What to do about a wobbly skillet?

[CharlieD]

Rubber mallet would not even scratch the surface of the cast iron pan. If you want to try, get one of those small gas tanks plumbers use. Heat up the pan really well, get a big hammer and try to pound out the flatness. You would also need straight age to be able to check what you are doing. Doubt it will help though.

 

[CharlieD]

Just realised it as an old thread.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I do agree it could crack the pan and CI is extremely hard. But worth a try.

I have done this with my aluminum everyday pan and I do understand it is much softer. But I would still try it.

Yes, I also see its an old thread.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I do agree it could crack the pan and CI is extremely hard. But worth a try.

I have done this with my aluminum everyday pan and I do understand it is much softer. But I would still try it.

Yes, I also see its an old thread.

Well I think you should heat it till it glows, put in on a suitable anvil, and beat it with iron-working tools. Then sand it to a polished, shiny finish. Then, use a micrometer to measure the thickness of the entire bottom, to make sure it's even, and finally, place a metal rull on the inside bottom to verify that it is perfectly flat.

And if you don't want to go to all that trouble, go to your nearest hardware store and pick up a new one for $20.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've heard this comment countless times.

I'm here to say that while the smoother finish of the older pans may please you more than the slightly less smooth finish of a new Lodge, it makes no difference in the non-stick properties. I have a contemporary Lodge 12" skillet and I can fry eggs and and slide them into a dish no problem.

So it may be prettier but not necessarily better.

I too have a couple of CI pans with a rougher surface. They work just as well as do my Griswold pans, though since they are much heavier, thicker metal, they take more horsepower to lift and manipulate. But that's ok. I still have the strength, and desire. (But I still like my Griswold pans better.)

I think that with a good, D/A sander, and the right emery cloths, I could wet-sand the heavier, and coarser Lodge pans until they were thin and smooth as the Griswolds. But that just seems like a lot of work. I think I'd rather be working on my novels, or tying flies.

I tell ya, tying flies is no easy task. They usually object and squirm a lot. And trying to get individual knots on those tiny legs, well, it's a challenge. Besides, it was difficult to make such tiny furniture to tie them to. I tried to gag them once. But I had to give up. I couldn't find small enough socks to stick in their proboscis's.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Andy M.]

...I tell ya, tying flies is no easy task. They usually object and squirm a lot. And trying to get individual knots on those tiny legs, well, it's a challenge. Besides, it was difficult to make such tiny furniture to tie them to. I tried to gag them once. But I had to give up. I couldn't find small enough socks to stick in their proboscis's.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Chief, duct tape!

Besides, the extra mass of the Lodges just enhances the benefit of a CI skillet. More mass holds more heat.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Chief, duct tape!

Besides, the extra mass of the Lodges just enhances the benefit of a CI skillet. More mass holds more heat.

Andy, again I agree with you, and add that the thicker metal has fewer hot-spots and cooks more evenly. It's all good.

And just who were you saying to use the duct tape on, hmmmm?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Andy M.]

...And just who were you saying to use the duct tape on, hmmmm?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

The flies, of course! And maybe a small strip to block the long wind that blows in from the north on occasion.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The flies, of course! And maybe a small strip to block the long wind that blows in from the north on occasion.

Tis an odd thing, my 12 inch Lodge, after many years of use, has a smooth cooking surface. Go figure. CI just keeps getting better and better over time. When you give it as a gift, it's truly the "gift that keeps on giving".

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Andy M.]

Tis an odd thing, my 12 inch Lodge, after many years of use, has a smooth cooking surface. Go figure...

I assume that's the ongoing seasoning filling in between the bumps.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I assume that's the ongoing seasoning filling in between the bumps.

That's my guess. All I know is that it's a great pan.

My Sister purchased for me a brand of CI grilling pan called Red Stone. It is identical to Lodge pans in heft, and grain texture. It is the first CI grill pan that I really like using. Because of its mass, it takes a while to come up to temp. But, the great thing is, I don't have to get it as hot to really mark a steak, or pork chop, or whatever. That same mass means that it has more stored energy to transfer to the meat. I don't smoke up the house nearly as much with it as I would with my Griswold.

For frying an egg, or up to medium duty frying, the Griswold is simply the best. But when I need significant heating power, I use the Lodge, the Red Stone, or the Wagner.

And talk about a neat trick, I've boiled water in a paper cup, over a camp fire. Yeh, try that with a Styrofoam cup.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Andy M.]

...I've boiled water in a paper cup, over a camp fire...

We did that in Boy Scouts. The Tenderfoots were amazed.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Well I think you should heat it till it glows, put in on a suitable anvil, and beat it with iron-working tools. Then sand it to a polished, shiny finish. Then, use a micrometer to measure the thickness of the entire bottom, to make sure it's even, and finally, place a metal rull on the inside bottom to verify that it is perfectly flat.

And if you don't want to go to all that trouble, go to your nearest hardware store and pick up a new one for $20.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Or you could take it and smash it hard with the mallet to see if it will help.
The AL pan I did this too was also very thick. Calphalon anodized.
No other tool was required but the burner.
Yes, you check to see if it lays flat or not.