Replies

1. 
   dgreen | Jan 22, 2008 12:28am | #1

   I didn't do any finishing but I found it drilled, cut and turned very nicely. It did not dull the cutters noticeably.

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   It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore

2. 
   MikeHennessy | Jan 22, 2008 01:06am | #2

   I've used in for outside construction. It does dull tools faster than ordinary wood. (A carbide miter saw blade was done after less than 100 crosscuts.) I can also attest that the dust is AWFUL! Wear a respirator. It is very dense (it sinks in water) and hard. It also splits easily -- like in you have to predrill any screw holes within about 2" of any end.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

3. 
   Napie | Jan 22, 2008 03:16am | #3

   It makes an outstanding longbow especially when backed with bamboo.   It is pretty nasty to work with however, dulls tools fast.   I have only used an oil finish on it so far.

4. 
   troys | Jan 22, 2008 10:13am | #4

   I made some outdoor planters for my wife out of ipe. These are fairly large (the planters not the wife) and the material worked quite well. Very hard on sawblades and very hard to nail or screw. My 15gauge finish nailer would often drive the nails about 1/2 inch deep and make a nice pretzel shape with the rest of the nail. With screws you have to pre-drill the holes and it helps if you wax the screws as well. I used some of the scrap for drawer fronts on my work bench and the stuff looked really nice with several coats of poly on it. Anyway very durable wood hard as all get out and very strong as well as heavy. Another thing I noticed was that the cost was not that much different from con-heart redwood.

   Troy

5. 
   forestgirl | Jan 22, 2008 11:05am | #5

   Troy sort-of tucked the word "heavy" coyly into the last bit of his paragraph.  If you're thinking about building furniture with it, remember, it's H-E-A-V-Y. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
6. 
   spiff | Jan 22, 2008 02:43pm | #6

   Have built  alot of decks,PL or gorilla glue works well. Even good old yellow glue.

   Just make sure you use sst screws. Anything eles stains the wood. Oh, and sharp tools a must.

1. 
   Hal123 | Jan 22, 2008 10:34pm | #7

   Well it does seem durable enough. I have heard it refered to as a substitute or replacement for teak.

   The thought I had was that it may be good for some interior wet area project such as a counter top with countersunk glass sinks. I guess how it would look stained and finished will be the telling tale.

   I appreciate your input, thanks.

7. 
   JMartinsky | Jan 23, 2008 04:06pm | #8

   Dear Hal,
   Having built more decks than I care to admit to, I can safely say the following:

   1) It is very tough on tools. Blades in particular. Buy extra. You'll need them.

   2) The dust is miserable. Sort of a greenish yellow, if you can believe it.

   3) The material we get here in CT can be somewhat inconsistent, in that the hardness can vary as well as the appearance. However, the overall performance seems very consistent.

   4) Splinters are especially painful.

   5) It is HEAVY and very strong and pretty stable.

   6) The overall working experience is not terribly satisfying, as the material works more like aluminum than wood.

   7) Split? No way.

   8) To prevent checks, we paint the butt ends with "anchor seal" which is sort of a liquid wax. Treating the ends is a MUST.

   9) It really doesn't glue all that well.

   10) Pre-drill for screws is a must.

   11) I have not tried finishing it as the entire reason that we install it at all is to prevent maintenance. I would imagine that it would not take a finish all that readily, other than oil.

   The bottom line is that it is a beautiful wood, reminiscent of teak, but much tougher. It is not much/any fun to work with. One must be patient with it as progress is slower than with other materials. Coming off of the table saw, the edges are sharp and should be handled with care. It more or less stands up to the hype that it is maintenance free.

   Best,

   John