What’s your oldest skillet?

[Chuck Rogers]

As for the history of the cook stove, I believe that Hereford Furnace claims to have made the first cook stove in America. If someone were to check the Berks County PA historical registry, it may be listed as such. Here's a link to a stove plate dated 1757

http://www.prices4antiques.com/kitchen-household/stoves-related/Stove-Plate-Hereford-Furnace-Iron-Tulip-Decoration-24-inch-C222037.htm

And another  http://www.oldindustry.org/PA_HTML/Pa_Hereford.html#Description

These cookstoves are mid to late 1700's. Other nearby foundries were know to make holloware for this purpose. The original site of the furnace is within walking distance of my home.

[Chuck Rogers]

Would todays foundries (Lodge) benefit from the use of a better sand mixture being used in the molding process? As mentioned earlier, the mixture used in earlier foundries, was a finer sand / clay mixture. Do I have that right? This would then make a smoother casting, and they could still go without grinding or polishing.

[Roger Barfield]

Would todays foundries (Lodge) benefit from the use of a better sand mixture being used in the molding process? As mentioned earlier, the mixture used in earlier foundries, was a finer sand / clay mixture. Do I have that right? This would then make a smoother casting, and they could still go without grinding or polishing.

Chuck, I talked to Dr Peters at the Des Moines convention and he told me that sand was really the key.  The iron doesn't vary all that much, but the sand makes all the difference in terms of how the finish product turns out.  Foundries often used local sand/ clay and produced their casting sand.   Once the supply is depleted, it's gone.  This really is more geared toward hand casting pieces.  The automated process just can't come close to the hand castings, but if they hand cast pieces at Lodge, the cost would put them out of business.

[Chuck Rogers]

Would the automated equipment I saw in the Lodge tour video be able to use a finer mixture? If it's no local, I'm sure there must be some elsewhere. I realize that hand casting is not feasible in todays market, but an attempt to at least smooth the finish during the casting process would be a positive thing, and in turn, help business. Just some thoughts, but I often wondered why this isn't possible. Those huge automated machines at Lodge would have no problem compressing a quality sand mixture. Much better than by hand I would think. Again, just some thoughts.

[Roger Barfield]

Would the automated equipment I saw in the Lodge tour video be able to use a finer mixture? If it's no local, I'm sure there must be some elsewhere. I realize that hand casting is not feasible in todays market, but an attempt to at least smooth the finish during the casting process would be a positive thing, and in turn, help business. Just some thoughts, but I often wondered why this isn't possible. Those huge automated machines at Lodge would have no problem compressing a quality sand mixture. Much better than by hand I would think. Again, just some thoughts.

Chuck, why don't you email Lodge and ask them.  I don't work there, so I can't speak for them.  Based upon what I've been told, the cost is the main thing that prohibits smooth castings with the automated machines.

[Chuck Rogers]

I'm not sure that would do any good. I read a thread on here about this very issue. Lodge claimed that with time, the new pieces would be just as good as the older pieces. With the surface the way it is now, that would be a real long time to get them as smooth. It would just be nice to be able to pick up a new piece that was smooth, at least on the cooking surface.

[Chuck Rogers]

Just one more link about the earliest cookstove. If you scroll to page 26, That's where the story of the Hereford Furnace starts. Not bad reading.

http://books.google.com/books?id=2SIUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Hereford+furnace&source=bl&ots=71dupnEEWu&sig=JSftEJKvHBIoJxLBMZI-grcY78M&hl=en&ei=gPTXSrXJHcHElAe6wJCiAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Hereford%20furnace&f=false