Rehab challenge for the weekend

[acorgihouse]

I am helping a friend clear out her mom's house, after mom died. I did it for my own mom, is a painful sentimental journey, and of course we've turned up all kinds of oddball things. One is a carbon steel pan, omelet pan or similar, one omelet size, that must have been a nice pan at one time. Has been in a garage in humid Tampa for who knows how long. It was going into the trash when I saw it and said "I'll take that!" Put straight into my car. Now, looking at it, is a big job I think. I've rehabbed many cast iron pans, from elder relatives and also from thrift stores and estate sales, but not like this.
It is fully coated in rust, and the metal isn't all that thick. My first inkling is to take the steel wool to it, probably in stages, to get all the rust off and see what is left. Then, my friend's husband (no help with the cleanout, but criticizing every step), suggested immersing in some kind of rust remover first? I don't love that idea, don't love rust remover embedded in the surface, but also wondered about whether would be a fair first step. Thoughts?

[yakima]

What about the electrolysis method used to refurb cast iron?

[yakima]

Initially, I was dubious about clamps in water. Then a pan slipped, clamp in water, no apocalypse. Clamp on sacrificial rebar always out of water.

[Oak Smoke]

acorgihouse Rehabbing CI is one of my biggest hobbies, carbon steel is much the same.I have just started completely over with a new lye vat and a new electrolysis vat. I’d be glad to run it through the electrolysis vat if you think it’s worth the freight.

[acorgihouse]

Oak Smoke, I may take you up on that! I realized my battery charger isn't going to work, and I never made it to get the wire yesterday, and it isn't that heavy a pan. Shipping would likely not be any worse than getting those things and setting it all up. Let me weigh it, and check the cost, and I'll get to you directly.

[CaptainMike]

I haven't done so yet, but the electrolysis method is the surest and cleanest. Spinaker has a great method he posted some time ago, perhaps he will chime in. That pan looks like nothing a little DC electricity and a little Holy BiCarb can't fix (unlike asystole ) (yeah, I'm that old)

[acorgihouse]

Haha, I'm that old too! Thanks, I'm looking a little closer at the electrolysis. Never hurts to add a new skillset to the armory

[STEbbq]

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/accessorize-your-pit/cast-iron-cookware/209915-restoring-cast-iron-via-electrolysis-bath

[acorgihouse]

I put half a message here, not sure why it didn't show up, so if you got the second half, this is a re-do. I did a search and just found this, looks like the thing. I believe my pan will fit in a 5 gallon bucket, and I have a clean plastic one. Not sure my battery charger is auto or manual, will pull it out and check, and will need a quick trip to hardware for wire. I need propane, and have trip to Ace HW for refills on docket for the weekend, so can combine. The pan has a silicone-y stuff on..

[acorgihouse]

handle, but you can see the rust at handle base, so I should be able to suspend from there and get current flow. I have some ancient iron hinges, no idea where some of this stuff in my garage originated, but should work for a rust trap. I have a work Zoom in ~30 mins (argh), but then will pull this project together and report back. Thanks, I knew you guys would point me in the right direction.

[yakima]

acorgihouse, I have a fraught relationship with electricity, so understand your concerns. High school, Nebraska farm/ranch. Dad decided to run some feeder pigs in with the fat cattle, to salvage feed that passed thru the steers. So we built a low wire 110 volt electric fence, just inside the main fence, to keep pigs in. The cattle watering tank was next to fence, partially sunken into ground to reduce freezing. The float malfunctioned, needed to be readjusted. Mid-January, ground frozen. I take off coat, and top half of coveralls. Roll up sleeves, lay down on ground, both arms in water. While thrashing around trying to adjust baling wire, foot with rubber overshoe hits hot wire. I was very well grounded, until I levitated!

At least I wasn't my idiot classmate who peed on an electric fence. It was dark, he did not know it was there. Until he did.

[surfdog]

Holy Holstein Batman! I bet you levitated. Do you stutter? sheesh O_o

[fzxdoc]

What a story!

K.