Ipe?

[Woodhacker]

Has anyone ever tried carving ipe? I know it is an extremely hard wood and it seems like it would carve well unless it is so hard it would put excessive wear and/ pressure on the machine or bits. Just wondering. Thanx!

[dbfletcher]

Here is a thread about IPE than came up a little bit ago.

http://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?t=12266&highlight=ironwood

Doug Fletcher

[bbrandhe]

I have a lot of experience with IPE. It is in the iron wood family of hardwoods, extremely dense and fine grained. It is a very stable wood and unlikely to warp or deform over time, even if exposed to the weather. It does not take stain very well as it is so dense the stain cannot penetrate the surface. Not all stains are compatible with IPE either. If my memory serves me correctly IPE is highly acidic, requires stainless fasteners, and may react with some stains such that they NEVER dry. Generally, IPE requires the use of carbide tools to cut or shape the board. Cheap bits will just smoke, then break. As others have said it is very heavy (1x6x12 ft. may weigh 35-40 pounds). Don't drop it on your foot or get a sliver of IPE in your hand. It is very painful! Having said that, it is very beautiful when finished correctly, almost looking like cherry.