[scook]

Yeah, with IPE, the key is going to be in the hand picking. I ordered in a pile of it for outdoor landings and stair treads and was really looking forward to using it. What I got was such a pile of crap (grain all dug up from going through the planner, etc.) that I took it all back - nearly got a hernia loading it back in the truck.

It does sound like it would be nice for trimming the boat - I've got a bunch of that to do (unless I go tupperware). Need to find a stocking dealer.

M-shark, I believe MJ did a bunch of Starboard stuff on his boat and I think he mentioned predrilling the screw holes. I've never worked with the stuff, but for predrilling in general, you want to use a drill bit that's as close as possible to the size of the "shank" of the screw (i.e. just the threads sticking out to bite into the material), to avoid splitting. Also, be careful about overtightening - set your screw gun clutch light and check/finish tighten by hand to avoid stripping them out.

G-1, How bad is the IPE on carbide bits and blades?

Thanks - Scott