3: First Lead Pouring Tests

Have officially poured lead! The cast from the texture mold had about 90% success — some rough edges to the process to work out, but mostly pretty happy with it.

Skipping ahead though, the above is what happens when you accidentally make a tiny thin piece of gold hot enough that it stretches (not melts, but *stretches*) across the top of your lead brick, instead of holding its shape inside said lead like it was supposed to. Note the part at the front where we did the finger scratch test, and yup, there's the gold pulling easily off the lead just beneath. And here's another pic from the side —  

— mostly lead, with the thinnest layer of gold floating on it at the top/right side edge. 

This is an outcome I did not consider, but that's what these tests are for!