Wagner Fryer Pan

[watsd]

We think this cleaned up quite nicely. Any idea what was cooked in this?

[Greg Stahl]

NO idea, but would love to have it, no matter what was cooked in it.  Like to know what the base looked like too.

[C. Perry Rapier]

You did a beautiful job Julie Gadget. Did you learn the electro process from this forum, cause if you did, we should use you as a testimonial?

[watsd]

Indeed I did learn it here. I printed out the directions for using it and also the seasoning. Could not have done it otherwise. I was woking with a steel brush and a butcher knife. This is much nicer.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Julie, I'm glad to say you learned it all on here by reading the forum and following the directions. Some people I talk to are yet a little reluctant to try this process and are still using the lye method and then following it up with a wire brushing if needed. You did a great job on cleaning that item. Now Julie Gadgets, what else you got for us, and are you still looking for the 1428 bottom? You don't have to have new gadgets every time you come on here but you seem to do so, so you are spoiling me.

[watsd]

There wasn't any base sitting with that fryer and we put a picture up of the other pieces that aren't waffle makers. I did find a griswold dutch oven, but it seriously needs to go into the solution. We are passing on this information to people with cast iron. I have a cousin who likes cast iron so imagine he will be over to visit once he hears about this process. I suppose we could put a picture of the hummer rooster up or he has a neat base for coca-cola that is cast, I haven't lifted that yet, just clean around it.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Julie, can you envision what the base would be for the Wagner? Also, I hope you don't mind me telling you this but, it is not a fryer at all, but rather a toaster of sorts. When you think of frying you would think of putting in some type of cooking oil, whether it be lard, vegetable oil or whatever. With this in mind, if you put in cooking oil and then turned it over, which it is made to do, then your cooking oil would fall out on the stove or heating surface and make one big mess, if not a fire. Do you understand what I am saying, do you agree, disagree, wanna tell me to go fly a kite or you can just give me a whatever?

[watsd]

Yes it makes sense that it would be used for toasted sandwiches or something, but it it kind of an odd size. With the ball hinges it is like it should have a base like the waffle makers fit in. We have one of the gadgets to make a flying saucer sandwich and that seems like a more appropriate size. This one seems to big for one sandwich and not big enough for two.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Yes it makes sense that it would be used for toasted sandwiches or something, but it it kind of an odd size. With the ball hinges it is like it should have a base like the waffle makers fit in.

Julie, you are correct. It does have a base like the waffle irons botton pieces, only square, well, some waffle iron bottom pieces are square. This piece kind of makes me think of an omelette maker, you know cook it on one side and turn it over. What makes this piece different is that it has two ball joints on one piece, so you would have to pick it and remove it from the bottom, turn it over, and then put it back down in the sockets. Do you think you could take that apart and show us a close up picture of the hinges so I can see how they go together?

[Al Andrews]

Is this "fryer" not shown in any of the Wagner catalogs?

[C. Perry Rapier]

Al, no indeed, it is not. Not even the number is in any of the books that I have. Thats why I call it a missing link.

[watsd]

Your wish is my command.

[watsd]

Did this picture answer your question? Just curious.

[Harry Riva]

Julie, a question and then a long drawn out comment. Can you post the measurements, length and width, of the paddles? My comment is, I tend to think this is not a sandwich maker but was intended to fry something. Wagner marked their sandwich toaster just that, so why mark another piece a fryer if it was another sandwich toaster? As far as the base goes, the paddle design prohibts the base from rotating like a waffle iron does, since the piece could only rotate end over end, which would call for a really elaborate base, almost like two bases end to end. If we assume it didn't rotate then it sat in a base like a waffle iron with two hinge stations and one lifted the iron out, rotated the iron, and sat it back in the base. Now picture putting a hand on each handle, lifting the piece up, rotating it, and putting it back in the base. Your arms end up crossing over each other you get tied up in yourself.  I know nothing about this piece and am just brainstorming how it would work if there was a base to it. If it was a fryer then no need for a base, but what would one fry that is square? I don't have a clue but I think it possibly did fry something and didn't have a base.
Harry

[C. Perry Rapier]

Harry, those are good questions and good thoughts. Mine were along the same line, that is why I wanted to see the hinges, and was trying to envision how this worked. I don't think it was used to fry in because you have to turn it and all that and the oil which I stated earlier, and I never even considered about the arms business you brought up, but that makes me think even more so that it is not a fryer. Are you thinking this had a base that turned over in itself the way a waffle iron works? To me, I think you would just pick it up and turn it over to cook the other side and let the arms go where they must. I wanted to see if the hinges lock together as long as you are holding the handles, top and bottom, together, they would just about have to, but I can't readily see or tell from the pictures. Julie, can you get a close up of just the inside of the hinges so I can see how they hook together. The fryer name does throw you though, but it fits right in between the toaster numbers and everything, and I can't see it being a fryer, or at least what I would envision a fryer to be, and if a fryer, a fryer of what? Harry, I ain't tryin to top your long drawn out comment with my own long drawn out comment, but merely just commenting. I think its interesting and see that you do too. You usually don't bark too loud unless you know there is a coon up the tree.

[watsd]

The "fryer pan" is 8 1/2x 8 1/2. It is not easy to unhook the hinges or put them back together. I took another picture. Hope this is what you wanted.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Julie, that is exactly what I wanted. I suspected they would be something like that, as long as you got both handles held together the paddles can not come apart when the hinges are in place. I don't think I have ever seen hinges like this, a simple pin going into a hole and pressure from both handles held together, holding the whole thing together. Thanks a lot Julie Gadgets, what a Gal! It is people like yourself that make this site interesting and fun to me. When it ain't both, I'm leavin.

[watsd]

Don't leave, we need your expertise. I was wondering if you might just lift the lid to turn what you are frying. I tried the turning it over thing and don't think that is too handy when it is cold let alone when it would be hot.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Julie, thats a good point. I never thought of that, DUH! I mean, you don't turn the stove and skillet over when you wanna turn your chicken, now do you? I don't know though. Why would anybody buy this to do what you say, when a simple skillet with a lid would do the same thing? Maybe thats why we have not seen them before, because they were a flop? How deep is that thing? You said it was 81/2 by 81/2 but I don't think the depth was ever mentioned. And also, I don't know if your trying to turn it as it is, as opposed to being in a frame and holding it would be the same thing, but I guess, turning it is turning it because you would have to pick it up either way, or the way I am envisioning it you would.

[watsd]

it is close to 2 inches on the outside. The inside on the bottom measures 3/4 inch. I can't imagine what you would fry in this, much simpler to use a skillet and cover as you said.