Flaxseed (aka food grade linseed oil) has a higher smoking temperature and IIRC bonds much better. I did 4 different cast iron pans and pots at once out on the grill. It didn’t take that long. Put on a very thin coat, grill the hell out of it, let cool, repeat for a few days.
My pans have gone thru the dishwasher and still have a good finish.
Flaxseed oil is the same thing as linseed oil but food grade. If you’re worried about your cast iron having bumps, season it with flaxseed oil. It doesn’t matter if the metal is smooth or bumpy the food should never contact the metal. It’s like a untouched swimming pool, the water is the same in the shallow end as it is in the deep end.
Anyone can restore cast iron to near new, and have it last many lifetimes. Even skillets old enough to have pitting on the bottom from seeing use with gas or coal containing sulfur will be attractive and usable after restoration. With skillets of unknown provenance it is wise to test with lead check swabs, as some barn finds could conceivably been used to melt lead. Even lead crystal is now considered unsafe. (I’m hoping my scotch will kill me before my lead tumblers make me (more?) demented, but if I drink with anyone under 40 I’ll now give them a plastic Spongebob Squarepants sippy cup. Better safe than sorry.)
Putting cast iron in a fire or self-cleaning oven is not recommended. You may get lucky a few times, but doing this can cause discolored areas that won’t take seasoning as readily, and high temperatures can flake and warp your iron.
Gunk and rust are two separate issues.
Pros who restore a lot of skillets use an electrolysis tank (e-tank) which efficiently strips the cast iron of gunk AND rust. Some Dopers have been known to science a bit, but if you’re not aware water and electricity generally don’t mix and why, this isn’t for you.
For regular folks the best way to address gunk is to use lye-based oven cleaner (aka “yellow cap”.) Using the same safety precautions as cleaning an oven, spray the cast iron liberally all over and seal it in a garbage bag to leave in the hot sun all day. Then scrub with steel wool and stainless steel pot scrubbers. Do not use softer copper or brass scrubbers or drill attachments as they will transfer the metal to your iron and use power tools only if you’re OK with changing the surfaces. Same with sandblasting and such, it’s all been tried, you’ll alter the surface of the iron.
Repeat de-gunking process as necessary, but if you have to do this more than twice your cast iron is likely old and potentially valuable.
Cast iron, so hot right now. Cast iron. My local thrift store sells used $9 Made in Taiwan skillets for $20. It’s definitely a craze.
For just OPs rust the best method would be to completely immerse in a 50-50 solution of table vinegar and water for 30 minutes then scrub away with steel wool and stainless steel pot scrubbers. It isn’t advisable to soak in vinegar for more than a few hours. You’ll be using the evil dish soap and lots of cold water for a final rinse, so dry the cast iron immediately and heat it on a stove or in the oven to evaporate any remaining water.
Since you fired up the oven, why not start seasoning immediately? This is website that’s been advising (and standing up to) the cast iron crazies the best and probably the longest. Rookie mistake is to leave too much oil on the pan in the process. Many coats, like painting a wall.
If you think you’ve come up with a better mousetrap (could happen) take it to experts at https://old.reddit.com/r/castiron/ (their FAQ will mostly confirm the prior link) and wait for consensus and moderators to confirm any “advice”.
Yes, my method is to put about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of oil in the pan and rub it around with a cloth towel to coat all surfaces and wipe off any excess. It’ll look shiny, but not oily. That’s all the oil you need. (And looking over your link, that’s exactly the process explained.)
When I first got a cast iron maybe 25 years ago, I did not know this. I oiled it up but did not wipe all the excess oil off. I ended up what I would describe as a sticky pan, as in the surface itself had a bit of a gummy residue feel to it that would slightly stick to your fingers when you touched it.
I’ve been told (by an enthusiastic relative who might have things wrong) that after the cast iron pan is seasoned, in order to properly clean it without taking off the seasoning, is to scrub it with a mixture of salt (gritty) and oil.
Not soap and water.
Does anyone do the salt and oil thing? I’d like to, but I usually forget. So we reseason the pan from time to time. Works great.
That’s the traditional advice, but I’ve found that once you have a good seasoning down, soap and water doesn’t harm it. I soap and water my cast iron, then heat it to make sure it’s compketely dry and lay down a very thin layer of oil and wipe it off to store.
+1.
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If something does stick a bit I rub salt in and rinse. Then do light layer of oil. I don’t mix the salt and oil together
Oh, sorry, I misread the original post. Yeah, never heard the salt and oil together. Cleaning out the pan with salt is the traditional advice. Dry and oil after.
Thanks. Maybe I conflated the salt and oil bits. There are skin products where these are actually mixed together (minerals and oil), and they got mixed up in my mind.
Once seasoned never ever use detergent to wash and never in the dishwasher! Wipe clean and store. If you use detergent you remove the seasoning.
I’ve used soap and water on cast iron for years. Never had any issues.
Just don’t soak cast iron in it or leave it in the sink with any other dishes. Even the best seasoned pan can rust if not stored properly. When done cooking with it, clean it out immediately. And it doesn’t take much soap. I find a simple nylon scrubby sponge with a bit of soap petty much cleans any crud off of it and it doesn’t usually remove the seasoning. And if I’m worried, I’ll put a bit of oil on a paper towel and put a light coating on the pan itself. Haven’t had any rust issues.
I’ve done the whole salt thing, I find soap works better.
Every year or so, I’ll reseason the pan in the oven just as extra precaution.
No fire for cast iron, it’s a good way to warp it. To bring it back from disaster, get your hands on a cast-iron scrubber, which is a glorified piece of chain mail.
Once you get the oxidation off, and you can see bare metal, you want to coat it in the thinnest layer of oil (try and get one with a high smoke point, canola works) that you can manage, and let it sit upside down in your oven at the hottest temp it will go, for a few hours. leave some foil on the bottom rack to catch any dripping. You may have to repeat the process until you feel you have sufficiently seasoned it.