Ipe outdoor bar

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  • Carlos
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2004
    • 1893
    • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

    Ipe outdoor bar

    I was just given around 100 bd-ft of Ipe dock plank cut-offs by our marina. They are 2-6 feet long, milled and surfaced, 3/4" thick, and widths in the 3-5" range. My plan is to use this to build a bar to go on our dock. A little research reveals that this wood is extremely dense and closed. Looks like sharp carbide tools are a must, and special finishes are required. I didn't find a lot on gluing it, which is a concern.

    Also, there are two specific species here (Ipe is a family of many different species). One is far more red-brown than the other, which is kind of yellow with a few very yellow planks. It quickly dulls to gray if untreated and left outside.

    Any tips on gluing this would be appreciated.
  • Whaler
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 3281
    • Sequim, WA, USA.
    • DW746

    #2
    I have turned a few pieces of Ipe and sharp tools are a must. As for gluing, pen tubes held in the blanks with no problem using CA. It sands and finishes beautifully.
    Dick

    http://www.picasaweb.google.com/rgpete2/

    Comment

    • pelligrini
      Veteran Member
      • Apr 2007
      • 4217
      • Fort Worth, TX
      • Craftsman 21829

      #3
      Being that it'll be outside I think a waterproof glue like Tightbond III should work just fine.
      Erik

      Comment

      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        My first thought was, there's a marina in Phoenix?

        Carbide tools a must with Ipe. I had success with TB2 for an indoor table. TB3
        should be fine for outside.

        Bad luck with Gorilla glue. A recent FWW article used an epoxy glue for a
        teak bench. That would probably be the uber glue for an outdoor Ipe bar.

        Paul

        Comment

        • Rich P
          Established Member
          • Apr 2003
          • 390
          • Foresthill, CA, USA.
          • Powermatic 66 (1966 vintage)

          #5
          I just finished 2 indoor coffee tables made from ipe leftovers from a major (1200 sq ft) home decking project. Carbide is a must for cutting although good bench chisels seem to work ok. Depending on grain, it can be a bear to plane. Colors can be all over the place, even along the length of the same board. I had a difficult time routing without tearout. Had to climb cut a lot to get by the problem areas. Only way to deal with the table tops after glueup was with a card scraper.

          FWW did an article in the July/Aug 2007 issue where PVA Type 1 (e.g. Titebond) came out the winner. For your project, Titebond III would be the choice. Ipe was one of the species tested. Here is the link to the PDF article. I believe it will require membership to view. There are several approaches to finishing. The March/Apr 2006 FWW had a project for an outdoor table made from ipe. Here is the link to that article. My experience with a large outdoor table I made was that you will want a good protective finish if you are going to expose the wood to dinning.

          Despite all it's problems, ipe looks great in the finished item.
          Don't ever ask a barber if you need a haircut.

          Comment

          • Carlos
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2004
            • 1893
            • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

            #6
            Great to hear. TB3 is my normal choice but wasn't sure if that would work on this. Thanks for the articles, that's an awesome resource.

            Obviously I need to go pick up the rest of this wood. I figured it was cheap junk considering how much they had to use to build the marina, but now that I've researched it, this is pretty amazing stuff. Even the yellow variety should be very useful.

            My first thought was, there's a marina in Phoenix?
            A few of them. We have a lot of water and boats actually.

            Comment

            • Rich P
              Established Member
              • Apr 2003
              • 390
              • Foresthill, CA, USA.
              • Powermatic 66 (1966 vintage)

              #7
              It is actually amazing stuff...they used it for the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Try taking a blow torch to it...won't burn...Class A fire rating I believe. There are a bunch of good resources for ipe on the net. Here is one that I liked.
              Don't ever ask a barber if you need a haircut.

              Comment

              • scmhogg
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2003
                • 1839
                • Simi Valley, CA, USA.
                • BT3000

                #8
                Carlos,

                The new issue of Wood Magazine has an article on exterior glue use. I was really surprised to see that Gorilla Glue faired so poorly. I have been recommending it based upon Norm's use for all his outdoor stuff.

                The Wood article rates TBIII as the best. They call it, "equal to epoxy with much less mess." Even TBII was way better that the Poly glue.

                Live and learn.

                Steve
                I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong. Bertrand Russell

                Comment

                • Uncle Cracker
                  The Full Monte
                  • May 2007
                  • 7091
                  • Sunshine State
                  • BT3000

                  #9
                  I made a table top for a friend's porch from ipe scraps. Used TB3, and glued the scraps together butcher-block style, color variations scattered throughout. I have a drum sander, and that's how I surfaced it (you can get your local cabinet shop to do yours if you don't have a DS available). Finished it with a 2-part bar-top finish. It looks awesome. I wanted to keep it for myself, but need all the friends I can get, so I'll make one for me when I can get some more scraps.

                  Comment

                  • Carlos
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jan 2004
                    • 1893
                    • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                    #10
                    The bar top finish is an interesting idea. Did it retain its color? Is it in sunlight or shaded? How old is it now?

                    Comment

                    • Uncle Cracker
                      The Full Monte
                      • May 2007
                      • 7091
                      • Sunshine State
                      • BT3000

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Carlos
                      The bar top finish is an interesting idea. Did it retain its color? Is it in sunlight or shaded? How old is it now?
                      Couple of years old now. He says it still looks good, although not quite as great as when first built. It's in a canvas gazebo next to his pool, so it gets part shade, part sun. The sun will eventually get to just about any finish, and I think the chlorine vapor has dulled it a little, but he's still happy with it. I told him I'd knock it down and redo it for him when the time came. I know there are numerous formulations of bar top finish out there, and perhaps some are better suited to weather than others, so it probably makes sense to cruise the 'net and get info from the manufacturers. Mine came from Woodcraft, but I note they're carrying a different product now.

                      Comment

                      • Rich P
                        Established Member
                        • Apr 2003
                        • 390
                        • Foresthill, CA, USA.
                        • Powermatic 66 (1966 vintage)

                        #12
                        This is interior only but I did the coffee tables finish with Howards Feed-N-Wax. I tested it by applying to a scrap piece of ipe and then leaving a glass of ice water sitting on it overnight. Got up the next morning and there was a puddle. Wiped it off and there was a faint ring. Came back 30 mins later and it was gone. I asked my kids, "Do you want to wax weekly (not really) and so far the "finish" is holding up fine. Only problem was the dog (a great rescued golden lab) wanted to lick the finish off the table. Once that was declared off limits, all was fine. Howards has a exterior tropical hardwood prodcut. If I get around to refinishing my exterior table, I will give it shot.
                        Don't ever ask a barber if you need a haircut.

                        Comment

                        • Carlos
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2004
                          • 1893
                          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                          #13
                          Looks like I have 21 bd-ft of actual Ipe, and 72 bd-ft of something the marina said was in the same family, but seems very different to me. Seems much less hard and oily. I'll have to see if they can come up with an actual name. Once sanded, the true Ipe was a glossy red-brown that almost looked like it was already finished. Sanding took a lot of time. The other stuff sanded pretty easily and ended up with a yellow-green-tan color, tight smooth grain, and a more normal wood feel. I tried a few finishes on some pieces and it didn't soak up much, but the redder stuff really took very little. First time I've had to wipe off oil from the first coat.

                          I need to get back there and get more, I'd say there's another 40 ft of red Ipe and 100-some of the other stuff.

                          Comment

                          • Rich P
                            Established Member
                            • Apr 2003
                            • 390
                            • Foresthill, CA, USA.
                            • Powermatic 66 (1966 vintage)

                            #14
                            Get all they have. It will all perform the same. Use dark and light as part of your design. I have a 10 foot piece I could not use on my tables because the rest of the pieces were too different, beautiful blood red and brown and black verses light tan with dark black veins. I will do something with it, I just don't what yet. Your stuff is both a gift and a challenge. Look for pieces appear to have a regular grain and have fun.

                            BTW, the yellow/green/tan is typical. If you have dust collection hoses, they will become yellow/orange (as the FWW table article mentioned).

                            Rub some mineral spirits on the red stuff and get inspired. The "green" stuff will turn brownish black.
                            Last edited by Rich P; 03-16-2009, 10:31 PM.
                            Don't ever ask a barber if you need a haircut.

                            Comment

                            • Carlos
                              Veteran Member
                              • Jan 2004
                              • 1893
                              • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                              #15
                              This is some crazy stuff to work with. The reddish-brown pieces produce a bright lime green dust when planed. The most unnatural color you can imagine. You can see some of it in the photos below. I know pictures online can be off-color, but look at the dust compared to my bright yellow gloves and hearing protectors; the pictures are accurate.

                              Even more strangely, this is the first time I've noticed dust from my jointer and planer. Most woods just create chips on the jointer and planer. Drilling the end grain for dowels resulted in a pile of bright green chips from some boards, and red-brown from others.

                              I also managed to stall the jointer a couple times. This stuff is HARD. First time that's happened. Also there is a huge variation in hardness/weight/density from piece to piece, and while jointing, even from one part of a piece to another.

                              Weirdest wood I've ever worked with. On the other hand, it came off the jointer with a slick, polished, ready-to-finish face. The table saw cut through it cleanly although with more effort than you'd expect from a 3/4" piece on a 3HP saw.

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