Breathing new life in laptop batteries

From: Jason Willgruber <roblwill_at_usaor.net>
Date: Sat May 8 02:22:35 1999

The method that I use to open up old NiCd's is with an old knife and a
propane torch.

The knife is an old snap-off utility knife (with a metal insert in the
plastic handle). I turn on the torch, open the knife as far as it'll go
(about 2 1/2"), and heat it over the torch until it is red hot. I then melt
through the seam of the battery pack (or the middle, if I can't find a
seam). To fasten the pack back together, I just use a soldering iron and
"spot weld" it back together at the corners. This makes it easier to take
apart the next time the cells need replaced.

--
         -Jason Willgruber
       (roblwill_at_usaor.net)
           ICQ#: 1730318
<http://members.tripod.com/general_1>
-----Original Message-----
From: Francois <fauradon_at_mn.mediaone.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: Breathing new life in laptop batteries
>Hi,
>Thanks for all the info. Apparently there are no reliable way to bring
their
>youth back, I would like to have a reliable laptop with a battery that last
>more than 30 min. I found a Zenith z-star 433 VLp (500 Mb hd, 12 M RAM and
>color display and the Zenith J-Mouse!!!) that I'd like to use while away
>from home. The batery I got seem to work for a while. Also it has four
>contacts does this means that it provide mutiple voltages or is there some
>kind of charge sense signal? I haven't brought the battery to the bench yet
>(no room on or near the bench:).
>Also the pack seems to be sealed pretty good, any elegant way to open it up
>and reclose it without too much damage?
>Thanks
>Francois
>
>PS: I actually got 3 of these laptops and built two from the set of parts
>and two of the batteries are totally shot: they get very hot when I try to
>charge them and of course no juice is coming out. I can practice on one of
>the dead ones.
>
>>> >This is the beast bet as cells fail with internal shorts and the cap
>will
>>> >dump enough energy to open them without cooking the cell.
>>> >
>>> Yes, but many times in my experience another short appears shortly. I
>have
>>
>>Unfortunately, that's right :-( I would never depend on a cell that I'd
>>repaired by this method.
>
>
>

Received on Sat May 08 1999 - 02:22:35 BST