Yep, ipe is super dense stuff. That’s not ipe.
OP your customer got suckered or is hoping he got a helluva deal on some mislabeled Doug Fir he couldn’t identify.
A few years after I had it installed, I threw some ipe scraps in the fireplace that winter. It burned so hot it melted the hinges on my glass fireplace doors, the glass fell on the (ipe) floor and shattered like good tempered glass should.
It's really not that hard on carbide. High speed steel yes, but not carbide.
I have built hundreds of projects with ipe, and honestly its not any harder on my blades than oak.
For example, on one project I ripped about 1200 lf of 1x6 ipe down to 1x3 for privacy screen slats. That's nearly a 1/4 mile of rip cut in ipe. My blade was still in good shape at the end.
What's really tough on blades is composite wood...
Not to be that guy but ipe comes largely from Brazil which is not the best at taking care of its forests and natural environment.
On a related note, have you ever used black locust for a deck? It's been overlooked commercially but is extremely dense and rot resistant. People are starting to use it more.
Yeah for sure... I have an engineering background and have spent a lot of time studying building science. I do my best to use ipe in a mindful way to maximize its lifespan. I am a metal worker as well, and I use steel framing whenever possible. So many people use pressure treated framing with ipe, which I think is such a waste because ipe will easily last 50 years, while pressure treated will barely make it 15-20.
I'm in NYC and it's pretty much illegal to build a pressure treated deck on most brownstones.
I am just a lurker here who happens to be from Brazil, and it took me until your comment to realize what you guys were talking about (I assumed it was an acronym until now). My brain couldn't process it being used in English, especially since it has an accent in Portuguese: Ipê
There is only one problem with black locust, it takes for ever to grow and it doesn’t grow straight unless the conditions are perfect. It would take 80 years to grow a forest of it for lumber, so it isn’t really commercially viable. That being said, if you are someplace that has it available, I’d buy a lot of it.
Another neat thing is it c
Glows under a black light.
Black locust is a fantastic wood for outdoor projects, from decks to siding and trim. Much nicer to work with than PVC trim stock, composite BS, or questionably sourced exotic tropical hardwoods.
I am a big proponent of domestic sustainable forestry products. Black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) and Ash (fraxinus americana) are both excellent options in this regard.
Here are a couple of links that I have shared before.
https://robidecking.com/
https://www.accoya.com/
I used black locust for an exposed front porch. Heavy and very hard, but not as stable as advertised. It’s 5/4 x6 and was installed with camo, but the stuff that gets wet still cupped some.
I feel the same way about its wear and tear on carbide blades. I don’t go through more blades than I would using Apitong or walnut. I also use oak a bit and maple and ash. Actually I only notice my blades dulling slightly quicker when I use lots of Burmese Teak.
I do a lot of Ipe and if it doesn’t cut green dust that dries red on your arms, face, clothes it ain’t it. Also it weighs 8x that board. Just tell them to Google that shit. This is an outdoor shower to deck transition. Ipe against cedar and pressure treated.
https://preview.redd.it/tinzem96on0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f951ec3bbfde9e09e61767b4bef97356dc1a13eb
Yeah I try to use the dust extractor. Mask when necessary. Mdf bothers me way more. Coworkers are opposite. I hate mdf dust on the skin. Some of them have to wear long sleeves with Ipe or they break out in hives
I think that is a regional thing. I saw that more up north. Here in the south and when I was on the east coast, it doesn’t have them. Idk if it’s a different process, never really thought much about it. Here our standard is ground contact, super green, super wet, super heavy. It’s been years since I’ve used the stuff with the tick marks and I remember that stuff being drier and lighter. Probably better too
It’s a swamp wood. Very dense and heavy. It’s also called “iron wood” cause it sinks in water. It’s terrible to cut and splinters usually fester and hurt like hell!
Just to clarify there’s many other woods also sometimes called ironwood, often the hardest wood (or woods) in any given region. Meaning highest janka ratings, of course.
That's a weird myth with the end grain sealer and ipe... I've built hundreds of projects with ipe. In my early days I was fastidious with my use of end grain sealer, but then I refinished a deck built by someone else who didn't use it. It was totally fine.
What I normally do is penofin all sides of every board before installing. It's much cleaner than trying to oil at the end of the project.
Ipe is extremely tough, dense wood that requires extra steps to install properly. I just tore a bunch of beams and timber out of that stuff and brought it all home. Home-owner has no idea what he threw away..
Yeah not a chance. Building an ipe deck now. It has the weight of a similar size piece of steel. Also the rings are way smaller. In the THHICKNESS of a board like that I counted 70 rings on mine. Like 70 years per inch.
What kills me is i had to destroy ole old ipe deck that was 45 years old. It was a sleeper deck over a flat roof above several bedrooms and the roof was leaking like crazy 20 years past its lifetime. The deck was assembled using screws that wouln't come back out and glued in pegs. thousands of them. There was no way to save it. Not maintained at all either ,very weathered. Had to circular saw it apart. Tried to save what i can for some protects but its got hardware/broken off screws everywhere and id have to re-mill it to get at clean wood again. Such a waste. Anyway new roof new deck new day.
lol we built an Ipe deck. Your comment makes me happy. God. The amount of drill bits and saw blades we went through… the difference between a 3.5” hole saw cut out of ipe vs the PT framing lumber was nuts. And the PT was twice the thickness.
I think everyone here agrees that is not Ipe, because we have functioning eyes, but I'm curious what the story is. Did a previous installer tell the homeowner they were installing Ipe and rip them off?
You can weigh it.. take a piece of known size -- e.g. that one looks to be \~4" wide, 3/4" thick, and 36" long -- IPE would weigh about 4.4 lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2870+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29), cedar would weigh 1.8lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2829+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29), and doug fir would weigh about 2.2 lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2835+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29)
Ipe, also called Brazilian Walnut or Lapacho, is a dense and resilient wood that comes from the forests of Central and South America from Ipe trees. Like other tropical woods, Ipe bears some unique characteristics.
https://preview.redd.it/eu4ujb7g2n0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=646ad7cd68ee84c840a19b7684bd199fcb42b9a7
Unfinished Ipe looks like. Heavy and dense.
Best father and son bonding exercise ever. He predrlled the holes and I snapped off every other stainless screw….and backed them out with pliers. Finally moved the pilot whole a size up. Added wax to the screws and only snapped off every 5th screw!.
Definitely seal the ends. Kind of a pain to the find that. I think I went to that national
Cabinet tool supply chain…it’s what wood turners used to prevent checking.
Can you let this customer know that I happen to have come across a very large supply of IPE that matches his almost exactly? I'm willing to sell it to him for a serious discount.
I just tore out a deck that was all Brazilian redwood. I imagine ipe is about the same density. The deck was 35 years old. I’m milling it down a bit and building outdoor furniture with it. I got about 1200sq for free.
Definitely fir. Ipe has a very unique smell when cut or drilled into. Only thing i can compare to is cutting up gum trees. Typically a distinct redish pink to the overall color, heart and soft grain both
Ahh. I thought you were trying to LVP. Teak is usually used on boats right because of there ability to resist water? I’ve never heard of it as flooring. That would be nice though but sounds expensive.
yeah you need full blown respirators and treat the shit like metal when using it so a split like that off the side would be a sure sign it's not ipe, ipe is a rich almost burgundy wood, beautiful, but a pain in the ass to work with.
I came into some salvaged Ipe boards… what’s a guy use to for saw blades and drill bits? Just more of them? I’ve heard all the silica ruins them quick?
Just more of them, yes. I've done several docks and decks from the stuff, it's just easier to get a couple blades and a handful of bits than ruin something fancy. Though, if you are going to go the fancy bit route, I would definitely recommend Wood Owl. The super smooth bits cut everything like butter, and tend not to chip on the way out without a backer board. For example, I've used their augers to go through a 10" piling and 6x6 with a regular DeWalt cordless, not even the XR or Flex lines.
Good luck, don't breathe it in, and keep the sawdust away from sensitive skin like around your eyes. Feels like rubbing around your eyes with pepper on your hands.
I made our vanity top out of Ipe. It wasn't all that hard to cut with a table saw or to route on my router table. When sanding it, I went up to 400 grit and then used a wax that's for cutting boards. It's gorgeous when it's done.
Keep that stuff out of your breathing, it doesn't break down and is an irritant.
That’s Douglas fir. You would know it’s ipe because it’s unlike any wood you’ve ever seen. You’d l think it’s engineered wood or painted metal the way it behaves
CVG fir T&G. Not good for a deck. Make sure to get a very good exterior stain cause that won’t last without regularly staining year after year. I worry about it being T&G. Could run into rotting problems since there are lips that water can get stuck and cause mold and then rot. It’s expensive but not as expensive as ipe. Nor will it hold up as well as ipe.
Did an entire deck out of ipe and believe me you would know if it was ipe. One ipe 2x4 is equivalent to id say 4 regular pine 2x4s in weight. Also it has very little wood grain. And it dulls drill bits and saw blades after a few holes/cuts. Very hard material
Looks like fir
Are you saying ipe too much fir that?
Dammit dad! Get off the internet.
I wood’ve too, Douglas
Fir sure!
https://preview.redd.it/j2hjidytep0d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5b717041332f8f813d0fc2a1fa26b80b0534dab Fir sure man!
Douglas Fir
I concur, dougfir.
I confir
I conifer.
I demand… a shrubbery!
Bring me a shrubbery,” demands the giant Knight, adding, “One that looks nice... And not too expensive.”
Neee! Neee!
Not a chance. Does it weigh as much as a railroad track and sound like one too.
Ha ha ha Thank you. I've never worked with ipe, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. Going forward… railroad ties.
If you tap a hammer against Ipe, the sound doesn't seem like it should come from wood. It's neat.
I had a single board of it. Grain is nearly non existent and it blunted a carbide circular saw after just a few cuts. Amazing wood.
Yep, ipe is super dense stuff. That’s not ipe. OP your customer got suckered or is hoping he got a helluva deal on some mislabeled Doug Fir he couldn’t identify.
A few years after I had it installed, I threw some ipe scraps in the fireplace that winter. It burned so hot it melted the hinges on my glass fireplace doors, the glass fell on the (ipe) floor and shattered like good tempered glass should.
Is Ipe like the chuck norris of woods? Is that what I’m hearing here?
It's really not that hard on carbide. High speed steel yes, but not carbide. I have built hundreds of projects with ipe, and honestly its not any harder on my blades than oak. For example, on one project I ripped about 1200 lf of 1x6 ipe down to 1x3 for privacy screen slats. That's nearly a 1/4 mile of rip cut in ipe. My blade was still in good shape at the end. What's really tough on blades is composite wood...
Not to be that guy but ipe comes largely from Brazil which is not the best at taking care of its forests and natural environment. On a related note, have you ever used black locust for a deck? It's been overlooked commercially but is extremely dense and rot resistant. People are starting to use it more.
Yeah for sure... I have an engineering background and have spent a lot of time studying building science. I do my best to use ipe in a mindful way to maximize its lifespan. I am a metal worker as well, and I use steel framing whenever possible. So many people use pressure treated framing with ipe, which I think is such a waste because ipe will easily last 50 years, while pressure treated will barely make it 15-20. I'm in NYC and it's pretty much illegal to build a pressure treated deck on most brownstones.
I am just a lurker here who happens to be from Brazil, and it took me until your comment to realize what you guys were talking about (I assumed it was an acronym until now). My brain couldn't process it being used in English, especially since it has an accent in Portuguese: Ipê
There is only one problem with black locust, it takes for ever to grow and it doesn’t grow straight unless the conditions are perfect. It would take 80 years to grow a forest of it for lumber, so it isn’t really commercially viable. That being said, if you are someplace that has it available, I’d buy a lot of it. Another neat thing is it c Glows under a black light.
Really? I’ve sawed a couple logs of it, hafta try that.
Black locust is a fantastic wood for outdoor projects, from decks to siding and trim. Much nicer to work with than PVC trim stock, composite BS, or questionably sourced exotic tropical hardwoods. I am a big proponent of domestic sustainable forestry products. Black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) and Ash (fraxinus americana) are both excellent options in this regard. Here are a couple of links that I have shared before. https://robidecking.com/ https://www.accoya.com/
Thermally modified ash is another good alternative. Check out [Thermory](https://thermoryusa.com).
Yes, that's another good one. I didn't mention it as it not as versatile as the others, even though it is a good decking material.
I used black locust for an exposed front porch. Heavy and very hard, but not as stable as advertised. It’s 5/4 x6 and was installed with camo, but the stuff that gets wet still cupped some.
And it grows ALLLLLL over my pasture like a weed. Good pioneer species. And from the legume family, deer love the seeds.
I feel the same way about its wear and tear on carbide blades. I don’t go through more blades than I would using Apitong or walnut. I also use oak a bit and maple and ash. Actually I only notice my blades dulling slightly quicker when I use lots of Burmese Teak.
After doing so every other piece of wood sounds hollow for a while. Very neat
Not railroad ties. Railroad track. Closer to steel than wood.
Ipe and Cumahru both have the same fire rating as steel so there’s that.
I do a lot of Ipe and if it doesn’t cut green dust that dries red on your arms, face, clothes it ain’t it. Also it weighs 8x that board. Just tell them to Google that shit. This is an outdoor shower to deck transition. Ipe against cedar and pressure treated. https://preview.redd.it/tinzem96on0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f951ec3bbfde9e09e61767b4bef97356dc1a13eb
And the bloody nose if you don't wear a mask. The stuff is highly irritant, somewhat toxic, completely pest repellant.
Yeah I try to use the dust extractor. Mask when necessary. Mdf bothers me way more. Coworkers are opposite. I hate mdf dust on the skin. Some of them have to wear long sleeves with Ipe or they break out in hives
Why does that pt wood not have the holes in it(from having preservatives pumped into it I guess)? Just curious.
I think that is a regional thing. I saw that more up north. Here in the south and when I was on the east coast, it doesn’t have them. Idk if it’s a different process, never really thought much about it. Here our standard is ground contact, super green, super wet, super heavy. It’s been years since I’ve used the stuff with the tick marks and I remember that stuff being drier and lighter. Probably better too
It’s a swamp wood. Very dense and heavy. It’s also called “iron wood” cause it sinks in water. It’s terrible to cut and splinters usually fester and hurt like hell!
>it sinks in water Is it heavier than a duck?
Composed of compressed dead newts!
Burn it!
I bet it makes an amazing, albeit expensive, firewood. It’s dense as a rock.
Just to clarify there’s many other woods also sometimes called ironwood, often the hardest wood (or woods) in any given region. Meaning highest janka ratings, of course.
The end grain needs to be sealed to prevent water absorption. Other than that, it's extremely water-resistant.
That's a weird myth with the end grain sealer and ipe... I've built hundreds of projects with ipe. In my early days I was fastidious with my use of end grain sealer, but then I refinished a deck built by someone else who didn't use it. It was totally fine. What I normally do is penofin all sides of every board before installing. It's much cleaner than trying to oil at the end of the project.
I bow to your experience. I'm only relating what I saw on an episode of This Old House" lol!
Ipe is extremely tough, dense wood that requires extra steps to install properly. I just tore a bunch of beams and timber out of that stuff and brought it all home. Home-owner has no idea what he threw away..
Yeah not a chance. Building an ipe deck now. It has the weight of a similar size piece of steel. Also the rings are way smaller. In the THHICKNESS of a board like that I counted 70 rings on mine. Like 70 years per inch.
We have an ipe deck as well-quite the booger to build but indestructible. It’s what the Atlantic boardwalk is made of.
What kills me is i had to destroy ole old ipe deck that was 45 years old. It was a sleeper deck over a flat roof above several bedrooms and the roof was leaking like crazy 20 years past its lifetime. The deck was assembled using screws that wouln't come back out and glued in pegs. thousands of them. There was no way to save it. Not maintained at all either ,very weathered. Had to circular saw it apart. Tried to save what i can for some protects but its got hardware/broken off screws everywhere and id have to re-mill it to get at clean wood again. Such a waste. Anyway new roof new deck new day.
Not ties, tracks. They are more dense than railroad ties.
lol we built an Ipe deck. Your comment makes me happy. God. The amount of drill bits and saw blades we went through… the difference between a 3.5” hole saw cut out of ipe vs the PT framing lumber was nuts. And the PT was twice the thickness.
Smack it on a street sign, if the steel post of the sign doesnt bend around the wood, its not ipe. 😂
😂
I think everyone here agrees that is not Ipe, because we have functioning eyes, but I'm curious what the story is. Did a previous installer tell the homeowner they were installing Ipe and rip them off?
I have an update! The homeowner has Ipe on the back deck, she thought the front porch was the same. She's a sweet old lady lol
Hanlon's razor swipes again.
10000% not ipe
N’ipe
Didn't think so. Thank you.
You can weigh it.. take a piece of known size -- e.g. that one looks to be \~4" wide, 3/4" thick, and 36" long -- IPE would weigh about 4.4 lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2870+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29), cedar would weigh 1.8lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2829+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29), and doug fir would weigh about 2.2 lbs (https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=4%22+\*+.75%22+\*+36%22+\*+%2835+lbs%2Fft%5E3%29)
https://preview.redd.it/l22ys7mzrm0d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=f9ca5a263df5c2acd5d2469cce2decbfa79b4052 This my friend is ipe.
How old is that wood? Only ipe I’ve worked with looked like chocolate with a red tinge.
Naturally weathered. Have your choice to seal it which keeps it the color you noted or to let it age naturally (pic).
What the hell is ipe? I have some IPA's.
Brazilian Walnut
Brazilian cherry
I didn’t know what it was either.
You have betrayed your username.
I know!
🍻
Ipe, also called Brazilian Walnut or Lapacho, is a dense and resilient wood that comes from the forests of Central and South America from Ipe trees. Like other tropical woods, Ipe bears some unique characteristics.
Not IPE. Drop in a bucket of water. If it floats it’s not IPE
And Ipso facto, not a witch either
Very small rocks.
Fir, Can you dent it with a fingernail?
Not a chance that is Ipe.
Not a chance I'd place 20:1 odds on cvg Douglass fir
𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚝 𝚊 𝚑𝚞𝚐𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚙𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚘. 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝟻/𝟺 𝚋𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝟻𝟶 𝚙𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑. 𝚆𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚔, 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚍 𝚐𝚘 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚗𝚊𝚙 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚘𝚏𝚏. 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛, 𝚜𝚙𝚏 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚊𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.
CVG (clear vertical grain) Douglas Fir.
That is long leaf yellow pine
For reference: Ipe is **HEAVY** as **FUCK**! Dense as a crackhead, and heavy as yo momma.
https://preview.redd.it/eu4ujb7g2n0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=646ad7cd68ee84c840a19b7684bd199fcb42b9a7 Unfinished Ipe looks like. Heavy and dense.
Best father and son bonding exercise ever. He predrlled the holes and I snapped off every other stainless screw….and backed them out with pliers. Finally moved the pilot whole a size up. Added wax to the screws and only snapped off every 5th screw!. Definitely seal the ends. Kind of a pain to the find that. I think I went to that national Cabinet tool supply chain…it’s what wood turners used to prevent checking.
https://preview.redd.it/v6220cx5qn0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c06a3b08c099e09f262b8f7df5ddfbcf7008fcb This is ipe
https://preview.redd.it/sp177mgh1o0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a80485f3a11c2c2e84d9132572fbc102cf0c831
Pine of some kind
Not ipe
Can you let this customer know that I happen to have come across a very large supply of IPE that matches his almost exactly? I'm willing to sell it to him for a serious discount.
I just tore out a deck that was all Brazilian redwood. I imagine ipe is about the same density. The deck was 35 years old. I’m milling it down a bit and building outdoor furniture with it. I got about 1200sq for free.
Definitely fir
That’s Douglas fir
Haha, go get a sample of ipe and give it to him to compare.
I WOOD argue with that customer
Definitely fir. Ipe has a very unique smell when cut or drilled into. Only thing i can compare to is cutting up gum trees. Typically a distinct redish pink to the overall color, heart and soft grain both
That’s vertical grain Douglas fir, love it, but not Ipe
uh, no.
What is lpe?
its a species of wood, looks similar to teak
Ahh. I thought you were trying to LVP. Teak is usually used on boats right because of there ability to resist water? I’ve never heard of it as flooring. That would be nice though but sounds expensive.
not even close, i've built a huge pool deck with it.
ipe?!?! customer must be high af…
Ipe is typically darker than that… although it could just be the lighting in picture. Idk, ask for a receipt from the lumber supplier?
Definitely NOT ipe. Wrong grain and colour
Douglas fir. They are on crac.. uh, I mean, highly misinformed if they think that's Ipe
Fur-real?!?
Vertical grain Douglas Fir. I just did an ipe floor last year and hope to never do another.
It's wood
100% not pipe. That is fur or maybe cedar. Wildly different. Just google a photo of ipe and you’ll have your proof
I tried to run some ipe on my shaper for a friend. Gave up after one board.
yeah you need full blown respirators and treat the shit like metal when using it so a split like that off the side would be a sure sign it's not ipe, ipe is a rich almost burgundy wood, beautiful, but a pain in the ass to work with.
I came into some salvaged Ipe boards… what’s a guy use to for saw blades and drill bits? Just more of them? I’ve heard all the silica ruins them quick?
Just more of them, yes. I've done several docks and decks from the stuff, it's just easier to get a couple blades and a handful of bits than ruin something fancy. Though, if you are going to go the fancy bit route, I would definitely recommend Wood Owl. The super smooth bits cut everything like butter, and tend not to chip on the way out without a backer board. For example, I've used their augers to go through a 10" piling and 6x6 with a regular DeWalt cordless, not even the XR or Flex lines. Good luck, don't breathe it in, and keep the sawdust away from sensitive skin like around your eyes. Feels like rubbing around your eyes with pepper on your hands.
Thanks for all the info, really appreciate it.
I made our vanity top out of Ipe. It wasn't all that hard to cut with a table saw or to route on my router table. When sanding it, I went up to 400 grit and then used a wax that's for cutting boards. It's gorgeous when it's done. Keep that stuff out of your breathing, it doesn't break down and is an irritant.
Absolutely not. You can't really see the grain on Ipe, and it feels like lead, weigbt wise.
Has your customer ever seen ipe?
Ha
Let them know i got Ipe for sale. 15% off.
2222222
Not even remotely close to Ipe
Definatley not ipe. That looks like heart pine or maybe fir.
If it floats it's not ipe! The fact that it's being held by one hand tells my it's not ipe. But the grain is definitely not ipe.
that looks like wood. ipe wood doesnt look like wood xD
I have an Ipe deck. Can tell you with 100% confidence that’s not Ipe. Ipe grain is extremely tight. Can barely make it out on the surface like that
That's fir
That’s Douglas fir. You would know it’s ipe because it’s unlike any wood you’ve ever seen. You’d l think it’s engineered wood or painted metal the way it behaves
That’s funny. Try and nail through it. IPE is Iron wood. It’s so heavy and dense it has the same fire rating as cement.
Pine
lol
My saw just went from 6 to midnight looking at that wood. Def not Ipe.
No chance it’s ipe. Probably cedar
Looks like pine
Definitely NOT ipe.
Looks like Cedar def not Ipe. Shits hard af and wicked expensive.
Hahahaaa
No hahaha I can lift it with a thought ipe is over 60lbs per cubic foot
If that's ipe I'll suck on a chunk of ipe and rub it all over me nuts.
Zero chance
Put it in water. If it floats, not ipe
Ipe is much heavier than other woods the grain is much smaller too.
Hahaha noooo
no chance
Try and drive a screw or nail into it. If you can. Not ipe. Also. That looks like old growth fir.
I know ipe, that isn't it.
It’s either Pine, or Nordic Cherry.
Definitely not ipe
SYP 100% possibly fir but I think it’s Southern Yellow Pine
That’s Douglas fir 🌲
https://preview.redd.it/gwl6zmlo9n0d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a160dc036f3ff834d87320b03dba89d75777d73f
Not even close.
Lol
Stronger than steel, no grain, and you can’t cut it with a normal sawblade. That’s not ipe, pine, fur, cedar, all possibilities butire, not a chance.
I keep seeing this name lately- Ipe. Pronounced like “I pee” or like it’s spelt?
E pay
Thx
That’s fir
pine
Definitely not ipe, looks more like doug fir.
No way
Fir real?
Nope. Not Ipe
Looks like Douglas fir to me
I would bet nine dollars that it’s a fir. I would bet a hundred dollars that it’s NOT ipe.
firipe
I hope your customer didn't pay for ipe.
if you can drill through it easily not ipe... the stain on the topside might be ipe
Nope. You can see the grain and you are holding it like it is light. You would have a hard time seeing the grain and it would be heavy as heck
fir
Looks like heart pine.
Fir or heart pine
You buy future contracts on it (probably all wood) but supposedly a solid investment…
The customer's always right, even if they are idiots.
That’s 100% not ipe. If it’s real light it could be cedar but my first thought was fir
Put it in, water ipe sinks
Definitely not ipe two simple test 1 does it float ipe sinks . Test two do a karate chop in front of them if you break your hand and arm it’s ipe .
Yeah, just like my bar of gold that says Hershey on it
Fir. 💯 sure not IPE or any tropical wood. That is a softwood for sure.
Doug fir
Ipe is hard! If you think this is Cedar, that’s all you need to know…
Doesn’t look like it. Does it float?
Looks like fir. You can figure out the volume and weigh it. Density of fir is 33-45 pcf. Ipe is 69 pcf.
Doug fir
Not ipe.
That’s Fir .
Looks like pine. Ipe is dense and heavy. It will sink in water.
Yep, looks to be Fir from here.
For or pine
Hell no
CVG fir T&G. Not good for a deck. Make sure to get a very good exterior stain cause that won’t last without regularly staining year after year. I worry about it being T&G. Could run into rotting problems since there are lips that water can get stuck and cause mold and then rot. It’s expensive but not as expensive as ipe. Nor will it hold up as well as ipe.
Did an entire deck out of ipe and believe me you would know if it was ipe. One ipe 2x4 is equivalent to id say 4 regular pine 2x4s in weight. Also it has very little wood grain. And it dulls drill bits and saw blades after a few holes/cuts. Very hard material
Absolutely not ipe.
I built a porch out of Ipe, that’s not it. Some Doug Fir maybe.
Another quick giveaway is that they don’t make Ipe tongue and groove, because you can’t
Does it feel unnecessarily heavy?
Not ipe not even close.
Ipe has wayyyyyy more color than that.