Stripping Question - How Far?

J

JoshR

Member
I'm working stripping my first pan, a #8 Wapak Indian Head. I was really pleased seeing it come out of the lye bath after 5 days, as I could see so much more detail in the emblem. I scrubbed off the loose gunk with a stainless steel pad, then did (2) 30 min soaks in 50/50 vinegar/water. Scrubbed with an SOS pad and rinsed with cold water then towel dried.

As this is my first time stripping, I'm not sure how far I need to go and what I can expect the bare metal of this age to look like? Is it normal to have uneven color, and to have the flattened looking, shinier parts on the higher ridges of the emblem? Is it possible to scrub away too much/hard and damage the detail? I'm just looking to understand what a reasonable result should look like and if this pan looks 'done' and ready to season if it were you? Thanks!

Before:
https://imgur.com/Pcb5eDz
https://imgur.com/JTchk8L

After:
https://imgur.com/n2v9NnJ
https://imgur.com/W7Mnmzf
 
I see no rust on the before pics, so am curious as to why 50/50 vinegar/water was felt necessary. It's likely that usage burnished the high spots on the emblem, but you scrubbing with steel wool is not going to further erode metal.
 
Thanks Doug. The bottom of the pan had an orange-ish tint which I thought was rust, hence the vinegar bath. I figured as long as I didn't leave it in too long it wouldn't hurt.
 
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