Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

This little beauty arrived today:


It needs some help:


The inside is a little better:


But not somewhere I am ready to eat yet.

How do I start to rehab this? The handles do not seem to want to come out at this time.

I bow down before all of our local experts asking for help... short of using lye.. yet.

Looks like that one has different handles. How do they come off? Can't even use oven cleaner with them exposed. Certainly can't use high heat. The wood handles most people have on the Griswoldsare just held on with little nails. Those look like they have the base of the wire wrapped handles. Maybe you could seal just the handles in plastic wrap. Maybe Cling Wrap and use oven cleaner?

mfkaplan wrote:Looks like that one has different handles. How do they come off? Can't even use oven cleaner with them exposed.

I can pull one out but the other seems seriously embedded in crud. I will work on it tomorrow and then try the oven spray if I can get it out.
Thanks

Dennis,
Were you able to get that other handle out???
About the one you got off... Was there any screw???
Reason why I ask... My Heart Star has the same body coming off the waffle iron. Inside that at the base, there's a threaded hole.
Mine has the Alskan type steel spring handles, consisting of a spring with end cap and an eye bolt that captures eveything.
Electrolysis is easy but takes a little time.
If you know anybody with a glass bead blast cabinet, that's the fastest way to clean it up.

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:Dennis,
Were you able to get that other handle out???
About the one you got off... Was there any screw???
Reason why I ask... My Heart Star has the same body coming off the waffle iron. Inside that at the base, there's a threaded hole.
Mine has the Alskan type steel spring handles, consisting of a spring with end cap and an eye bolt that captures eveything.
Electrolysis is easy but takes a little time.
If you know anybody with a glass bead blast cabinet, that's the fastest way to clean it up.

I did not have time today but there does not seem to be any screws, just ancient crud.
Do I look for glass bead blast in the yellow pages?
I don't know anyone with anything like that. I will try the Easy Off tomorrow, I had a can but must have tossed it.

HI Dennis,
I got one of those today, but it didn’t have a crud problem...just a really lousy seasoning attempt.
Now my W.I Heart Rosette iron has some crud!!. I think I’m going to try Mary’s lye bath technique on the it..
I’m seasoning the Griswold on the BBQ right now. Norma put her foot down about using the oven, so I’m typing this by the light of my laptop’s monitor.
My Griswold has the handles Dean describes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if , in years past, someone bought some handles that were “close enough” and just pounded them into the sockets on yours.
I had the same handle (only got one and it was broken) with my W.I..
It had what looked like a carpet tack holding it in place through a hole in the socket.

Has anyone been previledged to have had some thing blasted with baking soda? It apparently cleans as good as sand without the abrasiveness. It is a device that workes just like a sand blaster, but uses baking soda. I understand that they can come to your location to do their work. It is being used to remove paint from cars that are being restored because it doesn't distort the metal. Just a thought. Jim

Update: I will add pictures later but I have cleaned about 95% of the crud off the irons. It took one full can of Easy Off with many applications, wire brush, wipe downs and a good rinse. I picked up another can of EO and I am well onto the way of being ready for re-season.
When I finally got enough crud off the handles I was able to remove the second handle. The base will be getting a lot of EO but that may get finished after the irons are seasoned. It will not affect any flavors and has many layers of stuff to work through. I doubt this thing was ever cleaned before but it is all a good learning experience. I need to practice cooking with it so I can show off at the Trailer Trash Bash in Albuquerque next weekend.

Finally cooking....
Two days and most of two cans of Easy Off and I am ready to cook


Doug did not send out the temperature notes when I was cooking and I do not have a magic temp gauge anyway. I had to tough it out using my innate cooking skills.....


After getting out early to mow the grass before the sun got hot I needed a manly feed.
The funnies, hot coffee, new waffle, maple syrup and EPL on the tellie.



The start of a good day...

Lookin' good!

dmb90260 wrote:Finally cooking....
Two days and most of two cans of Easy Off and I am ready to cook

Isn't that like a penetrating lube for removing stubborn bolts and what not? (petroleum product?)

correct me if I'm wrong.

I dunno Dennis.
It's been a while since I've seen this thread...
Clicked on it thinking it was for people, not iron.

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:I dunno Dennis.
It's been a while since I've seen this thread...
Clicked on it thinking it was for people, not iron.

Dean:
I am sorry, you were disappointed but I have not found the 12 Step CI course. Maybe Ma3tt knows of one... or 12.