Just the other week I picked up my first cast iron, got a griddle and a pot with lid/ skillet. It's cheaper stuff, but was on sale and the price was right. Going to be using it this summer camping. Gonna have to read up on care and do's and dont's.
Question for anyone more knowledgeable on cast iron pan restoration...would you or have you ever sandblasted any? I'm a foreman at an industrial/commercial sandblast and paint shop but we do odd ball walk in jobs as well. Over the years I've had a few people bring in old rusty cast iron pans to blast. One guy brought in 10 or 12 different pans one summer and I warned him of the likelihood of them flash rusting pretty quick after blasting, which is typical of any sandblasted cast iron in higj humidity. He said he didn't care because they would just get oiled and baked when they got home and it's something they do every few years. I never really felt the need to try and restore mine since they aren't rusty and pretty well seasoned, but I thought it was interesting anyway.
There are other way's that are in this thread, go back and read. I put many of resurrecting a pan in this thread.
Well I'm not really in need of restoring any of mine, they are all in good shape. Why not blasting? My customer insisted on it for his stuff.
When you sand or bead blast, you remove the patina in/on the pan, the one that was originally seasoned in the cast, It never really gets back right. The absolute best way is an electrolysis tank if the pan is rusty. In this thread is one that I've built and it's easy to do.
Put me in the penalty box. I saw a small skillet, about a size 5 at the scrap yard a week or so ago. It was so caked in crud that I could not see the size or a stamp on the bottom, so I left it. I thought about it today and went to see it it was still there. It was frozen to an aluminum cart and someone must have kicked the handle to free it and broke it off. It was one of those should have bought it for cheap and chanced it. The handle looked good like a Wagner with the teardrop hole in the handle and the cast lines on the handle were nice and well finished. I have a few #5's, but I always have room for another if the price was good.
Oh well! ... There's more out there. I guess for you, the #5 is good for the oven? Will a #6 or 7 work? The 7's are getting scarce....
Here's what I know about them, "Notice" it say's; Sydney Ohio USA. They were an "export pan" to places like Australia, England and mostly any place over seas. It's not old at all, and some were even sent to sportsmans store's such as Cabelas and such. "I" wouldn't touch it, but being what you know, I would go ask them this, "show me what makes it so rare"? and ask them where to find it for that money? Then take a pic of some new Finex pans with you and show him those prices!!! Oh, Edit: did you notice it was marked off in C.M.'s dead giveaway
Yes, I got 4 pans last year at a yard sale for $30.00 She wanted $10.00 a pan and I only had $30.00 in my pocket, she took it! Dealers are nut's, like you said because "EVERYBODY" goe's to ebay and takes there prices from that!
Funny, Chrissy just told me I have to move about 6 pans out of the kitchen because I have about 12 up there now and were just to dam crowded now. So, back to storage ... Come spring I'll wipe them all out, coat with PAM and count what I have again...... ........ I'm at + 200 I think/know......
I did see that and thought it was odd. I did get a nice old Peavey in the next booth down at that store. Some good buys on occassion at that shop.
Nice score!!!! A #10 generic Wagner. They are fine on electric. Put it on a hard flat surface and check it for any wobble or spin. If not, you scored a sweetheart of a pan! Even if it does have a slight wobble, it'll still cook fine. Wash it out real good with soap and water "lightly", rinse well and dry. Spray it with pam real well and bake upside down for 375 to 400 for hour. It'll come out super nice!
Did a little Targeting today. I took this up to the customer service desk to point out that the ‘repackaged’ griddle was actually used and had food burned on it. I suggested five bucks, and she said how about $4.99?
