how to recondition batteries

Are you tired of having your Ni-Cad batteries that refused to charge and simply die?

So what do you do with them when they die?
Just throw them in the trash - which harms the environment?
Or just take them to a recycling facility for them to be recycled?

Well, here is the best solution, bring your dead batteries back to life that can save you a chunk of change - By zapping them!
Here is one great instructable, Revive Nicad Batteries by Zapping with a Welder. Of course, you will need a welder, and not many people has one... So I came up with this idea that almost anyone can build!

UPDATED: This instructable has been featured in hackaday!

DISCLAIMER:
This instructable involves hacking a device that operates on 300 volts and can be dangerous if not handled correctly. So, I am NOT responsible whatever happens to you using this information.

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• A disposable flash camera
• Dead Ni-Cad batteries
• Wires
• Battery holder for the dead Ni-Cads (You can use size AAA, AA, C, or D, depending what battery you want to zap. I am going to use an AA battery holder for this instructable.)
• Small switch (I used a slide switch)
• High power switch (I used a push-button switch)

• Soldering iron (You might be able to get away with out doing any soldering by twisting wires in place.)
• Wire cutters
• Wire strippers
• Flat head screwdriver
• Pliers

Give a general description of the StepNow this is going to be a fairly dangerous part, open up the camera and get the circuit out safely without getting shocked by the capacitor...

(The capacitor in the camera is a large black cylinder thing, it is used for making flashes for the camera.)

First, pry open the camera''s case off, discharge the capacitor with a insulated screw driver, and you may get a big loud spark, and after that, the capacitor is discharged... (Use a screwdriver you hate so much, because a fully charged capacitor will leave a scar on the metal part of the screwdriver!)

Great! You had done the dangerous step on this instructable! (Some people say this is the fun part of the instructable because you get a loud spark from the capacitor.)

After the camera''t be too hard to remove.

Then solder two pieces of wire on both exposed metal tabs. And solder a '' charge switch onto the other ends of the wires.

Then we need to solder the battery holder and the high power switch together with the black capacitor.

Solder the black wire of the battery holder to the lead of the capacitor that is the closest to the grey stripe.

Solder a piece of wire to the other lead of the capacitor.

Then solder the push-button switch to the red wire of the battery holder and the other wire.


Also, the battery holder you just added, that is where you put the dead Ni-Cad battery to zap them.

Okay, you are almost done! All you need to do is somehow insulate all the high voltage parts...

You could put it in a nice project box... But I don''s circuit.


And you are done!

how to recondition batteries 🔴how to how to recondition batteries for To zap a dead Ni-Cad battery back to life, put the Ni-Cad battery into the '' battery holder and a good alkaline battery into the battery holder on the camera''POP''re run completely flat. they will explode violently if overcharged too much.

and if they dont overheat and explode they will have 10-fold less life. so instead of 10 years maybe you''ve used hundreds of disposable cameras for various purposes, they''re only $3 at harbor freight.
Would that work? If so, I may go bigger, just for fun and use my salt water capacitor..it''t have to. I''s set around unattended and very often when I place individual batteries into a charging unit it will reject them due to the fact that they are super dead.

how to recondition batteries 🔴how to how to recondition batteries for Here is the hint! I have a glass top electric stove in my kitchen.

1. Turn a burner on high heat for about a minute.

2. Reduce heat to medium.

3. Roll the battery back and forth across the burner, Do Not let the battery set in one position over the burner, keep rolling the battery back and forth over the burner until it is very warm to the touch,

Not Burn Your Self Hot! Just very warm. This will excite the electrons in the battery enough that the charger will recognize positive from negative and most of the time they will charge and operate for 1 last update 2020/04/01 normally.Not Burn Your Self Hot! Just very warm. This will excite the electrons in the battery enough that the charger will recognize positive from negative and most of the time they will charge and operate normally.

4. The best practice is to Always keep them charged however if your like me, we forget.

5. WARNING DON''s manufacturer says so you can charge both with any type of charger. Typically though each one is for its own kind of batteries. However, I have rebuild a few old NiCd power packs using NiMh batteries, charged for 1 last update 2020/04/01 them with a smart NiCd charger made by B&D and so far did NOT have any adverse effects whatsoever. Performance wise the NiMh outperform NiCd in the capacity category and last considerably longer. NiCd on the other hand seem to be able to provide a bit more initial torque than NiMh but I have not been able to reliably substantiate this claim. All in all, I believe from personal experience that NiMh are a much better replacement for NiCd overall.5. WARNING DON''s manufacturer says so you can charge both with any type of charger. Typically though each one is for its own kind of batteries. However, I have rebuild a few old NiCd power packs using NiMh batteries, charged them with a smart NiCd charger made by B&D and so far did NOT have any adverse effects whatsoever. Performance wise the NiMh outperform NiCd in the capacity category and last considerably longer. NiCd on the other hand seem to be able to provide a bit more initial torque than NiMh but I have not been able to reliably substantiate this claim. All in all, I believe from personal experience that NiMh are a much better replacement for NiCd overall.