..so that when I cut it for these rails the flat of the grain was parallel with the bend. That also meant preboring with a tapered fuller bit and countersink went through all flat grain. Actually it did widen out on one stinkin' hole about an inch in either direction from the screw hole. I'll mix a bit of very thin carbon'ed epoxy to sorta "pack" it with, should be alright. The carbon in the epoxy really protects it from UV and black line pretty much disappears into the project. Geez, hope it works. But with Ipe' and several other woods in my experience you have to prebore holes for best results. A good set of tapered bits and countersinks is worth it over time, they last forever. I'm using ones I've had since the seventies and I've built a lot of projects over the years. I put everything together with screws, I hate nails and banging on stuff.

The Ipe' purchased was just a piece of ten foot long decking material from which I ripped four 1/2" X 9/16" strips. Then scarfed them 12 to 1 on a simple slide built to scarf that number on the table saw. As you can see in the pic on the left I used carbon in the epoxy for the scarf joint. Really, I prefer to use it in installing bungs also into wood that won't be varnished but left to weather naturally as these rails will be. I've seen too many glue line failures from what I perceive to be UV over time degrading the epoxy line from the outside allowing weather to take its toll. Or so I perceive.

I hauled these to the boat in a 20' long 1 1/4" PVC schedule eighty pipe on my little utility trailer for safety of the parts. Now they're on and I'm relieved. I didn't, however, use carbon in the epoxy for the bungs as I forgot to take it along. Oh well, mebbe I'll paint the rails.....