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Permalink Reply by justin nicola on February 1, 2011 at 1:41pm

i have used ipe a bit.  it is very hard on tools, as it has shiny fibrous (sp?) slivers as you will see when you plane it.  it is commonly used in high end deck building in tropical and subtropical climates.  it is very strong, doesn't warp much, doesn't rot, and weighs as much as any wood i have ever lifted.  i would actually say it is the densest wood i have ever worked with.  it is a very oily wood, which i would guess lends itself to rot resistance and water resistance (think barbour jackets...).  i rebuilt the hatches on my center console using black walnut frames and ipe in the middle.  it stains up nice, doesn't suck up the poly like oak or mahogany.  hatches were built two years ago and they still look good.  there are some pics of it on my page if you want to see.  i would imagine its a nightmare to bend.  i also used it as baseboard in my house in a few rooms.  i was running board and batten mahogany and was trying to skimp on $.  they were laying at a job site so i saved them from the dumpster.  could hardly get a trim nail to shoot through a 1x6, they are that strong.  hope this helps.  overall, its a good looking wood, but like you said, there are some less-desirable qualities to it. 

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Permalink Reply by mlwebb on February 1, 2011 at 11:35pm

I used it for the outer chine strips on my Trapper -bending them into place I was waiting for a loud crack, but they went on,  and have built (house) decks out of it (makes a great deck).

I think Justin described it well. A few years ago there was a lot on the market, but it seams to have dried up lately.

Michael

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Permalink Reply by Don Hanson on May 9, 2011 at 6:08pm

It is nasty to work.  I trimmed a house with it last fall and I got wheezing pretty bad, despite wearing a dual filter respirator all day.  It splits easily, when you sand it, it turns green.  It cures like teak if left untreated..turns silver.  It would probably make a good deck on a boat.  It makes a good deck on a house.  My client found a container load on Ebay and did all his decks with it.  Drilling it, the smoke that comes off a drill bit burns your eyes and poisons your lungs...It did mine any how.  I recall using it long ago in a boatyard as a keel shoe on a wooden dragger we hauled...Ironwood is better for that.

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Permalink Reply by Charles Ray Heater on May 11, 2011 at 10:56am

Hi Don:

 

I'm an old friend of A.J.'s.  I would like to meet you sometime.

 

I have an Ipe chine cap, 1/2" x 1 3/4" attached to a boat I sold recently.  It is everything described by the others.  I think it makes great chine caps due to it's density.  We just oil it occasionally.  If you  need to glue Ipe for length I recommend treating the mating pieces as you would Oak.  Apply acetone to each piece to neutralize the oil and then apply epoxy to each mating piece.  Let cure for several days then sand with 80 grit, then reapply with epoxy and filler and join the pieces.  We have not had joint failure from doing this.

 

Ray & Cy

503-622-7697

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