Sapelle or Idigbo?

[paulb33]

Hi All,
So, still scratching my head about these 52 replacement windows. Someone suggested sapele hardwood, rather than idigbo. I'll be painting with linseed oil paint. Anybody have any thoughts on this?
Cheers,
Paul

 

[skier-hughes]

European Oak?

 

[paulb33]

European Oak?

I have quotes for that too...

 

[plasticpigeon]

I made sills from Sapele. It is very hard and the colour of mahogany. It painted fine for me, I didn't use any aluminium primer or anything like that. I used it as it was the cheapest hardwood at my local yard. It does the job of being a sill very well. I wouldn't want to make a whole window from it though as it is so tough to cut and machine, (especially with hand tools).

 

[88v8]

If you used oak, you would have the opportunity to polish the interior faces, instead of painting. Polished oak windows, with ditto sills, look superb.
Here's the one we left in the library of my 30,000 hour house. 1900 window, glass, fittings, new sill.
When I bought it, it had been painted... spent days stripping it, getting the paint out of the grain. If there's one thing I would like to have taken from the house, it was that window.

Ivor

 

[paulb33]

If you used oak, you would have the opportunity to polish the interior faces, instead of painting. Polished oak windows, with ditto sills, look superb.
Here's the one we left in the library of my 30,000 hour house. 1900 window, glass, fittings, new sill.
When I bought it, it had been painted... spent days stripping it, getting the paint out of the grain. If there's one thing I would like to have taken from the house, it was that window.

Ivor

Oh, that is simply wonderful. Our windows were originally painted softwood. They are also quite crude in design: lacking the finer details of your fine oak frames...

 

[plasticpigeon]

That's a beautiful finish. What is it? Stain and french polish? Wax? I am looking to achieve exactly that colour for an oak table top I am planning to restore.

 

[Baron de Gynes]

Ohhh.... that window... I'm actually dribbling...

I'm looking at the sad and sorry Wickes* windows the DPO fitted during the 80s** and I am green with envy.

* Other DIY sheds are available
** No, I don't know how he got that one past the CO, either. The farmer who was brought up in the house nearly wept when he saw the iron casements being ripped out.

 

[88v8]

Stain and ?? The polisher called it his version of French polish. As I was in the process of finishing the house to sell it, I didn't press him for details but, yes, it was beautiful.

Even 'umble oak can be polished, and unless there is evidence to the contrary one might surmise that the original finish and detailing of the main reception rooms may have been a little more elevated than that applied to the more private spaces, both in terms of window fittings, and the timber finish.
If you yourself prefer it so, no one could gainsay you.

Ivor

 

[Zebra]

my 30,000 hour house

What does this mean? Is that how long you reckon you spent working on it?

 

[Flyfisher]

That would be nearly 3.5 years on a 24/7/365 basis :shock:

 

[Zebra]

That is quite a lot.... I suppose I'm on about....... say 12 hours a week for three years....... 1872 hours!

 

[88v8]

my 30,000 hour house

What does this mean? Is that how long you reckon you spent working on it?

Yes. Over a period of 30 years. A bit of that was maintenance, but we never redecorated any room, and only repainted the outside a couple of times, so most of it was restoration + garage + extension. I am a bit of a slow worker.
And then we sold it.

Ivor

 

[masochists-r-us]

Sapele, but agree with others, oak is best. That's what we went for, but it took me nearly two years to find someone who could make them for a realistic price so shop around, a lot.