Hmmmm...plausible.  But if that's the case, he's probably walked off to get another... let's check back in a week!

Edited September 27, 2017 by rocksbride

  On 9/27/2017 at 9:55 PM, rocksbride said:

Hmmmm...plausible.  But if that's the case, he's probably walked off to get another... let's check back in a week!

Another skillet or another snake?

Snake, obviously!  But good clarifying question, Eddie.

  On 9/28/2017 at 12:08 AM, eddie1261 said:

Another skillet or another snake?

Probably neither ... likely he went to get a hatchet that would kill a snake and not his pan .

I did not even know my g-g-mothers pan was cracked until i tried to use it as a bell.

I have welded lots of cast iron. Best results was with 309 stainless rod, tigging. I know nickel is called for but what held with no cracking is 309 Tig.

Hey Yarome!  I found a recipe on allrecipes.com for "Snakes in a Blanket" that sounds awesome and doesn't require welding your skillet.  I may even take it as an appetizer to our Thanksgiving Pot Luck.  Here ya go: 

Snakes in a Blanket

Serves 8, ready in 28 minutes.  Looks so super yum I may have to make it today.  Only requires 8 little green snakes.

Okay, okay.... lest I hear any nonsense about cucumbers, here are the ingredients for the recipe:

• crescent roll dough
• olive oil
• 3 cheeses: provolone, mozzarella, and Swiss
• 8 asparagus spears
• Italian seasoning

The recipe really is called "Snakes in a Blanket." Click the link for directions. 

As to crack repair.  Perhaps JB Weld the underside.  Perhaps cut a little bit of a "V" in the crack so that the material will have someplace to rest and take hold.  I wouldnt put it in the cooking side, though.

  On 9/27/2017 at 8:10 AM, rocksbride said:

But I just have to... how in the world did you crack a CAST IRON pan? 

Oh hardy-har-har... I go on vacation for a bit and you folks start makin' jokes at my expense?! I don't seem to recall, "ridicule is the greatest form of flattery" as being an adage. 

As long as I can entertain all y'alls I guess I'm good, that.

Rocksbride - Watch yourself. You start opening canned sea cucumbers and I'm liable to start telling people to ask about your two hole in one's... and we all know Rock's the golfer in your family. 

As far as my pan goes I decided to take several folks advice and not mess with it. It does have a very definate hot spot on that side now, but I didn't want to take the risk of having no pan at all if the "fix" ended up damaging the seasoning. Knowing I'm going to have to replace it eventually I found a guy that does an 8 step electrolysis, chemical and mechanical restoration process on older pans followed by several coats of flax seed oil as a base seasoning.

I did buy one of those new Lodge "pre-seasoned" skillets, but only used it a few times before deciding it wasn't going to work for me. It didn't hold heat very evenly and the cook surface is incredibly rough. It might be okay on a stove top where the applied heat is even, though.

I ended up buying a couple of older pans. Ones a 1920's Griswold that's nearly identical to the one I have now. He also had an 1880-1910 Erie in the same size so I picked that one up too. I guess the Erie is also a Griswold but before they started putting their company name on them. Supposedly, the iron is of a much better quality and a smoother cooking surface. Neither was exactly cheap, but the older one was much less and he seemed to think I would like it better. I'll play with them and see which I'll end up keeping.

It seemed worth the extra money to have the restoration work already done and a clean start on what, I am hoping, will be the last one I'll have to work up. Kind of a bummer I won't be able to do much of anything but the basics with it for a few months... and here's hoping my "old faithful" will keep it together in the interim.

I appreciate all the info and recommendations.

  On 11/3/2017 at 7:12 PM, Yarome said:

Knowing I'm going to have to replace it eventually I found a guy that does an 8 step electrolysis, chemical and mechanical restoration process on older pans followed by several coats of flax seed oil as a base seasoning.

This is interesting. I have a couple of cast iron pans that I know are very old as both were on my great-grandparents wagon in the Oklahoma Land Rush. I use them but would be very interested in having them "restored". 

Could you share please?