[TheForge] RE: Frying pan

[Mike Spencer]

> Hi ,Mike

Hi Bela...

> did you tin the inside of your copper pots?

zYes.

> If so could you describe the process please?I'm in Australia ,would
> like to know the material used for tin=ing .Not the trade name .Is it
> pure tin?

Pure tin, yes.  No -- repeat -- NO lead, antimony or cadmium.  I used
a Canadian product called "TinRite" that contains tin granules and
flux.  You could use bits of pure tin and flux, no need for the
ready-made product.

Clean the inside of your copper pot fee of all scale by pickling in
weak hydrochloric acid or other pickle suitable for copper.  Rinse &
dry.  Put some tin and flux in the pot.  Heat it as uniformly as
possible until the tin begins to melt.  Wearing suitable gloves, wipe
the tin onto the copper with chamois, leather, a rag (NOT synthetic!
cotton or linen, which will char furiously but won't melt into a
hideous glop) or steel wool.  The steel wool tends to get stuck in the
tin and is not the best choice foryour first attempts. Dump out excess
tin and, if desired/neccessary, heat and re-wipe to get a uniform
surface.

The TinRite makes a lot of black crud on the surface that has to be
removed with hot water and scrubbing.  Also makes clouds of fume that
aren't deadly (or I'd be dead) but are probably bad for you so you
should do this, at least till you're familiar with it, in a very well
ventilated place.  Other fluxes will probably do something similar.

Silver also is said to work but obviously is way more expensive.  

> What sort of flux would one use?

If I weren't using the commercial product, I'd try ammonium chloride,
AKA sal ammoniac.  I don't know what flus is in TinRite but the
fumes smell like one component might be ammonium chloride.  Try
googling for "tinning flux food ammonium chloride".

> What about handles.Did you put handles on your pots?

Yes.  Iron handles, various kinds, riveted on with soft iron rivets.
Tin right over the rivets.

Oh, yes.  The tin wears through in spots after a few years.  Not much
of a problem for non-acid cooking like steamed rice or frying.  But
cook tomatoes, vinegar-based stuff etc. in enamel or stainless or be
sure to re-tin when the copper begins to show through.  

>  ...able to raise hollowware ,wish to make it as a present.

Hand made copperware makes great gifts for those friends of excellent
taste who can afford anything they really want.  Traded a 12" x 3"deep
curry pan with cover for my first computer, too.


- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                 						   /V\ 
mspencer@tallships.ca            						  /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/						  ^^-^^

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