Testing Vintage Cast Iron for Lead
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2024
- Recently, I was fortunate enough to acquire a vintage cast iron scotch bowl with the markings GRISWOLD'S "ERIE" on the bottom. However, the surface of the bowl had a silvery color that suggested the worst...that it might have been used for melting lead. Therefore, there was no alternative but to test the bowl for lead contamination.
The test card has lead samples, to verify the test worked correctly. You squeeze a bit of the liquid onto the test card, and if it turns red then you know the test works. If it turns red on the card, but doesn't turn red when you swab the pan, that means the swab isn't detecting lead. Meanwhile, if it doesn't turn red on either the card or the swab, the test itself is defective.
The lead test used in this video is a 3M LeadCheck (TM) Instant Lead Test, which can be seen at: leadcheck.com
See also: "Lead Paint Testing" - • Lead Paint Testing
Thanks for this video. I bought the kit and read the instructions but you video showed how to do it well. Enjoy all of your videos.
I like that you were surprised not to find lead, it shows this is not a staged test
I have to get a few of these. In my collection I've only a couple of skillets that come from my family. The rest I'm not sure of, nor probably the seller was sure of either from estate sales, yard sales, flea markets etc. Very enlightening and thank you.
I have a no name Dutch oven that I use for casting lead. I plan on engraving it so nobody ever cooks food in it.
Thanks good idia🖖
Why
very helpfu didnt know there were testing kits for lead thanks- but now should we researchhow good/compare lead testing kits because really gotta know!
The one used in the video is a 3M surface lead test kit, which is very reliable and popular.
Good to know!!!!
thank you VERY much!
I know it won't make a difference, but my ocd is bothered that you didnt swab the very bottom. Really nice bowl though I wish I had it.
Thank you for this video. I will test an old Asian Dutch oven I inherited.
3m lead checks are not good indicators that materials are safe from lead. 3m lead check swabs detect lead in paints at 5,000 ppm and may detect in some paint films at 600 ppm and are not designed for materials other than painted surfaces. While there is no safe level of lead, FDA does not currently have a safe limit for children but recommends less than 10 ppm intake per day. Cast iron in general does not contain lead due to the manufacturing process.
The concern is that cast iron pots and pans have been used over the years for melting lead. Here on UA-cam there are many videos showing cast iron pans being used to melt lead, and this is something that's been done since the earliest days of cast iron cookware. The chance of any particular cast iron pan having lead residue is extremely small, but not impossible, which is why it's a good idea to test for lead *if* you have reason to be suspicious. Here I was indeed suspicious.
I’d like to test for lead before I start to restore. Would you recommend I wash off the inside of my cauldron as best I can before using the test or does the dust and rust not have any effect on the outcome of the lead test.
Thank you for all your videos! I have a Griswold #4 scotch bowl that has the exact same silvery splotchy, all over it, but not consistently. What do you think it is? I've asked on groups and no one really knows?
Maybe it was tin lined at one poinr
Ivan you still test for lead after the pan is well seasoned?
shouldn't you first sand it a bit to expose the core ?
the outside might just have oxidized steal and seasoning which might not react right ?
Cast iron isn't porous, and it doesn't absorb anything into the core. We've seen photos of 100+ year old pans after being dropped onto the floor, with their handles broken off (sadly), and the metal underneath the surface is shiny, bright and new even though it's over 100 years old.
@@castironchaos oh i think you missunderstood what i meant, i meant how do you know that the surface is a good test when you could just be testing the seasoning that dosen't contain lead?
Sanding it would just be to expose and test the metal itself and not the oxidized layer and polymerised carbon which might not react.
at no point i was talking about anything being absorbed by the core lol.
awsome must have these swabs
Good information
Thank you for the info, I recently purchased lead testing kits for testing all of my vintage cast iron. However, I stripped them down to bare iron before testing them, then washed them with soap, water and 0000 steel wool. Is this enough to get the chemicals from the lead testing kit off of the cooking surface? I ask because out of the 7 or so that I tested, 2 of my wagner skillets had stains on them exactly where I swabbed them for lead even after I washed them with soap and water. Any info is appreciated.
That seems surprising, as the chemicals on the lead testing kits have washed off without any difficulty when I used them. Checking the instructions said it can be washed with an all purpose cleaner.
You could have tested the cast iron on the bottoms. Then you would not have had to worry about any residue left from the test tube.
@@cs-mh2dh What if it was used to melt lead INSIDE?
Can they be cleaned and used after positive test
Unfortunately, no. Lead contamination is considered to be permanent, and a piece that tests positive can never be used for cooking food.
@@castironchaos what if you have already been cooking in it
so i imagine lead cracks? that's why it's not desired. Sorry i'm new at this. I just do research for a kettlebell i'd like to buy, which is cast iron, but it's from a private guy so i don't know if it's lead or not.
Lead gets into the microscopic pits and cracks on the surface of a cast iron pan. No matter how smooth the surface looks, it has those tiny fissures. That's how seasoning adheres to a pan, and that's how lead gets in and can never completely be removed.
Thanks for this video
You stated in the video after cleanning you saw silver spots in the pot which lead (no pun) you to test it
When cleanning CI we don't need to test all time hey just if there's residue ❓❓❓❓
Should anything else be considered
And I really enjoy you videos
It depends on the situation. If you were given the pans by friends and family, of course they're safe. If they're "look" okay and there's nothing obviously out of the ordinary, they're *probably" safe and should be okay unless there's something that looks suspicious.They should still be stripped and re-seasoned, because you still don't know what they were used for -- changing motor oil, perhaps?
Cast Iron Chaos oh yes I fully agree with you on that one as all my cast iron is stripped back to bear Cast and re seasoned buy electrolysis or Oven Cleaner
Thanks again
Someone's used this bowl for melting lead.
I doubt the test could have been simpler, yet it still wasn't simple enough for you, huh?
Good info
My test turned the tip black. Is that a reaction with the cast iron?
My understanding is that's just dirt and grit. It happens when I test for lead, too. Black definitely means there's no lead.
what do you clean the solution off with after the test is done?
I just scrub it with soap and water, then season it using a usual method for seasoning cast iron.
Where would the lead come from? I am fairly new to cast iron cookware. Does a lot of the old cast iron have lead in it? I do have some old Griswald, Wagner, and Lodge skillets. Is there a good chance that they are unsafe with lead? Thanks so much for your videos, they are very helpful for sure.
No, vintage cast iron does not contain lead. His point is that with a bowl this age, a lot of them were used in later life to melt lead for shotgun reloads, musket balls or whatever reason someone would have wanted to melt lead and would have contaminated the piece. Fortunately, this one comes up clean...
Thank you so much, I was a little worried on that one. That is a relief. Take care my friend.
As said, people unfortunately use cast iron to melt lead. Look on UA-cam and you'll see many videos of cast iron being used to melt lead for fishing weights or gunshot. Cast iron muffin pans, cornbread pans, small skillets and (sadly) even dutch ovens are used in this manner. In general, the chances of any particular piece of cast iron having lead are very, very small -- but not impossible. That's why we do advise testing an unknown cast iron for lead, if you have reason to be suspicious.
What a shame that people have possibly used cooking pans for making lead items. I am sure that at the time, it was probably not widely known that lead was such a huge health risk. I think that my dad used to melt lead for fishing sinkers too, but, I think that he had this little rounded pot that I think was actually made specially for that use. That was long ago though so I don't even know that for sure. Thanks for the info and the great videos my friend. I love those old cast iron pans for sure. Happy collecting!!!
Have you ever eat game shot with a shotgun ?,over here in the UK we have used lead water pipes for 100s of years to feed drinking water to our homes, infact the Romans also used it near on 2000 years ago
Isn't the card the actual test strip? Why else would it turn red? I would test it again before cooking in it.
All you need to do is see if the swab turns red. The card contains lead samples, and is used for comparison and verification.
Ahhhh. Gotcha.
Leads melting point is like 600degrees F. How does it not melt when used. I've literally cast my own fishing sinkers by melting lead in a pot in a grill
It will depend on the alloy that is formed. Melting point of copper 1085C. Melting point of zinc 419.5C. Melting point of the copper zinc alloy brass 900 to 940C. When you made fishing sinkers you are not creating an alloy.
Cast iron has a high melting point and lead is low so they didn’t really use it in cast iron
Where might someone get them led test kits from?
Thanks.
so you saying i cant heat up my cast iron pan and clean it and use it again for cooking because i used it for casting musket balls ?
Yes.
What about the lead water pipe that fed our home since the 1800s and i have been drinking from for near on 50 years and all the game i have eaten that has been shot with a shotgun ?
If you want to test your lead water pipe for lead on the surface, feel free to do so. This video is about testing vintage cast iron for lead, and shooting game with a shotgun is your own business.
Cast Iron Chaos you have not awnserd the question .is it harmful to drink water from a lead pipe or eat game that is shot with lead shot .I am not being funny .just asking your advice ?
I'm not being funny either. I'm not an expert. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
Why not just heat the bowl hot enough to see if lead flows or is in it?
Lead contamination is permanent: the lead adheres to the metal and cannot be removed. This is why lead is a real concern with vintage cast iron -- rare, but real. If a pan is contaminated with lead, it can *never* be used for cooking, and should be marked in a manner to make sure it is never used for cooking. This would include punching a hole in the pan, or simply destroying it, breaking it apart, or melting it down completely.
OR, just use it to melt down lead.
The admin Lori that is in your group is not fit for an admin. She falsely accused me of saying things about her and then deleting them . She is very argumentative with others in the group. I got blocked because of her lies. That's ok though. I just thought I would let you know.
Will these tests still work on pieces which are already seasoned?
It's necessary to test the bare iron, so the seasoning will need to be removed from the testing area. The test is a surface area test, designed for detecting lead paint.
talk to a welder, lead can sit on cast iron but it can not impregnate the cast iron.
What can you do if it's positive?
Something that we can put on the wall for decor
My OCD would in no way allow me to trust this test.
Disregard I guess that’s samples on the card or whatever
This is accidental ASMR
i really wouldn't count on those cheap tests to determine whether or not there is lead in something -especially something that your food is going to go in. those tests sucks and are really unreliable.
Fortunately, in *most* instances lead contamination is obvious and overwhelming, so even a test like this is largely accurate.
Cast Iron Chaos how would the fact that most lead contamination is obvious impact the validity of the test? let's say the validity of the test is that it's correct 80% of the time (i dont know if this is true but just for argument's sake), regardless of how obvious or not-obvious the lead contamination is - the test is still 80% accurate...
It should be noted that the lead test being used here is the lead *paint* test, which has been endorsed by the EPA ( www.epa.gov/lead/lead-test-kits ). The controversy about the lead test has been its failure to detect levels of lead "beneath the surface" ( www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16034266 ). This is not what is occurring here, nor am I saying a lead swab will detect lead beneath the surface of a cast iron pan. What I *am* saying is that iron is not porous, and liquid and contaminants cannot penetrate beneath the surface of a pan. This test is specifically to detect if lead has been used on the surface of a cast iron pan, specifically if the pan was used to melt lead. Meanwhile, there are test results showing lead tests for "lead residue in household dust" have a much lower success rate ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2170477/ ). Again, that is not what is happening here. I'm simply using the most basic lead test, to see if the *surface* of the pan has lead. And in this video, it is shown that the test does not detect lead on the surface of this pan.
This is like scratching a chalk board with finger nails, i had to take the ear phones out, you got to squeeze the thing harder to wet it first before using it.
Way to go now you've contaminated the pan with toxic chemicals 👍
Gosh, I'd never remember to wash the pan after testing it for lead.
Cast Iron Chaos the pans are pourous...
Actually, no, cast iron is not porous. Any cast iron pan has near-microscopic cracks and other surface blemishes on the surface, which is how it holds onto the seasoning; this is the case with any pan. But cast iron itself is not porous and does not absorb anything beneath the surface.
@@bobschmob8233 you got served
his hands are shaky as hell.. love your videos but you need to quit smoking.
Except that I don't smoke and never did. Also, that's not from lead poisoning.
Binoy Vudi
, you are a simply bizarre person. Quite rude, very presumptuous. You aren't doing it right.