Leon, I use .015" sheet aluminum, although scrap aluminum siding will also work - if you use the siding material, the painted side goes to the outside of the mould. The moulds all have an open top, so for square or rectangular weights, you need to decide which side will be open - the opposite side will be the bottom (you can install these weights with any side as the bottom, but because the molten lead forms a convex meniscus, the top of the weight, when it's poured, will be somewhat irregular.) You can file these weights to make all sides flat, if needed (exercise the usual precautions when handling lead), but for car weights, etc., the convex surface usually causes no problems.
To make the mould, for example, for a 1"x2"x 1/4" weight, you'll need a piece of aluminum 1 1/2"x2 1/2". Measure 1/4" in from each edge, then use a utility knife and straightedge to scribe along these lines, from edge to edge, with the lines crossing near the corners of the sheet - two or three passes on each should do, depending on the pressure applied to the knife. Using tinsnips, cut along the 1/4" line at each corner from one edge only - in other words, cut all of the 1/4" long lines extending from either the long edges or the short edges. End the cuts just short of the point where the lines intersect. Now, using pliers or a hammer and a straightedge, fold the main part of the sides that you cut so that they're at right angles to the bottom of the mould. Next, using pliers, fold the remaining sides in a similar manner - the 1/4" protruding "tabs" are then wrapped around the intersecting sides, effectively closing the sides of the mould. Straighten the bottom and sides of the mould as required, using pliers, then place it, open side up, on a metal surface, and pour the molten lead.
Here is a mould being constructed for a simple weight. Since a scale rule is always at hand, I'm making the mould using HO scale measurements of 3'6"x7'0"x1' high
Laying out the folding pattern:
Rather than cut the pattern from the sheet using tinsnips, I simply score a couple more passes with the knife, then bend the sheet by hand - a couple of bends back-and-forth, and the mould blank will break free:
Use the snips to make the short cuts as shown - I like to make them two per side, on sides opposite one another, as shown. This makes it easier to spread the mould sides slightly when attempting to remove the freshly cast weight:
Here I'm using pliers to bend the sides of the mould into position. The score line can be on either the inside or outside of the mould; it doesn't seem to make a difference:
The protruding "tabs" are bent around the adjoining sides, as shown, then the pliers are used to straighten the mould as necessary:
I make moulds to suit what I need, including a complete set, left and right, to add weights to the underframe of a Walthers GSC flatcar. Here are a few different moulds:
These two sizes are the ones which I use the most. The small one is, in HO scale, 3'6"x7'x1'6" high, and the large one is 7'x7'x1'6"high. Shown with each is a representative lead weight. Depending on how much the mould is filled, the thickness (and weight) can vary. These were filled to the top of the mould, plus a bit extra (the surface tension of the molten lead allows it to "pile-up" higher than the sides of the mould). The smaller of the two is one ounce, approximately, while the bigger one is two ounces.
For a cylindrical weight, I cut a piece of aluminum to the length required, then form it around an object similar in diameter to what's required - it doesn't need to be the exact same diameter. The curved sheet should overlap itself by at least 1/2". Using calipers or a ruler, adjust the diameter by loosening or tightening the "tube", then use some soft wire to form a couple of retaining bands, as shown in the photo.
The weights being made in the above photo have a step in the shape, with only part of the lead forming a full cylinder, hence the oddly-shaped insert. For most full cylinder shapes, you can pour the lead without bothering to make a bottom for the mould - working on a metal surface, simply use channel-locks or slip-jointed pliers to hold the mould upright and in full contact with the metal surface while you pour the lead. The cold surface of the metal will cause the molten lead to solidify almost on contact, preventing leakage.
You can also use pieces of metal pipe as moulds, even leaving the mould in place when the weight is used - the weights shown at the left of the above photo were made in copper water pipe - two are still in the capped pipe, while the other two have had the pipe removed. Usually, the pipe has to be cut away to release the lead weight, and even the sheet aluminum moulds for cylindrical weights are usually good for only one use. The rectangular moulds, however, can be used several times, although the repeated partial spreading and re-closing of the sides to "get the lead out" will eventually fatigue the metal until it breaks.
I hope that this little demonstration will prove to be of use.
Wayne