Restored old Griswold #3

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
1,983
Location
San Antonio, TX
My mom loves to go to thrift stores. I told her to look for cast iron and send photos of any she finds. This is her first find. $5. I said get it.
It wasn't in bad shape. I only own Lodge cast iron and this is my first Griswold. Its pretty tiny. I soaked it for a few days in a plastic bag with easy off oven cleaner and used soap and steel wool. The final picture is after 3 rounds of crisbee. It should be ready for the egg test tomorrow.
In the Store:
[Linked Image]IMG9512451 by JOHN, on Flickr
[Linked Image]IMG9512461 by JOHN, on Flickr
A quick cleaning with steel wool and soap. Didn't do much:
[Linked Image]20190620_192232 by JOHN, on Flickr
[Linked Image]20190620_192237 by JOHN, on Flickr
After two days in oven cleaner. Still needed another day:
[Linked Image]20190622_203352 by JOHN, on Flickr
After 3 rounds of crisbee:
[Linked Image]20190623_214729 by JOHN, on Flickr
Next to my Lodge 8" skillet. I thought that was small.
[Linked Image]20190624_222015 by JOHN, on Flickr
 
If your intention is to cook with it I'd would have left it alone and savored the years of baked in seasoning.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by Egg_Head
If your intention is to cook with it I'd would have left it alone and savored the years of baked in seasoning.
smile.gif



Yuck.
sick.gif
I'd rather bake in my own seasoning.

I have a square Griswold egg skillet, fun to use. Careful, lots of different models to collect.
 
Originally Posted by Egg_Head
If your intention is to cook with it I'd would have left it alone and savored the years of baked in seasoning.
smile.gif


Had this been grandma's that would be ok. Otherwise it gets stripped. The cooking surface didn't have a great layer anyway.
 
I never thought of using oven cleaner, it does a great job. I use a grinder with a wire attachment, a sharpened paint scraper, and a razor blade scraper. Every so often I do this as I like clean pans.

My favorite cast iron is a skillet, almost no sides.
 
Originally Posted by JLawrence08648
I never thought of using oven cleaner, it does a great job. I use a grinder with a wire attachment, a sharpened paint scraper, and a razor blade scraper. Every so often I do this as I like clean pans.

My favorite cast iron is a skillet, almost no sides.

It takes a couple of days but the gunk melts off.
 
That looks great! I love to hear stories of finds like this. Kudos to mom for her sharp eyes.

Yes to using a lye-based oven cleaner, followed by a vinegar and hot water soak to loosen any rust, followed by washing/scrubbing with a stainless steel scrubbie. I've passed on several skillets that were ruined by aggressive cleaning with a grinder or other mechanical means.

Yes to stripping it too, no matter how good the seasoning and finish looks. How do you know that it wasn't used as a drain pan for a small engine oil change?

WARNING: My first cast-iron skillet was (is) a #3 Griswold, this same model. This can become a very addictive habit. Ask me how I know.
 
Originally Posted by Variant_S


WARNING: My first cast-iron skillet was (is) a #3 Griswold, this same model. This can become a very addictive habit. Ask me how I know.

Oh yes. I know. I have most of the cast iron I need.
I have a vintage single not lodge #8, modern lodge 12"and 8" skillet, a modern Lodge #8 Chicken fryer and dutch oven and a round griddle.
I do like to find pieces and fix them but usually use them for a bit and give them away.
I found a nice Wagner that I restored and gave to a good friend who I know appreciates it.
My sisters husband found an older modern lodge that had been sitting with whatever was last scorched to the bottom for who knows how long. They didnt want to touch it. I took it in, cleaned it out and reseasoned it and gave it back.
 
Excellent work! My mom gave me two brand new Lodge pans that I use all the time; she said she simply didn't want to use them. Uh, THANKS!
 
Originally Posted by Chris Meutsch
Excellent work! My mom gave me two brand new Lodge pans that I use all the time; she said she simply didn't want to use them. Uh, THANKS!

Nice. People say the new bumpy lodges dont work as well as the older smooth bottom skillets but I have not found that to be true.
 
Seems like I remember hearing of someone building a wood fire and putting a gunky cast iron skillet in the fire . To burn off the gunk . Let it stay in the coals , until the next day and every thing got cold .

I always figured that when frying food , the skillet got hot enough to kill all the germs .
 
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Seems like I remember hearing of someone building a wood fire and putting a gunky cast iron skillet in the fire . To burn off the gunk . Let it stay in the coals , until the next day and every thing got cold .

I always figured that when frying food , the skillet got hot enough to kill all the germs .

You should never stick the iron into the fire. It can be damaged beyond repair. It will fail to accept seasoning and will be more prone to cracking.
You might get away with it, or you might not. Kinda like removing the negative terminal off the battery while the car is running. Nothing may happen or you may destroy every module in the car!
 
Originally Posted by E150GT
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Seems like I remember hearing of someone building a wood fire and putting a gunky cast iron skillet in the fire . To burn off the gunk . Let it stay in the coals , until the next day and every thing got cold .

I always figured that when frying food , the skillet got hot enough to kill all the germs .

You should never stick the iron into the fire. It can be damaged beyond repair. It will fail to accept seasoning and will be more prone to cracking.
You might get away with it, or you might not. Kinda like removing the negative terminal off the battery while the car is running. Nothing may happen or you may destroy every module in the car!

The old timers use to put them in the fire. They probably knew the proper fire and technique however.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top