Cast Iron Griddle

Technically not "Sharpened Steel" but I did use steel sharpening tools. [Coffee]

This one was given to me and was in pretty sad shape. First thing was an angle grinder with a wire brush. The build-up was rancid grease, rust and black goo.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL59.../406539811.jpg

This was a rough casting and there was some rust pitting. Below is after the wire wheel and some quality time with a whet stone and canola oil.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL59.../406539810.jpg

After a lot of hot soapy water, two rounds of oiling and a couple of trips to the oven (250˚). This one should season well. It will probably end up as the dedicated griddle for the outdoor grill.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL59.../406539809.jpg


Let's see yours. [Beer]

There are 3 sitting on my stove as we speak a 14 in skillet a 6 in skillet and a ribbed griddle

they get used with almost every meal like tonight was cat fish fillets last night used the griddle to grill chicken tits

i buy lodge and strip the seasoning off then sand with 120 to start and finish with 300 grit in an orbital than re season

I have a few old Griswolds. The 12 is in great shape and gets used every Saturday morning. The 9 needs a bit more time with the wire wheel...

I have two Lodge and two old Wagners. The smooth finish on the Wagners is awesome. I also have a dutch oven and a griddle/grill we use for camping. Just and FYI if you ever need to strip cast iron down to the metal you can put it through the self clean function in your oven. It cleans all the old grime off. Here is an article on maintaining cast iron. http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp

I want one of these!

If you have yet to re season it may I make a sugestion toss it in your oven on the clean cycle for two hours it will come out looking like raw iron and completely clean then re season it from there with crisco. I have found this works better than any other method to get it perfect.

I myself am the oven cleaner. [mop]

I have an old Wagner 10" griddle and a no name dutch oven, that came with the house. Both hadn't been used much. I took a whet stone to the griddle and it is SMOOTH.

The 10" skillet is always on the stove top.

I know where a 10gal cast caldron is. It would be the perfect bean pot. [Pot]

I learned to cook with a dutch oven on an open fire.

I am going to sand down the 6 in skillet at work tomorrow will take pics

Only cast iron I have is the griddle that came with my grill. I pondered getting this today
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DD3-Ca...g=dealswoot-20

These lids are best for the stove/oven.
http://www.castironcookware.com/lodg...-oven-bail.jpg

These are for campfires.
http://www.castironcookware.com/lodg...-oven-lids.jpg

forgot abou this thread

the kids together on the stove
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/8...070db9aa_b.jpg
Untitled by post_james86, on Flickr

sanding it down

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/8...9b0bf94e_c.jpg
Untitled by post_james86, on Flickr

first batch of oil
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2810/8...6d33173e_c.jpg
Untitled by post_james86, on Flickr

and the newest addition a 12in round griddle i found in the bargian cave at cabelas in junction... $6 bucks out the door

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/8...707b0852_c.jpg
Untitled by post_james86, on Flickr

jeez i need to clean my stove

Oven cleaning cycle is a great trick. The other easy clean method is just putting coarse salt in the pan and scrub with paper towel or rag. The salt will clean and absorb that grease and left overs.

Am I the only one who throws them in a campfire to clean? When they come out, re-season and they are like new. I've never heard of doing manual labor to clean them.
I've been doing this for over 40 years and teaching my Boy Scouts the same.

Not getting it. Why sand down cast iron cookware? I have a high-sided griddle pan on the oven always, love it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colorado Osprey

Am I the only one who throws them in a campfire to clean? When they come out, re-season and they are like new. I've never heard of doing manual labor to clean them.
I've been doing this for over 40 years and teaching my Boy Scouts the same.

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i learned the same. One of the pans I had in scouts 25 years ago is the same pan on my stove and it gets used all the time. The city frowns on my having a bomb fire to clean and season my cookware.
Now my camping pans, that's. different story.

Nice collection DFBrews.

I have only ever needed to throw one piece in the wood stove. It was a corn stick pan the was full of char. Cleaned it out pretty well.

The griddle above was the first time I've ever used a wire wheel on cast iron. I'd been cleaning some axe heads, so everything was on the bench and ready to go. In hindsight, I should have tossed it in the wood stove.

Not really sanding the cast iron, just knocking off the high points. It was pretty rough.

Something about cast Iron that is awesome.

A big +1 to RedDogFabrication on how to clean cast iron on the Oven Clean Cycle, especially for those of us who cannot throw it in a bonfire in the back yard.

He ^^^^ also has a YouTube video on repairing a broken frying pan. Worth a Looksie.

Well- you guys have me interested and I'm looking at old Griswold. Does it matter if it is dirty or clean? Does it need to be perfectly flat?

Some of the good old stuff is going for new Lodge/Wagner prices. Ebay has ruined the market.

I'm not a fan of Lodge's finish but that is easily fixed. They make good cast iron with nice surfaces..

Picked up all three of these for $15 today. Here are some pictures.

Before
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h...28HDR%2529.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g...28HDR%2529.jpg

After
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x...28HDR%2529.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r...28HDR%2529.jpg

The big one is VERY smooth. It think it is an old one. I didn't even do anything to it. I had to use the wire brush on a drill and 220 grit sand paper for the other two. Here is the finish on the old one.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...28HDR%2529.jpg

Helpers.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H...215_162456.jpg

Nice!

Let the young'ins do the dirty work. [mop]

What brand is the 8"?

It doesn't have a brand marking on it. I just says "10 1/2 INCH SKILLET, MADE IN USA, F"

There is an "F" stamp on the bottom of the pan and on the bottom of the handle. Also "8" stamped on the top of the handle.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-c...28HDR%2529.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q...28HDR%2529.jpg

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Nice!

Stupid question: are you then "seasoning" the cast iron afterwards or just using them right afterwards? Looks like a cool project has me thinking I guess.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 02ducky

Stupid question: are you then "seasoning" the cast iron afterwards or just using them right afterwards? Looks like a cool project has me thinking I guess.

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Seasoning is a must I use boiled flax seed oil for my initial seasoning cycle then switch to palm oil


Nice find Stu that old one is a good one

Yeah I reseasoned them all after cleaning. I turned oven on to 450 and rubbed each down in whatever oil I had (vegetable) and put them in for 30 minutes. Every 30 min I would take out and re-oil and put them back in. I did that for three times then let them cool. The old pan is good to go and the newer pans are pretty usable already.

Anyone use bacon grease? I've been told that works well also.

Too bad my oven doesn't self clean. Also never heard of sanding, will have to try that.

I only cook my food in cast iron skillets 1 6" and a 10".....lost my 12" during a move(well she forgot to pack it). I like making eggs, bacon and toast all on 1 skillet.

Nice looking wares!

Nice find Stuving !!!

Went back to the same place and picked up the other pan they had last weekend. They had a number of other pieces, but they all were made in Taiwan and had wooden handles. Anyway, here is the whole family. I have $25 into all of them together.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...28HDR%2529.jpg

Didn't see this thread until today - if you want to really really season your pans correctly, using science, the secret is:

Flaxseed oil.

It's food-grade linseed oil, and is one of the few reliably polymerizing food-grade oils available. The polymerization is the key to a durable and slick coating. I have a few caplets of the stuff if anyone wants to give it a shot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Irving

It doesn't have a brand marking on it. I just says "10 1/2 INCH SKILLET, MADE IN USA, F"

There is an "F" stamp on the bottom of the pan and on the bottom of the handle. Also "8" stamped on the top of the handle.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-c...28HDR%2529.jpg

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One of the Rare FN mfg for civilian use skillets ;)

We have an old Wagner's and 1 that is marked MADE IN U.S.A No-8 105/8 in.

Should be able to find out what we have here: http://www.castironcollector.com/unmarked.php

Bump for a great thread. Just finished camping and after reading this thread, I am going to sand and season my skillet.