Shiny spot on skillet does not season.

[Charles Marchand]

Hi everyone, I have not been on in a while.

Can anyone tell me what the shiny spot on this skillet is?
it does not seem to be taking seasoning.

I noticed it after I pulled it from the lye bath.  I ran it in the electrolysis to see if that would do anything but it is still there.
Sorry for the bad pic.

thanks,
C.J.

[Cheryl Watson]

I'd take a mini butane torch to that spot and see if you can lift it with de-soldering wire...

[Charles Marchand]

I can do that.
Do you think it my be lead?

The electrolysis did not affect it.  I thought if it was lead it would lift it.

[Russell Ware]

Lead is malleable. A putty knife should be able to put a dent in it.
Another possibility is that it is simply some other kind of occlusion in the iron. Is it a newer Wagner skillet? GHC ran the quality right out of its cast iron. I have seen some very rough casts from them. It may have been ground down. That type of defect won't take seasoning well. Are there any other casting or grinding issues on the skillet?

[Valerie Johnson]

I have had a few newer Wagner skillets that had tiny shiny specks on/in them, It is like they are actually part of the casting, I also tried a torch to see if it was lead and if it would melt, it did not and the seasoning did not cover it, I tried scratching at them and the spots seemed harder than the surrounding cast iron, my thoughts are they are an impurity in the iron, they don't affect the usability of the skillets and since they were newer Wagners with not much value other than for using I did not worry much about them.

[Charles Marchand]

Yeah, its a friends newer Wagner. I am thinking late 60s or 70s as far as date.  It was in his parents RV for years.  It's in great shape and should be an excellent user.

It is nothing the surface so I agree it is in the casting.  I think it is just an imperfection.  I am going to season it again and call it good.


Thanks for the help.