I’ve been given some nice Ipe (ironwood) railings, but need to reproduce some balusters that are on another part of the home…I’ve used ipe before–and know how hard it is, but I’ve never attempted to turn some on a lathe…I’ve turned other woods, but not ipe.
Anyone got any experience doing this?
Any suggestions?
Replies
Anyone?
My son used some Ipe scraps from a deck job while teaching himseld to turn. Made a nice little bowl. Had to sharpen during turn, but it came out nicely and polished on the lathe. He was 15 at the time... Hope that helps.
Kimball
My carving mallet is ipe. Turning was a bit difficult- the resinous wood dulls the tools a bit, and there is a ton of greenish brown dust in the air. It took a polish beautifully, and weighs a small ton.
The older I get, the better I was....
Ipe turns very nice. I turned some fish bats for a local fisherman. Felt like wax, real smooth. Grab a handfull of Ipe shavings and burnish the turning for a finish.
Thanks everyone for the replies--So I guess we will give it a try...
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