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Thursday, January 24, 2019

Cast Iron Pans and Pipes


I have a small cast iron pan that has become the perfect way to scramble two eggs or saute a couple of shrimp.It only about 5 years old and I suspect it will outlive me. I carefully maintain the surface and season it regularly thinking of my mom, who would not bequeath me one of her own aged (50 years old) pans as she feared I would not have the patience to maintain it!

I was thinking of my mom's treasured pans yesterday as a crew replaced some old cast iron heating pipes from my basement in a day long marathon. '"You know," the foreman said to me mid-job, "these pipes often last forever unless people try to get all fancy and wrap them up! I think that is where the rust came from that softened that pipe!"

I wanted to scream, "Don't blame me! I didn't build the now broken open box nor did I wrap the pipes.  I inherited this mess!" But, of course I just nodded, smiling as I listened to his wisdom. I could imagine my mom was smiling as I assured him I would care for the pipes properly - out in the open - during my tenure in this old house!



Cast iron (grey cast iron) is a historical type of pipe manufactured in the 19th and 20th centuries that is used as pressure pipe for transmission of water and sewage. ... Most grey cast iron pipes that are in service were manufactured by either pitcasting or spin casting.

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