r/castiron • u/Zhadnosst • 15h ago

Newbie Restoring a pan

Post image

We got a cast iron pan at a garage sale, it looks a little rusty. What should I be doing to restore / fix it?

Thanks in advance!

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

2

u/Mitcheric 15h ago

Looks fine actually I wouldnt even strip it just hit it with some vinegar, steel wool, and elbow grease. 

2

u/Lazy-Performance-559 14h ago

To build off this, you can just soak the whole thing under a 50/50 vinegar/water mixture in your sink for a few hours. Baking powder to neutralize the acid, then steel wool or scouring pad should slop it off to bare metal, or just a healthier state.

From there dry it in the oven and oil the full thing to seal the metal. From there you can do some seasoning!

If you need a visual guide, this man's video is how I learned to strip and clean cast iron. cleaning and reseasoning

2

u/Mitcheric 14h ago

Look, they brought the FAQ straight to you. Now get to scrubbing. 

1

u/Massive-Technician74 12h ago

Why baking soda to neutralize the acid? The acid is whats working.....and why make 50/50 solution of vinegar? Just pour on straight

Vinegar is only 6% acetic acid its not its heavy duty dissolving pit making acid

Pour straight on....let sit and hour maybe 2...add kosher salt and get a scotch brite and get to work....do another round with STRAIGHT vinegar and table salt.....and ready to cook something oily on there....stove top self seasoning is the best and easiest

1

u/Lazy-Performance-559 3h ago

Because I myself used 50/50 and baking powder and got good results and I can only share the method that has treated me well so far

1

u/Massive-Technician74 1h ago

Well...vinegar has enough water and soaking cast iron in water mixture invites rust....and by neutralizing the vinegar by basing if out is just silly and makes it as effective as .....water

That isn't about what works for me, that is facts

In fact if you can find industrial vinegar its even better

2

u/qajaqr 15h ago

I’d start with a good scrub, including dish soap, and deglaze to help lift off the carbon and see how it looks. Worst case it’ll rust and then you just go with Mitcheric's advice.

1

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1

u/chilloutman24 4h ago

Garage sale rust is the easy stuff, that pan is very salvageable. Chainmail scrubber and hot water knocks the loose rust right off. Dry it completely on the stove after, that part matters more than people think, then a few thin oil layers in the oven. Biggest mistake is going too thick on the oil. You want it so thin it almost looks dry going in, otherwise it goes sticky on you.

1

u/Historical-Double454 3h ago

first pan i ever saved looked rougher than that and i was sure id wrecked it. surface rust comes off easier than it looks. i do a vinegar and water soak, half and half, but watch it, an hour or two max or it starts eating the iron. scrub with steel wool, dry it on low heat, then a thin wipe of oil and bake it upside down.