Show your oiler cans

[ecotec]

I am hoping to find a couple more today. I got street number #2 at an estate sale today...

There are so many good ones in this thread. I really like the light blue (Eagle rebranded one?) with the globe logo in FJ432's collection.

 

[FMC1959]

When we go to flea markets, my in-laws always buy many things for my wife. They were "complaining" that I never want anything and that they wanted to get me some things. A few weeks ago when we went to the flea market, I was looking at some nice oil cans....that was it, from that point on they bought me every oil can we came across.

This was a one day haul; if I remember correctly, one was $10, another $8, the rest were $5 or less. I was happy, some nice Eagle's, Goldenrod's, and a few other name brands, as well as a couple of no name.









A week later, they stopped by the house with another 6 they had found on their own. I went from a couple of old oil cans to about 25 in a matter of 10 days!

 

[2oolhound]

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.

Hey, nice to have something handed down through the family

Will this count?

Yep, them's oil cans. Maybe cardboard bodies but not plastic either.

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

Hey Lug, thanks for the education and all the info on these "Measures" Gotta get me some for sure...

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.

I had an op to buy another similar #13 that worked for $15 but I must be getting cheap or too many of these because I passed on it. Maybe I'm going to start being like ecotec below and just buy ones with labels.

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

Wish I'd done that from the get go. Those labels make them much more interesting. Great collection!

When we go to flea markets, my in-laws always buy many things for my wife. They were "complaining" that I never want anything and that they wanted to get me some things. A few weeks ago when we went to the flea market, I was looking at some nice oil cans....that was it, from that point on they bought me every oil can we came across.
I went from a couple of old oil cans to about 25 in a matter of 10 days!

You're scarin me FMC, I've only got 29 and I've been at this for a while. The IH one is unique. You're off to a heck of a start!

Thanks for posting by the way. It prompted me to fix my photo bucket mess in this thread.

Here are some of my latest acquisitions:

The Italians -

I finally got a hold of a pen oiler!

and here's an updated family portrait showing my old ones with the newer ones. (I've already scored a couple more).

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I thought I was the only with this affliction. First photo are cans I've collected on a shelf. The second is my daily can, one that my father had.

 

[JimNC]

Only have a few. I'm partial to the Eagle in the center as there is no seam at the bottom. Also like the little eagle. The diaphragm can is actually used for powdered graphite.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...and here's an updated family portrait showing my old ones with the newer ones. (I've already scored a couple more).

Haha. Neat idea, 2oolhound.

I thought I was the only with this affliction.

Welcome to the ward, joe. As you can see it's not as active as the vise thread, or the grinder thread, or the (pick any other 'affliction') thread, but they couldn't operate without us and a little well-placed lubrication!

I have two updates.

First up, a new addition to my small but growing Singer collection. Found this in very rusty condition (as evidence by the residual spotting) at the bottom of a toolbox.

View media item 75347
View media item 75348
Next up is this little squeeze jobbie. It has a plastic reservoir with a long offset brass stem.

View media item 75349
The tip screws open and closed, but cannot be removed - a smart design, given its tiny and easily lost size!

View media item 75357
This one was found inside the main compartment of this old KNICKERBOCKER traveling repairman case.

View media item 75089
Several of the tools inside were marked GESTETNER and MADE IN ENGLAND, so I think the old timer was repairing and maintaining primitive duplicating machines in the 50’s.

My GJ thread on that bag located on the vintage board here if you're interested in reading more about the case itself.

 

[FMC1959]

Haha. Neat idea, 2oolhound.


Welcome to the ward, joe. As you can see it's not as active as the vise thread, or the grinder thread, or the (pick any other 'affliction') thread, but they couldn't operate without us and a little well-placed lubrication!

I have two updates.

First up, a new addition to my small but growing Singer collection. Found this in very rusty condition (as evidence by the residual spotting) at the bottom of a toolbox.

View media item 75347

Weird coincidence I guess....

I was reading this post by Private Lugnutz, and found the little Singer oiler pretty cool. The doorbell rings and it is my in-laws, and brought over stuff for my wife's arts and crafts hobby/side business.

She makes these Steampunk characters




The in-laws are retired and like frequenting flea markets, and brought over some old pocket watches, metal funnels, old wire rim glasses among other things for the characters she makes. Then says she says "I also have a bag of these"...




She then looked at me and said to me "I wish you would come along, I would like to get you some stuff also"

She barely got the words out of her mouth, I was putting the oilers back in the bag and off to my garage. She had forgotten that I liked these things, but what was crazy is the little Singer oiler that I only seen the one on the post I was just reading.

My wife laughed as I took off with my haul.

They are all pretty nice, but the Singer is extra nice with the name on it.

 

[Fedelis]

Why did I read this thread? Now I'm going to buy more oilers I don't need...

 

[Empty Pockets]

Why did I read this thread? Now I'm going to buy more oilers I don't need...

I have the same problem

 

[Mikeske]

I picked this little one up and passed on the big yellow one. The little one was $1.50 in a antique store and the big one was $300.00. It is not visible but the big oiler was to dispense bulk oil into a receiving can to do oil changes. the little one is now in my shop.

 

[davethorik]

Here's my sole contribution...looks like I have a ways to go compared to some of y'all.

On the bright side, I got this Eagle for free bc it was in an eviction apartment I had to clean out.

 

[Jazz1]

I got all but the blue oiler on eBay as a package..and vendor shipped them full. Box was soaked with oil.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Weird coincidence I guess.... [ ] ...they are all pretty nice, but the Singer is extra nice with the name on it.

And in much better condition than mine. Funny story and koinkydink! And I like your in-laws' steampunk characters. Thanks for sharing those photos.

the big one was $300.00.

Dang!

Box was soaked with oil.

Haha. Some people just have no common sense.

 

[skruft]

All very nice!

Plus, those of us who collect clocks have clock oilers or cans we have found with very small spouts, nothing special.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Found this one today at the early bird flea market.

EDIT: In going through this thread form the beginning, I see that 2oolhound has a friend with a version of these that actually says, MADE IN ENGLAND, with no reference to a Continental Arms Company of New York. Link to his post here. Mine says, vaguely, and perhaps purposefully vaguely, ENGLAND, not MADE IN ENGLAND, but I am now guessing that it was indeed made in England and imported by Continental Arms Company of New York.

 

[billybudge]

Great photos, and a nice collection, keep it going, you can never have enough, I also am a collector of automobilia, well anything garage and tool related, I am constantly buying as much as I can from flea markets, auctions,car boots sales on line anywhere I can, and not planning on stopping until the good lord pulls the chain,and then I m not going .
heres a little selection, I do have a lot more, but not taken many photos yet,
you guys have some fantastic items, really nice to see,

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice collection, billy.

Do you know anything about the reference to "England" on the oiler I just posted above? It wasn't made in England, but I am wondering if that spout design, which the American mfgr is promoting as leak-proof, is famously English.

 

[Monte]

Goldenrod oiler

 

[Shehzada]

Goldenrod oiler

That's the one I bought in November 2016 and have yet to use it. How do u like it? Just hope it doesn't leak.

Goldenrod oiler

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[FMC1959]

I finally got around to make a shelving system for my oilers. First off is just my various lubes I use on a daily basis.


This is the 3rd shelf, which has the largest oilers, including on the far left, a 24" oilr labeled "CNR" (Canadian National Railway)...t's a beauty and my nicest (I think)


This is the 2nd shelf, which has medium sized


And this is the 1st or front shelf, which has medium, small and minis.


This last View shows how the Oiler can shelves are hinged and open to get to the everyday stuff I use.


Not perfect, but it finally gets the cans on display rather than piled up in boxes.

 

[billybudge]

I finally got around to make a shelving system for my oilers. First off is just my various lubes I use on a daily basis.


This is the 3rd shelf, which has the largest oilers, including on the far left, a 24" oilr labeled "CNR" (Canadian National Railway)...t's a beauty and my nicest (I think)


This is the 2nd shelf, which has medium sized


And this is the 1st or front shelf, which has medium, small and minis.


This last View shows how the Oiler can shelves are hinged and open to get to the everyday stuff I use.


Not perfect, but it finally gets the cans on display rather than piled up in boxes.

Now that is a very nice collection, they look superb, great way to display, really nice, well done

 

[AA/FC]

I've had this one in my garage for decades. I searched and didn't find much about these. It looks like the patent was originally applied for on July 5th 1949. Sorry for the decades of schmutz, I wiped it off quickly.

Very common, or not common at all?

 

[WWheeler]

I finally got around to make a shelving system for my oilers. First off is just my various lubes I use on a daily basis.
[...]

Very nice.

But will the hinges be able to hold the extra weight of shelf #4? 5? 6?

 

[FMC1959]

Now that is a very nice collection, they look superb, great way to display, really nice, well done

Thanks, not as nice as some displays others have made. For me, this was more utilitarian as it finally got them out of afew boxes I threw them into.

Very nice.

But will the hinges be able to hold the extra weight of shelf #4? 5? 6?

Time will tell...but I started getting oilers for shelf #4....never heard of either one of these


This one is nice and solidly built, as well a good size; anyone ever heard of Noera?


This one was very nice and clean. Never heard of Beatty oilers. At first I thought it might a company logo like...e.g. Hewlett Packard or Gilette put on by an oiler company; but the named is embossed with raised lettering, so it must be the name of the actual oiler can company.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I got a few since I posted in this thread originally:

 

[Copymutt]

My oil can

 

[notlob]

This one is nice and solidly built, as well a good size; anyone ever heard of Noera?

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2013/08/vanished-too-makers-noera-manufacturing.html

"Frank Paul Noera invented the refillable tin oiler in Waterbury, Connecticut in the late 1800's. Waterbury was once famous as the "Brass City" and eventually came to be dominated by "The Big Three": Scovill Manufacturing, the Chase Brass and Copper Company and Anaconda-American Brass. Chase purchased Noera in 1909, but left Frank Noera, "king of the oil can," in charge until his retirement in 1924."

 

[FMC1959]

http://progress-is-fine.blogspot.com/2013/08/vanished-too-makers-noera-manufacturing.html

"Frank Paul Noera invented the refillable tin oiler in Waterbury, Connecticut in the late 1800's. Waterbury was once famous as the "Brass City" and eventually came to be dominated by "The Big Three": Scovill Manufacturing, the Chase Brass and Copper Company and Anaconda-American Brass. Chase purchased Noera in 1909, but left Frank Noera, "king of the oil can," in charge until his retirement in 1924."

Nice info, thanks

 

[Private Lugnutz]

anyone ever heard of Noera?

A 4" diameter NOERA oiler with a 4" straight spout was factory toolkit issue on all Dodge trucks (Weapons Carriers, Command Cars, etc) during WWII. A distinctive shape compared to the same and much more commonly found GEM and EAGLE oilers that were supplied to Willys and Ford jeeps.

 

[MikeF2316]

I finally remembered to take pics of my dad's oiler cans. The red one was the generally used "oil everything" can. The blue one was to pump oil in manual transmissions. The plastic squeeze one contained used engine oil - used to oil rusty nuts and bolts and bicycle chains.

 

[FMC1959]

A 4" diameter NOERA oiler with a 4" straight spout was factory toolkit issue on all Dodge trucks (Weapons Carriers, Command Cars, etc) during WWII. A distinctive shape compared to the same and much more commonly found GEM and EAGLE oilers that were supplied to Willys and Ford jeeps.

Great background info about these oilers

 

[2oolhound]

I thought I was the only with this affliction. First photo are cans I've collected on a shelf. The second is my daily can, one that my father had.

Nice collection Joe and you're not alone I like those quart jugs.

Only have a few. I'm partial to the Eagle in the center as there is no seam at the bottom. Also like the little eagle. The diaphragm can is actually used for powdered graphite.

Nice, I like that little one in the foreground. Lotta brass in that collection.

Haha. Neat idea, 2oolhound.


Welcome to the ward, joe. As you can see it's not as active as the vise thread, or the grinder thread, or the (pick any other 'affliction') thread, but they couldn't operate without us and a little well-placed lubrication!

I have two updates.

First up, a new addition to my small but growing Singer collection. Found this in very rusty condition (as evidence by the residual spotting) at the bottom of a toolbox.

Next up is this little squeeze jobbie. It has a plastic reservoir with a long offset brass stem.
The tip screws open and closed, but cannot be removed - a smart design, given its tiny and easily lost size!

This one was found inside the main compartment of this old KNICKERBOCKER traveling repairman case.

Several of the tools inside were marked GESTETNER and MADE IN ENGLAND, so I think the old timer was repairing and maintaining primitive duplicating machines in the 50’s.

My GJ thread on that bag located on the vintage board here if you're interested in reading more about the case itself.

I like that long necked squeeze oiler from the KNICKERBOCKER kit. It's always fun finding those off beat ones.

Weird coincidence I guess....

I was reading this post by Private Lugnutz, and found the little Singer oiler pretty cool. The doorbell rings and it is my in-laws, and brought over stuff for my wife's arts and crafts hobby/side business.
The in-laws are retired and like frequenting flea markets, and brought over some old pocket watches, metal funnels, old wire rim glasses among other things for the characters she makes. Then says she says "I also have a bag of these"...
She then looked at me and said to me "I wish you would come along, I would like to get you some stuff also"
She barely got the words out of her mouth, I was putting the oilers back in the bag and off to my garage. She had forgotten that I liked these things, but what was crazy is the little Singer oiler that I only seen the one on the post I was just reading.

My wife laughed as I took off with my haul.

They are all pretty nice, but the Singer is extra nice with the name on it.

It's always nice to buy in bulk! That singer IS a humdinger!

Fedelis and Empty Pockets - HE He He, welcome to the club or as Lugnutz puts it "THe Asylum!"

I picked this little one up and passed on the big yellow one. The little one was $1.50 in a antique store and the big one was $300.00. It is not visible but the big oiler was to dispense bulk oil into a receiving can to do oil changes. the little one is now in my shop.

So Mike, have you gone back and bought that yellow/limegreen one yet?

Here's my sole contribution...looks like I have a ways to go compared to some of y'all.

On the bright side, I got this Eagle for free bc it was in an eviction apartment I had to clean out.

Hey Dave, it's a start

I got all but the blue oiler on eBay as a package..and vendor shipped them full. Box was soaked with oil.

Jazz1 that sounds like it would have been a sticky mess. That long spouted low rider in the top left would have been worth the agrevation though. Nice score!

skruft don't be shy, post up some clock oilers ...please

Found this one today at the early bird flea market.

EDIT: In going through this thread form the beginning, I see that 2oolhound has a friend with a version of these that actually says, MADE IN ENGLAND, with no reference to a Continental Arms Company of New York. Link to his post here. Mine says, vaguely, and perhaps purposefully vaguely, ENGLAND, not MADE IN ENGLAND, but I am now guessing that it was indeed made in England and imported by Continental Arms Company of New York.

Interesting story on that Continental Arms Co oiler. This kind of rebranding has gone on for a long while and will continue to do so for a long time yet I suppose.

Great photos, and a nice collection, keep it going, you can never have enough, I also am a collector of automobilia, well anything garage and tool related, I am constantly buying as much as I can from flea markets, auctions,car boots sales on line anywhere I can, and not planning on stopping until the good lord pulls the chain,and then I m not going .
heres a little selection, I do have a lot more, but not taken many photos yet,
you guys have some fantastic items, really nice to see,

Very Nice Billy A nice collection and nicely displayed and cleaned up. Please don't be shy, post more for us squeaky wheels

I've had internet probs and not kept up here too well but here's a couple of needle oilers I've picked up.

 

[AngryBeaver]

i rounded most of them from the shop, garage, basement and gun room. forgot the quart one that looks like a watering can....

the winchester is still sealed. the hoppes is full but the seal was broken. I think its from my first gun cleaning kit that my grandfather gave me. I know i have more military oil cans somewhere with all the different military rifles I have.

the back side of the sunoco can is better than the front....

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

So I picked up the Craftsman oiler pictured today at a sale for $1.00.

I already had an Eagle oiler for a while - pictured together.

I want to see if a can have my son design and 3-d print a "flared base" for the craftsman oiler to make it look more like the eagle and make it harder to tip over.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Private Lugnutz]

2oolhound! It's been too long since I had something interesting or worthy of reporting, which all changed today at my flea market this morning.

Frankly, I'm not sure what I have here, but I have a couple instinctive guesses.

The collar on the brass spout is marked with the name of a well-known oil can maker, GEM MFG. CO. and PITTSBURGH, PA. As a WWII collector, I have had many of their spring steel bottom cans, 4 inches wide, with straight 4 inch spouts. There was a holder for them in the engine compartment, under the hood, of every WWII jeep. But those later cans were sleeker, not as tall or as bulbous as this one.

The can, which was copperized at one time, but shed most of that thin skin a long time ago (you can see some of it around the lip, and on the bottom), has a completely different marking. Around the top of the can, in two concentric circles, it's marked, * THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. * MAKERS HOT & COLD ROLLED STAMPING STEEL *

I had never heard of American Tube & Stamping so I did some searching. This is from page 441 of the 1910 American Trade Index.

One possibility is that the two pieces are from two different oilers, the Gem spout misplaced from its can, the American Tube & Stamping can missing its spout. But anyone who collects vintage oil cans knows that not many of them are interchangeable. They didn't all use the same threads. Gem and Eagle, for example, two of the biggest WWII suppliers, will not work with each other.

I think the other possibility is American and Gem having some kind of partnership. But that's a little wonky, too. Why not mark both pieces the same to prevent brand confusion?

The spout is one of those pressure-spring release jobbies. You have to depress the tip by hand or by pushing the tip or that lip against what you're oiling to compress the spring inside the can allowing oil to flow from the can through the spout. When the spout is not pushed, the spring is closed, and it's spill-free.

On top of everything else that's odd about it, the can has also been repaired with crude brazing a few times.

 

[2oolhound]

AngryBeaver a lot of yours are a little different from the norm. From the left 2 & 3 in the back with the horizontal pumps look to be kinda new fangled and 5 & 7 in the front row are neat shapes a step away from the norm. That Sunoco can is so 60's, I love it and those double spouted gun oilers are unique. Nice bunch of oilers you have there.

Jim those are the kinda prices I like. I have to pass up a lot of oilers because the price is just too dear. Adding a 3D flared base is a great idea. Kinda like AA/FC's add on looking outrigger on his C-man oiler above.

Private Lug that is an interesting oiler. Great shots too! That pump action is nice. My gut feeling on that oiler is GEM MFG. CO. produced the spout and pump but farmed out the vessel to a company who was set up to stamp out the metal bases and they went with THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, who did the work but added their mark to it as well. That's just my gut instinct. At any rate they did a nice job on that part and fit together it all makes a great little oiler, nice score!

The patch work on the bottom looks like what I did with a Snap-on compressor oil can I have. It must have been stored in a puddle because it rusted through on the bottom and was leaking red compressor oil so I did a down and dirty solder job on the bottom. I'll have to remember to snap a photo of that can.

 

[FMC1959]

2oolhound! It's been too long since I had something interesting or worthy of reporting, which all changed today at my flea market this morning.

Frankly, I'm not sure what I have here, but I have a couple instinctive guesses.

The collar on the brass spout is marked with the name of a well-known oil can maker, GEM MFG. CO. and PITTSBURGH, PA. As a WWII collector, I have had many of their spring steel bottom cans, 4 inches wide, with straight 4 inch spouts. There was a holder for them in the engine compartment, under the hood, of every WWII jeep. But those later cans were sleeker, not as tall or as bulbous as this one.

The can, which was copperized at one time, but shed most of that thin skin a long time ago (you can see some of it around the lip, and on the bottom), has a completely different marking. Around the top of the can, in two concentric circles, it's marked, * THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. * MAKERS HOT & COLD ROLLED STAMPING STEEL *

I had never heard of American Tube & Stamping so I did some searching. This is from page 441 of the 1910 American Trade Index.

One possibility is that the two pieces are from two different oilers, the Gem spout misplaced from its can, the American Tube & Stamping can missing its spout. But anyone who collects vintage oil cans knows that not many of them are interchangeable. They didn't all use the same threads. Gem and Eagle, for example, two of the biggest WWII suppliers, will not work with each other.

I think the other possibility is American and Gem having some kind of partnership. But that's a little wonky, too. Why not mark both pieces the same to prevent brand confusion?

The spout is one of those pressure-spring release jobbies. You have to depress the tip by hand or by pushing the tip or that lip against what you're oiling to compress the spring inside the can allowing oil to flow from the can through the spout. When the spout is not pushed, the spring is closed, and it's spill-free.

On top of everything else that's odd about it, the can has also been repaired with crude brazing a few times.

Very nice...I really like that tip with the built in pump system. Great find

 

[PT Doc]

That's the one I bought in November 2016 and have yet to use it. How do u like it? Just hope it doesn't leak.



Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

Is this more of a mister/sprayer! I too have a new one and haven’t yet filled it.

 

[PacificaVette]

I found an old "Swingspout"oil dispenser at an estate sale. The spout is 13" long, and pivots down to dispense the oil. The patent numbers are listed----1286517---1330537----1573895---1662050. I have never come across one of these before. Are they rare or unusual? Any idea when it was manufactured?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

See posts #68 and #78 in this thread, page 4.