One of Southwest Oxford’s most unique businesses showcases some of the most beautiful custom wood products you will find anywhere created by a husband, wife, and son team.
Cheryl Buchner says Solid Edge Wood Products began as somewhat of a hobby. “It started on a part-time basis with an Alaskan sawmill.” The term speaks to a type of sawmill that incorporates a chain saw used by one or two operators to mill logs into lumber or slabs for use in furniture and construction. “We just did custom sawing. We sawed the wood and they looked after the slabs. These were logs too big to go through a sawmill. We were cutting slabs up to 54 inches wide.” The slabs would typically be used for large tables.
Cheryl says the family always had a woodworking hobby at home but once business became more steady things changed. “Once we had the wood that we were doing ourselves, we started custom making products for other people. Then we upgraded the kiln, bought a location, and here we are.”
The business offers several products in their showroom including charcuterie and cutting boards as well as wood finishes, fillers, and adhesives, but most of their business is custom crafting of solid wood products with the focus on great quality. “You will not find MDF (multi-density fibreboards) in our facility. That is not what we do.”
The company has done some incredibly unique pieces of work, but Cheryl says one in particular stands out to her. “A waterfall bar top in a pool area. It is an epoxy river we waterfalled to come down towards an epoxy pool at the end. It has a mirror under it which reflects light from a light fixture the client put over top. It is a very unique piece.” She adds the custom work they do involves a lot of back and forth before the finished product is ready. “That’s one thing different about our process. You might go into other stores and say I want a live edge table and they say ok, I’ll make you a walnut table this size and whatever, but you don’t get to go through the experience of going through and picking out the slab. We lay it out. We talk about how its going to come together. If it needs epoxy, we pick out the colour.” “It’s working with the client right from talking about the size to the materials to the finish. All the way through.”
Cheryl adds one of the different things they do is scribed lamination. Instead of gluing the wood together on straight lines, they trace out the live edge and put it together which creates a unique look.
Solid Edge serves clients across Southwestern Ontario Windsor up to the Muskoka’s. Cheryl says making their one-of-a-kind products is a passion and one the family shares deeply. “Our tagline is ‘For the Love of Wood’ and that pretty much says it. We enjoy the family business but, like any other family, there are days. Overall, it is so satisfying to work as a family and create memories. We look at it as we are creating things that families generate many memories around. Their dining room tables, their coffee tables, we are even making solid wood kitchen cabinets now. Things that add to the home and create that home atmosphere where your family gathers.” Clients range anywhere from someone wanting something unique for a shower or wedding gift to corporate pieces with logos to restaurant tables and mirrors. It’s really anything wood.” Cheryl adds they do office furniture. “We also do boardroom tables, office reception desks, stair treads, newel posts, and we are doing beam coverings which has become fairly popular.”
One of the company’s top priorities is to be sensitive to the environment. “The species of wood available is changing. We follow an environmental awareness policy here, so we are dealing only with Ontario hardwoods. We try to source as locally as we can with respect for the environment,” adds Cheryl who operates Solid Edge with her husband Glenn and their son Zach, and each have their own duties. “Our son we consider to be the master craftsman. I run most of the office and store and my husband fills in working in the shop and doing a lot of the maintenance work. When it started, all three of us were sawing and making wood products. We were all hands on.” To find out more about Solid Edge Wood Products and to view photos of their stunning custom products, go to their website at https://solidedgewood.ca/.
