What to do with my growing collection of door stops

MEValery

Member
I've been trying to buy crud coated cast iron hoping to find something special underneath. My luck has not been good:
An $25 ERIE #8 from around 1905 that turned out to be cracked at the side of the handle (might still be OK to use)
A $26 Victor #8 from around 1905 that seems to have had some type of thick plating that has been severely damaged and scratched so the cooking surface is rough.
A couple $7 #8 unmarked, maybe Wagners, which may be from the 1920s with a very thin plating that has a hint of rainbow like colors.
....

Anyway, I'm going to start running out of wall space.

What do you do with your cracked, poor plating, warped,... cast iron?

Thanks,
Mark
 
Looks like someone is selling them to you.:biggrin:

I try hard to give each piece my multi point test. If a piece does not pass all points, most times I walk. But if it passes all but one, depending on the rarity of the piece I might purchase it. But we all will and have been fooled, just part of the fun.

So of ALL the iron that has passed through my hands, I believe I have purchased less than 12 pieces with cracks. Three of them were purchased knowing of the cracks, and two have been repaired. One is in the mail on the way to me now, and will hang in my kitchen. One piece was purchased twice by different sellers, in different states. But I got my $$ back and they got the skillet back, both times. (posted about this).:head pop:

"What do you do with your cracked, poor plating, warped,... cast iron?"

Cracked - So if it worth it too have a piece repaired, I do it and sell them.

Poor plating - Clean, season, sell, still a good user for someone. I do not purchase plated pieces in bad condition. If I do not see most all the plating I do not want it. I like iron.

Warped - I stay clear of pieces like this. But they once in a while they just show up, they find a new home.

It is all good.
 
I only have one 'spinner" and I don't remember buying it. It is one of those 1891 Wagner #10 (?). I am going to use it on the grill. Grill heat doesn't care if it's a spinner.
 
Thanks for the info.

I will keep some of my old spinners for the grill. That's a good idea.
One spinner I have to keep and not use on the grill ever. It was my moms BSR and I warped it in a sell cleaning oven. It was the first pan I tried to clean and I hadn't read up enough. I do expect my mom to haunt me at least a few times for that mistake.

Jeff, who repairs the cracks for you? I would like to keep that 6th series ERIE. It has sever sulfur pitting over most of the bottom, but I would like to use it to cook with.

I talked to a local antique store today and they'll look over some of the things I'm not interested in keeping.
 
MEValery
I have yet to discard one piece of cast iron that is cracked, broken, or badly repaired by someone else.
A little thinking "out-of-the-box" and you can find many ways to resurrect these pieces into very useful and beautiful artifacts. It helps to be a multiple tasked or a jack-of-all-trades. Attached are a few of the pieces I have saved that may give you some ideas. Cracked skillets, broken waffle irons, and worn out food choppers are a few of the pieces I have made into pleasing gifts for grand kids and family members. I had more but have given them away without taking pictures.
Good luck and never say never....
http://imgur.com/a/KoKHT
 
Thanks for the info.

Jeff, who repairs the cracks for you? I would like to keep that 6th series ERIE. It has sever sulfur pitting over most of the bottom, but I would like to use it to cook with.

I have a friend that is a welder and he uses nickel rod on the repair.
 
This discussion has helped me decide. First I’d like to say to MD that I respect your creativity, attitude, efforts and workmanship a whole lot. I like to recycle, but to a point. A few years ago I committed a pair of waffle irons that had one hinge ball broken to the woods for nature to recycle without feeling bad after the fact. My present irritant is a #8 BSR Dutch oven spinner that has been on the kitchen floor for over a year. It was about to go to a community thrift shop to be passed on to another.

I now have a better idea out of the box. Tomorrow it will go down in the woods near the salt block (I don’t kill wild critters) right side up so the critters can get a drink and nature can recycle over time. The thrift shop will get the glass lid. T’is good.

Hilditch
 
On those do cracked or spiners a good idea is find a little grill and convert it to a little hibachi.

What mr. Edgar mentioned would be fun to do.


Cast iron does not weld well. Various welding rods will produce a seal but you have a corrected pan/pot which might be functional but will look like fido's rear end. Often the isolated heat will warp the item or cause fatigue/brittleness.
 
Cast iron does not weld well. Various welding rods will produce a seal but you have a corrected pan/pot which might be functional but will look like fido's rear end. Often the isolated heat will warp the item or cause fatigue/brittleness.

If the person doing the welding does not know how to weld cast iron then you might be right. Try using nickel rod, not just any rod.

Try finding a certified welder, not just any.

I have seen so called welders work that looks like fido's rear end on structural steel.
 
If the person doing the welding does not know how to weld cast iron then you might be right. Try using nickel rod, not just any rod.

Try finding a certified welder, not just any.

I have seen so called welders work that looks like fido's rear end on structural steel.

I am a certified welder. Carbon, stainless and aluminum. Trained at Newport News ship building when I was in college. I still weld but mostly to help friends.

I stand by what I said above. I stated ci does not weld well. Let me explain.

It is not impossible but difficult. Most recommend heating the iron slowly up to between 500 to 1200 degrees before you use the nickel rod. At about 1400 degree F. Cast iron becomes extremely brittle.

Let's talk warping now. Heat your best skillet or a small,part of it to the above temps. Half the pan is red hot and the other side is below that temp. What happens then?

Appearance ? You now have a welded piece that will look repaired. Not what most want to use.
 
I never did have a warm fuzzy about using a cracked CI vessel. I can picture one half of it on the stove and the other half burning into the kitchen floor after nailing my foot and the chicken cacciatore spread over half the kitchen. As CI does not lend itself to welding like steel, not only are the repairs unsightly and one is asking for warpage, but there is a good chance of additional cracking, separation of the weld and failure. Not for me.

Hilditch
 
Jeffery
I am buiding a pretty good stack of cracked skillets. I have two questions about repairs: are they terribly obvious and are the skillets proned to more cracks after the repairs? I would like for some of these cracked pans to become daily users if they are suitable after the repairs.

Jack
 
Jeffery
I am buiding a pretty good stack of cracked skillets. I have two questions about repairs: are they terribly obvious and are the skillets proned to more cracks after the repairs? I would like for some of these cracked pans to become daily users if they are suitable after the repairs.

Jack

I will look for a photo. Not terribly obvious, but shiny obvious, due to the nickel rod over cast. As for "more cracks after the repairs," not sure if you mean at the same crack that was repaired. But as I stated, that cast iron can be welded, by the right person and at that it is still a gamble. Less of a gamble with the right welder.


"suitable after the repairs". To date I have not had any issues from my customers. So something was done right.


Here is a product that I have not tried, but might be worth looking into for yourself.

As I stated I have not used it, so I am not endorsing it. Your call.

http://www.castaloy.com

If you do give it a try, I would be interested in how you make out.
 
ME, if you don’t need more wall decorations I think the smart thing to do is recycle. One way or another. Recycle centers do take cast iron & mix it in with the steel. You will feel better.

Hilditch
 
ME, if you don’t need more wall decorations I think the smart thing to do is recycle. One way or another. Recycle centers do take cast iron & mix it in with the steel. You will feel better.

Hilditch

You might go back and re read your post #8 That is not recycling, then pick up your WI paddles. the smart thing

So you don't kill wild critters. Did you give any thought to stagnant water and the critters?

Malaria and dengue are among the main dangers, also a breeding ground for the mosquitoes, and many kinds of bacteria and parasites.

The real question is, would you drink from the #8 BSR Dutch oven spinner? Think Not. So why kill the critters?
Just do the smart thing and take them to the Recycle center as you stated in post #17

Leave the critters alone, they do better without you.
 
That looks pretty nice. This is the reason I can't bring myself to part with my Crescent chicken fryer with the broken handle. There might be hope for it. :icon_thumbsup:
 
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