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Grinding and Seasoning
- Thread starter Jeff.K
- Start date
Re: grinding and seasoning
I have some Griswolds that were literally almost as smooth as glass after cleaning. They seasoned very well. 60 Grit is a pretty course grit paper. I don't think it would be able to make it too smooth to season.
I had a fairly new Lodge griddle that was as rough as any I have ever seen. I used a honing stone and some oil to take it down to really smooth. Again, no problem taking a season.
I have some Griswolds that were literally almost as smooth as glass after cleaning. They seasoned very well. 60 Grit is a pretty course grit paper. I don't think it would be able to make it too smooth to season.
I had a fairly new Lodge griddle that was as rough as any I have ever seen. I used a honing stone and some oil to take it down to really smooth. Again, no problem taking a season.
Re: grinding and seasoning
Manual seasoning pools and beads more easily on very smooth surfaces. Photos can be attached to posts or linked to from photo hosting accounts. Image dimensions should be kept of a reasonable size (not super large).
Best practices for manual seasoning: http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php
Manual seasoning pools and beads more easily on very smooth surfaces. Photos can be attached to posts or linked to from photo hosting accounts. Image dimensions should be kept of a reasonable size (not super large).
Best practices for manual seasoning: http://www.castironcollector.com/seasoning.php
Re: grinding and seasoning
Jeff, the seasoning comes out splotchy when you put too much on there. First thing you need to do when you first put the oil on, is make sure you wipe it all off. You won't be able to get it "all" off. You will have a very thin coating. Once you put it in the oven, it's a good idea to take it out after five to fifteen minutes and wipe it down again just to be sure you wiped as much off as possible.
By the way, once it gets splotchy, the easiest thing to do is strip it clean again and start over.
Jeff, the seasoning comes out splotchy when you put too much on there. First thing you need to do when you first put the oil on, is make sure you wipe it all off. You won't be able to get it "all" off. You will have a very thin coating. Once you put it in the oven, it's a good idea to take it out after five to fifteen minutes and wipe it down again just to be sure you wiped as much off as possible.
By the way, once it gets splotchy, the easiest thing to do is strip it clean again and start over.
Re: grinding and seasoning
This is a 20 year old lodge pan, likely a wedding gift.
Sorry for the links... can't get images to embed right now.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fycE90MVc3UUU1bjQ
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyc2VweXR6eUhsT3c
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyRmR3aFI2M09MQVE
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyLTBQdlRZM2c2X2c
I gritted my teeth and ground my 'finex' pan last night also. Trying to season THAT pan had been an ordeal. The bottom's so flat and smooth that I never could get any good seasoning to stick. After a quick visit with 60 grit paper... it looked great and took a seasoning like a champ.
---------- Post added at 08:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------
For what it's worth, 15 minutes with that power sander and 60 grit paper can turn a pitted and bumpy 10" pan into something almost as smooth as your kitchen counter.
It has saved 2 pans I was going to trash.
This is a 20 year old lodge pan, likely a wedding gift.
Sorry for the links... can't get images to embed right now.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fycE90MVc3UUU1bjQ
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyc2VweXR6eUhsT3c
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyRmR3aFI2M09MQVE
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gHbK9Ul8fyLTBQdlRZM2c2X2c
I gritted my teeth and ground my 'finex' pan last night also. Trying to season THAT pan had been an ordeal. The bottom's so flat and smooth that I never could get any good seasoning to stick. After a quick visit with 60 grit paper... it looked great and took a seasoning like a champ.
---------- Post added at 08:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------
For what it's worth, 15 minutes with that power sander and 60 grit paper can turn a pitted and bumpy 10" pan into something almost as smooth as your kitchen counter.
It has saved 2 pans I was going to trash.
Last edited:
Re: grinding and seasoning
I'm curious as to what you are doing when you try to season your pans that you deem unacceptable enough that you've hauled out the grinder on multiple occasions, even on a brand new, premium priced pan that's supposed to be already polished. I understand why the people who have experience with vintage, factory polish ground CI find modern Lodge unappealing for its as-cast texture, but a seasoning can be built on it with some time.
I'd also be remiss, this being a website and forum about vintage collectible cast iron cookware, if I didn't add that using a grinder or sander to clean or that alters the surface renders a collectible piece worthless.
I'm curious as to what you are doing when you try to season your pans that you deem unacceptable enough that you've hauled out the grinder on multiple occasions, even on a brand new, premium priced pan that's supposed to be already polished. I understand why the people who have experience with vintage, factory polish ground CI find modern Lodge unappealing for its as-cast texture, but a seasoning can be built on it with some time.
I'd also be remiss, this being a website and forum about vintage collectible cast iron cookware, if I didn't add that using a grinder or sander to clean or that alters the surface renders a collectible piece worthless.
Re: grinding and seasoning
The 10" skillet doesn't see enough use to develop a normal coating. I tried multiple times to season it, either directly, or through use.
After failing... I could not effectively clean it to retry due to the super rough texture. Sanding seemed like the best option. And pragmatically, it saved a piece that I would have trashed otherwise.
Concerning the finex pan. It's seasoning was thin, very thin. Attempts to re-season didn't go well. I _was_ able to clean failed seasonings from it using lacquer thinner and a brass brush.
My challenge was that the surface was too polished. Any seasoning I tried tended to bead up or run completely off. Any seasoning I got to stick, flaked right off due to poor adhesion.
A quick pass with the sander (like 20 seconds total) seems to have solved this problem. The latest seasoning is stunning and adhesion seems to be very good so far.
I guess I'm a pragmatist with the pans described. Have too little time, and needed to solve a problem.
As far as collecting, I've really just got one 'vintage' piece. I found it buried in mud under a house 30+ years ago with just the bail above ground. It's a nice 10" pot with high sides. Does not have markings that I can see. It came out of the dirt seasoned... and I've been using it ever since. It must have spent some quality time over a fire because the bottom and bottom edge are shiny and flaky/scaly in several places.
The 10" skillet doesn't see enough use to develop a normal coating. I tried multiple times to season it, either directly, or through use.
After failing... I could not effectively clean it to retry due to the super rough texture. Sanding seemed like the best option. And pragmatically, it saved a piece that I would have trashed otherwise.
Concerning the finex pan. It's seasoning was thin, very thin. Attempts to re-season didn't go well. I _was_ able to clean failed seasonings from it using lacquer thinner and a brass brush.
My challenge was that the surface was too polished. Any seasoning I tried tended to bead up or run completely off. Any seasoning I got to stick, flaked right off due to poor adhesion.
A quick pass with the sander (like 20 seconds total) seems to have solved this problem. The latest seasoning is stunning and adhesion seems to be very good so far.
I guess I'm a pragmatist with the pans described. Have too little time, and needed to solve a problem.
As far as collecting, I've really just got one 'vintage' piece. I found it buried in mud under a house 30+ years ago with just the bail above ground. It's a nice 10" pot with high sides. Does not have markings that I can see. It came out of the dirt seasoned... and I've been using it ever since. It must have spent some quality time over a fire because the bottom and bottom edge are shiny and flaky/scaly in several places.
Re: grinding and seasoning
How were you attempting to clean it?
I have looked close up at the cooking surface of the pans on the Finex website, and they don't look all that slick to me, at least not as slick as some handle griddles I have that were tough to manually season b/c they were "too slick". I would be interested to hear how you go about your manual seasoning process.
How were you attempting to clean it?
I have looked close up at the cooking surface of the pans on the Finex website, and they don't look all that slick to me, at least not as slick as some handle griddles I have that were tough to manually season b/c they were "too slick". I would be interested to hear how you go about your manual seasoning process.
W. Hilditch
Active member
Re: grinding and seasoning
Yes, brass is mostly copper & will leave traces.
Hilditch
Yes, brass is mostly copper & will leave traces.
Hilditch
Re: grinding and seasoning
Strong solvent like acetone or lacquer thinner with a small brass or steel brush.
Preheat a little, wipe with crisco, and upside down on the gas bbq grill for an hour. That finex... darn stuff would flake right off. Now, superman can't get it off.
---------- Post added at 07:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 AM ----------
I was 'wet sanding' of sorts. Had some lacquer thinner in there while I was brushing.
Strong solvent like acetone or lacquer thinner with a small brass or steel brush.
Preheat a little, wipe with crisco, and upside down on the gas bbq grill for an hour. That finex... darn stuff would flake right off. Now, superman can't get it off.
---------- Post added at 07:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 AM ----------
I was 'wet sanding' of sorts. Had some lacquer thinner in there while I was brushing.
Re: grinding and seasoning
When you put the crisco on it, are you wiping it completely off with a cotton towel before you put it in the oven? It's also a good idea to take it out after 10 or 15 minutes and wipe it down again.
And, I don't think brass and a strong solvent are a good mix. I would think it would leave a thin coating of copper on your skillet.-
When you put the crisco on it, are you wiping it completely off with a cotton towel before you put it in the oven? It's also a good idea to take it out after 10 or 15 minutes and wipe it down again.
And, I don't think brass and a strong solvent are a good mix. I would think it would leave a thin coating of copper on your skillet.-
Re: grinding and seasoning
I wonder if your use of solvent chemicals has anything to do with the problems you're having. It's not something recommended by any CI resource I know of. HD Easy Off oven cleaner in a trash bag is the most often recommended and effective means of removing seasoning from a pan for those who don't intend to or haven't yet set up a lye bath. I would expect in the case of a pan with little seasoning built up or a factory pre-seasoned pan, for it to remove it in rather short order, hours not days.
I wonder if your use of solvent chemicals has anything to do with the problems you're having. It's not something recommended by any CI resource I know of. HD Easy Off oven cleaner in a trash bag is the most often recommended and effective means of removing seasoning from a pan for those who don't intend to or haven't yet set up a lye bath. I would expect in the case of a pan with little seasoning built up or a factory pre-seasoned pan, for it to remove it in rather short order, hours not days.
Re: grinding and seasoning
Here is a picture of my Finex pan. The seasoning may not look like much but it is nonstick. I use this pan about one every two months or so. I have no complaints with the seasoning. The second picture is of my modern Wagner pan that I have used daily for the last 5 years. I have also used this pan over the last 15 years to learn how to cook with cast iron. And as the people here say, the best thing you can do to build up your cast iron seasoning is to cook with it every day. The trick for me was to start cooking roast chicken in the oven at 425 F. That is when my seasoning on this Wagner pan really started to develop for me. Cook with your pan daily and the seasoning will develop. I have no doubts that I could also develop the same kind of seasoning on my Finex pan if I used it more often.
Here is a picture of my Finex pan. The seasoning may not look like much but it is nonstick. I use this pan about one every two months or so. I have no complaints with the seasoning. The second picture is of my modern Wagner pan that I have used daily for the last 5 years. I have also used this pan over the last 15 years to learn how to cook with cast iron. And as the people here say, the best thing you can do to build up your cast iron seasoning is to cook with it every day. The trick for me was to start cooking roast chicken in the oven at 425 F. That is when my seasoning on this Wagner pan really started to develop for me. Cook with your pan daily and the seasoning will develop. I have no doubts that I could also develop the same kind of seasoning on my Finex pan if I used it more often.
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Re: grinding and seasoning
For now I am well pleased with the results I've finally achieved. The lodge pan took about an hour to smooth out. Even then, there are some pits. The finex took a few seconds to lightly 'adjust'.
Acetone and lacquer thinner are pretty aggressive solvents, but oven cleaner's not exactly kool-aid either. I used them because they do attack polymers, but don't leave a greasy residue. They are also what I happened to have on hand.
(For what it's worth, lacquer thinner does an excellent job of removing paint from paintbrushes.)
Maybe some of my problem is that I use the gas grill... but the wife was NOT a fan of seasoning in the house oven... With a higher flow rate of fresh oxygen, I figured a grill was a better choice to polymerize and oxidize a shortening coating than an oven anyway.
For now I am well pleased with the results I've finally achieved. The lodge pan took about an hour to smooth out. Even then, there are some pits. The finex took a few seconds to lightly 'adjust'.
Acetone and lacquer thinner are pretty aggressive solvents, but oven cleaner's not exactly kool-aid either. I used them because they do attack polymers, but don't leave a greasy residue. They are also what I happened to have on hand.
(For what it's worth, lacquer thinner does an excellent job of removing paint from paintbrushes.)
Maybe some of my problem is that I use the gas grill... but the wife was NOT a fan of seasoning in the house oven... With a higher flow rate of fresh oxygen, I figured a grill was a better choice to polymerize and oxidize a shortening coating than an oven anyway.
Scott Cush
New member
Re: grinding and seasoning
I understand why you sanded the Lodge, not the Finex. I had a rough set that I did 40, 80, 120, 220 gritt and have the same issue with seasoning the smooth metal surface. I am going to do it again on a new Lodge piece. When it is colder I will try a crude annealing process (oven clean) of the metal to see if that makes the metal more susceptible to seasoniang
Love the end result. Glad to see you had good results.
I understand why you sanded the Lodge, not the Finex. I had a rough set that I did 40, 80, 120, 220 gritt and have the same issue with seasoning the smooth metal surface. I am going to do it again on a new Lodge piece. When it is colder I will try a crude annealing process (oven clean) of the metal to see if that makes the metal more susceptible to seasoniang
Love the end result. Glad to see you had good results.