yesterday, i was poking around in a shed and found a skillet that went thru a house fire in 98. When i pulled it from the ashes i just knocked it around to get the ash off and thre it in the shed and forgot about it. I brought it back to the house, put a wire brush on a hand drill, and in about 20 minutes or less it looks like it just came out of the mold.
Baked on crud that needs to be removed, I just gather those up and put em in the oven now and then, set the oven on clean, after they cool down, i rinse well, wash with soap and water, rinse several more times with hot water, dry it on the stove burner and it is like new and ready to season again.
I only had one so far that was too far gone to salvage, heavily pitted on cooking surface, but the dog doesn't care when her food is placed in it. use a smaller one made in taiwan for the cat food.
Ed