Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Mar 17, 2005 07:18am | #1

   Many forest areas throughout the world are exploited. Brazil is particularly inundated by illegal practices. Check out this site for some insights on what is going on.
   http://web.idrc.ca/es/ev-28724-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   jpeaton | Mar 17, 2005 07:25am | #3

   thanks for the help

2. 
   CRAIGCONEY_M | Mar 17, 2005 07:24am | #2

   That price is way too cheap to be certified.  Last time I wandered down the racks at my supplier it was over $8 B/F, wholesale price. 

    

1. 
   mike4244 | Mar 18, 2005 01:55am | #10

   I pay $3.00 a bf, 4/4 stock. I have no idea if purple heart is an endangered species. I was told it is plentiful and is used for exterior purposes.Easy to saw but tough to powerplane.

   mike

3. 
   MichaelPB | Mar 17, 2005 08:00am | #4

   Thanks for caring!

4. 
   YesMaam27577 | Mar 17, 2005 11:59am | #5

   A few points.....

   A buck and a half a linear foot might not be cheap, if the wood is not select grade. And if it's priced by the linear foot, and is only a few inches wide.

   And Purpleheart won't stay purple. No matter how much he wants it to.

   I'm not familiar with the weather-resistance abilities of purpleheart, are you?

   And you should be sure you know how "workable" the stuff is, before you submit your quote. If all fasteners need to be put in predrilled holes, then your quote needs to comprehend this. If the dust is an irritant, then dust control (even outdoors) is needed.

    

    

    

   Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.

1. 
   joinerswork | Mar 17, 2005 03:00pm | #6

   Yesmaam,

   The local Mennonite population here in the Shenandoah valley, has embraced the use of purpleheart for the beds in their manure spreaders.  Stuff must be pretty durable, to be preferred in that application.  But, I've heard that the craftsmen who do the installation refuse to stand behind their work...

   Cheers,

   Ray

1. 
   drhamel | Mar 17, 2005 08:39pm | #8

   That was BAD!!!!

    Formerly just 'Don' but not the 'Glassmaster Don' or the lower-case 'don'.

1. 
   joinerswork | Mar 18, 2005 05:22am | #11

   Don,

   Yeah I know, old farmer joke, but I just couldn't stop myself.

   Cheers,

   Ray

2. 
   Yotie | Mar 17, 2005 10:58pm | #9

   We have a John Deere manure spreader on our ranch, and regardless of what the floor is made out of, I would not stand behind it either!

   dkf

3. 
   stephenpinn | Mar 18, 2005 09:57pm | #12

   OMG!! <laughing so hard>

4. 
   lwj2 | Mar 19, 2005 05:43am | #14

   Won't do it in the Roanoke Valley either ...:)Leon Jester

1. 
   joinerswork | Mar 19, 2005 04:22pm | #15

   Leon,

   Yeah, and springtime is just around the corner.  All the local dairy farmers will soon be cleaning out the stables, and emptying their lagoons. AH! The sweet smells of pastoral life!

   Cheers,

   Ray

1. 
   lwj2 | Mar 19, 2005 08:15pm | #16

   Ray, I'm rather curious, now that I've thought about it a bit.Any idea why the plain folk -- who aren't widely known for wasting money -- would use an expensive import like purpleheart instead of something like black locust, local and (I'd think) a lot less expensive.Leon Jester

2. 
   joinerswork | Mar 20, 2005 03:59am | #17

   Leon,

   The plain folk aren't averse to progress on their terms.  The story I got was that it held up a lot longer than white oak, which had been the traditional choice. 

    I'm acquainted with the proprietors of a local buggy shop.  Was surprised to find that they are purchasing one piece FIBERGLASS buggy wheels from a (Mennonite) supplier in PA.  Haven't used wooden wheels in several years, on new work.  They also use LED's , for the taillites on their  horse drawn vehicles.  They are brighter, and draw less current than traditional lights, making it easier for the wheel-driven generators to keep a charge in the batteries.  You would likely be surprised to see the elaborate dashboards and upholstery in some of these plain looking (on the outside) vehicles. 

   It's an interesting culture.  I recently attended a lecture on the golden mean, given by an old order craftsman, with the community's standard 8th grade education.

   Regards,

   Ray

3. 
   lwj2 | Mar 21, 2005 05:39am | #18

   Ray, one of the funnier things that can be seen in the Roanoke area is the expressions on the faces of Jameson's Farm produce customers when they find out that the plain folk (the Jamesons are Mennonite) they're buying veggies from have a half-million dollars worth of sharpening equipment in the next building.Very sharp business folks. (You can throw things now.)Wonder why they're not using black locust, although availability may well be the answer.Leon Jester

4. 
   joinerswork | Mar 21, 2005 02:31pm | #19

   Leon,

   Lots of yellow locust here, which is used mainly for fenceposts.  Be sure to put them in the ground upside down from the way the tree grew, to keep them from taking root and growing;-)) Not too familiar with black locust, those the ones with the clusters of thorns?

   Regards,

   Ray

5. 
   lwj2 | Mar 22, 2005 12:53am | #20

   Yep. Lots of thorns. They grow too, when you use them as fence posts.My cousin has several that he has to trim every year. He's re-strung wire three times since he put them in, posts hold up better than the wire does.Leon Jester

5. 
   Jimma | Mar 17, 2005 05:43pm | #7

   I checked my Wood Explorer and found purple heart in 15 Central and South American countries. It is used in many, many applications including docks and railroad ties. A local person tells me the tree from which it comes is quite common.

6. 
   JsHerbel | Mar 18, 2005 11:44pm | #13

   If you are concerned about the use of purpleheart (I wish more people thought about the use of exotic woods) and want a domestic wood with character and that is extremely rot resistent, you might check into black locust. It's cost effective and not many woods will hold up to the elements any better.