JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 12, 2018 19:50:07 GMT -5
Been watching for some cast iron cookware at swap meets, yard sales, etc. Found some today. Interested in learning what I should do to clean them prior to use. They were fairly rough when I brought them home, but a few had a heavy layer of oil/grease inside. A couple had some rust. I washed them with dish soap, hot water & a nylon type scrub brush. Then I dried them, warmed them & oiled them with olive oil & bacon grease. Here are a few pictures.    |
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 12, 2018 19:54:10 GMT -5
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JM
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Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 12, 2018 19:56:46 GMT -5
I think the lack of identification on the few & the rust is what concerns me the most.
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 12, 2018 22:36:02 GMT -5
So... After several hours I have determined that the Lodge ribbed skillet, stinks.
It gives off a very strong metallic smell & is now in the garage.
Any idea on what causes this?
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Post by sixshot on Apr 13, 2018 12:54:35 GMT -5
JM, nice find! Yard sales are a great place to look for cast iron gear, I found that out a long time ago. Many times you don't see it but just by asking, sometimes the people will say, ya, I've got some old dutch ovens, etc. Looks like you got some nice stuff that should clean up real nice, most times just scrubbing with coarse salt will clean it up along with hot water, etc. If you have rust, even heavy rust you can still save it. Just find someone who has a sand blaster & they will take it down to bare metal & then season it real good, maybe even twice & it will be like new.
I have a really old cast iron muffin maker that has to be 70-80 years old & has to weigh 12-15 lbs! It's the thickest cast iron I've ever seen. It had heavy rust all over it when I got it & I took it to a body shop that had a sand blaster & it cleaned up really good & I used it for a year or so but it was so heavy I just started using it for an ingot mold. Makes about 3 lb ingots.
Those you have that have no name on them, I have no idea, I doubt they are foreign made, looks like good quality & the one with the bad smell, I would sand blast it also & then re-season it & start over. Let me know how they clean up for you, I think you hit a home run with what you found!
Dick
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Post by sixshot on Apr 13, 2018 12:57:07 GMT -5
Forgot, I've also used a heavy power grinder with a wire brush attached, that also cleans them up. Used one we had at work & it cleaned up real good.
Dick
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 13, 2018 15:21:48 GMT -5
Dick,
Thank you. I was wondering about some form of media blasting. This morning I added some bacon grease & placed them in the oven for an hour at 375 degrees.
They look better, but there is still some uneven coloration. There are a few places that look like there may have been a layer of seasoning that has peeled off previously. Plus they still have a strong metallic smell.
I'll look into having them blasted. Is sand blast the most preferred media/method?
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Post by squawberryman on Apr 13, 2018 15:25:00 GMT -5
A right angle die grinder on an air hose with the 2" red pads works great. Original use was cleaning engine blocks and cylinder head bases. Takes some of the rough out along the way. Slicker means less sticking.
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 13, 2018 16:34:37 GMT -5
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jsh
.327 Meteor
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Post by jsh on Apr 13, 2018 16:46:28 GMT -5
The one that has an odor, put some water in it and boil it, add some more water if necessary.
I loaned out a Dutch oven some years back. Got it back and it was all cleaned up,outside, I never took the lid off. Fast forward a few weeks, I swore I had a dead critter of some type in the basement. I moved a lot of gear around and did some vacuuming, no dead critter. Odor was still around but not as bad.
Maybe it's in the pantry, cleaned that out and nothing.
Looked in more gear thinking I may have left some kind of fish bait out. Nothing.
Got a call from a buddy that wanted to camp overnight and do some cooking on an open fire. Grabbed the Dutch oven and up stairs I go. I often put things inside the pots to cook with, seasonings, flour, lard etc. Opened that Dutch oven up and OMG! Make a fly eat a salad. I have no idea what it was originally but it was for sure a science project now.
Cleaned it out and boiled it on the stove. Still no luck. Wire wheel on the grinder and put a new season on it, still stunk. Boiled soapy water in it over an open fire, rinsed, boiled with clean water. Stank was gone and fried bacon in it the next AM.
I don't loan my dog, cast iron ware nor my meat grinder.
Jeff
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 13, 2018 19:02:53 GMT -5
Managed to identify one of the "no-name" skillets.
It looks like it was made by 'Birmingham Stove and Range' sometime after 1968.
Size #8 - 10 5/8"
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Post by sixshot on Apr 13, 2018 22:00:03 GMT -5
If it's American made it's good stuff! All the foreign stuff I've seen was rough & uneven, not worth it.
Dick
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Post by cherokeetracker on Apr 13, 2018 22:07:51 GMT -5
Congratulations on the cast iron. For the little griddle or pan why don't you try the Flax Seed Oil, seasoning. Sand it smooth first with Emory cloth and then season it. It might take 6-8 times but it will be very slick, and Pancakes will never stick.
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Post by Robster on Apr 14, 2018 9:09:54 GMT -5
Awesome collection you now have. unless cracked or warped, you can always salvage cast with a good cleaning or sandblasting and a re-seasoning. best thing to do with it is use it. a lot. just wipe clean with a paper towel or rinse out with a green scrubby then back on the stove to dry out the last bit of water. add a little oil/grease of our choice, heat until it just starts to smoke then turn off burner and let cool. ready for the next meal.
Sixshot, what is your experience with tomato based foods in your cast? I find that cooking/simmering sloppy joe or chili with tomatoes or any tomato based foods ruins my seasoning.
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JM
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,428
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Post by JM on Apr 14, 2018 9:15:35 GMT -5
Awesome collection you now have. unless cracked or warped, you can always salvage cast with a good cleaning or sandblasting and a re-seasoning. best thing to do with it is use it. a lot. just wipe clean with a paper towel or rinse out with a green scrubby then back on the stove to dry out the last bit of water. add a little oil/grease of our choice, heat until it just starts to smoke then turn off burner and let cool. ready for the next meal. Sixshot, what is your experience with tomato based foods in your cast? I find that cooking/simmering sloppy joe or chili with tomatoes or any tomato based foods ruins my seasoning. Thank you. I've been reading up & learning all I can. Supposedly tomato & other acidic foods tend to remove the seasoning. |
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