Ipe?

[Jack Mincey]

How does Ipe turn? I'm making a few picnic tables out of it for our school and should have a few scrapes left to turn some small projects.
Thanks,
Jack

[Jim King]

It turns great: Here is a small bowl and the tops and bottoms of IPE glued onto Brazil Nut hollow boxes.

[Raymond Overman]

Ipe is sometimes reffered to as Brazilian Ironwood or Brazilian Walnut. It turns well but can be hard on tool edges from my experience. Sharpen often.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Turns nice Jack. Finishes well.

[Ken Glass]

I have been wanting to do a segmented bowl out of Ipe. I have 40-50- bd ft of it from some Adirondack chairs I made. Has anyone had any luck with glue- ups for segmented pieces out of Ipe? It seems to not take yellow glue into the grain very well. It is very dense wood.

[Jim King]

Here is an IPE glue up with white glue and another bowl. Never had any problem with plain cheap wood glue. Glueing IPE can be a problem as most of it is sold for decking and not kiln dried.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=45647&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1156637152 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=45647&d=1156637152)http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=41116&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1150641300 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=41116&d=1150641300)

[Ken Glass]

Jim,
Thanks for the info. I think I'll go for it soon.

[Reed Gray]

Ipe has a lot of resin in it. If you rip a board on your table saw, and have a zero clearance insert, there will be a pile of resin on the sides of the insert. If you want to glue it, clean first with acetone, maybe even twice, then glue. It is hard and heavy, and if you look at it in the sun light, you can see the silica sparkeling. It will dull the tools quite a bit. I think of it being like teak, but heavier and more oily.
robo hippy

[Jim King]

I thought for some it may be interesting to see an IPE live in the jungle. I assume most have not seen one.

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Jim that is a great picture. It must be hard on a chain saw chain.
Jack

[Cyril Griesbach]

Ray,
Thanks for the other names. I got a piece of Brazilian Ironwood from a friend who mistakenly cut up what was on a job site and made forms for a concrete pour. Didn't make his boss very happy as the wood was destined for flooring. Now, thanks to you, I know this is also Ipe.

Cyril

[steve denison]

I recently turned some flag staffs for my brother for his boat out of this stuff. I agree with everything written already, but wear a dust mask when you turn this wood. The wood is so hard it gives off a powder when you cut or turn it, and the dust irritated my nose and throat.

[Allen Neighbors]

Built in silica... hmmm... now I know why it doesn't do well for hand chasing threads. My chaser was dull before I got started good.

[Dennis Puskar]

Where do you guys buy this IPE ? interested in buying some.

Dennis