12 replies to this topic

[rickh]

Folks,

 

I regret to inform you all that Zebs Boards is throwing in the towel.  I never knew the owner, Steve Ridgley but I have always been impressed and inspired with all the wonderful stuff he designed and built.  According to the website they have several products on closeout starting today (5/9/25).   Zebs Boards can be reached at www.zebsboards.ca/ 

 

Regards,

 

 

Rick                                                                                                                                                                                        

[robertms]

Oh no, Steve say it isn't so..

[Thalamus]

Damn.

[Suikazz]

Sad to see such an long term provider of cool stuff closing.

[rickh]

As stated, the Zebs Board website has several products being clearanced at reduced prices.  I snagged a few of the Cabblaster LED boards at $18 USD each.  I encourage anyone looking for a pinball controller to support Steve in transitioning to his next career move.     

 

MJR reminded me that the DIY VP cabinet business is a very small niche market.  Modifying an old adage, if you want to make a small fortune in the VP cabinet business, you got to start with a large fortune first.  

 

 

Rick

[zebulon]

Yes it is true, Zebsboards is closing.

 

Allow me to take a minute to clear up some misconceptions and assumptions on the subject though.

 

While it is true that this is a niche market in which the competition steadily increases from all quarters, I have been very fortunate and blessed to have had the customer base that I have.

 

For the past 15 years that I have been doing this (13+ full time) I have been able to eke out what I consider to be a comfortable existence doing something that, while not always completely enjoyable, has given me immense satisfaction.

There have been lean times, and there have been very profitable times and while it is true that I have not made a fortune from this, that was never part of the equation for me.  I have been completely happy with the relative success of the business and over the moon to have been able to achieve that success while continuing to offer my customers the best that I felt that I could deliver in product and support while attempting to maintain what I considered to be an affordable price point.

 

Not every business is destined to make millions, and not everyone gets into one with that intent.

 

I am closing the business for two reasons.

 

1.   I am approaching 60 years old at a pace far quicker than I would prefer and I need to get some ducks in a row to ensure that cat food isn't a staple in my diet.  While I have made enough to be content to this point, I need to get off my duff and actually do something that will secure my future.  I have been fortunate to have a wife that has been completely supportive of my efforts in this and who has secured a future for us through her own employment efforts, but I would like to contribute to that as well.

With that in mind I have decided to redirect my focus to the industrial machinery/cnc automation support, refit and repair sector that I have been involved in as a sideline for several years now as it is a more profitable venture at this point.

 

2. Unfortunately, throughout my life I have not always observed the best practice with regard to personal safety in my operations and now have to come to terms with the end result of that.  For all of those out there that play with soldering, painting, sanding, etc. I would strongly advise using the proper ventilation and respiratory protection required to ensure that your lungs don't suffer the damage that I have inflicted on mine.  For that reason I can not continue to do the soldering required to continue this facet of the operation.

 

I believe that I have 2 years remaining on my current hosting and while I will likely be moving the domain away from Zebsboards, I have every intention to continue to host the manuals and files section even if only through a redirect to a subdomain or link on the home page of the new site that I will be launching.  As well, I will be continuing to support my customers to the best of my ability for as long as possible.  While the sales will cease, the support will remain.

 

I have met some of the best individuals on the planet through this venture and it has truly been my honour and privilege to have been able to serve you.  For that you have my undying thanks.

 

Steve Ridgley

(formerly Zeb of Zebsboards)

[robertms]

Thank you for everything you've done for our hobby! Wishing you lots of health and all the BEST in the new venture, you Cantankerous Old Bastard!

[lizard]

As above Thanks for all that you have done for us pinball fans.

I purchased two of the original ledwiz booster boards when you were just starting out, (jeez has to be well over 10 years ago doesn't it) and they are still going strong to this day.

[Thalamus]

Thanks a lot Steve and my best wished for you in the future.

[zebulon]

I've open sourced the code and files for the products I developed.  

 

Everything is available in a git here .... https://github.com/zebsboards

 

I won't be supporting the code, if you can't figure it out, don't use it.

[rickh]

I've open sourced the code and files for the products I developed.  

 

Everything is available in a git here .... https://github.com/zebsboards

 

I won't be supporting the code, if you can't figure it out, don't use it.

Steve,

 

Thank you so much for all you have done for this community.  Good luck on your next career move, you are a brilliant guy and should do very well.  Please keep in touch with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Rick

[fhjui]

I've open sourced the code and files for the products I developed.  

 

Everything is available in a git here .... https://github.com/zebsboards

 

I won't be supporting the code, if you can't figure it out, don't use it.

Hm, alle three repositories are empty ?

[Suikazz]

nope, they aren't