Ipe

[Nubbin]

I have a lot of Ipe that was given to me when I bought out a guy's "scraps" of mahogany. I filled the back of my Chevy 1500 with mahogany that was 2 - 3 inches thick and anywhere from 8" up to 14" wide, 2 to 3 feet long. That was his "scraps". Now back to the Ipe, has anyone ever done any kind of work with it? I have read that it is great for decks and such and that it can be very rough on saw blades. It is a very neat looking wood but I am afraid of ruining my planer, table saw, bandsaw, etc blades. Right now, since it is a very dense wood and heavy, it is being used as weights on top of my other wood to keep it from warping. It is good for that or maybe throwing through a window.

[Bruce P]

See: http://www.woodsthebest.com/ipe_decking/ipe-wood.htm for commentary on hardness and effects on tool edges.

You may have already identified the best use for it!

[eendreno]

have used and built many things with it. HARD very hard. has a density of something like 1.07 means it won't float. circular saws cut it fine. crosscut with a 40 tooth blade.building decks it does not kill a blade in a day. i made 24 lounge chairs 84" long and a cozy 40" inches wide. i originally planned on cutting the curved parts on a bandsaw. cutting 5/4x6 clear wood i was only able to get 3 of the 84" long stringers from a 1/4" blade with 14 teeth. i changed to a 1/4 with 6 teeth. i got thru about 4 peices. i ended up cutting with a jig saw,and the best blades bosch had. 2 per blade. i then trimmed with a 1 1/2 x 1/2 trim router bit. they were cheapo's from woodworkers warehouse at 4.95 each. they lasted for 4 peices. i cross cut all the lats 3/4 stock, all the legs, and various support parts with a single 60 tooth freud blade on a 10" radial arm saw. there were 23 lats per chair, i pre drilled screwed and plugged. several 2 lb coffee cans of ipe 3/8 plugs. the real good plug cutters were too thick and heated up the wood and burnt after 20 plugs. i bought 3/8 plug cutters from woodworkers warehouse, wiped them out. sears wiped them out. drove to another sears wiped them out. i used at least 20 i've run about 300 feet thru a 16" grizzly planer. blades are none the worse for wear after.(lite 1/16" slices) i've amassed quite a collection of the wood and the various grain, and color configurations are really interesting. it finishes fantastic. the wood is very rot resitant. the lounge chairs now 6 years old sit out in the sun, and weather from may till oct.i finished them with brazilian hardwood oil,(refinish annually) and the plugs were glued in using resorcinol. there are no popped plugs and maybe 5 or 6 hair line cracks in the whole bunch. i made a blanket chest using very wild grained peices i killed 2 amana dovetail bits in the process. 1/2" stock cuts well on the scroll saw, and the wood is capable of amazing detail. i have not made a habit of trying to resaw it. i cut maybe 20 feet of 5/4x6 stock using a carbide tipped blade. try looking up advantage lumber they have a nice site and explain alot about the wood. have fun doug

[Janette]

I use it in intarsia when I need that color- hard to cut but shines up nicely

[workin for wood]

Yea, it's tough stuff for sure. I bet you could make a pair of scissors from ipe and sharpen them to cut paper just like a steel pair. I've scrolled it, now I try not to unless I really need that color bad. I'm not looking at any charts of any kind, but I imagine if you've cut purpleheart or bloodwood, well ipe seems harder than that, but not by much.

[Nubbin]

Thanks all. With your opinions/advice I will continue to use it just as I have been, as weights for my other wood. Hard to believe I had already found the best thing to do with it.

[core-eagle]

I install hardwood flooring full-time and have installed alot of Ipe. As far as hardness. The Janka scale (Where they take a .44 caliber steel ball and press it into the wood half the size of the ball, or .22". The number is how many pounds pressure it takes). A few samples of common wood: White pine 420, Honduran Mahogany 800, Black Walnut 1010, Red Oak 1290, Ash 1320, Hickory 1820, Purpleheart 2090 (just over a ton!), Bloodwood 2900, Ipe 3680!

Tim

[Plaquerd]

Tim
Thanks for the information. I Googled Janka Scale.......
that is good info to have!!!! Thanks again.

[workin for wood]

how much for Lignum vitea?

[Plaquerd]

Jeff
4500!!!!