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reclaiming lead from car and motorcycle batteries

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andy2175m4

andy2175m4

32 Cal
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I took apart an AGM motorcycle battery and had no trouble taking the plates out and neutralizing the acid, but the plates would not melt, it was so strange, the posts and the cell jumpers melted nicely into good clean lead, but the plates would not melt, they just turned into a mush of red, iron-oxide looking junk. any idea whats up with t what ? By the way whats nice about AGM batteries (absorbed glass mat) is they dont have any liquid in them, just glass mats impregnated with a gell form of acid, so you can do whatever with them and they never spill. but the plates dont melt ....

odd....
 
andy2175m4 said:
I took apart an AGM motorcycle battery and had no trouble taking the plates out and neutralizing the acid, but the plates would not melt, it was so strange, the posts and the cell jumpers melted nicely into good clean lead, but the plates would not melt, they just turned into a mush of red, iron-oxide looking junk. any idea whats up with t what ? By the way whats nice about AGM batteries (absorbed glass mat) is they dont have any liquid in them, just glass mats impregnated with a gell form of acid, so you can do whatever with them and they never spill. but the plates dont melt ....

odd....
Click to expand...
So how much usable lead did you get out of your motorcycle battery?
 
andy2175m4 said:
I took apart an AGM motorcycle battery and had no trouble taking the plates out and neutralizing the acid, but the plates would not melt, it was so strange, the posts and the cell jumpers melted nicely into good clean lead, but the plates would not melt, they just turned into a mush of red, iron-oxide looking junk. any idea whats up with t what ? By the way whats nice about AGM batteries (absorbed glass mat) is they dont have any liquid in them, just glass mats impregnated with a gell form of acid, so you can do whatever with them and they never spill. but the plates dont melt ....

odd....
Click to expand...
I can't tell the composition of the lead in batteries, but I can assure you it's not pure lead. Throw whatever you cast away!
 
The Crisco Kid said:
Every one says don't do it and I agree but I can't remember why or what deadly chemical is released. Can some one here give the reason for avoiding battery lead?
Click to expand...
I'm not going to try and rack my 70 year old brain, but I read several years ago on the composition of the plates used in batteries. I suggest googling it. They do not make suitable bullets, and then there is the hazard risk. This is not a "hold my beer and watch this". Case closed!
 
Last edited:
TechMoron said:
You can find soft lead here. Justin.44 has it for sale on a pretty regular basis.
Click to expand...
I have purchased lead from @Justin.44 a number of times and the BHN has been right at 5 every time I’ve checked.
andy2175m4 said:
I got about 5 minie balls out of it,

not much, was a waste of time I guess

live and learn
Click to expand...
Just got $5 to recycle an old ATV/motorcycle battery. If $5 plus your time playing with hazardous stuff is worth 5 minie balls made out of what appears to ‘lead’ suitable for casting them, all the power in the world to you.
 
The plates didn't melt because the aren't pure lead, they have something added (can't recall what) to them to help with the recharge cycle.
 
Not worth the hassle.
Pick up roof vents.
They melt VERY easy.

Roof boot.jpg
 
david w said:
I'm not going to try and rack my 70 year old brain, but I read several years ago on the composition of the plates used in batteries. I suggest googling it. They do not make suitable bullets, and then there is the hazard risk. This is not a "hold my beer and watch this". Case closed!
Click to expand...
That's pretty much where I am. The trouble is when we say "oh you can't do this or it will kill you" it just becomes another scare tactic unless we have the facts to back it up. Is it cadmium that gets released or something else? There's something in the batteries that are not healthy for sure.
 
There is a lot on this topic on the cast boolits forum. I looked into it years ago, discovered it’s do able but not very safe. Ever since I stopped looking for lead I find it everywhere! I have bought multiple times from Justin, his lead is very clean and his price is very fair.
 
Personal safety aside, battery lead WILL corrode the living **** out of your barrel and casting equipment as well. I had a guy give me a dozen RBs he had hand cast from old batteries once. Never again.
 

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