And just for grins, here's a photo of the inside as best as I could get it.
Posted on 11/25/2009 1:25:58 PM PST by BuckeyeTexan
This may be a museum piece and bring a "barrel" full of bucks. Maybe even Rockefeller himself will bid on it.
Just had to do a search. Some guy is selling a “Kendall Oil Drum” from the 1930’s and wants $250 for it. But it is just the same style of drum used today - flat on top and bottom.
I think you’re right - this may have been used for dispensing a product. The rounded bottom may have helped get the “last drop” of product out of the container with the hand pump.
Interesting. Now all that needs to be done is grind off that “Property of Standard Oil” label. (He’s in trouble now!)
Please forgive my ignorance ... I was going to power wash it to clean is up a little bit to see if there might be some words etched into the drum somewhere. Should I just leave it as it until I find out more about it? I’m pretty sure it’s from the 1920 - 1930 time period - if it’s authentic, that is.
Oh, I just looked at the pics a little closer. It says it is the property of Standard Oil. The Rockefeller’s will just send the cops to pick it up and charge you with theft.
Whatever you do...DON’T CLEAN IT!
It is definitely a great find—a great conversation piece anyway. I’d love to have something like that in my machine shop....
I wouldn’t be in any rush to part with it, unless you have no space to keep it. I would just sit back and do some research...check on Ebay and craig’s list. If there is an antique dealer in your area, get a real appraisal. It’s sat around awhile, and it won’t hurt to let it sit awhile longer.
Once it's validity is established, the museum will take it off your hands, and then a professional restoration expert can clean it up. Any amateur attempts at "cleaning it up" might reduce its value! Put it in a safe dry place!
Good luck.
Thanks, Vendome. I’ll check out the links you provided.
NOooooooooo don’t power wash or scrape at all !
BTTT
Let us know what you discover about its history if ya have time an more info.
I think you have something fairly rare here. It looks to be very early 20th century, like the first decades early. I saw a texaco barrel and pump for 500, restored, you should call around to some museums. The museums likely won’t price them but can help you get in touch with a restorer and other people that can help you determine a price.
I’d keep it dry and find an expert ... it seems to be OK where it has been stored to have deteriorated that slowly .. you could put it in a giant plastic bag with some dessicant but that’s the farthest I’d go...
Perhaps it was used to dispense something like solvents or mineral spirits?
If there is a drain, it’ll probably be near the bottom on the side because vessel bottom is too low from the ground as support wheels are small. Would be very hard to reach drain valve.
And just for grins, here's a photo of the inside as best as I could get it.
NEVER CLEAN AN ANTIQUE!
At least not one you just found. You don’t know how much of the value you could be removing along with the dirt. For example, I have an old Remington rifle with most of the blueing gone. I could have it stripped and re-blued, but that would destroy the collector’s value.
This could be an indication that the drum was used for something else before it was placed on that small dolly. If there had been a drain valve it was probably cut off because it would have interfered with the low elevation of the drum bottom.
I’m guessing a Kerosene barrel. Given it’s apparent age, Kerosene was used a lot around farms, for lamps and for Kerosene heaters. There is a possibility that it is a gas can for farm use in an early tractor. Fuel storage containers were more often used on farms because it was too hard to get to town to buy fuel. We used to keep a large gas storage tank for our tractor circa 1952. The size of this one says Kerosene to me.
My hubby, the “mechanic” says it’s an oil drum. Probably for waste oil.
It’s not for waste oil with a pump/dispenser siphon... it’s for dispensing some oil product ... as many have said on a early 1900 farm that would be kerosene or similar.
Call Standard Oil Co and see if you can’t get the deposit back on it? :-)!
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