Stubborn Rust

R

RobHerrington

Member
I have two pans that have been de-gunked and vinegar-zed, but there are major rust spots that just won't yield. I am only bathing them in vinegar for 30 minutes (50/50 with water) per the advice here. For some reason it is the smaller pans (#3) that are most resistant.

Dare I soak them longer, soak in a stronger solution, re-soak them in 30 minute increments, or break out the electric sander?

(Though even the sander will not get into nooks and crannies of my corn bread pan.)

Thanks.
 
The sander will take off good iron as well as bad, wreck the patina of your iron, as well as significantly decrease what it's worth should you one day decide to sell it. Why not electrolysis? It strips off the rust like nobody's business and leaves the good iron completely alone.
 
Thanks, fellows. As for the electrolysis route, I have been avoiding it for two reasons:

1) if I am going hard core pioneer cast iron, I feel like I'd like to restore and clean like the pre-electricity pioneers too.

2) I don't have a battery charger. I have always had two cars in the garage, and I use one to jump start the other every two years or so.

3) Battery chargers appears to cost around $75.00. I can afford it, but I feel silly spending that much to restore a couple of pans if alternatives are available.

Of course, at this point I'm running out of alternative de-rusting ideas that work. I admit too that if I keep buying big bottles of vinegar at Walmart at $2.20 a pop, I'll soon spend $75.00 anyway, LOL!

While we're on the subject, I take it you veterans are opposed to these wire brush on a drill approaches that I see on youtube. Some people are buying brand new Lodge skillets, stripping off the coating with a drill and wire brush attachment, and then re-seasoning.

Something tells me that the pioneers smeared bear grease over their rusted pans and just kept using them. Not that I would do that, but the pioneers were probably too busy surviving to worry about patinas, lye immersion, and 5/0/50 vinegar solutions.

So anyway, if the recommendation is electrolysis, then off to Walmart I go. Photos of rust in next post.

Thanks, fellows!

---------- Post added at 09:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:13 AM ----------

Here are the rust spots that won't yield. I imagine they would if I scrubbed for another half hour with steel wool on EVERY RUSTY SPOT. But at some point I want to quit cleaning and start cooking ... I am particularly concerned that the cornbread pan will never get de-rusted -- look at the nooks and crannies!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7h9zxjf8tllqgu8/IMG_0540.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9l79wq6uilkcn4z/IMG_0541.jpg?dl=0
 
that rust will come off very quickly with electrolysis. if you dont want to spend 75 on a new battery charger, find an old one at a garage sale for 5-10 like i did. mines only a 3amp but it works just fine
 
I don't see anything there that another round or two in 50/50 vinegar won't solve. Alternatively, and again as noted in http://www.castironcollector.com/cleaning.php#finish you can spray straight vinegar on it, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub with a SS scrubber or, for the stick pan, a SS medium wire hand brush. Also note the 50/50 vinegar solution is reusable.
 
Make sure you get a manual battery charger. Automatic chargers (such Battery Tender need an actual battery hooked up to them or they'll think the battery is fully charged and shut off. Schumacher makes manual chargers for under $50, but like Jeffrey said, used ones are often dirt cheap. I see them all the time in the $10~$15 range at outdoor flea markets when I'm hunting for CI.

That pan looks like it just has a little flash rust on it. If that's the case it'll come off when you wipe off the excess oil after applying the first coat of seasoning.
 
Maybe, if this is just going to be a one shot clean-up, you could borrow a battery charger from a friend or neighbor (must be a manual charger or have a manual setting). I'd be happy for you to borrow mine, if that was feasible, and should you ask. But anyway, I too, thought it was going to be a really big deal, but it wasn't. I just finished my first electrolysis project, and I was astounded at the results.

In your case, by simply borrowing a battery charger, the only real expense (very small) for you, will be the box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda™ (not baking soda), which is something that you can eventually use up in your washing machine, anyway. I found one right here at home, in my laundry room. My wife uses it regularly (I didn't know till I started talking about it). As for a tank, I simply used a plastic trash can, so I really really ended up with $0.00 investment in my set-up, and just a little time. Oh, and that electrolysis process, it won't think twice about all those nooks and crannies in that bread pan, and it will look like it just came out of the mold, back at the factory. http://www.castironcollector.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5068
image2 - Copy (640x480).jpg​
 
Wow! Thanks. My neighbor has every tool in the Sears catalog and has offered to let me borrow them, but I have a cast iron rule: never, ever borrow a tool from a neighbor. If it breaks, you'll feel funny, even if it's a friend ... ESPECIALLY if it's a friend. I'm going to check my pawn shops; they seem to have everything.

Thanks for the Arm/Hammer tip!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top