Ipe Offcut Table Tops

[ear3]

Working on a commission to do a series of table tops for a downtown restaurant.  The design and materials make use of the fortuitous circumstance that an acquaintance recently finished a large outdoor furniture project using a ton of Ipe, and so I was able to recycle all the 12" offcuts he had leftover from the project.  If you've handled Ipe before, you can empathize with what a scary low-riding trek I had getting the materials in my SUV back to my shop, which in the end amounted to well over 1000 individual pieces:

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One of the few times I was grateful for the traffic on the Brooklyn Queens and Long Island Expressways, so I wouldn't have to speed over the rough roads and bend or break an axle carrying that much weight.

The basic design was as simple as could be, using only two shapes -- a right isosceles triangle and a 45 degree angled trapezoid whose short edge matched the shorter sides of the triangle -- to build out the main interior pattern:

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I'm building a dozen or so table tops in total, mostly in the 2'x2' range, but I also had to build two large 49"x49" ones, so I decided to start with those (note that the pictures below are mixed from the assembly of both tables).

The only fixed measurement I had to make was the width at which I would rip the pieces.  Everything else was determined by sneaking up on the cuts to set the stops on the Kapex just so to get the proper fit:

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You'll observe that I had to make a zero clearance insert and fence for this project, which obviously required as much precision as I could engineer.  The sliding action of the Kapex was also absolutely essential to get as clean a cut as possible.  A non-slider with a fresh blade might have been able to do some initial cuts, but Ipe has a way of wreaking havoc on blades, and so as soon as there was any dulling I imagine a straight chopsaw would have problems producing a decent cut (I swapped in a fresh blade at the start of the project, and have already had to change out for a new one after doing all the pieces for the large tables, though fortunately I'm expensing a new set of blades).

Here's a little OCD action of the pieces for one table set up in my downtime (each large table has about 220 individual pieces):

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I used some decent wood flooring adhesive to bond the pieces to the plywood substrate:

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This adhesive had the best combination of open time and strong initial tack so that I could finagle the pieces into place without too much gapping.

I had never worked with Ipe before, and so was pleasantly surprised to find so much color variation between the pieces.
I tried to use this to my advantage when setting the pattern, avoiding placing similarly colored pieces contiguously.

Once the interior pattern was established and dry, I trimmed the edges of the square ever so slightly with the tracksaw to get a smooth, straight edge:

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Some slight variations in the thickness of some of the pieces, combined with the occasional uneveness created when using this sort of mastic adhesive, meant that I got a vigorous workout with the RO150 and some 80 grit granat operating in gear driven mode to get a truly flat surface.

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Then applied the outer border, though this time just using Pamtite in my Fastenmaster glue gun:

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Next up, the finishing touches...

 

[ear3]

It was after I filled the top (because of the color variation, I gave up trying to get a color match and just went with walnut wood filler), that I realize that we had made the wrong call on the substrate.  They wanted to use 1/2" ply to keep the thickness of the table reasonable, so I picked up some 1/2" BB.  In the back of mind, however, I knew this might present problems for the large tables, but I didn't press the issue, though in retrospect I should have.  Sure enough, as soon as I started moving the top around, there was enough flex left in the piece that the filler cracked:

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After a couple of aborted attempts to fix the cracking, I decided that I would just finish up the tops and get them over to the restaurant, reinforce them with another piece of plywood, then do a final fill on site.  The restaurant hasn't yet opened, so I fortunately have that leeway.

Because there was some possible variation with the final width once the pieces were in place, and also that the final design called for knocking off the corners and notching one of the sides, I had cut the ply substrate at 50" so I could trim and square to the final 49" and make the necessary cuts to match design.  This was done with the tracksaw and the HKC

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with the notch cleaned up with a flush cut saw and chisel work.

After doing a smooth sanding, I got around to edging the ply substrate.  For the edging I decided to get even more maniacal on using every part of the pig, and so ripped off some quarter inch sticks from some of the other pieces of Ipe in the stack (those pieces will be used for the smaller tables, which call for widths of under 2", which gives me a good 3/4" excess to play with)

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I passed them through the thickness planer to remove the beveled edge that is standard on Ipe stock, ending up with a group of 3/16 pieces:

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Used a rabbeting bit on the 2200 to create an 1/8" recess in the ply:

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Then glued in the appropriate sized pieces with fast acting 2P10:

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I left too much of a lip to flush trim the piece to the bottom of the ply with the edging plate on the 1010, so I initially started working them down with a spokeshave to provide enough clearance for the router setup.  I was having so much fun though that I ended up doing the entire flushing by hand, which probably didn't take that much longer after you account for setup time on the router:

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I then used a spiral bit on the 1010 to flush trim the edging to the hardwood top:

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We'll have to see how it works next time I use the bit, but I could swear that by the end of the second table, it felt like the bit was struggling significantly to complete the task, which would make it yet another (expensable!) casualty to Ipe's density.  There was no burning or observable reduction in cut quality, however, so we'll see.
 
I'm not sure of the long-term wisdom of CA glue on Ipe, so I may go back and shoot some pins in the edging on site.

I delivered the completed tops last night to the restaurant, and will split my time the rest of the week between the shop -- working on the smaller tables -- and the restaurant to finish up the large ones:

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The remaining question is how to finish these.  There's obviously no concern about weathering, since they will be in a protected, windowless space, albeit an environment where wet and yucky stuff gets spilled on them.  I've been reading up on Ipe finishes, and understand that they need a penetrating oil rather than something that just sits on the top, and that the wood should be cleaned with some kind of solvent prior to the application of the finish to reduce interference by the natural oils in the wood.  The branded Ipe oil I've seen seems to produce a significant darkening of the color, which is not necessarily what I want.  Has anyone tried using Surfix on Ipe?  My other thought is Rubio Monocoat, which I only used for the first time a month ago, and was very happy with the results.  I've gotten confirmation from the company that it can be used on Ipe.  In some ways, the Rubio might be preferable because it results in minimal color change, and I want to try to preserve as much as possible the current natural color variation.  They also have a branded Raw Wood Cleaner that is supposed to be less toxic than straight acetone or other equivalent solvent, which would solve the problem of having to apply a solvent in relatively enclosed space.  Any other options/suggestions?

 

[peter halle]

Really beautiful tables!  I haven't worked with ipe, so I can't give any advice, but you might want to check the compatibility of the cleaning solution you decide to use and the wood filler.  Would hate to see one remove or soften the filler.

Peter

 

[nclemmons]

Edward -

Those look great!  Fantastic use of offcuts in a really simple repeatable build process.

What's the triangular notch in the one side of the top for?  Just a design detail or something else?

Thanks for the step-by-step photos. 

neil

 

[Wooden Skye]

Edward, that is a really cool looking table.  As for the finish, I would think of CPES or epiphanes, or a marine type finish.  Even though these won't be subjected to the elements, I'm sure drinks or food will be spilled on them, so some protection may be needed.

 

[junk731]

Interesting idea, on a side note did you happen to take a moisture reading on the Ipe. Any that I have used is not even close to being dry enough for interior use. It usually arrives in NA around 18 to 20 percent. Very hard wood to finish because of the oils and lack of any kind of penetration because of the density. Most restaurants also use cleaners that typically strip all but the strongest finishes like 2K polys epoxies and other more toxic stuff. Good Luck.

 

[ear3]

Thanks [member=167]neilc[/member] .  The notch was a design detail to facilitate the seating of another person on that side.

[member=4907]kcufstoidi[/member] Thanks for the heads up on those issues.  I did not, unfortunately, take a moisture reading, though maybe there's some additional drying that would have taken place since the offcuts were lying around for a couple of months before I picked them up?  Good point on the restaurant-specific concerns as well -- I will take that into consideration when choosing the finish and in giving handling and care instructions to the business (which they will most likely ignore, but I will at least be on record).

Edward -

Those look great!  Fantastic use of offcuts in a really simple repeatable build process.

What's the triangular notch in the one side of the top for?  Just a design detail or something else?

Thanks for the step-by-step photos. 

neil

 

[tjbnwi]

Surfix Outdoor oil on Ipe.

They have been outside for the last 3 years. I asked my brother how they're holding up he said they're fine. He did retreat the finish once with Surfix that I sent with the tops.

Tom

 

[Cheese]

Nice stuff Edward... [thumbs up]

You’re a real trooper when it comes to cutting, handling, glueing & placing all those small pieces. That would drive me bonkers.  [not worthy]

 

[junk731]

Tom interesting on the Surfix oil. We've tried the Penofin that's recommended for Ipe and its garbage, followed all there prep and application instructions and only get about 3 months in Southern Ontario before it looks like crap. To get more than a year would be bonus. Unfortunately I believe Surfix is Unobtainium this side of the border.

 

[Birdhunter]

Great story and work. Hope you were paid a lot.

I built a bunch of Ipe benches. You are right about dulling saw blades! That’s incredibly tough wood. I think the common term is Iron Wood.

My benches (10) have been outdoors for about 3 years with no finish. They are gray in color,, but completely intact. Ipe seems to be immune to weather and bugs.

We have wasps here that spit on wood and remove small strips to build their nests. They can’t attack Ipe. I see them trying, but they can’t peel anything off.

Please post your results with the finish. I wonder if spar varnish would work if you stripped the surface oils off before applying?

 

[ear3]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] Thanks Tom for the example of Ipe with Surfix.  Did you do any prep for removing surface oils prior to application?

Surfix Outdoor oil on Ipe.

They have been outside for the last 3 years. I asked my brother how they're holding up he said they're fine. He did retreat the finish once with Surfix that I sent with the tops.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] Thanks Tom for the example of Ipe with Surfix.  Did you do any prep for removing surface oils prior to application?

Surfix Outdoor oil on Ipe.

They have been outside for the last 3 years. I asked my brother how they're holding up he said they're fine. He did retreat the finish once with Surfix that I sent with the tops.

Tom

Wipe with acetone, let air dry, applied Surfix.

Tom

 

[grobkuschelig]

I second @tjbnwi s opinion.
IPE Mailbox with Surfix outdoor, 1 year in use, still as new.

 

[ear3]

Let me just add as a side note, my 30 tooth Forrest WWII table saw blade has held up brilliantly so far, and it was far from freshly sharpened when I started ripping the Ipe.  I've gone ahead and ordered their 20T WWII dedicated ripping blade to have as a spare just in case (my other spare TS blades are higher tooth count), but I've been really impressed so far, as this is certainly the toughest, sustained cutting I've ever thrown at it. 

Great story and work. Hope you were paid a lot.

I built a bunch of Ipe benches. You are right about dulling saw blades! That’s incredibly tough wood. I think the common term is Iron Wood.

My benches (10) have been outdoors for about 3 years with no finish. They are gray in color,, but completely intact. Ipe seems to be immune to weather and bugs.

We have wasps here that spit on wood and remove small strips to build their nests. They can’t attack Ipe. I see them trying, but they can’t peel anything off.

Please post your results with the finish. I wonder if spar varnish would work if you stripped the surface oils off before applying?

 

[Cheese]

Surfix Outdoor oil on Ipe.

They have been outside for the last 3 years. I asked my brother how they're holding up he said they're fine. He did retreat the finish once with Surfix that I sent with the tops.

Nice looking table Tom... [thumbs up]  What type of base did you mount it to? I assume that's also made from Ipe.

 

[tjbnwi]

Surfix Outdoor oil on Ipe.

They have been outside for the last 3 years. I asked my brother how they're holding up he said they're fine. He did retreat the finish once with Surfix that I sent with the tops.

Nice looking table Tom... [thumbs up]  What type of base did you mount it to? I assume that's also made from Ipe.

Steel tube pedestal.

Tom

 

[Tinker]

EAR and Tom, those are both fine tables.  I have a bunch of Ipe that I rescued from a pool job at one one my landscaping sites. I was thinking to make cutting boards and serving trays and maybe a couple of coffee tables.  The pieces were prefinished for outdoor exposures. I got to thinking the finish might not be safe for such projects. What can i use to remove the finish? Or should I just change my thinking about what type projects to make?
Tinker

 

[Birdhunter]

I would guess the finish hasn’t penetrated much into the Ipe. A light sanding might be enough.

 

[bnaboatbuilder]

I wouldn't make cutting boards out of such a hard material, not very nice on kitchen knives.

Also I think bamboo is poor for cutting boards too. It grows and absorbs a lot of natural abrasives.

EAR and Tom, those are both fine tables.  I have a bunch of Ipe that I rescued from a pool job at one one my landscaping sites. I was thinking to make cutting boards and serving trays and maybe a couple of coffee tables.  The pieces were prefinished for outdoor exposures. I got to thinking the finish might not be safe for such projects. What can i use to remove the finish? Or should I just change my thinking about what type projects to make?
Tinker