Cast iron rehab


 
Frank H

Frank H

TVWBB Gold Member
Gentlemen ,
inspired by several of you , I have decided to appropriate one of 4 small cast iron skillets that have been languishing unused in the kitchen cabinet. This one is the furthest gone and I can't see anyone objecting if I take it to use on the grill and/or smoker.

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i know from my reading that this is a good pan , but it's suffering from neglect and I'd like to get it back in the lineup.
so...how to proceed?

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Thanks in advance for any guidance.
 
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I have done this with a few pans i have. Not in that shape though. My tip would be to clean it out with some kinda steelwool. Bake it in the oven with a thin layer of oil. Time/temps i guess some one else can help ya with. I just followed some tube clips. I have tryed it on the stove aswell,but with various resaults. Look @ youtube for some tips. Good luck and pls report back. I need to do another run on my pans.
 
I was given some cast iron that makes yours look new. They were severly abused. Inspired by the "cleaning" instructions by Weber for their gas grills, I removed the grates on my 670, fired up every burner and laid those skillets right on the flaverizer bars with the lid closed. After 30-45 minutes, if I remember right, they were overed with grey ash. Just like cleaning the grill grates. A quick wire brushing, that scarilly easy, I was left with brand-new looking cast iron. Just re-season and enjoy.

-rog
 
Frank, that's a very nice CI. I've always seasoned my pans on a wood cook fire. I'd steel wool out the rust, give it a good rubbing with Crisco and put it right over a wood cook fire for about 20 - 30 minuts. Let it cool then wipe it off. Should be back in shape and ready for some cooking.
 
I used a small plastic trash can with a lye and water mix, leave the pan in for about a week. Heed all the cautions on the lye, it is some nasty stuff. Clean with soap and water, then coat with flax seed oil and oven bake at 500 for an hour, recoat as necessary.
 
I had a CI grill pan that was not quite that bad. I poured in some good old Coca Cola,let it sit for about an hour,the cleaned it with steel wool. Wiped it clean,and reseasoned it on my OTS for about 45 minutes. Good as new!
 
Well! Lots of good ideas to try. I think I'm gonna try the coke tonight! Thanks all.
 
you'll be surprised - that one really isn't that bad- It looks like someone attempted to clean it one point but didn't finish. You are correct, That is a good one. Good luck!
 
Peter Gallagher said:
you'll be surprised - that one really isn't that bad- It looks like someone attempted to clean it one point but didn't finish. You are correct, That is a good one. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Not that bad...my wife said the same thing! She took it and hit it with the metal scrubber (chore girl) and some powder grit cleaner....scrubbed it good and gave it back to me. All I could say was "thanks , hon. " I scrubbed it a little more just so I could say I had a hand in it , but I put some bacon grease in it and cooked my eggs this morning and they slid out like the best non stick ever. I think this pan is going to be my go to on the smoker to smoke me some taters! Crash hots anyone?
 
Looks good. I put vegetable oil on my cast iron and then put them on my OTS until the charcoal goes out. It seasons them and keeps the burning oil smell out of the kitchen.
 
I had a Wagner that was rusted and pitted. I used my angle grinder with a sandpaper disk and ground, sanded whatever the pits out of it. I used a wire brush to clean up and the sides of the pan, seasoned it and back to new. It's amazing to see the difference in the Cast Iron formulas between foundries. The stuff from Asia offered today is much more course by comparison to some of the old foundries that were in existence years ago. Lodge is not bad but by no means like some of the castings in years gone by.
Save old Iron!
 
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