old cast iron

[Inukshuk]

That's pretty cool Daniel. Do you have any details/history on it?

Story is that it came out of NM. Was in Idaho Springs until yesterday. I have found zero on the interwerb about this particular stove. I think it is an "oak" style round parlour stove. It also says "osage." Turns out that Osage wood has the highest heating value of any north American hardwood. It is primarily for coal but will of course burn wood. Has the coal-distinctive ash grate. My research says that coal is best fed air from below and wood best fed air from the top. I will need to make up an ash pan. There most likely was a decorative finial on top so I will start to keep my eye out for one. I believe it will be called "Swing Top Cast Iron Parlor Wood Stove Finial". The finial also helps radiate heat, just like the chrome

 

[simps80]

Back from here:

Snip
My nice kiddos have caught onto my latest obsession...Saturday was my 45th birthday..
they bought me a Griswold 910A 25" commercial grade griddle that was bare cast....
will build this one up next...

View attachment 85347View attachment 85348

It is a commercial size and finish
Small logo Griswold

So I orbital sanded it with 40 60 80 to get it as smooth as possible

Then put on 3 base coats of grape seed oil baking at 350 for an hour per cycle then cool then repeat

This is big enough I should be able to cook all of the family a breakfast next time they come back

 

[Jacket]

You need a forklift to move that thing?

 

[simps80]

I am lazy now
Will see how this turns out…

I know enough to know this isn’t “right”
But goddam it’s cast iron

Griswold Down!!
Maybe Griswold Up!!

We’re fixin to find out as “they” say

Will see

 

[simps80]

Ok
I think the griswold is down
It was coated in aluminum from an unfortunate camping trip where we decided smelting aluminum in an antique griswold was a good idea

I digress
Fast forward to a pan I got from Marco
A current lodge

Same treatment in fire then a lot of sanding
Then some quality time with files to improve the cast qualities of lodge….meaning knocking down all the cast sharp edges and preseasoning

Then some quality time with some more sanding and steel wool.

Then some heat and clean

Bare good cast then the Kent Rollins method
Heat thin coat of grape seed 350 bake down for an hour
Cool all the way down in the oven rinse and repeat

A pan not worth the effort necessarily but an outcome without a doubt worth the effort
‘Merica

A lodge better than new and now smooth cast

I have issues

Same reason redoing a Land Cruiser takes me years and years not months and months

About 3 more cycles of base seasoning and I can give this one to somebody as a nice pan
Or just hang it on my ridiculously unnecessary collection wall

 

[simps80]

I mean
I guess it’s better than a meth habit

Next batch to work on
A nice griswold
Two Wagner pans
Two Wagner corn pans
A Le creuset cause the wife likes enameled French stuff bleh

The price for this batch was right.
About 2 oil filters for my shitbox stable of Toyotas

 

[Crash]

Just bought a Lodge 10.5" pan for $20 at WalMart a few months ago. Works better in stock form than any old cast iron pan we've had in the last 40 years. What am I missing by leaving it stock?

 

[simps80]

Just bought a Lodge 10.5" pan for $20 at WalMart a few months ago. Works better in stock form than any old cast iron pan we've had in the last 40 years. What am I missing by leaving it stock?

Nothing Steve you are missing absolutely nothing.

They have built a sustainable US made business model on their cast and seasoning process for a price and product that can’t be beat.

The argument is similar to why we drive old Japanese iron and put ourselves through the brain damage of maintaining it under the guise of a superior original manufacturing technique and “quality”

It doesn’t hold economic or scale water except for the enthusiast

But that’s precisely why I like it
Old shit made prior to my birth year that is good and fun and still really good

 

[simps80]

It’s kinda why I root for companies like Detroit Steel Wheel

Detroit Steel Wheel | Truck Wheels

At Detroit Steel Wheel Co., our wheels have a gloss white powder coat, low gloss white powder coat, and various other finishes. Learn more.

detroitsteelwheel.com

Not a compelling business case but harkens back to when we were really really really good at stuff

juxtapose that with my affinity for Toyota:Toyoda

Now you see why my wife 28 years in doesn’t get me lol 😆

 

[Crash]

Oh she gets you loud and clear Mike and so do I. Good taste is timeless and I fully agree with your take on keeping our heritage alive and intact.
Where did you score such a trove of cool old stuff or is that proprietary? 😎

 

[simps80]

Exothermic as hell
Glad @DaveInDenver turned me on to this method…way easier than all the other methods
Not as fun as burning with hot fires, but that’s because I am an impatient pyro

Ok not quite exothermic as hell I imagine although that will never be quantified….she is a bubbly caldron for sure..
this is 30 minutes in on two pans 1 lb of lye to 5 gallons of clean water

Excited to see the naked cast

 

[Jacket]

I love it Mike. Next you gotta figure out how to cure the wobbles. Our home cooktop is flat induction and it demands flat and perfect.

 

[Hulk]

We bought a new stove and I converted to gas. Now I can use all my old pots again.

 

[simps80]

I love it Mike. Next you gotta figure out how to cure the wobbles. Our home cooktop is flat induction and it demands flat and perfect.

Well for a couple reasons besides my ridiculous cast habit
I have been casually looking for an old Bridgeport
Don’t need a fancy ass cnc triple axis bladdy blah

Don’t need it period

But curing a wobbly pan, maybe learning some rudimentary machine skills…

I dunno another rabbit hole gone super deep

I am really into this ancient Bridgeport thing kinda like I am into this old cast goddam

 

[DaveInDenver]

A thing of true beauty.

 

[LARGEONE]

Awesome! Then you can cure my wobbles AND drill the base of my carb for Vac Advance!

 

[simps80]

Oh it’s not mine
Just in the market for one 😂

In the meantime back to my vat of water and lye and grape seed oil and second/third/fourth hand cast iron

One day hopefully soon

 

[rover67]

love seeing the cast iron Mike. I dig the lye bath also, seems to work well. just keep the neighbors kids out of it

 

[Hulk]

 

[Hulk]