Is Kapton tape an electrical isolator or should I replace with a new battery wraps
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Yes
Depends, if you wrap the groups, no.
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thxā¦
The positive side isolation rings should be fish paper or is carboard sufficient? I noticed the ones Iām using are cardboard. I placed an order (thx @DuckBatterySystems) for fish paper rings because I donāt like sparks. I just want to know what the standard is for positive side isolation.
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Per side? If that was the case 30A per side is max with using the discharge protection feature of the BMS.
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We have 2k$+ weller soldering stations at work, I can tell you that they donāt automatically adjust the temperature even on big heatsinks, it will just increase power for the temperature to stay stable, but even then itās relatively easy to make the temp drop on big parts even with a 2k$+ soldering station if your part dissipates more heat than the station can put out 
(and donāt forget the tip, if your tip is to thin you can heat the component as long as you want, youāll never get it to solder temperature )
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So then I was right in that only these smart soldering irons adjust themselves to keep the same temperature? If so that makes it easier to justify buying what will be the more expensive iron in the long run due to the tip cost. $15 a tip vs around $15 for a set of tips for the weller irons. 
I bought the largest flat tip I could find available for the ts100 and just placed another order for the largest round tip they make too. It sucks that the largest flat tip is d24 when on my weller I can get a d42 tip which is almost twice as large.
They do, as well as most āsoldering stationsā (the kind that have a base unit with controls connected to the iron itself). Some of the super cheap ones are effectively just a dimmer switch for power control, but most have some form of temperature regulation.
The other big advantage of more modern soldering irons/stations is that the iron tip, heating element, and temperature sensor are all thermally bonded together and in one monolithic piece, so the tip heats up faster and the controller responds to changes in thermal load better, so the tip stays hot better under heavy thermal load.
Thatās not limited to the TS100 and lookalikes, Hakko and Weller and Pace etc all have integrated tip-and-heater systems now (Hakko FX951 is one example).
The tips are more expensive, but the performance is totally worth it IMO.
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I just hope that the tips prove to be made well and that they donāt degrade too quickly. Iām hoping theyāll last at least as long as non smart tips although I think they should last longer ideally
Clean it and tin it everytime you put it away and theyāll last quite some time
I have tip tinner but it always makes the tip look more dirty? Iāll use it but then wipe off the remaining crap on a wet sponge. Not sure if that is the intended way to use it and I only really use it clean stuff off. I found tinning it with solder works best when using the iron.
I never use tinner, but if you do, you should dip the iron while hot, then immediately clean off the residue with a sponge.
I personally just use one of the brass/bronze tip scrubby things:
They are fast, easy, and donāt dry out and need to be wetted every time you need to use the soldering iron.
You can also make a DIY version with a stainless steel pot scrubber for like $2.
I feel like the best thing for tip longevity is not to let it sit and roast unattended at high temperatures for long periods.
The TS100 has sleep modes to combat this.
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So that means Iām using it correctly. That is good to know. I use a wet sponge and the brass scrubby thing since they both do things differently and the wet sponge is best at cleaning off unwanted stuff like burnt plastic
Is there a resource for the TS100 and how to use it? Iām currently just guessing and having to try random button presses to see what they do
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Pretty sure the TS100 runs IronOS, and thereās a documentation page on the GitHub:
https://ralim.github.io/IronOS/GettingStarted/
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Anyone used crimp Clamp pliers or end nippers to remove welded nickel strips from cells? I saw someone post somewhere (I know, I know) that it worked well and really minimized the amount of Dremel cleanup needed afterwards.
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Donāt rely on this it doesnāt always work
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I wouldnāt see it as needing replacing, but Iād wait for one of the big brains
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thx, I totally missed the positive post on that weld