How can I repair the plastic seal/coating on 18650/18500 Batteries

[welliboot]

Hi all,
I generally buy good quality AW or Efest batteries (avoid Ultrafire at all costs!!) and I've found that the plastic coating on the outside of a number of them has become ripped or torn- probably due to some dodgy threads on a cheap telescopic mod. The batteries are only a couple of months old and fairly fresh so I'd like to repair rather than replace.

Can anyone recommend a good way to do that? I have tried insulating tape but it's too thick for mods with tight tolerances. Ideal solution would be very thin but hard wearing and of course insulating. All I can think of right now is clear nail varnish but that might be a bad idea.

all ideas welcome thanks

 

[BobVan]

Disclaimer of sorts:
I have not tried this on a mod battery.

Electrically insulated heat shrink sleeves
are available for RC type lithium batteries.
These are essentially the same
as the OEM coverings used on 1800 series batteries.
Searching a Radio Control Hobby supply site
may turn up a size to fit an 1800 battery.

 

[DavidOck]

As long as the acetone in the nail polish doesn't dissolve more of the wrap, I think that should be ok...

Or maybe use a wrap of packaging tape? It's thinner than electrical tape, and fairly tough.

 

[H Niemand]

I wrapped a piece of cellophane tape around a tear. Worked fine.

 

[HughDaHand]

You could just get some of this. Just use a hair dryer to shrink it and remember it shrinks lengthwise too. $0.84 29mm Heat Shrink Wrap (1-Meter) - perfect for wrapping 18650 batteries at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

 

[Sarin]

My advice would be to throw them away and buy new. I know that the OP stated that they were fairly fresh and didn't really want to throw them away but for the sake of a few pounds / euros is it worth the potential risks of using batteries with sleeve tears? Nail polish contains acetone which is a solvent and has the potential to dissolve plastic so i don't see this as a good idea. Tearing of the plastic sleeves normally occurs from dropping the batteries and in this case they should definitely be replaced rather than be repaired! One thing that might work is superglue but test a small area first to make sure that it doesn't eat the plastic?

 

[welliboot]

Thanks to all for the ideas. The batteries were not dropped just scratched by some rough threads and I never leave an injured man behind so wont be throwing them out. I do like the shrink wrap idea and hey presto- Fasttech to the rescue thanks to HughDaHand. I think I'll order http://www.fasttech.com/product/1323904-single-18650-battery-pvc-heat-shrink-tubing-transl.

Worth a shot I reckon. The aw 18500s are €11 in my local online store.

 

[epicdoom]

even better then waiting on China post look at some of the RC supply houses and battery junction here in the US all have shrink tube designed specifically for batteries. I would not use any chemicals without investigating some hazmat information.

 

[Trainzz]

Invest in a new battery

 

[distortoblotto]

A tight clean wrap of electrical tape will do the trick. That's why its called electrical tape.....

 

[BXfan]

I wrapped a piece of cellophane tape around a tear. Worked fine.

I've done the same with purpose of just not having metal exposed. However I don't sub ohm or put batteries through heavy workouts, so overheating is not really a concern, if it was, i would not recommend it.

 

[DavidOck]

There is a danger of the battery negative terminal - the case - to short some devices, paralleling the switch. You really don't want to risk that

 

[devothedude]

Illumination Supply sells wraps for batteries. You can use a heat gun or hair dryer to fit them to the battery. I don't remember exactly how much they cost, but I know it's not very much

 

[havinfun1]

Search results for: 'batery wrap'

 

[distortoblotto]

Good call Havinfun........

 

[DavidOck]

But I don't think the last one on the page will allow the wrapped battery to fit any tube...