Australia’s Very Own Camp Oven & Outdoor Cooking And Camping Forum
https://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
Camp Oven & Outdoor Cooking >> DIY >> Rejuvenating my new purchase
https://www.aussiecampovenforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1666778377

Message started by PhilB on Oct 26th, 2022 at 7:59pm

Title: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Oct 26th, 2022 at 7:59pm
Hi all,

As mentioned in my introduction (Newbie from Phillip Island), I have bought a very rusty Camp Oven and two large, heavy Cast Iron Frying pans which I plan to get to a useable state.

After a fair bit of lurking on the forum, below you will see the CO and now sitting in a Molasses tub. I’ll continue to post photos as we progress, unless it all turns to crap and I start from scratch, either way you’ll know and see…

I’ll check back in, in about a week or so from now.









Phil

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Kevvie on Oct 26th, 2022 at 9:28pm
Hi Phil
Good luck with your camp oven.
Thanks for the photos
regards Kev

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Chally on Oct 26th, 2022 at 9:28pm
The molasses will do a good job. That oven of yours is actually a dutch oven as the lid is rounded with no dip in it to hold coals and stop them from falling onto your food when you lift the lid. You could make up a metal ring to sit on the lid to hold the coals in place if you are wanting to roast or bake with the oven. I look forward to seeing it all cleaned up.

Jeff

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on Oct 27th, 2022 at 5:30pm
Wow, you molasses mix is working well. 

I have one of those cast iron pots up in the shed.  Bought it new near 50 years ago.

Looking forward to the end result.

Thinking of running my old Ozpig through a molasses bath to give it a clean up.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Nov 2nd, 2022 at 8:41am
Hi all,

See below the results after 4 days in the molasses bath...

Scooping the mould off with a donated stocking. Interesting the two circles on the surface where the oven and lid are located in the molasses...


After a clean once out



After 2 seasonings




Pretty happy with the results! I got 2 very rusty Cast Iron frying pans in the same molasses bath now. I'll update the results once finished in a few days.


Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Chally on Nov 2nd, 2022 at 11:15am
Good job on restoring the oven; it looks great and ready to cook in now.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Those pans should come up well also.

Jeff

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by jclures on Nov 2nd, 2022 at 8:13pm
Welcome Phil,
I have two ovens that look like the one you have. The two I have were bought from a hardware store who had stores across north Queensland, Armstrong, Ledlie and Stillman, known as A L & S. This group of stores started In Herberton in the late 1890s from memory but they have long gone the way of the Dodo.
I cut the legs of one 40 years ago, but the other still has it legs, and I use the steel ring around the lid to keep the coals in place.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Cactus on Nov 3rd, 2022 at 4:23am
Top job Phil,
I had a camp oven the same, my grandfather gave me when I went into the shearing sheds in the early 1960's
sold it a few years ago.
I used a circle of chain on the top to stop the coals sliding off.
Muzz

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Kevvie on Nov 3rd, 2022 at 5:35am
Hi Phil
That was a good job you did with the CO.
I had a camp oven with a lid like  the one you have
I used metal strapping used in the building trade and make circles by riveting  them together. They hold heat  beads on the top and also under neath. I made them for al my ovens.
regards Kev  (Kevvie) ;)

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on Nov 3rd, 2022 at 7:33am
Sure did come up nicely.  Well done.  Now you need to cook something in it.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by TBF on Nov 3rd, 2022 at 7:47am
Top job on the restoration.
Welcome to the forum.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Nov 6th, 2022 at 6:54pm
Hi all,

Thank you for the words of encouragement, and absolutely one of the tasks to do is cook in the oven; and yep, need a metal ring to roast.

So the fry pans are out and finished, came our pretty good too all things considered.

The molasses mix is starting to look a bit knarly…


Out of the bath, cleaned and dried.


And two seasonings later…




Ready to do some cooking this coming weekend in the fire pit probably when I’m back home.  I’ll post some photos somewhere…. Hopefully choose the correct folder/thread.

Phil.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by TBF on Nov 6th, 2022 at 7:17pm
They came up good.

Aart

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Chally on Nov 6th, 2022 at 8:58pm
They came up well and will be great to cook in.

Jeff

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Bear on Nov 7th, 2022 at 1:50am
Great clean up happy cooking cheers Robert

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Apr 27th, 2023 at 8:57pm
Hi all,

Been a while since I posted, but I’ve been busy cooking over the last few months with the camp (Dutch) oven and pans… many times actually.  Just did a great slow cooked pork shoulder in the oven which I was real happy with.

I decided to refurbish the pans as I originally seasoned them with virgin olive oil and wasn’t too happy that there weren’t as non-stick as I would like; so the pans got another 4 days in a molasses tub, scrubbed with coarse steel wool when they came out and seasoned 3 times with avocado oil as it has the highest smoke point. Season temp was 250C.

Tried one of the pans today and it’s still sticks with a basic omelette.  Not sure if there’s something I’m doing wrong, or it’s just the way it is or there just crap pans….  Comments encouraged.  :) (You can click on the photos to enlarge)








Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on Apr 27th, 2023 at 9:33pm
They look good.  The more you use them the better they get.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by TBF on Apr 28th, 2023 at 6:26am
Try multiple seasonings.
Allow cooling off between each seasoning.
4 or 5 times.
Good luck.
Aart

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Apr 28th, 2023 at 8:47am

TBF wrote on Apr 28th, 2023 at 6:26am:
Try multiple seasonings.
Allow cooling off between each seasoning.
4 or 5 times.
Good luck.
Aart


Thanks Aart.  I did warm them a little prior to putting the oil on, and they went into the oven when it was at 250C and I turned it off after one hour and just let them cool in the oven, which took about 3+ hours...  I did this 3 times over 3 days.

I'll keep going with them and add an extra seasoning or two as we move along. I thought I may have been using too much oil, but I don't think I did as I believe they can get "sticky" if too much oil is used which they certainly are not.

Phil

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by TBF on Apr 28th, 2023 at 10:03pm
Correct Phil
Must be a thin film of oil.

Aart

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on Apr 29th, 2023 at 10:23am
One way of seasoning skillets that I have actsally seen work really well is to put the skillet on a burner and get it smoking hot, then wipe over with a cotton cloth impregnated with oil (don’t use paper towel as bits will burn on).

Leave it on the burner until the oil has gone dry on the surface then repeat and keep on repeating until you have a very smooth patina.

Saw someone do this once well over twenty times.  When finished the surface was just like teflon.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on Apr 30th, 2023 at 3:06pm

Derek wrote on Apr 29th, 2023 at 10:23am:
One way of seasoning skillets that I have actsally seen work really well is to put the skillet on a burner and get it smoking hot, then wipe over with a cotton cloth impregnated with oil (don’t use paper towel as bits will burn on).

Leave it on the burner until the oil has gone dry on the surface then repeat and keep on repeating until you have a very smooth patina.

Saw someone do this once well over twenty times.  When finished the surface was just like teflon.


Thanks Derek, I’ll give that a go one one of them feedback the result.

Phil

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on May 7th, 2023 at 3:36pm
Hi All,

I tried the method as described by Derek on one of the pans, and the results are below in the final photo. The pan got real hot real quick and the 200C will be incorrect as it’s only point contact on the probe. I used Avocado oil too.

Sitting on the BBQ burner


The cotton cloth aftermath…


The ring left in the pan afterwards. As the pan was cooling, I kept wiping with more Avo oil. I probably did it a good 15+ times in total.


It still feels nice and smooth, but not sure if it’s actually any good anymore. I’ll try an egg one day and see how it goes. Might need to sandblast it and go again.

Phil.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on May 7th, 2023 at 3:57pm
I would say too hot.  Looks like you have burnt the seasoning off of it.

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by Derek on May 14th, 2023 at 1:26pm
This is my little cheapie skillet seasoned using the method I mentioned above several years ago. It has a nice light patina across it.

It is one I use often these days and this photo was taken after it was washed in hot soapy water last night.

It hangs up in the outdoors kitchen so will now just wipe it over with a little olive oil.
IMG_2023-5-14-132419.jpeg (262 KB | )

Title: Re: Rejuvenating my new purchase
Post by PhilB on May 21st, 2023 at 7:53pm
Thanks Derek, I seasoned it another 3 times and it looks ok, but still stuff sticks to it like sh!t to a blanket… ( No oil in it in the photo below, just how it is )

Not to worry.


Australia’s Very Own Camp Oven & Outdoor Cooking And Camping Forum Powered by YaBB 2.5 AE!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2025. All Rights Reserved.