Cracks in Ipe

[holmqer]

A co-worker gave me a piece of Ipe that had been sitting on a shelf in his shop for a few years to make a pen from.

I used Gorilla Glue to glue in the tubes on a Baron.

Turning went quite well with no chipout, as the wood was so dense I used light cuts and started with freshly sharpened tools and resharpened midway.

Just over 24 hours later cracks appeared in the wood. This is the first blank that has ever cracked on me, but this is the first Ipe I have turned.

Is Ipe prone to cracking?

 

[DanD23]

If you don't seal the ends, Ipe will check quite a bit. I have a deck of the stuff, it is beautiful, but on a few boards it checked 6 inches when I didn't seal a fresh cut.

I have made pens of IPE, just be sure to use a wax finish and seal the ends of the piece when you finish it. So far, after a year none of them have cracked.

 

[Sfolivier]

This doesn't sound like a fresh cut checking at all. Does dry Ipe still check that much?

Could it be the glue? Have you use it with other woods? Any other wood as dense a Ipe (desert ironwood, ebony, etc...)?

 

[holmqer]

I normally use Gorilla Glue to glue in the tubes, but I have never tried one of these really dense woods like Ipe to make a pen before. I have some Lignum Vitae sitting on the shelf which I will try some day.

Given how thin the material is on the barrel, I am wondering how to effectively seal the end grain once it is drilled, glued and milled. Also if I seal the end grain how will that affect the fit of the pen when pressing in the various metal parts.

 

[pianomanpj]

Any chance it has something to do with the Gorilla Glue? That stuff is water activated, so I don't know if that would reek havoc with touchy woods such as Ipe. Okay, I'll go sit down now...

 

[holmqer]

You make an interesting point Roger, while the wood started off quite dry, I rub the inside of the hole with a wet q-tip before inserting the Gorilla Glue treated tube.

When I got the wood, it was free and looked interesting. Once turned it was very beautiful.

I am wondering if I should take a bit more time with this sort of wood, cut the blanks to the right length, wait a day for the wood to move. Drill the blank and wait a day, then perhapse use thick CA or epoxy to do the glue job.

Another possibility is that I drilled the blank on the lathe, clamping the blank in a 4 jaw chuck. The blank ends up with tooth marks on it. I guess I should try a pen vise of some sort and a drill press. At least this way there would be less stress on the wood during drilling.

 

[avbill]

I checked the area for acronyms: and could not find what IPE is Can some one tell me? thanks Bill Daniels

 

[DanD23]

Bill -
IPE is the name of the wood. It is an extremely dense, heavy wood often used for decking in here in the United States.

When I seal the ends, I make sure to spin the ends in a little Renissance Wax. I use 5 minute epoxy to glue the blanks, and I have also used CA. I am thinking that the water used for the Gorilla glue, plus the foaming expansion you can get with this glue might be the culprit in the splitting.

I have done about 10 pens in Ipe, and as long as you don't try to go at more than about 30 degree angle to the grain, it makes a nice pen, with out a great deal of figure. I find that my wife and her friends like the smooth feel of the wood, especially

 

[holmqer]

Thanks for the advice, I shall give either Epoxy or CA in lieu of Gorilla Glue a try and try to seal the ends. I have a tin of Renissance Wax, do you use it to seal the ends after milling or after rough turning or after turning to final shape?

 

[hehndc]

Just my two cents, I turned an Ipe slimline about a year ago, it looked good. After reading your post I took a look at it and it had developed a crack along the barrel.

BTW, I used epoxy for the tube and finished with friction polish.

The crack was not there before christmas, maybe the dry air from the heater running this winter?

Steve

 

[titan2]

Ipe is Brazilian Walnut.....

 

[loglugger]

I use Elmers ultimate Glue, it is Polyurethane like Gorilla and have never used water with it and have never had one come apart. Don't know if you could get away without using water with Gorilla. Just something to think about.
Bob

 

[TellicoTurning]

Gorilla glue expands when it sets... if you have the IPE turned thin, might be enough pressure to split along a natural grain fissure.

I've only tried GG once or twice and didn't like the ooze and expansion... also tried Epoxy and find it too messy, pretty much stick to thick CA to glue tubes.

 

[MikeyMike]

I think with Ipe you really need to use some sort of oil/penetrating finish. I've used Ipe for furniture and decking and found that if you let it absorb a good amount of an oil finish it doesn't check. In fact a 1" piece I cut off a 3/4 plank two years ago (because of a small check) and then tested a finish on has never checked any more than it was already.

 

[holmqer]

Thats a good idea, I will try that with the next one I try.