Identifying 10" Cast Iron Skillet

[jfmorris]

Spinaker
I went and grabbed the 10" CI skillet in question off a hook on the pegboard in my garage, and brought it out to my office in the backyard...

This is the skillet that my son-in-law abused and pretty much ruined in the dishwasher before he and my daughter got hitched. She doesn't let him near her new CI or the other skillet I was able to restore. Both 10" skillets originated with my son-in-law's now deceased grandmother, so have some sentimental value. Best guess I had was this is an older Lodge before they added their name to the skillets. But maybe you know what it really is?

Markings if you cannot read them are:

8-B

MADE
IN
USA

It has a ring which is broken in 3 places - top, left and right in the photo, with the top being the side away from the handle.

Note that I worked on the inside SOME with the wire wheel you said not to use, just to try and get it usable, but had no luck with the crud on the outside. It went through a seasoning on the kettle with the other one that was in much better shape, hence the seasoned look to all the crap on it.



This has been hanging on a hook on a pegboard in my garage for several years, and I need to do something with it, even if is just giving it back to them as is.

[Spinaker]

That is a vintage Lodge skillet. And being that it says, "Made in USA" it was probably made after 1960. Given the style, probably before 1980-81. You can always tell a vintage Lodge skillet by the there notches at 9, 12 and 3 O'clock on the heat ring. (The heat ring is not broken, they are designed this way so they lock into place easier on the stove.)

The "8-B" signifies the specific burner it was cast for. Back in the day you'd buy skillets to match your stove, and they would lock in place on the burner. Pretty cool, eh?

This pan can be restored to new with an E-bath. Or you can send it to me, and I can do it for you. Here is a similar one I did a while back.

[Michael_in_TX]

The "8-B" signifies the specific burner it was cast for. Back in the day you'd buy skillets to match your stove, and they would lock in place on the burner. Pretty cool, eh?

I never knew that! That is really fascinating!

[Spinaker]

Yep, that is originally where the numbering system came from. The numbers corresponded with burners. Man, those stoves were cool!

[jfmorris]

Here is a page with a chart with some of the sizes.

https://www.castironcollector.com/numbers.php

[jfmorris]

Spinaker thanks for confirming what I thought I had.

Thanks for offering to take care of it. I want to try the bath thing myself, so that I can be able to do it going forward, but need to find a battery charger with a manual mode first. The only chargers I have are a very old trickle/float charger, and an automatic one that has no manual mode.

Any advice on how many amps are required?

Here are two on Amazon that are low cost and have a manual mode:

https://www.amazon.com/Outerman-Automatic-Maintainer-Motorcycle-Capacity/dp/B087BXGK3Z/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2JIYLV8FGQINN&keywords=battery+charger+with+manual+mode&qid=1658344283&sprefix=battery+charger+with+manual+mode,aps,69&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797XMSDL/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0797XMSDL&pd_rd_w=nLzjV&content-id=amzn1.sym.83409d9a-e0b8-49b3-8763-77ecfe03c4a7&pf_rd_p=83409d9a-e0b8-49b3-8763-77ecfe03c4a7&pf_rd_r=R31YR4JJ6605D6GHN64R&pd_rd_wg=hufEe&pd_rd_r=f079ab56-1157-460d-8e97-d2725ff7c7a6&s=electronics&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE5VkRONzhMVktHRzImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5Njk1OTUyUFlWVEU1U1pSNlkxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNTc2MjEyMVJIVVFaVkIwM0NEJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I don't see anything else on there with a manual mode that is not 2x or 4x the price...

[jfmorris]

My grandmother on one side when I last saw her in the late 1970's before her death still had a wood burning stove with those old metal "eyes". She lived in a little square 4 room house for which plumbing was added after the fact, in Erwin TN.

[Spinaker]

Spinaker thanks for confirming what I thought I had.

Thanks for offering to take care of it. I want to try the bath thing myself, so that I can be able to do it going forward, but need to find a battery charger with a manual mode first. The only chargers I have are a very old trickle/float charger, and an automatic one that has no manual mode.

Any advice on how many amps are required?

Here are two on Amazon that are low cost and have a manual mode:

https://www.amazon.com/Outerman-Auto...-2-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797XMSDL...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I don't see anything else on there with a manual mode that is not 2x or 4x the price...

Either will work fine. Mine is a 12 V 6 AMP max power. (Pic below)

[Spinaker]

They should not do that, it should default to the highest setting. If it does not work, you can always send it back to Amazon. You are gonna pay quite a bit more on eBay

[jfmorris]

Thanks - I may try that cheapest one on Amazon and return it if it doesn't do the trick.

[jfmorris]

Boom! The $42 one on Amazon, the first Q&A was:

Q: Can this Charger work for an Electrolysis tub to remove rust on cast iron?

A: I have been using it for electrolysis and works great, just put it on manual and set up your electrolysis tank.

The cheaper one folks asked and didn't get good answers, so I'll give this one a spin.

[jfmorris]

Alright! I'm going with that $42 charger on Amazon - link here for anyone else interested:

https://www.amazon.com/Outerman-Automatic-Maintainer-Motorcycle-Capacity/dp/B087BXGK3Z/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2JIYLV8FGQINN&keywords=battery+charger+with+manual+mode&qid=1658344283&sprefix=battery+charger+with+manual+mode,aps,69&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

Several folks who have bought that and reviewed it indicate they are using it for electrolysis to remove rust from cast iron, so it seems like a good deal.

I've got a big bucket of soda ash (sodium carbonate) in the backyard shed that is for raising pH in the pool, and a number of rubbermaid rectangular tubs that will hold water. Now I just gotta rummage around and find a sheet of steel for an anode.

Question to Spinaker - can it be galvanized steel? I have lots of flashing, duct work, and other similar stuff around here. Otherwise I'll need to go chase after some plain steel...

[hoovarmin]

You guys blow me away.

[DTro]

Following to see the fix!

[Spinaker]

Alright! I'm going with that $42 charger on Amazon - link here for anyone else interested:

https://www.amazon.com/Outerman-Auto...-2-spons&psc=1

Several folks who have bought that and reviewed it indicate they are using it for electrolysis to remove rust from cast iron, so it seems like a good deal.

I've got a big bucket of soda ash (sodium carbonate) in the backyard shed that is for raising pH in the pool, and a number of rubbermaid rectangular tubs that will hold water. Now I just gotta rummage around and find a sheet of steel for an anode.

Question to Spinaker - can it be galvanized steel? I have lots of flashing, duct work, and other similar stuff around here. Otherwise I'll need to go chase after some plain steel...

Nope! Do not use galvanized steel. The zinc coating gasses off and and ends up in the medium and on the surface of your iron.

(stainless steel will release chromium gas, so don’t use that either.)

any steel works. Rebar, plate, Unpainted T-Posts, anything that is just plain steel. I use plates of steel to increase surface area.

[jfmorris]

Will do. I've got a few items around or may pick up something next time I am at the hardware store.