Is This As Good As It Will Get? :)

E

ErinL

New member
This is the Griswold I've been working on with Easy Off.

https://screencast.com/t/2bIea0JIwDs

It seems there's just a little bit of black on the bottom that just won't budge. I've got some vinegar on it now.

I think the back came out okay.

https://screencast.com/t/ZEs0vd7dUtu

This is where I started:

https://screencast.com/t/Fecn6WfVAJ
https://screencast.com/t/bh1mfFp9

This is for my use, I don't have an electrolysis tank right now. This is usable right? I can accept this and move on? :) I'm thinking once I season, it will all blend in.
 
Vinegar works on rust and the black stains left where rust was once active. It won't do anything to carbon "warts". I would use a stainless steel Chore Boy on the carbon left on the cooking surface and proceed with seasoning after reducing it as much as you think you are able.
 
Thank you both!

I will say - the lye bath is becoming more and more appealing. I have a few pieces - a wagner #8 and a few gem pans - the easy off seems to slide off the sides. Those are the hardest areas. I also have a corn bread skillet - I can see where just soaking it in a lye bath would get all areas easily.

Maybe this weekend I'll set one up in the basement. I have a drain down there for easy removal.
 
After using Easy Off on a couple of skillets and a dutch oven, I set up a lye bath and have not looked back. It's much more effective and considerably easier to manage than garbage bags of oven cleaner and cast iron. If you've not done so already, go for it - you won't regret it.
 
My mother-in-law would tackle the last bits of carbon with the point of a paring knife. If it left marks, they were not visible after seasoning.
 
Try putting on a thin layer of Pam.....that should show you what itll look like seasoned up....just take the Pam off before seasoning. Not sure if this will work for you, but Ive done it.
 
You could start out with a smaller Lye Tank setup.
A 5 gallon bucket would be a little small for a #8 but you might be able to flip it over to get the handle.

It would get you started and keep it a little smaller to be able to handle.

A better/nicer setup is using the Blue HDPE barrel which are thicker and are better at not breaking down being in contact with the Lye.

I have a 30 gallon Blue barrel but I have seen a smaller 15 gallon at hotel/motel In Ground pools.
You might ask around a see if you can pick one up for free.

If you saw the top of a Blue barrel at the notch just below the top you can flip it over for a cover and add a hinge and lock if you want.
 
All good points (I'd skip the pointy paring knife when we're talking about restoring collectible pieces, though). Some even use PAM exclusively as their manual seasoning oil, apparently finding it produces a good dark patina. It's a good practice to take note of dates on threads, though; this one being two years old and was the last time the OP visited.
 
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