battery questions

I roll my own battery packs and normally make them up from

1.2 V NiCd cells that I pull from cordless drills.

Some info here on my web site if you're interested:

I try to use all the same cells when I roll a pack, but have mixed them up in the past.

If the mixed cells have different capacities though, it's easy to end up with HOT packs.

So how to determine capacities for different cells? Charge them up fully and then time how long they last with a given load? Is there an easier way?

Also...

There's a web site here that says you should NOT roll your own NiMh packs.

The author claims that the vent under the + terminal can melt at a lower temperate than regular solder.

Does this sound right? I sent a note to the author asking for some citations but didn't receive any reply.

Thanks for any help. DOC

Buy my junk!