put groups in the boxes. Pour the old
electrolyte out of the jars, and wash out the jars as described on
page 360. You now have the plates in the best possible shape for
handling. Take the boxes containing the plates to the sink. Have the
plate press and the plate press boards ready for use.

If, for any reason, you are called away from your work at this point
to be gone for five minutes, do not leave the fully charged negatives
exposed to the air, as they will become very hot. Cover them with
water. A one-gallon stone or earthenware jar will hold the negative
plates of a 100 ampere hour battery if you nest two of the groups. You
may also put negatives back in jars from which they were taken, and
fill with water.

Now hold a negative group under the faucet, and let a strong stream of
water run down over each plate so as to wash it thoroughly, and to
remove any foreign matter from the plate surfaces. All negative groups
must be handled in exactly the same way so as to get the same results
in each case.

After you have washed the first group, place it on edge on a clean
board with the post down and pointing away from you, and the bottom of
the group toward you. Now insert plate press boards which are slightly
larger than the plates, and of the exact thickness required to fill
the spaces between plates, Fig. 113. For the standard 1/8 inch plates,
a 5-16 inch board, or two 1/8 inch boards should be placed between
plates.

The 1/8 inch boards are actually more than 1/8 inch thick, and will
give the proper spacing. For thin plates, use 1/4 inch boards. Do not
push the plate press boards more than 1/8 inch above the tops of the
plates, and be sure that the boards cover the entire plates. Put a
board on the outside of each end plate of the group. In this way
insert the plate press boards in each of the three negative groups.

Then place each negative group on the lower jaw of the plate press
with the post of each group pointing toward you. Three groups may be
pressed at one time. Bring the top edges of the transite boards flush
with the front edge of the lower jaw of the press, so that no pressure
will be applied to the plate lugs. See Fig. 114. Pressure applied to
the plate lugs will break them off.

Now screw down the upper jaw of the press as tightly as you can with
the handwheel, so as to put as much pressure on the plates as
possible. Leave the plates in the press for about five minutes. Then
remove them from the p