Cast Iron Restoration

[Jpsmith1]

@Jpsmith1 I noticed you had a negative reaction to this, curious as to why?

For what it's worth, I was a metal fabricator by trade for almost a decade so I could understand how someone without experience damaging their pan might irk you. But I have a couple cheap Lodge casts I was considering sanding smooth and reseasoning. Is there a logical reasoning why not to, or just a personal preference?

Using power tools on vintage iron destroys any collectors value that piece may have. I've seen pieces of iron that should have been worth thousands of dollars that had been ruined by someone with a palm sander or a flap wheel or wire wheel on their grinder

If you want to sand, grind or wire wheel your Lodge piece from WallyMart or Cabelas, have fun, but understand that people who collect iron will hate you if you treat a vintage piece of iron that cannot be replaced anymore the same way.

 

[parshal]

I've used electrolysis on five or six Griswold's. It works great.

 

[reckonill]

I typically have luck with putting in the oven on self-clean..little smokey

 

[RifleDisciple]

I have been using the oven cleaner spray for carbon buildup and vinegar bath for rust. Works well for me, but sometimes it takes quite a few cycles of oven cleaner to get all the buildup. Sometimes I don't get every last flake of carbon off, but that is fine by me. I have had good luck with this method and requires less materials than the eletro or lye baths.

Went looking for #10's on one trip to a huge flea market in TX. Found a Griswold double-skillet covered almost every inch in crud. Few cycles of oven cleaner and they came out great. Top two pictured are the before. Pictured with a #10 Wagner (slight warp), and two #10 BSR's one older possibly red mountain and one newer century series.

Inside of this one had the chrome worn away, which I don't mind since now I can season the inside as usual while having some corrosion resistance on the outside. The bottoms of these had some pitting, so this pair is user-grade, which they are fantastic for. Flat bottoms too!

 

[dlee56]

I have been using the oven cleaner spray for carbon buildup and vinegar bath for rust. Works well for me, but sometimes it takes quite a few cycles of oven cleaner to get all the buildup. Sometimes I don't get every last flake of carbon off, but that is fine by me. I have had good luck with this method and requires less materials than the eletro or lye baths.

Went looking for #10's on one trip to a huge flea market in TX. Found a Griswold double-skillet covered almost every inch in crud. Few cycles of oven cleaner and they came out great. Top two pictured are the before. Pictured with a #10 Wagner (slight warp), and two #10 BSR's one older possibly red mountain and one newer century series.

Inside of this one had the chrome worn away, which I don't mind since now I can season the inside as usual while having some corrosion resistance on the outside. The bottoms of these had some pitting, so this pair is user-grade, which they are fantastic for. Flat bottoms too!

Those are some great finds!

I’ve steered clear of oven cleaner myself, never liked the thought of that stuff finding its way into the food I’m cooking. Sounds like a great option though.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Those are some great finds!

I’ve steered clear of oven cleaner myself, never liked the thought of that stuff finding its way into the food I’m cooking. Sounds like a great option though.

Oven cleaner, specifically the yellow cap EZ off cleaner is just lye. It's soap. Strong soap, but it's soap.

Scrub the gunk off, wash it off, season it and go to town.

I'm close to making a lye tank to go with my e tank to help keep the e tank a little cleaner. Dunk them in lye, then clean them with electrolysis, then season them.

 

[dlee56]

Oven cleaner, specifically the yellow cap EZ off cleaner is just lye. It's soap. Strong soap, but it's soap.

Scrub the gunk off, wash it off, season it and go to town.

I'm close to making a lye tank to go with my e tank to help keep the e tank a little cleaner. Dunk them in lye, then clean them with electrolysis, then season them.

Oh wow that’s great to know, I had no idea!

What ratio are you planning for your lye tank? Sometimes it seems like the etank struggles to get some small pieces of carbon off.