A Slick Resto
A greasy little oil can left behind by the original owners gets cleaned, repaired, painted, and returned to work.
Guess I'm feeling a bit punny (dad joke)! Okay, let's face it - there's really nothing exciting about an oil can. I mean, there are all kinds of these cans, pumpers with rigid or flexible spouts, oil cans that pour, spring bottom oil cans, and oil cans that I have no idea as to what they're called. Nonetheless, there's really nothing exciting about them. But sometimes, they get a moment in the sun - and this is one of those moments.
Another Small Inheritance from the Moshers
You'd think there wouldn't be much to say about a simple oil can, and really - you'd be right. But this can is a little special in that it was an inheritance from the Moshers, who were the original owners of 173. If you've ever bought a previously loved house, you likely found that the former owners left a few things behind. That was the case here at 173. There weren't a lot of things left behind, but there were a few - some of which have been incorporated in the current iteration of this home. Items like this little chair...
At first that chair sat in the basement for a couple years. It was yellow with orange accents, and there really wasn't a place for it. Then with the porch remodels, it found a spot next to the porch door. At first I had it painted red, but with the most recent remodel I changed it up to white and green. And here's an understated little artifact that was left behind, but remains a treasured piece...
See that old catcher's mask? I was a catcher back in the day, so it just kinda wriggled its way into my heart. Come to think of it, that hook was inherited too. I know that because I have never bought one, and I put it on the ol' rustic book case when I built it. I have a few more of them in the shop. Anyway, here's my goofy proof of being a catcher:
A few of my favorite Mosher-related posts:
∙ 173's First Christmas Mantel (Maybe) - December, 2017
∙ June, 2011 - $5 Potting Bench
∙ Made at 173: Rustic Book Case - June, 2013
∙ June, 2013 - The Plant Stand
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You might also like: The Megaposts!
None of these things would bring much at an auction, and I doubt the Moshers gave them much thought when they left. But over the years they have become small points of continuity between their time at 173 and ours. A chair finds a new place on the porch, an old catcher’s mask becomes part of a bookcase display, and a forgotten oil can returns to the workshop. They are ordinary objects, but together they remind me that a house never changes hands completely empty.
Cleaning Decades of Oil and Grime
Having been an oil can for who knows how many decades, the oil can was, well, oily. So before it could be restored, it really needed to be cleaned up. I thought for awhile about the best way to clean it up (have I ever mentioned I have a tendency to overthink?).
Then it dawned on me - when there's those tragic oil spills, they clean the birds who got mixed up in all that petroleum with Dawn Dishwashing Liquid.
As you can see by the water, it worked like a charm. While the parts look a bit oily still, they weren't - it was just staining, which was simple enough to deal with using the wire wheel and sandpaper...
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. - J. Paul Getty
Choosing Cherry Red - Again
As much as I've never really been fond of painting, I seem to have been doing a lot of it lately. In our last post I even kiddingly mentioned that Cherry Red was my signature color. I say kiddingly because even though I've sprayed a few snips in this color, it was really just a matter of fate.
With a small crate full of spray paints, when I first chose a color for the Red Devil snips, the color seemed predestined. It turned out that the Krylon Cherry Red was not only red, the spray can worked! Somehow, that's just how things work out!
Well, the decision was made to paint the oil can and the time had come to choose a color. Being a fan of yellow I strongly considered getting a can of some honey-colored paint. But I struggled with yet another can of spray paint lying around. And that - when I had a perfectly good can (or twenty) of paint already here at 173. On top of that, I like the challenge of doing projects with little or no cost. After way overthinking this for a few days, I found peace when I decided to go with Cherry Red.
Repairing the Dents and Preparing for Paint
But before I could get to painting, there was still some prep to do. There were a number of tiny dings in the can, and of course that just wouldn't do. So I got some Bondo body filler and went at it...
Of course, when you do that plenty of sanding follows. In the end though, the old can just looked like it had a case of measles (or maybe small pox?).
After the sanding and taping, a couple coats of primer with sanding in between coats, had the oil can looking a little different!
Here's a fun little picture, after taping the cap, I plugged the spout with tooth picks to keep paint from lining the spout - worked like a charm!
Painting the Oil Can
The decision made and the prep work all done, it was time to paint! As much as I don't like painting, I'm starting to like spray painting...it's over so quick! Here's the first of three coats:
I sanded between each coat, I think with 2,000 grit. And in what seemed like absolutely no time the painting was done! I had polished the cap, but I wanted the spout to be the color of the can, I think it was a good decision!
Back at Work in the House 173 Workshop
I crack me up! A silly little oil can, but I was so tickled with it! In fact, tickled enough that I posed the can - I'll spare you most of the pictures, but I can't resist the goofiness of showing a couple. This one - randomly posed on the garden bench, which requires absolutely no oiling...
And on the shed's window sill. While the shed clearly needs no oiling, at least there are things in the shed that do need an occasional drop or two!
Of course its new home is on the workbench, filled with some good ol' Valvoline just waiting for opportunities to lubricate - something!
And finally, a before and after!
And with that, the old, inherited spring bottom oil can at 173 looks brand new again!
Thanks for visiting!
I would have walked past this oil can.
That's the truth.
At an estate sale, I would have noticed the chair, picked up the catcher’s mask, and perhaps rummaged through a box of old tools. The greasy little oil can would have stayed on the shelf.
Then you washed it, filled the dents, primed it, painted it red, posed it on a garden bench, and somehow made me understand why it belonged there.
The restoration is nice, but the inheritance is better. The Moshers probably never imagined someone would write a whole post about that can decades later. They likely regarded it as nothing more than something used to quiet a squeaky hinge or lubricate a tool.
Perhaps that is why I like it.
The grand possessions usually leave with the family. The ordinary ones remain behind and quietly tell us how the house was actually lived in.
Also, keeping the same tube of grease since 1997 is frugal.
Keeping the same oil can for generations may qualify as a family tradition. - An Estate-Sale Browser
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you remove old oil and grease before restoring a metal oil can?
The most important step is removing oily residue before sanding, filling, priming, or painting. I began with hot water and dishwashing liquid, which cut through the surface grease and made the parts much easier to handle. Some dark staining remained, but it was no longer oily and could be addressed mechanically with a wire wheel and sandpaper.
A clean surface is especially important before painting. Oil left in seams, around the cap, or near the spout can migrate back onto the metal and interfere with primer adhesion. It may take several washings and careful drying before the can is ready for refinishing.
Should an old metal oil can be polished or painted?
That depends on the condition of the metal and the look you want. Polishing can be attractive when the steel is relatively smooth and free of deep corrosion or dents. This can had staining, pitting, and numerous small imperfections. After several sanding attempts, I realized that achieving a bright polished finish would require removing more material and spending more time than the project justified.
Painting allowed me to stabilize the surface, conceal the repairs, and give the can a clean, durable appearance. It also let me return it to useful service without pretending the old steel was flawless.
Can body filler be used to repair dents in a metal oil can?
Body filler can be used on small cosmetic dents and depressions as long as the metal is clean, dry, and properly prepared. I used a small amount of Bondo to level the minor dings, then sanded it smooth before applying primer.
The filler does not restore structural strength, so it would not be appropriate for cracks, severe corrosion, or damage that affects the pump mechanism. In this case, the dents were cosmetic and the can itself remained solid and functional.
How do you keep paint out of an oil-can spout and cap?
Masking the threaded and working areas prevents paint from interfering with assembly or contaminating the oil later. I taped the cap and plugged the narrow spout with toothpicks before priming and painting.
The method was simple but effective. The toothpicks kept overspray out of the passage while allowing the exterior of the spout to receive the same finish as the body. After the paint cured, they could be removed without leaving adhesive residue inside.
Is an inexpensive inherited tool worth restoring?
Financially, this oil can may never be worth much. Its value comes from its connection to the house and the people who lived here before us. The Moshers left only a handful of objects behind, and several have gradually become part of the present-day life of House 173.
Restoring the can allowed it to remain useful rather than becoming a forgotten basement artifact. It now occupies the same workshop, in the same house, performing essentially the same job it may have performed decades ago. That continuity makes the time spent on it worthwhile.
Keywords
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