Work In Progress: a horse trailer bar
We are two months in on the Horse Trailer project and I can honestly say that everything up to this point has been A LOT of work, A LOT of stress and A LOT of sweat. I am converting this entire trailer by myself, so the work has been taking a toll, since I also work a full time job and like to maintain a social life too.
I was explaining to someone today that I have achieved so much. After this weekend, when I look at the trailer, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see it all forming up in a few weeks! Huge changes have been made and a lot of the small pieces that will make up a huge part of the trailer are almost complete. But I had to laugh when a few friends stopped by this weekend, they took a look at the trailer and looked disappointed, because I wasn't near as far along as they must have thought I was. And at first, it kind of hurt... they looked discouraged and then commenced to giving me tips on things I should to do it! But I soon realized that they don't have my vision, they didn't see where I started, they have no idea what my plans are and what it will take to actually get there. So, I brushed it off and let myself continue to feel good about the progress I have made. Because soon, very soon I will have the finished trailer, in all it's glory, to show the world!
So the last two months I have;
welded all the necessary hinges to the trailer (custom made by a fabricator)
removed all the old windows and the screws (that was MUCH harder than it should have been)
removed all of the metal dividers
measured and cut the bar top, the front and back awnings, the new back doors, and both tables and their shelves that will be inside the trailer.
These are all being made with old barn wood and corral boards that I had gathered up off of neighboring ranches. If you haven't worked with old barn wood before, let me tell you IT IS A LOT OF WORK to get them to safe working conditions. It has taken me multiple weekends to cut, sand, pressure wash, coat, dry, coat, dry and coat again to make them the gorgeous boards you will see on my finished trailer. The work on these boards were almost the death of me. No joke. Turns out I am not a fan of wood working. Who knew?
And a lot of behind the scenes business stuff has been completed like, getting the business name officially filed with the county, getting my Tax ID number, getting a bank account set up, getting approved by the Environmental Heath Department, getting ok'd by the Alcohol and Beverage Council, and pricing out generators.
I was also able to gather my beverage tubs and chalkboard by doing what I do best... antique shopping! If you know me at all, you know I am a junker, an antique lover and an avid old-things-connoisseur. So when I needed to find an object to store ice and beverages, I didn't want to use a boring ole ice chest! No way! I knew there would be a more fun way to do that, so I went in search of something unique and rustic to match the vibe of the horse trailer. What I found was a double galvanized wash tub that was once a plant holder. I got it from someone who was selling it on Facebook, and I couldn't be more excited about it. I also attended the well known antique fair in Redding, CA called Rust and Roses. There I found an old baker's dough tub, with the plastic lining and sliding door still in tack, and in perfect condition, another great item for ice storage! I also found the PERFECT chalkboard sign. I knew I wanted a large chalkboard sign to hang on the rear door, for my clients to write their beverage choices out, but I wasn't sure if I would ever find one or if I was going to have to make one. I am normally a "I'll make it myself" type of person, but I already knew from experience that I highly dislike the feel and durability of chalkboard paint and I didn't have any old windows that were large enough to make the size board I needed for the trailer. But as luck would have it, as we were walking through the last building of antiques at the fair, I spotted the perfect sized antique window frame holding a REAL chalkboard, not a chalkboard painted board, but a real old school chalkboard, in the frame. It was so perfect I didn't even bargain the price. I just bought it. And the best part is, that after I purchased the chalkboard, I realized that I knew the seller! I had once bought a few items from her at the Sacramento Antique fair a few years back, and we had stayed connected through Facebook since then, but didn't know each other well enough to recognize one another right off the bat. What a small world it is! I only bought three things that day, and out of over 100 vendors, I bought something from Debbie, again. I love how God puts people in our lives at the right moments!
So from here on out, until May 20th, 2017, I will be sanding down and repainting the interior of the trailer, applying polyurethane to the floor, installing the tables, installing electricity, replacing the windows, installing the bar top, the awnings, and the back door and installing the beer tower, then the final touches will be completed in the end, like the lights, locks, logos and then... TESTING THE BEER TOWER. That will be the best part, if all goes well. Hopefully we can have a pre-run, test-of-the-trailer Cinco de Mayo party! But that may be too soon for us.... we will see how it all goes.
Thanks for checking in on the trailer. She is getting there, slowly but surely. Please pray for a smooth completion and for my sanity.