BIG Z IS ALIVE!!!!

After waiting for over a month to close on the property in Bastrop, I am pleased to announce that BIG Z IS GO!!!!!!!!

April 29th will officially be Big Z's Birthday!

So it's year Zero at Big Z - that means we'll be disappearing into our work. It will take some hard work to get the Big Z Creations Project off the ground. We'll be blogging and posting photos as we go along in the process. So there will be plenty of renovation and projects to follow along in the coming weeks.

I'll be posting photos of Big Z as I find the time to post them.

Thanks again to Everyone that's helped make this possible.

Projects To Do List

Big Z Projects to be done:

- Move Railroad ties to the backlot
- Move gravel mound back onto driveway
- Install 6' ranch gate & gate post
- Install 30' stretch of farm fencing on NW part of backlot
- Design & build master closet organizer
- Design & build rear deck
- Design & build Big Z Workshop
- Design & build shadow box coffee table
- Design & build spa towel rack
- Design & build DVD racks

4 More Days to Big Z

Here we are in the final countdown to Big Z and it's getting harder to sleep throughout the night with all the anticipation in the air.

I've changed to the 9am to 6pm shift at my other job due to a co-worker that recently was stricken will an illness. The Crew at Big Z Creations wish him well and our prayers are with him. The shift change should be better on me as I will navigate less traffic in the mornings and evenings as I begin the drive to and from Bastrop.

We have successfully managed to move a majority of things in my parents home near Big Z. So we are down to the remaining 10% which is mostly the large appliances, the TV, the bed and a few 0ther things. Upon closing we'll migrate the 10% first, as these will be the large things that will need to get into our new house first. Enough about the move, ha ha.

I guess one of the first things we'll need to get prepared would be securing the farm gate to close off the back yard. We'll be installing a 6' gate and about a 35' section of smaller fencing to close off the back lot completely. Titan and Mishka, our dogs, will not be running away once this is completed. I'll also have investigate a way to keep Mishka from digging holes. Hmmm....

Furniture / Cabinetry Grade

Just a blurb on woodworking tools...

I've been investing in some furniture/ cabinetry finishing grade items for the Big Z Workshop. I bought a finishing blade for my circular saw and am in the process of buying forstner bits of different sizes. I've mistakenly purchased spade bits but will return them soon for forstner style bits. Spade bits have a bad reputation for tear out on most wood pieces.

My aim to minimize wood tear out and to maintain a fine finish to my wood projects. There is much research that goes into this as I'm learning.

I am in need of the following to complete the Workshop tool list:
-table saw
-power band sander
-router
-router table
-wet/dry shop vac
-bar clamps
-Kreg clamps
- Protractor Saw Guide

more to come later

1 Week to Big Z

Friday 4/23/10.


We are one week away from moving into Big Z! We can't wait. We did the final walk through last weekend, and we couldn't be more excited that it'll soon be ours.

I've posted a few photos of Big Z Headquarters above to enjoy. I'll post more later.

Doing the Big Z Creations catalog designs now. I'm still in the design phase for most of these projects. I'll later grab the rough materials I'll need to start building them once I get the temporary workshop built.

Also Designing the Big Z Workshop has been a real test. There are many parameters that I have been subject too: the size and functionality, cost, environmental impact of the project, building material cost and availability of finding them used or in good condition from the Habitat Re-Store/ Craigslist / Junkyards / Job Sites.

It's been a hard lesson learned, with all the planning in the world - some things will just stubbornly never work out in your favor....

Big Z

Big Z Creations will be going live on April 29th, 2010.

Krystal and I will close on our home and estate in Bastrop soon. Once we close and settle after the move-in, we will begin projects that I have broken down into three phases. Phase one will entail the building and set up process of the Big Z Imaginarium and Workshop. It is our vision that Big Z was above all environmentally friendly and energy efficient to the standards of our monetary abilities. Great care will be taken to convert the home and landscape to be as earth friendly as can be.

The Big Z Imaginarium.
I plan on converting one of the three spare bedrooms into the Big Z Imaginarium or otherwise known as creative idea room.

The Big Z Workshop
The workshop will be constructed on our property. I have a preliminary design idea in mind for the layout of the workshop and this will be where our ideas will come to life. A 40' x 35', 1400 square foot workshop should be ample space for my woodworking stations. I will have an overhead door, an access door and a few large windows integrated it's design. We plan on utilizing alot of natural lighting inside the workshop to cut down energy for shop lighting.

We also plan to use the formal living room area in our home as a studio space so that we can showcase some of our catalog items. I plan to remove the carpet from the formal living room and install a contemporary wooden laminate flooring.