The Beauty of Tools

Long before lubricants came in spray form, homeowners used oilcans to keep tools and machinery in working order. These cans have only one moving part—a thin, slightly convex bottom plate. Pressing it pops the plate concave with a distinctive "click" and squirts a drop of oil from the needlelike spout. Hence the term "oilcanning"—the noise a sheet of metal makes when it flexes.