I put up a holder for a fluorescent tube, bought and installed a tube, but strangely when i turn it on the ends glow but the entire length of the tube doe snot fill with light until I touch the tube with my handWhat is the cause?
Elbow grease and steel wool to begin then get it hot and add peanut oil or other high temperature cooking oil and wipe it dryCast iron should not be washed with soap and water, rather it should be wiped dry with a cloth to clean itOnce you get a good cast iron seasoned it is well worth keeping and they last for centuriesDAGS for cast iron cooking pots.
Wash as normal then place it on a hotplate or heated oven to dry immediately then rub the interior with cooking oil to prevent rust forming.
Love the comment about adding bacon to impart an aromaWho doesn't love bacon right!
If this is a decorative piece, getting to a pristine cast iron finish can be done with some of the ideas aboveOn the other hand, if this is a working piece, used more than 3-4X a year, you're wasting time cleaning the outside: let it acquire it's own patina, which will mean a bit of rust on occasion(More on this later) The inside is quite differentNEVER use any kind of soap on the insideThe porous nature of cast will capture soap residue.which your cooked dishes will acquire, and make a bad taste, perhaps taint your diners with stomach troubleWhen the meal/dish has been consumed, place the cast into a fire or over a burner (on 'high')Let the piece heat up until it starts to smoke heavilyTurn off heat remove from fire stick it in the sink stand back, then quickly pour a glass of water into itThe heat will generate steam, and boil-off all the crud leftScrape with a flat metal spatula if necessary for stubborn spotsPour out any standing water after it coolsThis leaves a surface ready for treatmentWhile still warm, I use a slice of bacon to rub all over that interior, and onto the outside as wellThis leaves a natural oil which prevents rust, and pre-seasons the pot for the next meal (mmm.bacon)Wipe off excess with paper towelThis method assures the integrity of the iron is preserved; the flavor is not tainted; and leaves a lasting coating inside to which food does not stick a great dealOnce a year, have an outdoor fire cookout or Smores roast, and leave that pot right in the fire for an hour, which will burn off all remnants of any foodTreat with bacon as beforeNice and clean, and ready for another year of periodic maintenance(Bring the kids and start a tradition, plus teach them how to do the cast cleaning, for them use later in their lives.) I've been doing this for 40 years, and it's the quick, sure way to keep cast functional; dishes wonderfully seasoned with 'home-cooked' taste, and very easy to clean.
It probably needs a new starter, sounds like an older fixture, if it doesnt have one (Small circle aluminum sticking towards the bulb, twist to remove with some downward pressure) a new ballast may be in orderI had one a 24 Inch that acted that way, I just replaced the fixture cheaper.
