Soldering My First Row of Cells
I’m not going to spend any time talking about soldering techniques or how to solder together cells. There is actually lots of really good information out there. YouTube is probably the best place to look, because people actually record themselves doing it.
All you need to know is that I’m presently building a 36 cell array, 4 rows with 9 cells per row. I made a template using 3″x6″ subway tiles from Home Depot, glued to a 1″x8″ board. The template also has a straightedge on one side and some metal dowel pins to hold the cells in a fixed position while I solder them. I use the template only for cosmetic reasons. The finished product will look professional and ensure a tight fit (2mm apart) of the cells for an efficient use of surface area. I use the tile because the cells are thin and the soldering iron is hot. When I soldered my first row of cells together, the cells fused a little to the table I was working on and also burned the table; the tiles prevent that.
I find that having the cells held in place helps me reduce breakage and that my soldering job is better. Both of these things are CRITICAL to creating a quality product. Here are some pictures of the template:
