This Old Pot......

[slydog]

Junk,
My wife has left our seasoned, baked on crud, cornbread skillet in the oven during oven cleanings (self cleaning type oven). I don't know about the rust, but all the other gunk will burn right off to a fine white ash, leaving you with a brand new looking, birght grey skillet. It even re-exposes the little rings molded into the inside bottom. They look brand new. Of course they have to be re-seasoned, and as I said, I don't know if this would take off the rust, but it will definitely get that crud out of the cracks and crevices without having to do all that scraping.

 

[slydog]

PS..that trick works with old crudded up, stained pizza stones also, they come out looking brand new.

 

[Westonium]

Or - they break (pizza stones).

It was used quite a bit though, so I wasn't too broken up about it. I think I did it more than once, so its a pretty good rule to use that method when its down to "that thing either gets clean or we get rid of it".

 

[Phils]

Good job on the pot, Junkman!

Other tips for cleaning and receipes and another good forum can be found at the International Dutch Oven Society site: IDOS

I attached a photo of one of my pots in use. My winters are spent clearing brush, burning it, then cooking over the coals with dutch ovens. Cooking/eating outside is the best, and we'll often have 8 or 10 people up and use 4 or 5 ovens to make dinner (it was a small fire with a one-pot meal that is in the photo, my father in the background).

I wish you lived a tad bit closer, Junkman, so you could bring that pot up for a great "breaking-in" ceremony.

Phil

 

[bgott]

O.K., before this post I didn't even know that old pots had any value except as pots. Today I was at an estate sale and saw an old dutch oven in the garden, full of rusty water and covered with mud. They wanted $15, I got it for $10. I've cup brushed it and it is in pretty good shape, maybe excellent shape when I get it done. The pot has the lid and the insert that sits inside to keep food from sticking to the bottom. It is a Wagner Ware #8 Drip Drop Roaster according to the lid. The bottom has Wagner Ware, Sidney, -0-, and the number 1268. Is this pot worth anything or is it something I could have bought new at Wally World for $6.95?

 

[Junkman]

Wagner post are not as collectible as the Griswold, but they are fine pots just the same. You got yourself a good buy... the part that goes inside is called a trivet. I would guess that the pot, cover, and trivet cleaned up on eBay will bring you at least $45 or more. I wouldn't sell it, but rather clean it, season it, and use it. Cooking in cast iron is good for your health and there is nothing made today that will cook better than a old cast iron pot. Now that you made your first purchase, by next week you will be a full blown collector... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif How about some before and after pictures?????

 

[bgott]

I've got to get batteries for my camera. I didn't get any before pictures /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif, but I'll pick up some batteries and get the afters. I really regret not getting before pictures of the Buffalo Forge drill press I picked up a month ago, that is a serious contrast. I see old cast iron at estate sales all the time, I'm going to look at it a little closer in the future.

 

[bgott]

I bought some batteries today, they lasted 5 pictures /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. This is close to a before pic, the rusty part is after 2 go-arounds with the oven cleaner. A cup brush did the rest.

 

[bgott]

Here's all the parts, the bottom isn't in as bad a shape as the picture makes it out to be. The pot has been used.

 

[bgott]

A better shot of the markings on the bottom.