Dominos in Ipe

[Bri in Mtl]

Fist time posting.
Have a commission for a Lutyens bench to be made with Ipe.
Wondering what folks do, if anything, with the domino mortises themselves during the wiping with acetone step.
Give a swab inside each mortise with an acid brush?
Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

 

[Birdhunter]

I built 10 outdoor benches out of Ipe using Sipe Dominos. I did swab out the mortises with acetone using a Qtip before glue up. I did not clean the Sipo tenons. I did treat the end of the cut pieces with end sealer. I did use lag bolts and expoxy glue to assemble the bench under structure and leg components. The bench top boards had an intentional small gap between then for rain drainage. To protect the Sipo tenons in those gaps, I gooped two part epoxy covering the expose tenon. Predrill the lag bolt holes.

I used two part epoxy on some of the benches and TB III on the others. After ten years in the woods, I can’t see any weakness in any of the benches. I do see some minor end checking.

The Ipe has turned gray but looks good. Caution..... use a respirator while cutting Ipe and shower well after working the wood. The Ipe dust is nasty stuff.