Dan (SPAM) wrote:
I have a couple of pizza shops (Way OT!) but metalworking DOES come
into
play!

We use aluminum pans for baking the pizzas in the oven and since we
use
butter on the edges of the pan-pizza pans they start accumulating
carbon
buildup after a year or so of use. Is there a way for my to remove
this
carbon short of sandblasting? It must be a food safe and leave the
pans
structurally intact, figure about 125-150 pans overall that I need to
clean,
then re-season.

Any ideas? Anyone in the Kirkland or Kent WA area with a sandblaster
that
wants to trade sandblasting time for pizzas?

-Dan

A Scotch Brite Abrasive wheel on a drill motor.
I 'd suggest a corded 1/2" angle drill motor, over a cordless.
Unfortunately a Makita DA4031 is coslty, but a fine tool. You will need
to secure the pans with clamps, so they don't go airborne.
Makita DA4031 1/2" Right Angle Drill Kit - $250.00 - Coastal Tool
Makita, DA4031, 1/2" Angle Drill, 2-Sp, Rev, 10.0 amps - $324.00 -
Rhinotoolshop
Makita DA4031 1/2" Sidewinder Angle Drill - $329.95 - Tyler Tool Co.

You could try a propane torch and a 2 inch putty knife.

MAke a paste from cream of tartar and apply to the carbon, let set for
30 minutes, then soak the pans for 1 hour in HOT water, Repeat as
needed.

Buy more pans and wash your pans daily.

The dry ice approach, might work if you place the dry ice in the pans
and let them get cold, so the aluminum shrinks a few microns, and the
carbon would lose grip, and flake off. Perhaps a pot of hot water after
the pans have chilled for 10 minutes. There might be a way to dip the
pans into liquid nitrogen, then into hot water, but I fear that may
crack the pans. Of course you would have to send the pans out for that.

Lastly, I would try liquid oxygen, but that would cause the carbon to
explode,a nd the aluminum to burn. Besides, you need some training
before you handle the stuff. Also, if you get LOX on your skin, you
burn like a newspaper.

BTW - When I was in the Navy, I spent 3-months in the chow hall, part
of which I spent in the pot and pan scullery. On my second day, I threw
a few pans out into the kitchen, and yelled at the FKCUing cooks to
clean these G'damn pans, since they're the ones who baked this **** on
there! It didn't work, I was back in the scullery scrubbing pots and
pans.


:/