Author Topic: IPE, should I?  (Read 2772 times)

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Offline lebhuntfish

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IPE, should I?
« on: April 23, 2014, 08:45:44 am »
I ran across a guy that has some IPE and a piece of tiger wood. They are decking boards, 1"x6"x10'if has 3 pieces of IPE and one piece of tiger wood. He shot of a price of 200. Mr said he would do some trading.

My questions are what should I look for in the boards for any building? And, are they worth it?

 

 
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline mullet

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2014, 08:47:26 am »
I don't know about the Tiger wood but it sounds a little high dollar for the Ipe.
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline lesken2011

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2014, 09:05:29 am »
I just got in some tiger wood from the same place I get my ipe and massuranduba which are all decking woods. Eddie is right. That seems a little high. I get mine cheaper even with shipping. You might try googling ipe for sale and see what you come up with.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Kenny from Mississippi, USA

Offline PatM

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2014, 10:14:28 am »
Tigerwood is Goncalo Alves.   Price is way too steep.

Offline autologus

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2014, 11:24:16 am »
If you guys buy Ipe and have it shipped to you who do you use?  I know there are restrictions on non-vendor links so if you dont mind PM me the information I would love to give Ipe a try but it is not available locally here, I guess if you want to build a deck in Arkansas you build it out of pressure treated pine.   :'(

Grady
Proud Hillbilly from Arkansas.

Offline adb

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2014, 11:33:18 am »
Yah, the guy is WAY over charging for the ipe. For 5/4 or 6/4 ipe X 7' long, I'm paying around $40 per board. Shipping wood like this would be very expensive. You pretty much have to pick it up yourself.

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2014, 11:52:53 am »
I was concerned that it was a little high especially since I know it wasn't money out of his pocket. It was left overs from a deck he built. Nice fella, so I will do some haggling with him and see what we come up with. If I can get it cheaper, do you think I should try it for a bow?
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Parnell

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2014, 11:54:15 am »
Is it made out of gold?   ::)
1’—>1’

Offline Parnell

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2014, 12:04:31 pm »
$40 for the board is about right, I'd say.
1’—>1’

Offline lesken2011

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2014, 12:17:22 pm »
The last few boards I got were so straight and clean (the way I requested them) I ordered the last couple in 2Xs which makes them 1.5 inches wide and I rip them from the edge. I also got the last couple of boards cut in half since I am trying out a take down design and working more with tri-lams.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Kenny from Mississippi, USA

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2014, 01:34:26 pm »
$40 for the board is about right, I'd say.

For me, I buy my boards about 5 3/4" wide by 8' long, and 3/4" true dimension thick for 40 bucks. If they are 1" true dimensions thick (5/4 or whatever it is called) they jump to about 60 a board. I only buy the 1" thick if I am doing a heavy thick "something" backed ipe warbow. For all other purposes, especially trilams, 3/4" is the way to go for me. I can get 100 lbs at 32" by backing a 3/4" board with a 1/8" hickory backing (my 100 ipe warbows will only be about 1 1/8" wide by 7/8" thick). I buy from a lumber company that supplies decking stuff. I saw some in woodcraft the other day, they were trying to rip people off too, :). I would suggest to leave it be, the grain doesn't look great (not too easy to tell in the pictures though), it's better to get a board with straight clean grain. If you look around, maybe using google maps, you can typically find some one who sells decking stuff that carries ipe. Craigslist is a good place too to look too.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2014, 07:45:16 pm »
Thanks  for the good information guys, I'm talked to him today for a bit. He said he wasn't sure what they were worth he just through a number out there. I asked him he I could come inspect them better with more info and time. He also agreed to 20 a board on the phone. I will let you guys know if I get a good one. Because I will need help building a bow out of it. Thanks, hopefully I can pick one up this weekend if everything works out. Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Alpinbogen

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2014, 10:29:01 pm »
The grain in 2nd pic is not worthy of bow wood.  Pass, period.  It will feather check, backed, or explode, unbacked.

Offline PatM

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2014, 12:12:31 am »
Isn't the second pic an end cut?

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: IPE, should I?
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2014, 01:26:26 am »
Yes it is PatM.
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!