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Ipé furniture project

2K views 17 replies 5 participants last post by  wayneh 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Some folks here have helped me make plans for this project, particularly to figure out how to accomplish some of the joints.

https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f5/joining-ip-choosing-pocket-hole-versus-tongue-groove-215643/

That issue is resolved and I'm starting this thread to chronicle the rest of the project.

Today I started cutting the IPE !! I'm starting with an 18" square end table, to see how it goes. So far so good. My miter saw has a 12" carbide 80?-tooth blade in it and easily plows through the notoriously hard wood. Here's my setup and DIY stop block.
Tire Workbench Tool Machine


Here you can see the entire top surface. To my great delight, these were cut from a single 1x4 plank with fresh cut ends and literally zero scrap. I didn't plan it that way but that's how it worked out.
Wood Hardwood Table Plywood Floor

The panels (mullions?) are cut long so that the tongues can be cut later.

I'm getting clean cuts with only a tiny amount of tearing so far. We'll see how the blade holds up.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plywood Lumber


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#7 · (Edited)
The wood I'm using comes from Iron Woods. It's nominal 1" and I expected 3/4" actual but it appears to be ~0.79" or 13/16".

I went to see what the specs are and notice they offer a bunch of technical information. In one pdf I discovered they recommend applying end grain sealer to fresh cuts. The information is targeted to installing the wood as decking (ie. outdoors). I'm wondering if I should be doing this for my project? I've never used such a product.

Here are the two I would choose from if I decide to use some.
https://www.amazon.com/ANCHORSEAL-Classic-Log-Lumber-Sealer/dp/B072KY1BBQ
https://www.amazon.com/DeckWise-Seal-Hardwood-Endgrain-Sealant/dp/B00VMKJRFQ
 
#8 · (Edited)
Wayne - try using just one of the photo options - not both and see what happens.
I am thinking that when you used the Drag n Drop option after the Choose URL option,
that is where the redundant photos come from.
just my guess . . . . I have never used both at the same time.

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#11 ·
I don't know for sure but speculate since you will be finishing the wood and doing joinery you would not end seal. Hopefully someone will come along and give you a more authoritative answer. I assume the sealing the ends would help it to not split at the ends as they dry quicker than the side grain. As you work on your joints and glue that will seal the ends. Then if you finish the table that will help the wood to dry evenly, the ends would maybe not dry faster with the finish.
 
#13 ·
BLO?

I posed the end seal question to Iron Woods and got the following response:

"I would use whatever finish you are using on the wood as the end sealer."​

Since I'm not planning to use any finish except maybe oil (the "O" in BLO?), I'm not going to worry about the ends.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Cleaned up the blood splatter and swept the floor a little, and got back to it today!

Here's how I'm cutting the bulk away with the saw before using the router for the grooves, and then the finished groove.

And then I used my tenoning jig to cut the tenons. Took a while to tweak the the positions to get everything the way I wanted it, but I'm happy so far with how it's going. This wood is wild stuff - resembles hard plastic.

Yellow Wood Tool accessory Floor Steel


Yellow Room Wood Floor Tool accessory


Wood Material property Plywood Picture frame Table


Wood Hardwood Plywood Molding Lumber


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plywood Floor


Wood Floor Hardwood Wood stain Flooring
 
#18 ·
Ditto the comments from @bob493. I don't have personal experience to cite but everything I've read says much the same thing. You can apply oil to undo the greying from aging, but that's it. An IPE deck is good for 75 years or more. I'm not worried about the condensate off my gin and tonic. :wink:
 
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