Old ladle

[sse]

Fellas - I recently picked up an old iron ladle that I want to use in food prep, but it does appear to have a light, even coat of orange on it.  What would be the best way to clean it up real well?  I know a smith.  Should I take it to him and let him clean or brush it real well?  Thanks.

[Pichou]

Orange... paint?  Super bright orange could be red lead.

[sse]

Naw, by that I meant rust.

[Gambia]

I often wondered the same thing. My thoughts were to sand blast it very clean and then re-season it. Just a thought, probably not a good one, but never the less a thought.
I have an old kettle that I wanted to do the same thing with.

[sse]

Tell you what, griz-meister, I'll send it to you if you promise to make a nice tart tomato sauce and scoop some onto yer spaghetti with the ladle.  If you live to tell about it, reckon its fine...        :lol

[Gambia]

Tell you what, griz-meister, I'll send it to you if you promise to make a nice tart tomato sauce and scoop some onto yer spaghetti with the ladle.  If you live to tell about it, reckon its fine...        :lol

I think you are too anxious to help.....maybe I should rethink this :rotf  let me sleep on this for a while

[sse]

Hey griz - could I get you to take a pic of the ladle to post here in the thread, or should I take the pic...?

[Stryker]

For rust, you don't need to sand blast, a good wire wheel in a drill motor or drill press is all you need. I've done dozen's of cast iron skillets that way. Now the carbon buildup is another story, sandblasting or a strong lye bath is the way to go there.

[sse]

a good wire wheel in a drill motor or drill press is all you need.

Thanks!

[Three Hawks]

Have you tried just washing it and scrubbing with some powdered cleanser and/or a stainless curly scrubber?

Rust may taste a bit funny, but it isn't  poisonous, at least not to hu-mons.  Iron and steel utensils do tend to take on an "off" taste if they're not really clean, that's why so many are tinned or nickle or chrome plated.

Three Hawks

[sse]

Not yet, TH.  I would really like to get it scrubbed good and clean, best I can do, and then put a good solid seasoning on it to avoid any future problems, spose I could try anything, though.  Maybe I'll post a few pics.  Its a nice ladle with an unusual design.

[rollingb]

If you'd jest "eat faster",... yore ladle wouldn't have time to rust.  

[sse]

If you'd jest "eat faster",... yore ladle wouldn't have time to rust.  :lol    :lol

[rollingb]

If you'd jest "eat faster",... yore ladle wouldn't have time to rust.  :lol    :lol

Waauuuuggggghhhhh!!!!!!!!........ be'ns ah'em tha tough old callused mountain man (thet I am),.... I kin eat boilin' stew purty fast rite from tha ladle,.... I jest gotta be careful NOT to bite tha ladle into, when ah'em eatin'.  :rt th

.... and, let yore dawg lick thet ladle off reeeeeel good afer yore dun eatin'n,..... and she ain't gonna git NO rust onner. (dawg "spit" works LOTS better'n WD-40, to prevent rust)    

[sse]