TimKindred
09-21-2006, 08:11 AM
Comrades,
I thought that I might add a couple of things towards upgrading our equipment. The tin medical container is a "must-have" item for field medical displays. It was the primary container found in the medical panniers, and was designed to hold a 30-day's supply of a particular medicne, as indicated on it's label.
The tin container may be thought of as a disposable container for the medical department. Like bandages and sponges, they were a "use and discard" item. They came into wide-spread use because of the unsuitability of glass vessels for field use. the harsh conditions of weather, and jostling about in wagons and on horseback were too much for glass vials and containers, and considerable breakage and loss was the result. The tin container solved the problem of breakage, but some medicines were prone to have a caustic effect upon either the tin plate, the solder, or both. Therefore, it was strongly suggested that they be discarded after 30 days of use in the field.
The original items were japanned. That is to say, they were treated with a finish that required several coats and was baked on. For a basic description of the process, I would suggest here:
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Japanning
Currently, no one, to my knowledge, offers an accurate reproduction of a period government-issue tin medicine container. True enough, the ones available from the usual suspects are accurate as far as dimensions, and construction. However, the finish and spout are incorrect. The original tins had a glossy black, or plum-brown color, and were even issued in kelly green and perhaps other colors. It is known that tin makers and dealers offered household items and other tin products in red, blue, green and pink, besides the basic black. For an example of the kelly green tins, see here:
http://www.geocities.com/hospital_steward/ImageFieldCase.html?1078381069687
The spouts on the tins were of cast pewter, similar in design to those on the Federal canteens. Unless someone is willing to create a mold and begin casting and finishing new spouts, we are stuck with the current rolled tin spout on the container.
As to the finish, it should be a tough, glossy coat, either of black, or a purplish-brown. If you have the time to invest, then the latter colouring may be had by making a thin lacquer of the desired shade, one that will not give an opaque coat in one covering. Take a wooden dowel that will fit into the spout, insert it, and use a thin strip of duct tape around the upper part of the tin spout to hold the dowel in place. Next, use any commercial paint stripper to remove the current painted finish. After that is done, wipe it clean with rubbing alcohol and allow to air dry. Now, using a 1" or 2" wide soft camel's hair or sable brush, apply a coat to the tin. Place the wooden dowel into a clamp or other device to hold it firmly, and allow the tin to dry completely, preferably in a warm well ventilated place, such as outdoors. Repeat the coating process until a uniform color has been achieved. When completely dry, coat with a protective finish of clear gloss enamel.
Now, the latter step thete, coating with clear gloss enamel is certainly not period. However, the tins will recieve much handling, and the finish is prone over time to scratching and chipping. Since the tins were disposable, the actual damge wouldn't be too great. Therefore, we either have to prevent chipping through a clear protective coat to preserve the new appearance, or strip and repaint the tins each year.
For a gloss-black appearance, the following works very well. Clean the tin well with rubbing alcohol to remove any grease. It's not required to remove any finish currently on it, but you will (obviously) need to remove the label and any glue residue.
Next, affix a dowel as in the previous example. In a well-ventilated and warm area, such as outdoors, coat the tin with a thin but opaque spray primer. This may be of any priming color, such as rust-red, white, grey, or hot-rd primer (a dark charcoal grey). Allow this to dry. Next, give the tin a thin coat of gloss black spray paint. It's not necesary to completely cover the tin in one coat, or it will build up and run, or "orange-peel" giving a pebbly surface. It's far better to use 3-4 thin coats, sprayed evenly, than one thick one. Allow each coat to dry. Finally, finish the tin with one or two thin coats of clear gloss, and allow to dry completely before handling.
Finally, apply the label of your choice with muscelage or a glue stick.
As an addendum, it should be noted that virtually ALL tin containers were coated, and that includes the chloroform container. Many are seen in plain tin, but extant examples are japanned. I've included an example of an original chloroform tin below for your perusal. Note also the red wooden stopper on this vessel. The easiest way to reproduce this is to take a wooden tompion and cut off the bottom section, then glue a section of cork to the bottom. Cut the cork so it fits fully into the spout, level with the top, before gluing it to the tompion top. When it's fully dry, run a wood screw up through the cork and into the wood handle to secure it and prevent breakage. paint the handle red with whatever paint you have handy.
Trusting this is of some small use, I remain,
Respectfully,
I thought that I might add a couple of things towards upgrading our equipment. The tin medical container is a "must-have" item for field medical displays. It was the primary container found in the medical panniers, and was designed to hold a 30-day's supply of a particular medicne, as indicated on it's label.
The tin container may be thought of as a disposable container for the medical department. Like bandages and sponges, they were a "use and discard" item. They came into wide-spread use because of the unsuitability of glass vessels for field use. the harsh conditions of weather, and jostling about in wagons and on horseback were too much for glass vials and containers, and considerable breakage and loss was the result. The tin container solved the problem of breakage, but some medicines were prone to have a caustic effect upon either the tin plate, the solder, or both. Therefore, it was strongly suggested that they be discarded after 30 days of use in the field.
The original items were japanned. That is to say, they were treated with a finish that required several coats and was baked on. For a basic description of the process, I would suggest here:
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Japanning
Currently, no one, to my knowledge, offers an accurate reproduction of a period government-issue tin medicine container. True enough, the ones available from the usual suspects are accurate as far as dimensions, and construction. However, the finish and spout are incorrect. The original tins had a glossy black, or plum-brown color, and were even issued in kelly green and perhaps other colors. It is known that tin makers and dealers offered household items and other tin products in red, blue, green and pink, besides the basic black. For an example of the kelly green tins, see here:
http://www.geocities.com/hospital_steward/ImageFieldCase.html?1078381069687
The spouts on the tins were of cast pewter, similar in design to those on the Federal canteens. Unless someone is willing to create a mold and begin casting and finishing new spouts, we are stuck with the current rolled tin spout on the container.
As to the finish, it should be a tough, glossy coat, either of black, or a purplish-brown. If you have the time to invest, then the latter colouring may be had by making a thin lacquer of the desired shade, one that will not give an opaque coat in one covering. Take a wooden dowel that will fit into the spout, insert it, and use a thin strip of duct tape around the upper part of the tin spout to hold the dowel in place. Next, use any commercial paint stripper to remove the current painted finish. After that is done, wipe it clean with rubbing alcohol and allow to air dry. Now, using a 1" or 2" wide soft camel's hair or sable brush, apply a coat to the tin. Place the wooden dowel into a clamp or other device to hold it firmly, and allow the tin to dry completely, preferably in a warm well ventilated place, such as outdoors. Repeat the coating process until a uniform color has been achieved. When completely dry, coat with a protective finish of clear gloss enamel.
Now, the latter step thete, coating with clear gloss enamel is certainly not period. However, the tins will recieve much handling, and the finish is prone over time to scratching and chipping. Since the tins were disposable, the actual damge wouldn't be too great. Therefore, we either have to prevent chipping through a clear protective coat to preserve the new appearance, or strip and repaint the tins each year.
For a gloss-black appearance, the following works very well. Clean the tin well with rubbing alcohol to remove any grease. It's not required to remove any finish currently on it, but you will (obviously) need to remove the label and any glue residue.
Next, affix a dowel as in the previous example. In a well-ventilated and warm area, such as outdoors, coat the tin with a thin but opaque spray primer. This may be of any priming color, such as rust-red, white, grey, or hot-rd primer (a dark charcoal grey). Allow this to dry. Next, give the tin a thin coat of gloss black spray paint. It's not necesary to completely cover the tin in one coat, or it will build up and run, or "orange-peel" giving a pebbly surface. It's far better to use 3-4 thin coats, sprayed evenly, than one thick one. Allow each coat to dry. Finally, finish the tin with one or two thin coats of clear gloss, and allow to dry completely before handling.
Finally, apply the label of your choice with muscelage or a glue stick.
As an addendum, it should be noted that virtually ALL tin containers were coated, and that includes the chloroform container. Many are seen in plain tin, but extant examples are japanned. I've included an example of an original chloroform tin below for your perusal. Note also the red wooden stopper on this vessel. The easiest way to reproduce this is to take a wooden tompion and cut off the bottom section, then glue a section of cork to the bottom. Cut the cork so it fits fully into the spout, level with the top, before gluing it to the tompion top. When it's fully dry, run a wood screw up through the cork and into the wood handle to secure it and prevent breakage. paint the handle red with whatever paint you have handy.
Trusting this is of some small use, I remain,
Respectfully,