"Tattooed and Dusty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just finished a small project working with Ipe for a client. While
most of the troubles I had won't apply to you, I will warn that I will
most likely never use the stuff again. It is by far the hardest,
densest, and foul material I have ever worked with.

Two router bits broken, half a dozen drill bits, and I need to replace
or sharpen every blade that touched the stuff.

Maybe I was doing something wrong, but I don't think so

While Ipe is about 3 times harder than Oak I think you may want to use
better blades and bits. LOL. I literally have cut up, planed, milled 3/8"
through slots, and beveled probably thousands of pieces of Ipe over and over
in a production setting in the past 4 years and have only had my WWII
resharpened 1 time and have only replaced 1 router bit. I actually got
better mileage using a 3/8" HSS end mill bit over a 3/8" carbide router bit.