223 Splitting - Heat Shrink Tubing Issue

I recently purchased 100 223's for splitting from cheapbattery.com. Splitting (without sparks and meltdowns) has been very quick and easy. Unfortunately, our results with the heat shrink tubing phase have been pretty dismal. The battery looks great with the heat shrink tubing, but the diameter of the battery is too large after the tubing has been applied. If you try to put one of the batteries into a Brinkman Ledgend LX, it is too tight of a fit and would get severely stuck. I'm wondering what kind of heat shrink tubing would get around this issue.

In an older thread ( 223 splitting and heat shrink tubing thread ), ToddM mentioned obtaining some heat shrink tubing from Interstate Batteries. I have only heard of one Interstate Battery company, and they sell automotive batteries. I wonder how they use heat shrink tubing with automotive batteries. The only Interstate Battery dealers around here are automotive repair shops that have a small display of Interstate Batteries. I doubt they would have the tubing. Now that I think of it, the shops often have to order a battery when you need one. That implies that there is a local distributor for the batteries. Perhaps the distributor would be the source to contact for the tubing. I know that if I just walked into a local dealer, they would look at me like I was from Mars if I asked them about the tubing!!!

I have used the packing tape with good results, but I really prefer using heat shrink tubing if I can end up with batteries that are the correct size diameter when completed.

I will be purchasing TX's M3 this weekend, and I have a feeling that I will be feeding that light a lot of batteries. With that said, I need to get my 223 splitting and shrink wrapping operation under way very soon!

Any information (size brand, supplier, etc.) on a suitable heat shrink tubing (one that does not make the batteries too large in diameter) would be welcomed.

Do you think liquid electrical tape would work for this application?

Brushes on and SHOULD be thinner than a layer of heat shrink..

I use Scotch tape. It's thin and durable enough to do the job.
Ted

There's a 'self-amalgamating' type tape, which is available from Radioshack equivalent here in Aust. It might just do the trick.

I've used the brush on electrical tape from home depot and it works good but is a pain to use. A better solution I found is from Harbor Freight, it is the PlastiDip product but in a spray can. Just take a piece of metal rod, place a magnet on the end and then stick the battery on the magnet and spray the battery. Then let it dry a few minutes and do another.

dave

I use Scotch tape. It's thin and durable enough to do the job.
Ted

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I'm using SCOTCH BRAND 471 ( 3M )
Works fine for me...No problem when loaded into
Brinkmann Legend LX , Ars LS and INOVA X5T.

Just that the wrap-up 123 doesn't look that impressive.
What the heck...who's gonna see it anyway when loaded.