On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:34:31 -0700, Patriarch wrote
(in article 36):

A friend has been redoing his master bath, as his time and energy allows.
I've been helping him. He's good company, a wealth of knowledge, and has
been a really good fellow for the 35 years or so I've known his family.

His wife got it into her head she wants a wooden vanity top. The base is
red oak, which Stan has finished to within an inch of it's life.
(Stanley's hobby has been making stringed instruments, for the fun of it.)
So he asked about oak - could I help him put something together?

I hemmed and hawed about the materials, and suggested we find something
more suitable. I've seen mahogany vanity tops, and teak, but I think that
might just break whatever budget there is, and may not give the look they
want.

Has anyone done ipe in this, or a similar application? Or another
tropical? Something darkish, and not $15/bf?

Tooling isn't a problem, and we can get almost anything in the SF Bay Area,
if we bring enough money. I'd like not to have to redo this one. That
bathroom has been 'in progress' for 18 months, at least.

Patriarch

You have a real bugger here. Ipe is great for resistance to
water/sun/whatever, it is the nature of the wood. The problem is all the
staining issues brought up. You'll most likely have to apply a film finish
which in and of itself kinda defeats the reasons to use Ipe. Most any wood
could be used with a good finish.
Pop. Woodworking (latest) has an article by Flexner on exterior finishes and
goes into the differences (among others) of varnishes. The true, bought at a
marina, varnishes are superior, but they still need maintenance,

If it was me and I new I'd be careful to prevent scratching, I'd consider a
decorative wood covered with epoxy.

$0.02
-Bruce