Battery pack opening method with Dremel rotary tool.

[Tuomas]

Im not sure if this comes in the right area?

I thought some could find this usefull.
I have used this method to open transformers, battery packs etc..

[mklotz]

Do you know of a source for the "speedclick" plastic cutoff wheels that might be convenient for folks in the USA?

I do something similar with the Foredom. I hate childproof containers, especially those containing medications. In addition, my wife has some arthritis in her hands and opening them is awkward. We have no children in the house so the childproofing is totally unnecessary.

The caps that have to be squeezed to turn have a normal cap inside the cap you grip. A ratchet system connects the outer cap to the inner cap when you squeeze it or press down on it. To defeat it you simply remove the outer cap. To do this it's necessary to cut away a ridge on the outer cap that retains the inner cap inside it. A small rotary saw blade run at slow speed inside the rim of the outer cap makes short work of the ridge and the inner cap simply falls free.

Other mechanizations of childproofing also fall prey to my Dremel, Foredom and a pair of slender wire cutters. To date I haven't found a single implementation that I can't defeat in under a minute.

[Tuomas]

Hi Marv.

Just realized that Dremel has named those differently in Us than Europe. (Need to wonder why)

These are the ones:
https://www.dremel.com/en_US/product...-wheels-5-pack

Seems it can be found from many basic stores.

https://www.google.fi/search?q=ez476...obile&ie=UTF-8

[mklotz]

Thanks, Tuomas,

I have the EZ-lock mandrel and the metal cutting wheels but I hadn't realized that Dremel made a type for cutting plastic. Another tool for my arsenal, I've added them to my Amazon shopping basket.

[Tuomas]

Thanks, Tuomas,

I have the EZ-lock mandrel and the metal cutting wheels but I hadn't realized that Dremel made a type for cutting plastic. Another tool for my arsenal, I've added them to my Amazon shopping basket.

You're welcome.
Those plastic cutting disks work specially well with little harder plastic types. Like ones in the motorcycles etc.
But they work nicely with softer ones too, if used lower rotating speed.
Good thing is that those lasts very long.

[DIYer]

Thanks Tuomas! We've added your Battery Pack Disassembly Method to our Rotary Tools category,
as well as to your builder page: Tuomas's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Battery Pack Disassembly Method by Tuomas

tags: battery, disassembly

[rzan8]

I often repair/refurbish laptop battery packs and psu's.
the way I open them is by putting a few drops of gasoline/petrol is the seam of the pack with a drop counter.
Give it a few minutes then use a plastic pryer.
It should open easily if not ad some more drops of gasoline, wait try again.
I tried a lot of things but gasoline seems to be the only thing that dissolves the glue.

grtz

[C-Bag]

Thanks for the tip Tuomas. I never would have guessed they had a special cutting wheel for plastic. I had used a Dremel a lot in hi school for model airplanes. It was useful but always though it was kind of puny. Granted mine is ancient, I mean antique.

Just as I was starting to need to be able to do some detail work on metal I got the old Dremel back from my dad. But I'd never heard of a Foredom until a Marv thread. I started searching eBay and trying to understand all the different models. The bottom line seemed to be amperage so I added that to my search. I ended up finding a 1.7a older S model in really clean shape with a 30 hand piece. I've been using it the last couple of days and wow is this thing a hoss! Can't lug it down.

So now it's all about the accessories. I've got an angle head coming with 2" flap disks and a 44H handpiece so I can run 1/4" bits and arbors. I wish I would have known about these years ago. The only thing I don't see for it is a depth stop like what you are using Tuomas to help guide your cut. But I'm planning on making an adapter for the Foredom to go in my die grinder mount so I guess that would do the same thing.

interesting about using gasoline to dissolve the glue on battery pack grtz, I'll have to try that. Any good tips about where you buy your batteries anybody?

[rzan8]

Always buy brand batteries like from LG, Panasonic, Hitachi, ... they will have the ratings as advertised
the cheap batteries often have a lower mAh rating then advertised
this is for the li-on batteries like the 18650 etc that I use

grtz

[mklotz]

Just as I was starting to need to be able to do some detail work on metal I got the old Dremel back from my dad. But I'd never heard of a Foredom until a Marv thread. I started searching eBay and trying to understand all the different models. The bottom line seemed to be amperage so I added that to my search. I ended up finding a 1.7a older S model in really clean shape with a 30 hand piece. I've been using it the last couple of days and wow is this thing a hoss! Can't lug it down.

Yes, the Foredom is indeed a useful tool.

Two remarks...

The Foredom is not the most convenient tool for those situations in which the tool is carried to the work; for those you still need something like a battery-powered Dremel. For something with a healthy amount of power consider the Milwaukee clone of the Dremel. I discussed it a bit here...

http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/dremel-fan-34122

It has the same nose threads as the Dremel so all Dremel accessories are usable with it.

The foot pedal speed control that comes with the Foredom certainly has its uses but it's not the right thing in many cases. I find it difficult to synchronize my foot controlling the speed with my hands manipulating the handpiece and the workpiece. For situations where the Foredom is stationary, i.e. most, I find a router speed control much better. Mine has a full-off-variable speed switch so once the speed is set I can return to it without having to "hunt".