I am doing my first work with purpleheart. I am doing a turning. When I finished turning the wood, it is a brown color. I have read that you should let it sit in the light and the purple color will come back quickly when the new surface is exposed. The stuff is interesting. It turns well, but is really hard. Trying to sand it is similar to trying to sand granite.
My question is how long will it take? I have finished the turning and it has been sitting for a few hours the purple hasn't come back. Even the surface that I cut last night is still brown.
I need to finish the turning before moving on with the rest of the project. I understand that finishing it will stop it from turning purple again. Is that true?
Thanks.
Jeff
Purpleheart
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a1gutterman
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Purple Heart
Hi Jeff,
Having never worked with it, I can not answer your questions; however, these links look like a good place to start looking: http://www.oakleywoods.com/company/pheartprop.htm
http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/purpleheartinfo.htm
http://www.wflooring.com/TechnicalInfo/SpeciesDetail.aspx?SpecieID=1055
The link immediately above has the following quote:
Color Change: Purpleheart undergoes an extreme degree of color change over time. When freshly milled or sanded, Purpleheart will be a brown color, which will change within a few days to a vivid purple color. Then over time (after six months) the vivid purple will oxidize back to a brownish color with purplish highlights. Water-based finishes tend to inhibit the full color change and hold more of the purple color.
I hope this helps.
Having never worked with it, I can not answer your questions; however, these links look like a good place to start looking: http://www.oakleywoods.com/company/pheartprop.htm
http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/purpleheartinfo.htm
http://www.wflooring.com/TechnicalInfo/SpeciesDetail.aspx?SpecieID=1055
The link immediately above has the following quote:
Color Change: Purpleheart undergoes an extreme degree of color change over time. When freshly milled or sanded, Purpleheart will be a brown color, which will change within a few days to a vivid purple color. Then over time (after six months) the vivid purple will oxidize back to a brownish color with purplish highlights. Water-based finishes tend to inhibit the full color change and hold more of the purple color.
I hope this helps.
Tim
Buying US made products will help keep YOUR job or retirement funds safer.
Buying US made products will help keep YOUR job or retirement funds safer.
Thanks Tim,
I looked at about 20 sites like the ones you linked to, but I didn't find any that said how long it would take. The one that you gave said to give it a few days. So I will. I wasn't sure how long it would take.
The outside of the wood is a beautiful purple, but the cut edge is a sort of ugly brown. The grain is rather bland so one would want that purple color to return. While it is hard to sand, after 220 grit the finish is rather glass like and hard. I can see why you might get away with just waxing it to finish it.
Thanks for you help.
Jeff
I looked at about 20 sites like the ones you linked to, but I didn't find any that said how long it would take. The one that you gave said to give it a few days. So I will. I wasn't sure how long it would take.
The outside of the wood is a beautiful purple, but the cut edge is a sort of ugly brown. The grain is rather bland so one would want that purple color to return. While it is hard to sand, after 220 grit the finish is rather glass like and hard. I can see why you might get away with just waxing it to finish it.
Thanks for you help.
Jeff
When I have worked with Purpleheart (or Padauk, for that matter) I have found the wood darkens with time. I have read that Purpleheart darkens naturally to a brownish color in sunlight. In other words, both woods will darken over time but the process is accelerated with direct sunlight. Hope this helps.
BPR
BPR
The Answer
Bada Bum Bum.....
Well it seems to take about 3 days for the color to return after cutting. It is the strangest thing I have ever seen. Beautiful wood though. Now to see how long it takes to turn brown. It is part of a xmas ornament, so it won't be exposed to the sun much. We will see.
I have a friend that made a desk in a room that he does video editing in, so it is dark all the time. The trim on the desk is made out of padauk. I had always thought it was walnut due to the dark color. So that wood turns brown even when not exposed to light.
Time will tell.
Jeff
Well it seems to take about 3 days for the color to return after cutting. It is the strangest thing I have ever seen. Beautiful wood though. Now to see how long it takes to turn brown. It is part of a xmas ornament, so it won't be exposed to the sun much. We will see.
I have a friend that made a desk in a room that he does video editing in, so it is dark all the time. The trim on the desk is made out of padauk. I had always thought it was walnut due to the dark color. So that wood turns brown even when not exposed to light.
Time will tell.
Jeff
According to "WOOD Identification and Use" by Terry Porter:
Discription:
When newly cut, the heartwood is bright purple, but it darkes to a deep purplish-brown on exposure. There can be some colour difference between boards, and minerals may cause uneven colour. The grain is usually straight, but can be roey, wavy or irregular, with a medium to fine texture and a high lustre. The off-white sapwood is distinct from the heartwood.
Properties:
It is hard, dense and heavy, with high crushing, stiffness and bending strengths, a moderate steam-bending rating and medium resistance to shock loads. It is difficult to work by hand, and machining is moderately difficult. The blunting effect on cutters is moderate to severe. Slow feed rates and a reduced cutting angle are advised. Dull cutters will heat the wood and cause resin to exude. Purpleheart glues, waxes, stains and polishes well, turn very well, but is not easy to sand. Pre-boring is advised for nailing or screwing. Spirit finishes tend to remove the purple color; lacquer retains it.
Typical uses:
Flooring, heavy exterior construction, bridge building, quality furniture, cladding (siding), vats piling, turnery, billiard-or pool-cue butts, boatbuilding, inlay and marquetry, handles and shafts and decorative veneer.
POSSIBLE HEALTH RISKS: Dust can cause irritation and nausea.
There is more but not relevant to the question and it is late. tyl. Mark
Discription:
When newly cut, the heartwood is bright purple, but it darkes to a deep purplish-brown on exposure. There can be some colour difference between boards, and minerals may cause uneven colour. The grain is usually straight, but can be roey, wavy or irregular, with a medium to fine texture and a high lustre. The off-white sapwood is distinct from the heartwood.
Properties:
It is hard, dense and heavy, with high crushing, stiffness and bending strengths, a moderate steam-bending rating and medium resistance to shock loads. It is difficult to work by hand, and machining is moderately difficult. The blunting effect on cutters is moderate to severe. Slow feed rates and a reduced cutting angle are advised. Dull cutters will heat the wood and cause resin to exude. Purpleheart glues, waxes, stains and polishes well, turn very well, but is not easy to sand. Pre-boring is advised for nailing or screwing. Spirit finishes tend to remove the purple color; lacquer retains it.
Typical uses:
Flooring, heavy exterior construction, bridge building, quality furniture, cladding (siding), vats piling, turnery, billiard-or pool-cue butts, boatbuilding, inlay and marquetry, handles and shafts and decorative veneer.
POSSIBLE HEALTH RISKS: Dust can cause irritation and nausea.
There is more but not relevant to the question and it is late. tyl. Mark
purpleheart
Well, the best place for most of your questions on wood is The Wood Handbook. I am sure a lot of you know about this USDA publication, but if you don't, it is a wonderful research tool.
The quote from that book (in the post above this) is taken directly form "The Wood Handbook."
That being said, "The wood Handbook" is in the public domain, thusly, FREE. Save some money and download it. It, as Nick says, "reads like a tax form" but it, unlike other books, comes with it's own search engine. he he. Which will make you research a little easier.
Oh, and by the way, it does not mention the time it will take for prupleheart to change colors. Only that it will "eventualy" change.
See ya',
Drew
The quote from that book (in the post above this) is taken directly form "The Wood Handbook."
That being said, "The wood Handbook" is in the public domain, thusly, FREE. Save some money and download it. It, as Nick says, "reads like a tax form" but it, unlike other books, comes with it's own search engine. he he. Which will make you research a little easier.
Oh, and by the way, it does not mention the time it will take for prupleheart to change colors. Only that it will "eventualy" change.
See ya',
Drew
"When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way - before one began."
[INDENT][/INDENT]Friedrich Nietzsche
[INDENT][/INDENT]Friedrich Nietzsche