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

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but will be
great for a vanity IMHO
Dave


"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
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



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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


A fellow attendee in the adult ed. class recently made a circular table top out
of ipe decking, all surfaced down to 5/8" thick from 3/4" original and for
the first time I could really see what it looks like as a color and a grain. It is
kinda ugly. Small grain structures of varying colors from browns to reddish
dark browns to yellows to greens, all tattered and somewhat "attacking"
designs in the grain, from subtle to bright. I was lucky to get some good
scraps of it. $2.70/LN locally = (2x 5-1/2" wide) $5/BF (or so), cheap
enough.

So, I would say ebonize to a very dark brown if it can be done. I am no expert
but it is the best decking there is that is not a composite board, to the tune of
lasting 25 years outside. Hard as h*** and heavy. It would work well for a
lady if colored right, merely as a "surface".

--
Alex
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:34:31 -0600, the inscrutable Patriarch
spake:

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.

You get extra karma points on that one.


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?

Jarrah and purkleheartless jump to mind. Both are dark, with the
jarrah being reddish brown (but FAR from RBS) and the purkleheartless
being, um, purkle.

What's the size, and why is $15/bf bad? His instrument-grade woods
are probably double that.


---
- Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. -
http://diversify.com Web Applications

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:20:18 -0800, the inscrutable "TeamCasa"
spake:

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but will be
great for a vanity IMHO

Expand on finishing ipe, please. Why tricky?


---
- Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. -
http://diversify.com Web Applications

How about white oak?


"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
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

Larry Jaques wrote in
:

snip
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?

Jarrah and purkleheartless jump to mind. Both are dark, with the
jarrah being reddish brown (but FAR from RBS) and the purkleheartless
being, um, purkle.

Hadn't considered jarrah, but that's a pretty good thought. The local
purveyor of hardwoods (aka da pusher) has been stocking it lately, in
various sizes.

At the adult ed, purpleheart shows up way too often in students' early
projects, in ways that offend my taste. That, and it tends to make the
machines complain loudly when a newbie is trying to thickness 3/32" off
of a board, on a small Delta planer, with dull blades. Besides, purple
was school colors for the rival high school, 'back in the day'.


What's the size, and why is $15/bf bad? His instrument-grade woods
are probably double that.


Stanley is the ultimate wood bargain finder. He's got stuff he's been
collecting for decades, several chunks at a time. At this point, late
in life, he's unlikely to want to want to spend big for this much
mahogany. And his health won't let him do fine work any more. Which is
why I help with his projects, and he brings me gifts from his wood stash
as thank yous.

Thank you for the thoughts.

Patriarch

"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but
will be great for a vanity IMHO
Dave


Talk to me about finishing. All I've ever seen relates to oil, and I'm
concerned that more would be needed. A film finish with some chemical
resistance. Would the ipe hold it?

Outdoors is so much easier. Sandpaper and sunlight. Good.

Patriarch

I expect because it's oily and dense. I'd use poly glue or epoxy, and seal
with shellac before the topcoat of whatever.
GerryG

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 06:16:47 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:20:18 -0800, the inscrutable "TeamCasa"
spake:

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but will be
great for a vanity IMHO

Expand on finishing ipe, please. Why tricky?


---
- Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. -
http://diversify.com Web Applications

I would be concerned about the use of oil finishes for a vanity. The
exposure to water (combined with soap, make-up and such) will tend to stain
or discolor the Ipe. I would use a hard polyurethane. Several coats.

Dave


"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but
will be great for a vanity IMHO
Dave


Talk to me about finishing. All I've ever seen relates to oil, and I'm
concerned that more would be needed. A film finish with some chemical
resistance. Would the ipe hold it?

Outdoors is so much easier. Sandpaper and sunlight. Good.

Patriarch



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Dave,

I am curious as to why you say water will be a problem for IPE. As it is
primarily used as a decking material, I wouldn't expect water to be a
problem. Is it because of the oil finishes you make the statement? I would
agree with that.

I am planning to make a bench for our shower and my wife has suggested that
I use some of the leftover IPE from our deck. At this point, I was planning
not to finish it, as it will be getting wet on a regular basis. Since you
mentioned the polyurethane, I wonder if a marine "spar" urethane would work
better for this and the vanity project. It's designed to protect against
salt water as I understand it, so the soap and water from a sink / shower
shouldn't phase it.

David

"TeamCasa" wrote in message
...
I would be concerned about the use of oil finishes for a vanity. The
exposure to water (combined with soap, make-up and such) will tend to stain
or discolor the Ipe. I would use a hard polyurethane. Several coats.

Dave


"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but
will be great for a vanity IMHO
Dave


Talk to me about finishing. All I've ever seen relates to oil, and I'm
concerned that more would be needed. A film finish with some chemical
resistance. Would the ipe hold it?

Outdoors is so much easier. Sandpaper and sunlight. Good.

Patriarch



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I built a pair of adirondacks out of Ipe, and I just love the stuff. My
wife really wanted to finish them because the wood came out so nice. I
fought her a little on it, but she won (duh).

I ended up putting a "spar urethane" on it from the Borg, knowing it
wasn't quite as good as real "spar varnish." When I was done, the
chairs looked incredible. Like I could set them on the floor and Smith
and Hawken and get $400 each for them.

Well, the finish has just been falling right off the wood. It started
about a month after application, with some cracking. I'll be heading
out there with a scraper to finish the stripping job that the wood
started on its own. Shouldn't take long at all. I guess I win my fight
with SWMBO after all, but it's taken two years for the finish to
completely give out on us.

I've never seen wood shed a finish like this. It's like snake skin. The
wood itself is doing awesome. I don't see how this stuff could be 10%
of the way to its grave (25-year life). It just isn't aging (other than
color).

Patriarch wrote:
His wife got it into her head she wants a wooden vanity top.
Has anyone done ipe in this, or a similar application?t.

Patriarch

"DL" wrote in
news:fXoTd.20677$755.20477@lakeread05:

Dave,

I am curious as to why you say water will be a problem for IPE. As it
is primarily used as a decking material, I wouldn't expect water to be
a problem. Is it because of the oil finishes you make the statement?
I would agree with that.

I am planning to make a bench for our shower and my wife has suggested
that I use some of the leftover IPE from our deck. At this point, I
was planning not to finish it, as it will be getting wet on a regular
basis. Since you mentioned the polyurethane, I wonder if a marine
"spar" urethane would work better for this and the vanity project.
It's designed to protect against salt water as I understand it, so the
soap and water from a sink / shower shouldn't phase it.

David


In the shower stall, as a seat, I'd use it bare, too. And be prepared to
replace it, if needed, in maybe 5 years. No sweat.

Countertops need to be water tight, as well as resistant to all sorts of
cosmetic and cleaning chemicals. Bare might not be what I'm going for
here. And counter tops have substantially more material at risk.

I'm concerned about the film finishes. I don't want high maintenance.
Maybe I don't want wood.

Thanks for the thoughts, Dave(s).

Patriarch

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:34:31 -0600, Patriarch
wrote:

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.
[snip]

FWIW, an oak top for a vanity can work. Some years ago I bought a small
antique washstand and converted it into a vanity w/ plumbed sink. Stand is
oak. I used a standard drop-in vanity sink. (I did have to do some
creative reworking of the drawers to make room for the drain pipes, but IMO
it looks good in a 90 y.o. restored bath.)

Also, there is a designer style that has modernized this approach. I could
not find what I think are the best examples of what I am talking about, but
these give a general idea:
http://www.shockeyfolkart.com/vanityTable.JPG
http://www.victoriaplumb.com/info_newVan6.html

While none of this may be persuasive, just in case the "person in charge"
is insistent, oak can work. -- Igor

"Mike Reed" wrote in message
ups.com...

I've never seen wood shed a finish like this. It's like snake skin. The
wood itself is doing awesome. I don't see how this stuff could be 10%
of the way to its grave (25-year life). It just isn't aging (other than
color).


I have heard that Ipe will go 50 years outside with no protection.

I don't think you'll go much better unless you go to marine spar. Even then,
only a light coat and prepare to renew it. Unless you have a pigment to block
the sun, the oils in ipe will oxidize while the finish degrades from the UV,
and the combination is what you described. SWMBO once had me try to keep some
mahogony small patio tables brown. No clear finish worked, even with extra UV
inhibitor, and a thick finish just peeled in time. Now, every two years I
lightly sand down the surface, then apply a thin coat of wb poly to just seal
the surface for awhile. The coat is thin enough that it doesn't peel, and
refinishing takes only a hour or two, restoring the brown color.
GerryG

On 24 Feb 2005 11:06:17 -0800, "Mike Reed" wrote:

I built a pair of adirondacks out of Ipe, and I just love the stuff. My
wife really wanted to finish them because the wood came out so nice. I
fought her a little on it, but she won (duh).

I ended up putting a "spar urethane" on it from the Borg, knowing it
wasn't quite as good as real "spar varnish." When I was done, the
chairs looked incredible. Like I could set them on the floor and Smith
and Hawken and get $400 each for them.

Well, the finish has just been falling right off the wood. It started
about a month after application, with some cracking. I'll be heading
out there with a scraper to finish the stripping job that the wood
started on its own. Shouldn't take long at all. I guess I win my fight
with SWMBO after all, but it's taken two years for the finish to
completely give out on us.

I've never seen wood shed a finish like this. It's like snake skin. The
wood itself is doing awesome. I don't see how this stuff could be 10%
of the way to its grave (25-year life). It just isn't aging (other than
color).

Patriarch wrote:
His wife got it into her head she wants a wooden vanity top.
Has anyone done ipe in this, or a similar application?t.

Patriarch

David, What I said was combined with other stuff related to a vanity. I
agree with Patriarch about its use in the shower, no finish.
As a vanity top, some sort of -urethane will protect it from staining.

Dave


"DL" wrote in message
news:fXoTd.20677$755.20477@lakeread05...
Dave,

I am curious as to why you say water will be a problem for IPE. As it is
primarily used as a decking material, I wouldn't expect water to be a
problem. Is it because of the oil finishes you make the statement? I
would agree with that.

I am planning to make a bench for our shower and my wife has suggested
that I use some of the leftover IPE from our deck. At this point, I was
planning not to finish it, as it will be getting wet on a regular basis.
Since you mentioned the polyurethane, I wonder if a marine "spar" urethane
would work better for this and the vanity project. It's designed to
protect against salt water as I understand it, so the soap and water from
a sink / shower shouldn't phase it.

David

"TeamCasa" wrote in message
...
I would be concerned about the use of oil finishes for a vanity. The
exposure to water (combined with soap, make-up and such) will tend to
stain or discolor the Ipe. I would use a hard polyurethane. Several
coats.

Dave


"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
"TeamCasa" wrote in :

Ipe is a very good. Very hard and heavy. Finishing is tricky but
will be great for a vanity IMHO
Dave


Talk to me about finishing. All I've ever seen relates to oil, and I'm
concerned that more would be needed. A film finish with some chemical
resistance. Would the ipe hold it?

Outdoors is so much easier. Sandpaper and sunlight. Good.

Patriarch



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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Leon wrote:
I have heard that Ipe will go 50 years outside with no protection.

Yeah, I can believe it. The exposed portions are silver, but a light
scratch with my fingernail exposes the original Ipe color. There is
just no loss of integrity at all.

GerryG wrote:
I don't think you'll go much better unless you go to marine spar.
Even then,
only a light coat and prepare to renew it. Unless you have a pigment
to block
the sun, the oils in ipe will oxidize while the finish degrades from
the UV,
and the combination is what you described. SWMBO once had me try to
keep some
mahogony small patio tables brown. No clear finish worked, even with
extra UV
inhibitor, and a thick finish just peeled in time. Now, every two
years I
lightly sand down the surface, then apply a thin coat of wb poly to
just seal
the surface for awhile. The coat is thin enough that it doesn't peel,
and
refinishing takes only a hour or two, restoring the brown color.
GerryG

Interesting. It sounds like Ipe just wants to be left alone. No bugs,
no water, no stinkin' finish.

I guess I won't have to worry about it since SWMBO is on the "let it
silver" bandwagon with me now.

-Mike

"David F. Eisan" wrote in
:

How about white oak?

'spossible. Mebbe with the right dye. Rift grain might work.

Thanks, David.

Patriarch,
thinking that we seem to have a generous supply of Davids this week...

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

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:20:30 -0700, Mike Reed wrote
(in article .com):


Interesting. It sounds like Ipe just wants to be left alone. No bugs,
no water, no stinkin' finish.

I guess I won't have to worry about it since SWMBO is on the "let it
silver" bandwagon with me now.

Actually I think it needs the UVs to silver. Chances are indoor Ipe will stay
the original color.


-Mike

FWIW, When I purchased the IPE for my deck, I also purchased Messmers UV
protection for hardwoods as recommended by the to "finish" the deck. See
link for more information.

Snip from website:
a.. Penetrating Natural Oil Finish
a.. Specially formulated for hardwoods like Ipe and Mahogany
a.. Exceptional color retention
a.. Protects and conditions valuable wood decks and other wood surfaces
Web Address: http://www.messmers.com/prod_uh.html

I have not put it on as the wood needed to sit for a period of time before
having the finish applied. Due to the winter weather, it's going to be
spring before it gets on. The deck has weathered beautifully for the past
several months. Turns the IPE a deep reddish brown color that makes it so
attractive. My goal is to finish the deck so that I can maintain the rich
deep reddish brown color.

In reading about applying the Messmers finish, what I found was people
stated that if you didn't sand the IPE, the finish would take fine, but if
you sanded the IPE, you would need another coat in about 3-4 months. This
was not from woodworkers so I am not sure what type of sanding was done.
Either way, once the second coat was on, it maintains well.

Might be worth a try given that it is designed for the out doors. I expect
the soaps and other bathroom supplies would clean up fine.

Not sure how much of a rush this needs to be done, but you could take a few
IPE boards and do test finishes and tests of anything you might expect to
ruin the finish.

David

"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 97.136...
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

Bruce wrote:
On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:20:30 -0700, Mike Reed wrote
(in article .com):


Interesting. It sounds like Ipe just wants to be left alone. No
bugs,
no water, no stinkin' finish.

I guess I won't have to worry about it since SWMBO is on the "let
it
silver" bandwagon with me now.

Actually I think it needs the UVs to silver. Chances are indoor Ipe
will stay
the original color.

Yep.

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:34:31 -0600, Patriarch
wrote:

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.

I've done solid vanity tops out of oak, maple and cherry.
I think you can use whatever wood looks good as long as the finish is
outstanding. We do them in powder rooms more often than in master
baths and of course the finish stands up better with less use.
We have the floor guys finish them on all sides before we install
them. They use the same poly they use on the flooring. It's very
important to seal the end grain in the sink area especially if you
have an under-mount sink.
I think they are a high maintenance top and just about any finish will
require another application in time. We tell our customers that at
some point another coat of finish will likely be required. That
comment will often turn the top into solid surface.

Mike O.