40 More Handy Tricks

Step 34: Turn AA batteries into C cells and D cells

An AA battery is the same height as a C cell or D cell.
Just wrap some cardboard around the AA battery so it's the right diameter. Here I use cardboard strips cut from milk cartons. I fasten them with tape or rubber bands.

New rechargeable AA batteries have plenty of power to run devices that used to require the bigger batteries.

I've seen commercial C and D cell batteries that are merely AA batteries with a plastic tube around them to bulk them up.

The green rechargeable on the right is a NIMH bulk cell removed from a laptop battery. It didn't have a nipple on the positive post. So I punched a disk from a penny and soldered it on the positive post.
Now it's the right height and works fine.

Comments

[arpruss]

While this is great advice for turning AAs to Cs, Ds require more work as they are longer, I think.

[abailey mobley]

yep. you're absolutely correct.

[abailey mobley]

Okay, so my son needed some D batteries for a Hotwheels track thingy. Of course we had none. I got so excited when I remembered that someone pinned this blog. I found the pin on Pinterest and clicked to come to this blog. I them cut up the cardboard, all to no avail. AA batteries are the same height as Cs, but NOT Ds!!

[Tekgno]

Just wondering if a film canister has the right dimensions to do the job?