The wooden parts, such as boxes and separators are pretty well standardized, can be purchased at reasonable prices and are used solely for replacements. It would not pay the battery man to equip his shop to manufacture any of these items.
Figure 1
The same is true of the rubber parts, the jars and top covers. A dozen different sizes in stock will take care of nearly all the various makes and models of batteries which come in for repair.
With the lead parts, however, the conditions are entirely different. All the active and wearing parts are made of lead, or its compounds, and practically every battery that needs repair, needs some of them replaced. Then again there is a much greater variety in the design of these parts and the up-to-date shop, in order to give real service, must carry a large assorted stock of end connectors, connector straps, plate straps and posts.
In speaking of lead parts, however, the plates are to be considered on the same basis as the rubber parts or wooden boxes, because it would not pay the ordinary battery shop to try and cast grids, mix paste and manufacture plates. It is much more satisfactory to purchase plates made by a responsible manufacturer who has the facilities and capital to properly develop his formulae and processes.
Every battery that has to be opened must have the top connectors drilled off as in Fig. [1], which naturally makes a lot of lead chips. These drillings have to be cleaned off before proceeding with the repair and can, with no loss of time, all be collected, as in Fig. [2], and saved. Then the old sulphated end connectors and parts from “junked” batteries accumulate very fast.
Figure 2
This then is the situation—The battery service station is constantly in need of new lead parts. Should they be obtained from a manufacturer at a price that includes material, labor and the manufacturer's profit—OR—should equipment be purchased that will permit of moulding these same parts from the accumulated scrap lead at a cost of nothing but the time employed in pouring, with no cost for material and no “Profits” added?