Advice needed to save old red kettle

I have this old red kettle that needs lots of work, but this
rust issue where the sweep mounts is my biggest concern.
I want to remove the old mount and install a new one, however
there is substantial rust in the area, there are already holes, and
I am fearing that it will all give way leaving a 3 inch hole.











Whats the best thing to do here?

How good are you at welding and metal forming ?

Never done either. However, here is an update since I posted this yesterday.
After posting here, I accidentally bumped the level, and the whole thing popped off.
I listed it on craigslist, and it is now gone.