so i went to some brake places like kauffman tire and others and none of them have any lead they can spare. anybody have any other ideas?

Try your local car dealerships.

I second the local car dealership. I was lucky enough to have a friend who works at the local Infinity dealer. Most car dealerships dont change many tires so it takes them much longer to collect a large amount of lead

infiniti* Infinity makes stereos not cars FYI<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/proud.gif" border=0>

Try your local shooting range.

One of my customer's is a steel supplier. I got 2 piece's that are 8"x11"x2" roughly the same size as a block of photocopy paper for $40. I had a buddy weld a handle on top and had them Rhino Lined. The Rhino guy didn't even charge me to spray them. I just picked up my second pair They probably weigh a good 75lbs each.

lead shot. you can buy 25lb bags at shops that sell shotgun re-loading supplier.

Do you melt the lead tire weights down and make a bar? or do you put them loose in a bucket?

Dave, An 8"X11"X2" block of steel weighs 50lb so unless your handle weighs 25lb you're over estimating the weight a bit. Nickbot, Hard to recommend lead shot as an alternative because at $2/lb it's kind of pricey and if it ever gets loose in your bilge good luck cleaning it up.