But as everyone has said already, saftey is a BIG concern!!! I fully agree also!

That said, I do alot of unsafe stupid things myself though. Not all of us plan to live to 100 or even want to realy. Myself, I'd rather have fun :)

The auto type batteries are not worth messing with in my opion. The plates are normally to thin and brittle, and just plain junk. I only took apart a couple, years ago, but that was my find. For the big heavy duty deepcycles that may be different, but i have not takin one apart as yet. If the 4 trojans do not come back to useable life, I may take one a part. I will do this with all saftey in mind! I have done lots of harmfull things in my life, construction work re-moving asbestus insulation, walking steel beams high in the air (one job a person fell and died) etc..
 So why would this be any different?

First I would have a container ready to store the acid in. It is not a waste product or eviorment hazzard if you re-use it! It is a hazzard if you spill it on yourself or other things or if you dump it in the back yard or a river maybe, but not if you put it back in a battery!

I have no idea yet how I would open a case. Depends on battery types and such and must be done with re-sealling it leak free in mind. This could be tricky.

Don't grind lead!! Grinding makes lots of dust, you never want that! For the most part to remove and replace lead plates there should not be much hazzards in handling the lead itself. Wear good gloves, don't eat drink or pick your nose while working! Maybe wear a safty mask, use good ventilation. If/When soldering use very good ventilation.
 Don't work in any regularly used areas, no kitchen table, not the family garage, certainly nowhere kids will be around, now or latter.
 Maybe for the ulimate in saftey you could even use a sand basting cabnet with those heavy built in rubber gloves, but that would probably be extreme.

Use a bit more than common sense if you attempt any such work!! Common sense alone may not be enough, so study up on lead itself and other things related like the acid. Take all saftey precausions. Keep sealed water handy by the gallons maybe in case of accident like acid in an eye, and baking soda for any spills, a strong mix of water and soda is good too. Don't breath the fumes when cleaning up a spill!

 I had a brand new deepcycle I spilled in my van on the way home, deer ran out in front of me. I missed the deer by 6"s it seemed and the next day I went to get the battery, well I was suprised to find it on it's side!! Lost all the carpet in the front of the van too! Gallons of soda and water took care of the acid, razor knife took care of the carpet, cut it along the back of the front seat and removed all of it in the front and all the padding under it, it was mush and much disolved!! The fumes were terrible even with the front doors and sliding side door open. Took all day to clean that one spill! Normally I would not carry a battery like that, but you know, stopped at wall-mart and grabed it on the way home late at night type of thing.

As for working with lead itself. Not the safest thing to do, but not as bad as it's made out to be if using good work habbits and you learn what your doing before you do it. I know guys 70's that cast their own lead bullets and fishing sinkers and have done so all their lifes. I knew some pretty old guys that used to do the lead work on the old cars also. None of them have any lead related problems with health, no-one in their families do either. Then there are alot of others who have worked lead far less and have lots of problems.
 I have seen guys working on a car, handle the battery cables, clean posts, put terminals back on, then pick up a sandwich and eat it never washing their hands. Not only yuck, but think of all the lead they were eating!!! Battery posts and terminals are lead and they cleaned them with a wire cleaner even making dust. Them I expect to have lead problems, not because lead is so dangerous but because they are so dumb!!!!

Using lots of smarts and proper working enviromnet, I don't see why taking a battery apart would be any more hazzardous than cleaning the posts and terminals on the car and filling the battery then jump starting the car. People do that all the time when they have a dead battery because they never check the water level. Rarely does the average person even wear gloves while doing it. Lots of lead on the hands!
 Some people do dumb things and eat a sandwich while working, smoke while filling and charging etc.. and they hurt themselfs.

I don't recommend to anyone taking apart a battery, but if your going to do it, be safe about it and know the risks involved and be preparred if an accident should happen. And take a bath/change clothes before playing with the baby or kids!!
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nothing to lose