Replies

1. 
   jackplane | May 19, 2004 03:41pm | #1

   You might be mixing heartwood and sapwood, which makes even color difficult. You could try diluting aniline purple dye and applying it. Don't sand finer than 220g to promote absorption of the dye.

1. 
   arw01 | May 19, 2004 05:13pm | #2

   In researching the color effects on purpleheart, I did not come across any references to sapwood or heartwood oxidizing differently.  Did you happen to come across a technical reference which gives some details?

   Thanks

   Alan

2. 
   10fingers | May 19, 2004 06:28pm | #3

   Hello,

   I have used purpleheart several times and never had your problem.  Try putting one of the sample pieces in the sun for several days and see if it darkens.  If all else fails, ask Jon Arno (Dr. Wood).

   A small bit of trivia, I have read that purpleheart doesn't burn, termites don't like it , and in some places in South America, it is used to make vats that hold acid.

1. 
   arw01 | May 19, 2004 06:51pm | #4

   I've placed a sample piece from the same board out into the sun for a couple of full days exposure, to date no change in coloration.

   It was suggest on the wreck that I try some baking soda paste on one side and some vinegar or lemon juice on the other, if they don't ellicit a change then try some of the fuming agents or a mild bleaching.

   Will continue to search for an answer to this little piece of purpleheart messing up my project.

   Alan

2. 
   joinerswork | May 20, 2004 04:40am | #7

   More trivia,

   The local Mennonite community here in Shenandoah Valley prefers purpleheart as the wood of choice for their manure spreader beds!

   Whatever floats yer boat,

   Ray

3. 
   Lazarus | May 20, 2004 12:55am | #5

   Why on earth did the pieces you exposed to the sun turn purple where you had the tape, but not everywhere else? Maybe you rapping the pieces in plastic wrap and exposing them ans see if that affects them in any way.

   Lazarus
   "Wisdom is the toughest of teachers! She gives the test first and the lesson after."

1. 
   arw01 | May 20, 2004 01:44am | #6

   The pieces which turned brown were already purple prior to hitting the sun, they transitioned to brown much more than the other piece in the photos:

   http://arwomack01.home.att.net/images/purple_pre.jpg

   http://arwomack01.home.att.net/images/purple_sun.jpg

   At the urging of another source I have rubbed in some baking soda paste, some lemon juice, and some vinegar on another scrap piece to see if there is a change.

   Alan

1. 
   Lazarus | May 20, 2004 04:15pm | #10

   Thanks for the clarification. I, myself, have never worked with the stuff so am completely ignorant of the species.Lazarus"Wisdom is the toughest of teachers! She gives the test first and the lesson after."

4. 
   Splintie | May 20, 2004 05:36am | #8

   It's unclear from your post if you made all parts from one board, or from more than one. In my experience--a couple thousand BF of the stuff--either you get the color (usual) or occasionally, PH lumber stays dull, but it's consistent within the board. The color will change in a matter of hours exposed to light/air; 2.5 months is way past time for the color to change. 

   PH sapwood is light to medium grayish, oftimes with black streaking, so it's not sapwood. It just appears you got some of the disappointing PH.

   Even the stuff that turns purple can not match very well. PH can have quite a range of color from that with blue tones to almost neon fuschia. The grain patterns can also vary considerably, from nondescript to butterfly fleck.

   PH burns just fine.

1. 
   jonsherryl | May 20, 2004 03:32pm | #9

   Splintie, purpleheart can be a tricky wood to buy. There are about 20 species in the purpleheart genus; Peltogyne, and they range all over Latin America from Mexico to Argentina...So, differences among the species and also growing conditions make this wood extremely variable.

   The fact that the pigments in the wood aren't very stable adds to the problem. Even when the color of the stock you buy appears to match from board to board, it doesn't mean it will stay that way as the wood develops its long term patina. It pays to look closely at the figure in each board. The pore flecks in purpleheart tend to be clogged with gum and the color of the gum isn't consistent from species to species. In the nicer purplehearts (like nazareno, from Panama and pau roxo, from Brazil), it tends to be almost black, while in others it is almost chalk white. As the wood develops its patina and darkens, these gums stay pretty much the same color...so, those with the lighter colored gum deposits tend to remain sort of a light magenta in overall appearance.

1. 
   Splintie | May 21, 2004 12:45am | #11

   Customers really hate the chalky-colored deposits, but in my experience, it's been in the darker PH, not the lighter stuff i've used.  Even in my relatively small orders of 300 BF of PH at a time, i get quite a variety of 'looks' such that i sort/group similar boards after their rough planing to 7/8" H&M.

   Twice i've received rather dark PH with pronounced pitch/sap streams that dissolved a lacquer topcoat when they kept oozing. Does that stuff come from any specific location, or is it just defect the [former] supplier tried to pass on? Or a discrete species? I ended up microwaving about 100 BF in my kitchen, which made the whole house smell rather earthy by the time i perfected my technique.

1. 
   jonsherryl | May 21, 2004 01:14am | #12

   Can't help you on the "sap streams". I haven't seen any technical info tying this characteristic to any particular species. I know from personal experience that the nicest of the purplehearts are Brazil's pau roxo and nazareno (Peltogyne purpurea), which comes from the Darien region of Panama. Both have the darker gum deposits and good color. When I can find it, my favorite is nazareno. It has exceptionally vivid color...Unfortunately, the purplehearts tend to get commingled in the trade and it's a crapshoot buying the stuff. It's one of the woods I won't buy sight unseen. For finer work, you pretty much have to select it a board at a time...But DO pay special attention to the color of the gum flecks, because as the wood develops its long term patina they contribute mightily to the overall appearance.

1. 
   Splintie | May 21, 2004 08:33am | #13

   Thanks for checking, Jon.

   The second time i got the pitchy stuff, i called the company, which tried to tell me if they get bad wood, that's what they send out. I said, in that case, i'd return it. They then told me to keep it bec no one else would buy it, and took the PH off the bill. Hmmm!