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Good video for restoring an old battery with a welder!

serpico760

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I've never heard of this technique before but I'm a fan of this YouTube channel project farm. I highly suggest watching them especially before you consider buying it any kind of new tool. Using a cheap welder he successfully restored several batteries some of them to near new condition. Maybe a great technique for restoring old military batteries instead of buying the very expensive replacements of the same type.
 

msgjd

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upstate ny
Maybe a great technique for restoring old military batteries instead of buying the very expensive replacements of the same type.
yep it works but have to be REAL careful about the hydrogen gas situation .. Years before trying the welder method (and only on weak batteries that don't have shorted plates) , I used to do a 5 or 10-minute high-amp charge to see if the weak cell(s) would start to clear themselves out .. Sometimes a battery would desulfate itself and recover , at which point I would dump it , flush it several times to get any loose matter out, and then new acid .. I had about a 60% success rate .. The welder method, with a lot of patience, can recover most "clogged" batteries.. Another thing we have done is drain and dry them inverted for months, tap them to get the flakes out, flush many times, and new acid .. That works sometimes too .. But overall I find it more convenient to go to certain junkyards and buy batts for $40ea , some of these places have 1-year free replacement guarantee , some places have life replacement .. Remember, two enemies of lead/acid batts are Physical Shock (internal/external damage) and Time (sulfation)
 
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sue

Active member
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tulsa OK
I've never heard of this technique before but I'm a fan of this YouTube channel project farm. I highly suggest watching them especially before you consider buying it any kind of new tool. Using a cheap welder he successfully restored several batteries some of them to near new condition. Maybe a great technique for restoring old military batteries instead of buying the very expensive replacements of the same type.
Loved the video, one of the few videos that don’t talk about the weather, other stupid stuff.
No um aha’s , no bla bla bla.
and yes the theory is sound but after “cycling “ with the welder, Should flush again to remove debris from
the plates.
Just wish I could get this guy to give me national and world news at the anchor desk!!!
 

Poccur

Active member
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Location
Roanoke, VA
I've never heard of this technique before but I'm a fan of this YouTube channel project farm. I highly suggest watching them especially before you consider buying it any kind of new tool. Using a cheap welder he successfully restored several batteries some of them to near new condition. Maybe a great technique for restoring old military batteries instead of buying the very expensive replacements of the same type.
I have had good success using mains 120v through diodes to make a rectifier, then use air-conditioning capacitors in series to the load to work as current limiters, different microfarads pass different current, usually charge at about one or two amps...when first connected the battery will be seeing high voltage spikes but, as it starts to take a charge, that rapidly drops as it comes back to life...Obviously working with mains you have to know what you are doing but it is doable if just a little unorthodox...
 

87cr250r

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I have opened failed batteries. The plates are usually broken apart and sitting at the bottom of the cells. I don't think a welder can fix this.
 
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