Rusted Smelting Pot

[Lonely Raven]

So....long story short. I have a big Cast Iron dutch oven picked up from Harbor Freight that my fiance moved outside the garage to get her motorcycle out, then forgot to put it back...and yes, it's rusted to hell now.

Any suggestions as to how I can fix this?

I'd like to do some smelting this weekend, so I'm hoping I can salvage this big pot rather than run out and buy another one.

[10mmShooter]

hit the inside only with steel wool, knock off the surface rust and wipe out with an oily rag to pick up any trace steel wool left and smelt away this weekend. Dont worry about the outside of the pot.

[D Crockett]

all you would have to do is put lead in it and melt it if the rust is not to thick if it is to thick take a wire brush on a drill or better yet a wire brush on a side grinder that would clean it up real good and use a face mask when doing this you do not wwant to breate the rust dust D Crockett

[Lonely Raven]

Thanks guys, that's about what I expected, I just wanted to check first.

I don't use much cast iron these days...I'm all about titanium and fancy coatings. :)

[Lloyd Smale]

the rust wont hurt anything unless its real bad. Get the worst of it out with a wire brush and then Melting lead and fluxing will probably remove most of it in a couple sessions.

[Tomuchiron]

When I'm done smelting and the pot is cooling, with or without lead in the bottom. I take a candle and run around the inside of the pot and leave a parafin coating on everythng, also in my bottom pour. the parafin-wax will run to the bottom . also coat my old steel laddles.
Smoke doesn't bother the neighbors.
Mike