Lawerence......the coals per top & bottom is
usually stated for an hour's time, then add if needed.........kinda like a kettle......
"and a couple metal tags like it was cataloged for some reason."
Marty, the tags are owner's ID's to keep them straight at large cookouts & competitions.....
" Can it be saved?"
Absolutely !!!! That's just about like "Mike" the bigger one shown above ^^^^^
There's all different ways to clear them of rust & people will defend their methods rigorously.....
NON-soap Brillo (steel) pad & some scrubbing......
Vinegar, Brillo & some scrubbing...........this one smacks of Duke's vinny & baking soda fixup for rusty grates.......a vinegar dip bath, immersed for half an hour, then scraped & cleared & dried... with seasoning immediately following........
Cupped wire brush & power drill, scrubbing involved, but take care not to worry too much about getting things perfectly smooth, a little roughness for the ensuing seasoning to stick to is a good thing.........
Baked on crap, people use lye, which is a dangerous pain in the ass, unless you're familiar with & enjoy using noxious compounds like me...............
here's the Lodge page for care & cleaning that covers most stuff..........
http://www.lodgemfg.com/useandcare/seasoned-cast-ironIt will end up looking just like those shiney Black kettles....Gummi's got your # !!!!
Mirk, a C.I. chicken fryer might be a good one, it's a skillet, but deep & with a lid so kinda expands the range of things you can do...........