Are you making bullets? I have a several pounds of linotype lead stashed from the 80s when I used to work in a print-shop. Haven't molded one in decades though. Keeping the pigs (kind of like a brick) for SHTF or just a rainy day.
Toy soldiers. I have various molds, some old bronze German molds, and modern silicone rubber molds. My favorite subjects are the 18th century, and the Kaiser's Army, so my molds reflect that. 54mm figures, except for the old German molds. Those cast half-round figures that are rather stylized and around 3 inches tall.
Years ago, I met a man at a flea market, who cleaned out old print shops. He sold the trays from printers cabinets for ladies to hang on the wall and fill with little knick-knacks. He also had buckets of type, and some bars of linotype metal. I bought a supply from him, and still haven't used it all up.
The bars were about 25 pounds each, and about 2 feet long. I didn't use those till I had used up the finished type. The finished type was easy enough to use, throwing in a couple pieces at a time. I took me a while to figure out how best to use the bars. I tried cutting off pieces with a hacksaw, but that took too much time and effort. Eventually I got myself some aluminum muffin top pans, and melted the bars down by sticking one end in the pot, and holding the bar vertically. I pour the metal into the muffin top pans to make round pigs that I could add to my pot a couple at a time. They're about the size of our old silver dollars, very practical to use.
As far as the tire weights are concerned, I use them to adjust the alloy, depending on the molds. With my silicone molds, linotype metal works better, because it's formulated for use with mold with fine details. With my metal molds, a little more lead content helps keep the metal fluid till a pour fills the mold.
It's all drop casting, too, just pouring the molten metal into the top of the mold till it's filled. I have though about getting a spin-caster, but I don't really do enough casting anymore to justify that expense.
It's fun to do. And I started as a kid, years ago, making molds of some Airfix figures out of plaster, and melting tire weights over the alcohol burner from a chemistry set. I learned that plaster isn't very good for casting hot metal, since the molds only last a couple of pours. But later I discovered companies who sell molds, and those who would make them. I have not bothered making my own, so far.
