Cleaning Cast Iron with Electrolysis
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- Old cast iron makes the best cookware and bakeware. Watch and learn how to clean hopelessly grungy flea market and thrift store cast iron finds and make them new again!
Discover for yourself the timeless joys of cooking with cast iron.
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11 years on and still the best cast iron video on UA-cam. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your great video! Have and awesome day! I recently purchased a lot of very rough season cast iron pans at an auction that everyone thought were rusted. But it is just layer and layer of seasoning. I spent $2 for the lot and the first pan I ceaned with elbow grease revealed a Griswold large logo #5! I am a very happy camper, even more so, now I know how to clean these gems more easily! Thanks again!
I have a muffin pan almost exactly like yours that I dug up 45 years ago. You motivated me to see if it could be cleaned up. Followed your video almost exactly and wow. The results are most impressive. Thanks for posting this. A little clean up and seasoning and look out muffins.
FYI used a precision regulated DC power supply set to 14.5 volts. The bath drew about 8 amps. It later dropped to around 5 amps. At these levels I suspect a cheapo battery charger should work fine.
Best guy ever to clean a skillet with electrolysis. Best video, best muffins. Cool cat!
Great video. I have two pieces of old cast iron I am looking to salvage and this explained how very well. Thanks a lot.
I love the triumphant music that comes in at the end when the muffins are being removed from the pan. Great video! Thanks!
Thanks from the look of the crud floating after 5 minutes I think I'm going to love this method.
idk why but the closing statement made me smile.
Great video! I loved your closing statement.
Bob Love
I. Q15715445
Hi Richard, Nice video on electrolysis cleaning. I have a nice battery charger similar to yours currently in storage. I did not even think to do this until you were kind enough to show this process to us. Definitely will do some cleanup of some very old cast iron fry pans and dutch ovens. Thank you,Thank you, Thank you!!!
thanks for sharing your great idea I give to your video a thumb up. I am an inpatient person but you knew how to waste 12 minutes of my time well wasted. Thankyou again it worked out for me. Just ignore the 30 welders who dislike the video.
Great video! You make cleaning and restoring cast iron look fun!
From Australia....Not scary until you mentioned DENTIST! Seriously , this man was the first American in a few videos we searched, who pronounced (in English, not American) the word 'Cast Iron', so we could actually understand the word. We've taken a while to understand some 'Americanisms' like 'soder' which the rest of the English speaking world pronounces as SOL-DER...But as a bonus an articulate presenter with an intelligent sense of humor, and didn't ramble on unnecessarily. Thank you Richard and yes we're jealous of the great score in the shape of the Exide battery charger ^_^ So nice to listen and watch something out states that dosen't involve hating Russians and Chinese. You made our morning mate.
@Darryl Hetherington 🤡 You poms are one to talk, aren't you? 🤣 Lets look at the ways you people speak.
'Cloze' instead of Clothes.
'Ast' instead of Ask.
'Ig-za-kly' instead of Exactly.
'Pro-ply' instead of Properly.
'Pro-bly' instead of Probably.
'Li-be-rry' instead of Library.
Shall I go on?
'Fe-bew-ry' instead of February.
'La-bre-to-ry' instead of Laboratory.
'Cah-bed' instead of Cupboard.
'Cho-klet' instead of Chocolate.
It seems it has been an ideological campaign to shorten every word in the English language, so if you're finding new longer words, you are subversive and anti-Australian.
So many yobbos seem to be in love with America. Wearing clothes with the names of American cities on them, seeing and hearing australians pretending to be American, seeing American articles in your newspapers and on your TV's. It seems to me you're supposed to be australians but that no one in your country is truly proud to be australian because you're constantly comparing yourselves to Americans. LOL.
Some Americans might be offended by your comment if they knew that australia even existed in the first place.
electrolysis... and to think I've just been using elbow grease all these years. As a fellow cast iron lover, this is fantastic. I love seeing science do our work for us
Glad I saw this video! You inspired me to save my rusty old Dutch oven
Hey Richard.. Great job with the videos and the restorations. I got into cast iron restoration a few years back and haven't done any in a while. I just cranked up my tank again after watching your inspiring videos. Last night at a thrift store I found a Wapak 9 that has the ERIE ghost logo across the top, I'm rather excited about this rare piece. I feel like you said in your video that we are merely caretakers of these relics let behind... so here we go again..! Steve
ive got some a old half rusty fridge from the 50s and its got alot of small rusty parts in it and ive seen a couple of electrolisys videos and this is the most easy and simple barney level videos ive seen so far really dummy proof thanx alot dude
**Proceed at your own risk.** Greetings everyone and thank you for taking the time to comment. Lots of great tips and input! I'm using hot water now and perhaps 2 cups of washing soda for a stronger electrolyte solution. Also, the battery charger is set at 40 amps BUT if I recall correctly it's only drawing 10 or so (according to the beat up old gauge). The closer together the positive and negative are, and the stronger the solution, the more amps it will draw. Yes, only use clean mild steel or cast iron for the sacrificial. Never stainless or anything else. **Proceed at your own risk.**
+Richard Gessford so i take it galvanized steel is not a good sacrificial material?
+Matthew McGinity Most people I have seen do this method with rebar. Galvanized is a no-go.
distilled water would work better
Just don't stand over top while doing it with galvenized. You''ll end up with "brass chills" if the gas is concentrated enough. "brass chills" is a flu-like condition from inhaling zinc. Awful. (got a dose from gas cutting door track on steel building)
Richard Gessford how much does amperage affect the function of the electrolysis? I have a manual 6 Amp, think that will work?
I came here looking at cleaning bike parts.. I enjoy cooking and science.. I found a great vid! Thank you!
Awsome. Thanks for the tip about the firebricks on the oven floor. Problem solved.
Thanks for the video. I had set my skillet up with my battery charger as per another site, but it didn't work. Sanding the steel piece AND the handle of the skillet got it bubbling away!
Your Lucky to have a Safety Dog. Safety Dog looked like a expert.👍Safety Dog Should get a treat. Great Video!!!!! Thanks.
Great vid! A couple of precautions though: make sure never to have the positive electrode clamp immersed in the solution. Not sure I'd want the negative clamp immersed either, just as a precaution for food related stuff. Also, I'd be careful what kind of steel I used for the sacrificial anode: stainless steel has cadmium and other nasty stuff in it that might not be desirable with cookware; an iron anode might be altogether preferable to steel, at least when de-rusting cookware.
Thanks for the comment.
I've tried Flax oil for seasoning, it works okay, but Crisco works just as well, if not better.
But it's really just an initial seasoning anyway, or for a touch up here and there. It's using the pan over time, the build up of polymerized oils, that really makes the pan.
"Safety Dog" is my new hero. Very cute. Nice vid and thanks for the tips.
Semper Fi
Yes to the person that said you really should hang your item to be derusted by a chain or something more solid than your little bent wire then hook your negative clamp to the chain or whatever to keep it out of the soup. Some of that crud on top of the water came from your charger clamp.
Thanks Richard. Hoping a good rinse will clear off the toxic stuff.
Thank you for your comment! Glad your project went well. Enjoy!
Good question. Like basement shop guy says, pour it on (an out of the way corner of) the lawn. Soapy, greasy water with a little iron in it hasn't caused the lawn any trouble.
warmer water means more current. Running current through the cold solution will still heat it up on its own, but starting out with hot water certainly shortens the time to get to decent currents.
Additionally, current likes to take the path of least resistance. That is, if some parts are closer to positive plate, current will favor those paths, thus the reason why some places are not getting as clean.
UPDATE from OzTralia.'Directional' was the key. Into a square bucket (in Merikan...Bout 2ft deep n 1.5 ft across) I attached 4 lengths of threaded steel rod, held in place by an old stove oven shelf..The rod securely held between the rungs by a nut on each side of the shelf. (So it looks like a small table that sits on top like a lid) this lets the flow of electrons happen from all sides. Below the table in the electrolyte hangs (insulated from the 'table') a very rusty old cast Iron pan...Bubble .. Bubble... WAY BETTER than the 1 piece of flat sacrificial steel plate... Try this at home. It works without turning stuff around. Work together and get the best result.. Warm wishes fro OzTralia
Well done video! Just so you know, you can greatly reduce the amount of reddish sludge floating on the top of your water if you won't put the copper charger cable clamp into the water. Try hanging your piece from a short steel chain and hooking the charger cable clamp to the chain above the water line.
I dont mean to be off topic but does anyone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly forgot my login password. I would love any tips you can offer me.
@Casey Aydin Instablaster ;)
@Jonas Kenneth I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Jonas Kenneth It worked and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thanks so much you saved my account :D
@Casey Aydin you are welcome :D
Absolutely awesome video. So many how-to videos leave something out, or don't adequately cover a process. You covered all the bases, and made it entertaining to boot. I have often felt that something as timeless as cast iron isn't owned either. They last so long and are such a primitive creation. I have always thought of them as artifacts of the past. Thanks again.
No it's not. He leaves.out tons of pertinent information. Never said how much washing soda per gallon. Never said how many amps. It could be much more detailed to alleviate questions.
Awesome Video! Thanks for posting! I have amassed quite a collection of cast iron cookware myself. I've always used peanut oil to season my stuff and been very happy with the results. Thanks again for for the video!
I love it .... safety dog inspected and Okay'd the setup & Richard missed & overlooked the broken/missing ground prong on the charger plug @ 8:23...Yup, that's safe!!!
Thanks for the primer on electrolysis, I have a half dozen derelict cast iron pieces that will benefit from this video.
Lbethke - pour it on your lawn. Grass LOVES iron. Electrolysis leftovers - especially with organic gunk is 100% biodegradable and great for your lawn.
Fun presentation and serious all at once. Thanks for the info.
I operated a burn table and pattern torch at a welding shop 11 hours a day 6 days a week and I never did NOT wear gloves. Just wear a proper glove. Tillman Driver gloves work great. Short cuffs, close fitting and very tough pigskin protect your hands and wrists from debris and the grinder slag and heat. The most important safety item you need is tight fitting safety glasses with wrap around side shields and a thick 100% cotton shirt that is tucked in for grinding. Just my 2¢
Good idea, but geeze it's like watching paint dry. Sorry. Also, apply lard/crisco with artist's bristle brush like you'd use for oil paints. Works like a dream.
Great video
Thank you! Very instructable.
Thanks a lot, this is a great video. Love your attitude. And by the way great information.
Thanks,
Doug
Do we "own" cast iron? Hell no, it owns us!
It has the gate marks, no name needed, one of the first
Great video! really helped me restoring an old vise. One thing though just a little safety tip for ya, Don't wear gloves when using a grinder. I've worked in many weld shops and have yet to meet anyone that does, and have unfortunately seen the results of someones glove getting caught by the wheel.
Can you use the seasoning for other foods? Or just muffins?
Thank you!! You answered all of my questions!!
I have a suggestion, replace the end on the charger cord, it needs the ground to be safe, especially around water
Fun video. Nice job. Just missed the part about how to properly attach terminals/clamps to sacrificial plate and cast iron. .. which one positive and which one negative. 50-50 chance -- as I found out.
Jay Mann Positive on the sacrificial plate. Probably doesn't matter? I'd like to know what amperage is needed. He has a good batter charger that goes way up to 200Amps it looks like. My home style only goes to 10 amps.
Impressive use of technology! The ghosts of muffins past are singing your praises in appreciation!
I think just about any DC power source should work. I started out with a smaller unit, perhaps 2 to 5 amps, and it got the job done. Just took a little while longer.
I have all the tools but lack a safety dog. My chihuahua barks at everything.
I have, in fact, seen her bark at her own tail. Can I still proceed?
hulk hogan7.
Thank you ... I hope to make one of these electrolysis tanks soon. Beautiful muffins & tin btw :)
Gate marks. Its most likely 1800s for sure. Im jealous. For your cast iron, keep a roll of Scott Shop Towels (the blue ones).
Does the size, shape, and/or mass of the sacrificial piece make a difference? Would a stick of rebar work just as well as a broad, flat plate? What would happen if you put two sacrificial pieces (wired together with copper wire) on both sides of the piece being cleaned? Could you clean both sides simultaneously? Would that have ramifications for the amount of current required?
devolve42 I think the surface area of the sacrificial makes a difference. Bigger might be better. That said I have used rebar and used multiple sacrificial pieces wired together to good effect.
The last guy on the planet wearing a Lance Armstrong bracelet.
There have been a lot of questions on what to use for the anode. In all the replies that I've read, NONE have mentioned using a ruined cast iron pan.
Next time you're at a thrift shop or yard sale, pick up the warped ugly cast iron pan or skillet... the one you would never buy to use, and negotiate a better price, based on it's condition. Next, put it in your oven when you run the self-clean cycle. Now, you have the perfect anode for taking care of your cast iron electrolysis project!
Charles Walter Excellent tip!
+Charles Walter The instructions on my oven say to remove oven racks (otherwise they will be damaged, not slide well, discolor etc) Have you come up with any way around this? Obviously can't set on the oven floor since the heating element is there.
+Charlotte Childers FIRE BRICKS are the answer. Be sure they are fire bricks, not regular construction bricks, and are dry! Place them on the bottom of the oven but don't allow them to touch the heating elements. Place your cast iron on top of them and turn the oven on to the self cleaning cycle.
Joe I Thank you so much.
Agreed. I like cooking with it too.
Good video, better than Hollywood or Bollywood!
Awesome tutorial and you are funny too
Everybody has their own take on seasoning. 300, 350, 400 works very well for me.
Applying Crisco to a hot (200 degree F) pan is, IMO, the way to go. Makes it easy to get a THIN even coat.
if its a fry pan just heat it on the stove throw in some salt and little varry little oil and rub it around it will suck the rust right out.
That was a great video! I see 'safety dog' didn't spot the missing ground on battery charger cord! OSHA would be very upset. Keep up the good work!!
GREAT video, and cute dog too :) Wife would like your muffin recipes
thanks dave
@sjagain No clue, #8 is likely the size of the pan. Beyond that you just have to go by the quality of the casting and steel.
Very cool video! So the sacrificial steel is the anode and the pan is the cathode in an electrolyte solution of A&H washing soda with a 12 volt current at 40 amps draw ? I appreciate the disclaimer "proceed at your own risk" - duly noted! Thank you for the information- I learned a lot here!
Interesting you'd say that, I'm working on a little bean pot right now that indeed came with a couple inches of lead in the bottom.
Once I'm done with the electrolysis I'll be checking it with lead test swabs, to verify it's clean, before bothering to seasoning it. Guess I'll find out soon...
That was after only 2 hrs. of electrolysis? Impressive, and the muffins looks tasty too! Thanks for posting, I've got some iron I've got to get busy on, this will help.
Good video. Enjoyed it !
If you take the scum out but don't change the water it works better each time you use it + heat the water it will increase its cleaning ability as well.
Hi, from what I saw in his video, it appears to be Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. Basically, A&H is sodium to be used as the electrolyte for the electrolysis to occur. Hope this helps you. Planning to clean some of my very old Cast Iron fry pans and dutch ovens. Hope this helps.
The Dad jokes. They're brutal!
Great video, I love cast iron.
Do you have to let the pan cool completely between seasoning coats, or can you take it out and spread the next coat on once it gets down to say 200 degrees surface temp with a non contact infrared thermometer?
so are the pan and steel touching under the water?
You have the negative cable inside the water, is that safe?
you put the cathode waaaaay too close to the anode for comfort. You can place them at the opposite ends of a fish tank and still get current to flow.
Would a cycle in a self cleaning oven do the same job???? Just throw it in the oven???
Thanks
I have cast iron that doesn't have much rust, but has a bunch of gunk.... over seasoning and improper cleaning. I got it at a garage sale. Will this method work? Or should I just put it in the oven on self clean? I've done the oven method before and it works ok. Just looking for another option. Also, for the electrolytic solution, can I use rock salt? I know that Sodium Carbonate is not Sodium Cloride, but I have the salt on hand. I don't have the Washing Soda and my local grocery store doesn't carry it. Thanks.
The gas company probably doesn't appreciate your self-sufficiency! With all that wood, when do you figure you will have a heating bill - maybe 3013? I like your DIY and self sufficiency.
Great Job. Good info.
Amen! But it was smooth because of the care your Great-grandmother put into it!
I assume you are using 12V since it's a battery charger, but how amps are you using? What kind of steel is the "sacrificial steel" and more importantly, why did you have to sand it down?
What exactly do you mean by "seasoning'? Are you supposed to bake Crisco into cast iron pots/molds etc? Does the cast iron actually absorb this stuff? Why do you have to do it 3 times? Are you wearing pink finger nail polish right at 11:02?
This is great, thanks! I had a chance to get a large 40 amp battery charger last year for free, but I couldn't think of a use for it because I already had a small one. Now that I see this, I'm going to see if its still available. . Thanks again.
There is one question I had about the seasoning. When you say cool down, was that completely cooled down or back to 200 for the other coatings of Crisco?
Hard to believe that's the same pan! What are the risks involved with your electrolysis method; when power is plugged in, the bucket should not be touched, correct? Also, I have what appears to be an old cast iron pan; the only identifier is a 1 inch high #8 on the bottom...Any ideas who the manufacturer may be?
I've shied away from purchasing cast iron from unknown sources, why...because I've seen many cast iron forms be used to melt lead and form ingots and I'm not sure that any process would remove all the lead from such a porous material such as cast iron. I've enjoyed your video though! Thank you.
Nice work! Curious, does the partial submerging of the negative clamp do any damage to it?
Terrific video! I'd love to know the provenance of that cast iron muffin pan. You should take it to Antiques Roadshow!
Electricity is electricity either way. Simply put smaller charger won't put out as much charge as the larger one so it will just take a bit longer is all. My charger has a 40 amp start or a 5 amp charge. Spent maybe 50 bucks at walmart for it.
Keep in mind that too much electricity can be bad or even worse causing a small explosion or even less severe pitting of the metals if you have ever touched leads from a bettery togther you see that.
I agree! Thanks!
that one time when me and my buddy were doing cast iron pans and the charger clamp sparked, one of the hydrogen bubbles popped, and we turned white as sheets thinking we almost blew up the neighborhood!
U r a pro by all means:) thanks for a great vid!
I have a question about cast iron... Can you cook things that are acidic or will it react..I see The Pioneer Woman make tomatoe sauce in her cast iron skillet...
Can I use a 12 volt 6 amp battery charger?
If it says Griswald on the back you have a valuable piece of cast iron.
Do you let the muffin pan touch the positive metal or is it just sitting in there I just got battery charger at yard sale and nervous about the electricity and water thanks
+Travis Hunt ~ That is exactly my question. I have no idea about this stuff and would love to have an answer as well. Thanks for asking this one...for all of us!
NO, if they touch you create a short circuit. If your lucky you will only pop a circuit breaker on the charger. You'll destroy your battery charger if your luck runs out.
can you just use molasses and water it's taking rust off old axes for me.
plus the waste melts ice.
And his finger nails looks good too LOL