Need help restoring skillet

[Bird222]

I have already stripped the skillet with oven cleaner. There is some kind of discoloration around the Griswold logo. It kinda looks like rust but it seems like it is deeper in the metal instead of on the surface. The surface feels smooth to the touch. In any case, I still soaked it in a vinegar and water solution to get rid of it but it is still there. This is making me think it isn't rust. Can the iron turn a brown/rust color just from heat? I don't want to screw this pan up. I want to get it in as good condition as I can before I season it. I have attached a picture that will hopefully show what I am referring to. Opinions on how to proceed?

 

[db]

What happens if you scrape it with a spoon? (a spoon shouldn't damage it).
A friend used to collect and would clean recently acquired pans in a huge bonfire, which burned off all old gunk.

 

[Iron Woode]

it's the bottom of the pan. no one but you would know or care that it's discoloured there.

it's the cooking side that matters the most.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Try mixture of baking soda+hydrogen peroxide. 1/4 cup baking soda plus enough peroxide to make a paste. Rub the pan with that using a sponge, brillo pad, or steel wool.

That mix takes all the grime off my cookie sheets, so it might work for your pan.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd guess oil discoloration. In any case, it looks good to me. I'd leave it as-is, and use it.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Perhaps the electrolysis method?

Not even sure if that would take care of what you are describing (its for removing carbon buildup, not discoloration), and it seems like an awful lot of work for a little spot on the bottom of the pan.

 

[MontyAC]

Looks like a clean pan bottom. Just make sure you dry it after each washing.

 

[Bird222]

What happens if you scrape it with a spoon? (a spoon shouldn't damage it).
A friend used to collect and would clean recently acquired pans in a huge bonfire, which burned off all old gunk.

Nothing happened. No particles came up.

 

[Bird222]

it's the bottom of the pan. no one but you would know or care that it's discoloured there.

it's the cooking side that matters the most.

I just want to make sure it isn't rust. I don't want to have rust under the seasoning.

 

[LevelSea]

I just want to make sure it isn't rust. I don't want to have rust under the seasoning.

holy shit

 

[SparkyJJO]

I just want to make sure it isn't rust. I don't want to have rust under the seasoning.

It is the bottom of the pan, not your cooking surface. It won't make a lick of difference.

 

[Brigandier]

It took me two minutes to figure out what the OP was referring to. After I noticed, I was shocked he'd let it in his house, much less near his food.

 

[Auric]

I suspect the oven cleaner. :hmm:

It's just a hunk of iron so feel free to attack it with aforementioned steel wool, or brush. A self-cleaning oven cycle will strip deposits better than chemical cleaners. As a last resort, have it particle blasted to truly restore.

 

[Bird222]

Thanks for the ridicule guys . I just want to season this right the first time. This is also a 100 year old pan that I want to last.

 

[Billb2]

I put mine in a weber BBQ, right on the flavor bars. Heat it as hot as you can get it for at least an hour. Works just like a self cleaning oven.

Then rinse off all the white powder, dry it on a stove. I use lard for seasoning then.

 

[Bird222]

I put mine in a weber BBQ, right on the flavor bars. Heat it as hot as you can get it for at least an hour. Works just like a self cleaning oven.

Then rinse off all the white powder, dry it on a stove. I use lard for seasoning then.

I plan on using these techniques.

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/02/black-rust-and-cast-iron-seasoning/

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/