progress today: we built the frame the chest sits on. my grandfather did all the welding and initial cutting, and i made the bolt brackets and did all the finishing and sanding.
next time we'll build the mount and a couple struts to brace against the bumper for stability, and then all that'll be left is to paint the frame and seal the holes in the chest.
oh the metal is all salvaged scrap. the I beam was something me and my dad found buried in the brush at this house like a year or two ago, and i think the previous owners had used it to build a trellis for the muscadine that was taking over the back yard.
not sure where the square tubing came from, but it was in the same scrap pile.