Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: osage outlaw on March 28, 2017, 08:45:34 pm
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While at the Moontree shoot this past weekend I was talking cast iron skillets with Greg Sulfridge and he told me about removing rust and old seasoning with an electrolysis tank. When I got home I did some research and decided to make one. I cut a plastic drum in half and welded some scrap steel plates onto some round stock. The tank holds 30 gallons of water.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_133801_zps4gzeb1j7.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_133801_zps4gzeb1j7.jpg.html)
I added the sodium carbonate, also known as laundry booster, to the water
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_162952_zps3ta4o9iz.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_162952_zps3ta4o9iz.jpg.html)
I tied a test skillet onto a pvc pipe and hooked a wire to it. 1-2 teaspoons per gallon.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_135016_zpsuobs8cwi.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_135016_zpsuobs8cwi.jpg.html)
I used a manual battery charger for the power source. Positive on the steel plates and negative on the skillet.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_140227_zpsu9flco2n.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_140227_zpsu9flco2n.jpg.html)
As soon as I turned it on it started to form small bubbles.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_140249_zps5sbyvc1c.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_140249_zps5sbyvc1c.jpg.html)
About an hour later it had a good layer of foam and rust on the surface.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_144042_zps0rpowrra.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_144042_zps0rpowrra.jpg.html)
Here are the before pictures of my $3.50 rusted skillet.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_133318_zpskpyomqcs.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_133318_zpskpyomqcs.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_133332_zps0jakgapa.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_133332_zps0jakgapa.jpg.html)
And this is the same skillet after a 3.5 hour soak in the electrolysis tank.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_174457_zpsrw8wpt09.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_174457_zpsrw8wpt09.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_174507_zps577ezmcp.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_174507_zps577ezmcp.jpg.html)
I used a paint removal wheel and some steel wool to clean in inside of the pan. I was extremely happy with the results of this test run. I will be cleaning 2 bigger skillets tomorrow. I have passed on rusted cast iron at auctions. After seeing how well this works I will be keeping an eye out for new pieces to restore.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170328_1811040_zpsfydvcbta.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170328_1811040_zpsfydvcbta.jpg.html)
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That's an awesome result, it worked very well! I'll have to keep that in mind for myself. Thanks for sharing.
Kyle
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Holly crap!! I can see the yard sale prices going up fantastic thanks for this. JeffW
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WOW - Too cool ! Bob
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That came out great
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Pretty Cool Clint. Got me thinking about old rusty parts we need to reuse.
Bjrogg
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You'll want to use an oil with a high smoke point to season like evoo or the best if you can find it is safflower oil or avocado oil. Bacon grease or Chrisco will go rancid after a while
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I've been using canola oil Bill. That's what Greg recommended.
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Very cool make it yourself process Clint.Looks like new.
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That's awesome! I am wondering though why you buffed it - doesn't that just take the old seasoning off? I would have left it as is after the 3.5 hour soak. Anyway, thanks for sharing the technique!
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Talk about a transformation! Nice clinster!
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Cool.. I can use this info for a project
Thanks Leroy
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That's awesome! I am wondering though why you buffed it - doesn't that just take the old seasoning off? I would have left it as is after the 3.5 hour soak. Anyway, thanks for sharing the technique!
There wasn't any seasoning left on the skillet when I took it out of the tank. It had that black color but it was bare metal. I buffed the inside to get it as smooth as I could without spending hours sanding it. I am going to start over with seasoning it.
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Would that process work putting a coating of another metal like copper or stainless steel over the cast iron? I'm not suggesting you would want to recoat a skillet.
WA
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Carefull when doing that Clint. You are making hydrogen gas with that process. Big boom!
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Would that process work putting a coating of another metal like copper or stainless steel over the cast iron? I'm not suggesting you would want to recoat a skillet.
WA
I'm not sure. I didn't look into any processes like that.
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Carefull when doing that Clint. You are making hydrogen gas with that process. Big boom!
I'm doing it in the garage with all of the doors open. I get a good breeze through there.
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I've got a flat griddle and an axe head soaking now. I'm going to do a larger skillet and a rasp later today. I'll post some before and after pictures of them.
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Would be great if you could clean up rasp like that. Really curious about rusty bolts. Wondering if you could put some rusty stuff you couldn't get apart in there and have it come out fairly clean?
Bjrogg
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I don't know BJ. I've got a rusted farriers rasp ready to soak as soon as I take the first batch out.
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That's very cool, Clint!
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That does a real nice job. Looks like new. Be interesting to see if it sharpens the rasp.
We used to copper plate stuff when I was a kid. We would find "spilled" copper sulphate at the net loft and make a solution of that. Hang a piece of copper on one electrode and whatever we wanted plated on the other. Can't remember the polarity. I think we used my train transformer for power. It worked reasonably well but I don't think it would stand up to much use.
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Now, that is a cool process. Nice, Clint. With the hydrogen off gassing you could build a blimp too....like the Hindenburg. (A)
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Or some interactive targets for the next riflemans challenge. :o
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He doesn't need any more ideas...Scott!..lol
DBar
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... or the 3D shoot at Marshall! Good call Bill! Try focusing on the kill zone with that thought in your mind! ;D ;D
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Bill will be trying to focus thinking about steel barrels
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I told you it was addicting Clint. There goes all my cast iron picking in Indiana, Cincinnati, and northern Kentucky. You'll have a nice collection before you know it. Let us know how the axe turns out and especially the rasp.
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Nice, I made one of those a few years ago when I was restoring an old truck, works great.
Yeah, be sure to let us know how the rasp turns out too
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Test run #2 was an ax that was in rough shape and a rusty griddle that had a very thick layer of seasoning on it.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_094022_zpsblorevpn.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_094022_zpsblorevpn.jpg.html)
I took them out after 3 hours and the axe looked great. Most of the griddle was clean except for the thick area of seasoning. I scraped on it some and put it back in to soak for a couple more hours. I also put in a farriers rasp. I didn't get a before picture of the rasp but it was covered in rust. When I took them out of the water I hit them with a wire brush to knock of the loose rust. I dried them off and gave them a coat of WD-40. I have tried soaking them in vinegar before and this works much better at removing the rust. Here is what the ax and rasp looked like after the soak. The rasp looks brand new.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194431_zps491v55jk.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194431_zps491v55jk.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194434_zpsyafe7rfj.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194434_zpsyafe7rfj.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194442_zpskpwifuyr.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194442_zpskpwifuyr.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194446_zpszx33g7z7.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194446_zpszx33g7z7.jpg.html)
The griddle still had some seasoning stuck to the rough surface. I scraped the rest of it off and hit it with the scouring wheel and steel wool.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194836_zpsmohnou1o.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194836_zpsmohnou1o.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170329_194846_zpscawibnlw.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170329_194846_zpscawibnlw.jpg.html)
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I'd say that looks like a success Clint. Pretty impressive and so far your garage didn't blow up or float away.
Bjrogg
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Great results, thanks Clint
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I'm very happy with how well its worked so far, especially on that rasp. I didn't get time to soak the big skillet. I'll get that done over the weekend. I'm going to try some old rusty traps also.
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I've got a griddle like that that I use all the time for grilled cheese samiches. Only butter on it and a wipe down well when still hot.
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The wife and I cleaned two cast iron skillets and a griddle this past weekend.
We use a large pile of burning tree limbs. Works well, they look like new after washing.
I am always scared that one of them will crack...... Never have had one to crack... But still...
David
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They turned out great.. This might be the answer to my problem.. Found a rusted pole drill at the father in laws shop while cleaning it out
Thanks leroy
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Stoker, there are a lot of videos on youtube about how this process works. Check them out before you start and you will get some good ideas on how to make it.
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Clint this should be called the restoration thread.Cool show on TV too.How often or do you restore the solution once in a while?
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I'm not sure how long the solution will be good for. I'm going to clean up a few more things and then change it out.
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Is the rasp sharp?
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I didn't test it out. It felt sharp before I soaked it. It was just very rusty.
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dude! thats awesome!
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I got the 10" skillet cleaned today. I soaked it for 5 -6 hours and had to do a lot of scraping. The inside walls were caked with black greasy buildup. The water needs changed out. I might try to clean a couple more pieces tomorrow before dumping it out.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170402_205123_zpsudxuhrrd.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170402_205123_zpsudxuhrrd.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170402_205105_zpsrssujzbl.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170402_205105_zpsrssujzbl.jpg.html)
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What does a sandblaster do to cast iron pots? You must have one of them :D Just for getting the burnt on stuff off.
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I don't have a sand blaster. We have one at work but I'd never put anything in there that I planned on cooking with.
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I would use something softer or blasting like walnut shell for a media.. But doing on the cheap elbow grease
Thanks Leroy
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I don't mind a little elbow grease. It hasn't been to bad scraping the crusty layer off. I've been having a lot of fun with this thing. I cleaned up this chicken fryer today and was pleasantly surprised when I saw the name on the bottom. It was covered up with seasoning before. The inside of the pan is very smooth. I emptied the tank out tonight. It was nasty.
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170403_183809_zpsmrpmagyd.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170403_183809_zpsmrpmagyd.jpg.html)
(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/Outlawstaves/20170403_183819_zpspwqqm8vz.jpg) (http://s666.photobucket.com/user/Outlawstaves/media/20170403_183819_zpspwqqm8vz.jpg.html)
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That's just plain COOL ! :OK Bob
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That looks really good
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Everything looks better next to a piece of osage.
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Clint if you use sodium or potassium hydroxide for your solution it will stay clean for a longer period of time and will work faster. It is considerably more caustic though.
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I'll probably stick with the safer sodium carbonate.