Dymo LabelManager 280 AA Battery Kit

Have you ever picked up your LabelManager 280 only to find out the battery has drained out? I sure have and boy can I tell you how frustrated I've became looking from top to bottom for the charger.

Well, here's my attempt at breaking up with the proprietary battery in favor of the easy to source and almost always on-hand AA battery.
 

Disclaimers

Before proceeding with this project, I do have some words of caution.

• Print at your own risk. Using this kit could (but not limited to) destroy your label maker, void your warranty, reduce the life span of your label maker, and/or cause a rift in time and space if setup incorrectly. This is just a proof of concept.
   
• Keep your battery voltage in mind. The rechargeable batteries I tested with work for me. However disposable/alkaline batteries are slightly higher voltage. They could go over the safe voltage range of your label maker. If you plan on using batteries with 1.4v, I'd recommend disconnecting the 8th battery slot. I've specifically made a cut-out for a jumper cable.

Change Log

(2023/03/11)

• Dymo Battery Insert v2.0 - Completely redesigned
  1. Battery insert and holder now use the same standard terminals.
  2. Reduced material used for threaded inserts.
  3. Changed out the M4 threaded inserts to #8-32 for easy sourcing.
  4. Battery holder screw holes have been rotated for better ergonomics.
  5. Now designed to be printed face down for cleaner curves.
  6. Added insertion guides which makes printing easier
  7. More rounded corners.
      
• Documentation Updated

(2023/03/05)

• Added to Printables

(2023/02/26)

• Dymo Battery Holder v2.0 - Completely redesigned
  1. Added rounded walls for better ergonomics.
  2. Reduced the overall size of the holder.
  3. Reduced the wall size of battery separators and terminal holders.
  4. Improved tolerances on terminal holder and standardized.
  5. Reworked wire guides and removed any unnecessary cutouts.
  6. Decreased print time and material usage.
      
• Dymo Battery Holder v1.0 - v1.2 - Initial design and fixes
  1. Added extra support to mounting holes
  2. Off-set mounting holes
  3. Reduced sharp corners

(2023/02/19)

• Dymo Battery Insert v1.0 - v1.2 - Initial design and fixes
  1. Front lip wouldn't fit, readjusted walls to fix.
  2. Decreased depth of square opening for terminal block inserts
  3. Completely enclosed wire cavity.
  4. Adjusted curves in attempt to improve build up.

Backlog

• Add a wire guide into battery insert for easier installation.
• Add a wire relief into battery holder to prevent pigtail from breaking.
• Rework the battery holder wire guides to prevent them from getting in the way.
• Improve battery holder mounting for better ergonomics.
• Add documentation or how-to for wiring setups, especially the battery bypass.
• Replace the screws in favor of a hot-swappable clip-on battery holder.
• Add a battery retainer into the battery holder

Parts and Tools

• Battery contacts - Vndeful AA Battery Terminals (Specially designed for these)
• Threaded inserts - Initeq #8-32 Threaded Heat Set Inserts (Long Variant Preferred)
• Stranded wire in 22 AWG
• Soldering station or iron of your choice
• Insert tips for your soldering station or iron (Optional but highly recommended)