# Ironwood frame?



## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Has anyone here tried making a frame from Ironwood? Apparently "Ironwood" is a nick-name for a large number of hardwoods. A co-worker gave me a piece with the deal that I make him a frame in the spring time. The piece is 7/8" thick x 32" long so I should get a few frames from it. The useable width is 4 1/4" (inside the side grooves). Apparently this stuff is very hard. It sure is heavy in weight and dark in color. The pics show some oak boards beside the Ironwood.

Any problems with using this wood? 
Will Danish Oil (Linseed base) dry on it? It's likely an oily wood. 
I read that some sawdusts can cause health issues. Any known problems with ironwood?

Many thanks,
Northerner


----------



## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I'm not aware that ironwood is use for various woods. I only know desert ironwood and I haven't seen any that looks like that. Yours may be hard, but I couldn't say for sure by looking at the picture.

Problems with D.I. include burning on the belt, sudden cracking, splitting and chipping out, and impermeability to dyes and oils.


----------



## HOE (Nov 13, 2010)

There is a kind of 'ironwood' in southeast asia, called Belian, translates to gem wood.


----------



## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

I don't think that this is desert ironwood. A plank like that would be VERY rare if made from DI, and outrageously expensive.

But wikipedia lists almost 30 wood types that are all called "Ironwood", here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironwood

In general, I did not find DI hard to work with (not after all my steel frames). It will have cracks and oil will not be soaked up well, but I don't think oiling it is necessary. Just polish it and you are good to go.

Regards

Jörg


----------



## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

That's either IPE (Brazilian Walnut) or Brazilian Cherry. At least that's what I can tell from looking at it from my phone.


----------



## Matt (Mar 6, 2010)

I think it´s IPE too. I´ve made a couple frames from it, it sure is a pretty wood!


----------



## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

Yes Ironwood is a general term used for many trees, The ironwood that grows around here is tough stuff, The fibers grow interleaved, Logs of it are near impossible to split without a hydrolic splitter.

Cheers


----------



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I have even seen apple wood referred to as ironwood. The term is too ambiguous.


----------



## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

There are trees in the Midwest that the trunks looks like it has muscles, which are called iron wood also. I don't know the proper name for them. -- Tex-Shooter


----------



## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

I was under the assumption that all trees classed as Ironwood grow with a weird interleaving grain, However I am probably wrong about that.


----------



## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks a lot of the info guys.

I compared weight of the "Ironwood" to Oak. The full width of the ironwood board, including the edge grooves, is 5 1/2".

Oak Board - 48" x 5 1/2" x 3/4" = *5 lbs 10 oz
*Ironwood Board - 32" x 5 1/2" x 7/8" =* 5 lb 15 oz

*Here are a couple of close-up end pics and a grain pic from the side. I'll have to find some IPE and Desert Ironwood pics online for comparison. The guy I got the wood from called it ironwood and said that it was used for an expensive deck. I'm starting to think it might be IPE. Here is a quote from a web site: *http://www.abswood.com/
"Ipe Wood Decking*: Brazilian hardwood Decking such as Ipe sometimes called Ironwood hardwood decking is real wood that provides unsurpassed durability and beauty."

Cheers,
Northerner


----------



## orcrender (Sep 11, 2010)

What Tex described is called by muscle-wood and iron-wood in West Virgina. I was told it is related to Dogwood.


----------



## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Hey Todd, 
I think that's IPE ( Brazilian Walnut ) Hard and dense. You'll get some real nice frames out of that plank. Looks real clean Bud! Flatband


----------



## Dan the Slingshot Man (Nov 21, 2010)

I have Ironwood a.k.a epe or ipe not sure. It is very dense, it would be fine.


----------



## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Many thanks guys! I think we have it figured out. Brazilian Walnut (aka IPE). Nice looking wood. Now I have to wait a couple of months for the weather to cooperate so I can cut and sand outside.

Thanks,
Northerner/Todd


----------



## USASlingshot (Feb 25, 2010)

i know that hop hornbeam is called iron wood, the stuff is super strong. never seen what a board of it would look like tho


----------



## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

Northerner said:


> Many thanks guys! I think we have it figured out. Brazilian Walnut (aka IPE). Nice looking wood. Now I have to wait a couple of months for the weather to cooperate so I can cut and sand outside.
> 
> Thanks,
> Northerner/Todd


It does have a high janka score. Only a handful of woods score higher. But it can be difficult to machine. It tends to splinter and chip very easily. I think it's better suited as the middle layer of a laminate. Good luck with it.


----------



## Jaybird (Dec 20, 2009)

The ironwood around here,in Pa.grows in the bottoms and is only 4 or 5" in dia.I can't think of the right name for it now.propably when I turn the computer off I will think of it.


----------



## cvarcher (Jun 13, 2010)

Uh, Desert Ironwood is from the Sonoran Desert and its some type of pea tree that grows to very old age. I had one made up that came from 1500 year old trunk. Its a reddish and brown and blond color with figure and very dense and hard and expensive. Heres a write up--
http://www.delange.org/IronwoodTree/IronwoodTree.htm


----------

