Alright, let me tell you about this thing I got into, some folks might call it the ‘tunsil trade’ – basically taking something old and maybe overlooked and putting in the work. For me, it started with this crusty old cast iron skillet I found.
It was sitting in a box of forgotten stuff, looked like it belonged in the trash. Covered in rust, some weird gunk stuck on it. Most people would’ve chucked it. But I thought, maybe I can bring this back. So, I decided to give it a shot.
Getting Started – The Messy Part
First thing, I had to figure out how to get all that crap off. I almost grabbed the dish soap, but then remembered reading somewhere that’s a big no-no for cast iron. Okay, plan B. I went with the yellow-cap oven cleaner method. Took the pan outside – good thing too, that stuff stinks – sprayed it all over, making sure to get every nook and cranny. Then, sealed it up tight in a heavy-duty trash bag.
Left it sitting there for a couple of days. Felt weird just leaving it, but folks said patience was key. When I finally opened that bag, whew. It was messy, but the gunk looked looser. Now came the real work.
Scrubbing and More Scrubbing
I put on some gloves and got out the steel wool and a scraper. Man, it took some serious elbow grease. Felt like I scrubbed for hours. Slowly, patch by patch, the original metal started showing through the black crud and rust. It wasn’t easy, my arms were aching.
- Scraped off the thickest bits first.
- Then attacked it with steel wool and hot water.
- Had to rinse constantly to see my progress.
Once I thought I got it all off, down to the bare metal, I rinsed it really well. And here’s a crucial bit: you gotta dry it immediately. I mean, towel dry, then stick it in a warm oven for a bit. That bare iron will flash rust in minutes if you just leave it wet. Learned that the hard way on a small spot, saw the orange creep back almost instantly. Quick fix, thankfully.
The Seasoning Ritual
Okay, pan clean, pan dry. Now for the seasoning. This part felt almost like some old-timey ritual. You gotta get oil baked into the pores of the metal. Creates that non-stick surface everyone loves. I just used basic vegetable shortening, Crisco stuff. Some people swear by fancy oils, but I kept it simple.
Rubbed a very, very thin layer all over. Inside, outside, handle, everything. Then, and this felt counter-intuitive, I took a clean rag and wiped most of it off, like I was trying to remove it. You just want a micro-layer left.
Then I popped it into a super hot oven, maybe 450F, upside down. Put some foil on the rack below to catch any drips. Left it in there for about an hour. Yeah, the house smelled a bit like burning oil, had to open some windows. After an hour, I just turned the oven off and let the pan cool down inside.
I repeated that whole process – thin oil layer, wipe off, bake for an hour, cool down – about three or four times. Each time, the pan got a bit darker, a bit smoother.
The Payoff
Finally, after all that work, it looked like a proper skillet again. Not brand new, it had character, you know? But it was smooth, dark black, and felt good in the hand. The real test? Cooking an egg. Heated it up gently, little bit of butter, cracked an egg in. It slid around like a dream. No sticking!
So yeah, that was my little adventure into the ‘tunsil trade’. Took some time, got my hands dirty, learned a few things. But turning that piece of junk into something useful again? Pretty satisfying. It’s not about making money, it’s about the process, the effort, and having something solid to show for it at the end.
