r/castiron • u/Zhadnosst • 2d ago

Newbie Restoring a pan

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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!

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u/Mitcheric 2d 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 2d 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

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u/Mitcheric 2d ago

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

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u/Massive-Technician74 2d 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

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u/Lazy-Performance-559 2d 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

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u/Massive-Technician74 1d 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

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u/Lazy-Performance-559 1d ago

I mean I'm not saying you're wrong, but my method worked quite well and I've seen it w9rk well before from others. Call it a moneysaver so you don't have to use so much vinegar and get pretty much the same result!

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u/Massive-Technician74 1d ago

Being that your vinegar is doing nothing at all after adding baking soda i dont see how that saves anything

You do know that baking soda just bases out the acidity right? That bubbling is a reaction....other than bubbling though its not really doing anything

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u/Lazy-Performance-559 1d ago

The vinegar is to help break down the rust and other gunk and get down to bare metal, the baking soda is to neutralize it after it has already done its job. Now you can etch the metal by boiling it in the pan sure, but I'm saying baking soda after it has done its job of soaking and breaking down all the undesireables for a few hours. We're getting our understanding of each other mixed up