I got this oil can from my Dad when he gave me his old drill press.

It reminded me of so many things I’ve seen on American Pickers. I started cleaning it up and then was able to read the top. It’s an old Eagle 66 oil can and pretty collectible. They sell for anywhere from $25 to $50 or more on eBay.

As I was taking it apart, small parts were falling out. Uh oh! Thankfully I found a photo showing how everything goes together (source). After cleaning all of the parts, I grabbed a Scotch-Brite pad to give it a little more scrubbing. Bad idea on brass! It would have looked really stupid to stop since I had rubbed a pretty good area, so I ran with it and used the pad all over. There is still some patina left, but it would have looked much better without the mistake. I finished the main body, cap, and spout arm with 2 coats of Rust-Oleum Rust Inhibitor and filled it with cutting fluid to be used when drilling into metal.

I love this piece. Bringing something back from the grave is rewarding and fun.