How to Make Small Battery Holders

I needed some small battery holders for a project and although they are not very expensive to buy online the cost of shipping to Canada (and the amount of time it takes) is ridiculous.  So instead I made my own battery holders using a glue gun and some bits of metal.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

• Glue gun(low temperature*) and glue
• Small scraps of metal
• Pliers
• Batteries (best to use dead ones)
• Dremel, cutting tool and mat
• Helping hands

*I find that with low temperature glue guns the glue doesn't seem to stick very well making it easier to remove the batteries

Step 2: Battery Stack Holder: contacts

This holder is for more than one battery, in my case I used two (1.5V) batteries but you can make one that holds more.

• Cut the metal piece so that it is roughly twice the size as the diameter of the battery
• Bend the metal in half making a 90 degree angle (roughly). You can  round the edges of the metal if you want.
• If you plan to use the battery holder with conductive thread drill a hole through the middle of one of the sides,   If you plan to solder wire to the holder you don't really need to make holes.
• Repeat with the second piece.

Step 3: Battery Stack Holder: Glue

• Place the negative side of one of the batteries against one of the metal contacts and hold together with the helping hands. (It is best to use a dead battery for the mold since the alligator clip will cause a short circuit).
• Glue the battery and metal contact together making sure not to get glue between the battery and metal.
• Repeat with the second battery with the positive side against the metal contact.
• Trim the excess glue from the face of the free side of the battery as you will want the two batteries to sit flush against one another.

*To help free the batteries from the holder I covered them in a bit of oil (any type will do).

Step 4: Battery Stack Holder: Glue together

• Hold the two batteries together (positive against negative), make sure the metal connectors are on the same side.
• Glue the two pieces together.
• Continue to add glue so that it is well covered but try to leave one side open for removing the batteries.

Step 5: Battery Stack Holder: Sand and Trim

• Pop the batteries out of the holder (it may require a bit of trimming first.) 
• Use sandpaper and a utility knife to refine the shape of the battery holder. 
• One side of the holder should have an opening so that you can easily remove and replace the battery, but don't cut away too much as you will want the holder to be rigid enough to hold the batteries against the contacts. 
• Use a voltmeter or an LED to test it.

Step 6: 3V Battery Holder: contacts

This holder is for a single three volt battery.  For the metal contacts, I used a long flat piece with a bend at the end to fit along the bottom (negative side of the battery).  The positive contact fits against the side of the battery.  As with the other battery holder that I made, I drilled holes in the contacts for connecting the conductive thread.

Step 7: 3V Battery Holder: glue negative

• Place the battery on top of the long metal contact so that most of it is touching the negative side of the battery, make sure that it does not touch the positive edge. 
• Starting from the top add some glue between the metal and the edge of the battery. 
• Once it cools turn it over and cover the entire bottom of the battery and metal with glue. (see images below).

*To help free the batteries from the holder I covered them in a bit of oil (any type will do).

Step 8: 3V Battery Holder: glue positive

• Press the positive metal contact against the edge of the battery and apply glue, making sure that no glue comes between the metal and the battery. Also make sure that it doesn't contact the bottom (negative side) of the battery. 
• Apply glue over the rest of the battery leaving the top free.

Step 9: 3V Battery Holder: finishing up

• Pop the battery out of the holder (I needed to slide my fingernail between the battery and glue to help loosen it). 
• Using sanding and cutting tools refine the shape of the holder. 
• You will want to be able to remove the battery easily yet have it fit snug enough to ensure proper contact with the metal.
• Use a voltmeter or an LED to test it.

Step 10: Battery holder in use

Here is an example of the battery holder in use.  I took my circuit from this instructable and replaced the felt battery holder with the 3 volt battery holder I made here.

Comments

[uriboni]

I made something similar but with polymorph plastic instead of glue, and a couple of flat-headed screws for the connectors.

The advantage of using screws is that they can be tightened to hold the batteries in place better, and if you put a nut on both sides you can do away with soldering the wire. Just twist it around the screw then tighten it and it will be secured between the screw head and the nut.

[ChrysN]

Using screws is a great idea thanks for the tip. Especially using a nut to prevent having to solder the wire on (I'm terrible at soldering).

[javajunkie1976]

Wish I had known about this when I made my 5 minute safety light! I ended up soldering the wires directly to the battery. Great idea.

[NaturalCrafter]

This is great because many times we have to replace a battery holder quickly. Never thought of the simple approach.

[angler]

cool, i like the glue gun approach!

[ChrysN]

Thanks!

[JoshuaZimmerman]

Smashing idea! I've been trying to find an easy way to make a little battery holder for weeks, and this might do the trick!

I'm trying to get two little 1.5V button cells together for a flashlight, and the best option I came up with was using some shrink tubing and getting a tight fit that way. The downside being it was impossible for the user to replace.

Thanks for the awesome idea!

[2ManyProjects]

My first thought was, "Crap! Why didn't I think of that?" I will never buy a battery holder again!

[matstermind]

the universal hot glue, melted duct tape :D

[toxa]

cool!

[zack247]

another way to make the battery holder in a specific, clean shape would be to take the shell of a dead PSU and place your components (with a little bit of glue to hold it) against two sides and the use the other half of the shell to press on the 3rd side. apply the glue, press it, and then you have 3 sides less to refine, i do this a lot with headphone plugs that need to be resoldered. You dont need any oil or anything just make sure that you dont clean too much dust off (the glue will stick to the dust, not the metal) or have the shell quite cold, leaving it in the coldest room in the basement or in the freezer for a while should get it cold enough that the hot glue wont stick.

overall, great 'ible! i never thought of making them this way.

[ChrysN]

Thanks, great suggestions.

[colinlewis]

In step 3, where you have the battery and metal piece together in an alligator clip, it looks like you have a short circuit through the clip. Better to have an insulator in there somewhere, right?

[laxap]

Maybe it's a dead battery just used to build the holder?

[ChrysN]

Yes, I just used a dead battery to mold the holder.

[laxap]

May I suggest that you clearly indicate it in step 3?

Will you post your target project(s)? Apparently fabrics+LEDs...
I'm curious!

[laxap]

Oh, Robot T-Shirt!

[ChrysN]

Good idea, it will prevent confusion.

Aside from the t-shirt I haven't had time to make them, I had a necklace in mind for the smaller battery holder.

[blackrock112]

Much easier is to solder those things from old stuff, those CR type battery holders u can get easily from old motherboards + u get a battery that is probably still alive! :)

[Kryptonite]

I likey, good 'ble!