[Striperhound]

Anybody broken up a car battery & used the lead plates or whatever for RB ammo etc.?

If so, any danger other than making sure the battery is dead before busting it open and careful with the battery acid?

Suggestions on methods other than just bustin it up with a sledge hammer?

I planned to melt down the lead plates with a propane torch into a pot.

[c3shooter]

In an industrial setting, battery recycling is one of the worst health hazard industries around- airborne lead. There is a lot of lead based PASTE spread into a mesh of lead metal. You are going to have some very high exposures to lead, possibly contaminating the crap out of the area you work in.

I would not. Too many other sources of cheap/ free lead.

[robocop10mm]

Aside from the obvious acid hazards there are some issues that make car batteries a very poor source for bullet lead.

Modern batteries have very little lead in them. The quest to save weight in cars has led the makes to make the lead panels thinner and thinner. It is just not very cost/time effective to extract the lead.

The electrolytic action that takes place in the battery changes the lead alloy to one that is unsuitable for bullets. Used battery lead contains unacceptable levels of calcium. This will give one very poor results when trying to cast into bullets.

Take the batteries to a recycling center. Many will pay a few dollars for the batteries. You can turn the money around and buy wheel weights or sheet lead from the same recycler. I essentially swap cartridge brass for lead from one of our many metal recyclers.

[stick_man]

DON'T DO IT! IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK! The contents of the batteries become very toxic. The lead content is so low that it would hardly be worth the effort even if they were not toxic. There are numerous articles out there discussing the dangers of extracting the lead out of car batteries. Here is a link to this very discussion about the dangers of getting the lead out of car batteries. I apologize for the link to a competing website, but I feel the information contained in the following discussion is very important and could even save lives or at the very least save someone from some serious health issues. Why Car Batteries Are Dangerous - Cast Boolits

[ScottA]

If robo and c3 say no, then don't do it.

[Striperhound]

O.K. I'm convinced, glad I took the time to ask around before making the attempt.

Thank you all for the advice.


Brad


"...in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 11:14, K.J.B.

[spittinfire]

I wouldn't even try. I know what fresh acid can to do skin, clothing and tools as I've filled many batteries in my time and it only gets worse as the battery ages. Do as the other guys suggested and just recycle that thing.

[Olympus]

You can always give wheel weights a try. I know some people who cast their own that way.

[cpttango30]

YouTube - Lead Battery Recycling

YouTube - Lead Battery Recycling

[ScottA]

That's a whole lot of respirators. I tend to avoid things that require that much safety equipment.