Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation removing rust from large cast iron griddle

I've been presented with a large griddle that mounts on top of a 2 burner camp stove, approx 18x30" that is completely rusted. Our family cooks with nothing but Griswold cast iron and removing small amounts of surface rust is no biggie. But, any ideas how to tackle something of this size? I've got about 10 days to get this into fighting shape before the Trapper Rendezvous in Kansas. Obviously we'll be cooking on it so the taste of naval jelly is out of the question.

i cleaned cast iron pans like that in bad shape by putting them in a good campfire for several hours.

Soak over night in a 50 / 50 white vinegar and water solution. Next day scrub thoroughly with a Brillo pad. Re-season in oven.

Why ?? Phosphoric acid is relatively weak and easily neutralized if done properly and if a good seasoning is done afterwards you will enjoy it for many moons.

Wire wheel and naval jelly will go a long way in returning your new cooking utensil to its original glory. You have 10 days. Get on it.

The absolutely best way is Electrolytic Rust Removal. It's a bit time consuming.

#2, put in a grill as hot as possible with pulverized charcoal briquets covering it to chemically reduce the iron oxide and leave bare metal. Then go to #3.

#3, use the wire cup in an angle grinder.


Season with oil multiple times.

If it were mine I would not attempt rust removal with any chemicals that are not food safe like Naval Jelly or Phosphoric Acid. Instead I would use the white vinegar/water solution, After thoroughly rinsing I would scrub with a welder's brush (toothbrush size) using whatever kind of cooking oil you're going to use to season with later. After the scrub I would rinse thoroughly with a strong stream of running water. Take it outside and use the hose, then dry on the stove or in the oven and proceed with your seasoning routine.

Anyone ever sand blast one?

The griddle is 18 x 30. He only has 10 days!

Coca-Cola as well as many others and even some prescription drugs are loaded with Phosphoric Acid.

It's not the acid itself but levels of concentration thereof. Proper neutralization and seasoning will give a foodsafe griddle.

I used to be a welder so I have a steel brush, it's certainly not toothbrush size. I have used vinegar before. Thinking maybe take a brush first and knock off the big stuff, rinse it, then a dose of vinegar, let it soak over night and hit it again with the brush and re-evaluate?

I've seen guys use Coke just usually on a smaller scale. Might sneak into the house and measure the inside of our oven.

At least run it through your oven's clean cycle before putting all that work into it. It will brush much more easily.

I wouldn't oil it until it was clean also.

Got the wife's blessing...well sorta....putting it into the oven, at an angle to get it to fit.

elbow grease and a brillow pad. Vinegar, salt, potatoes all work but just scrub the thing and re-season.

For the best seasoning fry a turkey and then simply submerse the season-ready pan in the hot oil for about 20 minutes.

Lemon juice is both food safe and hell on rust. Better than vinegar IMO.

I have had success with this sort of thing, by first soaking the cast iron piece in a large tote with a lye/water solution.
After a day in that, then an over night soak in vinegar and water to neutralize that lye.
Scour to finish the little details, and then season like you would any other piece.

Well the oven was a bust, about 1/4 too big

Now that's a griddle!

Diluted phosphoric acid. Look it up.

9, 8, 7, .................

I'm not saying there are any bad ideas here, but I'm with ironbender on this.
Fast!

Just throw some bacon in it and cook the rust off.


Mmmmmm. Extra crunchy bacon with extra crunchy bits.










^^^ That'll put lead in your pencil.