Batt started smoking, is this broken

[sardo_67]

ok i got a triple CREE XP-E for my sure fire 6P, then i ordered some AW 18650s 2600 mAh batts for it. my brother works in a machine shop and said he would be able to bore out my SF to make it fit. i gave him the light and the batt so he put it up to the back to see how tight it was. then he tried to just shove it in there (later he said he was just joking and didn't push that hard) after 2 seconds it smoked and the metal strip that runs front to back was glowing bright red so he smacked the batt of. the black protective coating is burned threw and there is a metal strip from front to back showing. does he owe me a new batt?

i know he is an idiot and i called him all kinds of names and threw a screw driver at him so. if you want to call him names go a head. fine by me

 

[Lighthouse one]

Well....I'd say since he is you brother the odds are very good that you have both done your share of dumb things to each other. Write is off> A brother is more important than a battery.

 

[sardo_67]

so can i use this? i'm going to guess not

 

[Morelite]

Looks like the shrink wrap insulation got torn or scraped off and the protection circuit wire (that flat strip of metal) shorted out with the flashlight body.

No, don't use it and please dispose of it safely, I don't know what kinda of damage may have occured with the high heat it had been exposed to even if only a few seconds.

 

[John_Galt]

From a safety stand point, I would say dispose of this battery, and purchase a new one. Li-ion rechargeables are dangerous enough without adding a possibly damaged battery into the mix...

 

[Illum]

this goes in the Smoke and Fire, Hot Cells and Close Calls subforum

the cell got shorted, the PCB might be good, dunno...but for your protection its best to get a new cell

 

[blub]

Throw the battery at him too.

 

[kramer5150]

perfect example of why Lithium Ion cells should NOT be used without a proper education first.

Your brother shorted +B to -B, through the 6P body, by cutting through the outer heatshrink.

Its also a good example of why Lithium-Ion flashlight host mods should not be attempted by those who do not know how they work.

Cell is toast, just toss it... at him

 

[sardo_67]

he suggested covering it with heat shrink, should i just throw the other one at him?

 

[Dan FO]

Are you sure he is really your brother? Maybe there was a mixup at the hospital. Get rid of that battery quick in a safe place.

 

[kramer5150]

I would just wrap it in electrical tape and put it in the recycle bin. If you just toss it with that wire exposed there is a risk of it shorting.

I have never successfully attempted a cell re-wrap. Regardless I would NOT try and do it with that particular cell. Lord only knows how severely he cooked it.

Also, I would inspect his work very carefully. Make sure the surfaces inside the light are smooth, and there are no machining burr edges ANYWHERE... or they could cut through the other cell and short it just the same. FWIW, here are some pics of what a properly bored surefire looks like. First is a 6P bored by moddoo. Second is an A2 bored for a 17670. Both are super-clean and do not gouge into the cells.

 

[sardo_67]

thanks, he works in an engine shop so he said he was going to do it on the lathe than hit it with a ball hone on a drill to get any and all burs off of it. that sound like a good idea?

 

[DM51]

Sardo 67, thanks for your post. It is a humorous story about an incident which could actually have turned quite nasty - fortunately it didn't.

The thread obviously belongs in the Smoke & Fire section of the Batteries sub-forum, so I'll move it there now. Doubtless SilverFox will be along in due course to give you some advice, which may (or may not) include suggestions about how many more implements you should throw at your brother.

 

[sardo_67]

i'm pretty new here and didn't know where to post this. i looked around some and didn't see a section just for batts. i was hoping someone would point me in the right direction.

 

[Yucca Patrol]

Now I am a bit fearful of some of my 18650's. I bought some Tenergy brand batteries from 4-7's when I bought my Zebralight H60. I recently noticed that a couple of them have tears or missing bits of shrink wrap. I don't think 4-7's sells the Tenergy brand anymore, but I've switched most everything to AW's.

I had planned to use some clear nail polish to attempt to fix them, but I certainly don't want any smoke and fire around my flashlights. . .

 

[Apollo Cree]

Find a small, plastic keychain flashlight that the battery will work in. Put the battery into the flashlight and give it to your brother as a gift.

:devil::devil::devil:

 

[65535]

Somehow the cell shorted out through the strip that connects to the PCB, so the cell is damaged, capacity will be lowered, can't comment on the condition of the connecting strip, but it's likely damaged, the protection circuit is probably damaged, but you could remove it anyways along with the strip.

I'd say chuck it and buy a new one, they aren't that expensive, and that one is ugly now. You could always short it out with some heavy gauge wire and throw it to your brother and see if it does go poof.