Soldering tabs onto CR2032

[JJR]

Hi all, I'm pretty new to soldering but have had no problems so far, everything I've tried has worked a treat.
BUT this morning I have to fit a new CR2032 cell to an old laptop, the old dead cell has wires attached so I take them off and solder them onto the new cell. the tabs on the wire take the solder well but not the cell. Any clues Guys?

Dave

[JJR]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

OK, just learned a lesson that will stay with me for a while, DON'T put a soldering iron onto a lithium battery cell 'cos they EXPLODE in your face and burn your eyelid 0.001mm from your eyeball. YIKES!!

Dave

[selldoor]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

Not what you want to hear but you can buy tabbed CR2032s.

Try roughening the surface with emery paper might help

[selldoor]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

In view of post 2

you can buy tabbed CR2032s.

[JJR]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

Yeah, I've used tabbed CR2032's many times, just had none in stock, so to get this old guys laptop back to him quickly....

[JJR]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

Now where are those old safety goggles?

[kc8adu]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

i have done it but the surface must be perfectly clean and ready for solder.and you gotta be fast!
i noticed some 2032's are aluminum?
good luck soldering to those.

[JJR]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

I had cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol first then dabbed a little flux but it wouldn't take, so I thought MORE HEAT!
Maybe, as Selldoor suggested, a light sanding would have helped provide a key, but too late now. Tabbed cr2032s on order.

[digge]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

Ive done some quickfixes using electrical tape and just wrapping it hard with a wire on each side. Put something small and non conductive on each side to get it to hold the wires in place easier. If you have heat shrink tube that would work even better. This is not the best option ofc but if you dont have supplies you take what you have at hand

[retiredcaps]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

Now where are those old safety goggles?

I always wear them when soldering.

[smason]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

I didn't have a tabbed 2032 available for a 2M transciever I was working on, so I stole a battery holder from a dead motherboard.
Problem solved for now, and in the future.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

I didn't have a tabbed 2032 available for a 2M transciever I was working on, so I stole a battery holder from a dead motherboard.

I have done the same and just used it 15 minutes ago. I also desoldered a 100 ohm resistor to fix a cheap 830 style multimeter.

[smason]

Re: Soldering tabs onto CR2032

P.S. it's a Kenwood TR-7950. Built like a tank, it'll probably out-live me.