Retinning Copper Cookware Mini Tutorial

[@jlrdan12]

Did my first pot today, it came out better than expected. Appreciate the teaching. Thank you.

[@housecopper]

HURRAH! I love to hear that!!! Thank you for letting me know!!

[@minkiemink]

Thank you. I have a full set of E. Dehillerin copper pots and pans, stock pots, frying and sauté pans. You name it, I probably have the pan. I bought it all in Paris in the 1970s after training as a chef. When I moved 30 years ago I somehow forgot about it all as I never did pursue professional kitchen work. I just found everything today. Some of it needs retinning and there is no one in my area, so your tutorial is a godsend!

[@housecopper]

So happy it's helpful!!!!

[@monelleny]

I had no idea you could do this yourself at home. Thank you!!!!!!!! :)

[@housecopper]

Just make sure you have the proper safety gear and some ventilation!

[@Padraigp]

If you have a gas mask at home which most do not

[@jameshutchins3396]

Beautiful. I am not a coppersmith at all, I just love craftsmanship of all kinds. I seriously enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing

[@housecopper]

Thank you for watching! yay!!!!! :)

[@maerten9517]

Thank you for making this video. I have watched a bunch of yours over the years but this what I really needed to see to get the confidence to retin my own pots.

[@housecopper]

Oh, you are so welcome! You can do it!!

[@MariaPhilip-ws1qi]

I love the way she explains

[@housecopper]

Thank you so much! :) :) :)

[@walterthomas4556]

Straightforward simple concise excellent video. Do you use stay clean as a flux?

[@andrewglover9608]

When I was a trainee chef I had the devil of a time making an omelette....sure, it 'seems' easy but until you make one correctly its difficult! The head chef showed me how to make one and he made it look SO easy., almost like magic!...this is how you make re-tinning copper pans :-) I'm on my third attempt at tinning a small pan but I'll keep at it till I get get my perfectly tinned pan...or omelette :-)

[@housecopper]

YES! Keep trying!!! You can re-do a pan 50 times if you need to! I love that you're working on this!!!

[@brucetidwell7715]

Uh oh. I was just about to post "Wow! This looks so much easier than I thought it would be."

[@elyacka3022]

Bonjour. L'etain ne risque t'il pas fondre si, en cuisinant, on oublie la poêle sur le feu? Merci pour la video.

[@SirCumferencelel]

Oh good. I am making copper pans and utensils. I was wondering how to properly tin them. This works out great.

[@housecopper]

So happy this is helpful!! Good luck!! (PS - don't forget to check out my "how to prep to tin" to make sure you have all the correct gear and safety equipment!)

[@SirCumferencelel]

Really wish I saw that comment when you sent it lol. I just made my first tinned copper pan. I really suck at tinning. Oh well, I have a lot more copper to learn on. You REALLY make it look easy.

[@adamharlow8124]

Hey there. Great video. Thanks. Rookie question though , should we not worry about the Tin coming free while cooking on high heat ?

[@housecopper]

Thanks for watching! The rule with tin-lined copper is as long as there is enough food or liquid (this excludes oil) in the pan, you don't have to worry about the tin coming off, as the food/water will absorb excess heat. If you grill, fry, or sear...yeah, you'll see the tin get soft as you don't have enough in the pan to absorb. EG, don't grill, fry or sear in tin-lined copper. :) That's what cast iron is for!

[@samspianos]

Thanks for the demo;what is the description of the tin which is used? (looks like solder)For example I have seen stainless steel lead free solder but I dont know whether this is OK to use Also what is the flux you are spraying onto the pan?

[@housecopper]

The answers to both of your questions (with links) are in the video description. :)

[@kgwoodturner]

You make it look easy, I aspire Thanks for the vids and keep them coming

[@housecopper]

Aw! Thanks! Yes, practice makes perfect! I'm almost 10 years in, so give yourself time. :)

[@HexterTheJexter]

EXCELLENT. What's the best Flux? Thank

[@housecopper]

It's in my video description with a link. Harris Stay Clean. :)

[@frasiec]

You make it look easy. I think I can do this

[@housecopper]

You can do it! Practice and just keep at it. Once you "get it" you'll never lose it!

[@jasj3224]

Thanks for the video, is there a possibility of Lead in Tin bar? Does tin lined cookware lose shine from inside after usage?

[@housecopper]

Silver based tin solder is considered lead free by the manufacturers. Yes, tin will slowly oxidize (get darker and less shiny) with time, use and heat.

[@bakkermaarten007]

I've got a Japanese copper kettle for boiling water. It was electro-plated with nickel but over time the plating comes off and a lot of copper is exposed now. I would expect it's very difficult to apply a tin layer on it as there are many seams and embossed circles on the bottom, also pouring holes at the spout connection. Some people say it doesn't matter as long as you just boil water in it (I do use vinegar for descaling but rinse sumptuously). Thoughts on this?

[@housecopper]

Oooo yeah, I mean, kettles are HARD to retin - the inside is hard to access because the opening is small, and the spout and base can fall off (and handles too) depending on construction. You can check out Rocky Mountain Retinning - they have a special process for retinning kettles. :)

[@gillatine83]

hey there, cool video, I have a dumb question, if the pan and heat from the element can melt the tin....how does it not just melt whenever you cook?

[@cajunfid]

That's why its really important not to use copper tinned pans on a really high flame (tin melts around 450f) and to always have something cooking in them to disperse the heat.

[@housecopper]

There should always be enough food before you start any heat in the bottom - and that will absorb the heat, as the food (or liquid) will act as a heat sink. This tin lined copper thing has been around centuries, I promise it works. :) I do have some videos on cooking in copper if that helps!

[@housecopper]

Yes! Exactly! :)

[@trefiumi1883]

hi Sara! thanks for your videos! what kind of tin do you use for soldering? can you give me a link to buy it? I hope they ship it to me in Italy…

[@housecopper]

I use food-grade tin from Johnson Manufacturing in Ames, Iowa in the States. There is a link in the video description.

[@Luiblonc]

Hello, I am quite new to copper pots, and have used stainless steel and cast iron pots my entire cooking career. Hence, recently started to pick-up a few French copper pots that are tinned. How ever, I did find a unique vintage French sauce pan and lid that is not tinned with a stamp. My question is; should this pan be tinned, or is it intended to be entire copper to cook specific foods, ie candy sauces? Thanks for any feedback!

[@housecopper]

If it has never been tinned, it was likely used for sugars/candy. :)

[@brianakirby89]

I recently purchased a few copper pots/pans that are lined with tin. I wasn’t sure how to clean them, like just for general everyday use after cooking. Would I just use a sponge and soap? And is it okay to cook with these daily? I also haven’t cleaned them yet in general. I assume they need a heavy cleaning at first and then just everyday cleaning after I cook with them. Any recommendations? I appreciate any advice. Thank you

[@housecopper]

Depends on how dirty the tin is if you can just use sponge and soap to clean the interior. If it's black you'll want new tin. And yes, use them daily! That's what they are for! :) You can send photos to my assistant as well if you still are looking for insight (sorry I'm so late to respond - between all the messages on KZbin, Instagram, Facebook, emails...I can't keep up on top of making copper these days! :P)

[@jdog4534]

What kind of flux are you using that doesnt boil off with so much exposure to the heat? Is it the same stuff the tin knockers use on sheet metal with their soldering irons? Thats a great idea to use the insulation to spread the solder around. I can't believe I've never considered it in my attempts to pretin the few items I've done it on. They turned out so horribly, i put them on one of my very many "back burners." Thanks for the tips and inspiration. I think ill give it another go. I'm a commercial plumber and I've used insulation to keep soldered joints cool or plastic parts from melting or springs from losing temper or magnets from losing power when doing torch work too close. The insulation holds a lot of water, much more than a cotton rag. I've also used insulation as an abrasive to clean copper for soldering, in a pinch. Hey, thanks for the tip about using the drywall mud to mask off the copper to keep solder from sticking. I saw it in your egg spoon video. Ive been making kitchen utensils and canisters out of copper pipe one piece of scrap 1" about 14" long is enough to make a nice size spatula AAAND a big serving spoon. You have to slice it down the middle starting about 4" from each end, and use type K copper pipe if you can get it. Type L would work too, but i wouldn't make anythingmore than measuring spoons from type m copper. I made a pizza slice server, ice cream scoop, long milkshake spoons. I made some canisters from some scrap pieces of 3", 4" and 6" diameter copper pipe. That's where my tinning fiasco occurred. Lol all the dumb ideas i tried to use to move the solder around. They all wicked up the solder i was trying to spread around lol ultimately, i wasted a couple dozen flux brushesand the solder is totally caked on. You can see deep brush strokes in it. 😂😂😂 and you know what? ..the tinning was an afterthought, which was going to likely desolder some of the wire embossing i had already done on it, so you know i had some wet insulation staring me in the face the whole time i was dumbstruck😅😅😅. I know you got that buttery feeling when you were tinning this pan here. I love that feeling when I'm soldering. Also, i believe another of my issues was that i was using nokorode paste flux instead of this liquid stuff. That nokorode is the solution, until it becomes the problem, all baked to the copper.

[@housecopper]

The link for the flux is in the description (I'm laughing because everyone asks this - if you look at the comments - and I'm like...I post a direct LINK! What else can a girl do to help?!) I'm thrilled this has given you some help and tips with your wide experience in working with fluxes and solders. :) Sounds like you have made a lot of lovely and function things out of copper. Keep at it! It's so much fun, right?!

[@jdog4534]

@housecopper yes. Copper is an amazing metal. I also use it in the garden to repel slugs and snails. I put a scrap piece (about an inch long) of 1½"ø (or so) copper pipe around all seedlings to keep them from being eaten by snails. They won't go near it. Copper also kills many viruses and germs, including the coronavirus. Do you get sick very often since you've been working with copper. I've been bedridden sick twice since 95, which is when I became a commercial plumber. Same with wife and kids. It's so effective at killing germs that hospitals are beginning to choose copper surfaces over stainless steel. Thanks for your reply and the info

[@ericargento4429]

Thank you so much. This is wonderful exactly what I want to know and I will look at your video of all the important prep before the straightforward quick tinning. QUESTION is food grade tin solder 100% tin or does it have other added metals?

[@housecopper]

Thank you - so happy it's helpful!!! Food grade tin solder has silver in it, not much, but a little bit.

[@kennetlundqvist6279]

Great video. ❤

[@housecopper]

Thank you!

[@jamesmihalcik1310]

Awesome, Keeping it alive and well.

[@housecopper]

Oh heck yeah! :)

[@rossanil]

Great tutorial, thank you. Can you tell me what wadding you use to wipe the tin please?

[@housecopper]

Thanks! It is pink housing insulation. You can find it at like Home Depot. :)

[@poposu92]

Hello dear and greetings from Italy! Very nice video! In the whole italy there isn't a well explained video like yours! What kind of cotton do you use? What about using copper pots without tinning them?

[@poposu92]

And... Isn't the flux toxic? Or is not the same welding flux?

[@housecopper]

So happy you are enjoying the videos! Copper pots with no tin are not very safe for cooking, unless you are making sugary things like jam or jelly. I use housing insulation to retin, but you could use 100% pure cotton wading as well.

[@housecopper]

The flux is not toxic - it is not welding flux.

[@AlexanderDobinson]

Do you do more than one coat?

[@housecopper]

No - if you go over and over it, you actually wipe OUT the tin you've put in and it gets thin and dull. One strong, confident coat will make it nice and thick. :)

[@CloseLook29]

Happy 2024! Please let me know the range of services House Copper & Co has. Thank you for your great videos. I saw a few of them in 2023.

[@housecopper]

I don't know what you mean by range of services. :)

[@CloseLook29]

@@housecopper thank you for getting to me. I meant to ask whether you do copper coating and tinning.

[@NextTechEdit]

Does the housing insulation not have fiberglass particles? Does it not mix or matter for this application?

[@housecopper]

Nope. No particles - at least not for the past 10 years I've used it for tinning......

[@mjremy2605]

You are so skilled at this, wow! Very nice job, so proficient!! It is a pleasure to watch a master craftsman at their trade. I have some steel baking pans I'd like to tin. They are currently rusty. I can wire brush off the rust and etch it too. I'd be very grateful to get some advice from you please. 1. What is the surface prep for rusted steel? 2. Looks like you are using fiberglass insulation as a sponge to wipe it around. Doesn't this stick to the hot metal and get embedded in the pan? 3. I have to tin the entire cake backing pan inside and outside to avoid any rusting. Once I do the inside, its going to be hard to to the outside too, right?

[@housecopper]

Thanks for watching! I unfortunately am a trained copper/tin smith and do not work in steel at all, so I can't give you any solid advice about resurfacing rusted steel. I suppose if you cleaned it and pickled it, you could retain it. There is a Treatise from 1901 that talks about how to pickle iron and steel for tin. Yes, I use fiberglass. It doesn't melt or leave residue at all as it is fireproof. Cotton wading works just as well, just way pricier. And yes, to your 3rd question, if you're doing an exterior And interior, you'd be much better off dipping, but that's a big vat of tin and very $$$$...

[@boysbeach5793]

What kind of flux is used in here? I heard that it is very flammable. Please advise me

[@housecopper]

The link for the flux is in the video description. Some fluxes are flammable. This one is not. I spray it INTO the flames sometimes.

[@shaziakhan73_]

My grandmother gave me a brass pot that has been retinned, I put it on flame, and wiped it with paper tower and greyish silver material started coming off. Can i still cook in that pot, will the metal be absorbed in food. Thank you.

[@housecopper]

If you heated it and put on flux, you're wiping out either the tin or leftover grime from the retinning, but my guess is you're taking off the tin as it sounds like you heated it without any food in it, which would loosen the tin. I don't know if it will be safe to use as I would need to see a photo of the interior.

[@shaziakhan73_]

@@housecopper Thank you for the reply. The tin coating is still there, its still shiny. After watching you videos, I now understand that it cant be used on high heat. But can I cook in brass pot without tinning.

[@housecopper]

@@shaziakhan73_ Brass is it's own animal. I know many cultures use brass for cooking pots and the brass is unlined. But I have also tin lined brass pots here in the States. I suppose if no one is getting sick from the brass pots, it might be fine, but here in the USA people tend to be safer than sorry and like the food-grade tin lining vs not knowing how pure or how much copper content is in the brass.

[@GETITMEHLED]

How do you let it cool? Do you quench or just let it air cool?

[@housecopper]

I've done both. Quenching you have to be careful you don't go so fast in cold water you blow out the rivets, or get scaling of the tin. Usually I let it air cool.

[@juliwits]

Hi, what kind of flux do you use?! Do you have a brand name?

[@housecopper]

In the description with link.

[@heimatau0131]

I love your videos and have a few copper pans i need to re-tin. 1. Is there any way to put multiple coats of tin on? 2. Do i have to remove all the tin before i retin?

[@heimatau0131]

I just went back and re-watched your preparing copper for re-tinning and that answered my prep question - thank you

[@housecopper]

:) Glad the one video already helped! No, there's not a way to put on multiple layers of tin, but if you make very long, confident strokes as you tin, you don't "wipe off" the tin and can leave a nice thick single coat on!

[@Reality-50s]

Wow,that's amazing 👍

[@housecopper]

Thank you! :) xo

[@Stephen-ie7uq]

I tried my first one. It did not go well. I couldn't get the temperature high enough on the sidewalls of the pot so when I brushed the solder onto them it immediately hardened and ripped at my green insulation. I need to figure out a way to have better heat control. Also, what might be better to use than insulation as I find it disintegrates too easily? Thanks for the vids. Although I consider my first attempt a fail, it's still quite enjoyable and I would love to be able to do this as a side hustle in my local area.

[@housecopper]

I've never had the insulation disintegrate. You may want to try a different brand or kind. Or try 100% pure cotton wading. You can definite make it a side hustle - truly just practice and time makes perfect! You can do it!

[@Stephen-ie7uq]

@@housecopper cotton wading? Thank you so much. I will definitely do that

[@housecopper]

@@Stephen-ie7uq You are welcome! Good luck!

[@djjonnybong]

Any suggestions on what to look up for people looking for a retinner in their area?

[@housecopper]

You mean what to google? I guess try retinner, copper re-tinner, or even tinsmith?

[@sirach38]

I have a tinned copper pot with some areas where the copper is starting to peer through. Do I have to remove tin layer of the entire pot or can I attempt to clean it and apply another layer of tin over the existing tinned pot. Thanks!

[@housecopper]

That's a pretty involved question. In brief, you'll want to scrape down your existing tin slightly so it's clean to retin the whole thing, as you can't "spot tin".

[@Coppersmithmetalworks]

Where can I pickup liquid flux, that is lead free and water soluble?

[@housecopper]

I don't know if it's water soluble. I just use the Harris Stay Clean Liquid Flux. You could google other options, as I can't speak to anything specific.

[@lorrieborder]

That looks pretty easy. Where does a person acquire the flux?

[@housecopper]

In the video description with link.

[@GraemeLeighArmstrong]

Thanks for the video

[@housecopper]

Thank you for watching!! :)

[@dennisrkb]

Cool stuff, when does retinning become necessary?

[@housecopper]

When a 50cent piece of copper shows through (or the equivalent) is the general going "rule of thumb".

[@johnndavis7647]

What is the flux made of? Most blacksmiths use powdered borax to flux steel.

[@saratheplanner]

This is Harris Stay Clean, a liquid flux (details in my description). Borax is also a flux copper and tin smiths have used in the past as well.

[@Frawg4]

I tried tinning a little copper pot i bought but for some reason the tin wount bond with the copper. Do you have any idea why that could be? I poured my flux instead of spraying it, however since it doesnt stick anywhere properly i dont think that this was the issue. Since it didnt work, i poured the tin into a bucket of water. Can i reuse that tin again? Thanks for the help and the videos :)

[@Frawg4]

Also what temperature do you want the pan to be? Does the whole pan have to be above the melting point of tin?

[@housecopper]

It could be the pot is lacquered on the inside, or not clean enough. You may need to use muriatic acid to make it bond (I have another video on doing that). You can indeed reuse the tin that you poured into the bucket.

[@housecopper]

You want the pan at least 500F - you do need the whole pan to be hot enough to spread the tin.

[@mikehunt8170]

What about something tall and narrow like a teapot?

[@housecopper]

Good question - I will do one of those! Or a big kahuna that's taller than wider. I typically um...burn myself a lot more on those. I forget to pull my arm all the way out!

[@عائشة-ب3خ]

Hi,how to remove this from the copper because I like them natural to have the most benefits from the copper. Thank you

[@housecopper]

I have a video on how to strip copper pots if you want to see how I remove old tin, but I would personally have to caution against cooking in unlined copper due to potential copper poisoning.

[@peterjarmo]

Can you recommend an online supplier for the tin? I just want to make sure i get quality food grade tin…. Thanks

[@housecopper]

I have a link in the video for tin supplier - see the video description for the direct link. Johnson Mfg is the ONLY supplier of official food grade tin in America; they make it special there. I don't buy anything from someone online.

[@baileydonahue7314]

Love your videos! Where do you source your tin sheet? Thanks

[@saratheplanner]

From a wholesaler here in Wisconsin.

[@kingodysseas]

Thanks! That was very helpful.

[@housecopper]

Super thrilled to know it is helpful!! :)

[@arncj18]

can it be done without flux?

[@housecopper]

no, you need flux.

[@arncj18]

so lime only on the outside not the inside

[@housecopper]

correct, the lime out the outside only

[@CloseLook29]

I am planning to buy my first set of solid copper utensils. Many of the online cooper wares look dirty inside though their exterior is great. How should I proceed?

[@housecopper]

You'll have to get old pots and pans retuned (or try it yourself) as the dirty/dark is not ideal to start.

[@CloseLook29]

Thank you. I appreciate your response. @@housecopper

[@suzanneramirez5511]

The inside of your pan looks great. How about restoring the copper bottom of a pan? I burned my pan and it is now damaged both inside and out. Wah! Can it be restored??

[@housecopper]

Restoration depends on the pan itself and how it's made, but depending on that, yes, it can be fixed!

[@fstopPhotography]

Would the process be the same if I wanted to tin using .999 silver onto copper?

[@housecopper]

You would need a much much much hotter fire - basically like a charge in a foundry. Mine is at roughly 600F. Silver melts at over 1700F. You would then have to deal with copper being near it's melting point as well, so your copper would be insanely annealed and would have to be re-hardened.

[@fstopPhotography]

@@housecopper Thank you

[@Lotte_Da]

How do I buy the tin. I went to the link but idk how you order it. And what type do u recommend

[@housecopper]

You have to call, old fashioned style, to get it. I order the food safe #460.

[@nonjaabisnis2121]

How much whud a retinn cost ich

[@housecopper]

There's a range - most retinners fall in the $6 - $8 per linear inch.

[@oliviamaynard9372]

That was so cool.

[@housecopper]

Thank you!

[@JF-kb5cy]

Why do you need a mask?

[@housecopper]

Because even with my ventilation system, the fumes from the heat, flux, and any leftover yuck from the previous use of the pan will be molecules in the air I'd rather not have in my lungs. Just extra safety!