Cast Iron Nightmare??

[Ron3rd]

I was given a nice old 10" cast iron skillet from the 1950's. Only problem is the former owner sprayed it with WD40 in his garage so she wouldn't rust. Any chance of bringing it back?

[Go_Dogs]

If you do a search, WD40 is a 'secret' formula. That it's made of fish oil is an old myth. Bottom line: it's a bunch of chemicals that are not designed for use with food. Heat it, scrub it, it doesn't matter, it's not for use with cookware.

[Scott_W]

paulcardoza wrote:
WD40 is fish oil. Hardly toxic and proper stripping & reseasoning will eliminate all traces of it.

fla-gypsy wrote:
Cast iron is porous. I would be afraid to use it due to residue even after high temp cleaning.

100% correct.

[paulcardoza]

WD40 is fish oil. Hardly toxic and proper stripping & reseasoning will eliminate all traces of it.

fla-gypsy wrote:
Cast iron is porous. I would be afraid to use it due to residue even after high temp cleaning.

[rvten]

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

Contact these people. They make the best cast iron skillets.

[Mountain_Mama]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
YEP......


Spray it down with a good oven cleaner. Then scrub it with hot soapy water (you want to strip it).

Then place it in a 200*F oven until it is bone dry.

Then coat it with a good oil (canola/olive oil---best is flaxseed oil)
All sides----use your fingers and really rub it in..then wipe it down with a paper towel.

Place it in cold oven upside down and turn the heat up to 500*F (or as high as your oven will go) and let the pan heat up with temperature rise.
When oven reaches temp.....set timer for 1 hour.
Turn off oven...leave door closed and pan inside to cool down for 2 hours.

That's the first seasoning job.......repeat at least four more times to get that smooth dark texture.

I read also to place a piece of aluminum foil below the upside down pan to catch any drips of veg oil that may drip. I'm all for doing what ever is needed to prevent a mess in my oven!

[bobcouch]

From the MSDS sheet for WD-40 -
The oral toxicity of this product is estimated to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg based on an assessment of the ingredients.
This product is not classified as toxic by established criteria.
It is an aspiration hazard.
None of the components of this product is listed as a carcinogen or suspected carcinogen or is considered a reproductive hazard.
Burn it out like others have suggested - re-season and you're good to go.

[Go_Dogs]

My 2 cents. Cast iron cookware is pretty inexpensive. I wouldn't take a chance with the WD40. Use it a decoration or weight in the workshop and get something safe!

[YC_1]

So glad folks are suggesting tossing it into a fire. Do be sure to not actually toss it. Cast iron can shatter. Warm it nearby and then set it in the fire. Get it really hot. Use a shovel and put coals inside. Put the lid in there too. I have been doing this for almost 50 years. Not as hard to re-season as one would think. To make the bottom easier to clean in the future if using over wood fires just rub a dry bar of soap all over the outside. When time to clean the soot will come off.

[magnusfide]

I had a situation like yours - iron is not as porous as you think. It's just the surface you have to deal with. Use Dawn or another soap that attacks fats, oils, etc. and suds it up; wash well in warm water using a 3 M scrubber. Rinse, dry. You do NOT want to put this in your oven before washing.

Then put it in the oven cleaning cycle upside down. Allow to cool completely before removing. Use canola, lard or coconut oil for seasoning and then warm gently in 350 oven right side up for an hour. It'll be good to use after that

[Terryallan]

I'm with the media blasting. We have a glass beader at work. that is where I clean my Cast iron. It takes EVERYTHING off of it.

[Ron3rd]

fla-gypsy wrote:
Cast iron is porous. I would be afraid to use it due to residue even after high temp cleaning.

My thoughts exactly. Thanks for all the suggestions from the rest of you too.

[2112]

Congratulations on this excellent find.
Burn it. Build a wood fire in the backyard and burn it.
Do not spray water on it while it is hot. Allow it to cool slowly.
Wash it well and re-season it using Crisco soon after it cools.

My grandpa did this, my father did this and so do I.

[WoodGlue]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

stetwood wrote:
We throw it in the fire

X2...Time honored method since long before electric ovens. Guaranteed to burn everything off, from WD40 to old eggs to the carbon both leave behind. It'll be as sterile as a Politician's Promise when it comes out of the fire!

Only problem with this approach is that it leaves you with VIRGIN cast iron, clean and spotless as the day it was forged. That means starting from the very beginning building back the carbon layers that make cast iron the original non-stick surface.

X2 on this!

WoodGlue

[matt7591]

Ha - I was expecting a bunch of alarmist posts about "toxic" WD40 but I'm glad to see not. Nothing cooks like cast. Clean it and enjoy it. Whatever surface rust may be there will clean off. Oil mixes with oil and "light" hyrocarbons like a good rubbing alcohol (preferably 90%) will help remove any residue. So it can be made fully food safe.

[Francesca_Knowl]

stetwood wrote:
We throw it in the fire

X2...Time honored method since long before electric ovens. Guaranteed to burn everything off, from WD40 to old eggs to the carbon both leave behind. It'll be as sterile as a Politician's Promise when it comes out of the fire!

Only problem with this approach is that it leaves you with VIRGIN cast iron, clean and spotless as the day it was forged. That means starting from the very beginning building back the carbon layers that make cast iron the original non-stick surface.