Removing plates from an oldham T battery

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wheldale
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

I've got an old Oldham GT caplamp. The battery is about 10 years old. It's a modern see thru type T battery. Is there anyway of removing the plates without damaging the casing? I was just wondering if I could remove the plates and put some rechargeable batteries in the case. I do not intend to use the lamp underground etc, just have it on display with my oil lamps. Has anyone ever done anything like this??

Thanks all!!

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staffordshirechina
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I have removed all the 'innards' from this type of cell by drilling and sawing out the top. I then filled it with 18630 batteries to power an LED monster lamp.
You can't tell once the stainless top is refitted.

wheldale
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Thanks for the reply. Do I just drill many holes around the top of the casing? Then what kind of saw did you use?

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I once made up an artificial Oldham using 18650 LiIons, cram a black bin liner into it and it looks authentic.

I just put it in a vise and cut the top off with a woodsaw outside of the lugs for the top.
Took some digging to get the remains of the plates out though

The top can be permanently sealed with black silicone compound, but you will need to seal in a plastic plate drilled and mounting your terminal screws. Electrical wholesalers sell M4 brass screws that you can solder wires to the heads.

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wheldale
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Thanks for the help. I will have a look in closer detail at the weekend. Could be a good starter project.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

If you can get hold of a Raylight cell they made from ABS or PVC which solvent welds. Cut them down and weld a new bottom on to reduce their size. Be sure to pot the cells to give the case extra strength as well as a watertight job.
I have been doing this for a few years now but have special tooling etc, its not as easy as it may sound.

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Graigfawr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

The polycarbonate T type cells are much harder to gut out than older opaque black designs. Exide Triclad cells continued to be made in parallel with Oldham T types and are more straightforward to gut. The relatively recent Oldham Megalight (which seems to post-date the T type) resembles the older designs of opaque black cells but I've not had cause to try gutting one.

Opaque black cells used to be gutted by standing them upside down in a number of changes of boiling water to soften the bitumen-like compound that sealed the tops of the cells which soon softened sufficiently to be easily dug out with a metal tool. The plates then slid out easily when the terminal pillars were gripped with pliers or mole grip. The residual acid needed copious flushing with water.

exspelio
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Used to clean out the older types using a red hot knife, don't know if it works on type T's though.

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

staffordshirechina
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I just chain drilled around the top, just inside the edge. if you get the drilling right there is very little meat left between the holes and you can connect them up with a small file or a knife blade, then get in with a broken hacksaw blade to finish off.
It is easier to drill using a proper pillar drill rather than a Black & Decker.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#10

Some useful info here, thanks all.

So here is one from me re a seriously useful 'special tool'

I bought an old mitre saw, the type with an aluminium bed and a saw adjustable for angle, from a roadside sale at Tre Taliesin and modifed it to take a broad machine hacksaw blade.

The saw was £2 off the man selling the stuff, the blade was a hefty £16 from my local ironmongers. The device is fastened down to the work bench and whatever being worked is secured by clamps.

Does anything with precision. Battery cases etc cut better by lubing the blade, which you should do anyway.

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Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#11

IIRC some of the hard black batteries had a glued in rubber top, a pleasure to gut.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#12

Hey John, your a retired engineer.
Is there, or has there been, any 'proper' piece of kit similar to what I made up?

I would rather think there has been

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Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#13

Roy, I suspect your particular use of the mitre saw is not one originally envisaged by the manufacturer.;D

Seriously though, there's probably a jig/fixture for any repetitive or more than two hands job.
Only other bit I can add is that a production operator could nearly always improve an engineered jig.:lol:

legendrider
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#14

I have a mitre saw for sale if anybody interested.. PM me and I'll provide pics / description.

MARK

festina lente[i]

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#15

"Morlock" wrote:
Roy, I suspect your particular use of the mitre saw is not one originally envisaged by the manufacturer.;D

Its very effective and i can recommend the tool. After a cut a minimum of clean up is required on aluminium or copper and its a very accurate cut. These were a good tool as sold, possibly spoiled by an inferior saw. Easily recognisable by a metalic blue finish on the bed, sold by just about every DIY store. They may still be selling them, but plenty round the car boots etc.

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Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#16

Roy, I've got a 350mm blade model kicking about somewhere.Think I got it from B&Q around 1999

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#17

Sounds like the one

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exspelio
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#18

The way I would go about it;
If the 'hot knife approach' don't work;
Drill a quarter inch (6mm) hole in the corners of each cell, use a DIY electric jigsaw to join up the holes, pliers on terminals to extract plates,---- 'simples' :thumbsup:

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#19

Just looked at my two 'T' type units, 'T' has vent/filler tubes to cut off to remove plates?
'T3' has the vent/filler through the top.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

#20

I dont think you need mess with the 'inkwells', I think they are clear of the plates. The ones I have done all had vents in the top. I have piles of them by the way.
I believe they fetch 50p each as lead scrap.

I have done a lot of the Raylight type, seems a lot of lead in them. My scrap box is quite full and ready for a rainy day.

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