Bob Myers wrote:
> Not QUITE Yet Another Post about how to season new cast iron...
>
> In unpacking some boxes that had been in the basement for years,
> I came across some old cast iron that I can remember my Dad using
> thirty years ago. At the time, of course, these were all well-seasoned;
> I remember them all nice and black, and of course they turned out
> many wonderful meals. But they've been packed away and unused
> for at least 20 years now - Mom never used them, and I stored these
> boxes after she died a couple of years ago. Today they're rusty in
> spots, and just in general don't look like something I want to be
> cooking with. I'm wondering if anyone has pointers on restoring
> old cast iron to service. I've been thinking that coarse steel wool
> or even sandblasting could get the accumlated rust and crud off,
> and then treating it like new, unseasoned cast iron would be the way
> to go. Any thoughts on this?
>
> Yes, I know I could go out and just buy new - but since this stuff's
> sort of at "family heirloom" status, I'd sure like to restore it and use
> it.
>
> Bob M.
>
>

You can take off lots of rust with the 3M abrasive plastic disk, chucked
in a hand drill. That tends to work better than a wire wheel brush.
Also, you might try making an electrolysis tank; this is how the folks
over on rec.woodworking deal with rusty hand planes (i'm not sure it's
right for food pans though). Fires or a hot oven might deal with crud,
but pans can warp or crack, so take it slow. If there is deep pitting, a
grinder might be more appropriate for removing all traces of rust.


http://66.175.18.153/Electrolysis/ru...lect_setup.htm