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Author Topic: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?  (Read 3657 times)

Offline Brenda Jerles

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How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« on: November 12, 2013, 03:31:18 PM »
How do you know if motor oil was used in your CI? If so can you clean it out completely?
Thanks!
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Offline Cheryl Watson

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2013, 03:37:00 PM »
Sometimes you don't know.  Sometimes you can smell it.

I never use ANY cast iron unless I have stripped, restored and seasoned it!
You just NEVER know where it has been in it's long life journey.

And yes, it can be completely removed.  Lye will remove petroleum based oils and most paints, in addition to vegetable oils. :)
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Offline Lee Tigert

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2013, 05:46:33 PM »
Why would any one put motor oil on a pan?
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Offline Frank Burkhead

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2013, 05:56:27 PM »
Lee, to make it look nice to sell. Motor oil doesn't go rancid if you leave the pan on the shelf for a while, and food grade mineral oil is expensive. If you're just going to hang it as a decoration and never cook with it, then there's no harm.

I said the same thing about WD-40 after I bought a pan coated in the evil goo. >:(

It just goes to show, if you don't know where the pan has been and what it was used for, strip it and re-season it yourself. I find the peace of mind makes me much less prone to tummy aches, too. ;)
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Offline Cheryl Watson

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2013, 05:59:46 PM »
Food Grade Mineral Oil costs less than a quart of Motor OIL. (ounce for ounce).
Food grade mineral oil does not turn rancid.

Motor Oil -It's not okay in my book!
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Offline Frank Burkhead

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2013, 06:18:29 PM »
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Food Grade Mineral Oil costs less than a quart of Motor OIL. (ounce for ounce).

Sorry, I should have said that most people can scare up a quart of motor oil from their garage, but not everyone has food grade mineral oil laying around. I know I don't.

Mostly I think it comes down to laziness and the desire to make a quick buck, and very little regard for the buyer's health. The more innocent reason is that it was only used for decoration, so it didn't matter what rust preventative was put on it. Caveat emptor!

I have never been in such a rush to cook a meal on a new pan that I can't take the time to clean and season it properly. I mean, geez, I have over sixty of the darned things now...  ::)
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Offline Brenda Jerles

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2013, 06:47:24 PM »
Well, I wasn't going to take any chances so I am stripping it as we speak! Just in case!
 Thanks for letting me know it will be ok afterwards just in case it is motor oil.
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Offline Cheryl Watson

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2013, 06:59:30 PM »
Brenda, just make sure your oven cleaner says "Sodium Hydroxide" on the label.
Not all oven cleaners contain it (lye). :)
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Offline Tom Neitzel

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2013, 08:51:53 AM »
You can find food grade mineral oil at pretty much any pharmacy (in the laxative section).  A little bottle lasts a LONG time.
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Offline Greg Stahl

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Re: How to tell if Motor Oil was used on your CI?
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2013, 02:57:46 PM »
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Why would any one put motor oil on a pan?
I used to have a John Savery & Sons safety kettle and when I got it, it had motor oil in it, as they had used to as a catch basin for changing oil in their vehicle.

One good reason to use electrolysis to clean out all the pores in cast iron.
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