Probably a stupid question, but why not

(weskel) · (weskel) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 07-31-2009, 7:43 AM

Has anyone ever tried to remove the lead plates from dead lead acid batteries to use as ballast?

I have been thinking about this alot, I have a bunch of dead aircraft batteries and auto batteries laying around my hanger, some of the aircraft batteries are 24 volt and weigh about 80 LBS each.

First I know you would have to drain and collect all acid and neutralize with Baking soda, and Would obviuosly use protective gear. heavy gloves, apron face shield etc.

The lead would be in thick plates that could be melted down and used.

Any other thoughts besides the obvious potential harm to the environment tree hugger stuff??

(kirk) · (kirk) **Join Date: May 2003** 07-31-2009, 8:39 AM

That's a ton of work to get a little lead. And probably not the safest or environmently friendly thing to do...
I picked up 4 - 5 gallon buckets of lead from a local shooting range a couple years ago for $15 each. No melting required. Just filled some heavy plastic jerry cans with it. They have handles, lay flat and can easily be moved around the boat.

(rio_sanger) · (rio_sanger) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 07-31-2009, 9:09 AM

A lot less work...

http://www.pop-products.com/

edit: No, I'm not affiliated with, or an agent of the company, just a satisfied customer!

(Message edited by rio_sanger on July 31, 2009)

(Message edited by rio_sanger on July 31, 2009)

(liquidmx) · (liquidmx) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 07-31-2009, 9:43 AM

I agree on going with Pop Products. (FYI...I have absolutely nothing to gain from suggesting them, just another satisfied customer).

I have done the whole "get lead for free, melt it down into bars, spray paint and carpet" B.S. To be perfectly honest, the whole process takes a LOT of work and isnt worth the time let alone all the exposure to toxic lead fumes. I actually went out and bought the respirator, got the lead for free, melted it into $2.00 cake pans, cleaned the bars and painted them. It took me about a weekend's worth of work to make MAYBE 200-300 lbs of lead...and that's a LOT of melting being done and pretty hard labor. Looking back I would have much rather gone into the office, worked a saturday, placed an order for 3 times as much weight (offsetting the costs with my saturday's work), and gone wakeboarding on sunday.

(denverd1)

I'm sure pop bags are awesome. Unfortunately, weskel is in Florida. Melting those plates sounds like a better idea than shipping pop bags across the country. Just make sure you do 500 or 1000 pounds so it worth the trouble.

I've got about 15 canvas bags with tire weights in them. They weigh about 30 lbs each and do the trick for sure.

(rio_sanger) · (rio_sanger) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 07-31-2009, 10:31 AM

Yeah, didn't think about the shipping cost for all that weight.
Troy, (The King of Pop), happens to be less than an hour from me, so I just called, and he had the goods ready to pick up.

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 07-31-2009, 10:33 AM

I would be very careful melting down acid coated led. In fact, I would probably avoid it. A lot of risk/effort to save a few bucks.

(skinny99) · (skinny99) **Join Date: Jun 2009** 07-31-2009, 10:50 AM

I have melted way over 5000lbs of lead down for short track stock car racing. It is very noxious and very dangerous,one drop of water can ruin your life! Just consider the risk versus the reward,I had no choice as we needed very specific sizes and weights for each car or I would never have fooled with it. Just a helpful word of caution,I know some guys with nasty scars because of it. Good Luck

(weskel) · (weskel) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 07-31-2009, 11:23 AM

Thanks for the input, just always looking for something to "make"...

(dhcomp) · (dhcomp) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 07-31-2009, 12:21 PM

no reason to EVER open a battery. They are designed to not be opened for a reason. Too much nasty material in there.

If you are really looking for cheap weight, put the batteries themselves in plastic boxes, and put those in the boat.

Really though, not worth the effort. Plus, remember, lead sinks to the bottom, water becomes neutrally bouyant. So carrying lead is way more risky than overloading with ballast

(cdhayes2) · (cdhayes2) **Join Date: Jul 2009** 07-31-2009, 12:31 PM

The price says
375 - Delivered! Would they deliver out this far? like indiana or FL for Kelly?

(rowdy) · (rowdy) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 07-31-2009, 1:52 PM

Don't mess with sulfuric acid! It is nasty, nasty stuff. There's a little more to neutralizing than just adding baking soda. Sulfuric acid has an afinity towards water, so any work with it is going to attack your mucous membranes. You'd be dealing with quite a bit of acid to be getting the weight. It's not worth it at all. Sulfuric acid reactions are exothermic, meaning they produce heat. Sulfuric acid also produces hydrogen with most metals. heat + hydrogen = hindenburg
Here's a interesting video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CyLbiwHkg

Dispose of your batteries correctly and then go order some pop products. You'll be happy you did.

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 07-31-2009, 6:09 PM

Remember the Cleaner in Point of No Return?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_No_Return_(film)

Kaufman then sends in Victor (Harvey Keitel), known as "the cleaner", who does his job armed with a silencer-equipped pistol and two large suitcases containing bottles of sulfuric acid. When Claudia's assistant panics after the Cleaner proceeds to clean up the scene (disposing of the bodies with acid in a jacuzzi tub while Angela is still alive but unconscious), Victor shoots her, this time fatally.