WoodwoodExotic
Ipe
Exceptionally dense tropical hardwood that sinks in water. Used for decking and boardwalk where a long service life outdoors justifies both the cost and the difficulty of working it.
Properties
- Family
- Wood
- Category
- wood
- Species
- Handroanthus spp.
- Density
- 1 g/cm³ · 1000 kg/m³
Densityhow ipe compares
Applicationswhere ipe is normally specified
DeckingBoardwalkOutdoor structuresPaving
Practical notes
- Density is for air-dried stock at about 12% moisture content
- Blunts ordinary cutting edges — carbide tooling is the practical minimum
- Sawdust is a respiratory irritant; extract at the tool
Lumber sizeswhat ipe weighs in each nominal size
Lumber size databaseDressed sizes are the same for every species — a 2x4 is 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 in in oak as much as in spruce. What changes is the weight, and that is derived here from ipe's density of 1 g/cm³.
Tools used on itmatched on the wood family, not on this page
All toolsCircular SawCountersinkDrillHole SawImpact DriverJigsawMitre SawRandom Orbit SanderRouterTwist Drill Bits
Which tools work a material is a property of the family (Wood), not of the individual species — so this list is the same on every wood page, and changes when the tool data changes rather than when this paragraph does.