Cast Iron rehab


 
C

C Lewis

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One of my hobbies is to collect old cast iron skillets and restore them. I occasionally see questions about cast iron on here, so I thought that some might like to see a few fairly recent restorations that I did. Two large logo Griswolds, a #3 and a #5, both needing a little TLC.

#3
Griswold 3.jpg


#5
Griswold 5.jpg





Threw them in my lye and electrolysis tanks and got the gunk off, then re-seasoned with Crisbee:

Griswold 3 clean.jpg

Griswold 5 clean.jpg

I should have gotten pics of the inside, but both are completely flat and smooth, with no imperfections. Both of these skillets are from the 1930's, so 80-90 years old, and once cleaned up, are as good as they were back then. I think that cast iron skillets are one of the few items that actually never wear down with age. Relatively speaking they're not really worth a whole lot, (some can be), but I enjoy finding them, seeing what's under the gunk, and bringing them back to life for another generation. We use our skillets every day, some are new Lodges, and others are vintage, one Victor being over 110 years old. Not sure how I got the passion for them, but it's very satisfying to me. Also, with a light coat of bacon grease, makes a mighty mean cornbread. ;)

Thanks for looking-

Charlie
 
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Nice work! I’ve been using oven cleaner for years. Good to see you find Griswold. Here in the North Bay, when you can find pieces but then you wince at the price. I have house full of Lodge, at a wide set of ages.
 
Mark Foreman said:
Nice work! I’ve been using oven cleaner for years. Good to see you find Griswold. Here in the North Bay, when you can find pieces but then you wince at the price. I have house full of Lodge, at a wide set of ages.
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I bought these in a set of 8 different ones for $40 total at a yard sale. Another large logo Griswold #8, a couple of vintage Wagners, and a couple of not-so-vintage (1960-ish) Wagners. All were flat and cleaned up real well.

-Charlie
 
They look beautiful! Your process cleans them up very nicely. I keep searching for older cast iron at garage sales, etc in my area, but nothing ever comes up. Doesn't stop me from continuing to look though.
 
Mark Foreman said:
Nice work! I’ve been using oven cleaner for years. Good to see you find Griswold. Here in the North Bay, when you can find pieces but then you wince at the price. I have house full of Lodge, at a wide set of ages.
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Have you tried the Easy Off Fume Free? It works as well as the Heavy Duty without the fumes and you can handle the skillets without global. Also, you don’t have to use it all at once.
871D36C8-2900-42AF-BE09-47CC2FCBDC23.jpeg
 
KE Quist said:
They look beautiful! Your process cleans them up very nicely. I keep searching for older cast iron at garage sales, etc in my area, but nothing ever comes up. Doesn't stop me from continuing to look though.
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Thank you. Certainly not as many around as there used to be for sure. Quite fun though when you do come across one. I like finding one seriously gunked up and trying to figure out what it is as I'm cleaning the years of seasoning off. Kind of like a scratch off lottery ticket.

Charlie
 
That’s what I use. Spray CI, put into trash bag, wait 24 to 48 hours. Bare iron every time.

The only hard part is once you wash it, you have to get oil on it FAST.

What oil do you use? I use lard.
 
I've reseasoned a couple of my newer lodges. I have a vintage unmarked lodge probably from the 60's it's hard to say, and my grandmother's old skillet. It's a unknown hammered ugly type supposedly from the 30's. I reseasoned that one and had to do the trash bag and Oven cleaner trick about 5 times to get it clean. I was hoping it was something cooler, but evidently people collect them. There's a facebook group and everything. It's in regular rotation. The surface is glass smooth and so is my vintage lodge. I couldn't pass a lie detector test saying the smooth ones cook any better than the newer Lodge, though.
 
Mark Foreman said:
That’s what I use. Spray CI, put into trash bag, wait 24 to 48 hours. Bare iron every time.

The only hard part is once you wash it, you have to get oil on it FAST.

What oil do you use? I use lard.
Click to expand...
Mark, I usually use a product called Crisbee, which is a Crisco and beeswax combo. I prefer another one of their products a little more though called Larbee, which is a lard and beeswax mix. Sometimes though I just use grapeseed oil, and have used canola oil with great results too. Never flax oil though.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I've reseasoned a couple of my newer lodges. I have a vintage unmarked lodge probably from the 60's it's hard to say, and my grandmother's old skillet. It's a unknown hammered ugly type supposedly from the 30's. I reseasoned that one and had to do the trash bag and Oven cleaner trick about 5 times to get it clean. I was hoping it was something cooler, but evidently people collect them. There's a facebook group and everything. It's in regular rotation. The surface is glass smooth and so is my vintage lodge. I couldn't pass a lie detector test saying the smooth ones cook any better than the newer Lodge, though.
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I have both and truly cannot tell the difference. I have a friend who has been collecting Griswold for many years. I do like that they weigh less.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I've reseasoned a couple of my newer lodges. I have a vintage unmarked lodge probably from the 60's it's hard to say, and my grandmother's old skillet. It's a unknown hammered ugly type supposedly from the 30's. I reseasoned that one and had to do the trash bag and Oven cleaner trick about 5 times to get it clean. I was hoping it was something cooler, but evidently people collect them. There's a facebook group and everything. It's in regular rotation. The surface is glass smooth and so is my vintage lodge. I couldn't pass a lie detector test saying the smooth ones cook any better than the newer Lodge, though.
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Dustin,

If you send a pic of the bottom and the handle I might be able to date it for you. What you say is true too, the newer ones cook as well as the old, it's just that the vintage pieces were much thinner and lighter, and heated up a bit quicker. Non-stick wise though, I've found them both the same, but if I had to choose, I'd say that the newer, rougher pans are actually a little more non-stick, and are for sure easier to season.

Hope this helps,

Charlie
 
I'd love to have some vintage Griswolds, but I don't have the space right now. My two newer pans are still maybe 15 years old so maybe I've worn down the surface over the years. I see if I can get a pic of that lodge.
 
Those look fantastic. Great job.
I am just starting to embrace CI for reverse sear and my wife loves to use the few we have around the kitchen. The 12" Lodge skillet fits the Weber GBS well enough, though it sits a bit lower than I would like. Looking for a 12" griddle that will work.
 
I use my big Lodge Chicken Fry pan right in my Genesis. When I make..............................you guessed it......FRIED CHICKEN :D I take out the grates, put a good amount of oil in it, and keep the pan right down on the flavorizer bars. Heat control and distribution in the pan is excellent. If I spill or splash any oil. MEH it's in the grill and contained. I also can do it on the Wolf grill as well. But there I leave it right on the grates as heat output on the Wolf is so great.
 
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