Shraman Mitra
Netflix’s ‘Metal Shop Masters’ is an exciting reality TV series that pits top metal welders and fabricators against each other in a bid to make eyecatching designs out of ordinary, everyday materials. As the contestants vie for the title of Metal Shop Master and a massive cash prize, the judges hold the power to eliminate based on the quality of each work. Rae Ripple is an excellent example of someone who has carved a niche for herself in an otherwise male-dominated profession.
A metal artist by trade and quite an experienced one at that, she provides a serious challenge to others in ‘Metal Shop Master.’ With Rae getting to showcase her skills on such a massive stage, curiosity around her life is at an all-time high. Fret not, cause here is everything we know about Rae Ripple!
Rae Ripple’s Childhood and Early Life
Rae Ripple’s rise to glory gets even more impressive once one gets to know about her challenging early life. According to sources, both her parents were drug addicts and could never provide Rae with the stability she needed as a child. They kept moving around, and home was never a safe haven for her. Rae stuck with her parents until the age of 14, although she kept feeling neglected and insignificant until a disastrous incident jolted her into reality.
A young teenager, Rae moved out of her home and sought to make a living for herself. Still, life on the streets for someone so young is terribly cruel, and although Rae managed to graduate high school, she admitted that she tried to die by suicide at one point. However, she received a new outlook on life after getting pregnant at 17. With another life depending on her, Rae knew she had to make an effort to survive.
The young woman started working as a stripper to provide for her daughter. Rae pushed on and with newfound hope and vigor. As fate would have it, the challenging road was still not over for Rae as she had a second child and got into a reportedly abusive relationship. Thankfully, she found the strength to get out of it in the nick of time and turned to other professions in order to build a loving home for her children.
Rae Ripple’s Age and Profession
At 36 years of age, Rae Ripple is an established metal artist with hundreds of thousands of social media followers, sponsored deals, and even a public art display to her name. Rae mentioned that the cynicism of others was the main driving point in her career. The more people believed she couldn’t do something, the more determined Rae got to prove them wrong. Moving away from her life as a stripper, Rae took on odd jobs and found her love for welding. However, in her struggle to earn a living for her children, she had to take up other jobs.
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In time, Rae became a tow and wrecker truck driver, helping people recover their vehicles from breakdowns and accidents. In 2017, she entered Midland College to undertake a course on Firefighting before excelling in the profession. Still, welding and working with metal have always been her natural calling. Surprisingly, her entry into metal art was quite sudden as a friend had asked her to help design a piece of metal. Rae immediately fell in love with the job.
Although she had no formal training, Rae watched tons of YouTube videos to learn the basics. She got another huge breakthrough when she got the opportunity to work at a friend’s autobody shop. While working there, Rae would often hang out with her co-workers and pick up tips from them, which she would later study in detail on the internet. The determination to get better soon made Rae surpass her competition. While working as a tow truck driver and a firefighter, she never neglected her first love and kept welding.
Her hard work and commitment ultimately paid off when top brands noticed her art and got into a partnership with her. Rae also got the tremendous opportunity to install her own public art display at the downtown public library in Midland, Texas. Rae’s famous metal sculptures of two outstretched wings, a hot air balloon made entirely from scrap, and five exquisite Mary Poppins cutouts were born out of her collaboration with the public library. With Rae finally making it big in the field she loves, her impressive journey is one of dedication, talent, and determination.
Rae Ripple’s Boyfriend and Kids
Rae Ripple is a wonderful mother of two and has provided her children with the love and care she missed in her childhood. She became pregnant with her elder daughter, Chloe, at 17, and her son, Kash, came into this world during her second relationship. As stated by Rae, Kash’s father was abusive and also resorted to physical violence from time to time. Thus, to provide a better home for her children, Rae broke up and moved away.
However, fans would be delighted to know that currently, Rae is in a beautiful and loving relationship with Joshua Bailey. Joshua, who happens to be an avid biker, absolutely adores Rae and is even quite close to her children. He is also highly supportive of Rae’s profession and has stood beside her through thick and thin. The love the couple shares is immeasurable, but their wonderful social media pictures speak volumes about their bond. It is incredible to witness Rae finding happiness after her challenging past, and we hope the pair remains happy in the years to come.
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Read More: Where Is Metal Shop Masters Filmed?
