Vinegar Bath

A

Adam_R.

Member
So I was reading the restoration section of the site and it mentions not to let cast iron pieces soak in a vinegar bath for longer them 30 minutes at a time repeating if necessary. What happens to pieces if left for 24 hours or so?

The reason I ask is I left a rusty piece I found recently in 50/50 vinegar water bath for roughly 24 hours. The pan can out great and didn't seem to have any ill effects. What am I missing?
 
Eventually, the acidity can erode the iron. Putting a limit on the length of time and amount of vinegar hopefully keeps those who think that longer and stronger might be a good idea from potentially ruining their iron.
 
I have cleaned several pieces of CI in vinegar; strong vinegar! If the piece is good metal, no problems. However, I have had some "cheapie" stuff start to basically melt down. Looks okay when removed from the "bath", but when you try to clean it further, the metal has a soft gray appearance. Therefore, I am being VERY careful with this method of rust removal!
 
I have a question on the vinegar bath, sorry if it has been asked elsewhere.

I restored 4 pans last week using lye bath and vinegar bath and I'm currently out of pans to restore. While the instructions did say I could save the tub of lye solution and use it over and over it didn't mention a "shelf life" or anything for my vinegar solution.

Can I save this for next time or will it "turn"? It already has a milky appearance and seems to smell stronger. Should I throw it out?
 
It's effectiveness will diminish somewhat over time, but you can re-use it as long as it continues to produce the results you want.
 
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