Soliciting ideas for a shop battery & charger system

[dusty]

Do you keep batteries in the charger even though they have been charged? I understand that that is recommended.

How many batteries and chargers are you attempting to store/charge?

[reible]

Do you keep batteries in the charger even though they have been charged? I understand that that is recommended.

How many batteries and chargers are you attempting to store/charge?

For me I don't like to leave these batteries on the charger if it is powered. If it is not powered it could be left on the charger but I tend to not do that. I've seen several stories where due to faulty chargers the batteries are over charged/over heated and then that is where a fire could happen. So I don't want to chance it.

Right now I have mostly Hitachi battery tools. I have a jig saw, circular saw, two drills, an impact driver and a flashlight. I have 6 batteries and three chargers. I do sometime used a couple of the tools at a time so having two chargers available is nice with a third if I really needed to but it is stored in one of the drill cases normally.

I have two porter cable nail guns and one stapler. I have only two batteries at this point but plan to buy another. I do have two chargers and would like them both to be where I can get to them.

I have two 60V B&D batteries and a charger but that is lawn related and I'm not planning on using this station for that set up.

So 4 chargers and 7 batteries at this point. I do tend to leave one drill with battery at the ready so that leave me with two spare locations in my design. One will be filled when I get another PC battery so I'm back down to one spare location in this design.

I want the charges to be switched on/off so I have a power strip with that capability on order. I want to use one of the power plugs for a USB charger so that will leave one always on and one switched open.

Ed

[Ed in Tampa]

If you watch the Ave YouTube channel you will quickly learn that new lithium batteries have build in heat protection, as do the tools, as do the chargers. He loves to take things apart and examine how it made. Unless the circuitry is potted he usually how it was made what various components are used for, and if he foresees a problem.

My guess that any manufacture that uses lithium battery technology has made real certain that their products will not cause a fire

[reible]

Ask Samsung how well there S7 was designed and tested and what happened with that............ if you feel safe go for it. Just don't ask me to.

I do trust somethings but there have been too many associated issues for me to proclaim that there will not be more in the future. Yes you design and test but when something goes wrong and it does then what? I don't expect it but I also can not feel that it could never happen.

Ed

If you watch the Ave YouTube channel you will quickly learn that new lithium batteries have build in heat protection, as do the tools, as do the chargers. He loves to take things apart and examine how it made. Unless the circuitry is potted he usually how it was made what various components are used for, and if he foresees a problem.

My guess that any manufacture that uses lithium battery technology has made real certain that their products will not cause a fire

[robinson46176]

Ask Samsung how well there S7 was designed and tested and what happened with that............ if you feel safe go for it. Just don't ask me to.
I do trust somethings but there have been too many associated issues for me to proclaim that there will not be more in the future. Yes you design and test but when something goes wrong and it does then what? I don't expect it but I also can not feel that it could never happen.
Ed

Years ago I laid down the law that any "heat" items in the house must ALWAYS be unplugged... That was triggered by one of the cats (as cats do) pushing the hair dryer off of the counter in the main bath and it switching on from the impact. I was in another room and heard it hit the floor and by the time I got up and to it the vinyl floor had a spot already getting dangerously hot. The same rule applies to the heat gun in the basement woodshop.
I have another rule that the washer and dryer must be off any time we leave. Back in the very early 1970's I was selling major appliances in a large busy appliance store. We sold a lot more washers and dryers to replace ones that had malfunctioned and caught fire than you might think. Our service guy also repaired a lot of units that had been on fire to a lesser degree (often dryer lint fires) but still posed a threat to the home especially if no one was home when it happened.
I am fanatic about no flammables near the wood burning furnace which sits in the woodshop even though the insulated case is always cool to the touch. That space does not sit entirely empty though. I have lots of non-flammable tools that I store there.
-
I like the multiple switches on that plug strip. The image of a mad scientist throwing a whole row of those really large old copper and porcelain lever switches jumps to mind but the small strip should be fine...
Pinterest has a lot of examples of charging stations if anyone is looking for ideas.


.

[Ed in Tampa]

Ask Samsung how well there S7 was designed and tested and what happened with that............ if you feel safe go for it. Just don't ask me to.

I do trust somethings but there have been too many associated issues for me to proclaim that there will not be more in the future. Yes you design and test but when something goes wrong and it does then what? I don't expect it but I also can not feel that it could never happen.

Ed

If you watch the Ave YouTube channel you will quickly learn that new lithium batteries have build in heat protection, as do the tools, as do the chargers. He loves to take things apart and examine how it made. Unless the circuitry is potted he usually how it was made what various components are used for, and if he foresees a problem.

My guess that any manufacture that uses lithium battery technology has made real certain that their products will not cause a fire

Reible I totally agree that batteries in battery form can and do cause problems. But when those cells are use in battery packs most manufactures include high temp cutoff, bad cell isolation, and other safety features to prevent fires. The chargers also contain similar protection.
So for a new lithium battery pack to catch fire in a charger today at least two fire prevention circuits have to break down.
Yes there is the old adage better safe than sorry, that is true. But there is another consideration lithium batteries will not easily recharge if their charge drops below a certain threshold.
I ruined one A few months ago I used the battery until it cut off from depletion. It was naturally hot so rather than putting into the charger I placed it on a thick piece of granite to cool off first. I forgot about it. A week later I found it and immediately placed it in the charger. It failed to take a charge.

[reible]

Remember back just a bit and then search for "samsung s7 fires" or the hoverboard/scooters, just last 2 year............

I'm sure the people associated with the design and manufacturing though like you but then had to recall them because the best laid plans of man.....

Ed

Ask Samsung how well there S7 was designed and tested and what happened with that............ if you feel safe go for it. Just don't ask me to.

I do trust somethings but there have been too many associated issues for me to proclaim that there will not be more in the future. Yes you design and test but when something goes wrong and it does then what? I don't expect it but I also can not feel that it could never happen.

Ed

If you watch the Ave YouTube channel you will quickly learn that new lithium batteries have build in heat protection, as do the tools, as do the chargers. He loves to take things apart and examine how it made. Unless the circuitry is potted he usually how it was made what various components are used for, and if he foresees a problem.

My guess that any manufacture that uses lithium battery technology has made real certain that their products will not cause a fire

Reible I totally agree that batteries in battery form can and do cause problems. But when those cells are use in battery packs most manufactures include high temp cutoff, bad cell isolation, and other safety features to prevent fires. The chargers also contain similar protection.
So for a new lithium battery pack to catch fire in a charger today at least two fire prevention circuits have to break down.
Yes there is the old adage better safe than sorry, that is true. But there is another consideration lithium batteries will not easily recharge if their charge drops below a certain threshold.
I ruined one A few months ago I used the battery until it cut off from depletion. It was naturally hot so rather than putting into the charger I placed it on a thick piece of granite to cool off first. I forgot about it. A week later I found it and immediately placed it in the charger. It failed to take a charge.

[reible]

This story reminds me of one of my own happenings. We had one of those toaster oven and it got left plugged in. Well for some reason it decided to turn it self on. There was a plastic bowl sitting on top and it melted in to a dripping pool of plastic but at least it never caught fire.... but it was enough that we never left it unattended or plugged in after use. At least the stainless steel was easy to clean the plastic off of after it cool it just popped off.

Strange things happen.

Ed

Ask Samsung how well there S7 was designed and tested and what happened with that............ if you feel safe go for it. Just don't ask me to.
I do trust somethings but there have been too many associated issues for me to proclaim that there will not be more in the future. Yes you design and test but when something goes wrong and it does then what? I don't expect it but I also can not feel that it could never happen.
Ed

Years ago I laid down the law that any "heat" items in the house must ALWAYS be unplugged... That was triggered by one of the cats (as cats do) pushing the hair dryer off of the counter in the main bath and it switching on from the impact. I was in another room and heard it hit the floor and by the time I got up and to it the vinyl floor had a spot already getting dangerously hot. The same rule applies to the heat gun in the basement woodshop.
I have another rule that the washer and dryer must be off any time we leave. Back in the very early 1970's I was selling major appliances in a large busy appliance store. We sold a lot more washers and dryers to replace ones that had malfunctioned and caught fire than you might think. Our service guy also repaired a lot of units that had been on fire to a lesser degree (often dryer lint fires) but still posed a threat to the home especially if no one was home when it happened.
I am fanatic about no flammables near the wood burning furnace which sits in the woodshop even though the insulated case is always cool to the touch. That space does not sit entirely empty though. I have lots of non-flammable tools that I store there.
-
I like the multiple switches on that plug strip. The image of a mad scientist throwing a whole row of those really large old copper and porcelain lever switches jumps to mind but the small strip should be fine...
Pinterest has a lot of examples of charging stations if anyone is looking for ideas.


.

[reible]

It happened and I have pictures.

I built a rack for the batteries and the chargers. As it turned out the scrap plywood I had caused me to make it in 3 sections. But I like the idea that I was forced into due the wood. If I need to grow it then I can just make another section.... if I get larger batteries I can add a section to hold them.

Anyway it put together but not yet hung. This is it:

20170829_184732_resized.jpg (469.96 KiB) Viewed 8268 times

It will look pretty much like this but rather then laying down it will be mounted vertically.

20170829_184246_resized2times.jpg (183.63 KiB) Viewed 8268 times

So I think this thread is now done. Thanks to those that participated.

Ed

[jsburger]

Nice!!!