# Cast Iron Gypsy Kettle



## BBQBOSS (Dec 2, 2010)

Any way to date this?  It was my mother-in-law's Grandmothers pot.  I inherited it and am going to clean it up and start using it as a stew pot.  It's 10 gallons and the only marking i can find is the number "15" cast into the bottom of it.  I assume that means its a #15 size pot?  

Any suggestions on cleaning methods are welcome as well.  The rust doesn't seem to be to awful bad.  It was stored in a shed, upside down on a pallet.  

I've read that a brass brush is good to use as well as letting vinegar sit in it for a couple weeks.  Some sort of reaction happens and it will clean it up real good???  Ive also read it lets off a bad odor and its best to do that outside.

I will appreciate any suggestions as how to restore this treasure to good working condition.  I want to take care of it and keep it for a long time.


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## GB Young (Dec 2, 2010)

I cleaned a bunch of old cast iron I had by soaking in water with lye in it. The water turned black as coal. Cleaned up great. Then greased them and put in my gas grill. three times. I'm not sure how to do a pot that big. Don't do it inside, or unplug your smoke detectors. Stinks


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## Rackbuster (Dec 2, 2010)

Last one I did was outside(put in safe location away from flammable materials) and I set some brick up to sit it on so I could put some wood under it.Got some lard to put in it,I believe it was 1 gallon.Built a fire under it and let it cook.When pot got hot I tied a rag to a stick and would dip it in lard and rub around the inside every little while.It was looking good but I believe what made it better was when I caused the lard to catch on fire.Tried to smother out but after getting over the shock of pretty big fire I just let it burn itself out.It looked really good when it was all over.The rust will fall off on the outside from the fire and while pot is still hot you can rub it down with some grease to let it soak in as it cools.


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## Nicodemus (Dec 2, 2010)

That is a nice one! We always called those "washpots". I`ve even blanched greens in them before, out by the garden.


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## BBQBOSS (Dec 2, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> That is a nice one! We always called those "washpots". I`ve even blanched greens in them before, out by the garden.



Thanks.  Yeah washpots, pots, kettles, all the same i suppose.  Never heard one called an "Antique Gypsy Kettle" until i looked on some auction sites and thats what they had them listed as.  Any cleaning suggestions?


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## BBQBOSS (Dec 2, 2010)

Rackbuster said:


> Last one I did was outside(put in safe location away from flammable materials) and I set some brick up to sit it on so I could put some wood under it.Got some lard to put in it,I believe it was 1 gallon.Built a fire under it and let it cook.When pot got hot I tied a rag to a stick and would dip it in lard and rub around the inside every little while.It was looking good but I believe what made it better was when I caused the lard to catch on fire.Tried to smother out but after getting over the shock of pretty big fire I just let it burn itself out.It looked really good when it was all over.The rust will fall off on the outside from the fire and while pot is still hot you can rub it down with some grease to let it soak in as it cools.



Thanks for the input! I will keep that method in mind for sure.


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## Nicodemus (Dec 2, 2010)

BBQBOSS said:


> Thanks.  Yeah washpots, pots, kettles, all the same i suppose.  Never heard one called an "Antique Gypsy Kettle" until i looked on some auction sites and thats what they had them listed as.  Any cleaning suggestions?





I really don`t know, Matt. I would hate to tell you wrong and mess that beauty up. Some of these other folks will have some good suggestions. I know how to season one, and i know how to keep one in good condition, but I don`t know how to restore one with a good amount of rust on it. 

I do want to see pics of it after you get it right. And, in use.


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## Twenty five ought six (Dec 2, 2010)

Get you one of those paint removers that looks like a coarse sponge, chuck in your drill, spritz a little cooking oil on there and go to town.  When you get most of it off, rinse well, put on a fire and soak inside down with cooking oil.  Heat until smoking good, then let cool off.

P.S. don't wear your best T-shirt when you hit the kettle with the paint/rust remover.


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## BBQBOSS (Dec 2, 2010)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Get you one of those paint removers that looks like a coarse sponge, chuck in your drill, spritz a little cooking oil on there and go to town.  When you get most of it off, rinse well, put on a fire and soak inside down with cooking oil.  Heat until smoking good, then let cool off.
> 
> P.S. don't wear your best T-shirt when you hit the kettle with the paint/rust remover.



Sounds like a good place to start.  I will try that method and see how it works for me. Thanks ought six.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Dec 4, 2010)

Deja Vu.....My wife drug 2 of those things home this
summer and made flower pots out of them, and they sit
on our front porch !!!!
I took a wire brush on my air grinder and cleaned them
a bit and brush painted them black with marine paint....

Ours were a bit to rusty to use for food again.....


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## Jeff Raines (Dec 4, 2010)

If you are not going to cook in it anymore.Once you have the rust removed,heat the pot up,then apply tung oil.
The heat opens the pores of the iron and draws the oil in.


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## the r.o.c. (Dec 5, 2010)

my grandma always called it "cooking your pot" just like the iron skillets. use crisco, lard, coat it good, and cook it. id build a fire and get a good coal bed, then put the pot over it and let it cook for an hour or so. after that you need to keep it inside and dry. any time you wash it heat it to dry it real good. personally id use it for a flower pot and just get a big stainless pot for my stew. your pot is going to require constant attention. jmo..  nice pot, ive got 2 flowers in both.


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## JustUs4All (Dec 5, 2010)

I have cleaned a lot of iron.  On that one, I would heat it over a fire to see how much of the rust will scale off.  After it cools, a steel wire brush chucked into a good cordless drill will save a lot of time.  When you have all the rust out, season it inside and out, then the more you use it the better it will get.

Since any cooking in the wash pot will include plenty of liquid, pitting is not as troublesome as it would be in a skillet where it would cause food to stick more.


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## jigman29 (Dec 5, 2010)

We used them for rendering lard.The one i had broke so the wife made a flour pot out of it.But if it's not broke already it will if you make a flower pot from the water freezing in it.I would scratch what you could and then build a big brush fire and burn the rest off it.Then season with crisco and your good to go.


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## BBQBOSS (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks for all the info guys.  I appreciate all the input.


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## Rays123 (Dec 6, 2010)

try this for cleaning it up, I have used it on several smaller pots and really works well, it just takes time
http://1bad6t.com/rust_removal.html


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## fishfryer (Dec 6, 2010)

That's a washpot as stated by Nicodemus.All southern farms had them before modern washing machines.Clothes along with soap, were boiled,then scrubbed on a washboard,then rinsed in clean water,wrung out and line dried.The pots were also used as stated for many things,rendering lard,cooking big pots of food(Brunswick stew)some used the bigger pots for scalding,yours would have been too small.The number 15 may refer to measure in quarts.If you ever noticed the numbers on galvanized bucket bottoms,that what it means there.


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## Big7 (Dec 23, 2010)

Best thing to do is have it sand-blasted..

Then season it the "normal" way.


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## Killdee (Jan 2, 2011)

fishfryer said:


> That's a washpot as stated by Nicodemus.All southern farms had them before modern washing machines.Clothes along with soap, were boiled,then scrubbed on a washboard,then rinsed in clean water,wrung out and line dried.The pots were also used as stated for many things,rendering lard,cooking big pots of food(Brunswick stew)some used the bigger pots for scalding,yours would have been too small.The number 15 may refer to measure in quarts.If you ever noticed the numbers on galvanized bucket bottoms,that what it means there.



Yep,washpot, my Mama is 91 and thats how she grew up "worshing". Tuesday was worsh day and and she mentioned using something called blueing they used for white clothes to brighten them. They also used them for Soap making and hog rendering.The good ole days would kill most of us outdoors guys and gals.


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## Slingblade (Jan 2, 2011)

Big7 said:


> Best thing to do is have it sand-blasted..
> 
> Then season it the "normal" way.



This is what I'd do.

I hate to see them old pots turned into flower pots...unless they already have a crack in them and are no longer useful for their intended purpose.


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## Mackey (Jan 2, 2011)

Had an Aunt that had one of those when I was a kid, she made some killer Brunswick stew in that big pot. She made it over an open fire in the front yard. I miss those days.


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## Mel (Jan 5, 2011)

I got one from my parents and it was my Grandmothers.  It had been sitting and the bottom was really nasty with built up rust and scaling and crap.

We actually used it for a burn barrel one day, built a little fire in it while we were outside working.  So that got all the scaling off the outside.

I've actually used oven cleaner to clean up two of my dutch ovens.  And I've used a wire brush.

Vinegar will work, but it will take awhile.  There's also other methods using pure molasses or even set up an electrolysis type set up.  These two methods I learned about from automotive restoration type processes when trying to save really rusty parts. 

Just like other cast iron, if you put it on a fire, don't get it TOO hot...just hot to the touch, then grease it.  Like was said, the heat opens the pores of the iron, then when it cools it draws the oil in to season and make it smooth.

Anyhow...yeah, try the wire brush in a drill...and try just heating it up.  The rust doesn't look as bad as the one I have.  I'm not sure I'll really cook anything in mine, but I did want to get the rust off and preserve it.

Keep an eye on it though, don't leave it sitting out where someone will see it, because people love to use them for flower pots and I had a guy try to buy mine when it was sitting in the driveway.  Its now safely back in the garage out of eye sight.


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## BBQBOSS (Jan 5, 2011)

Well i turned it over and set it on my high pressure banjo burner and got it up to 775 degrees for about 20minutes or so. It smoked a lot and loosened up a lot of the crud on it.  Thats as far as ive gotten so far.  

I read where sand blasting can damage it.  Is this true?  I have access to a sand blaster but I don't want to take any chances on permenantly damaging it.


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## LEON MANLEY (Jan 5, 2011)

I got one in pretty bad condition and I put a double hand full of good size gravel in it with some water. I placed it on my propane burner and stirred  the pot clean, changing the water when it became dirty.
Then season with some lard.


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## Mel (Jan 5, 2011)

BBQBOSS said:


> I read where sand blasting can damage it.  Is this true?  I have access to a sand blaster but I don't want to take any chances on permenantly damaging it.


That was the other thing I was gonna mention and forgot.  

The only thing I've read about sand blasting is that it "can" be too harsh and damage any lettering that's on it.

But by all means, sand blast it.  I sand blasted some thin stuff when I was restoring my truck and it was fine...surely you can do that big cast iron pot.  

We were gonna sand blast the one I have, just haven't gotten around to it yet. 

But no, its not gonna damage it.


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## Bottle Hunter (Jan 5, 2011)

Wire brush is all it needs........remember this. Never ever cook something w/ a lot of salt in it, say like peanuts. Salt eats these things in a hurry.


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## BBQBOSS (Jan 5, 2011)

Mel said:


> That was the other thing I was gonna mention and forgot.
> 
> The only thing I've read about sand blasting is that it "can" be too harsh and damage any lettering that's on it.
> 
> ...



Thanks Mel!  



Bottle Hunter said:


> Wire brush is all it needs........remember this. Never ever cook something w/ a lot of salt in it, say like peanuts. Salt eats these things in a hurry.



Only to be cooked in it is brunswick stew. Or possibly scalding a possum.


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## Hornet22 (Jan 16, 2011)

Boss, I just today got one from my MIL. I am real interested in following your progress with your pot. Please keep posting what you did/have done. I have a access to a beadblaster at work and may use that on the inside.


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## huntingonthefly (Jan 16, 2011)

We used to have a hobo party on Halloween using one of those. This Halloween, instead of trick or treating, call all your friends over for some Hobo Stew. Have everyone come dressed as hobos or gypsies and bring a canned vegetable of their choice to add to the stew in the kettle which will have some type of meat prepared earlier in the day.


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## Amend2nd (Jan 28, 2011)

I have two similar "pots". Depending on where you are from and where your were raised is what they are called. 

Bottom line.. It is a big cast iron pot.

One I inherited through "the line" and it was in good shape. We used it when I was young to boil water to clean the hair off hogs we butchered. The pine we used established a good coat of rosinlike tar and soot coating on the outside. We also dropped a "tad" of pine tar inside to loosen and make the hog hair easy to remove. Did this process work? I wasn't old enough to challenge the wisdom of the elders(lest I find myself with middle rear end problems shortly thereafter). We just did it that way using hot water and "croker"(burlap?)  sacks.

The poster who addrssed salt is correct. Before I was educated I would not have given it a second thought,, but the "CL"(cholride) in NACL(salt) is an aggressive ion on metals. So is "acidy' type cooking such as with tomato sauce/vinegar used in BBQ cooking and "brunson Stew" ( I always wanted to slaughter that word).


The pot seems to be in good shape. 

When I got mine, one inherited and one bought from an old man on the brink, I used a drill with a wire wheel to brush off the rust inside and out until it was clean. 

Mine was in as good a shape as yours seems to be. Then I rubbed the outside and inside with Crisco shortening to prevent oxidation(rusting). I don't think it would harm the outside to paint(heat resistent black paint)  it for preservation, but one thing is for sure... anything you put on the outside, be it paint or a form of vegtable or animal fat, or powder coating unless it is aluminum(which will melt off within the first couple of firings) sprayed on,  will not withstand the exposure to fire. Use is what they were designed for during their day.. and I am sure they saw plenty. 

We tend to focus on the sterility of life these days.... 

The people who depended on those pots followed the guidance of their stomachs. Regular use kept them clean and useful whether for cooking or cleaning(probably both more than not).

Good luck on your project. The pot will last you a lifetime as it appears in the picture. 

Perhaps those in the future won't give a hoot about a flower pot or the fact that the pot means something to you.


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## BBQBOSS (Jan 28, 2011)

Amend2nd said:


> I have two similar "pots". Depending on where you are from and where your were raised is what they are called.
> 
> Bottom line.. It is a big cast iron pot.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the response.  Im probably going to put the wire brush to it sometime this weekend.  Just haven't had time to mess with it in the past few weeks.  I need to start on it...


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