Restoration advice - bumps on outer surface

J

JHanthorn

New member
Hello everyone,
I am a new member starting my first project. Picked up a Wagner skillet with a smooth interior, but it has some significant bumpy surfacing around the outer edge of the pan. My plan is to try to restore with the spray oven cleaner method. Wondering if anyone has seen a pan like this before and if you think those bumps will come off/smooth out with oven cleaner or if I need to do something else.
Thank you!

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Oven Cleaner may work, but will take a lot of time and work. If it were mine I would use a lye bath
 
I've had good luck using electrolysis. Directions are on this site somewhere. You will need a manual battery charger, not a new automatic charger. I like electrolysis since there are no nasty chemicals involved.

Cast Iron Cleaning With Electrolysis - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast

The Cast Iron Collector: Information for the Vintage Cookware Enthusiast. Learn how to identify, clean, restore, season and use collectible antique cast iron cookware.
www.castironcollector.com www.castironcollector.com
 
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My advice is to get the Yellow Easy Off Oven cleaner, coat the skillet VERY well, put in a thick garbage bag,, and WAIT........itll take days to work with that much crust, but itll work, with some elbow grease with a wire brush, ect. Oh,,, and USE GLOVES!!! And do it outside preferably.
 
I always have pretty good results with that method, but Im impatient, lol.....I always have to go for a 2nd or 3rd try. What size skillet? looks like a #8............one can should do it.
 
SeanD said:
I always have pretty good results with that method, but Im impatient, lol.....I always have to go for a 2nd or 3rd try. What size skillet? looks like a #8............one can should do it.
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Thanks for all your help SeanD! Okay, so I did the Yellow oven cleaner method, let it soak for like 3 days, and *most* of the gunk came off! I hit the black spots with a wire brush, sprayed with more cleaner and put it back in the bag. Is there a limit to how long it can stay in there? Will the oven cleaner start to damage the pan? It looks really good but there is still a black layer around the pour spout and bumpy buildup around the outer edge. It still looks a million times better than it did but I would like to get all of it off. Should I check daily or leave it?
 
Lye (active ingredient in HD Easy Off) will not damage iron, and in fact will function as a rust inhibitor. Areas of build-up that have become completely carbonized, however, will likely not yield to lye, and will have to be removed by other means.
 
Doug D. said:
Lye (active ingredient in HD Easy Off) will not damage iron, and in fact will function as a rust inhibitor. Areas of build-up that have become completely carbonized, however, will likely not yield to lye, and will have to be removed by other means.
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Thanks for your help Doug D! Other means like a wire brush or steel wool? Thanks for answering all my probably very basic questions.
 
Try leaving it in the bag longer, I know its hard, lol.....Im always in a hurry too. It wont harm the pan like Doug said.
 
Finished the pan with great results! I ended up scraping some of the bumps off gently with a putty knife and leaving in the oven cleaner for close to two weeks. It turned out amazing and far better than I thought it would.
Thanks for the advice!

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