Show your oiler cans

[BioNerd]

I actually want to use the ONE old vintage can I own, so I opened it.
It has some antique sludge inside, no clue of what it is but its quite sticky.

How do I dissolve it?

Seems like the can has some sort of exterior metal coating that is peeling off a bit. Thanks!

 

[2oolhound]

I just use gasoline as I always have some around and it works good on oil. Scrape out what you can first then a paint brush or you may get away with just shaking the heck out of it.

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Here are mine. 2 are more than enough

 

[Fraggles]

From left to right

Unbranded - Made in USA
Pressol Spezial No.1 - Made in Germany
Reilang No.1 - Made in Switzerland








Anybody know who made this little one?
URL=http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/fraggles7/media/IMG_20150409_182321106_zpscxtc3t4b.jpg.html]

[/URL]

 

[2oolhound]

Love those Euro ones and fraggles that little pear shaped one is nice. It seems a few of these smaller ones were made for specific purposes like the one I'll be posting here.

I've added a couple more to the family. 1st is this $4 flea market find that's traveled all the way to Canada from Italy:

and then this little treasure that comes with a story. My co-worker calls me to go to an estate sale of a projectionist who had a basement full of antique projectors. We go and I spot a very cool tiny oiler and make such a fuss over it the guy says "put that in your pocket, it's yours"

That evening my co-worker calls bragging about the MINT one he found in the case of the projector he'd bought to display. His has all the decals and everything. Realizing from this thread very few decals survive on oiler cans I ask him to bring it in to work so I can see it. At work he's strutting like a rooster he's so proud of this thing.

I screw the cap off and some oil leaks onto my finger and I say "It's still full of oil" Next I look down and his beautiful decals have denigrated into messy smears. The top one is wiped off completely and I say "oh ****, what's happened to the decals" looking at my thumb that's covered with what looks to be his decals all piled up in a messy ooze I say "this isn't oil it's formaldehyde or some chemical!" . He snatches it out of my hands and looks closer. They are desiccated, destroyed.

I don't want to get this thread locked so I can't tell you what all he said to me but you can imagine. This rare, as new relic that beautifully complimented the antique projector he'd just bought for the sole purpose of displaying was now ruined. After several minutes as he paced past me still cursing me I said "OK, if your going to be that pissed about it have mine" holding a pristine decal-ed one in front of his face. He grabbed it and knew he'd been had. I'd switched his and replaced it with mine that I'd mocked decals on with felt pen then dripped alcohol on and smeared before I left home. I'd done the same with my thumb. I have to watch over my shoulder all the time now because boy, does he want to get even.

The Projector Oiler has a tiny needle in the top cap that both seals the main spout and allows you to touch the tiniest spot of oil to a surface. The spout allows a small drop of oil out at a time. It's about 2.5" tall.

I just score a couple more interesting ones. The little one on the left is a blue plastic "Eagle". The body is transparent so you can see how much oil is in it. The other one looks like it was from an old motorcycle kit as it seals well and the cap has a chain so you can't lose it. It is a "BRAIME". It must hold 3 - 4 oz. It appears to be tin with silver soldered brass bungs where ever threads are. It almost looks like it maybe was covered with leather or some other sort of covering, it is so rough looking in appearance.

 

[Rileysan]

Love my Craftsman oil can the most, but there are others to show off. The little one is especially cool!

Brian

 

[3baygarage]

This is a nice thread. There should be a lot more posts with all the cans out there.

2oolhound suggested I post a while back. I just expanded the Ford collection by one today (can on the right).

So here's my little Ford collection:

[URL=http://s102.photobucket.com/user/nno16r/media/DSC09034_zpsgyryrv7m.jpg.html] [/URL]

[URL=http://s102.photobucket.com/user/nno16r/media/DSC09030_zpsph9ff3os.jpg.html] [/URL]

One is a two Logo that I cleaned up. It was barely identifiable. Here's the thread:

Ford "mummified" Oil Can Restore

[URL=http://s102.photobucket.com/user/nno16r/media/DSC09033_zps7ui7samp.jpg.html] [/URL]

[URL=http://s102.photobucket.com/user/nno16r/media/DSC09032_zpsmfobzwbx.jpg.html] [/URL]

 

[bulletpruf]

Here's one of mine -- picked it up on a recent trip. I think it was Czech Republic. From a Czech Army rifle cleaning kit -- one side held solvent, the other oil.

 

[mikegt4]

Saw this nice collection at a tractor show a few months ago. Sorry about the phone photo tilt.

 

[four.cycle]

just picked this one up.

Oil Can 2" O.D. x 2¾" H. by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[DFB]

I also have a Brass Eagle like first seen in post #12. I had to polish it up as it was seriously tarnished when I acquired it!

We had bunch of different sizes of the old bottom type pump oil cans around when I was a kid. Shamefully I don't have a single one of them today.

Woefully I bought a pump can from HF some years ago POS leaks wicked. One of the reviewers suggests solder filling the crimped seam. Now that sounds like a good idea. Some assembly required.

 

[COL911]

Here's another one, with label

 

[MacTexas]

Now I need to get all mine in one place and take a picture.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hi All,

Great thread, 2oolhound!

Here is an oiler I picked up at a flea market last weekend. The tip of the spout is threaded and so is the female fitting on the stopper, which also has a needle applicator. I am guessing this is a gunsmith oiler.

This one is a little more modern, probably from the 1960's. It's a plastic US Army M14 Rifle Cleaning Kit LUBRICANT CASE. The number is a US Army stock number, not a Mfgr's part number. One compartment was for oil, the other for rifle grease or “LSA” as it was know due to the nomenclature (LUBRICANT, SMALL ARMS). The screw off caps have applicators attached to them.

Fans of all the trigger-type oilers on display in this thread (I have a Plews, a Gem, and a CRAFTSMAN) may enjoy this image, from a 1945 government catalog.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As long as I am here - I am looking for a zinc oiler, 1/2-oz capacity, with a 2-1/2” spout!

 

[JMLangford]

Here's what few I have.......Small copper one, second one in the pic is Outter's Gun Oil with the label gone and it's the one I use all the time. Third one is an old can of 3in1 I've had on a shelf for years (to many to remember) only about a 1/4 of the can is left. Red one I got a week or so back at the flea market.

The little copper one I got maybe last year (?) and I was resisting with every fiber in my body to not shine it up like a new penny! It also leaks like a sieve!!

The red one I just couldn't stand to not clean it up.....I don't think of rust as a patina so I had to paint it!!......I may fill it with Outter's Gun Oil and use it all the time at my bench.

Sorry for the large pics!

.

 

[paulm12]

a few of the oilers that I have, nothing special, but after seeing some of these I will start looking out for them.

 

[COL911]

JM,
The "little copper one" looks exactly like one I have. Is yours truly copper? Check it with a magnet, mine is only copper plated, and very thin plating at that. Polishing could tear up that patina.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Here are SOME of mine. The blue one I got in the summer for a dollar at a YS , made in USA . I one I use the most is the quart size goldenrod.

 

[straightcut]

This post is going to drive up the price of the brass Eagle oil cans!

My grandfather always had a few around. After years of frustration with junk oil cans, I picked up about four of the brass Eagles off of eBay. Hopefully, I'm all set on that front.

 

[Bellaireroad]

Nice looking oilers on here

 

[Surreal001]

Here are mine. Left to right : 1)a little brass oiler that leaks like everyone else's. I used some heat shrink tubing to seal up the tube after solder stopped it completely up. 2) An Eagle diaphragm can. 3) Fleet Tools oiler. 4 and 5) Home made cans for use at the drill press. One has cutting oil and the other has kerosene. The first three were my grandfather's.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found this at a flea market today. It was inside an old hip roof toolbox. I have no idea how old it is, or its value, but I like it!

It will go quite nicely with these finds from last year - a Singer 100-year anniversary commemorative tape measure and a SIMANCO wrench, which was apparently in the Singer repair kit!

 

[oldldh]

$ 11.23 from Amazon...

A new oiler!!!

And...

GASP!!!

Made in Nebraska!!!!

Ya gotta love it!!!!

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I like the old oilers and keep quite a few around the shop where they are handy to use.



These few that are mostly retired now are my favorites. Ed.

 

[EPA7]

$ 11.23 from Amazon...

A new oiler!!!

And...

GASP!!!

Made in Nebraska!!!!

Ya gotta love it!!!!

How does it work and does it leak? I just got a lathe and realized I need several of these little bad boys.

 

[foghorn1966]

Golden rod cans are great, don't leak bad. I've been screwing around with the spout tip on one to try to get it to work on the ball oilers on my lathe, no great success yet though. Have managed to bend the pump arm trying to get oil in the oilers.
Suggestions welcome.

 

[pstemari]

Golden rod cans are great, don't leak bad. I've been screwing around with the spout tip on one to try to get it to work on the ball oilers on my lathe, no great success yet though. Have managed to bend the pump arm trying to get oil in the oilers.
Suggestions welcome.

One site suggested filling a notch to allow oil to get around the ball--epic fail.

The Goldenrod with the flat end on the nozzle seems to work best, but often the ball oilers don't have much room behind them. I've got about six on my lathe, the two on the cross slide and compound **** up oil, the two on the feed and lead screw bracket only accept a drop, and the two on the tail stock differ depending on where the ram is. If the ram is directly underneath them, only a drop will go in, if it's slid past them you can dump a gallon of oil in there.

One other site suggested adding a soft plastic (eg tygon) tube around the nozzle to help seal it. I haven't tried that yet.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[2oolhound]

Love my Craftsman oil can the most, but there are others to show off. The little one is especially cool!Brian

Yes, that Craftsman is a nice find and your little one is… well, a little squirt al right.


Brian[/QUOTE]

This is a nice thread. There should be a lot more posts with all the cans out there.

2oolhound suggested I post a while back. I just expanded the Ford collection by one today (can on the right).

So here's my little Ford collection:

Those Ford cans are sweet! Nice find and restoration on the mummified one!

Here's one of mine -- picked it up on a recent trip. I think it was Czech Republic. From a Czech Army rifle cleaning kit -- one side held solvent, the other oil.

Wow bulletpruf, that little brass unit is such a peculiar shape, very unique! Thanks for posting!

Saw this nice collection at a tractor show a few months ago. Sorry about the phone photo tilt.

Nice to see other collections out there.

just picked this one up.

That's in nice shape, still very useable

I also have a Brass Eagle like first seen in post #12. I had to polish it up as it was seriously tarnished when I acquired it!

We had bunch of different sizes of the old bottom type pump oil cans around when I was a kid. Shamefully I don't have a single one of them today.

Woefully I bought a pump can from HF some years ago POS leaks wicked. One of the reviewers suggests solder filling the crimped seam. Now that sounds like a good idea. Some assembly required.

Those are nice and clean looking now!

COL911, that looks like solid brass, nice find!

Hi All,

Great thread, 2oolhound!

Here is an oiler I picked up at a flea market last weekend. The tip of the spout is threaded and so is the female fitting on the stopper, which also has a needle applicator. I am guessing this is a gunsmith oiler.

This one is a little more modern, probably from the 1960's. It's a plastic US Army M14 Rifle Cleaning Kit LUBRICANT CASE. The number is a US Army stock number, not a Mfgr's part number. One compartment was for oil, the other for rifle grease or “LSA” as it was know due to the nomenclature (LUBRICANT, SMALL ARMS). The screw off caps have applicators attached to them.

Thanks Lugnutz! I love your lay down oiler. You aught to fill it with halibut liver oil only since it's kinda sideways like a halibut. The gun oiler is neat also and thanks for posting the catalog shot!

It's been a while since any awards have gone out but this one's a tie for the most most unusual. Along with the halibut oiler bullitprof's brass oiler here is tied:



Fortunately Lucas Oil has furnished a team of two expert oilers.

Will have to catch up with this thread asap but keep em coming guys, we're seeing samples I'd never knew existed!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ran across this oil can last fall at the swap meet but it was too rich for my blood so I didn't buy it. I did take some snaps of it on the seller's table though, check it out.

It features a "swing Spout" with a shut off valve

I think the base metal is cooper

I't's a real piece of art.

 

[2oolhound]

Hey JM, good to see that one back in service. Now you have to work on getting some new patina back on it

You have a good start there paulm12!

Bottlecapdigger are you holding out on us? I passed on one of those tall golden rod pumpers at the swap meet. Waited for the price to go down but only the short one was left when I went back so that's all I ended up with. I really like those, they're so easy to fill.

Surreal001 those pop can oilers are great. Do you have any photos showing the inside of how the spout is fixed to the top? I just might try my hand at making one. nice work!

Private Lugnutz You did it again! another unique find with the singer oil can. I like the price, 20 cents. That's one of the nicest cans I think I've seen and the label is in such good condition.

oldldh I like that new design with the super wide base. Very stable.

I like the old oilers and keep quite a few around the shop where they are handy to use.



These few that are mostly retired now are my favorites. Ed.

Oh man Ed, You have a great collection there! Those yellow ones with the filler caps look like the golden rod units. I really like working with them but the aladdin's lamp style ones a very special one. I gotta say though those two squat squash bug looking ones are my favourites in your collection. They remind me of a porsche or some type of old italian sports car in their sawed off close to the ground style. Now I want one. They'd be right at home on a boat, you could never tip em over.
I'm not even going to discuss the two pumps, I'll just say I envy your collection


…..well hell, you deserve a prize for having such a great collection of users but mainly for those porsche styled ones. You get the most sensual oiler award!

 

[FJ 432]

A few of mine collected over the years.

 

[2oolhound]

FJ 432, YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME HERE! I was riding high on my transparent blue Eagle oiler and you not only do you post another one but you also post3 more in red, amber and green! Those ones are so nice, it's handy to see the oil level as soon as you go to grab it. Not only that but you post another one of my coveted micro aluminum projector oilers too. and all this just after Ed posts another alladin's lamp. Talk about being upseated.
I don't think we've seen any like those two little ones you have up front, they are well made. Those two on the right hand side look like they sit in special cups with a wide rimmed stabilizer base, is that so? Also that tall stainless oiler on the left rear is a really nice well built unit. If you are able to shed more light on it that would be interesting. Lastly that blue inverted funnel shaped one is different. I'll be posting some very similar made in England ones next which I thought were kind of unique till I saw that one .

Don't be afraid to post some individual shots or some detail shots of some of these rare ones guys. Roverbo in post #11 is a good example. It's easy to miss some of these design frills that adds extra functionality or flare to the tool and many of us find some interest in these details. This thread is becoming a great resource for an item that is both functional and very novel at the same time. Thanks All for posting.

I've been screwing around with the spout tip on one to try to get it to work on the ball oilers on my lathe, no great success yet though..

To add to pstemari's input most ball valves have a flat platform that the ball sticks up out of. I think the idea is to place the flat face of the oiler against this flat surface holding it flat with pressure then let the pump pressure and oil flow force the ball down against it's internal spring. If the ball valve is large enough to get a small tip into then the tip will force the ball down and the side of the tip will seal against the side of the ball valve opening but the flow of oil will still need to compress the spring. Perhaps this is the scenario suggested for the technique of filing a cross cut in the tip of the oiler. I have found the ball valves on lathes to be quite small though so you'd need a really small tip for this to work. Oil pumps like Oregon rock crusher posted are supposed to be good for giving extra pressure to ball valves.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ran into a long time member locally, Sunny, who let me photograph some of his oilers and oil cans. 1st up are these little funnel shaped ones with good nozzles on the ends. They are made in England.

Next is this cool Symons oiler made in Saskatchewan, Canada and wearing a brass tag.

Last is a nice collection of tin can oilers and a very small oil can. Some of these are quite old. The 3 stormy Archer are cool. Sturmey Archer used to make motorcycle engines and transmissions up into the 1950's including Triumph and Norton. They are over 100 years old and have always made bicycles too. They made the 1st 3 speed bicycle hubs and today make many bicycle parts.

Check out this youtube video for some interesting history on the company and the 3 speed hubs they're famous for.

 

[foghorn1966]

2oolhound that Symons can is awesome!

 

[2oolhound]

2oolhound that Symons can is awesome!

Thanks. Your comment made me search them and I found lots of info here: including this catalog page but in high res. Now that I see it I think I already have a few of my own.

(How quickly we forget, I have a link to this site on my 1st post) Duh…

web page:

http://www.wdm.ca/artifact_articles/oilcan.html

 

[Jolomite]

Here are mine. Left to right : 1)a little brass oiler that leaks like everyone else's. I used some heat shrink tubing to seal up the tube after solder stopped it completely up. 2) An Eagle diaphragm can. 3) Fleet Tools oiler. 4 and 5) Home made cans for use at the drill press. One has cutting oil and the other has kerosene. The first three were my grandfather's.

Nice collection. Glad you got to have some momentos from your grandfather. Are your two homemade cans just open on top? Are those straws/ spouts in them or acid brushes? Looks good!

 

[MikeF2316]

I've been meaning to post in this thread for ages, I finally got my collection (of 2 ) together. My dad had 2 pump oil cans, the primary one was exactly like #6 in the OP. That thing spent more time on its side leaking than standing up. The other one is like the first one in post 45. It was only used for pumping oil/atf through the filler plugs of manual transmissions. He also had several like #15 in the OP, but his had smaller reservoirs.

Here are mine. The one on the left is the only tool I have of my grandfathers (mother's father). He wasn't much of a tool guy or a fixer, so he never had many tools. It lives in the basement. The one on the right is a recent purchase from Princess Auto. It lives in the garage.

 

[pstemari]

Whoops, dup.

 

[Trex76us]

Will this count?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks Lugnutz! I love your lay down oiler. You aught to fill it with halibut liver oil only since it's kinda sideways like a halibut. The gun oiler is neat also and thanks for posting the catalog shot!

It's been a while since any awards have gone out but this one's a tie for the most most unusual. Along with the halibut oiler bullitprof's brass oiler here is tied:

That figures. My first award since 1974, when I was voted 'Most Likely To End Up in Reform School,' and it's a tie!

I ran across this oil can last fall at the swap meet but it was too rich for my blood so I didn't buy it. I did take some snaps of it on the seller's table though, check it out.

As the name of the company (Swingspout Measure Co.) which fabricated that particular example implies, 2oolhound, that bottom-dispensing oil vessel was actually called a “measure” in old garage parlance. They came in several different sizes. The most prevalent makers out there were Huffman and Brookins in Ohio.

Here’s a Huffman with a trigger-operated flipper at the top that opens and closes the valve at the bottom. The nozzle is flexible, but does not swing.

And here are some period photos and manual references:

Private Lugnutz You did it again! another unique find with the singer oil can. I like the price, 20 cents. That's one of the nicest cans I think I've seen and the label is in such good condition.

Thanks. I was thrilled with the condition. I think it may have been in the original toolbox for many years.

 

[Grimly]

1 - Golden Rod Deluxe 1 pint pump with separate filler cap and long flexible spout. I keep it near my lathe and drill press for cutting lube.


13 - I call this my Alladin’s Lamp Oiler, everything is soldered into place with no access to the pump.

I have the plastic-bodied version of No1, which is cheap and cheerful and stocked by my local farmers' store. Does the job and is usually filled with ATF as a GP lubricant. I will be buying more of them for other lubes.

No 13 in various makes has been in and out of my working life on several occasions. Confusingly, on some otherwise identical versions, the pump is just a valve, or maybe they were defective.

 

[ecotec]

These are my best ones. I only buy ones with vintage labels.