Ipe source - Annapolis area

[csoule13]

Happy Friday everyone.

I've got the handrails off of my CD27 and after scraping off the cetol, the wood is....fine. There's cetail in the grain that I could probably sand out, but don't want to obliterate the thing. It has got me thinking that these look pretty simple, and making a new set would be a nice way to learn some basic woodworking skills. Ipe seems to be a highly suggested teak alternative on here. Can't figure out where to get it somewhat locally. Or do folks just order online? Open to other suggestions. Finish will almost certainly be semco if that helps at all.

I've already read up on how to work with the stuff(slowly, with sharp tools).

Thx,
Chris

[hilbert]

http://www.exoticlumber.com/

Exotic Lumber, Inc.
Bill van der Westhuizen
1610 Whitehall Road
Annapolis, MD 21409

Phone: (410) 349-1705

[csoule13]

http://www.exoticlumber.com/

Bill van der Westhuizen
1610 Whitehall Road
Annapolis, MD 21409

Phone: (410) 349-1705

I checked them out first, and they don't carry it.

[hilbert]

If Baltimore is not too far, then this one is near the State Fair Grounds:

http://freestatetimbers.com/

Timonium Commerce Park
9572 Deereco Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093

Phone: (410) 561-9444

[Jeff and Sarah]

We just had ipe railings installed on our deck at our home in Annapolis. I’m pretty sure our builder got the raw lumber through American Cedar and Millwork in Millersville, MD. Try giving them a call.

[John Stone]

Chris
I have used ipe. Good wood. Very rot resistant. But, it’s in the ironwood family so it very hard. Almost as hard as purple heart. It’s difficult to work. It dulls your tool blades—saws, files, chisels, router bits, drill bits etc. It’s hard to cut ipe wood plugs too. It tends to splinter. It can be done but teak is so much easier to work. Even iroko, which has a reputation of being hard on edged tools, is not near as hard as ipe.

I would not recommend it for a project like grab-rails where there is so much cutting and routering involved...unless you came into very cheap. If you go with ipe definitely wear a respirator. You might even need a paper suit. It gives me a rash.

[csoule13]

Thx John, I've read much the same. I'm curious what other woods you'd recommend? Ipe and iroko show up on these threads the most. I know you did mahogany for the coaming, but I'm looking for something I can seal up and not worry about varnish upkeep here.

Also, if any other CD27 folks are ghosting along here, the handrails on my '78 model are just halfish in thick 46" x 1.5" slats with rounded edges and ends, with the five screws to hold them to the cabin top.

[tjr818]

If your handrails are only 1/2" thick, they should be replaced, I believe that they started life at 1" thick. You could use Cypress or Black Locust and not have to worry about upkeep. Best of luck.

[John Stone]

I still have the original grab rails though I did not reinstall them. As Tim stated they are 1” thick.

Black locust might work. Very tough wood. Hard to come by long straight pieces I think. I don’t have any personal experience with it. Don’t know what it looks like when left bare to the weather.

Cypress is kind of soft and grainy. I built a deck behind the house with cypress and was not happy at all. I may have just got some bad wood but I won’t use it again. Others speak highly of it.

Silver Bali is outstanding but you don’t see it around often. The deck on the 34’ Falmout cutter I worked on, and which I posted pictures under the Liverpool splice thread, has a Silver Bali deck. Beautiful wood.

Iroko is about 1/4 the cost of teak.

My sculling oar is bare ash and holding up well.

And you can also paint the grab rails which means lots of different woods will work.

Teak is most commonly used for such a project because, well, it works. And given the amount of work to make the grab rails and install them and the small amount of wood required it is pretty cost effective to use teak. Done right they should last another 30 or 40 years.

[csoule13]

Well that settles it. "Honey, the stranger on the internet with the sweet boat says go buy teak, it's cost effective. So, no choice, gotta do it." Problem solved.

Old handrails are going back on for the rest of season w/ the semco, and will revisit this this winter. Thanks everyone.