Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Recycling batteries?

Crazy idea, but anybody recycled car battery into bullets?

Take it apart, neutralize, wash it, smelt it and cast?

I was in charge of a battery charging facility in the military, we would be always fixing batteries - means I know and seen and used what's inside of one.

The general impression I get from most people, is not to take the chance at dealing with the toxic chemicals that would be associated with trying to remove lead from batteries.

There is H2SO4 in 30% concentration, yes, you should not drink it, but in school we did chemical classes with higher concentration when I was 12 year old. Also it can be easily neutralized using chemicals available in every kitchen.

Led is indeed poisonous, but if you cast bullets, you know it will not kill you on touch.

In the military we would take batteries apart and exchange led plates for old plates an daily bases.

I know it can be done as I've purchased lead from some battery recycling facilities in the past but as far as the individual is concerned I think there are better,easier and safer ways of procuring shooting lead.

Seems like there is more to it than lead:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...battery-scrap-to-lead-ingots-for-bullets

This is old tractor battery, not one of the new things, I will evaluate the LEO first

It's not worth the trouble. Others have tried and the end result is less than a couple of pounds of lead and the risk of a multitude of toxic fumes rising into your face. Fixing batteries is different than heating the contents of the innards up to 700 degrees fahrenheit.

I have heard enough plausible warnings from knowledgeable people over the years to not want to do it. Why risk injury/death for just a couple pounds of lead. Just go to the scrap yard and buy a couple pounds.

Don't do it.

Once upon a time it was relatively safe and easy and common. I've used lead from only 1 battery though sometime in the 1960's.

The acid is not the issue.

The introduction of maintenance free later more or less sealed batteries included changes in the lead alloy. It's not safe and it doesn't give much lead after jumping through hoops to do it safely. Currently used batteries typically have some turn in value some have a recycling fee built in to new battery sales and other such that will allow buying as much good alloy as junking out the battery will ever produce.

According to sources such as Lyman, batteries might contain alloys including very toxic metals like cadmium. Aside from not knowing what you're alloying with otherwise perfectly good billet casting metal, I don't believe the health risks of unknown metals makes it worthwhile.

It's not worth it for no more lead than you get.

Most are alloyed with calcium to retard the discharge rate.

Melted down with moisture or high humidity it can produce some type of gas that in certain ppm can kill you.

Plus, it also creates another intermetallic compound that leaves a frothy, purple residue and alters the other metal compounds.

In other words, its a dangerous contamination of anything its allowed to alloy with for the home caster.

Try asking at the recycling center where you take scrap metals. they will often sell you scrap lead.
I run ads in the local papers and radio free venues. I've already more than I'll likely use on my own.

The terminals are the only salvageable part...pretty much pure lead though.

When I was a kid we would run over the old tractor batteries whit a tractor let the acid soak into the ground pick the lead out and melt it in a cast iron frying pan with dads cutting torch. In the shop without ventilation of corse. Then we moulded them into sinkers.
I think the battery lead would be way to soft for bullets. But great for muzzleloader.

Ruined a good pair of 501's doing this way back when, got enough lead for about 5 bullets (darn little lead in a battery other than the terminals). Then read that low maintenance batteries have cadmium or some such highly toxic element, concluded that it wasn't even close to worth the effort.

Its calcium, but all very true.

Old school batteries were fine.

poison fumes / extreme poison fumes , dont take the chance with yourself or your loved ones , the terminals are lead and safe but no plates there are a few toxins i cant remember the names

How to get lead from batteries:

step 1: Sell batteries to scrap dealer.

step 2: With proceeds from step 1, purchase lead from scrap dealer.

Little Willie was a chemist.
Little Willie is no more.
What he thought was H2O
Was really H2SO4.

I melted down an old battery many years ago, and got more smoke than lead.
I'm in no mood to do it again.