Casting ammo from lead-acid batteries?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
delooper said:
Have any of you tried recoving the lead from a lead-acid battery, to use as your base metal to cast pellets or slugs?

I have a bunch of old, expired lead-acid batteries sitting around. Might as well use the metal for something.
Click to expand...

Do not use lead from batteries. It contains higher amounts of antimony causing the lead to be too hard and it can damage your barrel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: woogie_man, beerthief, dgeesaman and 1 other person
Upvote 0
I once tried to recover the lead from a car battery and found it was not worth it. The amount of actual useable lead was low. Pretty much just the posts and terminals. The rest of the lead was not recoverable. The work involved in tearing a battery apart along with the mess just wasnt worth it. But i would sugest you give it a try just dont expect great results pluss its messy and borderline dangerous. But if your like me ypu will try anyway. So in my opinion go for it and try. just dont wear any good clothes and use good protective equiptment when dissasembling and melting good luck be safe my friend
 
  • Haha
Reactions: DesertSilver
Upvote 0
You will need to neutralize the acid. Baking soda will do that. Perhaps buy it from a pool supply place. The antimony might very well be a problem. You will have to use some pure, dead soft lead alloyed with the battery lead.But if you insist get a Brinnell SP hardness tester to determine the hardness of the lead after fluxing and casting some ingots or large chunks in a pan. I would say it is practical only for casting PB bullets: not to be discussed here! Be Well Brother, Bandito.
 
Upvote 0
imtrigerhapy said:
I once tried to recover the lead from a car battery and found it was not worth it. The amount of actual useable lead was low. Pretty much just the posts and terminals. The rest of the lead was not recoverable. The work involved in tearing a battery apart along with the mess just wasnt worth it. But i would sugest you give it a try just dont expect great results pluss its messy and borderline dangerous. But if your like me ypu will try anyway. So in my opinion go for it and try. just dont wear any good clothes and use good protective equiptment when dissasembling and melting good luck be safe my friend
Click to expand...

When I was a kid I tried to take the anodization off a motorcycle part. Being smart, I found a lead-acid battery that used sulphuric acid. I poured the acid into a bowl then put the motorcycle part in, expecting wonders. . . and nothing happened.

Then I realized, these chemical reactions happen much more quickly if the acid is hot. So I put it in a kitchen pot, and got the acid boiling on the stove. I put the part in and voila, the anodization came off in an instant. I had a big fan pumping the air out of the kitchen at the same time.

When all was done and I had finished cleaning up, feeling a little smug, only then did I notice all my clothing turn to powder and start slowly falling off my body.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: Ezana4CE and imtrigerhapy
Upvote 0
delooper said:
When I was a kid I tried to take the anodization off a motorcycle part. Being smart, I found a lead-acid battery that used sulphuric acid. I poured the acid into a bowl then put the motorcycle part in, expecting wonders. . . and nothing happened.

Then I realized, these chemical reactions happen much more quickly if the acid is hot. So I put it in a kitchen pot, and got the acid boiling on the stove. I put the part in and voila, the anodization came off in an instant. I had a big fan pumping the air out of the kitchen at the same time.

When all was done and I had finished cleaning up, feeling a little smug, only then did I notice all my clothing turn to powder and start slowly falling off my body.
Click to expand...
That sounds like the reasonable and sane thing to do. =)
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu