IPE HARDWOOD

[Pernicious Atavist]

I'm replacing the fore and aft grates on my thistle, which we've talked about, and would like to know more about Ipe, a hardwood that looks like teak. My local lumber dealer just turned me on to it, he claims it's similar to ironwood.
Thanks!

[Pernicious Atavist]

Oops, forgot to inquire about finishing. Oil or varnish?

[Norm Bernstein]

I would be extremely curious about using ipe, as well... because I'm looking for a more reasonably priced alternative to teak. Has anyone tried it?

[Figment]

I haven't used it on anything boaty, only residential decks.

It is HARD. Plan on throwing away whatever blades and bits you use at the end of the project.

It is HEAVY. Very dense stuff. Your application on the Thistle doesn't sound like weight will be a huge factor, but I think it's something to bear in mind.

I don't know much about the finishing. It looks great when you let it go gray, though!

I also don't know much about how many species of wood can be called "Ipe". Is it like "mahogany" which can be any one of a dozen? Is "Pau Laupe" the same thing (as I've been told) or just a near cousin?

[Mike Vogdes]

I use it all the time and will echo whats allready been said, it is very HARD and very HEAVY. It is also very rot resistant. Its been said that the dust is very iritating and may actually be toxic so a mask or respirator would be a good idea when cutting. As far as looking like teak, it depends how you finish it. I use Cetol and Cetol gloss as a finish, and like an ugly girl with a nice body, it looks really good from 20 feet or so, up close it still looks good but its not teak, however its a good alternative at a fraction of the cost.

[Pernicious Atavist]

thanks, guys! the weight isn't much of an issue since the fore and aft decks on the thistle are grates, 1.5" - 2" wide planks separated by 2" spaces for the bulk of them. the linear total is 50'.
so, i don't need to varnish or oil them? hmmm...
the lumber yard guy warned me about the dust; he says it's more irritating than walnut, which itself is a suspected carcinogen.
this is greenheart? could it be the same greenheart old fly rods and other rods were made of years ago? i've been wanted to make a couple of old style saltwater rods; could this be the wood? hmmmm....

[Hughman]

I had a sample of Greenheart that was brittle enough to shatter.
If you are going to make fragile grates, experiment first with a small piece and a hammer.

[Hughman]

Oh, and by the way, if you ever loose your grates overboard, they will sink like a driven stone!

[Norm Bernstein]

How well does it bend? I was thinking of adding a laid deck to my latest project... but I'm concerned about being able to spring the planks to the curvature of the sheer...

[Pernicious Atavist]

thanks, h.
this is for a thistle, a 17-footer. the "grates" are the deck structure. instead of a solid deck, they are made of several athwartship boards 1.5" - 2" wide, .75" thick, each separated by 2". there are four foreward and five aft. like a solid deck, they are permanent structures and provide lateral stability to the hull. these aren't removable deck grates covering a hold, like you might be thinking.

[JimConlin]

By my rough calculations, that's 30 lbs. of material, about 6% of the boat's all-up weight. I'd look for something lighter, especially since it's high in the boat.

[Mike Vogdes]

Jim,
That thought ran across my mind as well.
Maybe instead of 2" or 1-1/2" x 3/4" planks, they could be 1-1/2" x 1/2" or 3/8" ?

[Dan McCosh]

I've used the stuff as a replacement for white oak in structural deck beams. Hard doesn't quite do it justice. It is much like working with a piece of aluminum, and in fact can be drilled and tapped to hold machine screws. You can pretty much forget bending pieces more than 1/8 ins. thick. It's very dark in color, which looks nothing like teak, although I've never seen it weathered. I have seen it buffed on a wheel, something like bronze, and then it looks like it is a very dark varnish. I lost a plank when I dropped it in the water, and never managed to retrieve it from the bottom. My main concern was rot resistance, since I was replacing beams that had managed to collect water in corners, etc. Actually, I didn't notice excessive tool wear, since while it is hard, it doesn't have the silicon that makes teak so tough on tool edges. Cut it with circular saws and a bandsaw, glued it with epoxy. You keep knocking on it, to marvel at it's density.

[Dan McCosh]

Well, it is one of those sili-somethings. It is, however denser than water. I seem to remember 65 lbs. a cubic foot. Sinks like a light stone.

[Mike Vogdes]

If you drop a piece of IPE overboard, you better have your mask and fins ready...

[Dan McCosh]

I'm about to replace the front porch deck with Ipe as well, FWIW.

[Hughman]

Originally posted by Billy Bones:
... brittle enough to shatter.
Greenheart, the term, like Ironwood, is one which applies to a zillion different tropical hardwood species.

This sample came to me from a Bermuda telephone pole. Which species of generic greenheart is beyond my knowledge.


Originally posted by Hughman:
Oh, and by the way, if you ever loose your grates overboard, they will sink like a driven stone!

Hah! funny image, but technically not correct if the above figure for specific gravity is true. With a specific gravity of 1 it should have neutral buoyancy in fresh water. YMMV.

I made a mallet out of this stuff, and over the side it went into Funchal harbor. Did not pass go, it went straight to DJ's locker.

[Pernicious Atavist]

great exchange, guys! guess i'll have to weight the existing deck, which is teak. boat was built mid-late 70's, so the teak is somewhat lighter than in its youth.
i can't make it thinner, class rules call for 3/4" thickness.

[Pernicious Atavist]

okay, i just weighed the teak grates i'm replacing. these are the originals from the 70's. they weight 30 lbs after being weathered for almost 30 years.
sure would like to see some pics weathered ipe!

[Pernicious Atavist]

what's with my adding a t to weigh? geez...my knigdom for a typist....preferably a rdhead.... :cool:

[Pernicious Atavist]

billy, you think oiling or varnishing wood prevent the graying? would the wood take-up the finishes?
i've long thought about moving to the virgin islands. are you a native, or an import? enquiring minds want to know....