I ended up selling my equipment before ever really getting started, but my planned method of attack was to make model engine flywheels from pewter and/or lead. I never ended up melting my 1-lb pewter bar and sent it back. However...
I bought a lead melting pot (~$40), and a bunch of lead weights. Look for people selling fishing equipment and you might find a deal - I got a 1-lb ball of lead for a dollar. I played around with kinetic sand for casting, and had okay results. What I should've bought is green sand or Petrobond. These are more suitable for casting than what I was using.
This is what's called a flask. The kit also has a crucible, tongs, and sand to get started.
I got this one below. I am mostly planning on using it to design and fabricate guards and pommels, so it's kind of small. Like the flask is about 4x6x3.5 inches, so can't cast anything huge with it. It's actually not that tough. The longest part of the process was waiting for the print to finish. You're going to need about 8x8 inches of clearance for the crucible if you're planning on smelting in your forge.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RRF399W
Without all the extra url stuff