Trunk Updates

Well the trunk is coming along nicely.

It is trimmed and stained.

The hinge is on (with catch chains until the gas shocks show up).

Casters have been firmly attached to the bottom.

And Dad finally figured out how to make a decent saddle rack that's "removable" when I don't want to be taking up half the trunk with a saddle.

The color came out dark than anticipated, but I like it.  The photos make it a bit green/gray but it's really more of a dark brown.  Not your "traditional" coloring by any means but really close to the dark stain that I love in my parents home.  Not too surprising that I like it on the trunk then..

The trim is beautiful.  but apparently the trim strips available at the lumber shop were not quite what Dad was thinking... so he machined the trim out of larger planks and then beveled the edges beautifully.  He also put a trim piece in where the hasp will eventually be mounted.

  Then, in a fit of inspiration he mounted a "saddle rack" which I think is just brilliant.  Originally we were thinking of making a saddle-rack-shaped-box, so that you could store things in it, then set your saddle on top.  But instead this is what Dad came up with:

The brackets are mounted into the trunk, but then the dowels just nest into slots.  This means that either the dowels are held in place by the weight of the saddle, or can be easily lifted and removed to open up the space entirely. 

SO CLEVER.  I love it.  Even when a saddle is being held in the rack, there is plenty of space below for blankets, boots, whatever.  Brilliant and simple.

Next steps are acquiring hardware (hasp, handles etc), installing the gas shocks to support the lid and continuing to brainstorm on internal organization.

I think the trunk will be "operational" enough by our next show to give it a test run and then have notes for any changes that need to be made...

woo!