Replacing 2032 Li batteries soldered in safely
 

Anyone have any suggestions, hazards, horrors stories about how to safely replace a 2032 Lithium battery that's soldered to a circuit board between two clips? What safety equipment do I need? Safety glasses? Full face shield? HazMat gear? Bomb squad gear? What size soldering iron should I use? Anyone got any practical suggestions? Is there any risk at all or is my concern for no good reason?

I would definitely wear glasses.
The bigger the clips the bigger the soldering iron required.

Interesting video for attaching solder tabs to a battery. Hint, put them in the freezer before each solder connection to prevent the electrolyte from overheating. Use a large gun for fast heat. Gloves and a face shield are a good idea.

Replacing solder tab batteries

Remove the clips NOT the battery !

Replace the clips with a socket.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CMOS-BATTE...item4d09114716

Vertical ones are also available.
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That's a great idea. My problem is getting the old one out. I've have several chassis of the same type and on a practice one which had other problems as well....I broke the top tab off. I can still solder to what's left of it though. The bottom conductor seems to be attached to the circuit board, the top one seems like a spring. I didn't even realize until I tried to remove the old battery that it was actually soldered in. It seems like a battery holder even without the solder.