One of the most common questions I get about my wood switch plates is why the edges are dark. It is not paint and it is not stain. It comes from the laser, and this short video explains it in under half a minute.
Where the Dark Edge Comes From
Every plate is cut to order on the laser. The laser cuts by burning a very fine line through the wood, and that chars the cut edge dark brown to black.
- It is a natural part of laser cutting, not a coating
- It gives each plate a crisp, framed outline
- Each species behaves a little differently on the laser, so cut quality and edge color vary slightly by species
Prefer a Lighter Edge?
A light sanding takes the char off. The plywood sands easily if you need to take a hair off an edge, and sanding the edge also removes the charring left by the laser. Keep it to a light touch-up. If a plate needs more than that to fit, I would rather make you a custom plate at the right size.
For day-to-day care once the plate is on the wall, see how to clean wood switch plates. For picking a wood, finish, screws and size, the wood switch plate buyer's guide covers it, and if your switch or outlet sits out from the wall, see attaching a backing plate.
I'm not a licensed electrician; I just make switch plates. Any work on electrical system components is done at your own risk and/or should be done by a licensed professional. Always turn off power at the breaker and verify it's off before working near wiring.
You can browse the full range of plates on the VARØ Industries switch plates page, read the sizing, wood type and fit guide at switchplates.info, or find everything in my Etsy shop. More short how-tos are on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.
More short how-tos on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.