Looking for a suggestion on putting a handle on a very large cast iron skillet that was cast by a family friend at the foundry here in town about 15-20 years ago.

It's around 33" across, and about 3.5" deep with a single small pour spout.

However, there are no lugs, handles, holes, or any way whatsoever of mounting a handle/bail/grips. As well the edge is of varying thickness from a strong 5/16" in some places to as thin as 3/16 in others.

It's going to be used on an outdoor stove in the pavilion or over a fire ring due to its size so any way of handling would be fine.

I'm a bit concerned about opposing handles potentially breaking the rim when it's picked up and even moreso if I hung it from a bail like a kettle, so I was considering just making a frame for it to sit in without bolting/ riveting it in so it could be handled without stressing the cast iron. The cast iron is of unknown alloy btw, it is probably ductile as that's what they were casting at that time but it's possible that it's basic grey iron, so I'm going to assume it's grey.

Any advise or experience on the matter would be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks~

Sounds like the kind of project foundries use to test a foundryman to see if s/he's ready for a promotion. With a 1/8" variance in the rim thickness I'd guess s/he had to wait for a promotion. He didn't get the cope and drag aligned correctly before pouring. Either ramming it up or closing the mold. The foundry probably kept it around to rib the caster who did it.

Were I to have it, I'd maybe make a decorative oversized handle, sweat silver braze it to the pan and hang it on the wall as a decoration.

While I suppose it COULD made to work as a user it'd take a couple people minimum or some sort of lift mechanism. If it never changes location something like a jib boom is a possibility. Still, I have to wonder how much a person could cook at one time. Giant novelty pancakes an entire Boy Scout Troop can sit down to for breakfast? 

Sorry, I'm not trying to mock you and I understand how something like that challenges a guy, I've accepted too many of those, some are still around as Deb reminds me if I start eyeballing another one.

Frosty The Lucky.

So just how much does this thing weigh?

Rather than making something to attach to the pan, why not make a separate cradle/ handle kind of thing? Top of my head, I see flat bar in a cross shape, joined with a riveted offset, wrapped up the  sides of the pan, with a handle or handles , maybe wood. Or a double flatbar hashtag shape, offset and riveted as above. Or a cradle of some kind, with a bail type handle. Just spitballing here.

Steve

 

Frosty: I think that's exactly what it was, and the misalignment is exactly why it has the variation in rim thickness!

As for why it's needed, it's more of a novelty thing to have around and maybe cook with it hanging from the firepit crane potentially, just as more of a showpiece. Although I think with something of that size you could handily cook for around 30 people at a time as it's about the sze of some of the bigger aluminum braziers (har har) that I used when I was a chef at a resort ten years ago so it's not as impractical as some may believe!

As for weight, I'm guessing by picking it up that it's in the ballpark of #50

Stash: that's more or less what I had in mind. A cross of bars or perhaps a ring as a cradle with the handles or what have you attached to it instead of the pan

An ofyr, but without the hole in the middle.

Still usefull as a plancha type coocking device and no handles just support to keep it above the fire.

Any way of attaching a photo of it?

You could make a pair of handles like this, that would hook over the rim but support the weight from the bottom:

A handle or bail to connect two handles would enable you to hang it from a crane. 

Otherwise, I think your best bet is to make a three-legged stand to hold it over a the fire. 

I don't currently have a pic ATM, but it's the same proportions as a standard Griswold but nearly three feet across!

 

JHCC: I dig that idea, makes me think that maybe the trick would be to just build a spider type stand and handles that just grip when needed and come off otherwise, kind of like lid lifters for dutch ovens or those removable handles for grill skillets

It'd make a heroic Paella pan. 

Seeing as how you are or were a professional chef that worked with large cookware I can take your word for how doable using this pan is. 

I think I'd just roll a ring to fit around it just below the rim from say 5/16" x 1 1/2 or maybe 3/8" x 1" Roll the ring to fit the side a little more than the stock's width below the rim. Then stretch one side only on the anvil horn till it slips on and matches the pan's side. Does that make sense? It's the easiest way I know of to make a truncated cone like the side of a frying pan.

Then of course attaching lifting lugs, handles, etc. are as easy as welding a bead or drilling and bolting them on. I like the idea of using thicker stock so I could bolt different things to it with runner bolts for different occasions.

Ooh, you'd have to gorge some really BIG spatulas!

Frosty The Lucky.

I’m not sure I would gorge myself on big spatulas. Might be a bit hard on the digestive system…

Keep it fun,

David

I have trouble with gorging small spatulas.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

That one is really hard to swallow Randy!

Frosty The Lucky.