T4 : Battle Across Time (2010 to present)

[bradleigh2]

I use 18650s in my vape. I have a torch at work that takes 3 x aaa batteries in a seperate holder. I binned it and put my oldest vape battery in lasts for ages. If you happen to have the skins or the insulating washer break from too much handling you can buy a heat shrink skin for and replacment insulators from fogstar website

Sent from my I3113 using Just T4s

[Activ8]

Invasion of the bodysnatchers, I reckon Robs has been taken over by Turk.

Those LED's are going back Si, can't be arsed with messing about as I've got lights that work well.
I'll buy some H4 rally bulbs and concentrate on some other stuff.

[Activ8]

A couple of deliveries this morning .... Christmas every day for this turkey! lol

https://www.autoglym.com/black-dye-450ml
I laughed at the products webpage stating and I quote "IMPORTANT: For Professional Use Only"


And the bitter sweet Bahco S140T-R with the 1/2" & 3/8" adaptors and locking fucking head! [:rollseyes and walks off]
Lovely bit of kit me thinks for £21.

[Activ8]

Received two small crates of laptop batteries from a mate. One of which was new bagged units labelled "dead stock" as the shelf life had expired. Carefully cracked one open and split the 6 x LG 3.7v 2600mAh cells., a quick look and clean up and fitted into the charger. Fingers crossed the charger can recover the cell. At first glance all 6 cells will recover




Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

Update: All six cells charged to their max of 4.2V. Looks like theres 22 batteries of this same type.

So, 22 x 6 = 132 usable cells , divide by
3 to create a 12.6V 3S battery pack = 88Ah
Or
4 to create a 16.8V 4S battery pack = 66Ah
(I've assumed 2.0Ah per cell)

[Activ8]

Here's a handy website you can use for free to check the cell type and cell information.
This will help reuse the cells or group the cells for repurposing after testing e.g. a multi cell powerbank etc.
Some of the latest kits require little soldering or spot welding.

https://secondlifestorage.com/celldatabase.php


Using the look up table and filters you can get specific cell info.
Each cell should be officially labelled, coloured and registered, example below.

[Activ8]

Bought a cheap Compaq NX6310 laptop with screen damage locally (£18), stuck all the batteries in a box on top of one of the Under Floor Heating manifolds overnight to rejuvenate the chems, the batteries go back to 2006 then tried a few in the laptop which resulted in 2 in 3 taking a charge and then a few broken up carefully ( to reuse the shells as temp storage) whilst the chargers work their magic on the decommissioned batteries. The XSTAR charger is designed to recover 0 volt cells and it did. Took an age (think I need to replacr the low amp Amsxon Kindle usb wall adaptor) but every cell so far in the batch charged to 4.2v and their book capacity. Happy days.

Batteries on the left are charged, centre have been broken down and topped up in the Li-Ion charger, the last few on the right are awaiting to start processing.

Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

[regcheeseman]

Too much time on your hands - go buy some lego.

[Activ8]

Too much time on your hands - go buy some lego.

No can do. The Lego is distilling in kilner jars of acetone sludge.

Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

[Activ8]

I noticed in the early hours reviewing this thread that some , actually a lot of pictures are missing or the links and code broken thats not "replaced", "recoded" like some of the last 11 months posts, odd.

I've continued to strip laptop batteries and harvest the 18650 li-ion cells. I found a 10 cell push fit parrallel powerbank unit online so I've orded 3 pieces to create 3 x 1S10P 3-5volt 25Ah (max 30Ah) power banks which I'll wire up as a 3S10P to give me a 12.6-15V single cell 25Ah Li-Ion pack for my solar pack. Ordered an MPPT 20A Li-Ion Solar Charger to manage the packs in the pelicase. Maybe more will be added once it gets trial fitted for space.

Anyway heres a quick how to with the laptop battries if you have units to harvest.

Tools needed.
Li-Ion Battery Charger
Quality pair of flush side cut electrical snips
Fine bladed but blunt knife (I used an old Sheffield Steel bladed butter knife - the bone handles don't like dishwashers)

MPPT Solar Charger (£7.99 on Amazon)


Firstly try and charge the battery. When you have a few to do it can save a lot of time.
Before you start get into the mindset that the pack is live. Shorting the cells is easy to do and the speed of discharge can lead to the cell igniting and butsting into flames! Use a well ventilated space and have a bucket of water to hand to drop the cells into if you feel the need. Just for Si, Crocs footwear are fine for this task.

I found it easiest to split the cases without incident and 100% cell harvesting by working in the opposite corner to the pack/laptop connection. Use the blade in the corner to prise open the case. DON'T dig it in as the cell can easily pierce - just prise the corner up and off. Peel off the top as much as possible.


Deconstruct the cabling very carefully. Try not to damage the cell sleeve as the outer case and base are negative. The ridge at the top is the positive side of the cell.
This is a HP unit with the cells wire up into 3 pairs. Its a slow process. DON'T (as Ive seen recomended) smash the pack on the ground or use the hammer bodge. Recycle the waste, test and recharge. Store the charged cells stood on their negative end in a non-metallic container.


Seperate low Ah cells (I'm not using cells for solar storage with less than 2Ah) to use in work light and torches etc.


Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

[regcheeseman]

You have lost the plot haven't you.

Why are you hoarding fucked batteries?

[Activ8]

You have lost the plot haven't you.

Why are you hoarding fucked batteries?

A statement rather than a question?
What plot?
I reckon I'll have 800 cells by the time I finish.
None are fubar so far. The worse cell is 600mAh better than the shite I received with those cracking work lights. Lol.


Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

[regcheeseman]

A statement rather than a question?
What plot?
I reckon I'll have 800 cells by the time I finish.
None are fubar so far. The worse cell is 600mAh better than the shite I received with those cracking work lights. Lol.


Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

It's a question - 800 cells, why?

Unless you are going to blow something up, in which case Allahu Akbar!

[Activ8]

It's a question - 800 cells, why?

Unless you are going to blow something up, in which case Allahu Akbar!

Fuck knows. Fate....
Completely unplanned.
Asked for some batteries out of interest and received two crates. One crate of which was full with surplus hp original unused old stock from 2007 laptops. About 100 units.

I could bore my self shitless and attempt to sell them on eBay after testing them but apart from me who else uses crap this old! Lol.

Why God is greatest?

Sent from my SM-G901F using Just T4s

[arfur fox-acre]

You have lost the plot haven't you.

Why are you hoarding fucked batteries?

For the impending apocalypse when the pirates really come in numbers. Obviously.
Keep up Reg

[Activ8]

For the impending apocalypse when the pirates really come in numbers. Obviously.
Keep up Reg

The impending apocalypse is the cost of energy.

I've genuinely had very few "fucked" cells, if I have its because of my initial attempts to remove them or my dismantling blunders shorting them out.
The first laptop battery pack I harvested was dated 2003 and the Mrs hasn't used the laptop for a decade, she wouldn't sell it or dispose of it as she wanted to take the pics and docs off of it.
The laptop is still in the cupboard. I charged it up, checked the drive, removed it with the license plate and dismantled the laptop.
The harvested cells - 8 in total were charged, discharged, recharged then tested and installed into one of the working lights Saturday night, for our evening by the fire and mulled wine making.
The 2 supplied cells with the light lasted 2hrs 26 minutes , the 2003 "fucked" laptop cells were still going strong after 12 hours (on full) and continue to do until the early hours.
Why write them off is all I'm saying!

The cheap power bank housings you can buy have the protective circuits for charging. overheating and 5v USB distribution, a simple push in cell housing (so no need to solder or weld & protect them).
10x 2.0Ah 3.7v - 4.2v cells gives you a 20Ah pack for about £8.00. Each cell weighs about 45g so compared to a lead acid they're super light too.
If you look up your harvested cell type they have operating parameters to protect the cell from being damaged or causing damage in a circuit.
So they're smart too, unlike lead acid, the lamp switched off while the cells were at 2.83v , the specs state they can run down to 2.5v.
You can build complex power banks with these li-ion cells for solar energy storage.