This is the first lead acid battery I built.
It is a Plante cell and was constructed from lead bought from the local scrap metal merchants for about 50c.
It has 12 plates measuring 80mm x 55mm.
The separators were taken from an old dead automotive battery and cut to size.
The plates and separator were first assembled into the plastic case then two strips of lead were cut to size to form the bus bars then soldered to the connecting tabs of each plates.

Forming:
I am yet to discover the exact methods for forming a Plante cell but below is the procedure I used.
The cell was charged to 2.50v with a current of 50mA. Then the charging polarity was reversed and again the cell was charged to 2.50v.
This procedure has been repeated about 30 times. See Forming for more info plate formation.

Electrolyte:
The elctrolyte used was 36% sulfuric acid and water. See Electrolyte