Help: How to / how do you take apart an old battery pack?

[dtavres]

I've got an old battery pack that I want to KEEP in the video camera - but I do NOT want to keep a plastic box full of battery acid (from 30+ years ago) on the camera / in the case / in the car.

Does anyone have tips, or can you share videos / articles on how to open this old battery case WITHOUT destroying it?

Obviously, I can use a cutting tool to crack open the case, but I: 1) Don't want to cut the battery inside; and 2) Don't want ugly melted plastic showing on the edges of the battery case.

Also obvious, I can use a small screwdriver or straight-edge to try to pry apart at the seem, but that (most often) is just as bad as using a cutting tool.

I'm hopeful someone with experience can give some details or links. ("Search for videos" and "just go slow" isn't helpful.)

Thanks for the help.

 

[smithjohnj]

Many battery packs are in plastic holders which are just snapped together during assembly. Finding a seam and using a small screwdriver you may be able to slowly work your way around the pack, unhooking the inside "snaps" until it separates. Other packs may be glued together and some have two-faced tape or other adhesives which hold the batteries to the inside of the pack. Careful and slow progress will probably get the job done. You can find several videos under the topic of opening laptop batteries.

 

[TazMan2000]

I agree. If cracking it open fails, use a small saw to cut a corner. From there you should see the thickness of the plastic and you could saw the sides in a controlled manner. It is doubtful that the internal battery pack is directly in the corner, but don't go hog wild when you cut, just in case it is. Chances are, you may see closed cell foam on all sides to protect the battery if dropped.

Check Google to see to get more info on this battery pack before you start anything. It's better to have all information you can get.

TazMan2000

 

[CZMarty]

If it doesn't want to come apart easily, chances are that it's either glued together or ultrasonically welded instead of using snaps (both for durability and to prevent tampering). Depending on the thickness of the plastic, your best bet is going to be either a surgical blade or a really fine blade in a jeweler's saw. Cutting through is definitely going to be less destructive and cleaner than trying to force the glued/welded joint apart.
You should be able to design some sort of inner frame once the housing is cut in half - modern batteries are bound to be smaller than the original NiCad or NiMH cells, so there should be room to spare.

If you want to give it a go without cutting, I'd suggest prying apart along the seam. Small screwdriver is just going to gouge it to hell, so I would opt for long, thin pieces of spring steel - straight edge, sharpened paint scraper, that sort of thing. Wedge two of them into the gap and then you can wedge them further apart without applying all the force directly to ductile plastic.