also your date mark and
what was done to the battery. By doing this, you will always be able
to settle disputes that may arise, as you will know when you repaired
the battery, and what was done.

To go one step farther, keep a record of condition of plates, and
number of new plates, if you have used any. Grade the plates in three
divisions, good, medium and doubtful. The "doubtful" division will
grow smaller as you become experienced and learn by their appearance
the ones to be discarded and not used in a rebuilt battery. There is
no question that even the most experienced man will occasionally make
a mistake in judgment, as there is no way of knowing what a battery
has been subjected to during its life before it is brought to you.

Cleaning and Painting the Case

The next operation is to thoroughly clean the case; scrape off all
compound that has been spilled on it, and also any grease or dirt. If
any grease is on the case, wipe off with rag soaked in gasoline.
Unless the case is clean, the paint will not dry. Brush the sides and
end with a wire brush; also brighten the name plate. Then coat the
case with good asphaltum paint. Any good turpentine asphaltum is
excellent for this purpose. If it is too thick, thin it with
turpentine, but be sure to mix well before using, as it does not mix
readily. Use a rather narrow brush, but of good quality. Paint all
around the upper edge, first drawing the brush straight along the
edges, just to the outer edges of rubber tops. Now paint the sides,
ends and handles, but be careful not to cover the nameplate. To
finish, put a second, and thick coat all around top edge to protect
edge of case. Paint will soak in around the edge on top of an old case
more easily than on the body of the case as it is more porous.

Charging the Rebuilt Battery

With the battery completely assembled, the next step is to charge it
at about one-third of the starting or normal charge rate. For
batteries having a capacity of 80 ampere hours or more, use a current
of 5 amperes. Do not start the charge until at least 12 hours after
filling with electrolyte. This allows the electrolyte to cool. Then
add water to bring electrolyte up to correct level if necessary. The
specific gravity will probably at first drop to 1.220-1.240, and will
then begin to rise.

Continue the charge until the specific gravity and voltage do not rise
during the last 5 hours of the charge. The cell voltage at the end of
th