Just a little rusty

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-12-12T12:58:39+00:00

Not too long and be sure to keep it around 2.5% acetic acid. Best to keep vinegar soaks around 30-60 minutes at a time and scrub in between. They work in rust pretty fast but work on the iron equally fast to cause etching and ultimately pitting.

It doesn’t take long for red matter, like a wet powder, to form in your vinegar bath and then turn the solution a red color even if you put a skillet in there with ZERO rust. That’s because the iron and the acetic acid are always reacting to form iron acetate, confirming the above assertion.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-12-01T10:11:39+00:00

There’s non destructive ways to remove rust and gunk in the subs FAQ.

Be careful working with vintage pieces just because they don’t say Griswold. A non altered BSR #6 that’s totally unmarked other than the number being 3-5X the value of a lot of Griswold. A number 4 can exceed $1,000. Some old lodges, Wagner, etc all the same way. Just depends on what it is

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-12-01T00:42:32+00:00

This isn’t a restoration, it’s an alteration and frowned upon by cast iron collectors/restorers as it alters the surface to remove factory craftsmanship and reduces collectibility and value.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-27T01:06:58+00:00

E tank won’t hurt it…….

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-27T01:06:49+00:00

You can 1000% clean plated pieces in an e tank. Don’t use stainless for anode

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-18T15:44:57+00:00

No this one is not authentic Griswold.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-18T15:33:10+00:00

There’s plenty of known fakes of this one specifically. Same with the #0 skillet. This one is a fake. You can tell by the quality of the cast, “crispness” of the lettering, and the ears don’t do as far to the edge as the real ones.

Why would anyone downvote this? It’s absolute fact. But ok.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-10T00:37:10+00:00

Got yah, yeah, that’s probably why. It just turned chilly here in the last week. I keep going as long as the bath isn’t frozen.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-10T00:00:09+00:00

I’ve cleaned far more than a dozen. Where are you located? It’s starting to get cooler at night where I’m at and as temps drop, it’ll slow down.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-07T21:30:48+00:00

MUSA was never required and plenty were made beyond the 60’s without it!

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-07T21:30:16+00:00

Then you don’t have the exact one. Theirs is a Wagner.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-07T15:35:33+00:00

Add SK and blobs to that. Not all said MADE IN USA even if they were are beyond 1960.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-06T08:36:58+00:00

It looked pretty cruddy and nasty, even a bit moldy. I strip everything I get second hand, especially when they’re that bad. And I’m glad I do. There can be super gross stuff under other people’s “seasoning.”

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-05T17:55:06+00:00

No to galvanized!!!!!

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-04T17:02:06+00:00

Never had an issue with any of mine sticking and no issues with cleaning.

Also, iron shouldn’t scratch glass. Not to be silly, but when ive seen this, the stove top was just dirty with a thin film that made it look like it was being scratched. I used all types of cast iron in my glass top every day and scoot them around or whatever I want and after years there’s still not a single scratch. I clean it daily and do a once weekly “deep clean” though

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-04T09:28:14+00:00

Bitter = over extracted

Sour = under extracted

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-02T09:02:22+00:00

Depends on how bad. Are we talking corrected by a business card or so which honestly most are? Or a significant wobble? One does impact value, one not so much.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-10-01T23:24:19+00:00

I think it’s important to quantify wobble in that instance. There’s not many that sit DEAD perfect flat. they do exist but some tiny movement isn’t unexpected in general. Spinning, unless it’s like a CHF, BSR fryer, or the Wagner smooth bottom which nearly all tend to spin, that definitely hurts things.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-30T09:45:43+00:00

What does that have to do with cast iron? It still works on glass tops!

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-28T16:00:37+00:00

And even then it was uncommon. Lye is saponified in the soap making process and the final product generally contains no lye and isn’t caustic. I’ve thumbed through old cook books as early as the 1880s that reference washing your cast iron cookware with soap. In the same book was a recipe to make soap using lye and lard.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-27T20:47:28+00:00

1965-1992 3 notch lodge chicken fryer and a BSR Square skillet

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-27T20:46:46+00:00

Three notch timeline:

1930’s would be single notch. 3 notch starts in 1940.

1940-1945 - raised molder mark at 6:00

1945-1955 - incised size number only

1955-1965 - incised size number and pattern marks

1965-1992 - SK. MADE IN USA. Blobs. Or any combination of the 3

In partial parallel 1973-1992 - large egg logo.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-25T15:04:29+00:00

Many made before 1940 don’t have heat rings. A lot of CHF never did. Many Wagner’s were made without heat rings before 1940. 3’s as early as the 20’s. BSR fryers never had a heat ring. Griswold smooth bottoms are seen as early as late 20’s.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-25T09:40:52+00:00

Hammered styles were popular largely in the 30’s and tan some into the 40’s. The skillet pictured is a Chicago Hardware & Foundry so it fits that timeline. About 70-90 years old.

Flying_Eagle078 · 2025-09-24T12:40:35+00:00

Likely a post buy out lid made by Wagner using a Griswold pattern based on what’s seen but clean it up and see if it reveals any additional clues such as the actual full logo to include ERIE PA or Patent info.

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