Turning Ipe

[kevin nee]

Hello, Anyone turned Ipe? I have a 3 1/3x 3 1/2 post of Ipe and am thinking about making a rolling pin from it.
It is heavy & hard. Any reasons not to do this? Has anyone seen Birdseye Ipe?
Thanks in advance, Kevin

[Alex Zeller]

It has a lot of silica in it so be prepared to be sharpening quite often. I've only used it on decks but even then it would dull carbide toothed blades pretty quick. If you have any carbide turning tools I would use them and replace the insert when done if needed.

[John K Jordan]

It has a lot of silica in it so be prepared to be sharpening quite often. I've only used it on decks but even then it would dull carbide toothed blades pretty quick. If you have any carbide turning tools I would use them and replace the insert when done if needed.

I've made several things from Ipe and they came out ok. I have a 6x6x12" block to a friend and he turned a nice vase, good color and beautiful finish. The last one I did was Olivewood, heavy, but Ipe is heavier.

I tend to use heavy wood with finer grain and small pores for rolling pins but Ipe might work well.

All the Ipe I've seen has been fairly unspectacular, good color but little figure, never birdseye. But I'd be glad to look at some!

JKJ

[Reed Gray]

I have turned a few boxes out of Ipe. It is difficult to sand out because of the silica, and the oils. Best cuts for me when turning a spindle are peeling cuts with the skew. It might sand out better with a little walnut oil on it. Much heavier than sugar maple, which along with beech are the main 2 woods used for rolling pins. Very closed grain, and not too heavy or too lite. Watching an Italian egg pasta making show on You Tube last night. A 'matarello' rolling pin is used, up to 36 inches long and about 1 1/2 inch diameter. Might have to make one, just because.... I need a 3 foot long tool rest...

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

...Watching an Italian egg pasta making show on You Tube last night. A 'matarello' rolling pin is used, up to 36 inches long and about 1 1/2 inch diameter. Might have to make one, just because.... I need a 3 foot long tool rest...

That's the kind my Lovely Bride the chef prefers. I've made the "french" style with a central flat and tapered ends but she didn't like that. She doesn't like the kind with small handles that rotate - said she gets more control by turning/pressing with her hands on the top of the cylinder. She prefers a straight cylinder, similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-4008-.../dp/B003D2DAJK

So I made one from Olivewood that she uses a lot - a longer working area than the typical american rolling pin with the handles that rotate but shorter than some advertised, made like a cylinder, flat on either end with edges softened. She uses it for home-made pasta, pie crusts, pastries. (This girl likes to take cooking lessons in Italy! We eat like kings.)

As others agreed, turning a perfect cylinder can be more difficult than it seems it should be, more difficult than something with curves. I sized every two inches with calipers/parting tool, cut down the length with a skew, then used a long flat sanding stick to take out any small imperfections. She's thrilled with the results.

Since you are loaded with cash like all woodturners you can order a long rest from Robust, bottom of this page: http://www.turnrobust.com/tool-rests/
But I know several people that made functional rests from wood with a wooden "banjo" to support one end. Could put a piece of angle iron on top.

JKJ

[Robert Hayward]

I have turned a few pieces of Ipe to make faceplates and vacuum chuck hubs for my 3520b. The stuff is hard enough that my Beall spindle tap cuts machine quality threads in the end grain. Once threaded Ipe screws onto the 3520 spindle like a machined steel faceplate.

[Reed Gray]

I have thought of making my own long tool rest for spindles. I piece of oak or hickory, with a piece of A2 drill rod glued to the top. In order to use the Robust or other long tool rests, I would need 2 banjos... I did spend time last night watching Italian grandmas making their pasta by hand... No measuring, just add water till it is right...... I want Star Trek transporters.... I have been doing some baking, and now want to try pasta, by hand, not by machine.... You miss out on some thing when baking bread if you don't hand knead it... It is therapy...

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

I have thought of making my own long tool rest for spindles. I piece of oak or hickory, with a piece of A2 drill rod glued to the top. In order to use the Robust or other long tool rests, I would need 2 banjos... I did spend time last night watching Italian grandmas making their pasta by hand... No measuring, just add water till it is right...... I want Star Trek transporters.... I have been doing some baking, and now want to try pasta, by hand, not by machine.... You miss out on some thing when baking bread if you don't hand knead it... It is therapy...

robo hippy

We've had a lot of fun with hand-made pasta. One of our favorite trips to Italy our friends took us to grandma's house in the tiny village of Sfruz (try to pronounce that!) to teach us some down-home country style northern Italy cooking, all done the old way. The kitchen is down some very narrow stairs, barely room to turn around. The multi-course meal takes a couple of hours to prepare and maybe 2 hours eat and talk. They do not do fast food!

We are now baking sourdough bread. We make some here but a friend makes four loaves by hand every week and brings me one, always a work of art. Lately it's been whole wheat with rosemary. Thinking about adding basil to the next batch.