Petey the Wonder Dog wrote:

> Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
>
>>Baloney. Deeply pitted cast iron ware can, indeed, be ruined. Cast
>>iron cookware that has had petroleum distillates in it is ruined. Cast
>>iron heated and rapidly cooled can warp or even crack, and either of
>>these mean it's ruined.
>
>
> Years ago, I found a skillet in a garage that must have been there for
> at least a few decades. Rust, bugs, you name it.
>
> I scoured it with 40 grit, then 80 grit cloth, then finally 280, then
> steel wool (4 ought). Then I washed it a few times and then re-seasoned
> it.
>
> Still using it today.
>
> If it isn't warped or cracked, it's still good. Bar nothing!

Right. I bet you didn't actually read what it says up at the top. Like
that "deeply pitted" part where, if you try to grind a smooth surface,
you thin the pan to the point where it's not going to have as much
thermal mass as the surrounding areas and will, by definition, cook
unevenly and, therefore, unsatisfactorily. Or the "petroleum
distillates" part where gasoline or kerosene effectively can render it
unusable because of the porosity of the metal and how wonderfully
stubborn it can be about surrendering the particularly *interesting*
flavors carried in those chemicals. Even putting that skillet into a
very hot oak fire didn't get that taste out. Burned it down to bare
metal, we thought. Seasoned it and the flavor of the bacon cooked in
it tasted like it had been stored in a gas station. Yard sale bargain,
doncha know.

Warped is essentially the same as having the kind of uneven thickness
as would be the case in trying to smooth out deep pits.