Help with a cast iron dutch oven

[maddogg]

I came across an old cast iron dutch oven that looks pretty rough.It's not rusted very much but it needs conditioning. Does anyone know how I would go about stripping it and starting over reconditioning it?

[Drilling Man]

  I had a bunch of really bad CI pans given to me.  I put a cup brush on my side grinder and cleaned them up,
 

 
  Then i covered them in crisco, and put them in my propane BBQ to season,
 

 
  I like the cup brush as i can clean where i want, and leave what i want...
 
  They came out GREAT!
 

 
  DM

[Ranger99]

pretty much what drilling man said. . . .


the last ones i did had that same kind
of crust like in his pictures. i got tired
of trying to get it off , and coated them
with oil and they went in a hot-hot-hot
fire. after a good while, that crust just
brushed away with a regular hand-held
wire brush. i've had sucess with the
oven cleaner method too.


b.t.w.
if it even remotely looks like someone
has melted lead in a pot, don't even try
to clean it up and use it to cook. either
use it for lead melting yourself, or bust
the side out of it with a hammer and sell
it with the rest of your scrap metal.

[keith44]

pretty much what drilling man said. . . .


the last ones i did had that same kind
of crust like in his pictures. i got tired
of trying to get it off , and coated them
with oil and they went in a hot-hot-hot
fire. after a good while, that crust just
brushed away with a regular hand-held
wire brush. i've had sucess with the
oven cleaner method too.


b.t.w.
if it even remotely looks like someone
has melted lead in a pot, don't even try
to clean it up and use it to cook. either
use it for lead melting yourself, or bust
the side out of it with a hammer and sell
it with the rest of your scrap metal.

+1


I have used a wire brush to clean off the rust, and a wire wheel on an angle grinder.  heat the piece to at least 225 degrees, but less than 500 degrees.  Oil, crisco, or lard can be used to season them, make sure the oil is standing on the surface as it cools (slowly!!, very slowly cool the piece) once it has cooled, it is ready for use.

[AtlLaw]

If, as you say, it's not rusted, what makes it look "pretty rough?"     If it just needs conditioning (assuming you mean seasoning?),  +1 to what the guys said.   
 
If you are talking about removal of the normal buildup of "stuff"  that comes with use, (reconditioning?) stick the pot in a self-cleaning oven and set the oven to clean!  All the "stuff" will turn to ash and you will be down to the bare iron.  Then season as was outlined.
 
I have done this to well used iron ware a few times and couldn't ask for better results.  I have heard that there is a risk of warpage or cracking of the iron using this method but I haven't had any problem.
 
Nevertheless, I was a bit nervous when I stuck a 10 inch "Griswold" pan I found laying under a shed roof in the oven! 
 

[muznut 54]

When I pickup a rusted used cast iron pan or pot I build a hot fire in my wood stove and let it get down to hot coals and throw the pan in there for awhile and take it out and it brushes off real easy. Then I reheat and re-season it.

[Drilling Man]

When I pickup a rusted used cast iron pan or pot I build a hot fire in my wood stove and let it get down to hot coals and throw the pan in there for awhile and take it out and it brushes off real easy. Then I reheat and re-season it.

  Every once in a while, this DOES cause a CI pan to warp/crack... (yes i've seen it happen) So, i wouldn't take that chance with any of my CI, cause i don't have any junk CI!
 
  DM

[maddogg]

If, as you say, it's not rusted, what makes it look "pretty rough?"     If it just needs conditioning (assuming you mean seasoning?),  +1 to what the guys said.   
 
If you are talking about removal of the normal buildup of "stuff"  that comes with use, (reconditioning?) stick the pot in a self-cleaning oven and set the oven to clean!  All the "stuff" will turn to ash and you will be down to the bare iron.  Then season as was outlined.
 
I have done this to well used iron ware a few times and couldn't ask for better results.  I have heard that there is a risk of warpage or cracking of the iron using this method but I haven't had any problem.
 
Nevertheless, I was a bit nervous when I stuck a 10 inch "Griswold" pan I found laying under a shed roof in the oven! 

The piece looks like someone tried to season it but did a poor job. It looks like it has thick hard runs of bake on oil on the sides and bottom of the inside of the oven. So your saying I should bake it in the oven at 450 for a couple of hours and then reseason?

[AtlLaw]

It looks like it has thick hard runs of bake on oil on the sides and bottom of the inside of the oven. So your saying I should bake it in the oven at 450 for a couple of hours and then reseason?

From that it sounds like the "stuff" that accumulates on CI from normal use.  If it were mine I'd stick it in the kitchen oven like I said and set the oven to self clean.  I don't think 450 degrees would be hot enough.
 
But considering my warning and what Drilling Man said, do so at your own peril.      And yes, once it's clean, reseason.   

[keith44]

It looks like it has thick hard runs of bake on oil on the sides and bottom of the inside of the oven. So your saying I should bake it in the oven at 450 for a couple of hours and then reseason?

From that it sounds like the "stuff" that accumulates on CI from normal use.  If it were mine I'd stick it in the kitchen oven like I said and set the oven to self clean.  I don't think 450 degrees would be hot enough.
 
But considering my warning and what Drilling Man said, do so at your own peril.      And yes, once it's clean, reseason.   

+1

[maddogg]

Thanks guys
It's in the oven right now.
Maddogg