Serious question about stripping old seasoning with lye vs electrolysis

I spent 6 hours trying to strip a rusty #8 skillet with oven cleaner and plastic wrap, only to switch to a 24 hour vinegar soak and still had crud in the grooves, so which method actually takes less time start to finish, lye bath or electrolysis tank?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_dixon1mo ago

Honestly, I've been in your exact spot with a crusty #8 skillet that just wouldn't give up. I tried the oven cleaner method first too and it left so much crud in the grooves I wanted to throw the pan out. For me, a lye bath was way faster than electrolysis because I didn't have to mess with setting up wires and a power supply. Tbh, I just dumped a gallon of lye into a bucket of water, tossed the skillet in for a week, and it came out looking like new with zero scrubbing. Electrolysis might be better for heavy rust, but for old seasoning and gunk, lye is the no-brainer winner in my book.

cameron7631mo ago

Wait did you have to scrub ANY of the crud out of the grooves after the week in lye or did it just rinse clean? I keep reading mixed stuff online about whether lye fully dissolves everything or if you still need to hit it with a wire brush in the tight spots. Im trying to decide if setting up an electrolysis tank is worth the hassle for the next rough pan I find.