Gentlemen, thank you for the compliments!
FJ 432
I suspect that your box predates mine. The only one similar to yours I found in the catalog from 1939 is 99DD version.
I took out the handles (this one is after 30 min scrubbing with soap and plastic brush). Please see the picture. I wonder what kind of chemicals they were covered with - with the magnifying glass some parts look as if tiny pieces of molten metal dropped on it (well, this also could be true since the PO got it from the guy who took it out of the shop which burned). However, there is no evidence of burned paint (except right lower corner which is too dirty and missing paint - I will eventually clean it)
y'sguy, I am planning to clean it up and start looking for Blackhawk goodness once the yard sales start (I will still check CL and ask around for now). I wish I had your skills and equipment to restore - your have a masterpiece now (funny, but I read your restoration thread all the way along before I got lucky). I suspect that professional restoration would be very expensive.
I plan to clean it up, put the liners in + mat on top (I will likely use black yoga mat, though I read that rubber mats were originally used). After that I will put it in the corner of my library and put my old and similarly unrefined Snap ON KR56 from 1955 on top of it till I get lucky with finding Master Mechanic Series BlackHawk top box. I am adding the picture of your box as well, but I forgot where I got it from - not 1939 catalog. May be I even got it from your thread...
I have another question: are the handles made from the same metal all the way through or they were plated. I am wondering if I should use a metal wirebrush to try tp bring out some shine (have couple of siny spots at the edges of plastic attachment) and get rid of the mini molten metal type spots. Just afraid of going deep and getting spots like on some of my old SK ratchets and sockets where chrome is gone...