# Cast Iron/Dutch oven restore



## sancho (Aug 5, 2013)

So my wife and I just bought a house a couple months ago, and the previous owners left 3 skillets, 2 pots and a dutch oven.  I saw them when we looked at the house and asked the owner what they were gonna do with them.  They said probably just throw them away!!! Probably because they looked like this:













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I said "WHOA THERE"!!! Seriously, i said that.....i don't know why, but i did.  And after i got a weird confused look, the previous owner told me i could have them.  Well as you can see, they had been plenty neglected.  they were in a shed that had half of the roof knocked off by a previous hurricane, and these things were just filled with old water.  No one had touched them since 08 i was told.  Well we got moved in, oh, here's a picture of the happy chilluns with the for sale sign













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We got moved in and settled, so my mind went to 2 things........Smoking a brisket and those cast iron pots!  I've seen cast iron restoration from electrolosis and burning both, but since i didnt feel like electrocuting myself on such a beautiful day, i decided to burn em.  I am a man and we like to burn things, it's just what we do, aint it?!?!  so here's what they looked like after the fire.













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You can kinda see the dutch oven in the corner, but DONT GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF!!!!  so i had them out of the fire, and pulled out the ole grinding tool and air compressor and went to town.  got on em with wire brushes too.  and heres what i got.













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Not too bad eh?  Ok, i know what you're thinking....MADE IN TAIWAN!!  but hey, i didnt buy em, they was free!!!!  i inherited them!  so anyways, now that you know im not a communist, lets move on. 

Ok, now that you've put your stones down, check this out.  this is after a seasoning. 













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As i'm sitting here patting myself on the back, i think i did a pretty good job.  not bad for a first time, and hey, it helped pass the time while the brisket and ribs were smoking.  whatcha think?! Thanks for reading/posting.  this was a great time killer while at work.

HAPPY SMOKEN!!


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## themule69 (Aug 5, 2013)

Great score.

Hope you like the new house.

Happy smoken

David


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 5, 2013)

Looks great. Did you season with flaxseed oil? It's the best. Three good coats if that and your good for life!


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## kathrynn (Aug 5, 2013)

looks good!  Better than the rusty pics!

Kat


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## radio (Aug 5, 2013)

Congrats on the home purchase.

Great job on the restore!  Food sure tastes good cooked in it too!  I can still remember going to Grandpa and Grandma's house when I was a kid and the biscuits she baked in a cast iron skillet in a wood cookstove were the best!


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## daveomak (Aug 5, 2013)

I think that is and OLD dutch oven.....  doesn't have Taiwan, R.O.C. stamped on it....   Nice job of the refurb....  

Dave


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## tucson bbq fan (Aug 5, 2013)

Good job  on restoring the Dutch Ovens.  I've restored a couple in my time, and know that it takes a lot of work and patience to get them as good as you ended up.  I'm sure you will get a lot of good food out of these for many years to come.

- Dave


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## tucson bbq fan (Aug 5, 2013)

DaveOmak said:


> I think that is and OLD dutch oven.....  doesn't have Taiwan, R.O.C. stamped on it....   Nice job of the refurb....
> 
> Dave


Krischer was a cast iron metal working company in New Jersey back in the 1970's.  They made an entire line of cast iron cookware.  They were known for long wooden handles on the lids and fry pans.  If you look closely at the first photo where they are burning out - two of the pans have the round extension where the wooden handle screwed into.  They must have outsourced the manufacturing to Taiwan.


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## sancho (Aug 5, 2013)

Tucson, you're exactly right. They have long wooden handles on the pans and pots. I left them off for the seasoning process. Thanks or all the info guys!! We've already had some good burgers and chili out of em!!


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## sancho (Aug 5, 2013)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Looks great. Did you season with flaxseed oil? It's the best. Three good coats if that and your good for life!


 no I used vegetable oil. I'm gonna try flaxseed in the last skillet and pot


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## kathrynn (Aug 5, 2013)

I use plain old Crisco

Kat


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## hambone1950 (Dec 22, 2013)

KathrynN said:


> I use plain old Crisco
> 
> Kat



I've been using bacon fat in my skillet that I use all the time but I think I might just invest in some flax seed oil to try in my new DO...just for giggles.

Oh , and sanch , your pans came out real nice....and I enjoyed your post. Very witty. Thumbs Up


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## southernfire97 (Dec 24, 2013)

I use lard. Best to use an animal fat as it penetrates the pores of the pot better and helps make it "nonstick" . At least this has been my experience with all my cast iron. Good job on the restore BTW. Nothing finer to cook in than a good cast iron pot.


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## daveomak (Dec 24, 2013)

southernfire97 said:


> I use lard. Best to use an animal fat as it penetrates the pores of the pot better and helps make it "nonstick" . At least this has been my experience with all my cast iron. Good job on the restore BTW. Nothing finer to cook in than a good cast iron pot.



You should try flax oil after you burn off all the current seasoning...   It makes a great coating....    


Dave


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## fpmich (Jan 6, 2014)

*Great thread and photo's Sancho!*

I found my two 10" skillets and a dutch oven,minus lid, (darn it) in a dumpster while camping back in late 70's or early 80's.

I camped in a small secluded rustic camp site, but the local people around there used to use the dumpsters to avoid paying their dump fees.  Taking advantage of us campers, who was paying the fees for DNR to upkeep the campground toilets and dumpsters emptied.

DNR has since shut that campground down for that very reason.  Too bad.  It was a neat little quiet campground that was not crowded at all.

*Anyway... *

This was before the Internet, so I had no idea what I was going to do to save these pans, or if they could be saved,

But I dumpster dived anyway, and got them out.  Looked just like yours.  When I got home I used a 1/4"  drill, wire brush wheel. flapper wheel, then a flexible grinding disk to smooth the insides.  Then fine sand paper and steel wool to finish.  Then I just added grease to them in oven to season at first.  They didn't get to non-stick stage until after many uses with re-coating and heating each time.

Had them over 30 years now and still non stick.  Never use detergent or soap on them.  Hot water and scrub, then dry on burner and lightly coat with grease. Lard is best (no salt).  Wipe a tad of grease on bottom each time too, to keep them from rusting, if stacked together and moisture forms

Side note:

My wife was very anemic when we met.  Had been her whole life.  After a year or two of eating from my cast iron pans (I used the almost exclusively when possible) she has never been anemic again in her blood work up.

The bad side of cast iron pans is...

That the older we get the harder they are to use.  Somehow they gain weigh equal to, or double our age.  LOL

*Moral of the story...*

Dumpster Diving, or in your case Barn Diving, PAYS OFF!








  

Edit by FPmich:

[sub]Oh Oh!  It looks like I responded to very old thread by mistake.  Saw someone looking at on current online members and didn't think to check dates.  Sorry Mods.[/sub]


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## reuse1restore (Jul 4, 2015)

So, I came I to pisesduon of this set.  Pardon the the floor shot, it was the best view.  Also made in Taiwan.  Supposed to have been "great grandma's".  I've read if it says "made in.. " that they are newer than 1960.  Also has concentric, obviously manufactured, in 8 inch skillet.  Any info?


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## reuse1restore (Jul 4, 2015)

Not sure if this post will upload, as my previous has been incarcerated for an unknown period of time as well.  Only the 8 inch skillet had concentric circles.  Recently acquired.


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## darwin101 (Jul 4, 2015)

Nice job saving those old pots. Take good care of them and give them to the grand kids. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





     I have 2 Very old pots from my Grand Mother, she passed some 30+ years back.  I use them frequently.

I have switched over to flax seed oil and I am very impressed with the finish, I won't use anything else now.


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## thinmattsbbq (Jul 30, 2015)

I several Cast Iron Pans, most of them are newer Lodge models, but I do have one Wagner ware that I got at Volunteers of America. I continue to scour Garage sales for a Dutch oven. I don't care about the shape it is in as long as it does not have any cracks. Plan to do just as you did if I find one.


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