Salvaging lithium cells out of disposable vapes

That's odd. I wonder what sort of cells they were. Did they have the usual foil construction?

Big Clive

Very interesting. I have a few of these disposable units and found that a few of the batteries wouldn't charge for some reason. Kind of like they're non-rechargeable lithium cells? It's weird.

Dave Frederick

Yeah. His little box had absolutely no charge control for the different cells, but was made as a novelty.

Big Clive

Didn’t Photoninduction show a mysterious small box that could power a standard domestic light bulb, then explained it was all the lithium cells from his disposable vapes he used while quitting smoking wired together.

Phil Collins

This was a really great video.

You're probably saving them hassle by taking the discarded units off their hands.

Big Clive

Just went by a vape shop, and asked the guy if anyone dropped off disposables - he handed me 4... all of them worked! I dismantled the one non-rechargeable (which had a li-poly 1000mAh cell) and am charging the 3 that have a micro-usb. Intend to clean out the nico-death solution and use something more benign... or repurpose totally.

Russell Levine

"Drug" delivery thing = DEMONETISED

Anton

I thought most of the vaping channels had been demonetized and relied on paid reviews. Maybe they've changed that. If they restrict the advertising on this video it will be interesting to see if and what adverts do show.

Big Clive

I gave it a wipe with some alcohol. It might be worth wearing gloves if desired.

Big Clive

The first Ruyan electronic cigar may have been ultrasonic, but the heated wick makes much more sense for a thick fog.

Big Clive

Back when disposable film cameras were popular I used to harvest the AA batteries out of them before sending them off to be developed, they were always around 90% capacity once the camera was used up. There was also this bizarre transitional period were you could buy disposable single use digital cameras and some clever people figured out how to hack the firmware to make them work like a regular, if somewhat shitty, digital camera - I gave them to my kids after pulling the pictures off them.

Chris Horry

That's crazy talk! His hands are the stars of the video! :D

Pittsburgh Flip

I've never seen one in the street, which probably implies that i should take more walks. Related, I was inspired into seeing is i could take the guts for the airwick ultrasound device and make a (ultra)sonic version of these devices. Since the voltage range worked down to 3V, it could take a single standard lithium.

Pittsburgh Flip

That aluminium one is crying out to hacked into a torch. I've seen these on the floor while out walking my dogs before and not realised what they were. Just got back from walking them now and collected one in a poo bag for dismantling later. How did you sterilise them ?

I used to fear getting nic on my hands. I worked in a vape shop for a while and always wore gloves. I work with 100mg/ml, which is pretty much the highest concentration that anyone works with. Mind you, no one vapes with concentrations that high. The highest I think you can legally get a vape is 50mg, but that's different. Those are using nic salts, which don't burn as badly when you inhale and those produce so much less vapor than the old school "mods". I dilute my own to less than 1mg/ml, tapered down from 3mg/ml. Nowadays, I don't worry so much. I've gotten it on my hands and the worst thing that would happen is if you rubbed your eyes. Just wash your hands off. Nic itself is not a carcinogen. It is definitely an irritant, though.

Dave East (boctok55)

Clive, might be time for a video on how to test batteries and what you use to test them with.

Chris Muncy

I don't get why you think you're not allowed to talk about vapes, when there's at least a dozen well-monetized channels that only review these devices and don't do any weird word games..

WooShell

Indeed, 'Knickers' and 'Teen' might set off a whole different set of YouTube alarm bells!

Eddie C

Does seem shockingly wasteful I am surprised that environmental groups aren't up in arms. Love the "traditional alternatives" euphemism. Would just "our friend Nic" work for that old villain, perhaps rather than having to mention knickers?

nowt

Maybe wear some protective gloves in case of spillage? Just a thought.

Tokkan FX

Very useful tip, especially as I bought a shed load of charge controlers off fleabay when stuff from China was dirt cheap and VAT free ( they were 10 for 99p post free!!... ahh the good old days! )

Mike Hughes

I'm kind of shocked, not surpised mind, just shocked at how wasteful these gadgets are...

Rik Kershaw-Moore

and possibly demonised as well...

Rik Kershaw-Moore

Would LIBERATE work instead of FREE? I wonder whether one could be turned into a rechargeable pocket LED torch, or a car door keyhole unfreezer.

Ymir the Frost Giant

Yeah, maybe that was a bad choice.

Big Clive

Ummmm ... a quick google of "Knicker-teen" is NSFW ... teen panties anyone? ahahahahah

Peter Stevens

Big Clive must have thinking abut those Japanese vending machines 🤣

Shorty

I used to harvest 18650s out of old batteries from video production gear (v-mount batteries were usually good for 8 cells each or so). Be careful with knicker teen. That might get you demonetized for other reasons.

The Griffiths Family

Teen knickers...How is that not a trigger.... 🤣

I try and do the exact same thibg with salvaging them batteries.... Got quite a collection by now...

Death wish?? 🤣

Can we see one of those cells charged with 240v AC?

Mark Trombley