WALNUT, BRAZILIAN

Ipé
Tabebuia spp

Shown with water-based finish (top), and oil-based finish (bottom)

Appearance

COLOR: Can vary from light yellowish tan with green overtones to almost blackish brown; exhibits a large range of coloration when freshly milled; darkens over time to medium to dark brown.
GRAIN: Fine to medium, straight to very irregular.

Properties

HARDNESS (JANKA): 3680 (185% harder than Northern red oak).
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Average (8.0; 7% more stable than Northern red oak).

Workability

SAWING/MACHINING: Difficult, especially with hand tools.
NAILING: Predrilling and hand-nailing may be preferred.
SANDING: Difficult. The wood is dense and oily. Scratches are easily seen—each sanding must carefully remove the scratches from the previous cut, or sanding marks will be visible in the finish.

Suggested Sequence
First Cut: 40 or 50 at a 7-15 degree angle with the grain
Second Cut: 60 or 80 straight with the grain
Third Cut: 80 or 100
Hard Plate: 100 or 120
First Screen: 100
Second Screen: 120 or 150

FINISHING: Test all products before using them on the actual floor. Oil-modified finish will require a lengthy dry time. Successful techniques include using a moisture-cure urethane sealer and a waterborne topcoat, or burnishing and sealing with a shellac-based sealer, then applying wax or oil and wax. (See finish comments on page 6.)

COMMENTS: Often used as a decking material. Has been known to cause contact dermatitis.

Origin

South America.

Availability

Readily available.