Do you "zap" your cordless tool batteries?

Bert I do it with a 12vdc battery charger, works fine.

Ive smashed a few but cant say ive ever “zapped” any of em. Ive got an 18v dewalt thats startin to get under my skin. Id like to hear more on the zapping.

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

How come I received a reply from Gman in my email but it does not appear here?

-- Bert

I saw people using 110 Volts to zap their batteries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0JbNX4K4fQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvpGp2CM-qk&feature=related

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bring-Dead-Ni-Cad-Batteries-Back-To-Life/step7/Zap-the-hell-out-of-the-battery/

I am going to try this tonight

-- Bert

I steer clear of battery powered tools. Too many opportunities for them to let me down at the wrong time.

-- Manufacturer of fine quality sawdust since 1984. Comments and advice on my shop welcome. Check it out at http://lumberjocks.com/dbhost/workshop. Gladly accepting shop build donations!

True but it seems that cords are always in the way and some places have no power

-- Bert

I’ve got a really nice old NiCAD cordless drill with 2 dead batteries. I think I’ll give this a shot when I get home. I also hate cordless tools, but I do see value in a cordless drill/driver.

-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/KandJWoodCrafts

Bert I do it with a 12vdc battery charger, works fine.

I am going to try.

-- Bert

I’ve done it on nicad batteries that weren’t taking a charge
anymore… “Surge charging” I think is what it’s called. It’s kind
of fun to do, resurrect your batteries.

Unfortunately they are really zombies and they don’t stay
resurrected long. It varies depending on what’s going on
with the cells in the battery, but in general I’ve found
it’s a short-term fix at best.

I have a cordless drill that doesn’t require batteries:

:)

-- More tools, fewer machines.

I am not famillar with this “zap” business.
Since you guys aren’t either, please take precaution.
Better be safe than sorry. Wear insulated gloves or something.

-- I'll be a woodworker when I grow up. HHHOPKS

I agree with hopks especially if you put “high” voltage on them, you’re asking for an explosion.

-- Joe

NiCd batteries have a nasty habit of exploding. I would be really careful trying to zap them, especially with 110V…

A better (safer) solution is to send the battery packs out to be rebuilt with new cells.

-- Altruism is, ultimately, self-serving

I looked into the posibility of “rejuvenating” ni-cads a little while back and found this site:

http://www.r-charge.net/

They have changed the way they describe what their 1.2 -24vdc charger would do, but at one time it was touted to be able to bring almost any ni-cad back to life. Their products are really pricey, but I looked into it because of the large amount of cordless drills that were being used where I used to work.

http://www.r-charge.net/RC-1AU--Universal-Battery-Charger-12-24VDC_p_89.html

I also found this for the electronically inclined:

http://www.sentex.ca/~mec1995/gadgets/rejuv.html

-- I may be slow, but I'm easy to stop!!!