I was thinking to keep the lid from closing to hard I have an extra set of old Ford lever arm shocks, but they might be too much so I was also think of using a set of strong arms like on the back window of an SUV.
With keeping barrel slats together I figured before I cut I would glue them all together and then drill and put a screw at each slat through the band using the other side of the band on the inside, but to find a barrel for cheap may be a problem.
To keep the lid from closing too fast, get some lid supports. They are spring assisted, and should help keep it from slamming shut. When the lid is open, you can also puch the lid supports over center, which will keep the lid locked in the up position. You should be able to get them at any hardware store
