I have just bought a Palmer Hot-Pot 2 and have made the rounds of the hardware stores & home centers (Lowes, etc) and found that no one sells lead. Even their solder is "lead-free." But my wife had the oil changed in her car today and brought back probably about a pound of used wheel weights. I have also bought 8 of the largest egg sinkers our Wal-Mart carries. So what do I need to know about the used wheel weights? I know they have a piece of steel attached and I assume that I've got to fish the steel out of the pot of molten lead. Sounds like fun. Or is there a way to remove them before melting the lead? Also, the weights are not at all shiny as you would expect after being attached to a car rim and traveling thousands of miles on the highways, driveway & back roads of America. Do I need to clean the weights before I melt them, and if so, how do I do that? And if there is some other question that I'm too dumb to ask, supply the answers anyway. Help a newbie out!

Take care

GF