Young carpenter from Thuringia relies on compact edge banding machine

Despite very limited space in his workshop, young entrepreneur Thomas Leidig has been able to realize a high-performance machine park. An example for this is the compact minimax me 35 edge banding machine from Holzkraft.

In a charming half-timbered building on the outskirts of the Thuringian community of Sankt Gangloff, master carpenter Thomas Leidig has realized his big dream of having his own small woodworking shop. In 2016, he ventured into self-employment to return to the origins of the carpentry trade and to realize unique wood creations together with his customers. "Fitted kitchens, interior doors, stairs, even attics and terraces - that's exactly what I do. From planning to production to installation, I'm a one-stop shop," says Leidig enthusiastically and proudly presents the numerous wood cuttings that will soon create a very special feel-good atmosphere in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. “Larch and oak are particularly popular at the moment. People are again placing more value on individual, handcrafted work. Here, nothing is off the shelf”, smiles the young master carpenter.

Playing at the forefront with HOLZKRAFT

When Leidig talks about his projects, there is an unmistakable glow in his eyes. After 10 years of practical experience, his desire to turn his own ideas into creative wood products for private users grew louder and louder. So he converted a former workshop for caravan cleaning into a carpenter's workshop and completed his master craftsman training at the same time.

In order to start with the lowest possible investment, he initially used second-hand machines for his basic equipment. However, he quickly realized that innovative, new woodworking technologies were essential if he wanted to be competitive in the long term. The biggest challenge, however, were the premises, which offered only limited space for professional woodworking machines. This is how Thomas Leidig became aware of the HOLZKRAFT brand through his local specialist dealer, which offers a wide range of machines for craft, trade and industry.

Compact edge banding machine solves space problem

Leidig traveled to the HOLZKRAFT demonstration center in Hallstadt to see the woodworking machines live and try them out for himself, above all the minimax me 35tr s automatic edge banding machine. In addition to a compact design, the main focus for him was on quality, user-friendliness, functionality and a coherent price/performance ratio. However, the impressions he gained on site exceeded all his expectations. Because with a space-saving design of just 3.31 m, the HOLZKRAFT minimax me 35tr s automatic edge banding machine offers all the functions that are usually only found in machines with much larger dimensions, making it ideal for smaller workshops. Starting with the anti-adhesive spray unit through to the buffing unit, all aggregates are accommodated in the smallest possible space and enable compact and efficient working at all times. The machine can be used for processing plastic edges up to 3 mm, solid wood edges up to 5 mm and workpieces between 8 - 50 mm. Two diamond cutters in the pre-milling unit ensure precision. An edge heating device ensures an exact connection between panel and edge at all times. In addition, the machine has an innovative trimming unit with corner copying function, which enables easy processing and makes time-consuming reworking at the corners obsolete. Thanks to this exceptional range of functions combined with the machine's compact design, the minimax me 35tr s edge banding machine was awarded the recognized Xylexpo Design Award.

All machines from one supplier

However, Leidig did not only have the edge bander in mind. He needed other machines for his still young joinery, which he wanted to purchase from one and the same supplier. This would make implementation much easier for him as a one-man operation and he would have a single point of contact for the machines. Therefore, after his visit to the demonstration center, he had an entire HOLZKRAFT machine package put together, which, in addition to the edge banding machine, included the FS 41e surface planer, the KSO 150 F edge grinding machine and the RLA 1601 P pure air dust extractor. Expecially with regard to the exhaust system, he enjoyed being able to fall back on a single contact: "From planning to project engineering to the installation of the exhaust system, I got everything from a single source at HOLZKRAFT. This simplified the implementation for me in every respect".

The HOLZKRAFT machines have been in use in Sankt Gangloff, Thuringia, since April 2020. The young master carpenter has already impressed the first customers with his handmade fitted kitchens, interior staircases and bathroom furniture. For next year a further enlargement of the carpenter's workshop as well as additional personnel are planned. Thomas Leidig has reached his goal and is happy to finally be able to live his dream and create unique wood creations for a natural living ambience.

Watch the video now!