Soldering wire leads directly to nickel tape.

[msebold]

My question is about soldering copper wire leads directly to pure nickel welding tape. Basically, will these soldered connections hold well?

I'm making a 18s/11p battery pack that will draw 60 amps maximum. I seek maximum conductivity and no hot spots in the pack. I am connecting the parallel clusters via nickel welding tape. I would make my series connections using copper wire leads (probably AWG20 braided wire). Basically I would solder a series wire lead directly to the nickel welding tape between each two cells in the parallel cluster. I would use leaded solder which is easier to work with.

One member suggested that I scuff the nickel tape before soldering, to ensure a good soldered connection. This makes good sense, but has anyone tried this? Does nickel welding tape adequately hold a soldered connection?

 

[Overclocker]

nickel strip as-is wicks up solder extremely well, at least w/ the lead-free i'm using. i don't use lead anymore except for reflowing LEDs. but i think lead would soak up even better

here's the positive end of the 13s5p that i built. pre-soldered then spot welded.

 

[msebold]

nickel strip as-is wicks up solder extremely well, at least w/ the lead-free i'm using....

Looks good my friend. Thanks!

 

[okashira]

Yes nickel strip solders like a dream. The scuffing isn't a bad idea and should allow for better adhesion.

Not quite like a dream - make sure you sand the nickel and use some mildly activated flux. Then it's great.

 

[msebold]

... make sure you sand the nickel and use some mildly activated flux. Then it's great.

Sound great. Will do. Thx.

 

[Syonyk]

Should be just fine. I solder (with lead solder, because frock the lead free stuff) to nickel regularly. I tend to put a large pool on the nickel then reheat it and drop the wire into it, but I'm making final connections to wires, not adding mass to the nickel. Seems to work fine, and I've torn down plenty of packs built just like that.