This was a kit sold for children 12 and up, which let them create metal soldiers and other figures. The kit included a crucible, a heating unit, and lead ingots that you would melt in the crucible, to then pour the molten lead into molds.

I assume you could then paint the resulting figures, if you wanted.

Here is a photo showing those components. The crucible and electric heater are on the right. I suppose(?) you would file or trim away the flashing and pour-funnel from the final cast figure, but this photo shows the result straight out of the molds.

Ages 12 and up.

Age 13 is an excellent age to work with 350 degree C neurotoxins!

Naturally!

I wonder about the exposure of playing with this, and how it compared to other sources at the time, like lead paint, lead gasoline, lead pipes, etc.

My guess is that the leaded gasoline was a bigger contributor than kits like this. As you would almost always be breathing in the lead smog.

Yeah, seems likely. Lower level but constant exposure from that, and directly into the lungs, too.

I bet this kit could vary a lot, depending on just how you played with it. Like did you have your head over the crucible inhaling fumes, or off to the side? Did you wash your hands after handling the figures and before eating food? Etc.

And 50 years later, we got Trump.

I would bet the difference is mainly between who chewed on their toys versus not, who washed their hands before eating with their hands versus not

I think lead gas by far for the reason the other person mentioned. Everyone got exposure by existing and breathing.

With other stuff, it depends on your interaction with it. Lead paint was and still is pretty safe unless you sand it and breathe it in which is unfortunately easy to do in that context, or it flakes off and you're a kid who likes the sweet tasting corn flakes made of wall.

These toys were probably fine if you had air circulation, didn't chew on your toys, and washed your hands before you ate. But there of course were kids who probably thought it was funny you could dent them by biting them...

I think this is one of the cases where it is called "lead", but is actually tin. The photo looks very much like molten tin as well.

From the age when all dads smoked pipes. And dangerous toys for children were the norm.

That seems possible.

I did some searching and there are sites that claimed the metals used in home casting kits varied, and were often an alloy of tin and lead, but could also be pure lead, pure tin, pewter alloy made without lead, or some kits would also use molten plastic.

So through history it sounds like it varied a lot as to materials.

Don’t forget lead gasoline of course!

Always thought it would be cool to make a chess set out of a low temperature melting metal alloy so when you take one of your opponents pieces, you could melt it in warm water, and then when you want to play again, you recast all of your pieces.

Why use their boring molds? Why not make a Bugblatter Beast?

We stick lead on exterior parts of houses. Just don't lick it

The texture is pretty close to the cooled molten solder used in electronics, which is made of lead and tin

It's a pity that it's toxic, because it looks really fun

Lead really is fantastic, apart from how it kills you. It's ugly gold.

So the whole set is a guy stabbing the other one in the dick with his bayonet and a Nazi with binoculars. Pure childhood delight.