Sigh. Always test cast iron of unknown history. Any wall mounting tips lol?
this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2025
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Cast Iron
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In my experience, people get really creative when it comes to kitchen/garage chemistry, so all I'm saying is I wouldn't rule out anything that is physically possible.
Especially if we're talking about one's personal health.
Edit: since it's relevant, I literally just taught a lab section that has a research project component, and one group did their project on metallurgy. They were able to use butane Bunsen burner attachments and cinder blocks to make a furnace that was able to melt iron and make some mediocre steel alloys using only stuff you can buy at Home Depot.
Cinderblocks? At those temps? That's very dangerous. Cinderblocks can explode at those temperatures due to trapped moisture in the pores. Also, it can crumble apart and spill whatever is in the pot, granted if you guys are using cinderblocks for this... i doubt that the area is prepared accordingly. So when the hot liquid metal hits the ground, it will cause it to also explode from moisture, launching blobs of hot metal everywhere.
They fired the cinder blocks to temperature without any metal just to test them and did go through several before they got a number that could be repeatedly heated to temp without crumbling or exploding. They used proper PPE the whole time with professional supervision. edit: also, they were using the cinderblocks as the enclosure, not to support the crucible. they used ceramic alumina rods and stands like those used in pottery kilns for the stands and supports.
Again, you're missing the point. The point is people get really fucking creative and don't necessarily let the danger stop them from doing something. So I wouldn't bet my health that OOP's pan isn't contaminated beyond the seasoning.
Nah wasn't missing the point, I just don't want any fucking creative people/ hobbyist reading that they can go to home depot and make a smelter in their back yard by just by staking some cinder blocks and a rosebud torch on butane. To many folks, take what they read as flat out gospel these days and don't do the due diligance to look further.
The pan it's self though it's garbage. The value of it vs the risk to personal health. Nah. Realy at end of the day what do you get after all that work to clean it a piece of cast iron that fries food the same as another cast iron? And a cool story about how you had to clean the lead of that pan before it was "safe to eat" lol