Replies

1. 
   ring | Dec 24, 2009 02:35am | #1

   Use a penetrating oil finish on Ipe.

   As far as adhesives are concerned you can certainly use epoxy. I would think that yellow glue would work well also if you take the precaution of wiping the surfaces down with acetone or some other fast-drying solvent just before gluing.

2. 
   dgreen | Dec 24, 2009 05:43am | #2

   As David said, epoxy works very well. If you have a lathe it also turns beautifully. Ipe towel bars would last forever!

1. 
   forestgirl | Dec 24, 2009 07:17pm | #5

   Don, that's good news. I
   Don, that's good news. I have lots of Ipe left from our deck project. Problem is, 1" nominal thickness, LOL! Lot's of pens I guess.

1. 
   ASK | Jan 06, 2010 09:07am | #7

   I coming a little late to this but do you remember Lataxe's Unusual Garden Bench? I made mine out of Ipe for the slats and cedar for the legs. 1" for the slats works beautifully.

   ASK

3. 
   nzattu | Dec 24, 2009 01:03pm | #3

   We have had more than one top tier professional woodworker have glue failures with epoxy and Ipe. This is utilizing every trick in the book for glueing difficult species. (Scratching for tooth with sandpaper, acetone wipes just before glue up etc.) Experiment first!

4. 
   Limbimbo | Dec 24, 2009 03:26pm | #4

   Just out of curiousity. If the material is so difficult to work with, why not let the material work for your rather than against you.

   By that I mean, instead of trying to design traditional doors and furniture with it, work to the strengths of the material. Design using mortice and tenons, or other pressure forming joints.

   I designed a chair almost five years ago using nothing but plywood and tight fitting joints, the only thing that needed any dowels and glue were the arm rests. It still sits in my living room today and it is as strong as ever. Hopefully, the picture posts, I'm not quiet sure how you load images on this forum.

   /Users/limbimbo/Desktop/Current Home Projects/ENDS 206_LeeImbimbo_2002_Chair.png

   Granted I was using birch plywood and not Ipe. But in theory you could make a similar decision.

   I have no experience with Ipe myself, but in my experience you need to let the material work to its strengths rather than try to force it into a job that it isn't good for.

5. 
   Troy | Dec 30, 2009 05:22pm | #6

   I think a lot of what is sold as ipe is different kinds of wood. I built some planters out of the stuff and used some of the scrap for drawer faces for my work bench and oil based poly went on just fine. Stuff is hard to work with but boy is it strong.

   Troy

6. 
   DoninFortLauderdale | Jan 09, 2010 01:59pm | #8

   Hi Guys,

   I have a floor with spindles going up stairs all out of solid Ipe. We tried many things and the only ones that would work were water based finishes. I tried many different finishes but no oil based finishes would dry. The grain and especially colors are beautiful, some appearing to be Rosewood, but over time in sunlight the wood changes in color to be more uniformly chocolate brown. For the floor application epoxy worked ok. The finish worked and dried fine, but it was never as smooth as a normal finish. Ipe and the water based finishes did not self level. I would guess that I could have added a normal finish on top of the water based, but by then patience was short and we moved in.... despite the fact that I had a wizzard for a painter (for everything else), I was unable to find anyone who knew how to finish Ipe for inside applications. Also be aware that the wood is so hard that one must first pre drill all holes other than using a pneumatic floor nailer.

   Best to you.

7. 
   fLanEzky7n | Mar 14, 2010 01:30pm | #9

   another late reply...

   FYI:

   I worked for the distributor of "pau Lope", aka "pao Lope",aka Ipe',  in the Florida Keys in the 1990's. We built lots of different things using this wood.  The importer at that time was Hardwoods of Miami, now out of business.

   CAUTION: When working with  ipê-amarelo ',  Tabebuia (families), aka Pau Lope,   Brazilian Walnut, Ironwood, etc, use a respirator and place fans  to throw the sawdust away from you... also, a shop-vac on the saw.  We did all this outside, believe me, you don't want this sawdust lingering around in your shop !  The greenish sawdust is a lung and eye irritant. That's why bugs and mold don't like this wood. 

   1. We used Fasco epoxy for gluing up ( Fas-stick #110 ) http://www.fascoepoxies.com/products.html

        This is a small epoxy manufacturer in Hialeah, FL. They make a great line of products. Some of our jobs       were either for underwater use or for all weather use outdoors, and this epoxy has held up well. 

         For the brave souls among us, you can cut the mixed epoxy with lacquer thinner for use as a clear                 finish.  I would not recommend that method for Ipe'.

   2. For finish we used Penofin products:  www.penofin.com. The oily nature of this wood requires the use of         an "oil based" finish. We did, however, use Zinnser Bulls-Eye Shellac, an alcohol based primer when a         job called for paint. Yes, I agree, it's a sin to paint this stuff, but the "customer is always right. Right? 

   3. For attaching we used SwanSecure stainless steel screws. Pre-drilling is a must as this wood is very             brittle,  and will split if you try to run a screw into it. 

   Thanks to Jeff Scurlock at Mother Ocean Custom Woodworks for all his knowledge and experience.

   Mike 

   PS: pix attached for one of the jobs...over 5500 cuts went into this one