Need help if possible.

[Chad Sartain]

Hey everyone. I am about a month into collecting cast iron, and trying to learn all I can. I was looking in an old barn and found three of these cast iron pieces with stars on them with wood handles. After some digging found a base they fit in. Turned out to be a griswold French waffle iron pat'd June 29 1880. After looking up information I found myself gathering up any old skillets I can find and now I'm hooked. Anyway I'll get to my point. I am seasoning skillets and have read the dos and donts. I didn't sand blast them, but I cleaned my Martin and perfection skillet with a wire brush from work, and they have the orange tint to them I've read some of you guys talking about. I did everything just like the seasoning part on this site. I've said a lot to ask is there any way to make them darker or is the orange tint irreversible? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Russell Ware]

Chad, you need to post photos, including the wire brush. If it was a copper or brass brush, that's the wrong type to use on cast iron. But we need to see the pans and the orange areas you describe.

[Chad Sartain]

Ok thanks Russel Ware I'll try and see if I can get a couple pictures up and I'll take one of the brush when I get to work.

[Chad Sartain]

I had to download an app to shrink photos. Maybe it will work to show a couple pictures.

[Chad Sartain]

Here are two more I cleaned with the brush.

[Russell Ware]

What kind of brush are you using? The brush you use should be stainless steel. Mild steel may give you some flash rust. Do not use copper or brass brushes, they will leave copper and brass marks that cannot be removed.
From the photo, it looks like the color you mention is only on the bottom. Is that true?
What are you seasoning the pan with? how are you applying/wiping it off? How many coats of seasoning are you applying?

[Chad Sartain]

Thanks Russell ware for commenting back. I've been pretty sick over it. The brush I used wasn't stainless steel, copper, or brass. I'm thinking it was just a steel brush. I read about sand blasting ruins them so I thought that would be perfect. But yes the bottom is the only part that turned that color. I only brushed the side, handle, and bottom. That was the part that was bad with gunk. I forgot to take a picture of the brush but I will soon as I get back. I used crisco. I heated the oven to 450 with all three in oven. Took them out when it reached 450. Let them cool a little and rubbed them down with a toothbrush and cotton rag. Wiped off any extra crisco. Put back in oven on 400 for forty five minutes. Turned oven off and let them cool inside. Later that day took them out and they were that color. I didn't know what to do so I repeated the oven process one more time. And that's the result. The sides sort of have the orange like color but not as much as the bottom.

[Chad Sartain]

Here is a picture of the handles. You can tell the color difference better.

[Dwayne Henson]

Seasoning does have a learning curve. I had some golden skillets initially. What I'd recommend is to start over. Lye bath, or oven cleaner to remove the old seasoning. I found high heat will help darken cleaned  iron. I place myour cleaned, naked iron in 450, 500 degree oven and after reaching the temp I  let  it cook 30, 45 minutes. That heat will darken the iron. Then with all windows open and fans a blowing I pull out that HOT skillet and wipe it down with crisco. It will just vaporize at that temp. After wiping it down good I make sure there are no wet spots, if anything looks wet or if I applied to much I wipe that off with a paper towel and back  in the oven, heat down to 350 for 30 minutes or so, then oven off and let it cool in the oven. Everybody has their own twist, but that's mine. The main thing is don't get discouraged, it happens. Most of my first attempts they were golden colored, or tiger striped, or had leopard spots, that is just part of it.

[Russell Ware]

Once you coat the pans with oil, do not heat them up over 300F. You only need to warm the cast iron, so the oil gets into the pores. Then wipe the excess oil from the pans. Heating an un-wiped pan at the high temp initially will oxidize an anneal the oil to the pan. I imagine you are not wiping off too much oil when it comes out of the oven. Your case could be as simple as too thick a coat of seasoning, especially since you repeat it twice. Try warming the pans to only 250F, then wipe. Then crank up the temp to 450-500F.

[Chad Sartain]

Thank u very much Mr. Russel. I'm gonna take your advice and start over. And use your method. I pretty much did everything u just said shouldn't be done. I put LOTS of crisco on them. And also baked them after rubbing them down at 400, and got frustrated the second time and thought more heat would help put it to 450. And your right. I didn't wipe them at all after going in the oven.  Mine have the leopard spots to. But thanks again. I'm hoping that's what it was and not the brush. I'm gonna start the cleaning. Thanks for the advice and way to do it.

[Chad Sartain]

Once you coat the pans with oil, do not heat them up over 300F. You only need to warm the cast iron, so the oil gets into the pores. Then wipe the excess oil from the pans. Heating an un-wiped pan at the high temp initially will oxidize an anneal the oil to the pan. I imagine you are not wiping off too much oil when it comes out of the oven. Your case could be as simple as too thick a coat of seasoning, especially since you repeat it twice. Try warming the pans to only 250F, then wipe. Then crank up the temp to 450-500F.

Thanks again Mr. Russell. They look a lot better now that I started over and used your method.

[Russell Ware]

The one on the left says it all - Perfection.
Very nice skillets.

[Chad Sartain]

Thank you very much. Finally getting to enjoy them.

[Jim Glatthaar]

Chad, I'm afraid you are totally hooked.  Pretty soon, you'll need every size skillet known to man :o

[Chad Sartain]

Chad, I'm afraid you are totally hooked.  Pretty soon, you'll need every size skillet known to man :o

Yes sir I believe u are right. I work nights and woke up today a few hours earlier to go pick up a few pieces that I had saw at my grandmothers a few days ago. It's starting to sink in that I have a new hobby.   :)

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Jim. Doesn't every man NEED every size skillet known to mankind? I mean, think about it. What would you do if twenty-five people showed up at your house and wanted you to cook them breakfast at six o'clock some Sunday morning? You'd be at a terrible loss if you didn't have a number 20 skillet to start cooking in. You know you gotta think about them kinda things.  8-)

I remember a long time ago when I'd go to somebodys house I'd ask them if I could root through their kitchen and see what kind of cast iron they got. You'd be surprised. When they see you going through their stuff and telling them things about it that they never knew they were pretty interested. Some of them even fixed it so I could go through some of their friends kitchens.

[Chad Sartain]

Yes sir that's the same plan I have for now. I've been working my way thru the family tree. And asking each family member about another family member that might have a few pieces they may not want. I also said to much to my grandfather and ended up not getting a piece that I really wanted.  :)

[Roger Barfield]

Love the Martin Perfection! ;)

[Chad Sartain]

Love the Martin Perfection! ;)

Thank u very much.