be a freak accident to damage it much. It will be in a padded rack bag. Im happy with it.

 

[nicobie]

I like Formica because it's thin and hard. Easy to assemble with hot glue (the amber stuff). I cut it with a band saw, but it can also be cut by scoring then snapping. Just like you would cut glass.

 

[icecube57]

Bought the Gorilla Tape and finished the pack.

 

[amberwolf]

You would have to be rough or be a freak accident to damage it much.

I'm a freak that has lots of rough accidents (though not usually on the road), so that's what worries me.

If my source works out, I'll be using two U-shaped sort-of-interlocking box pieces on that Vpower pack, made of Kydex, with thin closed-cell foam between the pack and the Kydex to absorb vibrations, and the Kydex itself to take any impacts or punctures, etc. Then use some straps saved from various shipping crates along with their little spring clips to tension them, to close up the boxes and keep them tight. Much easier to remove than tape and neater. (given my clumsiness at wrapping tape, anyway).