How do I restore tinned meat grinder?

[SpurgeonH]

Hey guys, while visiting my mom last weekend, she talked about how her mother ground her own meat, made her own sausage, etc. (I cringed when she said her mom would add spices and then taste a pinch of the raw pork to see if she needed to add more. Ha!)

Anyway, that conversation made me wish I had bought the Griswold grinder I saw the other day ... so, since I was back in that area yesterday, I swung by the store and bought it.

Now what do I do?!

The piece is tinned and there are a few places it has chipped off and rusted. I'm thinking I will scrub the whole thing with #0000 steel wool. Should I use plain water or add a little Dawn? Is a mild vinegar solution recommended? Do I season the cutting blades and disks in the oven as you would a skillet?

Here are some pictures of it so you can see the current condition...

Edit: I'm also considering just cleaning it with water and steel wool, and then giving it a light coat of mineral oil (instead of veg oil) on the blades (but not on the tinned exterior). Good idea?

 

[W. Hilditch]

Get a bowl of 50/50 or stronger vinegar and clean the rust off with steel wool and a tooth brush. Wash as you would after use with Dawn. Put a thin coat of mineral oil on bare pieces by dipping & wiping. Store the knife & plates in a ziplock bag. Some places will get some rust again. That’s OK as it can be removed.

Outside chips can be touched up with a Sharpie silver permanent marker.

Hilditch

Good luck. There IS a learning curve to using this thing. A good speed for grinding beef is about 60 RPM but 100 is better on my stand mixer.