Battery Containers?

[jeohearn]

I bought a sla 3x12v 12ah battery pack today (12"x6"x4") and my controller is about 2" thick and about 3"x5" or so. I want to put them on my bike rack in the cheapest and simplest way. Here are my questions:
Will a plastic toolbox work or will it break? I saw some today that would hold the batteries perfectly and some that would hold them with a little room for cushioning. The metal ones they had were too long, but of course I could look elsewhere for a metal one the right size.
Would I need cushioning -or if they fit snugly (because they did in a slightly smaller box) maybe I don't need any. If I do, what kind of cushioning are folks using -styrofoam?
What about cushioning underneath the box itself?
Then I would need to drill a hole for the controller wiring -a regular drill?
Then what about water proofing -I understand the controller must not get wet. I plan on riding in the rain.
And then does one just bungy cord the whole box down to hold it in place?
Any help is welcome. Thanks

 

[dogman dan]

Some of the kit sellers that still sell sla's have custom battery bags that work suprisingly well for sla's. But it's pretty easy to build a box of wood, or wood and sheet aluminum for a set of sla's. Sheet metal top and bottom, and wood 1x6 sides. Srcrews to hold it all together. Build it exactly the right size for the batteries, and some foam cushioning.

 

[Lessss]

Most SLA cases on pre-made bikes rest directly on the frame and have twofold retention laterally.
There is a clip drilled into the metal of the bike the pack slides into and then there is some kind of plastic casing hiding the pack.

 

[Sime]

Both of my boxes have been wood/aluminum that have been close enough to allow the cushioning of the century - bubble pack! The 10mm bubble type seems to work so well, and is easily replaceable. My SLA's are doing great so far with this set up, and our roads absolutely suck!
My other alternative was to use soft foam that's available in all sorts of thicknesses, but the bubble wrap was at hand. I think so long as you insulate the batts from severe jolts you'll be fine....

 

[Sime]

Or, you could just scroll down to the thread, "Show us your battery housing"
for some unique ideas about retaining batteries!

 

[danoulz]

Or, you could just scroll down to the thread, "Show us your battery housing"
for some unique ideas about retaining batteries!

I've used an aluminium CD case for my LifePo4 Ping 10Ah 36V battery, see here:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12847&p=204205#p204205

Cheers Dan

 

[monster]

ammo boxes from your army surplus store work best. and rubber matting padding