Let's Play "What's Under The Crud?"

Doug D.

Administrator
Staff member
Bought this at a flea market today on a hunch. Can you guess what it is? Hint: It's bigger than a Wagner #6 and smaller than a Griswold #8, and heavier than either. I'm not sure myself yet, but have a suspicion.
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Click to enlarge.
 
Here are two more photos from electro-in-progress. Can you tell anything more?
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Yes, they're dark, but they do reveal clues. I have a guess I think is right.
 
Here's another. The exposed areas are very smooth. No markings visible yet, but what does that imply?
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Into the lye bath it goes. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
 
My suspicions were based on the shape of the bottom of the handle and the shape of the number on the top. Can you tell what I thought I saw? Here's the top after the lye bath , but before seasoning:
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Looks like no more guesses. Here is the bottom:
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Yep, nothing. No marks whatsoever. All the darker spots that look like they might be lettering are not. What I thought I had was an early handle small block logo Griswold. I deduced this from the shape of the handle and the squarish number 8 on the top. What I think this is, actually, is a recast made from the pan I thought I had. The bottom is thick and heavy, and casting anomalies around the bottom outside edge support the probability that, once the sand mold was made, a layer containing the bottom markings was removed, creating an enlarged cavity and therefore a heavier pan. Its smaller diameter than a Griswold #8 also supports the recast theory. What's interesting is that most recasts have a bottom gate mark, so whoever made this used a more advanced and difficult casting technology. Although this pan as found was covered in crud from use, I'm reluctant to use it myself, as I don't know what impurities there might be in the iron.
 
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