Rust!

D

Donna Belcher

New member
I have been trying to clean a fairly large dutch oven (without feet). I worked for days and finally removed all the black gunk. Then soaked twice for 30 minutes in vinegar/water to help with Rust. After soaking each time I brushed really good with soap and warm water. It looked great but before it could dry it started to show rust. Do I need to keep soaking in vinegar and water until I see no more rust? Use salt? Baking soda? Please, help. I am really stumped and don't know what else to do. I have never had this much trouble cleaning rust off one of my pieces. I've included 2 pics. Thanks for your help.
 

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Donna,

I use an electrolysis tank, so my experience with vinegar and water is limited. If you haven't done so, suggest reviewing what Doug has provided.

http://www.castironcollector.com/cleaning.php

Are you completely submerging the piece in the vinegar/water? If not, it will flash oxidize before you finish. Also, keep it submerged in water or continually rinse it in cold water as you wash it with soap.

I typically wash a piece 3 or 4 times after it comes out of the etank and wipe with paper towels after each wash. Usually the paper towels are covered with black "rust" and by the 3 or 4 washing the black is greatly reduced and then I procede to put the piece in the 200 degree oven as Doug specifies.

Never had flash oxidation like that in your picture.

Also, suggest using cold water. Somewhere in the information provided by Doug, he mentions oxidation seems to be slower with cold water.

Another option is the product Evaporust. It works, but I think it is expensive. May be useful on a piece with "nooks and crannies". For a pure vanilla DO, shouldn't be necessary (in my opinion).

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you, Doug. So if I read that right, it should wipe off during the first seasoning process? I have cleaned and seasoned at least 10 pieces in the last several months and never had this happen before. Thanks so much. Ready to get through with this monster!
 
This is occurring with a Griswold DO that I'm trying to season, as well. I washed it 3 or 4 times (in cold water) after cleaning with lye, quickly dried off with a clean rag, popped it into a 200 degree oven and got a ton of flash rust. I did the initial seasoning layer and it never really was wiping clean of the rusty film. I did a second one and while it's getting better, there's still residue. Do I need to start over, or are some pieces just stubborn and require multiple layers? I worry that I'm imbedding rust into the seasoning (is that even possible)?

I just stripped and seasoned a no 7 Griswold skillet and while it also flash rusted in the oven, it all came off on the first seasoning pass and came out a beautiful, uniform black color. Not sure why they were so different...
 
There will be some variation in experience from pan-to-pan. I have an unmarked Griswold #3 with the three-hole handle that I stripped years ago with electrolysis and never got around to seasoning. It still hasn't a hint of rust on it. Humidity here is rarely below 50%... indoors.

Not sure of your exact process, but I'm wondering if what you're still seeing after the first seasoning isn't more a discoloration of your cloth/rag by the hot oil being wiped off than by rust.
 
So far I've followed the seasoning guidelines from the main page here.

When I checked the piece today, the seasoning was sticky. I figured I must have taken it out of the oven before it had cooled properly, so today I got it up to 200, wiped it down again, back in and got the temp to 400. Left it there for an hour and then two more hours after turning the oven off. Now the seasoning looks great, and no rusty smudges when I gave it a final wipeout.

I'll check it again tomorrow, but I suspect I was just being impatient with the process, and it seems good now.
 
Some people just turn the oven off and take the pan out the next day.
That is how I do it and have had good luck.

---------- Post added at 07:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------
Doug D. said:
There will be some variation in experience from pan-to-pan. I have an unmarked Griswold #3 with the three-hole handle that I stripped years ago with electrolysis and never got around to seasoning. It still hasn't a hint of rust on it. Humidity here is rarely below 50%... indoors.
Click to expand...

I have had that happen to some pans that have sat around and wondered if it was just me but you have it happen yourself.
 
Almost every piece I have ever restored has had significant flash rust. I go through the lye/etank/vinegar/soap/cold water motions, towel dry, and then fully dry in a 200 degree oven. After a few minutes they come out powdery orange. I'm surprised when it does not happen.

I was concerned at first, but I don't care anymore. I'll actually let these orange pans sit on the kitchen counter for days while I remove crud and rust from other pans so that I can season multiple pans at once. When I apply the seasoning oil and wipe it off, the flash rust comes with it. No big deal.
 
I personally have never had flash rust occur. I used to use bacon grease to season, but it was sticky sometimes. I use Crisco now.
 
Both of my gas ovens (Georgia - humid - and NE Utah - dry) fogged up the glass when they were first turned on. As they heated up, the moisture was driven out. I learned to not put any cast iron in them until they dried out.
 
Greg Gardner said:
This is occurring with a Griswold DO that I'm trying to season, as well. I washed it 3 or 4 times (in cold water) after cleaning with lye, quickly dried off with a clean rag, popped it into a 200 degree oven and got a ton of flash rust. I did the initial seasoning layer and it never really was wiping clean of the rusty film. I did a second one and while it's getting better, there's still residue. Do I need to start over, or are some pieces just stubborn and require multiple layers? I worry that I'm imbedding rust into the seasoning (is that even possible)?

I just stripped and seasoned a no 7 Griswold skillet and while it also flash rusted in the oven, it all came off on the first seasoning pass and came out a beautiful, uniform black color. Not sure why they were so different...
Click to expand...

I tried the 200 degree oven routine with my cornstick pans and got serious flash rust. I have a gas oven so it runs moist but even with the door cracked it was a problem. heating the pans on the stove top gives no flash rust so I'm going back to that. Of small note, the climate here is very dry.

Where I have gotten flash rust on the inside of lids from cooking I just season over it. 3 coats. They are very hard to wipe. I'm working on a spray process for applying thin films of oil to such surfaces.
 
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