AWithZ spot welder gears 1–5, weld quality test

Lefeng’s UF20B (No. 6 pen) gears 1–5 series test: preheat 0 / interval 0 / 1ms, 0.1–0.12 nickel-plated steel strip on a Jiashikai negative — gear 1 doesn’t stick at all, 2 sticks a little, 3 a bit tighter but still peels off, 4 a bit hard but still peels, 5 feels like it might stick a little; comments: use gears 10–12 for 21700; a welder costs a few hundred, just buy a new battery (creator: if you want cell performance, there’s no saving money)

Welder series: AWithZ UF20B with the upgraded No. 6 welding pen, trying gears 1–5; preheat 0, interval 0, (trigger) 1 millisecond; two rolls of nickel-plated steel strip, no idea which is 0.1 and which is 0.12, never mind; welding the 0.1 or 0.12 nickel-plated steel strip onto a Jiashikai negative. Gear 1 result: won’t hold; up a gear, gear 2: gear 1 didn’t stick at all, gear 2 sticks a little; gear 3: sticks a bit tighter again but still peels off; gear 4: a bit hard to peel but still comes off; today up to gear 5: this is the upgraded No. 6 pen, 0.1–0.12 thickness on a Jiashikai negative, gear 5 feels like it might stick a little; that’s the show. 11 comments: wanted to hand-build to save money, good grief, a welder costs a few hundred, just buy a new one (creator: if you want cell performance there’s really no saving money); gears 10–12 for 21700; try a 0.3; either go 4 capacitors or 133 mains-frequency; go do deliveries instead of this (no deliveries to do); is 36V at the port normal on a 48V pack when switched off.

Outcome

Steps5 steps · click a frame to jump

1. 
   1. Setup: UF20B No. 6 pen, preheat 0, interval 0, 1ms; 0.1–0.12 nickel-plated steel strip on a Jiashikai negative

   Welder series; AWithZ UF20B upgraded No. 6 pen; gears 1–5; preheat 0, interval 0, 1 millisecond; two rolls of nickel-plated steel strip, no idea which is 0.1 / 0.12, never mind; welding onto the Jiashikai negative.

   00:00 – 00:41
2. 
   2. Gear 1 doesn’t stick at all; gear 2 sticks a little

   Gear 1 result: won’t hold; up a gear; gear 2: gear 1 didn’t stick at all, gear 2 sticks a little.

   00:58 – 01:38
3. 
   3. Gear 3 sticks a bit tighter but still peels off

   Gear 3 sticks a bit tighter again, but still peels off.

   01:38 – 02:01
4. 
   4. Gear 4 a bit hard to peel but still comes off

   Gear 4 is also a bit hard to peel, but still comes off.

   01:59 – 02:18
5. 
   5. Gear 5: feels like it might stick a little; wrap-up

   Today up to gear 5; upgraded No. 6 pen; 0.1–0.12 thickness on a Jiashikai negative; gear 5 feels like it might stick a little; that’s the show.

   02:18 – 02:43

Bill of materials

Creator’s tips

• The UF20B low gears (1–5) are not enough to hold 0.1–0.12 nickel-plated strip on a Jiashikai steel-can negative; higher gears needed (10–25 later in the series) 01:25
• Comment: gears 10–12 for 21700

Pitfalls

• The two rolls of nickel strip were never sorted by thickness 00:11

Li-ion safety

Quotes