Help! Incontinent Oil Cans!

[Osgood]

Over the years I must have had 8 or so oil cans (using engine oil) but never found one that doesn’t dribble oil everywhere when not in use.
This latest one is utterly useless, even with flexi tube drained it still seems to siphon out down the sides of the can.
I’m done with cleaning up after it.

If anyone can recommend a Type / brand (budget or classy) that actually keeps the oil in until it is required I would be most grateful!

 

[Martin Shaw]

Tony
I too have a dripping spout and my investigations led me to Reilang oilers available from Blackgates amongst others. Swiss made and not cheap but I'm told are the dogs wotsits really should get one.
Martin

 

[Osgood]

Thanks Martin, they certainly look the business - and cheaper than the combined cost of the 8 or so I have thrown out over the years!

 

[JimG]

For my inside workshop I have given up on oilcans and I use plastic pipettes to apply oil - to the Cowells headstock, milling machine leadscrews and ways, laser printer guides and 3D printer guides, and anything else which might need a bit of lubrication. I got a packet of ten 3ml pipettes off Brian Lewis' stand a good many years ago and I've still got most of them. Here's something similar on Ebay :-

10 3ml Pasteur Graduates Plastic Transfer Pipettes Pippettes Pipette Liquid | eBay

10 3ml Pasteur Graduates Plastic Transfer Pipettes Pippettes Pipette Liquid.

www.ebay.co.uk

You have excellent control over how much oil you apply. I keep the pipette propped in a glass jar already filled for instant use. I decant my oil from the bulk can into another lidded jar to use when the pipettes need refilling. The only time they tend to drip is if they have been left in a cold room and the air in the pipette expands when you hold it but that's a pretty extreme case.

I use 32 grade hydraulic oil which is normally recommended for plain bearing lathe headstocks.

Jim.

 

[Osgood]

That’s a neat idea Jim, thanks.
I got a few packs of disposable syringes in various sizes for the workshop - I will try one for the small m/cs.

At the other end of the scale -
Probably a case of a bad workman blaming his tools, but I could never keep clean with a grease gun in my hand.
Moving from bulk pails to cartridges helped a little, but I recently changed to Lube Shuttle.
The cartridge acts as the outer case of the grease gun, and simply screws into the gun head which pulls out grease instead of relying on a sprung plunger in the body.
Marginally costlier cartridges but so much easier to apply the grease only where it is needed - the saving on overall laundering is greater than the additional cartridge cost!

 

[simond]

I’ve used “standard” oil cans for years, I guess they get much more “non-use” than use, they are normally topped up with whateve I put in the cars/motorbikes so probably 10-40. I don’t think I’ve had a dribbly spout issue.

I’ve got my dad’s one which must be as old as me, give or take (I don’t remember a time before it!) and a more modern one with a flexi spout, which rotates in an annoying fashion, so it doesn't go where you point it. Maybe they dribble and I’ve not noticed.

grease guns are a pain, I agree.

 

[Focalplane]

I have one of the offending cans and it took forever to get it primed and actually work. Now it seems to be OK but the flexible rotating spout is a pain. My very effective 1970s oil can went AWOL during the 2020 house move, which is why I bought the new one.

I have a need to carry an oil can in my Rileys as the tappets need to be oiled by hand occasionally, but the oil can won’t fit in the tool box. So it has to be carried in a zip lock plastic bag in the boot. The plastic pipette seems a good alternative, I’ll give it a try. Thanks, Jim.

Another waste of money for me are the Far Eastern grease guns, messy and inefficient. I plan to go cartridge and the Lube Shuttle sounds a good alternative - thanks, Tony.

 

[JimG]

The plastic pipette seems a good alternative, I’ll give it a try. Thanks, Jim.

If the 3ml capacity is a bit small for use around the Riley, you might look at a turkey baster like this one :-

Turkey Baster Cooking Meat Chicken BBQ Flavour Basting Tube Syringe 30ml Pump | eBay

This item is a turkey baster. 1pc Turkey Baster. Capacity: 30ml. The great tool for making barbecue. Color: Random. Due to the light and screen difference, the item's color may be slightly different from the pictures.

www.ebay.co.uk

... which has a 30ml capacity. It seems to have a plastic body but some basters have a glass body so you might have to choose carefully if you want an unbreakable one. I use a large baster for messing around with post processing in 3D printing.

The one drawback with a pipette and baster is that they don't work well when pointing upwards unless you can add a length of tube to the nozzle to allow the pipette/baster to stay pointing downwards.

Jim.

 

[Osgood]

The Lube Shuttle guns are available online, Tony - alternatively if you have a John Deere agricultural dealer nearby there's a very good chance they'll stock the guns and cartridges.

I've just scrapped all the old cartridge guns but can't bring myself to do the same with this Tecalemit oldie that today I moved to the 'keep for posterity' heap - it'll look good on a piece of classic mobile plant

 

[Osgood]

Anyone who bought a few items of rolling stock from the Darstaedly Ellis Clark recently may have been treated to a complimentary Gaugemaster Pipette oiler - a very nice and useful gesture I thought.

 

[AndyS]

Talking of pipettes, I have boxes and boxes of em. If you want 10 in return for an SAE, PM me

 

[Stephen Freeman]

I’ve used “standard” oil cans for years, I guess they get much more “non-use” than use, they are normally topped up with whateve I put in the cars/motorbikes so probably 10-40. I don’t think I’ve had a dribbly spout issue.

I’ve got my dad’s one which must be as old as me, give or take (I don’t remember a time before it!) and a more modern one with a flexi spout, which rotates in an annoying fashion, so it doesn't go where you point it. Maybe they dribble and I’ve not noticed.

grease guns are a pain, I agree.

I too inherited mine from my father. Don't know the makes but no dribbles, no flexible spouts. I will take the camera to the garage next time I am in there. I have no use for a grease gun, dad had one but don't have it now.

 

[Osgood]

I can understand that some may question just how exciting an oil can could be, and whether one could justify a top brand price.

But having filled up a straight and flexi type can with 32 hyd/trans oil and tried them out, I can safely say you can keep your Rolex vernier caliper, your Porsche lathe, your Burberry toolbox, and your Louis Vuitton soldering iron tip cleaner - and I'll keep my Reilang oil cans.

An absolute pleasure to use.

 

[Martin Shaw]

Well that worked out well, one of my better suggestions I think.
Martin