Early Oil Cans

[Original Smith]

Russ Furstnow posted a wonderful article on tools. I agree with most of it, but disagree with the oil can photos. I emailed Russ, and he encouraged me to post the photos of the early oil cans in my collection. The Maple City oil can is the actual oil can pictured in the parts books. It has the Ford logo in two places just under the neck. The next oil can was made during the same period by Noera. It has a larger neck than the Maple City one. The threaded part of the neck on the Maple City can is made of brass, and the neck on the Noera is larger and made of steel. Both of these oil cans still have most of the original plating.

[KimDobbins]

I have 4 early cans, 2 of which Larry already posted. The large mouth Norea, patient 1908 I think was used for a few years and is fairly common. The next 3 are fairly rare.
One has no name
Maple City mfg Monmouth ILL USA
Marshall-Wells HDW CO.

[KimDobbins]

More pictures

[MWalker]

I haven't seen the Marshall-Wells one before. I have the others.

[Original Smith]

It's interesting, the Marshall & Wells can appears identical to the Maple City. Even the script is the same. The one I'm wondering about is the umarked one, which could be a Noera?

[cwlittle]

Just a thought. Since Marshall-Wells was a hardware distributor, could this top be from an oil can the same style as the Ford one that was made for M-W by Maple and the top married to the Ford can by a previous owner whose original top got damaged?

[Original Smith]

Charlie has a point. I have seen many later oil cans with similar tops as the Maple City, but have never tried one to check the fit.

[Darren J Wallace]

So is there a definitive way to date these oils cans to a particular year of T?

[cwlittle]

The December 1911 parts list shows an oil can that has a top like the Maple City can with the double Ford markings pictured above. The 1915 parts book shows a can with a wider top.

[Original Smith]

I've been collecting tools for my cars for dozens of years. I study the pictures in the parts books for the year of my car. I also take into consideration that the photos in the parts books are known to be off a year. I also understand that with the exception of the band wrench, there was no Ford script on any of the tools until the late teens.

[ModelTWoods]

The cans marked with an E and Ford script were later; possibly Model A cans, weren't they?

[sweet23]

I have been trying to put together a time line with Model T tools as well. The parts catalogs are only some help, with many years not having any tool photos. There are also tools listed that have no photo. The oil cans do change through the years in the parts catalog photos. I think those ones with the very small cap opening are the earliest as Larry Smith suggests. It looks like '24 -'27 used the can with female threaded cap, using the parts list photos as a guide. As for the can with the E, I don't know. Model A only came with an oil can until May of '28, and have not been able to find out what version of can that is Model A. The Model A site is vague on the oil can. Does anyone have any information on Ford documents that could be helpful ?

[Dropacent]

Just going from old memory but the cans with a large E were made by eagle. They were made back in the day, but the original manufacturer made a special run of them for some model T event maybe 30-40 years ago now. They were painted gold, and I have one that is as new. Other than that, I don’t know. I will compare an original E can to the late one, and report back. I think the late one is a tad taller, but the vast majority of original cans have a bit of spout missing.
jMHO , but dating cans has to include a lot of guessing. Unless Ford work orders are hiding somewhere in the archives, damn near impossible. It’s always amazed me the model A guys can date a tool or part or accessory to a particular month, often times. Doesn’t the same paperwork survive for the T?

[Mark Nunn]

My oil can is like the '24-'27 style described above. It seeps a little through the bottom joint so I leave it on a shop towel on the workbench. I want to re-solder it. I can clean all of the oil from the can's surfaces but I don't know the best method of cleaning the joint. Has anyone successfully re-soldered their oil can?

[Dropacent]

Mark, I have 12 cans, each one very different. Not one shows any sign of ever being soldered. I could see where one has a long life, perhaps the rolled seam at the bottom is worn through. You can perhaps solder it if you really make all the old oil evaporate. If it still has any copper plating , perhaps not such a good idea. If you don’t see any holes or wear marks, that seam could perhaps be rolled tightly.
I’ve seen more than one over the years with the bottom totally rusted out.

[Chuck Regan]

Mark, though not an oil can, I’ve repaired a leaking bottom seam on a 1940’s Dietz kerosene lantern with spar varnish - poured a little in the lantern base, swished it around to cover the seam, let it dry for a few days. Five plus years later - still no leaks.