What Happened Here?

JHarris

New member
Just trying to determine what exactly happened to this little #5 in its previous life, and whether or not it's safe to preseason and use? There are three main things I'm concerned with:

  1. The reddish tint near the pour spouts. I assume this is heat damage.
  2. The crazy stains on the cooking surface. What would've been strong enough to cause staining like that (the black striations/swirls).
  3. The metallic marks on the bottom/back of the skillet.

All of these items remained on the CI after a four-day-soak in a lye bath and 30 minute dip in some vinegar. I then gave it a good scrubbing with some "00" steel wool and just a tad of Barkeeper's Friend.

https://imgur.com/gallery/LmBKJKz
 
I'm not seeing heat damage. Looks to me like a pan that perhaps sat somewhere leaning against a wall outside partially filled with water, evaporating and refilling with rainwater, the rust advancing at different rates according to the various water levels.
 
the metallic look on the back could have been from someone using a brass wire brush or drill/cup brush... the brass being softer than the iron can transfer a brassy color to the iron.

what did you do to clean the inside? I would have thought the dark swirl looking stuff could be removed (electrolysis, steel wool...)
 
what did you do to clean the inside? I would have thought the dark swirl looking stuff could be removed (electrolysis, steel wool...)


I would’ve thought that, too. I let it sit in a lye bath for 4 days, and then I scrubbed it with steel wool and Barkeeper’s Friend. After that, I let it soak in vinegar/water for 30 minutes and scrubbed with steel wool again.
 
How warm is it where your lye bath is set up? If it’s cold four days may not be long enough. I usually go a week even in warm weather. I also believe your vinegar soak wasn’t long enough. It still looks red at the pour spout and the vinegar soak should turn the red rust black.
 
It has been getting increasingly colder. Highs in the 40s and 50s, and lows in the 20s and 30s. The lye tank is in the garage where it seems to stay in the 50s. I'll throw it back in the tank and let it sit for a few weeks. Wasn't really all that eager to get it restored anyhow -- I bought it for $12 on a whim.

As to the redness -- it didn't appear to be rust to me, but I'm fairly inexperienced at this. The iron actually seemed to BE red if that makes any sense.

I appreciate everyone's input!
 
Are those rings on the inside just stains or do they have a feel to them different than, say, the unaffected areas?
 
Starting to wonder if it (and the reddish tint) are the result of some other, non-cooking use, one that would make me think twice about using it.
 
Starting to wonder if it (and the reddish tint) are the result of some other, non-cooking use, one that would make me think twice about using it.

That’s why I originally asked, but I didn’t really know what the possibilities were or what I should be worried about. I keep seeing stuff on Reddit about lead, but it’s hard to tell how legit that concern is.

All I know is that this piece of CI seems a little off and looks unlike any of the others I’ve dealt with. Like I said earlier, it only cost me $12 so no big deal if it’s a total loss.
 
I've used one once. It was negative so I'm not sure of the accuracy. I still haven't used the piece since I still don't know what is on the pan. It's a #10 Lodge with a few black streaks on it. It probably isn't lead though.
 
Back
Top