Hi there Don,
Did you ever find out what that coating over the steel is? Looks sort of like my brass kerosene lantern. I think yours and Yadda's would be real nice for penetrating oil. I'm tired of buying expensive spray cans and putting those little plastic straws into em. Buying a big can and pouring some into one of these would be good. I should be so lucky.
I saw the Tin Man. Up close while skiing near 55 years ago. Surprised the Hell out of me. The original one, Buddy Ebsen, that got hospitalized from that silver paint and couldn't carry on. He was skiing too.