Is Ipe wood the same as Walnut?
In short, No.
Though it does have a common name of Brazilian walnut, it is not related.
Black walnut has density around .5-.6, and IPE is from brazil and SG of around 1 or more. (its heavier than water)
Thanks... That's what I thought just had some conflicting info and wanted to clarify it... Thanks agian
ipe is brazilian walnut. don
Also very stable wood. Dont snort it though.
IPE is a Brazilian wood, but is not walnut or in the walnut familly. It is usually used with a backing strip. Use a good dust mask and try to avoid breathing the dust. I'm sitting on the couch with a bumed up knee and can't get to the effects of the dust, but I know one is a respratory irritant.
I've heard the same thing from a couple guys about the dust being rather hateful, but I've got some on the way to me and it's getting a bamboo backing as soon as it arrives.
I've got dust collector hose drops all over my garage so I'll just keep one close to my work area when I'm cutting, sanding, or grinding on it.
Guys have told me that Ipe paired with Boo is a wicked quick combo. So if you have a hankerin to work with some Jerrod, don't let the evil dust deter you from using Ipe. I've seen some awesome nice bows made from it and the owners of them speak volumes of nothing but praise about it.
I've got 2 I made. Both are 1" wide at the grip and taper ti 3/8" at the tips. 1 is 58" t2t the other is 56" t2t. Both are liteing fast. I sent a blank glue-up to halfeye on PA. He finished it and called it "The Alabama Icepick"...lol
Did you back it with boo hillbilly?
I take it from your dimensions that it likes to be skinny?
I normally go with 1 1/4" at the handle 1" at the fades and straight taper to 1/2" at the tips.
But I haven't done any with Ipe yet, only read about it.
Thanks guys.. I am trying to fix my first lam bow now... After that im gonna build a kids self bow for my daughter, her birth day is next month...
I might dable in some boo backed ipe soon, I was reading about some brazilian walnut on the net and saw a few references as to Ipe, then I was talking to a fella down here (fla wood worker) and thats were the conflicting info arrised...
I appreciate the clarification....
I was reading another thread on an ipe build, I may just have to save that one and mimik it at a later date...
thanks agian-Jerrod
Yes I backed it with boo. Accually it's some boo I have access too. I know I'm a rookie at this, but the ones I've built love to be skinny and bend through the handles The one halfeye built is the same diminsions. Soon as I get back to work, I'll be sending him a couple more pieces. I think he's drulling waiting for them :D
Good Luck Jerrod, you know where to look if you need help.
HB- I plan on building one just like the BBO I just completed about a month ago with the hybrid R/D design. I really like that style and it's pretty dang quick with osage/boo combination. I'm hoping to get like or better results with the Ipe/boo combo. I'd like to find a wood color to compliment the Ipe to glue on the belly for a handle area. Any thoughts?
Maybe something light tan or even white maybe.
Poplar is a nice looking color
Dust and oils from Ipe wood are allergenic and toxic. You need serious personal protective gear if you work with Ipe. Here's more info. May 16, 2008
Question
I've followed the many postings concerning ipe for the last year. Recently I got a great deal on a pallet load of ipe flooring (kiln dried 3/4"). The color is all over the map, but quite attractive nevertheless. I plan on using ipe along edges and in high wear situations, for which its properties are well suited.
My main concern is safety. Ipe dust is both toxic and allergenic. Also ipe splinters rapidly fester. This is well known. Now that I've worked with a significant amount of ipe, I'd like to add a few additional observations...
1. Ipe dust is very, very fine. It gets over and into everything - clothes, body hair, tools. Dust this fine is essentially electrostatically bound to surfaces, so it takes a determined effort to remove it.
2. Ipe dust contains silica, which is partially responsible for its harshness to tools. Very fine dust containing silica is life threatening. Ask any coal miner or, in Minnesota here, iron miner, what happens when you're exposed to silica containing dust on a regular basis.
3. Because the dust is so fine it may not be completely filtered by our dust collection and air filtration systems. (Dr. Gene, any opinions on this one?)
4. Some people may not initially react strongly to ipe. This is bad, because you're still getting the silica laden dust into your lungs. Your body's allergic reactions are nature's ways of telling you there's danger.
So, what to do?
1. Cover your body. Gloves, hair nets, long sleeve shirts, the whole works.
2. Dust collection systems running full bore - never work with ipe without them.
3. Get a powered respirator. Triton makes one for $150 that combines a hardhat, face shield, ear muffs, and shroud that pulls tight around the shoulders and neck. The air is taken in by a battery powered filter pack worn in the small of the user's back and the filtered air enters the back of the hardhat and gently blows down the user's face. Even on muggy days the visor doesn't fog up. The system is so effective that, when working with aromatic red cedar, I can barely smell it. This is an effective system for working with ipe. (Note: I have no connection whatsoever with Triton. I'm certain that there are other products that will do the same thing.)
4. Shower after working with ipe. Remember that the dust adheres to your clothes. Blowing yourself off with an airgun (even while wearing the powered respirator) will not remove all the ipe dust from your clothing. If you can't shower, at least bring a clean shirt to change into.
Some readers may think this is way over the top. I disagree. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't react strongly to coco-bolo or canary wood or a few other beautiful but dangerous woods. Yes, I wore masks and cleaned the shop. However, slowly my immunity vanished and occupational asthma set in. Thanks to emergency intervention at Mayo Clinic, I survived two status asthmatic attacks. Shortly thereafter, I had to abandon my cabinetmaking business (13 years as a furniture maker) and return to corporate America.
Semo,
i have used marble wood and similar contrasting woods as risers on Ipe. I did a riser like Sam Harpers build along that was zebra with a Paduak accent stripe. I also did an Osage riser with a purple heart accent. All looked pretty good, but I really like the marblewood, with a paduak/maple/paduak stack for an accent.
I haven't done much with Osage, but I have seen your Osage on other posts. As far as dimensions, I would think Ipe and Osage would be very similar. The Boo/Ipe that I have made always started out 1 3/8, but i start wide so I can sand flush...keep the tips stiff and light as possible.
Proarcher was absolutely right about the dust, take the precautions and clean up like crazy that dust is so fine its like getting graphite on your hands.
Thanks for the tips Loren. Hopefully there won't be a whole lot of sanding, but ya never know. If the weather is nice outside while I'm tillering I may just set up a bench out there and work on it when I have to do some sanding. If not, I've got dust collecting drops everywhere inside my garage.
I've heard all the horror stories and now the one posted on this thread, which was a bit much but I'm sure we all got the precautions drilled into our brains after that one. :knothead:
Semo, ipe and beefwood can make a skinnier bow than about any other wood. It can be really sluggish if you let your outer limb mass stray a little bit though. Also they are hard as a rock and very hard on tools.
Mine should be here middle of next week so I'll see what I got to work with then. They are slats, but I don't know how thick yet. Hopefully I can get the dimensions down fairly close before glue up won't have to do a whole lot of tillering on it. I've got a planer that I can send them through and then taper on the belt sander away from the fade before glue up. That will get it roughly close to where I need to be, then the rest will have to be with a palm sander.
The first one will be an experiment and taking notes just like all the other firsts that I've built to see how much here and how little there.
I appreciate the info from all of you.
QuoteOriginally posted by hillbilly61:
Poplar is a nice looking color
:laughing:
My first boo-backed-ipe is what I was planning for a my trade bow. If it works out I'll make a second for me. If it doesn't, I think I have enough boo and ipe for three tries before going to a plan B.
I might try to go a little skinny. We'll see.
Boy you sound so eerily familiar to the exact postion I'm in. I've got 3 boo slats left and been thinking about doing the same thing for my trade bow too. Weird.
Was gonna do an osage selfbow, but don't think my recipient would be disappointed with a BBI or a BBO instead.
Just courious canopyboy. What's so funny about my statement? I've got 2 made with poplar alternating with IPE and they look pretty nice!
I've got something special in mind for my first Ipe and it ain't poplar, bamboo, or probably anything you have even seen yet? I just got my first look at one yesterday evening and it's sharp! The guy said it was a screamer too, so I'm going for it.
That's all I'm sayin until it's done. :saywhat:
hillbilly- I like poplar, I got some in the rafters of my garage and almost used it as a handle lam on my BBO, but the red oak was already planed down so it got the nod instead.
I have made a dozen or so bows with Bamboo and Ipe I love the properties they bring to each other they are fast together and I am about to get another one together. I have to agree with the post on the other page though ever since I have been working with Ipe, Cocbolo, and other exotics I have had some bad allergic reactions so take the mans advice on filtration masks and dust collectors. I use complete caution now.It may be other things as well but I will always use caution now
I use Nickolson 49 & 50 rasps and scrapers for Ipe. This keeps it more like saw dust than fine dust. Heavy enough to fall to the floor. I still wear a respirator.