Converting a Homemade Wooden LiFePo4 Battery to a JKESS Enclosure

Steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Unboxing and overview of the JKESS enclosure and EVE cells

   Watch this part (0:00)

   I am converting my home battery pack from a wooden box to a JKESS enclosure with a JKBMS. The wooden battery served as my home storage for a year, with the first six months as the only battery under heavy load without compression.

   The JKESS enclosure comes with an original 200A JKBMS PB2A16S20P version V19, a Victron communication interface, and a front touch LCD display. For the cells, I use EVE MB31 dual stud 314A LiFePo4 cells, which can be ordered from NKON or AliExpress.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   JKESS enclosure	1	Includes JKBMS PB2A16S20P V19, communication interface, and LCD display
   EVE MB31 dual stud 314A LiFePo4 cells	16	Used for the battery pack

2. 2

   Step 2: Preparing the wooden battery pack and safety precautions

   Watch this part (1:18)

   I bring the wooden battery pack into the living room for disassembly. Before starting, I give a safety warning that batteries always hold voltage and cannot be switched off, meaning I am working on a live battery reading 53.2 volts on the multimeter.

   To make the work as safe as possible, I remove all busbars and BMS balance cables. This breaks the series connection so that I am dealing with individual cell voltages instead of 52 volts.

   Warning

   Accus always hold voltage and cannot be turned off, so you are working on a live battery.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Multimeter	1	Used to check live battery voltage

3. 3

   Step 3: Tool modification and safe handling during disassembly

   Watch this part (2:08)

   To prevent short circuits, I wrap the extension and socket of my ratchet with insulating tape so the socket cannot fall off or cause a short circuit on the cells. I always keep the ratchet in my hand and hold the bottom with my other hand to control tightening and loosening without creating sparks.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Ratchet	1	Used with extension and socket for loosening hardware
   Insulating tape	1	Used to wrap the extension and socket

4. 4

   Step 4: Inspecting busbars and comparing single stud versus dual stud cells

   Watch this part (2:49)

   Viewers previously commented that the metal busbars were not copper, but I show that they are 100 percent copper plates with a nickel coating that scratched slightly during tightening. I also discuss the difference between dual stud cells with two screw holes and single stud cells with one bolt on top.

   Single stud cells are cheaper while being identical under the connector, and I will use single stud cells in the new JKESS enclosure. Dual studs are useful in caravans or mobile setups where vibration might cause one connection to loosen, but they are more expensive.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Busbars	16	Nickel-plated copper plates

5. 5

   Step 5: Inspecting cell quality and swelling after one year of use

   Watch this part (4:29)

   I take the cells out of the wooden box and measure the internal resistance of one cell at 0.44 milli-ohms after a year of use, which is still very neat. Despite not having any compression in the wooden box, there is zero swelling on the sides, and they are completely flat.

6. 6

   Step 6: Marking cell polarity with terminal caps

   Watch this part (5:23)

   I use plastic caps saved from new cells to clearly mark the positive and negative terminals on the cells. This makes it much easier to see the orientation on camera when placing the cells into the new enclosure.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Plastic terminal caps	16	Used to mark positive and negative poles

7. 7

   Step 7: Placing cells into the JKESS enclosure and explaining the BMS bracket

   Watch this part (6:35)

   I explain that the included BMS bracket connects directly to the negative terminal of the first cell and works with single stud cells. If you use dual stud cells, the connections sit further out and require an extra cable because the bracket does not reach.

   I place resin sheets and arrange the cells 180 degrees rotated in a zigzag pattern of minus to plus. I loosen the end screws slightly to create wiggle room, slide the cells tightly together, and tighten the screws to apply slight compression.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Resin sheet	1	Placed between cells for insulation
   JKESS enclosure frame	1	Houses the arranged cell pack

8. 8

   Step 8: Installing busbars and wiring the BMS

   Watch this part (9:49)

   I remove the terminal caps and install standard busbars in a zigzag pattern across the cells, using a flexible busbar where needed for spacing. After securing the busbars hand-tight, I plug in the BMS balance cables and connect the main power cables, attaching the negative and positive main leads.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Standard busbars	15	Used to connect cells in series
   Flexible busbar	1	Used for middle connections
   BMS balance cables	1	Plugged into the BMS and cell taps
   Main power cables	2	Main positive and negative power connections

9. 9

   Step 9: Closing the enclosure and future steel cabinet design

   Watch this part (11:01)

   After connecting the power cables, I close the housing and secure it with black screws. I am designing a new steel cabinet that can hold six of these battery packs safely, and I will share the plans so you can weld them yourself.

   Finally, I need to configure the BMS settings through the app to specify 16 cells and the 314A EVE cell parameters with standard calibration.

   What I used

   Item	Amount	Notes
   Black screws	1	Used to fasten the JKESS enclosure lid

10. 10

    Step 10: Invitation for viewers to leave questions in the comments

    If you have any questions about this battery conversion, please drop them in the comments below. I always try to keep a close eye on the comments during the first few days after the video goes live so I can reply to your questions.

11. 11

    Step 11: Takeaways

    • Cells used without compression for a year showed zero swelling and maintained good internal resistance.

    • Single stud cells work directly with the JKESS BMS bracket without needing extra cables.

    • Wrapping socket extensions in insulating tape helps prevent accidental short circuits.

    • The JKESS metal enclosure provides a compact and neat housing option compared to wooden crates.