Ipe
Name
• Scientific name: Tabebuia spp
• Spanish name: Ipe, Lapacho
Origin

Description of the wood
• Sapwood: Yellowish-white.
• Heartwood: Dark brown with a very characteristic greenish hue.
• Fiber: Straight, often interlocked or highly interlocked.
• Grain: Fine to medium.
Impregnation
• Sapwood: Moderately impregnable
• Heartwood: Poorly impregnable
Mechanization
• Sawing: No problems other than its hardness. Dulls very quickly.
• Drying: Slow. Small risk of warping and cracking.
• Planing: Difficult due to its hardness and the high risk of warping. Machining should be done very slowly.
• Gluing: Tannins hinder good adhesion.
• Nailing and screwing: Due to its hardness, pre-drilling is recommended.
• Finishing: Gum deposits can inhibit varnish adhesion.
Applications
• Fine interior and exterior furniture and joinery.
• Interior carpentry: doors, stairs, paneling, moldings, baseboards, wainscoting, parquet flooring.
• Exterior carpentry: doors and windows.
• Structural carpentry: interior and exterior.
• Decorative veneers.
Mechanical properties
• Static bending strength: 1750 kg/cm²
• Modulus of elasticity: 200,000 kg/cm²
• Parallel compression strength: 890 kg/cm²
To be considered
- Wood that is currently in high demand and scarce supply. There are several species that can be adequately substituted.