Creative Woodworks & crafts 2001-06, страница 48

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Steve Ripski And Sons

The Ripski "boys" (L to R): David, holding the piece that earned him the most awards, father Steve with his own intarsia creation copied from a stamp, and Kevin holding the piece which won first place and Best of Show in his age group in the woodworking category at the Mid-South Fair in Memphis, TN.

A close-up view of the Elvis stamp intarsia. The project has 114 pieces and is made from 12 different species of wood.

David and Kevin at a trade show demonstrating how easy it is to use the RBI Hawk scroll saw. The boys like going to shows, as long as they don't have to travel too far or miss any school.

Buy a saw, start a business

I began my business, named Rip N' Woodworks, in 1993 shortly after purchasing my first scroll saw, an RBT Hawk, from a great man, Don Kennedy, at the Memphis Mid-South Fair in the summer of 199^. I started making money with il right away, so I decided to launch my own custom woodworking business to take advantage of the Lax breaks.

It's kind of funny now, but I actually bought the saw without my wife's permission. However, after only a little practice, (and I had never even used a scroll saw before), 1 was able to make an attractive name plate with a miniature clock on it for my wife, Joy, lo go on her desk at work. The project was so good that Joy gol many orders for similar pieces from her coworkers and associates. Within three months my saw was paid lor, and the resl has been all profit. Needless to say, my wife is not mad at me anymore for buying the saw.

Chips off the old block

Since 1994, our two sons (David, now 16, and Kevin, 13), who also scroll, have tried lo enter as many woodworking categories in the Mid-South Fair competition as possible. I guess it's kind of a family Lradition. Lord help me when my sons get into my age group! Kevin won first place and Best of Show in 1998. David won five first placc ribbons and one Best of Show in 1997, as well as the firsL place trophy in the Jr. Beta Club national competition in 1999.

I've lived in Millington, Tennessee (near Memphis) for almost my enlire 39 years. My wife loves what our sons and I can do with our scroll saws. We all like traveling lo trade shows and representing RB Industries. Wc feel the RBI Hawk is the best scroll saw on the market. When the boys are with me I always get them cutting, since it's a great allention-getter. I know from experience that wilh a little practice, anyone can do beautiful scroll work if they have the right scroll saw...The Hawk.

Now that Fill a sales rep for RBInduslries, I travel a lot and my time is limited. So now the woodworking orders we get are usually passed along to my sons so they can earn extra money. When my sons aren't there demonstrating with me at a show, I'm not sure people looking at their work believe me when I tell them "Kevin did that when he was 11", or "David did that project in two afternoons and later won a national award for il/' I'm extremely proud of my boys.

I also feel very lucky to have started with the Hawk scroll saw. There's not another scroll saw on the market that can compare or even come close to the overall performance of this saw. The safety, ease, quickness, and quality of the machine, and especially the quality of cut, from Ihe Hawk, simply cannot be beat! That's why I'm proud Lo now be a representative for Ihe company. ^