Cut the minimum number of straps midway needed to do a binary search. Cut where the spot welds allow you to have relatively long liftable stubs. Good cells should accept a brief test charge from a improvised trickle charge, like a 9V battery and a series 4.7 K ohm resistor, whereas a shorted cell will not budge from 0 volts, and indeed will measure low ohms with an ohmmeter. When soldering, lift the ends of the remaining strap stubs temporarily away from the cells, clean them and use small bridging wires and fast soldering technique as not to heat the cells much from the soldering operation...heat tends to make the cells unreliable. Do not try to solder directly to the cell surface. These are not as bad as the Lithium Ion technology, but they still do not like heat.