®

CREATED BY
STEVE MASON
YOU MAY USE OR MODIFY THIS GUIDE TO YOUR NEEDS. THE
INTENT OF THIS GUIDE IS TO HELP OTHERS SO FEEL FREE TO
DISTRIBUTE FREELY. 11 MAR 2009
REQUIRED SKILLS
You will need to have some mechanical aptitude and a ability to solder electrical parts
together in order to use this guide successfully. If you don’t possibly someone you know may
and could help you or better yet do the rebuild for you. If you do not have the required skills it
is very possible you could break the battery casing, contact assembly, and/or even worst yet
start a fire by shorting the batteries out so be careful and don’t attempt this unless you have
the skills required.

DISCLAIMER
By writing this guide I take no responsibility for any damages you may occur in the process of
rebuilding your batter pack(s). You must attempt this at your own risk and take responsibility
for any damages that may occur. The batteries you are replacing and using are capable of
starting a fire or even explode if shorted so you must be very careful when working with these
materials.

GUIDE INTENT
This guide is specifically written for the DeWALT 14.4v XR battery packs but can be used for
the new 14.4v packs as well as 12v & 18v packs. If used for battery packs other then 14.4v
you will have to make your own template for the battery layout and the quantity of batteries
used for each pack will change as well, obviously. The physical dimensions of the battery
might also change so if you are rebuilding a battery pack outside of this scope be sure to
remove and measure your batteries to guarantee the replacements fit. You may also need to
verify voltage and current requirements so do some home work if you find yourself in this
situation.

For most DeWALT battery packs you will be able to use 1.2v NiCD Sub C batteries that are
43x23mm in dimension and have current capacities of 1200 to 2400mAh, the higher you can
get the better as long as they physically fit of course. Since the Sub C’s are daisy chained
and you are using 1.2v batteries the quantities for each battery pack should be as follows for
a give voltage.

For this example we will take a 18v battery pack that uses 1.2v batteries to determine the
quantity required to rebuild the old battery pack.
i.e., 18 / 1.2 = 15

12v Battery packs (10 qty) per pack

14.4v Battery packs (12 qty) per pack
18v Battery packs (15 qty) per pack
OVERVIEW
Here are most of the things you’ll need to rebuild
your battery packs. There is two items missing in
this picture, a medium slot screw driver & electrical
tape or some type of cellophane wrap.

To replace two batteries it would cost around $130

but to rebuild them here it was $42 including
shipping. I bought the batteries from All-Batteries
which has a website and a eBay store, the eBay
auction was cheaper by almost $20. It is very
important to get the proper size & current capable
battery. Also you can get batteries with or without
tabs, I would suggest getting them with tabs. If
you have a choice get just tabs on the positive side
of the battery, then you won’t have to remove the
negative pole side tab later on in this procedure.
It is also important to have a 25 to 50 watt
soldering iron with a pretty hefty sized tip although
a small tip can be used as long as your iron will get
hot enough. In this procedure I set my iron at
850°F in order to get good solder flow when
soldering the tabs to the battery.
All-Batteries
http://www.all-battery.com/
eBay Store
http://stores.ebay.com/All-Battery-Center
TOOLS USED
● Soldering iron (25 to 50 Watts) *Hotter is preferred
● Electrical Soldering Flux (NOT Pluming Flux!)
● Resin Core Electrical Solder ~(60/40)
● Isopropyl Alcohol 91% (NOT 70%)
● Que Tips
● Jewelers Slot Screw Driver (good size)
● Needle Nose Pliers (small)
● Side Cutter (medium size)
● Knife (Putty or semi sharp kitchen knife)
● Torx Driver (T10)
● Slot Screw Driver (medium)
● Electrical Tape or Cellophane wrap
● Replacement Batteries, Sub C NiCd 43x23mm 1.2v
● Battery Rebuild Template sheet
● DeWalt XR Battery Pack(s)

Battery Junction
http://www.batteryjunction.com/
STEP #1
Get batteries out and remove clear cellophane
wrap.
 STEP #2
Using the needle nose pliers carefully peel off
the negative side tab from all batteries. This is
the flat side of the battery not the side with the
nipple on it.

We only need one tab per battery as they all will

be daisy chained together later on in this
procedure.

Push down and flatten material left from removal

of tab with small screw driver as seen below.

STEP #3
Straighten out the remaining tabs found on the
posative side of the battery.

STEP #4
Slide shrink tube off tab slightly and trim off about a ¼”, slide tube back up snug to positive nipple as
shown. Do this for all tabs to prepare them to be soldered later on.
STEP #5
Remove the 5 (T10) Torx screws and detach top
cover of battery pack.

STEP #6
Using the medium size slot screw driver carefully
slide it between the case and battery pack at the
points shown with the case upside down allowing
gravity to aid in dropping battery pack out of
case.

STEP #7
Remove the post battery tab from the rest of the
battery pack using the needle nose plier.

Post battery tab

removed from the
rest of the battery
pack.
STEP #8
Now lets remove the plastic assembly retaining the battery contacts using the jeweler screw driver.
Flatten copper battery contact after removal if bent up during process.
IMPORTANT: Be very careful not to break the plastic casing which retains the contacts and
snuggly fits to the post battery.

STEP #9
Remove foam pad from bottom of post battery
trying to keep adhesive on foam pad as it will be
used again when we build the new battery pack.

STEP #10
With post battery free bend tab vertically and
carefully remove protective sleeve. Put this
sleeve aside as we will use this again when we
rebuild the new battery pack.
STEP #11
Very carefully we need to remove the the top cardboard protective pad from the battery pack. Use
the semi sharp knife to carefully peel the gasket from the battery assembly. You will also need to be
careful not to short the battery pack out while doing this as it will spark and weld the blade of the
knife you are using. Take you time removing this also once again trying to keep as much adhesive
on it as we will use it when building the new assembly.

STEP #12
Flip the battery pack over and do the same to the
bottom protective pad again being very carefully
not to short the battery pack out while doing this
and keeping as much adhesive on it as well
since we will use it when building the new
assembly.
STEP #13
Get you soldering iron out and remove the white
wire from the battery tab. The contact assembly
will be used again so put it aside for now.
STEP #14
One by one remove batteries from the chain
keeping the tab connected to the positive post
but removing it from the flat negative side. Bend
all battery tabs vertically once removed from the
pack.

STEP #15
Carefully remove all of the protective sleeves
and save for the new assembly. They may come
off easily but some may have some adhesive
residue left from the protective pad we removed
earlier. Use your knife to go between the battery
case and sleeve to free the sleeve from the
battery case. Even though the replacement
batteries have a plastic insulator it may get
damaged some when re-soldering the new
assembly so for protection reasons we will reuse
these protective sleeves.

STEP #16
Now that you have all of the old batteries
stripped from their protective sleeves you can
prepare them to be recycled.

Notice: all sleeves are the same hight except the

sleeve for the post battery which is shorter then
the rest.
STEP #17
Flip all of the tabs vertically and slide the
protective sleeves fully over the new batteries.
STEP #18
Flip all of the tabs back to the horizontal position
and the short sleeved post battery to be
separated to the side keeping the rest of the
batteries together..

STEP #19
Lay all of the batteries except the post battery out in a line in front of you with the negative side up
(flat side) and dab the center of each battery with resin flux.

STEP #20
Grab your iron and resin core solder and start
soldering small dabs of solder to the centers of
the batteries. Make sure not to put too much
solder on and to heat it up enough to acquire
good solder flow, no balls of solder. In this case
less is better then more.
STEP #21
Your solders should look like this if you have
done them proper. We will also have to clean off
all that resin ASAP as it get more difficult to
remove with time.

STEP #22
Now get your Isopropyl alcohol & Q-Tips out and start cleaning off all of the resin residual off the
batteries. When your done they should be pretty clean and ready for the next step.

STEP #23
Lay the battery template out in front of you with
the Top Side layout closest to you, as shown in
the picture here.
STEP #24
We are ready to solder the first two batteries
together and we will start from the Bottom Side
layout. Lay the first two battery on the template Tab MUST be orientated
properly before soldering the
as shown. two batteries together!

IMPORTANT!!
NOTE: The tab that is to be soldered next is
located to the next batteries position in the chain
even though that battery has not been introduced
yet. We need to have the next tab located
properly before soldering the pairs together.

STEP #25
Now that we are oriented properly hold the
batteries and solder the tab down to the
opposing battery. You’ll want to use the medium
size slot screw driver to hold the metal tab down
securing the solder joint until cool otherwise tab
will pop away.

STEP #26
Now being careful flip the two batteries you just soldered to the first pair location on the Top Side
layout and add the third battery to its position with tab oriented properly. Solder when ready.

Tab oriented proper.

STEP #27
Flip the three batteries you just soldered to the Bottom Side layout and add the forth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.

STEP #28
Flip the four batteries you just soldered to the Top Side layout now and add the fifth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.
STEP #29
Flip the five batteries you just soldered to the Bottom Side layout and add the sixth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.

STEP #30
Flip the six batteries you just soldered to the Top Side layout now and add the seventh battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.
STEP #31
Flip the seven batteries you just soldered to the Bottom Side layout and add the eighth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.

STEP #32
Flip the eight batteries you just soldered to the Top Side layout now and add the ninth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.
STEP #33
Flip the nine batteries you just soldered to the Bottom Side layout and add the tenth battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.

STEP #34
Flip the ten batteries you just soldered to the Top Side layout now and add the eleventh battery to its
proper position with tab oriented correctly. Secure and solder when ready holding tab down until
solder has cooled.
STEP #35
As you can see the grouping is very good we are
well within the template dimensions.

Now we just need to add the Last battery to the

eleven pack we’ve just assembled.

STEP #36
First lay the battery on the template in the location it will be when it is setting on top of the eleven
pack we just assembled with the tab to the front and place the contact assembly with the copper tab
forward. With the plastic assembly snug on top of the battery solder the copper tab to the top of the
battery. You may want to use some flux as it will make soldering much easier. Clean off the flux if
you choose to use it.

Copper tab soldered

STEP #37
Split the battery pack on the left side and bend
the tab upward along side the battery.
STEP #38 STEP #39
Tin the tab with solder so that we can attach the Solder the white wire from the post assembly to
white wire from the post assembly. the lower assembly battery tab.

Tin with solder

STEP #40
Bring lower assembly back together and place post battery on top of pack. You will need to be
careful here as the top battery can short out on the bottom pack. Now with everything in place
solder the last tab to the top of the lower pack.
STEP #41 STEP #42
Take the needle nose pliers and bend the bottom Affix the foam spacer underneath the battery
tab of the post battery forward creating a ¼” step contact. This will space the battery properly and
raising the battery upward. insulate any contact with the battery pack below.

STEP #43 STEP #44

Lay the top and bottom protective pads with the Lay the pack assembly on its side and adhere
adhesive up in front of you. the bottom protective pad to it.

STEP #45
Take and tightly wrap one piece of electrical tape
around the battery pack drawing the batteries in
as tight as you can get them and only over
lapping the tape slightly. We don’t want to build
up the diameter of the battery assembly as it will
make it difficult to get back in its casing.
STEP #46
Pull the foam spacer back out temporarily and
cut a small square off the front of the top pad to
prevent the front battery tab from interfering.

STEP #47
Slip the top protective pad into place making
sure the white wire slides through the pad slit
and press down on the pad when in place to
adhere to the battery pack. Also slide the foam
spacer underneath the post battery. If you have
rubber or silicon glue you may want to glue it to
the bottom of the battery as the foam adhesive
probably isn’t very sticky anymore.

STEP #48
Were are in great shape now the battery pack fits
perfictly over our template and is pretty solid. It
is time to get the bottom case and start putting
the new battery pack into it.

STEP #49
Now let’s slip the battery pack into the bottom
case. You may need to compress the battery
pack in several places to get the pack to slide
into the bottom case. Also be aware that the
electrical tape will hold up on four of the five
screw posts in the bottom case. Go to the next
step before trying to force the battery pack down
futher then the tape line.
STEP #50
You’ll have to push the tape in at each of the four
screw posts found in the bottom cover in order to
get the batter pack pushed down to the bottom of
the bottom case otherwise you won’t get the top
cover screwed down.
STEP #51
With battery pack fully inserted it is now time to
put the case top cover back on.

STEP #52
Place top cover onto batter pack and make sure
to get contact assembly lined up with rectangular
hole at top of post. Slowly force cover down but
don’t over stress top cover because you could
break it.

STEP #53
You can see the top cover doesn’t fully seat so
put the center screw in first helping the cover
seat as you screw down the T10 Torx screw.

Once you get that screw in tight proceed with the

last four helping the screws draw down the top
cover.

STEP #54
Congratulations we are all done the top cover is
seated and secured the battery pack is ready for
its first charge.