Spent the better part of the day sorting and rendering. Made it down to the halfway mark on the drum, so about a third of the weights. Got past the first layer and the steel has eased up. Did find a big stash of zinc weights that are similar in size and weight and all the same brand. Make me wonder if they were dregs from a closed up tire shop. Still a truck weight here and there, but no motherlode yet. Took approx 200 lbs of steel weights and clips from the drum, plus 60 or so lbs from previous melts/random scrap and traded it for, you guessed it, more lead! This time I went for some lead roofing and pipe @ $.60/lb since it still sounds like a fair deal. Based on today's work, I'm pretty sure I am going to come out better than 50%, unless there is an ugly surprise in the bottom of the barrel. I'm pretty sure it is the same barrel that has been at the yard for several years, so age is on my side.
I was going to scrap the Tonka truck, but then decided it would make a fun pellet gun target!