Battery Storage Ideas

[tywalt]

Curious what you clever folks do for battery storage.  I recently picked up a TSC 55 and a few extra 18v batteries and am a bit OCD.  I work mostly out of my shop and have little french cleat holders for most of my tools that aren't in a systainer and am thinking about making a little battery hopper for my different systems of batteries but before I expend brain power on it, curious what others have done.  I don't go mobile very often but curious what the mobile guys do to as I am sure you have some inspired ideas.

I have paired down over the years and am running DeWalt 20v batteries (of varrying Ah sizes), the fetool 10.8v (or whatever size the CXS runs) and the Festool 18v's.  Currently everything is dumped into one of those open top systainer tool totes but I am one of those weirdos that actually enjoys being OCD and am ready to make something more elegant or "prettier."  Open to Systainer inserts or some kind of wall hanging wooden box.  I've also fiddled with 3d printing female plates that accept a dewalt battery but don't care for that as much as I thought I would.

Open to any ideas/comments/suggestions/past mistakes that others have about storing batteries in clever and convenient ways. I'll also mention that this is more of a pet project to make one of those little enjoyable "shop enhancements" and totally not necessary.  A bucket full of batteries costs me no time and is plenty efficient.

 

[elfick]

While I haven't made it yet, I'm planning on using a french cleat charger mount with cubbies for 4-6 batteries. The rest of my batteries will live in the systainer for their tool. You can find examples all over youtube.

 

[jonnyrocket]

I am mainly a shop user, but I do go mobile for family and friends. My batteries and chargers are in Systainers and collocated. Nothing special, but this is what I did. No battery lives with the tool except for my CXS and one 18V for my c18.

Edit: the batteries are in a SYS-I and the chargers are in a SYS-II

 

[estley]

I stocked up on makita batteries last holiday season, and since I have a 3d printer...

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[tywalt]

I am mainly a shop user, but I do go mobile for family and friends. My batteries and chargers are in Systainers and colocated. Nothing special, but this is what I did. No battery lives with the tool except for my CXS and one 18V for my c18.

Edit: the batteries are in a SYS-I and the chargers are in a SYS-II

Out of curiosity, what is that green (appears to be plug-it) power cord in your charger SYS-II for?

I stocked up on makita batteries last holiday season, and since I have a 3d printer...

I've got a 3d printer and made some plates for dewalt batteries that I have played with.  You are likely more experienced with a 3d printer than me (which isn't hard) but I found getting the PLA i used smooth enough for the battery to slide smoothly was more work than just making a wood cubby cabinet as elfick mentioned.

 

[Alanbach]

I suppose you could build something like mine (see pic) only without the hangers for drills and drivers. I would have built it taller with a set of cubbies in between (extra shelf) but I did not have room where I wanted it. It’s very handy. You certainly could build a cleat into something like this.

 

[jonnyrocket]

Out of curiosity, what is that green (appears to be plug-it) power cord in your charger SYS-II for?

You saw it correctly, it is a plug-it.  The three chargers in that SYS-II all connect to the plug-it so a single cord will power all three.  This also helps ensure I have a spare power cord any time I leave the shop. (In case I forget to take one with me, since most of my other sustainers don’t have the power cords inside them any longer.

 

[tywalt]

Out of curiosity, what is that green (appears to be plug-it) power cord in your charger SYS-II for?

You saw it correctly, it is a plug-it.  The three chargers in that SYS-II all connect to the plug-it so a single cord will power all three.  This also helps ensure I have a spare power cord any time I leave the shop. (In case I forget to take one with me, since most of my other Systainers don’t have the power cords inside them any longer.

Well hang on a second here! ... how are you connecting your chargers to the plug-it?  Have I been missing a way to do that all these years?

 

[Steve1]

Although the risks are very low, there is always a possibility of a Li Ion battery igniting.    Ideally, a battery storage area would be non-combustible, or at least close to a smoke detector.

 

[Bob D.]

I stocked up on makita batteries last holiday season, and since I have a 3d printer...

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That gives me an idea for my DeWalt batteries. I picked up a bunch of the caps that fit the FlexVolt and 20V batteries. I have way more than the number of DeWalt batteries  I will ever have, so I could use a few to make a rack similar to yours.