New guy, question on Lye bath temp

[Christian Andersen]

Hello all,   
OK.. I did it.  I just sent in my WAGS membership stuff.  In the mean time though, I've got a question.

I am totally loving this Lye bath stuff I've got setup in the garage.  Man, Lye is AWESOME!  I have bought a couple of skillets that looked like crap.  Although they were flat, no spin.  (-:
My question is in regards to,  is there any big loss of the performance of the Lye when I am keeping my Lye bath in my garage, which has a temp of probably 45F degrees?

I thought I read somewhere that the Lye is best in warm temps, but it certainly is working, just wondering if there is a range of temps that it is optimal at?
Also.. sometimes after about 3 days in the bath, I get a pan out that has what I would just call a very stubborn stain on it.  I know people go a week sometimes in the bath, but I still hit it with an SOS pad, and still have the stain.   Do such stains sometimes never come out via Lye? 
Is it a TOTAL SIN to hit it with an electric drill/wire brush head?
Not a collectable piece, just stuff I'm perfecting my Lye skills with.

Thanks!   
and I get wait to get those other WAGS member forum privileges.  :D

[Cheryl Watson]

Hello there Christian!

Yes Lye is awesome for sure!  Be certain you follow all safety protocols !

I wear a full face shield and chem gloves, and always keep a live water hose close at hand....  but then... I mix mine at 2-3 lbs per 5 gallons of water.

Lye loves high temperatures... the hotter the better (my lye baths sit in the full summer sun!).  The Colder the Temp, the sloww-ee-rr it works.!

That said, I am now getting worried, as the current temp as I type this is 25° and falling, and I need to pull a lot of CI out , and I have learned in the past 9 years, that for me, it is best to empty them.... I had some hard frozen lye baths in the past 2 years... :'( :'( :'( 

Cleaning CI is a two step process:

1.  De-gunk with the lye bath and scrub down

2.  De-Rust.... It is possible that the dark marks you describe 'may' be some oxidation.

I use several techniques to de-rust:

#1 - Electrolysis - I have two large Electros (which need to be emptied in the next seven days also....

#2 - Evaporust - which I use for my 'babies' and high $$ items

#3 - 50:50 Water/Vinegar bath -  Use with caution,,, 30 minute soaks at a time then pull and check.

Wire Wheels/Power Tools NEVER touch my Cast Iron... never, ever! Yup, Total Sin! ::) ::)

It is way too easy to permanently damage the surface of the iron (Ruination!  :o :o)...

so as you can tell, I am an Avid Anti-Wheeler! 8-) 8-)

Hope this helps! 

[Russell Ware]

My lye bath is in the garage. I clean cast iron year round. It may take a little longer in the cold weather, but not enough to bother me. The biggest challenge is in determining when the old bath needs to be dumped and a new one started.
One word of caution about buying super-gunked-up pans, sooner or later you will find cracked and warped pieces when you clean this stuff. Sure you might find a treasure, but you are throwing money away on other pieces. Focus on finding the best examples to buy.

[Christian Andersen]

Great to hear about this product, ‘Evaporust’. I do plan to setup an E-tank soon, but I can easily pick up the Evaporust.   I do think it is likely that these random ‘stains’ are likely patches of rust that just don’t look orange after coming out of the lye bath.

The other item Russell mentioned is a point I have wondered about, which is how do you determine when your lye bath needs to be changed, when it is too polluted with funk.
I assume you just start to notice slower time results in the cleaning process.

Alright, Thanks.
I have found a host of new antique stores to scour, and must broaden my search.