Cookin' With Coal

I think I will start with a wire brush as my biggest complaint is it seems to flake and scratch easily.

Ok went straight to the source and called easy off a very common oven cleaner and said ok for the outside but not safe on the inside where there will be food and no way to make it safe once used. End of that path.

If I get 90% off with a wire brush would a propane torch take care of the rest as I have no idea where to buy food grade lye around here. If I can find it next question is how to dispose of it when done. Is down the drain ok? We do have a public sewer system and treatment plant if that matters.

ddahlgren wrote:I think I will start with a wire brush as my biggest complaint is it seems to flake and scratch easily.

Ok went straight to the source and called easy off a very common oven cleaner and said ok for the outside but not safe on the inside where there will be food and no way to make it safe once used. End of that path.

If I get 90% off with a wire brush would a propane torch take care of the rest as I have no idea where to buy food grade lye around here. If I can find it next question is how to dispose of it when done. Is down the drain ok? We do have a public sewer system and treatment plant if that matters.

Do not pour hot oils down your drain. Throw it on the ground outside . If you go to Amazon.com you can find the food grade lye you need .

Smokeyja wrote:

ddahlgren wrote:I think I will start with a wire brush as my biggest complaint is it seems to flake and scratch easily.

Ok went straight to the source and called easy off a very common oven cleaner and said ok for the outside but not safe on the inside where there will be food and no way to make it safe once used. End of that path.

If I get 90% off with a wire brush would a propane torch take care of the rest as I have no idea where to buy food grade lye around here. If I can find it next question is how to dispose of it when done. Is down the drain ok? We do have a public sewer system and treatment plant if that matters.

Do not pour hot oils down your drain. Throw it on the ground outside . If you go to Amazon.com you can find the food grade lye you need .

Yes I know about the oils and yes a problem on many levels starting with plugging your drain pipes. I would think it Draino and other drain cleaners ok that the lye probably is as well. All I have is lawn here and killing the grass not on my todo list. I asked about disposing the lye mix when done. Next question how strong do you mix it?

Photog200 wrote:
What is Finnan haddie?

As Josh said, it's smoked Haddock, but baked with onions in a milk sauce. Served hot, or cold.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnan_haddie

We've tried making it in the coal stove, but I haven't been able to get the haddock smoked just right, which like bacon, is a major part of the flavor. Next time I'm at a Celtic festival, I need to pick up some peat blocks to help get the correct smoked flavor. So, since I couldn't get it to work, it never appeared in this thread.

It's usually just one course of a traditional Scottish dinner served during "Burns Night Suppers", or "Robbie Burns festival" weekends.

Where we stayed, they even served Finnan haddie on thin pizza bread during the afternoon happy hour.

Here's this year's menu.
http://www.braelochinn.com/special-events/burns-night/

Melissa and I go every year to pay tribute to our Scottish and Irish ancestors. It's a great way to shake off some of the winter cabin fever.

Since it has to cook for a long time, the coal stove would be good for cooking Haggis,.... but I'll spare you all that !

Paul

Sorry I misread and thought you were referring to the disposal of the oil as you were referring to using the propane torch to heat the pan.

I will let Randy give you direction on that since he works with it on a regular basis .

On the photo I posted of the bottle of lye, there is a phone number you can call to order it. You may have to sign a release form first, I seem to remember having to do that. We can thank the people making Meth for having a hard time getting it.

The strength of it would depend on how much water you are going to use. If you are going to use a 5 gallon bucket, with about 3/4 full of water, I would use the whole 2 lb bottle of lye. Remember to put the water in the bucket first and then slowly add the lye, stirring as you add it. When done, it can go down the drain, it will help to clean them too. Tie a wire to the handle of the pan to lower it into the solution, it will make it easier to lift it out to check on it as well. Cover the bucket so nothing can get into the bucket. Again, rubber gloves and eye protection along with long sleeves should be worn. Keep some vinegar at standby in case you spill some on you.

Randy

Hi Guys:

Completed the storage racks for the Universal Artistic. Now it's back to working on the cook stove. The Builders should be starting soon on the "Summer kitchen tack room" so I want the stove in top shape so it can be install. Spent yesterday working on the cook stove. Finished cleaning all the ash build up from around the oven cavity & inside panels. Found a problem with the ash door not fitting air tight. It's warped on the Right side hinge - consequently it binds when closing and has a gap aprox. 1/8 at the top. It would work for a wood fire but not for coal. I want the bottom air totally controllable. This stove is riveted together making it very air tight. Downside is it is a bitch to repair as to remove a door the rivets need to be drilled out and bolts used to replace the rivets. So That is today's project - Fixing that warped door / or breaking it in the process

Regards: john

John do you have a torch to heat the door up before attempting to fix the warped door ?

Also you could always rivet the stove back in place . The hand rivet tools are fairly cheap if you wanted to go that route . I always found rivets to be easier than removing bolts . Drill them out and replace and no uncomfortable positions trying to get a damn bolt on lol. Plus drilling out bolts really isn't fun.

Looking good ! Reminds me of my cool stove project . Memories .

Smokeyja wrote:John do you have a torch to heat the door up before attempting to fix the warped door ?

Also you could always rivet the stove back in place . The hand rivet tools are fairly cheap if you wanted to go that route . I always found rivets to be easier than removing bolts . Drill them out and replace and no uncomfortable positions trying to get a damn bolt on lol. Plus drilling out bolts really isn't fun.

Looking good ! Reminds me of my cool stove project . Memories .

Sure I have a torch, was worried I could crack the casting, read where others have tried and break the part every time it's tried. ( Must admite it sure is tempting - that's the easy route to go) Do you thnk there is much risk of breaking the door casting if I use heat?

I have rivit tools from aircract work, so have some idea of the process. Would grind off rivet heads and punch out as needed.

Try preheating the door in your oven for a little while to as high as you can go then pull the door out and attempt to heat the area you need to fix . A forge it pretty good for this as it would evenly heat and then you could lay it on the table and "best the daylight out of it " . That actually is a blacksmithing term btw ! Not everyone has a forge that large lying around though. Mark the areas you think need to be heated to in warp it with soap stone or chalk and proceed from there . Think it out. And I forgot you were into air crafts so rivets should be no sweat for you!

You can manipulate cast parts but they need slow even heat . It's a gamble at times for sure .
If you don't want to chance it could you use some chording to seal it up ?

Smokeyja wrote:Try preheating the door in your oven for a little while to as high as you can go then pull the door out and attempt to heat the area you need to fix . A forge it pretty good for this as it would evenly heat and then you could lay it on the table and "best the daylight out of it " .
You can manipulate cast parts but they need slow even heat . It's a gamble at times for sure .

I have a kind of forge ( the Locke120 in my front Parlor. the part will lay right on top a bed of red coals), a poker can become dull red in a very short time. Was thinking of cherry red and a steady downward pressure with a #11R vice gripe as I only have a 1/8 warp in the door. I'm not comfortable " wanging" on this fragile door.

Think that would work?

Actually that would work well . I would still heat the cast bit up in your oven first a bit before putting it in the stove . The stove is a great idea in place of a forge !

Yes I agree just slight downward pressure and only make adjustments when the piece is cherry red . Beating the daylight out was just a figure of speech . Basically flatten it slowly until you don't see daylight between the piece and the surface you are flattening on .

I have faith in this procedure you are talking about .

I talked to a guy at Stanley Iron works years ago about heating/straightening out warped cast iron stove top parts. He said they tried using large torches that could get the whole part bright cherry red and keep it at that temp while they worked it ....... the parts still cracked.

However, all is not lost if it does.

Two choices.
1. You could try heating it bright cherry red and very slowly put pressure on it while it maintains that color temp. Don't let it cool as you work it.

2. If it should crack, you can epoxy it back together so that it's straight. Then fill and smooth the crack, build up the OD if need be to compensate for the new cast iron's 1/8 to the foot shrinkage, and then send it out to Tomahawk as a pattern to recast a new door.

Paul

Thanks guys,

Ya -I know this hold risk - however it is nice to know I have a backdoor if I do snap it. Just clean it up and make it into a mold and off to the foundry. A small door like this one should be modest in price, very little S&H

I'll know by tonight

Regards: john

I tried that trick of heating my grate cherry red in my cook stove. I snapped it in two and that became the deciding factor to cut it into four sections and drill and pin it. I don't think cast iron is very forgiving. However, like Paul said, if you do crack it, you may be able to use epoxy and glue it back together then build up with Bondo on the inside to give it strength to send out to the foundry

Randy