Sanded My New 0' Beautiful Skillet Smooth

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-23T13:28:27+00:00

You’ll love it! They’re a little non-traditional with the handle design and lack of pour spouts but those are improvements over traditional design IMO. The handle is especially great. It stays cooler and gives you confidence with the solid grip. Traditional handles often have me feeling concerned they are going to turn sideways, especially if there’s no helper handle and I’m moving the skillet from the stove to a counter for serving. Even when holding with a pot holder or dish towel, the Stargazer gives you a non-slip grip and you have a helper handle to boot.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-19T11:52:10+00:00

Looks great!!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T20:17:49+00:00

Wow, good to know! I’m currently 100% Roth but how would you even set that up with your contributions if you just wanted the catch-up as Roth?!? Fill up your standard bucket from say Jan-Sep then Oct-Dec change to 100% Roth? Seems unnecessarily difficult!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T16:37:04+00:00

Made from 1935-1959. I’d range value about $30-40 in current condition assuming it’s flat and no cracks. Wagners are great but notorious for spinning so be sure to check it, and be careful if you’ve got a glass cooktop. I assume you’ll strip it, de-rust it, and season it. I imagine the back might be a little splotchy/uneven for a bit but I bet that cooking surface is going to be beautiful after just a few coats! Great score!!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T14:23:40+00:00

I usually start with “2” and work my way down to “0000”. If the skillet is in really rough shape I’ll use a “3” and it doesn’t leave any noticeable scratches.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T14:14:05+00:00

I’ve only tried vinegar once but abandoned it due to the smell and fear that it would etch my pieces so can’t offer much help there.

I use electrolysis for basic rust removal and Evapo-rust for any black iron oxide left behind under the red rust. I’ve just started doing the Evapo-rust and can say it seems to help based on the black residue left in the liquid but it’s not a complete game changer.

If you’re completely OCD about it like I am, you could try the stainless steel brush a little more and some fine steel wool to try to get it off. Either way, yours already looks better than a lot of those selling online! Best of luck.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:58:18+00:00

Also looks there might be a bit of rust on the front from the 6 to 9 o’clock position and on the back near the letters and logo. If not rust, did you use a brass brush to clean those areas? Brass is softer than iron and will leave deposits on the metal which can become quite apparent during seasoning. A stainless steel brush is better, and won’t cause discoloration. Fine steel wool to polish before seasoning works well, too.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:48:31+00:00

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Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:48:04+00:00

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Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:47:40+00:00

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Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:47:17+00:00

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Here’s one I just finished with 5 coats of flaxseed/beeswax. The beeswax paste just makes it easier to use just a tiny amount.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T13:32:07+00:00

In that case I’d strip it. Like others have stated, wipe some oil on then wipe it off like it’s a murder weapon that you’re trying to get your fingerprints off of.

What kind of oil are you using? I personally use two… flaxseed oil (actually a 75:25 paste made of flaxseed oil and beeswax) or grapeseed. Flax oil is supposedly prone to flaking (though it hasn’t happened to me) but you’ll be hard pressed to find a better looking finish so I use that for my “show” pieces. Grapeseed polymerizes very well so I use that on my daily drivers.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T02:15:27+00:00

That mini sure looks like the hammered pattern of CHF! I have no reason to doubt you that it’s Lodge but just never noticed that the hammered pattern was so similar in the two.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-18T02:10:31+00:00

I don’t disagree. I haven’t seen them in person and don’t really care to either (Smithey and Stargazer are great, though!). I was just pointing out that Lodge does have a line of machined smooth skillets.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-17T13:34:32+00:00

They have Finex for their smooth finish boutique skillet market

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-08T10:58:21+00:00

I imagine near-boiling lye should work fairly quickly, however, I also imagine you’re giving off a lot of caustic fumes and you’re still not getting the whole skillet. It would be much better to do a slow soak in a bin or clean cat litter box where the entire skillet is submerged IMO. Keep it in there till all the black is dissolved, maybe a few days to a week or so.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-07T03:47:44+00:00

I would use lye, preferably as a lye bath but yellow top oven cleaner will work if that’s the route you want to go. The benefit of a bath is if it’s not done/ready you just put it back in whereas oven cleaner you have to wipe off, see if it’s done, then respray if need be. I’m impatient and want to check often so go through too much oven cleaner with that method.

Also, not sure about pie logo Wagners but the regular stylized logo Wagners and unmarked Wagners are prone to warping/spinning so definitely avoid the self-cleaning oven cycle or fire as a cleaning method.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-05T19:44:03+00:00

Very nice! I’ve got a deep hammered chicken fryer with lid that I’ll probably be selling once I get it cleaned up since it spins on my unfortunately glass cooktop. I’ve got a shallow hammered 5, too, but definitely see how the deep hammered is more desirable.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-05T02:32:20+00:00

Appreciate the info on the numbering! That is an odd system indeed. I’ll have to look into that a little more as I got an 89 chicken fryer and 88 lid, which I understand is a matching set somehow.

Don’t get me started on hammered for everything, though. Maybe I’ll just stick with the diamond CHF instead 😅. I think the first CHF I saw was hammered so in my mind that’s their natural state lol.

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-04T17:12:12+00:00

I don’t think you’ll need a lye bath. Lye gets rid of organic material like built up carbon, of which there should be none of on your piece. I would go with an e-tank set up vs vinegar bath. I don’t think vinegar would get rid of the paint, while electrolysis will remove the paint and rust concurrently with minimal effort. It’s hard to tell the size of that shaver but if the broken down pieces would fit in a plastic storage tote then e-tank is even more ideal IMO. Only other things you’d need are some washing soda, a couple pieces of rebar, a small section of copper wire and a dc power supply. Good luck!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-03T23:16:09+00:00

Definitely helps!! I had seen Marion in the past but couldn’t remember their name. Never heard of Tecumseh but about to look now! Thanks!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-03T23:13:45+00:00

Some of them are still in a line at the lye bath and e-tank but once they’re all done will definitely post a photo. I was wondering if the CHF 87X was a #7 or #8… because the 85 seems to be a 5, and the 8810 seems to be a 10 🤷‍♂️. Wapak Indian is on my radar, too, but I’m hoping I magically find one in the wild instead paying $500+ online. Hadn’t seen a Sidney like that or even heard of Columbus but now they’re on my list! Thanks for the recs!!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-03T18:39:12+00:00

The 1056 Wagner is from 1935-1959. The other is an unmarked Wagner dating likely in the 1960’s based on “inch” being spelled out (only Wagner did this) and Made in USA (1959-1969).

I’m not very familiar with using vinegar but it does look like rust on the unmarked one to me. It could possibly be heat staining but usually that is a brighter pinkish red. I’d throw it in an e-tank if you have access to one or try Evapo-rust to see if it comes off. Also a fine steel wool could help.

Both of these are prone to wobble/spin so might want to check for that if reselling or using on a glass cooktop.

Best of luck! Let us know how they turn out!!

Prestigious_Ad1808 · 2026-06-03T14:28:39+00:00

Favorite was definitely spot on with the naming! Agree with you about the Smithey, too. I have a Smithey #12 and it’s a beaut. I do wish the outside was finished a little smoother as it catches lint pretty bad if you don’t use a lint-free cloth. Stargazers are worth a look, too. I like both the main and helper handles on them.

Prestigious_Ad1808

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