How to Clean Off Faint Markings

J

JeffreyL

Member
I bought this favorite piqua ware smiley #5 this past weekend and after being in the etank overnight, this pan is turning out to be a gorgeous pan, flat, and cooking surface is almost flawless. Problem I have is the paint marker or whatever the seller used to mark the pan, is still visible after scrubbing with a stainless steel brush. I hope I can remove this, it would be disappointing for that to be permanently on such a nice pan. The album shows the before pics and what it looks like now after etank and scrubbing. Will a 50/50 vinegar soak and some 0000 steel wool do it?
https://imgur.com/a/qeC6E
 
Try the vinegar, but it may not work. Rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits would be some other options.
 
I'm assuming since you suggested it, that alcohol or mineral spirits shouldn't hurt the pan, what about carb and choke cleaner? I have plenty of that around
 
Worth a shot. I wouldn't spray the pan, just some on a rag and see if it does any good. Should wash off with Dawn.
 
Ok I'll give it a shot and report back, I really hope it comes off as this pan is super nice and I was really excited about it until I seen the markings
 
So far the 50/50 vinegar soak for a half hour didn't do it, the 0000 steel wool lightened everything but didn't remove it, and Goof Off adhesive remover didn't touch it either. I will try mineral spirits and carb cleaner tomorrow, any other suggestions? I'm pretty disappointed as this is my best quality find so far
 
Jeffrey, I'm wondering if the paint blocked the cleaning action for a short time before it came off--the mark looks dark, rather than white. If that's the case, what you're seeing is an area that didn't have as much actual cleaning time as the rest of the pan. It would be a situation sort of like when the skin under your sunglasses stays a different color from the rest of your face, even though you took the glasses off after a couple of hours. I'm thinking that mark will totally disappear after several rounds of seasoning and your beautiful pan turns black.

Just my thoughts, of course.... :)
 
DonnaM said:
Jeffrey, I'm wondering if the paint blocked the cleaning action for a short time before it came off--the mark looks dark, rather than white. If that's the case, what you're seeing is an area that didn't have as much actual cleaning time as the rest of the pan. It would be a situation sort of like when the skin under your sunglasses stays a different color from the rest of your face, even though you took the glasses off after a couple of hours. I'm thinking that mark will totally disappear after several rounds of seasoning and your beautiful pan turns black.

Just my thoughts, of course.... :)
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So your thinking maybe the paint maybe had a "ghosting" effect? That is possible since when I took it out of the tank the paint was still intact until I hit it with the wire brush......so how does one try to remove ghost marks if that's what it is?
 
JeffreyL said:
......so how does one try to remove ghost marks if that's what it is?
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If that's indeed, what it is, I don't think you can remove them, however, as suggested above, it should eventually disappear as the CI is used and continues to season.
 
Why not put in back in the etank and leave it another day or more; as far as I know it can be left in the etank as long as you want and it will not do any harm.
 
yes you could leave it in the e tank indefinitely it wont hurt it. if that doesn't work try a can of brake clean. spray it on wipe with a rag or scrub with a brush. weather if its a paint marker or a wax marker brake clean should take it off.
 
KevM said:
yes you could leave it in the e tank indefinitely it wont hurt it. if that doesn't work try a can of brake clean. spray it on wipe with a rag or scrub with a brush. weather if its a paint marker or a wax marker brake clean should take it off.
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I think the consensus on these markings is now, that they may indeed be shadows, left where the paint, or whatever, blocked the direct line of the electrolysis, leaving the metal under it, basically untouched. It sounds as if the paint remained in place throughout the entire electrolysis process, and was then removed with a brush, after removal from the tank. Looks like the metal is now two different colors/shades, which I would think should even out with use. In hindsight, that brake cleaner, or something, should have been used, prior to electrolysis. Not real sure why that wasn't the case, but still, I don't see it as being such a problem, just something that is going to take a little time to cure ? But likewise, another day in the tank may take care of everything :confused:
 
Is this going to be a user, display piece, or both? If a user, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's going to be a display piece or both, then I'd plop it back in the etank and see what happens. If that doesn't work, then try the carb/choke/brake cleaner.
 
If the photo in the beginning is of the pan that's way to bright to be a shadow. I bought a couple pans from auctions before and they written on them with paint markers, a wax crayon or Tire crayon whatever you want to call it and the only way it comes off as with brake clean. I guess if it's no big deal then just go ahead and season it, I'm sure it'll actually burn off the first couple uses.
 
KevM said:
If the photo in the beginning is of the pan that's way to bright to be a shadow. I bought a couple pans from auctions before and they written on them with paint markers, a wax crayon or Tire crayon whatever you want to call it and the only way it comes off as with brake clean. I guess if it's no big deal then just go ahead and season it, I'm sure it'll actually burn off the first couple uses.
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1st photo is as it came from the seller. Appears to be paint, wax crayon, or tire crayon, as you mentioned. At this point was the place for the brake cleaner.

Look at photo 3&7. This is after the electrolysis was completed, and then he scrubbed the paint (?) off with a brush. It appears that the paint shielded the electrolysis, leaving a dark shadow where the paint was originally.
 
I haven't had a chance to try anything else lately as we got hit by the extreme winds and have been without power for a few days, rendering me busy as we sell and fix generators and outdoor power equipment for a living.

Anyways, yes I'm thinking now I should have taken paint off prior to the etank, rookie mistake. I did attempt another night in the tank and it didn't take care of it. I also tried 50/50 vinegar and some steel wool. This lightened the entire bottom but the markings are still visible. I will try alcohol and brake clean, i will post results.
 
I tried the rubbing alcohol and the carb cleaner, neither worked, I then tried some 00 steel wool, the top picture is before, the bottom is the after, it may have lightened it a little but not much, I didn't want to go at it to hard and make a really weird mark where I scrubbed with the 00 wool. I'm thinking it's just as suggested above, I should have removed the paint first then the etank.
https://imgur.com/a/w81Br

The pan is back in the etank now, I figure I'll give it a few days in there and see if it helps any. It was asked if this was to be a user, display, collector, etc. I am new to vintage cast iron and have only begun hunting it for a month or so. In that time I have learned a lot and acquired some pieces, with no direct intention in mind other than to find decent quality pans at a decent price, and keep the ones I like and resell the rest. Up until now I haven't really had a direction, but after I found this favorite smiley 5, having a nice cook surface and being stone cold flat, I started thinking, maybe I would try to start assembling some more favorite smileys in different sizes, I already have an 8. So with that in mind, I think it may darken and maybe disappear when seasoned, would that make it go away or essentially just cover it up only to be found another day when stripped? If I do go the way of assembling more smileys, should I just keep it and if I find a better one, sell this one?
 
Jeffrey, if you can still see the mark after more e-tank, I encourage you to go ahead and season it. If it were me, I would use Crisco and season it at least 3 times, going to 500 for an hour to get carbonization. I'm betting the mark will disappear as the pan gets black from seasoning, in much the same way as the pale sunglasses-area around your eyes disappears as you get more sun on your face.

Then, put the pan away if you're still bothered by it. I'm guessing you'll feel differently about it after some more time collecting.

(I'm no expert--this is just my take, ok?) :-)
 
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