# Building your own lead acid batteries



## AlexZ (Aug 26, 2008)

Hi,

Has anyone tried this yet?

Just currious.

Thanks.


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## brent.massey (Jul 23, 2008)

Never heard of it being done, but if you can figure out a way to do it cheap, and it will be at least as reliable as something I could buy, I'd be onboard with the idea


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2008)

Can be done but cost is a major factor. Building something is going to be cost prohibitive compared to the factory that pumps these out by the thousands. If you have the money and resources then go have a blast. If you can come up with a viable battery that is as good or better than what is available then you will make money if you set up a factory. Not sure if you are willing to spend millions on research. You won't be making your own EV batteries for less or equal to what you'd pay for them right now. For fun to make a few small ones then I'd say you could do it. Just copy what is and then play with different ways to make them. Different sizes and shapes. 

This is a realistic assessment of the issue presented. 

Pete : )


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

I have done a little experiment with old fork lift batteries . the 2000 lbs battery I bought would cost 3,000 to 4,000 . it tested 2.2 volts per cell but had no capacity . so I pulled a cell apart , the + plates were corroded off the collector grid , but only on the + side . the negative side looked like new . the plates are the same chemistry but will take some conditioning and may lose some capacity I'm told , if used for + side .So I ran a simple test put 2 plates both negative in a cell can and it worked .when I get some more time I will take 2 cells apart and build 1 cell . working with lead toxic so great care is needed not to inhale particles or contaminate the environment . I wonder if smaller agm's or floodes could be done the same .


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

most major cities have battery recyclers that can do just that for you. When I lived in Bakersfield, I had a guy that would let you pick out the case from his pile of stuff and build it according to your wishes for the cost of his materials and labor. At the time car batteries were 39.00 at K-mart and he rebuilt them for 20.00


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## Qer (May 7, 2008)

aeroscott said:


> I have done a little experiment with old fork lift batteries . the 2000 lbs battery I bought would cost 3,000 to 4,000 . it tested 2.2 volts per cell but had no capacity . so I pulled a cell apart , the + plates were corroded off the collector grid , but only on the + side . the negative side looked like new . the plates are the same chemistry but will take some conditioning and may lose some capacity I'm told , if used for + side .So I ran a simple test put 2 plates both negative in a cell can and it worked .when I get some more time I will take 2 cells apart and build 1 cell . working with lead toxic so great care is needed not to inhale particles or contaminate the environment . I wonder if smaller agm's or floodes could be done the same .


Hm. Considering that both poles are lead, would it be a very bad idea to change polarity of a battery to try to shake it into life again...?


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## dimitri (May 16, 2008)

I don't get it. If both plates are same material then what decides the polarity? How do electrons pick which plate to leave and which to go to if both plates are the same? 

EDIT: answered my own question from Wiki



> Each cell contains (in the charged state) electrodes of lead metal (Pb) and lead (IV) dioxide (PbO2) in an electrolyte of about 33.5% _w_/_w_ (6 Molar) sulphuric acid (H2SO4). In the discharged state both electrodes turn into lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4) and the electrolyte loses its dissolved sulphuric acid and becomes primarily water


so plates are not the same, one is metal and one is oxide of same metal, if both are metal or both are oxide then battery should not be working


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## aeroscott (Jan 5, 2008)

dimitri said:


> I don't get it. If both plates are same material then what decides the polarity? How do electrons pick which plate to leave and which to go to if both plates are the same?
> 
> EDIT: answered my own question from Wiki
> 
> ...


if the plate was made of oxide it would not be conductive . treated after assembly . the plates are " conditioned "to make them + or - .


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## pauljmoore (Sep 26, 2008)

The L-A Battery is typically "formed" in the manufacturing process

As usual the wikipedia article is quite good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead-acid_battery

TO make one from scratch would be very ineffective due to the subtlties of the lead alloying used in typical comercal batteries - however - finding good ways to recycle discarded L-A's is an excellent project - thay are a major source of pollution worldwide and difficult to deal with in the remote pars of the world.......


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