I built a coffee table for the deck last year and of course, it is
holding up extremely well. Now I want to build a picnic table out of ipe.
All of the plans I see for picnic tables call for 2x lumber. They also
all call for some sort of softwood lumber, doug fir, cedar, treated
southern yellow pine, etc. I *could* build an ipe table out of 2x
lumber but I didn't win the lottery this month (~$450 to build from
2x4's) and I'd like to use 1x6 decking for the flat surfaces.
Ipe's bending strength is about twice that of doug fir (22.5 kpsi vs.
12.4 kpsi), according to http://www.forloversofwood.com/ipe/tech.html.
Can I assume then that I can use the 1x6 material for the flat surfaces
(seats, table top)? Should I consider some kind of bracing other than
that usually used?
Thanks in advance,
--
Hitch
-Remove the NOSPAM from my address and you've got SPAM!-
I just finished some Ipe adirondacks. That wood is strong. Dense too
(my chairs are quite heavy). At the decking supplier, they told me
that code allows 1x6 Ipe to span 4 feet unsupported -- for a walking
surface. Four feet between joists is huge.
Yeah, I think it can hold up a couple of hot dogs and elbows :)
-Mike
Hitch <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I built a coffee table for the deck last year and of course, it is
> holding up extremely well. Now I want to build a picnic table out of ipe.
>
> All of the plans I see for picnic tables call for 2x lumber. They also
> all call for some sort of softwood lumber, doug fir, cedar, treated
> southern yellow pine, etc. I *could* build an ipe table out of 2x
> lumber but I didn't win the lottery this month (~$450 to build from
> 2x4's) and I'd like to use 1x6 decking for the flat surfaces.
>
> Ipe's bending strength is about twice that of doug fir (22.5 kpsi vs.
> 12.4 kpsi), according to http://www.forloversofwood.com/ipe/tech.html.
> Can I assume then that I can use the 1x6 material for the flat surfaces
> (seats, table top)? Should I consider some kind of bracing other than
> that usually used?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
I built 3 park benches and made the many 1.5" wide slats out of 1x6 5/4 Ipe
decking. They were about 42" long and had no support other than on the
ends. They gave just enough to be comfortable.
The Ipe should be strong enough for a table top
"Hitch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I built a coffee table for the deck last year and of course, it is
> holding up extremely well. Now I want to build a picnic table out of ipe.
>
> All of the plans I see for picnic tables call for 2x lumber. They also
> all call for some sort of softwood lumber, doug fir, cedar, treated
> southern yellow pine, etc. I *could* build an ipe table out of 2x
> lumber but I didn't win the lottery this month (~$450 to build from
> 2x4's) and I'd like to use 1x6 decking for the flat surfaces.
>
> Ipe's bending strength is about twice that of doug fir (22.5 kpsi vs.
> 12.4 kpsi), according to http://www.forloversofwood.com/ipe/tech.html.
> Can I assume then that I can use the 1x6 material for the flat surfaces
> (seats, table top)? Should I consider some kind of bracing other than
> that usually used?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> --
> Hitch
>
> -Remove the NOSPAM from my address and you've got SPAM!-
>
Hitch <[email protected]> writes:
> I built a coffee table for the deck last year and of course, it is
> holding up extremely well. Now I want to build a picnic table out of
> ipe.
>
> All of the plans I see for picnic tables call for 2x lumber. They
For the table top? If you want to protect it from being stolen by it's
weight only that seems reasonable, or if you want people that are the
grave of a good many hamburgers to dance on such a table. But if you
want a transportable nice picnic table you should go (much)
thinner. The comercial teak tables are *all* less than 2cm thick!
--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
mailto:[email protected] Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23
Check out a.b.p.w , look for IPE picnic table. I banded this one with 2X6
and used 1X4 and a single 1X6 as a center strip. The table is 42" by 96"
and weighs about 340 #.
Ed Angell
"Hitch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I built a coffee table for the deck last year and of course, it is
> holding up extremely well. Now I want to build a picnic table out of ipe.
>
> All of the plans I see for picnic tables call for 2x lumber. They also
> all call for some sort of softwood lumber, doug fir, cedar, treated
> southern yellow pine, etc. I *could* build an ipe table out of 2x
> lumber but I didn't win the lottery this month (~$450 to build from
> 2x4's) and I'd like to use 1x6 decking for the flat surfaces.
>
> Ipe's bending strength is about twice that of doug fir (22.5 kpsi vs.
> 12.4 kpsi), according to http://www.forloversofwood.com/ipe/tech.html.
> Can I assume then that I can use the 1x6 material for the flat surfaces
> (seats, table top)? Should I consider some kind of bracing other than
> that usually used?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
> --
> Hitch
>
> -Remove the NOSPAM from my address and you've got SPAM!-
>