How To fix: Zap a Dead Cordless Drill Battery (nicad repair tutorial)

Got an awesome cordless drill with dead nicad battery packs and don't want to throw it out? Maybe a welder is the answer you're looking for...
IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRY THIS WITH YOUR OWN BATTERY, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Check out some of my photography:
http://www.woodmanphoto.ca/

Mad thanks to Kevin at http://incompetech.com/ for making his awesome music available for idiots like me to use.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• DIY
• battery
• repair
• cordless
• drill
• fix
• nicad
• zapping
• electronics
• howto
• how-to
• tutorial
• lesson
• instructions
• awesome
• replacement
• pack
• dewalt
• makita
• black & decker
• rigid
• ryobi
• welder
• voltage
• help
• tips
• tricks

[tryin2lhard]

Hey man how long did the battery hold up after this?

Thanks for sharing.

[froshmasta]

@tryin2lhard

I got a few more useful cycles out of it before it needed zapping again and then a few more, etc, etc. The real true solution is to replace the batteries but this works as a stop-gap measure and fun experiment.

[twattyboz]

lol I'm an electrician, and I also kinda expected an explosion. Still I'm well impressed. My main drill (a Makita BHR200) which cost me £510 (about $800) had two batteries go out in the last month (the drill is about 4 years old though) and without it I can earn a wage so my delivery of x2 new batteries at £155 EACH just cfame this morning. Out of interest I just googled and found this video to see what to do with my old dead batts. God to I wish I had seen this £310 (OR $480) Ago Brave man!!!

[froshmasta]

@twattyboz

Hahah thanks!

You're better off in the long run with new batteries but now that you know the trick you might be able to squeeze some extra lovin' out of the old ones as spares or something. Good luck!

[311ozy]

really stupid guy should watch in slow mo its backwards like you'no illusion

[froshmasta]

@311ozy

Except for how the drill is in forwards which can be clearly seen in the video by the forward/reverse selector being in the forwards position. Also the drill went through a chunk of 2x4 in relatively little time in low speed with a metal bit that is as dull as your accusations. So I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.

[froshmasta]

@311ozy

Stupid guy can't understand an optical illusion due to the frame rate of video.

[1995RangeRover]

Thanks for posting I will do just that!!!!

[jeepers2655]

Bob was my Uncle! had 2,named Bob.......LOL

[freevideos051]

@freevideos51 NEVER USE AC!!!! AND A HOT BATTERY IS A BATTERY ABOUT TO BLOW UP, A LITTLE WARM IS OK ALSO THE GAS IN CAR BATTERY IS EXPLOSIVE DO NOT TRY THIS WITH A CAR BATTERY. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE DO NOT DO IT, BE SAFE YOU MAY NEED YOUR HANDS AND EYES!!!

[freevideos051]

yes it works but I used a power supply of 36 volts DC BE CAREFUL THEY CAN BLOW UP!! 

[freevideos051]

@MrILLUMINATING NO! that is 120 Volt AC BOOM!!!

[scooterp21]

You should drill wood at high speed.

[scooterp21]

I ran to the Lowes and bought a welding mask so I could watch the part where you used the welder!

[scooterp21]

So,........... Power Fisting, huh??!!??!!