Rusty Griswold skillet

[jimlj]

My neighbor gave me a rusty skillet to try cleaning. I was planning on a electrolysis bath to see what would happen. When I cleaned the loose rust from the bottom I found it is an old Griswold skillet. When she asked me if I could clean it, I was just wanted to see what I could do with it, not necessarily cleaning it to use again. Now that I see what I have, I'd like to try to bring it back to it's former glory and use it.

Is there any way to know if it has had a pool of melted wheel weights in it? I'm not too keen on cooking up eggs and bacon and getting lead in the mix.

[Bazoo]

No way I'm aware of. I'd be interested to know though if there were a way. Personally I take my chances and use old cast iron cookware once I've wire brushed it, scrubbed it, and seasoned it.

[Tatume]

To my knowledge there is no test you can perform at home to detect trace amounts of lead.

[DougGuy]

There is a 3M test kit at Home Depot or Lowe's that will tell if lead is present. Yes e-tank for cleaning rust, please do not use any power tools. If it has any carbon on it, etank should take that off if it isn't too thick, if it is thick use some lye crystals in a lye bath it will eat all of the black gunk. When you get it clean, down to bare metal, use dawn and a stainless scrubbee pad, get it real clean and finish with a cold rinse, rapidly wipe off as much of the water as you can, then immediately slather it with lard or crisco all over. You will avoid flash rust like this. Then wipe off as much of the fat as you can get off, stick it in a 450F oven upside down for 45mins, use welders gloves or oven mitt, pull it out and wipe it again very thin, stick it back in the oven, repeat this 6x, now your pan is perfectly seasoned and ready for use.

Don't worry about smearing lard or crisco on wet iron, the water will evaporate right through it when it is heated the first time. Just keep wiping it each time you apply more for another coat, wipe it like you are trying to wipe off all of the fat as possible, if you leave it shiny, it will mottle up and look like leopard skin, you cannot rush the seasoning, it will bite you in the butt if you try. Wipe it as thin as you can get it, and heat it, by the 4th coat, it will start wiping on easier, you can tell you are building up a coating now, and by the 6th coat, it will look like a million bucks!

This will retain the full collectible value and still make a daily user. Any power tools or media blasting other than a plain water pressure washer will alter the patina of the surface and detract from it's value.

[Conditor22]

The odds are really slim. there aren't that many of us that cast.

By the time you get the rust off and polish the bottom of the skillet the amount of lead remaining [IF it had been used for the] would be negligible.

we have several castiron fanatics in this forum, I'm sure one of them will chime in

[bakerjw]

We LOVE our cast iron...

[Tatume]

There is a 3M test kit at Home Depot or Lowe's that will tell if lead is present.

The 3M test kit will not detect trace amounts of lead.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requires the amount of lead in paint to be less than 90 parts per million (ppm) and the amount of lead in children's products to be less than 100 ppm. 3M™ LEADCHECK™ SWABS ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO SCREEN FOR LEAD IN PAINT OR IN CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS AT THESE LEVELS. 3M™ LeadCheck™ Swabs can screen to 600 ppm.

[DougGuy]

The 3M test kit will not detect trace amounts of lead.

Let me put it this way. If the test swab doesn't turn red? Good to go.

Likely if it is a skillet of any size, it's not had lead melted in it since even a #6 skillet (9") half full of lead would weigh over 20lbs, and be VERY difficult to manage with molten lead in it. Normally the smaller deep pans and the chicken fryers are the ones you have to check.

[MT Gianni]

Soaking it in coca cola is supposed to restore it to bare metal.

[Winger Ed.]

Is there any way to know if it has had a pool of melted wheel weights in it? x.

Just ask, and then make a value judgement of the neighbor.
The number of people who do melt Lead in a frying pan is really pretty small, especially among women.
Of those that had Lead melted in them, I'd figure they'd stay buried in the garage until the estate sale, and not be given away.

Of the old Iron frying pans I've seen come up for grabs is when they get too heavy for Mom to pick up.
Or people inherit them, but just don't use one, and eventually get rid of it.
When I'm gone, that's what will happen to my big Lodge: the wife can't pick it up, and the kids don't use one.
But; they'll probably hang onto it until they get tired of moving it around, or looking at it, then give it away.

[jimlj]

Just ask, and then make a value judgement of the neighbor.

She has no idea. It was in her back yard when she bought the place.

[webfoot10]

Just build a big fire in the back yard and cook the cast iron pan till it turns
red , let the fire burn out. When the pan is cool, wash and scrub with a stainless
scrubber till clean. The pan will have to be reseasoned with cooking oil. The fire
will have burned all of the old baked on grease out and leave a clean cast iron
pan. Will also remove any lead. I've done a lot of cast iron this way reconditioning
old iron pans , which usually are just given away. Have fun with your project.

[5Shot]

I thought this was going to be a thread about cooking breakfast during Christmas Vacation...

[DougGuy]

Just build a big fire in the back yard and cook the cast iron pan till it turns
red , let the fire burn out. When the pan is cool, wash and scrub with a stainless
scrubber till clean. The pan will have to be reseasoned with cooking oil. The fire
will have burned all of the old baked on grease out and leave a clean cast iron
pan. Will also remove any lead. I've done a lot of cast iron this way reconditioning
old iron pans , which usually are just given away. Have fun with your project.

^^^^^^ Do NOT do this. Want to premanently ruin a nice old Griswold? This is how to ruin one. They can warp horribly, they take on a reddish color that can't be seasoned over, let alone they might crack. I am aware of this method, it is frowned on by all of the reputable collectors and cast iron societies. The etank and lye bath is MUCH better, much safer, and is equilaterally accepted as proper methods for cleaning and restoring cast iron cookware.

[dangitgriff]

Pop one of these in the drill of your choice and go to town:

Also, a how-to video from Kent Rollins:

https://youtu.be/OosqUhHYnBY

[762sultan]

Listen to DougGuy and you will have a good usable cast iron pan.

[farmbif]

ive cleaned rusty cast iron pans on stove top by heating some grease in it, bacon fat, crisco, cooking oil, scrubbing out with paper towels, then repeat keep doing it till all rust is gone, then using clean cooking oil and doing it a couple more times then heating last coat of oil and let cool and leave it on stove till its gonna be used.
I have come across some so rusted I was tempted to take random orbit sander to it but have yet to do that, those get oiled and put back out in the shed waiting on the next yard sale or flea market table.

[DougGuy]

Pop one of these in the drill of your choice and go to town:

Also, a how-to video from Kent Rollins:

https://youtu.be/OosqUhHYnBY

Absolutely NOT! This will shine the pan in a mottled way that destroys any collector value it may have. Collectors flat out CRINGE at the unmistakeable results of wire wheel/wire brush. Look in some of the cast iron groups on Facebook, google proper methods to clean cast iron, google a site called "cast iron collector" and read the pages of how to clean and restore cast iron. You can bring it right down to the 100 year old surface just like it left the foundry without ANY power tools or any media blasting, etc. There are right ways to clean and restore cast iron, and then there is....... BUBBA!!!!

[country gent]

a lot of the old timers hered would hang them out from a tree limb or clothes line post and let the blowing sand and rains scour clean them. wire brushes sand blasters and most power tools change the finish making them much harder to get seasoned. work slow and by hand coarse steel wool and vegetable oils to remove rust. Remember cast Iron absorbs whats put in it. whether bacon fat veg oil solvents or petroleum products
Years ago Mom Broke the handle off a big chicken fryer. I cleaned it heat cycled even built a wood fire and gently heated ( this was also to help keep it from cracking when welded)WHen I was done welding that handle back on the welding table had a big puddle of grease on it. I dont think you can ever get ALL the seasoning back out.

[dangitgriff]

Absolutely NOT! This will shine the pan in a mottled way that destroys any collector value it may have. Collectors flat out CRINGE at the unmistakeable results of wire wheel/wire brush. Look in some of the cast iron groups on Facebook, google proper methods to clean cast iron, google a site called "cast iron collector" and read the pages of how to clean and restore cast iron. You can bring it right down to the 100 year old surface just like it left the foundry without ANY power tools or any media blasting, etc. There are right ways to clean and restore cast iron, and then there is....... BUBBA!!!!

You’re absolutely correct.
A stone is faster!
:shot: