Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I have a set of 14.4 volt Firestorm cordless tools from Black & Decker that came with just one battery pack (HPB14)  for all four tools (circular saw, reciprocating saw, drill, and flashlight) but fortunately, I already have two of the same courtesy of my two other drills so I have three batteries to power all. I could finish whole projects with more than enough battery life to spare for the first couple of years I had them, but over time, as with all battery packs, they've held less and less charge until no charge at all.

Buying a new set of batteries would have been an easy solution, but I decided to try my hand at repacking my existing batteries. I mean how hard could it be to disassemble a pack, solder, and test? It would be more economical, and friendlier to the environment since I'm reusing most of the components and reducing waste. I got one of the two failing batteries and disassembled it to find the size and type of batteries I needed. Sub-C batteries fill the cavity of the pack, 12 of them sum up to 14.4 volts that hold 1800 mAh (milliamp hours) of power. I bought 24 pieces of the same size Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries off eBay but went for the 2800 mAh ones so the batteries would last longer between charging sessions.  

When the batteries came, I took out the old ones from the pack, put in the new ones following the same orientation of positives and negatives, and crimped and soldered the tabs. After testing with a multimeter to confirm the voltage, I re-placed the insulation pads and reassembled the battery. Fortunately, the Black & Decker slide batteries are user-serviceable as it's a law in the States (I think) that such battery packs be sealed with screws and not just glued together.

In the end, I now have two very strong "like new" batteries to power the tools I need when I need them. I'm now planning on repacking the third one as it's also showing signs of giving out. Maybe I'll make a video of the process when I do and not just pictures like now. To complete this little earth-friendly exercise, I am now in the process of inquiring where to dispose of the old batteries so they can be recycled or whatever they do to old batteries. I know regular batteries can be thrown with the household trash, but not so with Ni-MH ones. For now, I'm keeping them in a box until I find out where to bring them.