Ipe top for outdoor table

[Wade Lippman]

My wife bought a lobster trap at a garage sale and wants me to make an Ipe top for it. (She also wants me to rebuild our deck, but wants to see what ipe is like before she lets me use it; a table top seemed a good trial.)

I figure I could glue it up and attach it like a table top, or fasten the board with a space between them like a deck. Any compelling reasons to do it one way or the other?

Guy at the lumber yard says that ipe is extremely stable and won't require as big a space as PT. He also thought that since it is summer, the wood is probably as expanded as it will ever be, so I could probably build it like a deck, but without any space. Anyone tried it that way?

Thanks

[edangell]

I would encourage you to rethink the use of Ipe. I spent a ton of money and time to build a beautiful table and benches for my deck using Ipe, and it looks like crap. Ipe is so dense that it will not take any finish that will last for more than a few months.. Even when left to go silvery, the Ipe gets small hair like splinters that are terrible to deal with. One of my local lumber yards stopped carrying it because of so many complaints. Send me your email address and I'll send pictures of the disaster.

Ed Angell

[Leon]

I have yet to find a glue that will work with Ipe outdoors. I have not used Epoxe but would highly recomend it if you are going to glue Ipe. Also wipe down the joint with acetone before glueing. I think that leaving a space between the boards may be the more successful route to take.

Ipe is stable but does move some. I would not count on it expanding much at all. I would recommend buying the Ipe Decking and perhaps not leaving any space between the joints. Ipe is initially very dark brown but will fade to a silvery gray if exposed to sunlight. Ipe does not naturally splinter like PT does. You will get splintery edges when you cut it but light sanding will take care of that. Use a sharp carbide blade when cutting, Ipe is roughly 2.5 times harder than Oak and is in the iron wood family. If you plane it be aware that it emits a normal looking brown saw dust and a VERY FINE Yellowy Green powder. Citrus based cleaners and body sweat mixed with this dust will produce BLOOD RED results. The first few times that I worked with Ipe I thought I was bleeding to death. ;~)

Take a look here for some recommendations when installing out doors.

[Leon]

Interesting to know. I have built 6 different Ipe out door projects in the last 6 years and none of them have splintered at all. I have however not applied any type of finish to any of them. Perhaps the finish is causing the grain to raise a bit in your case.

[Wade Lippman]

two pieces I bought. Thanks.

[Lew Hodgett]

RE: IPE

Poor but low cost substitute for Thai teak.

People try, but it just doesn't cut it in a marine application.

Probably not very good for outdoor furniture either.

Lew

[Leon]

It would probably sink a boat. ;~)

I have had pretty good luck with it when redo'n park benches.

[Steve knight]

gorilla glue may or may not work. part of the problem is if the wood is not fully dry it will shrink I think one glue that would work very well is some of the silicone adhesive like e6000 it sticks to about anything but has a little give to it. takes while to dry if it does not get air. but it has been one of the best things I found to glue metal to wood or plastic.

[Steve knight]

I bet it outlasts teak. it may not look as nice but it has far more oil and is past weather proof. it is far more durable too.

[Leon]

Thanks for the tip Steve.

[Steve knight]

remember it may need a day or two or three if the joint can't get much air. but the good part is the stuff lasts in a tube open for months. you can get it in thin formulas so it flows or thick. but the stuff sticks like crazy. myself I think a flexible glue works better then a brittle one for such bonding. that and using fully dry ipe helps. the decking is seldom dry.

[Lew Hodgett]

What a lot of people don't realize is that teak decks on a boat are to be cleaned with saltwater and a SOFT bristle brush.

They turn silver and help provide decent footing when the decks are wet.

Far too many "yachtie" applications try to force teak into very bad applications, IMHO.

Lew

[Leon]

All of my applications that have been glued have been out door applications with old left over scraps. Polyurethane simply let go.

[Steve knight]

the only want to get a decent bond (not great mind you) with poly is fresh cut/sanded pieces dampen both sides and use gorilla. I found it glued oily woods better. but the joints are not always stronger then the wood.

[Lew Hodgett]

Steve knight wrote: >

If you want to bond IPE, it is epoxy time.

Wipe the surfaces with acetone, then scuff up the IPE surface with a

24 grit right angle sander, then wet out the surfaces with some laminating epoxy which you let set until tacky, then butter on some epoxy thickened with micro-balloons to the tacky surfaces.

Position pieces and WAIT.

I usually allow 48 hours minimum.

My epoxy joints don't fail, at least not yet.

SFWIW, I have found that micro-balloon thickened epoxy makes a stronger joint than just straight epoxy.

YMMV.

Lew

[Pat Barber]

[Lew Hodgett]

Not really.

I just stick with what works for me.

Lew

[Steve knight]

acetone actually draws oil to the surface. better to jsut freshly mill/sand the surface.

[B A R R Y]

Adhering to a proven plan is usually good.

[dpb]

But sometimes overkill, too... :)

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