Lead in a cast iron frypan

[sdakotadoug]

Thanks all who replied. 12 hour bonfire on the night of the 11th of Sept. We'll give a try, if I'm unconvinced they will become wall decoration.

[David Hughes]

You could always keep them and melt lead in them and make sinkers, .
Dave
IN GOD WE TRUST

[doitright]

I feel wibby about eating omlets out of boiled freezer bags. I'd really feel queezy about eating eggs out of pans that had lead in them. Maybe use them for display and get some others that don't have such a colorful history?

I go for this way how would you ever know if you got all the led out. They do not cost much to get a couple more. You can not buy brain cells.
doitright

[doitright]

Hey maybe this may make you think twice. They could have been using them for melting led for cast Iron sewer pipe. That puts a picture in my mind that would kill any thought of eating food from them.
Doitright

[Karina]

I had a similar though less extreme experience. I bought a cast iron cauldron out of a hardware store window a while back. It had been painted black and there was no explanation as to how they had ended up with it as a random piece in their window. I had no way of knowing whether there had been lead in the paint, and no way of knowing what it had been used for previously. I took the paint off with steel wool and then fire. My guess is that someone used it as a planter, and it is probably fine -- but I am not ready to risk it. It's too bad because it is a different shape (deeper) than anything I see for sale today. I would dearly love to use it as a stew pot, but am not comfortable with the risk of poisoning. I wonder if you can boil water in it and send the water for analysis or something...

[ironhead]

If they were mine I'd use them for trot line weights. I sure as heck ain't gonna eat out of anything that has had lead melted in it

[Slayer]

I test all of my used cast for lead before I use them for cooking, and you should too. Test kits are fairly inexpensive, easy to get, and use. Why wouldn't you use one.

[sdakotadoug]

Great suggestion, where do I get one. Doug

[bobhenry]

Great suggestion, where do I get one. Doug

http://www.firstalertstore.com/store/catalog.asp?item=1211

Jewelry , dust , dishes ................

Water ?????

[sdakotadoug]

Thanks for that information

[Slayer]

Great suggestion, where do I get one. Doug

You can also google lead test kits and find a bunch of them. I'll be honest, I try and find kits that are FDA approved. They usually cost more, and I'm not sure if it really makes a difference. Guess it just makes me feel better.

[Dark Horse]

Sewer pipe has already been mentioned. If they were used as smelting pots by a lead caster. Add Arsenic, Tin, Antimony. Not to mention all the other material that was still attached to the lead.
Make them wall hangers.

[Larwyn]

Like any other question presented these days, this one has been answered with a wide range of opinion, knowledge and ignorance. They are all answers from well meaning people who think they know the proper action to take.

I've already stated what I would do. I could be right or wrong, same as anybody else I reckon.

Actually testing for lead is probably the most logical answer if there is a concern.

The original poster has already came back and stated what his plan of action is.

As far as whether anything melted in the skillet ended up on or in a sewer pipe...........think about it, even the finest home cooked meals eventually end up in a sewer pipe.... Actually the first requirement for joining lead pipe is that the pipe and filler material must be clean, bright and shiny, otherwise the joint will be porous and prone to leak. So I see little or no reason to be squeamish about the purpose for which lead was melted in the skillet.

[sdakotadoug]

Lawryn, thanks

[Ken Fincher]

Drill a bunch holes in them & use them for wind chimes.

Ken F.