Most Dangerous Toy Ever Made!

OhBee wrote:I'm still casting muzzleloader projectiles with a melting furnace similar to that! And yes some of my lead came from radioactive  shielding where I used to work. But lead does not absorb radioactivity!  Been doing it for decades with no health problems.  Another myth!

Yes, lead itself does not get radioactive. But the reason (as you know) for replacing the lead linings on a reactor periodically is that the radiation, which essentially is particles and energy, makes the lead porous and that reduces its cabability to block radiation.

I would not be surprised if one were able to find trace radiation in the lead salvaged from a nuke plant. Nothing serious I’m sure, probably lower than the radium radiation in those chemistry sets. Pretty sure the lead itself is/was the bigger risk.

Pouring some ammunition every now and then or making soldier figures is probably not a huge risk even for kids, unless you do it every day for several years. I myself use lead-based solder for all my electronics/electrickery hobby work. I was able to buy a couple of pounds ”for professional use only” of proper non-ROHS solder, much easier to handle and the best choice for fixing vintage stuff.