Griswold #10 - Is there hope for this pan?
- Thread starter johnniegold
- Start date
[/URL
[/URL
[/URL
[/URL
[/URL
[/URL
[/URL
[/URLHope is intact. Run it in either a clean cycle on the oven or heat it up in a fire- this will ash off most of the flaking old seasoning. Follow that with some steel wool to debride the rust from it. Reseason with bacon grease or some vegetable glop if you don't eat meat.
I've restored far worse Cast Iron.
If you were asking if you could salvage the existing seasoning- no, it needs the reworking described above.
I've restored far worse Cast Iron.
If you were asking if you could salvage the existing seasoning- no, it needs the reworking described above.
- Thread starter
- #3
What do you think of the damage in the next to last photo?
Last edited:
It looks to me that your concerns are all related to what's left of the seasoning. Strip it and then you'll be able to see if there is missing iron. The surface rust will scrub off.
I had a cast iron pot that looked worse but came out fine.
I had a cast iron pot that looked worse but came out fine.
Last edited:
I agree with Taproot and _JP_ . That mostly looks like carbon buildup to me. Clean that off and you will have a better idea of the situation. I've been amazed by how well similar skillets have cleaned up for me.
This is a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black! That is a great score.
It should come out fine. Oven cleaner and shove it in a garbage bag over night should improve it tremendously.
It should come out fine. Oven cleaner and shove it in a garbage bag over night should improve it tremendously.
+1 on the ovencleaner.
I bet there's a fine pan beneath the ugly surface!
I bet there's a fine pan beneath the ugly surface!
I agree with Jim on this one. I never took any pictures, but my grandmother's old Griswold was in much worse shape than that. I sprayed it down good with oven cleaner and shoved it in a plastic bag as Jim described. It came out great! Several hours of soaking in a vinegar and water solution as well as some work with an SOS pad took care of the rust. After seasoning with shortening in the oven it's as good as new.
I'm still looking for an old cast iron skillet that is orange with rust so that I can try the electrolysis suggestion.
Even though I have never restored an old cast iron pan myself, I would have to agree that the OP's pan can definitely be saved. Surface rust is usually not nearly as bad as it looks. Iron expands in volume ~9x when it oxidizes. So, losing just one hundredth of material will make for a really intimidating tenth of rust!
I had a really crusty one that oven cleaner just wouldn't get it all, even after scrubbing with steel wool. After reading up on restoring old cast iron pans, I noticed a repeated warning on care and cleaning afterwards. "Do not use dishwasher detergent, it will strip the seasoning off the pan!" Guess what I used to get the really stuck on parts with. I rubbed the pan down with liquid cascade, put it in a trash bag just like the oven cleaner method, that pan wiped clean with a rag the next day. Have fun with it.
- Thread starter
- #12
The pan has received a heavy spraying with oven cleaner and is resting comfortably in a plastic bag. It will remain there until tomorrow and then we will see what type of results we get.
Everyone is correct when I got one of my GGrand mothers and it was covered way worse than yours. Yours will be fine after it's over night Ez Off in a plastic bag.
That will be one fine skillet. I own one Griswold and it is a gem.
Try organic flax seed oil to reseason. About six coats and nothing will ever stick.
Try organic flax seed oil to reseason. About six coats and nothing will ever stick.
- Thread starter
- #15
Ok. This is where I'm at. I tried an electrolysis set-up but I used a small trickle charger and that didn't work. Next, it went into a plastic bag after being sprayed with oven cleaner and although that took off loads of grime, there was still a lot of work to do.
Today, it got the wire wheel treatment and that really got things going. I also used sandpaper on a lot of areas too. Now, I gave it another spray with oven cleaner and it is in a plastic bag until tomorrow. After that, a little more of the wire wheel, a little more sandpaper. It might need an apple cider vinegar bath as well to get the rust out of it.
The pan is definitely shaping up. It is a lot of work but indeed a labor of love. I will snap some pics tomorrow as post them ASAP.
Today, it got the wire wheel treatment and that really got things going. I also used sandpaper on a lot of areas too. Now, I gave it another spray with oven cleaner and it is in a plastic bag until tomorrow. After that, a little more of the wire wheel, a little more sandpaper. It might need an apple cider vinegar bath as well to get the rust out of it.
The pan is definitely shaping up. It is a lot of work but indeed a labor of love. I will snap some pics tomorrow as post them ASAP.
You do know that you don't need to do anything other than us it don't you?
Many of the "restorers" use a lye solution to remove the decades of "patina"
I find it completely unnecessary as the cooking surface is ALWAYS presentable. It's just the sides and outside that has the caked on "bits"
If you want a new pan, just go out and buy a new pan, don't destroy an old one.
I've been using cast iron pans for over half a century. Many I own have much more caked on "trash" than the one in your pics. I have several 19th century gate mark pans with 150 years of "crud" on them that I would never touch.
What you are doing is like taking a nice nickle plated razor and stripping it down to brass to make it "cleaner"
You might want to sign up on one of the cast iron forums but DON'T tell them what you have done unless you want to be kicked off after your first post and talked about for weeks
Many of the "restorers" use a lye solution to remove the decades of "patina"
I find it completely unnecessary as the cooking surface is ALWAYS presentable. It's just the sides and outside that has the caked on "bits"
If you want a new pan, just go out and buy a new pan, don't destroy an old one.
I've been using cast iron pans for over half a century. Many I own have much more caked on "trash" than the one in your pics. I have several 19th century gate mark pans with 150 years of "crud" on them that I would never touch.
What you are doing is like taking a nice nickle plated razor and stripping it down to brass to make it "cleaner"
You might want to sign up on one of the cast iron forums but DON'T tell them what you have done unless you want to be kicked off after your first post and talked about for weeks
- Thread starter
- #17
What you are doing is like taking a nice nickle plated razor and stripping it down to brass to make it "cleaner"
You might want to sign up on one of the cast iron forums but DON'T tell them what you have done unless you want to be kicked off after your first post and talked about for weeks
That's the effect I am going for.
As for being kicked off a cast iron forum... I been thrown out of better places than that.
That's the effect I am going for.
As for being kicked off a cast iron forum... I been thrown out of better places than that.
You do know that the old cast iron pans came in a nickel plated finish also? Some were even colorfully enameled in bright orange, pale yellow, and pale blue with white enameled interiors. I have a couple of them and the nickeled ones are shiny enough to use the back of as a shaving mirror.
Use the liquid dishwasher detergent, it'll get you down to raw metal overnight. Just scrub it with a rag or nylon abrasive pad after soaking it. I like to strip my old cast iron finds back to unused condition, that way I know how it was seasoned. Probably unneccesary, but it makes me feel better about using them. Besides, it gives you an excuse to cook lots and lots of bacon!That's the effect I am going for.
As for being kicked off a cast iron forum... I been thrown out of better places than that.
- Thread starter
- #20
If you think I'm going to cook on top of someone else's bad cooking... 
Heck, they didn't even know how to take care of the dang pan.
Heck, they didn't even know how to take care of the dang pan.
