Car Battery Salvage

My truck battery died on Firday. Put a new one in today. $9 core fee for not turning in the old battery.

I priced lead for a new lead sled I purchased recently and figure there has to be considerably more than $9 worth of lead in the battery.

Salvage yard not open until January 2nd so calling them is out.

I need lead for the sled but can only make small to medium sized bars which would not work well with the sled.

Is there a way to make shot?

I figure I could always use it to make bullets too if the quality is sufficient.

And I could always make round balls and put them in a bag for the sled.

Or is the whole effort not worth the bother? I haven't torn down a battery in a long time, maybe they aren't even made the same anymore. Been over 20 years.

I am book marking this post because I have concidered the same idea. I will be interested to see ideas.

I used to tear down batteries all the time when I was a kid. Made fishing sinkers and jig heads out of the lead. I have not done it for a long while however and the last battery I tried to tear down had what looked like "dissolved" lead which was pretty worthless to do anything with. It may simply have been that particular battery. When the quit working the acid is pretty broken down but you still don't want to get it on your clothes and rubber gloves would be best. I have a good electric smelting pot so melting it is easy.

I've heard that the new batteries aren't recommended for bullet making. But haven't verified.

I wouldn't use lead from any battery source for bullets or any other project like it. The acid is everywhere and you will get it into your equipment and moulds and barrels and so on. I consider them(batteries) to be strictly salvage and take them to scrap. Just for safety sake. You can buy lead in form of downriggers at Walmart or any other handy place if that's all you want. Take the batteries to salvage and ask there for wheelweights...

Ok, did some research. Found out the current price of lead is about 48 cents per pound and that there is approximately 20 pounds of contaminated lead in a battery. So, that's worth the $9 to take it to Walmart and buy some lead from the scrap yard.

I can't see how the lead would be contaminated once smelted. Everything in it is going to float to the top and can be skimmed off. But the mess in getting there is what isn't worth the hassle.

Thanks for the advice, I believe I'll follow it and take the battery back for the core price.

I think I'll make round balls out of my existing lead stockpile and fill bags up with them. That should work fine for my lead sled. Might have enough lying around here as it is to not have to buy more.

The last time I bought wheel weights I got one full five gallon bucket and another 3/4 full for $75 that was a few years ago.
I have to agree on battery lead. Do not use.

Do not use lead from batteries for casting. As it was explained to me there is a additive in the lead of maintenance free batteries to keep them from cooking off too much liquid while they are charging. The chemical is extremely poisonous.

New car batteries are different form the old lead acid car batteries of old.

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Salvaged battery lead should be avoided at all costs. Since the advent of the maintenance free battery the lead content has been reduced and elements such as strontium, calcium and others have been added. Most of these elements cast very poorly, ruin a pot of good alloy they are blended with and are extremely toxic. The quantity and quality of lead from batteries is not worth the risk or the effort.

From "Linstrum" on the Castboolits forum - Maintenance free/low maintenance batteries use calcium metal-doped lead to catalyze the hydrogen gas. The lead alloy used in batteries also contains a bit of antimony and arsenic to help harden and strengthen the lead. When hydrogen comes in contact with arsenic and antimony, the hydrogen reacts to form ammonia analogues called arsine and stibine, AsH3 and SbH3. In World War One the Germans experimented with these as war gases. As such they were highly effective since they are deadly in amounts too small to easily detect.

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DO NOT mess with battery lead for bullet casting! It is dangerous to melt because of the corrosive fumes and it has impurities that will mess up your bullet casting lead formula. Most salvage yards have lead sewer pipe that is a better source. You may also find lead sheeting from dental and Dr offices.

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Originally Posted by musketshooter

You may also find lead sheeting from dental and Dr offices.

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Make sure that "X-Ray" lead doesn't glow in the dark! ;) - Bob

The next time you get tires ask if they have old wheel wieghts they don't want. They may give them to you for free.
john