🔵 THRIFT STORE SCORE! How to restore a Cast Iron Skillet - Teach a Man to Fish
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ย. 2024
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This is the DIY restoration of an over 70 year old cast iron skillet thrift store find. It started out as a cast iron carbon caked crusty rust skillet needing care and cleaning and turned into a beautiful usable cast iron skillet restoration to be proud of after seasoning and refurbishing using an electrolysis tank and burning. Great project! It was a total surprise and I was able to date the markings on the cast iron to determine it was a Wagner Ware cast iron skillet manufactured in Sydney, Ohio between 1935-1959.
Amazon Links:
Lodge Maintenance Kit - amzn.to/3vNLQbh
Cast Iron Skillet Set - amzn.to/3LPC4Lq
Lodge Seasoning Spray - amzn.to/3kMIE9S
#teachaman2fish
Recommended Video: How to Perfect Reverse Sear th-cam.com/video/XZlUPe517LE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=pF8sRW9WhduDZ-XT
I have this exact pan with what appears to be the exact build-up on the sides. I had absolutely no idea that electrolysis would work on this type of thing. For 35 years (it was given to my wife by her old boyfriend's father) I've been wanting to do a resto. I will soon assert my cast iron artistry!
I bought the same pan in about the same condition at a thrift shop. Threw it in the oven, ran a self-clean cycle. Came out perfectly clean and ready for seasoning. No harsh chemicals, not scraping, no three day wait. Work smarter, not harder!
That's not smarter, it's pure dumb.
There's risk for warping with that, it does happen. If it isn't a family heirloom or a nice collector's piece, you're right. That is another way if you can deal with all the smoke from the oven.
You mentioned the pitting but not rust in that one area of the pan. It was mentioned by my grandparents that it could be from use on a coal fire directly from sitting on coals that the sulfur would react and create pitting in the pans. Otherwise great find and great restoration of that pan
I agree, the pitting is from using the skillet over high-sulfur coal fires.
That is sulfur pitting from an old gas stove when natural gas wasn't as pure. So that pan is likely toward the older part of the time span where Wagner starting using that logo.
Stargazer is making a machined cooking surface pan now and I think theirs is around $80 and they are a startup.
H2S are being added for smell. Methane has no smell )
Wood stove burning coal causes sulfur pitting. That pan is old!
My understanding according to the smooth surface is, the older cast iron cookware was sanded/polished. The newer cookware isn't. If you compare old to new, you will notice older is lighter as far as weight.
I've read the cookware made after the depression is heavier because companies were looking to cut production costs, so they stopped polishing/sanding the cook surface.
A few modern companies do this sanding process, but to be honest, the new pieces from them cost more than a reasonably priced vintage Wagner or Griswold equivalent.
@@robertsissco2439why can’t someone do it with a random orbital sander and some emery paper pads at home? Genuine question, what’s the risk of doing it to your own skillet?
@wenchmagnet you can, I did exactly this to my lodge skillet and it made a huge difference one it was re seasoned. My advice is to try and burn off as much of the gubk as possible or start with a new pan. That oil residue gets nasty when sanding.
@@DISABLED12-7 There is none, and if you have the time and effort you can do it with sandpaper as well, it will just take time. I have issues with the orbital sander as it can make a piece uneven, but like you said, it is your cast iron and you can do as you like with it.
Awesome find! That cleaned up nice!
Bologna Ring Ranch I found another good found, just posted it today.
I did 3 different Cast Iron Skillets by heating them up in my 3 Burner gas grill for about 45 minutes at 550 degrees Fahrenheit ! Took my Power drill with a cupped bristle attachment . It took off most of the crud and I chipped off the rest . Inside looked pretty good and I brush the inside too . Nice smooth and easy to season . Took all about 2 and a half hours . After cooling the seasoned skillets , I cracked eggs 🍳 and fried them and only had one that stuck a bit and with later cooking sessions they are my favorite pans . I threw all my Teflon pans in the Garbage . Thank you for the video . Buy the way , the Cast Iron pans Smoked almost the whole time on the BBQ grill . Too many years of usage and I couldn’t read the names ; Griswold and Wagner , Scored them for free !
Like I posted on the last one of these, I watch, the easiest way to do. This is to find somebody that has a blast in cabinet for either glass, beads or sand, blast the whole thing down get a wire, brush, brush the thing, smooth, electric wire, brush, and then re-season it. It’s a lot simpler and easier than all these methods I see on TH-cam I’ve done this to at least a dozen.
Great video. I inherited an SK 10 inch cast iron skillet from my wife's stepmother. It has "Made in USA" on the bottom so must be post 1960. Inside flat surface not as nice and flat. Heated in the oven at 450F for an hour to clean then wiped down with oil. Was thinking about super heating it on my grill for a few hours to see if I can get it any better.
I love cooking in cast iron there is something about it that makes food taste and look better.
I agree! You try to explain it to people and if they don't know, they don't understand.
I understand, Stainless and nonstick food is bland...
I am a huge Wagner fan. I consider their open ware the best there ever was. I was also a snob about their finish. That said I have come to really appreciate the Lodge pebble seasoning finish in their pans. I find them to be much more stick resistant than the smooth ones. The old Lodge pans were also smooth finished. My preferences are the Wagner, the BSR, then the Lodge skillets.
I have an 11.5 inch wagner 1859 skillet and that thing is awesome
I was told most modern Iron is rough because of the preseason process. older CI was milled and polished smooth.
Yeah, I've heard that one too. Although it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, the rough finish is just as easy to finish as smooth finish. It seems more logical to me that it is tied to a cost savings in the manufacturing process in some way. I'm sure there are many reasons all going into the reason. It certainly is easier and cheaper to cast a rougher finish than it is to procure higher grade smoother sand for casting.
Scott Graham the guy who told me is also knowledgeable and handles foundry received goods inspections of foundry castings.
I agree sir, and that's a good user skillet for sure, I liked your video, good job on cleaning up that skillet, it was caked up with carbon.
That's what Lodge says. I just think that the machine process to grind the surface smooth is now cost prohibitive. They do a media tumble with steel to get a fairly good finish, but they can't come close to a machine ground finish.
I've heard it's just because the old ones have been worn smooth over time, that makes sense.
I have that exact same skillet with the same markings and use it dang near everyday. I'm almost 60 years old and it belonged to my wife's grandmother, so I'm sure it's quite old.
I use electrolysis to remove rust it works well but I had no idea it would remove the caked up crust on the side of a frying pan? I have put crusty frying pans in a fire place directly in the flames and removed crust from pans and it always works.
Now that is satisfying to watch. I hope to come across old rusted cast iron cookware so that I can restore it.
So much fun too! If you have a passion for old rust iron.
When I moved into my first house there were some old cast iron pans squirreled away that have the old timey, super smooth style finish. No doubt my favorite pan. Hate the new lodge style with the coarse exterior.
I've cleaned up a lot of them in a fire works perfect then season with Cresco and salt rubbed on heavy and baked in oven at 400 degrees about 30 minutes smokes some in kitchen but works well for me not saying that's the way for you but results are good for me
My mother used to clean her gunk coated iron skillet by putting it into her sheet iron wood stove and burning the crud off.
Would be cool to see what the electrical waves look like when removing rust.
When a pan is seasoned properly, the bumpy surface in the interior of the pan, coated with an adequate amount of oil, helps to create very crisp things such as cornbread with extremely crisp bottoms. Fried potatoes can be a delight, too: golden, crispy, almost brittle exteriors and light and fluffy interiors. I've never used another type of pan that could make better cornbread or fried potatoes. But, of course, this is just my preference.
Job well done my man. ...beautiful find for sure
Paul Coyle thanks!
Paul Coyle I just put another very cool find up if you’re interested.
th-cam.com/video/mas5JsppTDU/w-d-xo.html
Here is the video on setting up an electrolysis tank for removing rust and gunk from any cast iron: th-cam.com/video/QyS85AWnWL4/w-d-xo.html
5:49
my sand blaster makes quick work of a skillet like that , makes it look brand new. i would never soak my cooking skillet in a bunch of chemicals
I’ll be looking to pick up some cast iron pans this summer on my road trips throughout British Columbia and Idaho. Are there certain states that have more, older cast iron pans? I’d imagine that California and Nevada would have very old pans from the old Western days.
To be honest, I've done this type of cleaning of cast-iron and it does work well. However, I have found that just using some oven cleaner in a garbage bag and leaving it for two or three days works just as well and is super easy. Grab a garbage bag sprayer cast-iron heavily with oven cleaner stick it in the bag leave it for two or three days. Bring it back out scrub it up and it looks great.
Any recommendations on brand/type of oven cleaner?
Easy-Off Heavy Duty with the yellow cap! The yellow cap Easy-Off contains Lye! Good-Luck!@@willow4751
I always clean my old iron in fire. Don’t know if that’s good or bad but it sure comes out spotless, re season, and it’s amazing, 1901 waffle maker still in use
Good presentation!
I left my lodge skillet in the rain, sandblasted it, and reseasoning it!
Is sand blasting a good method, although , too late for asking?
The markings on your skillet , in my opinion, are the result of the great years that it has seen, even as a mallet!
I agree with you, CHARACTER/HISTORY!
Patience. Work smarter not harder. Good advice.
I heard some where that when they are pitted like that it’s from being used on a coal stove. I have a skillet that is like that
I've heard that too, sulfur in the coal is acidic when it settles in with moisture.
This is just so satisfying to watch for some reason. And the electrolysis was insane!
Yummy goodness for your eyes to peruse! 😁😁😁
This is an okey but a goody video, one of my first. Glad you enjoyed it.
0:42 I saw a video the other day of a "sand mine cave" in Arizona where they used to mine the sand they sent for use in foundries... you would think someone would open up a good sand mine again. Fine uniform grains of sand.
I had a skillet almost as bad as that one. I just threw it onto the coals in my wood-burning furnace for an hour or so. Came out a beautiful (fresh from the foundry) light gray color.
I have two of these skillets that look just like this that I would love to have restored, but can't do it myself. If I remember right, these 2 skillets were wedding gifts to my parents in 1940 and they have been used extensively ever since. How would I go about finding someone who could do electrolysis on them and get them back to new condition (there's no rust)? I really love these skillets and won't fry eggs in anything else, but the outsides are pretty caked and even a little sticky sometimes. I'm in North Carolina.
Really enjoyed binging on a few of your videos (7) - subbed from Australia cheers 🇦🇺👊
That’s great! What topic did you like best?
Bit of a story with what dragged me to your channel but in short YT suggested it from my interest in Using Cast Iron to cook quality Wagyu T Bones and various Wagyu cuts. Thx for responding too 👍
What would be wrong with building a hot fire outside and putting the pan in the fire until all the crud is burned off and then washing, scotchbriting, and reseasoning?
Because, then you would not have a click bait vid...
That pitting is from years of clonking the pan on the husband’s head. 😂
😂
New Suscriber... Love your channel! ❤
Wonderful restoration of the Wagner...
I just love the case iron pans I have lots
I’m addicted too
I usually use oven cleaner to strip my cast iron, the good stuff with sodium hydroxide (lye). Also sometimes use the pellet drain cleaner that is 100% lye, use it to make soap too
Great video! Is it possibledo you think, to improve the grainy, slightly rough finish on new pans by sanding them with abrasive paper before seasoning? my (fairly cheap) new cast iron pan has quite a rough finish. Thanks.
@@wonkylommiter6364 yes, there are videos out there to do that. However, I’d recommend just hitting an antique dealer. Save yourself a lot of hassle and get a better result.
@@wonkylommiter6364 you can find a bargain smooth skillet or for about double the price you can get brand new like this amzn.to/3z2JOsq
I prefer to remove the seasoning in a lye bath first. The seasoning melts right off. After that I rinse it with clean water and throw it in the electrolysis tank. I just picked up a number 8 wagner in impeccable condition at thrift shop for 8$, literally minutes before it was going to be thrown away for not selling.
Scrape, power sand or sandblast, Coat with oil and cook at very high temp in grill (too much smoke for household oven), let cool slowly and reoil. Fry stuff like pancakes to season.
I justcraped mine off on the bottom and kept heating it up. It looks like a lot of work for me
I had a skillet in similar condition. I placed it on top of a very hot layer(s) of charcoal in the grill for a few minutes letting it get to the temperature of the coals. After the crud burned-off, removed the skillet and placed where it would slowly cool. Then, re-seasoned the skillet with some lard in an oven. No chemicals necessary.
I have one where the outside sides and bottom looked similar. I sprayed it with oven cleaner and left it in a plastic garbage bag overnight. Some of what was on the bottom then came off with some scrubbing with a steel wool SOS pad. I even dried it and put it upside down in the oven to dry and get some to easily crumble off.
However I cannot seem to get the thick baked on gunk off the sides.
😫 Help?! What are you soaking this in?
Electrolysis tank th-cam.com/video/7KT8l-1ANMU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=kl802dKEcgb2abMC
Cooking will make the pan smooth over time.
Its easy to remove the texturing on the modern cast iron. I did it with my lodge cast iron griddle. Just use an abrasive,, no metal though and a power tool. Simple.
That can wreck a collector's piece or family heirloom.
What did you soak that pan in???!!!! WOW! Amazing!😂❤
Electrolysis tank
Check this out th-cam.com/video/7KT8l-1ANMU/w-d-xo.html
Good job tnx for sharing,I have a BS&R number 7 with rust pitting like that. I thought it was weird because it is a place about 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches. Which doesn't hurt the skillet performing at all. I enjoy your videos tnx again.
Brad glad you enjoyed it and thx for watching. Someday I’ll find a BSR in the wild.
The pitting is from the sulphuric reaction in the iron from the coal they used to cook on!
Had one crusty like that. Griswold. A spell in the oven on self clean took care of all the gunk.
I’m gonna try that!. I have a gunky one that I was to restore and start using
What is in the solution that the pan was in?
The cast iron pan I inherited from my mother would probably weigh 5 lbs less if I got the outside cleaned. What causes that build up on cast iron?
Repeated use and the oil seasoning, it isn't a bad thing. It just means lots of decades of use.
What does caked on banked on grease have to do with electrolysis?
I am just making a guess, but the pitting could be caused by being kept sitting on the stovetop over the pilot light for decades.
The way I do it to put the skillet in camp fire. The crust will burn off and can be easily cleaned.
@@BobbyStanaland This isn’t without risk, but it works. I wouldn’t do this with a family heirloom or a collectible.
I ran mine through the oven self clean cycle. Bare metal with some dust is all that remained..
I saw on a different video that they stopped using the glass smooth surface because the newer rough style surface helps with making it more nonstick. Helps the food to release from the pan once it crisps up.
That’s what the manufacturers want you to believe. IMO
I definitely find the opposite is true in my own experience
NOPE. People are lazy, and Lodge wants to sell to lazy people. People are also ignorant of how to actually cook. And they're too lazy to learn. So, now the only steel pans at Walmart are way too light. Everything else is Non-stick. But they still sell Lodge.
A smooth surface doesn't hold the seasoning as well.
I have a few skillets that have a good seasoning and are very smooth inside now.
I used to believe the opposite, but after restoring several cast iron pots and pans, plus buying everything from the cheapest Crofton pans at Aldi to the more expensive brands at higher end stores, it's all about seasoning, use, and care. Eventually, even the cheapest, roughest, dime store "pre-seasoned" cast iron pans will develop a smooth surface with proper use and care. Even if it says that it's pre-seasoned, I will still season it at least 3 times before using it.
Like one of the other commenters said, "People are lazy and just don't want to learn."
If something sticks to the pan, they'll fill it with water and let it soak for hours, then use metal utensils for cooking and scraping. This is HORRIBLE for cast iron pans. I only use a plastic pan scraper and a nylon brush for cleaning, then heat it up, wipe it with an oily rag until it starts smoking, and hang them up to cool. Takes all of 5 minutes. Do this every time and use it often, and all of your cast iron will be non-stick and smooth as glass eventually.
Another thing, don't put oil into your pan until it's hot.
That a good pan with out clean
If you don't have an electrolysis tank, spray the pan with oven cleaner and put it in a plastic bag for a day. Clean and repeat as necessary.
I have a pan a little less like this, how can I fix this without the Taxic liquid
I just sandblasted it. 15 minutes, faster and cheaper. Just don't forget to apply oil immediately after treatment! This is very important. The frying pan will turn red after about 20 minutes
Sandblasting will also texture a smooth-machined surface with the possibility of pitting, which some folks would rather not chance their skill to try on a vintage skillet.
Beadblast won't pit like sand.
@@jamesglenn520Agreed. There is lots of different media available for gentle blasting. Walnut shells are popular for thin walled old cars etc.
How do you know it wasn’t used to melt lead?
I clean the worst crusty iron pans in an hour or less with no scraping nor caustic chemicals. All I do is place the pan in a fire. The carbon build just falls off and there is no spot cleaning needed.The only thing I do when I take it out is wash it with dish soap and season it again. I have watched a lot of videos on how to clean crusty pans and none have mention this method but I am sure I am not the only one that uses this method..
What did you clean it with I saw one for 7.99 with the lids but it looks bad
Electrolysis tank
so, to restore a cast iron pan is to just use electrolysis on it?
There are other methods to. Oven clean cycle, fire, caustic soda, vinegar and physical scrubbing. There are risks with oven and with fire, it can cause warping. Some are slower too.
For a skillet like this, my grandma would go outside and build a fair-sized WOOD fire, then she would put the skillet in the fire at it's hottest and burn off the slag. Rake it out and hose it off.
You've got to be careful about warping and getting it too hot by that method. It does work if done correct though.
Very instructional sir. You know your cast iron. Tasty steaks await.
7:12 Lodge started that. They had to leave them rough so they could spray season them. I sand all mine smooth. That's how they got the old cast smooth.
I think that’s bogus excuse by them. It’s cheaper for them to make.
It does keep their spay on and it is cheaper to make. My point was it had nothing to do with sand.@@TeachaMantoFish
Throw it in a hot bed of coals overnight cleans them the best and easiest !!!
When you season cast iron for storage and you not gonna use it let say for 2 months do you have to do any maintenance like reseasoning it every week or something?
No, if you put it away with a thin coat of oil and it is in a dry environment. Just do a good reheat and coat of oil when you bring it back out of storage and you're fine. The thin oil coat in storage won't last forever though, but you don't have to reseason unless it goes chalky or rusty.
@@TeachaMantoFish awesome thank you!
They would put it in the fire and then rub the flax oil. Then into the oven for 40 minutes at 230 degrees Celsius and so on 3-4 times
Know it is an old video, but today im using a thrift store rescue Griswold to make breakfast outside on an old pump up Coleman camp stove
They smooth up with use. Mine are like glass.
True
Good presentation but be aware there is music competing with the dialog.
I mean can you use sand more than once??? It's just ground up rock.
We used to burn off that crud in the fire!
I have an no logo #8 just like this from Wagner.
What is in the soaking water to make the grease flake off?
It is the E tank process, not a chemical. I’ve got more videos on that too.
What do you soak it in.
An electrolysis tank, it is a whole setup.
The crazy pitting could be from somebody using it as a hammer. I know that doesn’t make much sense but you do what you can with what you have.
Or you can bead or soda blast it in a parts cabinet and re season it and cooking in it the same day next at latest.
I just put mine in a fire and came out just as clean
as he peels the ick off wit the 'ungloved' hand! LOL - Good job.
Fire bath
Looks like sulphur pitting on the bottom from being used over a coal fire.
What is an electrolysis tank? What an amazing transformation, we love using cast irons!
We got other videos that help explain setting one up. It uses electricity to blast off cast iron. Very easy to set up and do.
@@TeachaMantoFish thank you😊
What kind of power supply do you use? How many amps?
Manual battery charger, usually 12v 2amps, sometimes 6 amps
Thank you, I've heard of people using all the way up to 12v 40amp. I think that's a little overkill
What did you soak it in?
Check out this video, it’s an Etank. th-cam.com/video/7KT8l-1ANMU/w-d-xo.html
To clean cast iron just put it in a self cleaning oven and burn the old seasoning off.
If you don't mind using some elbow grease, an electric angle grinder with a wire brush wheel can make quick work of rust and built up gunk. I have had great results.
After my Mom passed I grabbed her pan that looks almost identical to yours.....outside covered with carbon, inside smooth like teflon. I know its at least from the 30's
Sulfur pitting likely from cooking over coal fired stove.
Agreed
I’d just go to the hardware store and get some sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and soak it in a solution of that.
That’s not rusting on the bottom upper area.. that’s wood ash/sulfur pitting from an old wood/coal stove🥳😃
Agreed, old stuff.
You do know if you put that pan in a oven and turn on self clean mode for 8 hours it'll come out bare clean metal with no washing
Yes, there are numerous ways.
How was this a restore video when you didn’t show how to restore or talk about anything to restore it?
Looks like they were using it as a hammer from all that damage on the back.
Yeah, was from the high levels of sulfur that used to be in cooking fuels. When combined with moisture makes an acid and low pH causing corrosion.
Good video, but maybe I can help with the "finer sand" issue. Back in the 60s or 70s, the EPA in there infinate wisdom, observed that the dust from the finer sand used in tge xast iron process, was causing health issues with the employees making the cast iron. They (EPA), in turn, forced the cast iron companies to sto using the "finer" sand because of the dust. Therefore they had to go to the more "course" sand, thus messing everything up for the cast iron cookware folks. Leave it up to the Federal Govt to screw things up, once again!
This is what I’ve also heard.
So, you want workers to have lung and health issues, so your cast iron cookware can be smooth?
@snarkmark2806 did they wear masks, respirators or use any method of lung safety?
Just put it in a campfire and all that stuff burns off. Then season the iron with cooking oil.
Give a man a fish feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and he becomes an alcoholic.
And divorced