Can I remove rust from this box?..
 

...that is, without making lots of holes in the box...

My neighbor threw away this old milk box. I have no use for it and so similar ones being sold on eBay, so I want to try my luck too. However, I am not sure anyone will buy this box with so much rust on it. There are no holes in the box, at least not yet. The question is: is there a way of removing the rust from the lid and the walls without completely destroying the box? I don't think a mechanical approach (sanding) will work. Any appropriate chemicals?

Thanks much!

Some people prefer antiques to not be restored. Even doing so can cause it to lose value on some items. Check ebay and see what the restored ones have sold for versus the rusty ones. The ones that weren't restored, and are in good condition will fetch much more, naturally.

A small sand blaster or soda blaster would work the best

TxBuilder is right.

Don't mess with it.

I've seen too many American Picker, Pawn Stars, and other shows like that. It seems like most of the time you reduce the value of something old by "trying" to restore it.

I would try Craigslist first and repost the ad a few times over the next month. You'll probably get more money by avoiding the eBay and Paypal fees.

Good luck :)

That rust appears to be quite deep anyway and attempted removal may break, chip or peel the metal. If it were simply surface rust you could apply a little bit of steel wool and soapy water, but in this case leave it alone and enjoy it for what it is; can you really imagine that box having such personality just a plain polished silver anyway?

Right? You take it's story away by taking it's personality away.