For anyone who is wondering how it works, the lye is breaking the grease up into fatty acid salts and glycerine via a reaction called saponification; this is the same reaction used to make lye soap. The bath should last quite a while, since pure lye can saponify several times its weight in oil.
You are correct in the fact that Blacklock / Lodge Company used raised numbers and letters however I've never seen a Lodge with a raised number, solid heat ring or that v shaped handle. That would be traits of Birmingham Stove & Range to have that style handle and the solid heat ring. However I've never seen a raised number on a BSR. That's what makes these old skillets fun is trying to find out where they came from. Whoever made it it's a fine 100 year old piece to have in your collection.
Disagree. No question a Tyvek suit and and rubber galoshes would be ideal (I own both). But absent that, I'll take bare feet and shorts over boots and jeans any day. Same goes for shorts. Easy to irrigate and flush bare skin with a hose nearby. Get a splash on your shin wearing jeans and boots, now you have to untie the boots and then strip boots, socks and jeans--all while the lye is causing contact burns. #1 issue is the eye protection.
You might want to try electrolysis method as well. just google it . Been using it for several years. . Its washing soda, a 12 volt power source { I use a battery charger} and a tub to hold the item to be cleaned.
@@mrsseasea I don't know about the raised number on the handle, but the handle looks like a BS&R. I would like to see another Lodge with a handle with a ridge on the underside. The handle also looks to thick to be a Lodge.
Nice video. Go GI Jane! A good user friendly mix is 1 pound per 5 gallons of water. More lye equals more aggressive and shorter wait time. 5 gallon bucket perfect for small stuff. For larger applications I use heavy guage plastic Stanley 037025H 50 Gallon Mobile Tool Chest. Ratchet strap snug around the top to keep tub closing and latching easily. Pad lock for kiddos. A pond heater keeps water water at 100 deg. Bailing wire for easy part removal. 50 gal bucket of lye for 105.00 from Duda energy. Must use plastic container. No aluminum parts - ie gas stove burners heads will vanish. Dispose out back on gravel driveway. Good for 1 year.
I’m really glad you didn’t splashing on your feet. You should really wear some shoes with that Kostic Kwvi I’m worried that someday you’re going to splash on yourself and get terrible burns. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration.
I was hoping for the facts, ratio of lye to water not so much talk most of it straight forward except what is the ratio and then you say oh just add a little bit ?
I love it, bare feet and one glove 😃. True you do need to be careful with lye, but it's not going to strip meat to the bone if it splashes on you; just wash it off quickly. It's at its most dangerous when the water is hot, just like any steaming hot water would be.
Alice Chan I called the city and they referred me to the appropriate department who then told me where and how they would like it disposed of. It’s the same place they accept used car motor oil and other such stuff.
""It must contain Sodium Hydroxide""? Lye is Sodium Hydroxide. I liked your video. I have several nice cast iron frying pans, a grill,and a pan that make pancakes . Some were used by my Great grandmother. They are in excellent shape but have developed sone crud on the outside that is hard.
After soaking for a couple of hours, mine (a lodge) started to lose it's seasoning, and it's metallic with black specs in the pores. Should I wait for the lye to dissolve that too, or just scrub it off with some salt, water and vinegar?
What if you use a product that contains lye but it also has other ingredients. Is it still safe to use as a lye bath? The product I have is Zep Crystal Heat Drain Cleaner. Is this ok?
lye isn't poisonous, it's just caustic (the opposite of acidic), so as long as you neutralize it with an acid, it's fine. some bakers even use a weak lye solution as an ingredient in bagels.
After removing and doing a 50/50 cold water/vinegar solution do you then rinse and scrub with dawn and cold water?! How do you dry off and prepare for seasoning?
Yes. I rinse well and scrub with dawn. I dry it with a towel and then a paper towel to get really dry. Rub with a light coating of crisco and wipe it off as much as you can, as if you didn’t want it on after all. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Once warmed I wipe it again and set it back on the oven for an hour. The first coating of seasoning is then done. I usually do two more.
Mel Hardee It’s the directions I was taught. It has always worked wonderfully. In the end I would guess it might not matter. However it gets cold while leaving the pan in for days. I believe you’d be fine however you start.
Jim Harper I checked with my local water and waste company. They had a disposal area. But yours may not, however they should tell you what is acceptable in your area for disposal.
If you dilute it with about half the amount of cleaning vinegar it's safe to dispose in your garden for example. Or down the drain, it is drain cleaner after all.
@@ThirdStreetKitchen That would be a real drag to have to take that stuff somewhere to dispose of it! It sure does a good job of getting the gunk off the pan, though!!
Overall good video tutorial but you are mentioning safety all through the video and show the google and gloves you should be wearing but then you stand next to the bucket with bare feet while you mix the caustic solution! So protect the stuff above the mixture yet the obvious splash zone(your feet and legs) are exposed....
It looks like a Birmingham Stove and Range skillet except I haven't seen raised numbers on the top of BSR skillet handles. However, I am no expert. Regardless, you have a beautiful piece of useable Americana. You did an excellent job restoring it.
For anyone who is wondering how it works, the lye is breaking the grease up into fatty acid salts and glycerine via a reaction called saponification; this is the same reaction used to make lye soap. The bath should last quite a while, since pure lye can saponify several times its weight in oil.
You are correct in the fact that Blacklock / Lodge Company used raised numbers and letters however I've never seen a Lodge with a raised number, solid heat ring or that v shaped handle. That would be traits of Birmingham Stove & Range to have that style handle and the solid heat ring. However I've never seen a raised number on a BSR. That's what makes these old skillets fun is trying to find out where they came from. Whoever made it it's a fine 100 year old piece to have in your collection.
Yes that is a no notch lodge! I have the 7&8 looking for the 9! great video.
Love the bare feet whilst mixing and adding lye solution and warning and urging maximum safety ! 😃 But very good - thank you ! x
qotu01 Yes. I did note in the video that bare feet wasn’t a good idea.
Disagree. No question a Tyvek suit and and rubber galoshes would be ideal (I own both). But absent that, I'll take bare feet and shorts over boots and jeans any day. Same goes for shorts. Easy to irrigate and flush bare skin with a hose nearby. Get a splash on your shin wearing jeans and boots, now you have to untie the boots and then strip boots, socks and jeans--all while the lye is causing contact burns. #1 issue is the eye protection.
@ILruffian have you ever had lye on your skin? It takes a VERY long time to do anything. Nothing like what was shown in the movie Fight Club.
And one glove. Seriously, so irresponsible.
@@ILruffianshould have vinegar for washing, not water
This is super cool and easy thanks! I just found out the oven self clean method is no good so I'm glad I was pointed in this direction!
You might want to try electrolysis method as well. just google it . Been using it for several years. . Its washing soda, a 12 volt power source { I use a battery charger} and a tub to hold the item to be cleaned.
It’s a BSR. The tell is the sharp edge on the back of the handle.
BSR never had a raised number on the handle. I believe it is a no notch Lodge.
@@mrsseasea I don't know about the raised number on the handle, but the handle looks like a BS&R.
I would like to see another Lodge with a handle with a ridge on the underside. The handle also looks to thick to be a Lodge.
Nice video. Go GI Jane! A good user friendly mix is 1 pound per 5 gallons of water. More lye equals more aggressive and shorter wait time. 5 gallon bucket perfect for small stuff.
For larger applications I use heavy guage plastic Stanley 037025H 50 Gallon Mobile Tool Chest. Ratchet strap snug around the top to keep tub closing and latching easily. Pad lock for kiddos. A pond heater keeps water water at 100 deg. Bailing wire for easy part removal. 50 gal bucket of lye for 105.00 from Duda energy. Must use plastic container. No aluminum parts - ie gas stove burners heads will vanish. Dispose out back on gravel driveway. Good for 1 year.
Thank you for specific information
Thank you, I bought the same lye today.
That pan could be a Birmingham Stove And Range skillet.
Can this work on iron coins?
How many pans can you do at once? In the same solution?
Wow I have a few pans to do ty so much
I have a 20” grill grate. It needs to have a lye bath due to rust. Have a container that will hole it but no lid. Could I cover it in foil?
I’m really glad you didn’t splashing on your feet. You should really wear some shoes with that Kostic Kwvi I’m worried that someday you’re going to splash on yourself and get terrible burns. Thank you for the wonderful demonstration.
Where so you dispose of that lye after that??
Are lye crystals and soda crystals the same? Are lye and soda crystals safe to use on something we cook food?
Will lye remove rust as well?
Unfortunately no. For rust removal use vinegar and dilute it with equal parts water.
What happens if you use hot water?
I was hoping for the facts, ratio of lye to water not so much talk most of it straight forward except what is the ratio and then you say oh just add a little bit ?
How do you dispose of the lye bath solution
@ 777samuraijosh
I was wondering the same thing
Its drain opener so it can be dumped down the drain but be careful so it dont splash.
Pour it over the fence into you neighbor’s yard.
@@tavolo22 haha lol
@@tavolo22
[Laffin'😄]
I love it, bare feet and one glove 😃. True you do need to be careful with lye, but it's not going to strip meat to the bone if it splashes on you; just wash it off quickly. It's at its most dangerous when the water is hot, just like any steaming hot water would be.
What is the best way to dispose of lye bath
Brian Presley. Call your local water district office. They will advise you. That’s what I did. They directed me to a disposal facility.
@@ThirdStreetKitchen Thank you
Since it’s drain cleaner the drain would be a good place.
Is that weed in the white pot?
😂. No.
How many times can you use the bath????
Where do you get your lye? Or helpful hints on good lye that works (Brands). Thank you for your video
I buy mine at ACE hardware but any hardware store should carry it. Just be sure it’s 100% lye.
Thank you
brand doesn't matter. Just be sure it's 100% lye. Buy it at home depot, lowes, any hardware store or large supermarket .
I purchase mine on Amazon and eBay.
How did you dispose of the lye bath water?
Alice Chan I called the city and they referred me to the appropriate department who then told me where and how they would like it disposed of. It’s the same place they accept used car motor oil and other such stuff.
@@ThirdStreetKitchen You may safely pour lye bath water down your household drains. It is drain cleaner.
@@MacWalther THIS. Pour it down the drain! Not worth the danger of driving it somewhere and getting in a crash enroute.
Thank you so much for the Scripture quote.
I am scared of lye (too many kids and pets around here), but damn, it sure did do a nice job..;)
That skillet is strange, it has a BSR handle with a Lodge raised number. Its a Lodge, first lodge design after Blocklock, or in that time.
""It must contain Sodium Hydroxide""? Lye is Sodium Hydroxide. I liked your video. I have several nice cast iron frying pans, a grill,and a pan that make pancakes . Some were used by my Great grandmother. They are in excellent shape but have developed sone crud on the outside that is hard.
After soaking for a couple of hours, mine (a lodge) started to lose it's seasoning, and it's metallic with black specs in the pores. Should I wait for the lye to dissolve that too, or just scrub it off with some salt, water and vinegar?
keep waiting
What if you use a product that contains lye but it also has other ingredients. Is it still safe to use as a lye bath? The product I have is Zep Crystal Heat Drain Cleaner. Is this ok?
Did you end up using it? I'm interested in knowing if it worked
Thank you.
Does this work for removing rust?
No, soak in lye first to remove seasoning, rinse and scrub, then soak in vinegar to remove rust. Rinse and scrub, let dry, then season.
Great method....but you should really wear sneakers to cover your feet to protect them also.
is it not dangerous using lye, since the skillet may absorb it
Yes it is.. not dangerous.
lye isn't poisonous, it's just caustic (the opposite of acidic), so as long as you neutralize it with an acid, it's fine. some bakers even use a weak lye solution as an ingredient in bagels.
After removing and doing a 50/50 cold water/vinegar solution do you then rinse and scrub with dawn and cold water?!
How do you dry off and prepare for seasoning?
Yes. I rinse well and scrub with dawn. I dry it with a towel and then a paper towel to get really dry. Rub with a light coating of crisco and wipe it off as much as you can, as if you didn’t want it on after all. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Once warmed I wipe it again and set it back on the oven for an hour. The first coating of seasoning is then done. I usually do two more.
It's a BS&R
Its early lodge or even late blacklock before it became lodge. BSR didn't have raised numbers
You say use cold water but I've seen other videos that say warm water, I'm confused??
Mel Hardee It’s the directions I was taught. It has always worked wonderfully. In the end I would guess it might not matter. However it gets cold while leaving the pan in for days. I believe you’d be fine however you start.
How do you dispose of the lye solution?
Jim Harper I checked with my local water and waste company. They had a disposal area. But yours may not, however they should tell you what is acceptable in your area for disposal.
If you dilute it with about half the amount of cleaning vinegar it's safe to dispose in your garden for example. Or down the drain, it is drain cleaner after all.
@@ThirdStreetKitchen Lye is drain cleaner. Draino is Lye. dilute it and dump it in the drain.
@@chuckmiller5763 I was thinking that, too, except wouldn't there be a lot of gunk in it? Maybe that could be kinda strained out.
@@ThirdStreetKitchen That would be a real drag to have to take that stuff somewhere to dispose of it! It sure does a good job of getting the gunk off the pan, though!!
Overall good video tutorial but you are mentioning safety all through the video and show the google and gloves you should be wearing but then you stand next to the bucket with bare feet while you mix the caustic solution! So protect the stuff above the mixture yet the obvious splash zone(your feet and legs) are exposed....
Don Paulos True. I did note the bare feet wasn’t a good idea for the viewers.
Lye is sodium hydroxide, it doesn't contain it. It is it.
You have such lovely toes! Excellent presentation. BTW, how do you dispose of the lye solution?
I drop it off at my local disposal place, where oil and used antifreeze can be disposed of.
So it’s ok to use it for drain, as long as you don’t drain it into sewer? 🤔
correct measurements ....1 LB of lye to 5 gallons of water.
1 pound of lye to 5 gallons of water is what I use.
Sorry... but I need to address SAFETY... You're using a caustic liquid solution... wearing heavy rubber gloves... AND ARE BAREFOOT ?😲
excellent point.
Don't get any lye on dem-toes-dere sweetie. [Laffin'😄]
The bottom of the handle tells me it is
It looks like a Birmingham Stove and Range skillet except I haven't seen raised numbers on the top of BSR skillet handles. However, I am no expert.
Regardless, you have a beautiful piece of useable Americana. You did an excellent job restoring it.
Remind me of my high school chemistry teacher goggles gloves but never any shoes. LOL
I question the raised number also.
Bear feet is not really good idea rubber boots would be better
No good to wear rubber gloves and bear feet left exposed