Battery Adapter file exchange.

[Onoff]

Left to right, the evolution of the Ferrex to DeWalt adapter:

https://flic.kr/p/2qj68Wk

The one on the right, under the DeWalt top just finished and is a 25% infill. A little video of the print:

https://flic.kr/p/2qj6Bt5

To finish this off I need to solder wires to the original battery connector and again solder to the copper U's. I've still to design and print up a quick "wedge" to hold the U's in place. M3 machine screws arriving tomorrow.

So then I'll have a potentially working adapter. Mind I won't have a working Ferrex battery or 18V DeWalt tool to try it on!

@ukracer do you want me to post it to you?

 

[ukracer]

Left to right, the evolution of the Ferrex to DeWalt adapter:

https://flic.kr/p/2qj68Wk

The one on the right, under the DeWalt top just finished and is a 25% infill. A little video of the print:

https://flic.kr/p/2qj6Bt5

To finish this off I need to solder wires to the original battery connector and again solder to the copper U's. I've still to design and print up a quick "wedge" to hold the U's in place. M3 machine screws arriving tomorrow.

So then I'll have a potentially working adapter. Mind I won't have a working Ferrex battery or 18V DeWalt tool to try it on!

@ukracer do you want me to post it to you?

View attachment 466788

Yeah that would be great.

Real achievement to reach the working prototype stage.

 

[Onoff]

Yeah that would be great.

Real achievement to reach the working prototype stage.

PM me your address.

 

[Onoff]

I do love the smell of heated inserts in the morning!

Some M3 inserts off eBay/ Amazon:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjc1Rb

A cut down soldering iron tip:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjc38p

https://flic.kr/p/2qjd4wX

Done:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjaQar

One issue is the insert is pushing the melted plastic up the hole in front of it and blocking it. I'll need to drill that out:

https://flic.kr/p/2qj6gs6

Soldering next.

 

[Onoff]

Soldering done. The wire csa was "thick".

Fluxed the copper:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjc5tp

It took:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjdMEy

Negative wire run down the groove in the tower:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjdouE

Got to fire up the CAD and design/print the retaining wedge. Might get on that in a bit. Decided to cable tie it on rather than use another heat insert.

https://flic.kr/p/2qj7ySp

Waiting on the screws.

 

[Turbo]

Soldering done. The wire csa was "thick".

Fluxed the copper:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjc5tp

It took:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjdMEy

Negative wire run down the groove in the tower:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjdouE

Got to fire up the CAD and design/print the retaining wedge. Might get on that in a bit. Decided to cable tie it on rather than use another heat insert.

https://flic.kr/p/2qj7ySp

Waiting on the screws.

I've used 2.5mm2 wire in the past for batteries but 4mm2 would be better if you have room.

 

[Onoff]

Made the wedge and attached with a cable tie. The test piece out of PLA just for contrast.

https://flic.kr/p/2qjbg95

https://flic.kr/p/2qjfNJv

As it is it rides up a bit if you push on the blades. Might go back to a heat insert and screw.

https://flic.kr/p/2qjhvPn

Bloody Amazon! The M3x20 screws turned up in the same package as some crap SWMBO ordered separately. M3x30 won't be here until Monday.

 

[Onoff]

Whoops!

Decided to add a heat insert to retain the wedge with an M3 screw:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjj3AR

Stuck it straight into the negative wire and I'm quite sober:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjhnbN

It shouldn't affect the operation in anyway, it's just bloody annoying. This will still work. I'll need to relook at how the negative wire routes, make the hole bigger or something.

Left to do: Cut down an M3 screw for the wedge, get 4 off M3x30 screws when Amazon deliver on Monday, send to @ukracer to have a play and see if it works.

 

[Onoff]

The damaged wire was bugging me! Dug it out to inspect. Happy on this one to leave it like this:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjng11

 

[Onoff]

And.....we're done! That didn't take long did it? A little video:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjo6RD

A couple of things.

A 4 piece print as I've done it. Potentially a 5 piece print if I do the main section as 2 pieces:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjtGR9

You need to nip of the protecting sprues here. Tbh they will bend down. I could equally put slots on the print:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjnXdX

The wedge secured with a cut down M3 screw:

https://flic.kr/p/2qju9PT

.

Not sure if the clips will engage properly in a DeWalt tool. @ukracer please report back here.

 

[ukracer]

And.....we're done! That didn't take long did it? A little video:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjo6RD

A couple of things.

A 4 piece print as I've done it. Potentially a 5 piece print if I do the main section as 2 pieces:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjtGR9

You need to nip of the protecting sprues here. Tbh they will bend down. I could equally put slots on the print:

https://flic.kr/p/2qjnXdX

The wedge secured with a cut down M3 screw:

https://flic.kr/p/2qju9PT

.

Not sure if the clips will engage properly in a DeWalt tool. @ukracer please report back here.

Will do...

 

[Onoff]

Will do...

In the post this morning on Evri. Should be next day.

 

[Onoff]

A total aside but my chippie mate had a load of 18V DeWalt tools that took the old, "tower" style DC9*** Ni-mh battery. He then upgraded to the new, DeWalt XR li-ion kit.

He bought an adaptor to use the XR batteries on the old kit. Reckons using a li-ion battery on the old tools burnt out the "trigger" in a couple of the drills.

???

 

[Anguz]

i have had the same experience, guess because more oomph is available you use it, and the minimal heat sinking on the switch isnt enough

 

[Onoff]

i have had the same experience, guess because more oomph is available you use it, and the minimal heat sinking on the switch isnt enough

So @ukracer 's old school DeWalt stuff might crash and burn on the Ferrex Li-ion batteries ?

I had similar when I powered an 18V Rolson grinder, previously Ni-Cad, off a Makita Li-ion 3Ah battery (OK it was a clone battery). Worked a treat for a short while then let out the magic smoke. Video:

https://flic.kr/p/2iLTASk

This Champion 18V saw, formerly Ni-cad like the Rolson grinder, is pretty gutless tbh, even on Makita Li-ion. (The Rolson / Champion Ni-Cad batteries were in fact interchangeable). Video below . I'll be using it next to cut 1" Celotex for the cat tree house:

https://flic.kr/p/2kDdSQh

This Duratool 18V multitool works but is noisy and vibrates like hell on Makita batteries. Think is was meant though for Li-ion from the off.

https://flic.kr/p/2kRPCnQ

 

[Onoff]

Can the battery Ah be too great for the tool?

 

[Anguz]

guess it depends how hard you work it... certainly my drill felt like it had more grunt, but i put that down to the fact the old batteries were past it.... cant remember how much abuse i was giving it when it went, but the lipos i guess will have a lower internal resistance than the old nicads, so potentially more current

 

[Anguz]

Can the battery Ah be too great for the tool?

should only affect how long it will last in use

 

[Onoff]

should only affect how long it will last in use

That was always my understanding. Some lower end cordless tools though do come with a note on the lines of "for use with a 2Ah battery".

I wonder if it's a case that running for longer, on a bigger battery, allows the tool to exceed it's duty cycle?

 

[Onoff]

@ukracer so much for Evri's next day service They've "got it". Utterly useless when you consider I took it to a drop off point Monday morning on next day and you still haven't got it.