I thought about this and felt I should add to what I said above.
And that is that not everyone should work with lead.
For instance if you live in an apartment or someplace where it isn't safe to work with lead then you shouldn't.
If you have young children and you cannot separate them from your lead casting area then you probably shouldn't work with lead.
If the only area available to you to work with lead is on your kitchen stove then I recommend you don't work with lead
The ability to safely work with lead means you have an area you can work in that is free of pets, young children, etc.
One that you can properly ventilate.
For me it is my garage.
Others may have a dedicated space in their shop, a work shed, or what have you.
So having a proper place to work with lead should also be a consideration on whether it is safe for you to work with or not.