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AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL AND BEST CAMP OVEN AND OUTDOOR COOKING CAMPING AND LIFESTYLE FORUM › Camp Oven & Outdoor Cooking › DIY › Rejuvenating my new purchase

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Rejuvenating my new purchase (Read 4930 times)

Oct 26^th, 2022 at 7:59pm

PhilB Offline
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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

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Reply #1 - Oct 26^th, 2022 at 9:28pm

Kevvie Offline
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Hi Phil
Good luck with your camp oven.
Thanks for the photos
regards Kev

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Reply #2 - Oct 26^th, 2022 at 9:28pm

Chally Offline
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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

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Reply #3 - Oct 27^th, 2022 at 5:30pm

Derek Offline
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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.

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Reply #4 - Nov 2^nd, 2022 at 8:41am

PhilB Offline
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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.

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Reply #5 - Nov 2^nd, 2022 at 11:15am

Chally Offline
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Good job on restoring the oven; it looks great and ready to cook in now. Smiley

Those pans should come up well also.

Jeff

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Reply #6 - Nov 2^nd, 2022 at 8:13pm

jclures Offline
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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.

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Reply #7 - Nov 3^rd, 2022 at 4:23am

Cactus Offline
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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

Have Camp Oven will travel

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Reply #8 - Nov 3^rd, 2022 at 5:35am

Kevvie Offline
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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) Wink

Wink

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Reply #9 - Nov 3^rd, 2022 at 7:33am

Derek Offline
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Sure did come up nicely. Well done. Now you need to cook something in it.

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Reply #10 - Nov 3^rd, 2022 at 7:47am

TBF Offline
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Top job on the restoration.
Welcome to the forum.

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Reply #11 - Nov 6^th, 2022 at 6:54pm

PhilB Offline
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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.

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Reply #12 - Nov 6^th, 2022 at 7:17pm

TBF Offline
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They came up good.

Aart

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Reply #13 - Nov 6^th, 2022 at 8:58pm

Chally Offline
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They came up well and will be great to cook in.

Jeff

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Reply #14 - Nov 7^th, 2022 at 1:50am

Bear Offline
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Great clean up happy cooking cheers Robert

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Reply #15 - Apr 27^th, 2023 at 8:57pm

PhilB Offline
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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)

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Reply #16 - Apr 27^th, 2023 at 9:33pm

Derek Offline
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They look good. The more you use them the better they get.

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Reply #17 - Apr 28^th, 2023 at 6:26am

TBF Offline
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Try multiple seasonings.
Allow cooling off between each seasoning.
4 or 5 times.
Good luck.
Aart

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Reply #18 - Apr 28^th, 2023 at 8:47am

PhilB Offline
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TBF wrote on Apr 28^th, 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

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Reply #19 - Apr 28^th, 2023 at 10:03pm

TBF Offline
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Correct Phil
Must be a thin film of oil.

Aart

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Reply #20 - Apr 29^th, 2023 at 10:23am

Derek Offline
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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.

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Reply #21 - Apr 30^th, 2023 at 3:06pm

PhilB Offline
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Derek wrote on Apr 29^th, 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

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Reply #22 - May 7^th, 2023 at 3:36pm

PhilB Offline
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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.

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Reply #23 - May 7^th, 2023 at 3:57pm

Derek Offline
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I would say too hot. Looks like you have burnt the seasoning off of it.

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Reply #24 - May 14^th, 2023 at 1:26pm

Derek Offline
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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 | )

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Reply #25 - May 21^st, 2023 at 7:53pm

PhilB Offline
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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.

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