Author Topic: Aluminum Hearts and Star (Read 9143 times)

Chuck Rogers · « **on:** August 19, 2009, 09:48:11 PM »

Has anyone come up with another way of cleaning aluminum. This WI is super crusted. The base isn't an issue, it's C I . I don't do much aluminum cleaning, and I'm looking for ideas. I checked this section for aluminium cleaning, and was hoping there were some more Ideas out there. Thanks in advance.

Tom Neitzel · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2009, 11:22:19 PM »

Take the handles off and put it through a self-cleaning oven cycle. That should take everything off. If there is a bit of dark coloration or spots after cleaning, treat it in a warm cream of tartar solution - that should brighten and even out the color. Don't leave it in the tartar solution more the 30 minutes (to be honest it will clean up faster than that in most cases). It's actually a very weak acid.

Don't touch it with anything like a scotch brite or stainless pad. They're too hard and will leave scratches. I think most of the surface is supposed to have kind of a frosted look.

I think you ought to be able to season it like your cast iron if you want, I've just left mine bare.

Tom

(By the way, if the handles don't want to come off, heat the paddle a bit and try again. The aluminum expands faster than the steel rod.)

(If you don't want to use the cream of tartar (which you find in the cooking section of a store, try to buy it in bulk, the little bottles are expensive), you could put in in simmering water with rhubarb. The rhubarb has oxalic acid (I think) in it and will work to lighten the dark patches.)

Jeff Seago · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2009, 11:28:18 PM »

I don't know what the cleaning section says because I have not read that in a while. I just toss them in a self-cleaning oven and polish them up with either a very very fine SS wire brush or 0000 steel wool. I think that the brush (I use a detailing brush for cars) would work for the points on the cooking surface.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2009, 08:30:59 PM »

Tom,
I have a very large Club hammered aluminum oval roaster that has dark patches in it also. Can I heat the cream of tartar solution in it, soak the paddles in it, and kill 2 birds with one stone? As far as seaoning, I'll pass on it for this one. I like the aluminum nice and shiney. The base is C I, and I'll just do that like my other C I. I'm a little disappointed, the seller didn't mention that it was aluminum. They only listed it as C I . The paddles are so gunked up, that you can't see the aluminum. No problem though. I'll still keep it. I got it for a good price anyway.

Jeff,
Thanks for the tips on the detailing. This is one that I'm gonna have to sit with, and just take my time. Keeping my fingers crossed that the surface under the gunk isn't trashed. Only time will tell.

Jeff Seago · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:48:00 PM »

Tom is right about the scratches and you do not want them. When I use any steel wool or detailing brush I make sure to use 0000 steel wool and a very very fine detailing brush. Nothing to harsh or you are going to have a very hard time getting those scratches out. Someone said it one here, I would give them credit but I can't remember who it was, but polishing is just making smaller and smaller scratches!!

The cream of tartar trick sounds like a great one Tom. Could one use diluted vinegar to make it cheaper!!

Tom Neitzel · « **Reply #5 on:** August 21, 2009, 07:39:52 AM »

Quote

The cream of tartar trick sounds like a great one Tom. Could one use diluted vinegar to make it cheaper!!

I think I found the cream of tartar mention years ago on Dave Smith's website. I don't know if the vinegar would work. I'm not inclined to try it though since each acid type seems to work a little different. Overall, you don't use a lot of cream of tartar (the dilution directions are here in the cleaning section somewhere. Something like 2 tablespoons per gallon I think).

Chuck, you could use the roaster to heat it all. Just make sure you don't leave it too long. If you do it will make the surface look a bit frosted. It's actually minute pits. They will come off with 0000 steel wool.

The cream of tartar really makes Guardian Service sparkle. A quick polish of all surfaces with 0000 steel wool at the end makes it gleam.

Tom

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2009, 03:12:58 PM »

Hey Tom,
I have 3 settings on the self clean. 2 , 3 , or 4 , hours. The gunk on this thing is pretty thick so I set it for 4 hours. I can cancel it if that's too long. I will check on it every so often to see the progress. I just need to shine a light in the window. Can't turn on the oven light. it wil probably burn out at the higher temps of the self clean cycle. At least that's what the direction say for the oven. If it goes the full 4 hours, I will have to wait for the oven to cool before I can open the door. I'm expecting to see nothing but white ask left behind. We shall see. I'll update when I get the results.

Tom Neitzel · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2009, 04:15:53 PM »

Mine defaults to 3 hours so that's where I leave it. Most of the time it needs cleaning at the same time I want to clean a piece. 4 hours won't hurt anything. You'll get some smoke to start if it is really caked but that will pass pretty fast. I use two racks in the oven when cleaning, putting the crudiest ones on the top. I also try not to have pieces right above each other.

Tom

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #8 on:** August 21, 2009, 04:44:16 PM »

2 hours, and 20 minutes to go. A peek in the window with a flash light shows that things seem well. The crud seems to be losing the fight. I can only hope that what is under it looks good. The base is in the electro, along with the handles, and of course a few other pieces. I should have them out an completed by tomorrow afternoon. The paddles will take some more time. Here's a few pics from the auction website where I got this one.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2009, 04:48:05 PM »

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2009, 08:32:58 PM »

Here they are, hot out of the oven. If you look in the bottomof the oven, you can see the dust that fell off of them when I turned them over. Guess I'll be cleaning that up. They're cooling on a couple of trivets right now.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2009, 08:33:38 PM »

Tom Neitzel · « **Reply #12 on:** August 21, 2009, 09:46:10 PM »

They look nice. A nylon scrub brush will help clean them up. It looks like there may still be a few bits of crud on the inside. Your posting the pictures really makes me think about what I do and why. When I clean in the oven I put the smoothest side of the piece down. In example a skillet would be put in like you were going to cook in it. I would have put the inside of the waffle irons up. As goofy as it sounds, I find that when there is something that can trap the gasses it doesn't seem to clean as well in that area. Again it's something I've never really thought about - just did it - until I saw the pictures. If that is indeed still crud you might want to run them through a cycle again with that side up. I doubt it will flake off easy, but you might get it with a nylon brush. The cream of tartar solution will likely clean up the handles and that discoloration on the lower left heart in picture 10.

Tom

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #13 on:** August 21, 2009, 10:19:40 PM »

Everything cleaned off with the nylon brush. I have some dark patches here and ther. The cream of tartar should do the trick on those. I assume that I should soak them in it before polishing. I don't think I'll do mutch with the inside surface. It a little too inticate to get a good finish overall. Unless you have some suggestion for the inside. I played around a little with some 0000 steel wool on the outside, just to see, and it brightened right up. I'm out of time tonight to get into cleaning it anymore, but I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Robert Hilman · « **Reply #14 on:** August 24, 2009, 06:56:59 AM »

Chuck not to get off topic BUT. Check the base you will see it's a 915. Please keep an eye out for TWO of them, I don't care what you pay for them.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #15 on:** September 06, 2009, 11:15:38 PM »

Finally got around to getting the paddles cleaned. It wasn't very hard to do, thanks to the help I got here. Here's a reminer pic of what it looked like when I got it.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #16 on:** September 06, 2009, 11:18:06 PM »

And the after.
Robert, sorry that I didn't respond sooner. The thread got buried, and I got busy. 2 high bases, #915, got it. I'll keep an eye open for them.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #17 on:** September 06, 2009, 11:19:20 PM »

A shot of the before inside and after.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #18 on:** September 06, 2009, 11:20:59 PM »

The handles are still being worked on. I'm working on getting the lead off of them. I'll be using desoldering braid to see if it works.

Prairie_Gal · « **Reply #19 on:** September 07, 2009, 12:49:12 PM »

I thought you weren't supposed to leave your racks in an oven on self clean?

I ask because my new oven has this feature, but I'm afraid to use it, yet...never having come in contact with a self-cleaner, before.

I really should Woman Up and learn how to do this; it's so neat and efficient.

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Author Topic: Aluminum Hearts and Star (Read 9143 times)

Prairie_Gal