08-07-2015, 10:56 AM
I finished the planter boxes and seats and put Ipe' Oil on them last evening. I'm pretty much as far done this year as I can go until I address the patio problems; then'll I'll be able to build the other set of stairs, install lamp posts and some other lights, and railings if I decide to do so (not required because it's only 24" high). I will build some inserts to cover over the planter box openings before Winter so they don't fill up with snow and ice. Next year I also will either get a new grill or chop the frame up on this to create a built-in grill in a new cabinet I'll build.
Here are a few beauty shots.
I was fortunate to have Advantage Lumber nearly in my backyard, but I would not hesitate to buy from them even if they weren't. They often have free or $100 shipping anywhere in the country. Their service was great and the Ipe' and Cumaru I bought were very nice with hardly a defect. I think I scraped sections of only one or two boards. The other products I bought from AL worked exactly as advertised - the clips, SS screws, and Ipe' Oil (long term durability TBD).
I followed Advantage Lumber's instructions to sticker the wood and let it acclimate for at least a week prior to using it. I let it sit for 2 weeks, but wish I had let it sit longer because I have had some noticeable shrinkage in some areas. It has shrunk the most in the boards I first installed. The boards I installed last, about 10 days later after a hot dry spell, have shrunk less. Maybe it will all be the same in another year; only time will tell. Ipe' seems to have quite a bit of seasonal expansion/contraction, too, and we'll see how that plays into the carefully constructed planter boxes I made, including the mitered and glued corners.
Ipe' was not that hard to work with as many had warned about. It is heavy, to be sure. But it cut fine. I will get my miter saw blade sharpened, after five years of projects, but it still cut fine at the end of the job and I made hundreds of cuts with it. I cut several hundred feet of clip slots, too, with a Grizzly biscuit slot cutter, and it still looks fine. I even planed and jointed the boards for the planter boxes trim in my high speed steel knife machines. The blades in them look fine, too. Fortunately, I was not allergic to the dust.
I'm very happy I overbuilt the deck framing. It's rock solid with little to no discernible flex. For the perhaps 10% higher cost of the PT lumber I would do it again w/o question.
Thanks for following along. It was a fun project, but I'm already happy to be back in my basement working on furniture and millwork.
John
Here are a few beauty shots.
I was fortunate to have Advantage Lumber nearly in my backyard, but I would not hesitate to buy from them even if they weren't. They often have free or $100 shipping anywhere in the country. Their service was great and the Ipe' and Cumaru I bought were very nice with hardly a defect. I think I scraped sections of only one or two boards. The other products I bought from AL worked exactly as advertised - the clips, SS screws, and Ipe' Oil (long term durability TBD).
I followed Advantage Lumber's instructions to sticker the wood and let it acclimate for at least a week prior to using it. I let it sit for 2 weeks, but wish I had let it sit longer because I have had some noticeable shrinkage in some areas. It has shrunk the most in the boards I first installed. The boards I installed last, about 10 days later after a hot dry spell, have shrunk less. Maybe it will all be the same in another year; only time will tell. Ipe' seems to have quite a bit of seasonal expansion/contraction, too, and we'll see how that plays into the carefully constructed planter boxes I made, including the mitered and glued corners.
Ipe' was not that hard to work with as many had warned about. It is heavy, to be sure. But it cut fine. I will get my miter saw blade sharpened, after five years of projects, but it still cut fine at the end of the job and I made hundreds of cuts with it. I cut several hundred feet of clip slots, too, with a Grizzly biscuit slot cutter, and it still looks fine. I even planed and jointed the boards for the planter boxes trim in my high speed steel knife machines. The blades in them look fine, too. Fortunately, I was not allergic to the dust.
I'm very happy I overbuilt the deck framing. It's rock solid with little to no discernible flex. For the perhaps 10% higher cost of the PT lumber I would do it again w/o question.
Thanks for following along. It was a fun project, but I'm already happy to be back in my basement working on furniture and millwork.
John
