Disclaimer: Don't ever ever try this yourself unless the pan you are working on is beyond salvation by conventional methods.
I stopped by a little junkstore/antique mall yesterday, I tend to stop by the place once a month or so. I've seen these pans many times over the last few years sitting out in the weather, they were ugly the first time I saw them. Normally I stick to Wagner, and I never asked about these because I figured the price would be too high, on top of them being very distressed no name skillets.
Yesterday, mostly so I would not have to see them rusting in the gravel driveway every time I stopped in the place, I asked about them. And for a grand total of $4 I brought them home.
Now, these were some of the worst pans I have ever seen, the pictures do no do them justice, these were not the fresh out of the Kitchen pans I love to find. These were gone, all seasoning was a memory. Extreme measures had to be taken.
Sandblasted, wire wheeled, and then hand sanded down to remove the rough surface the blasting tends to leave on cast. Most of you will tell me I ruined them. Don't worry about it. Happily they were still nice and thick with very little pitting and no cracks.
Seasoning in a bit on the stove, I should have lit up the Coleman and done this outside, I washed and scrubbed them out, heated them up to dry them really well, then poured in a little vegetable oil and got them warm. Next I wiped them down with the oil, then put them back on the burners and got them decently hot. The nice color came right back.
The No 9 on the right burner turned out to be a National, with a fire ring, a good find for $2! Both look to be decent enough pans.
