Simple Electrolysis Tank

This webisode is intended to show how easy it is to restore cast iron cookware.
Washing soda ratio to water is 1 cup per 10 gallons of water.
We do not recommend using stainless steel as a sacrificial steel, but do mention its use for educational and historical purposes.
Webisode Index:
0:00 Intro
0:23 Opening
1:55 Filling the Tub
2:39 Hanging the Fryer Pan
3:07 Hanging the Lid
3:39 Inserting the Sacrificial Steel
4:10 Wiring
6:02 Manual Battery Charger
7:09 Black Lead to the Black Pot
7:30 Power Up
8:12 Half Hour Mark
8:32 One Hour Mark
9:30 Two Hour Mark
9:45 Progress Inspection
10:41 Rinsing the Cast Iron
11:10 Third Round of Seasoning
14:16 Closing
14:49 Outro
15:09 Cooking Set-Ups Link
Our Resource Links:
Cast Iron Cookware
Lodge Mfg.
www.lodgecastiron.com
Camp Chef
www.campchef.com
Cast Iron Roasted Coffee
WYO Buckin' Beans
wyobuckinbeans.com/
Cutlery
Furnace Creek Forge
furnacecreekforge.com
Hunting Guide Services
Wyoming Wildlife Outfitters
wyomingwildlifeoutfitters.com
Game Meat Processing
Big Horn Meat Cutting
bighornmeatcutting.com
King Arthur Flour
Pizza Dough Flour
shop.kingarthurbaking.com/ite...
Music
Epidemic Sound
www.epidemicsound.com/referra...

[@coltonhubbard113]

Almost spit out my coffee when I heard "shocking results"

[@39Henney]

Great video. Thanks for demystifying the process and showing how easy it is!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Glad you enjoyed it, Lee!!!

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks Dean, liked the method YOU showed us!! You did a great job !! Fred. 👍👍👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Glad you enjoyed it, Fred! I had never used an E Tank on something that rusty, always passed up stuff like that at yard sales... Joanie has a new monster to lasso now!!! lol

[@weswalker1208]

Glad to see you again Dean

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Hey, Thanks!!!

[@GaryHorn]

I've done this several times, including restoring an old Griswold dutch oven. It's fun!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

That is awesome!

[@bluenoser1567]

Great instructional video! Very interesting .... Cheers

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Many thanks!

[@deanhenthorn1890]

I made an E-tank using a 100watt HF solar panel. Connect the rusty part to the black lead, the sacrificial metal to the red lead. Let the power of the sun do the work! No more rust. Finish the restoration process as normal.

[@SuperBrainStorms]

Thank you for the video😊

[@outdoorcastironcook]

You're welcome 😊

[@jeffdaniel1000]

Great video. Thanks Dean

[@outdoorcastironcook]

You are welcome.

[@DesertDigger1]

Nice job!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Thanks! Always glad to save old cast iron from ending up at the dump. OCIC

[@johnwessinger7768]

Awesome indeed!!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Thanks!!!

[@puddin94]

❤nice video. Thank you

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Thanks for watching!

[@RavenBlaze]

I like the color coding!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Thank You!!!

[@juliedearmond9951]

Thanks Dean

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Any time

[@2541968joey]

I have used this process for over one hundred pieces in my collection. The only thing I do differently is a lot of wire wheeling after the electrolysis process for much smoother cooking surfaces. Also, have never tried applying Crisco onto cold CI. I heat up the CI to 425* prior to applying Crisco & agree with the applying of Crisco & wiping it off so as to not have any excess, I always use a towel never paper products. Great video & I hope owners of CI never just toss it into a fire to clean it.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

The very first pot I restored, I was instructed to toss it in a fire... Never again!!! Half the pot was glowing red and it warped a beautiful pot.

[@thestonehousefarm1942]

Using wire wheel will ruin cast iron

[@davidleeder5551]

Awesome

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Hope it was helpful to you...

[@daveharley8387]

I use bacon grease on mine works great and smells good to.

[@donlem008]

Sorry i just cant stay awake while watching your video.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Be sure you've had your nap before you try again. OCIC

[@turdferguson5300]

Nice pan, that looks like a single notch Lodge from the 1920s. Don't ya love the knuckle busters on the bottom of Lodge lids. I thinks that's what fascinates me to, taking a 100 year old pan and making it new again. I let mine soak in the lye tank while they wait their turn for the electrolysis tank but electrolysis is the way to go.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

You got that right! OCIC

[@chuckroast7053]

I have a single notch Lodge skillet with some heavy grease build up. I am trying a lye bath as I saw on a website. Do you think it will remove all the crud, or will electrolysis work better? Its not rusty, just built up crud.

[@turdferguson5300]

@@chuckroast7053 Lye will work but you need to keep it warm. The cooler the lye becomes the slower it will work. My lye tank is on the garage so I use an aquarium heater in the tank. I have the heater in a thin piece of drainage PVC pipe caped on the end, full of fresh water. I doubt the heater would last long exposed to the lye? Lye takes longer than electrolysis so don't expect fast results. I think my mixture is 1 pound of lye to 5 gallons of water. Having said that, electrolysis is the gold standard for cleaning cast iron if you're into collecting. Good luck

[@lonnie4943]

There already is a Fogcrawler in Humboldt!

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Makes sense as Humboldt is a BIG county with many fog lovers

[@CastIronRestore]

A great way to keep your electrolysis tank water and anodes clean is to use a lye bath before your E tank. Lye is sodium hydroxide, you can find it online for cast iron cleaning. Your anodes will last a lot longer and keep your tank much cleaner.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Thanks for the info!

[@leahdunkin2621]

Once you removed the seasoning and wash the pan, do you rub it with oil before you dry it to prevent flash rusting, or is it ok if it is put directly into a warm oven to dry and then seasoned immediately?

[@outdoorcastironcook]

I prefer to dry, oil, and season, Leah

[@howarddeheer8295]

I got lucky and scored 103 gallon stainless steel tank tank glass balls for twenty bucks. The bad part is I have no place I can use it in the winter time to keep it from freezing up

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Well, at least you got a tank to use when the weather turns warmer. Just have to time it for spring! OCIC

[@Photostrated]

Great Video but either I missed it or you didn't say, How many amps do you typically use? And can you leave it in too long? For those pots that have deep pits do you keep it in the tank till all the rust is gone 100%

[@outdoorcastironcook]

12 volts 40 amps used. If there is still a bit of rust in the pitted (scar) you can always use "elbow grease" to get it out. About keeping it in too long......can't really say, as I tend to follow the same formula/technique each session.

[@hfactor6429]

AWESOME Thanks FrogMan I have two CR fry pans i acquired......in NEED of that Wish I saw this four years ago when I got a Much Needed D.O. pot and lid I scrubbed that sucker....heated ....schrubb And it came out good......and I ENDLESSLY use it at home Made 12hr simmer bone broth in it Friday night PEACE.....during these insane times Im looking up car charger now

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Glad I could help!!!

[@typow5629]

Missing a huge part of the process of hanks

[@dew4000]

What settings did you use on the battery charger?

[@outdoorcastironcook]

12 volts at 40 amps

[@dew4000]

@@outdoorcastironcook Thank you

[@chkwgn460]

That was my question also. Another video used 2amp so I wondered if it could be set higher.

[@johnlord8337]

After you get all the cleaning done - then do the John-method of SHELLACING the cast iron. You will never thereafter have to re-season your cookware. Use an open-air BBQ or 15+ hot gray coals in a pan with a grating to get temp up to 200+F. Place the cast iron UPSIDE DOWN FIRST !!! (same for lid upside down) on the rack above the coals 3-4 inches. Warm up the cast iron to maximum heat. VEGETABLE OIL is ooey and gooey with thick shellacing and carbonizing properties. Don't even ask about olive oil, avocado oil, rapeseed-canola oil, corn oil, walnut oil, almond oil, coconut oil, or any other grain, nuts, or veg oils - ONLY use vegetable oil. Then with preferable small hardware paint brush or kitchen basting brush, multiple-folded (!) paper towel, or old kitchen towel. Put into VEGETABLE OIL. Paint the entire surface of the cast iron THOROUGHLY - even running down into the coals. It will steam, bubble, froth, boil, sizzle, pop, and smoke. Paint and allow 10-15 minutes (depending on the heat and process of the coals and outside weather) for final no smoke and drying into the surface. The hot cast iron open pores will be filled by the veg oil, that CARBONIZES with the pores and interior iron crystalline surface. This process at the micron level creates carbon for the iron in making a nano-steel crystal webwork inside the cast iron and on the surface - making the cast iron stronger. This process then fills into the iron pores with carbon and creating a strong iron (nano-steel) fabric. One has more than just plain old cast iron. After you do the outside surface 15-17 times (or to the depth of shellacing above 10 times), then overturn and do the INSIDE surface for the same 15-17 times. This is why you do the outside curved surfaces FIRST !!!!!!!!! Doing the inside surface first could definitely crack under the outward pressure onto the cast iron. Repeat this process for up to 15-17 layers (my layering process). The shellacing will turn into its blue-black carbonized coating, and totally glass smooth - even nano-smooth with NO PORES that glass has (!). In the end, the ENTIRE surface of the cast iron will be shellaced and the surface will be an ultimate smooth and mirror surface. No option for any rusting in the future. The process does take time, 4-5 hours. But, the initial effort is worth the many years thereafter of great cooking and storage of your cookware - without the hassle of cleaning and constantly re-seasoning. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cast-iron_cookware_manufacturers If you buy any of the AMERICAN made historical or modern cast iron (Griswold, Vollrath, Wagner, Favorite, Atlanta Stove Works, Lodge, Wapak, Borough Furnace, Finex, Nest, Stargazer, Marquette, Smithey, Butter Pat, Field, Solidteknics, and Challenger Breadware) all of these can be shellaced. Any pits, and bumps of Lodge or mirror finishing of other company surfaces will fill in and have this smooth surface. It will increase the value of these products even more. If you did (mistakenly) buy some crappola Chinese-produced cast iron, with massive poor quality and tons of porous material, the shellacing method will fill in all these pores, pits, and holes. You will have saved your purchase and not have to toss a worthless cooking implement. While there are other low-cost Chinese-made American sold products like Camp Chef, Coleman etc, these can also be shellaced. Shellacing is not a porcelain or ceramic clay, or enamel silicon glass coating. Japanese shellacing is from the shellac oil tree - like a pine tar. All their wooden kitchenware and dining ware (and the royal woks) are coated with this substance. It creates a rustproof, scratchproof, glass-smooth, non-porous, super-slippery surface. Porcelain and ceramic surfaces crack and fracture. Enamel glass surfaces chip. Shellacing does not crack, fracture, or chip. Eggs and cooked material WILL NOT stick to this surface. I rediscovered this process from ancient Japanese royal woks that were shellaced and did not rust, corrode, kept slippery wok stir frying - and just needed to be wiped out. If you do wash the surface, there is no need to re-season the surface - the shellac does not need re-seasoning. This is a once-and-for-all seasoning. I did this to my cast iron pots/lids and pans back in the early-1990s, and they continue to show no rust, no scratching, no corrosion, no cracking or fracturing, in these 25 years of use and storage. Give it a try - the Japanese royal chefs did this. Get the hint for perfect cookware. Do the same for your wok - you will be amazed at how much easier it is to stir fry with a truly slippery wok pan surface. If you have a low-sided cast iron frying pan, and perform the French cooking and flip method (French stir frying !!!), this shellac surface allows perfect slippery and flip movements of food in the pan. One should consider this for the rest of all your cast iron, cornbread pan, bread loaf pan, meat loaf pan .... There will be less use of parchment paper or oiling/greasing the pan for the cooked product, and it will fall out are easier. There are no issues of cooking with acidic tomato sauce in shellac (like tomato sauce eating away normal seasoning or the etched iron surfaces). Enjoy !!!

[@johnlord8337]

Dean might want to perform this shellacing method and show how easy it is to do - and the final outcome.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Sounds very interesting, John... Especially the filling in of rough casting. I have a rough cast skillet to try...

[@johnlord8337]

@@outdoorcastironcook Get the cast iron up to the 200 F temp for proper heating of both inner and outer surfaces, interior matrix, and pore openings. Have veg oil hot (not cold and not BBQ coals screaming hot) - need oil ~120+F but not deep fat frying bubbling and boiling hot and liquidy - starting to decay or coagulate. No cold applications that cause iron to have heat-shock and micro- (or macro-) crack and fracture. Watch the fingers, hands, arms, and hot oil - long paint brush handle and leather gloves are especially safe for veg oil application. Paint it on - don't be shy. Multiple paintings for a single layer - round and round and round - until thoroughly covered with 1/32 inch of oil. Let oil set, penetrate, carbonize, burn in, and do what it does so well. Continue process until desired smoothness of rough cast sides and cooking surface fills in, covers up, and smooths out bumps, pits, and any pore black holes. Blue/black surface also cooks more hot and more evenly (black shellac surface increases cast iron heat retention - than porcelain, ceramic, or enamel). Cooking can also be done with less heat and less time. Time and fuel savings for the decades long run. Even running cast iron on a stick-fed hibachi will be sufficient heat for great cooking. Any slow and low cooking pot meal is also more fabulous as well with the increased heat, heat retention, and low temp. Can even sous vide in cast iron. Also can do a hibachi (had a hard time finding in last years), 15-20 pound units. Take off wooden handles, and do entire cast iron hibachi. Shellac reflects back heat into the fire coals for greater heat and intensity of fire. Do the same for any BBQ rough cast iron grill, entire hibachi cast iron grill, ... or modern shiny stainless/steel grills. Minimal to no sticking, easier to wire brush clean, and more hot grill marks-and-cooking above fire. Less time and fuel. Also ages these most-excellently as they are kept outside in weather and humidity without rusting, corroding, being misused/abused. and gummed/charcoaled up.

[@johnlord8337]

Once you get this shellacing method done, then can safely use the shellac cast iron for making (1) lye water, oil-based or animal fats, and soap, (2) making cheese and flocculation, (3) whipping up butter cream, butter, and buttermilk, (4) growing probiotic yogurt, (5) medical steaming and sterilization of medical tools and gauze etc, (6) use with a basin of water and a steamer basket or egg rack for steamed foods - most-excellent, (7) any steam sterilization of products for safe and sanitary needs. The double-tier Kuhn-Rikon steamer basket ($30) works fabulously ... from my now abandoned Bed, Bath, and Beyond here (damned covi and stoopid Governor lockdown !). Now can use shellaced cast iron for steaming out essential oils, working brain-tanned leathers and tannins (from fatty animal brains and bleached out oak acorn hulls/leaves), making dyes and mordants from vegetation and barks, .... Easily make large amounts of jams and jellies from natural berries and fruits in cast iron. Can steam out cranberries for cranberry juice, and remnant cranberry butter. Process maple (and birch) sap sugar and steam out waters giving up syrup, and eventual hard candy sugar crystals. Steam and boil down kelp and sphagnum moss for its medicinal and dietary iodine. Easily simmer and steam out seawater in shellaced cast iron. Make true, fresh, and pure sea salt crystals and flakes ... vs white man chlorine bleached white salt. No corrosion of shellaced cast iron surface from the saline solution. Properly steamed water and butter in bottom of shellaced cast iron for table smorgasbord of clams, crab, fish, crayfish, corn, potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, yams, (beets, rutabagas, turnips, radish, daikon). Properly steam out and mash out 15-20# mangel sugar beets (cow beets) for beet juice, and beet sugar. So many uses of the ancients with their cast iron - still feasible in today's economic disruptions.

[@Bigtexbbq]

Whats the difference here vs normal seasoning methods?

[@hutchjx]

How many amps are you using in this video?

[@outdoorcastironcook]

It was set at 12 volts / 40 amps. OCIC

[@user-kq1hy3fr1z]

Do you heat it after each coating?

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Not when I do the tank. When I season it afterwards in the stove/range I can do multiple heat/coats depending on how many it may need. OCIC

[@thestonehousefarm1942]

What model is battery charger

[@outdoorcastironcook]

A "Speedway" Heavy duty 6/12 volt charger with engine start Model 7216

[@frankroper3274]

Regular baking soda will work.

[@douggolde7582]

Stainless steel anode gives off hexavalent chromium which is toxic.

[@outdoorcastironcook]

Use it a well ventilated area, outside, and avoid breathing fumes and standing nearby when it is going.