Source for Spill Proof Oil Can

**jjr2001** · Oct 26, 2016, 12:13 AM

Found this can of oil in the Dollar store. I guess it is a food warmer wick type heater. It is a very easy oil can make over. Just poke a screw driver into the top with the wick. Bend it a bit and it pops out. Drill a hole in the can lid and fit it up with a piece of 3/4 copper tubing and an an extra "collar" made from the same copper tube.
Solder it up and presto, a "spill proof" oil can. One for the lathe, one for the mill and one for the bench. Easy to clean out the chips with that removable top.

If you want it to stay put on the mill table just put in a nice neo magnet (3/4" by 1/4") and you will really have to work hard to knock it off the mill.

Cheers, JR

**DIYer** · Oct 27, 2016, 08:34 AM

Thanks jjr2001! We've added your Spill Proof Oil Can to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: jjr2001's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Spill Proof Oil Can by jjr2001

tags: oil

**txtwang** · Dec 31, 2017, 07:28 AM

I've made a couple of these..easy to make and they work great!

Jerry

**jjr2001** · Dec 31, 2017, 08:03 AM

Thanks for your input Jerry, I use mine every time I am using the lathe or mill.
I have one on each machine to save walking around the shop looking for where I left it last.

Cheers, JR

**Ralphxyz** · May 11, 2018, 07:25 PM

So are you using a acid brush or how do you get the oil out?

**jjr2001** · May 13, 2018, 07:23 PM

Acid brushes work great. Small china bristle brushes work fine, and even cheap hobby paint brushes.
As long as it fits in the spout it will work. Small brush for small jobs, big brush for large jobs.

Cheers, JR

**Ralphxyz** · May 13, 2018, 07:37 PM

Thanks, I want one or two or maybe three!

Ralph

**mklotz** · May 14, 2018, 10:20 AM

As an aside to this topic...

If you want to go really OCD on this style of no-spill container, the associated mathematics can become moderately complex. Assuming that you want the can to be no-spill on its side and completely inverted there are mathematical relations among the following variables that must be satisfied...

inner diameter of can
inner diameter of tube
projection of tube into can interior

I actually wrote a computer program to do the calculations but never published it because I realized that nobody is that OCD about such a mundane item.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have this design that demonstrates that even I am not that OCD...

Full description here... http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/q...ontainer-38026

[Although writing a program for a no-spill with conical top would be a fun few minutes of work.]

**Toolmaker51** · May 19, 2018, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by mklotz

As an aside to this topic...

If you want to go really OCD.....that nobody is that OCD....even I am not that OCD...

From my observations and strictly non-professional abilities as a psychologist, in most cases OCD exists within those who don't know why, when or how to apply the energy.
Marv and other talented persons are happy to wring out performance and desired results at will. Such pursuits are progress, as in why the Middle Ages passed long ago.

**Frank S** · May 19, 2018, 08:25 PM

Oh wait I missed the middle ages oh well I'm probably thinking middle age I missed that one as well and probably the same time period as well.It seams that I went from perpetual teenager to old man in 1 day this condition also appears to be the same thing it just takes me longer to do less but in my mind it seams like I get more done.