Lead from car batteries
- Thread starter jaroslav
- Start date
BeaverMeat
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nanaimo, B.C.
Been covered before... Nope.
I tried that process once my self back when I was first getting into handloading and I agree wholeheartedly, not worth the effort for the measly amount of lead I netted. I also ruined a couple pairs of bluejeans with the acid.
Apparently old old (pre 1970 ?) are constructed differently and have more lead/less nasty stuff. Might find some in the back of an old barn or such.
As a kid, I remember a battery being melted in a campfire to get lead for fishing weights.
As a kid, I remember a battery being melted in a campfire to get lead for fishing weights.
By practicing the three R's you can reduce the amount of rubbish reaching the dump by reusing old tires as fuel to melt down old car batteries and recover the lead... not sure is this would be Suzuki approved green technology 
As a kid in the sixties, I had seen plates from batteries being melted for centerboard ballast for dinghies.
I also threw batteries into bon fire's back in the 80's for lead. Did it in the evening and dug it out in the morning
Not worth it. Have to deal with all those toxic thing.
1. Sulfuric acid.
2. Toxic lead compound. All the white podwer / yellow powder / stains on lead are usually lead dioxide. Which is the most toxic compound from lead.
3. New batteries has very thin lead plate. It'll give battery more power but less usage life so people have to replace within few years.
Thin lead plate oxidized fast and not mush usuable material left.
1. Sulfuric acid.
2. Toxic lead compound. All the white podwer / yellow powder / stains on lead are usually lead dioxide. Which is the most toxic compound from lead.
3. New batteries has very thin lead plate. It'll give battery more power but less usage life so people have to replace within few years.
Thin lead plate oxidized fast and not mush usuable material left.
Interesting that you say that. I've noticed the opposite over the years. While a lot of things don't seem to last like they used to, car batteries are the one thing that (for me anyway) seem to last waaaay longer than they used to. I got 13 years out of my last one, and I'm 12 into this one. Maybe I'm just lucky though.
Usually, if it is contract production by big automobile company, manufacturer will follow contractor's spec,
and it will last loooooonger (That's what you got when you bought a new car).
If aftermarket one, will last much shorter.
Especially brandname from Asia while the weather conditin is not that harsh, and most
cars here are way smaller. We don't need that big, high output long lasting batteries. I lived in Toronto and
Asia for years, also, my brother worked in Audi. We have gone through this discussion.
and it will last loooooonger (That's what you got when you bought a new car).
If aftermarket one, will last much shorter.
Especially brandname from Asia while the weather conditin is not that harsh, and most
cars here are way smaller. We don't need that big, high output long lasting batteries. I lived in Toronto and
Asia for years, also, my brother worked in Audi. We have gone through this discussion.
...our local battery supplier gives me $10 for every old battery i bring to him
...decades ago a friend of mine tore one apart for lead
...i think 10 bucks will go further in buying lead for me today than what my friend got out of it when he melted one down
...decades ago a friend of mine tore one apart for lead
...i think 10 bucks will go further in buying lead for me today than what my friend got out of it when he melted one down
