In hindsight, I probably should have not taken on this project,
but It was mine now and I wanted to bring it back to life.
After some research on rust removal, I discovered that it was possible
to use electrical current and an electrolyte solution to remove the rust!
I had a car battery charger that would deliver enough current and found Washing soda
at a local grocery store. I had a lot of small iron pieces from old car projects
to use as an anode. I mixed up a solution of water and washing soda in a large
plastic bin, submerged the case in it and connected the battery charger:

When I turned on the charger, bubbles started coming off the case.
After about an hour in the solution, all the rust was gone and the case
was ready to dry and paint. The lid was next, with equally good results.
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