Thread: Purple Heart

Purpleheart is brown when you work/turn it. You then need sunlight to make it turn purple. Unfortunately though, it returns to brown in time, if left exposed to sunlight.

Also, some purpleheart turns a brighter purple if heated whilst working it (i.e. get it hot sanding or burnishing), but others are the complete opposite (i.e. don't get it hot). Weird I know, but unfortunately only one way to find out, turn it but keep it cool. Place it in the sun and if it doesn't turn a nice bright purple, work it again getting it hot, then place in the sun.

When you finish the pen, after you have it purple, best to finish with UV resistant lacquer or similar

I've had similar experiences to Neil, there is quite a variation in how the various species of "purple heart" react. I have some that is very hard and brittle but seems to hold it purple colour very well. Not sure if its the sunlight or oxidizing that causes the colour change.

Just had a beautyfully purple board turn brown when sanding before mounting it on a kitchen cabinet.
Tried tung oil on one end that will be cut off, and it sure didn't change it back.
Will be interesting to see what happens if I leave it out where the sun can get at it for a couple of days.

Matt, I've never struck that issue . . . yet.

Here's a Sierra I turned last Sunday out of scrap.

PurpleHeart Sierra.jpg

Yeah - it comes off the tools an off brownish color... After a few days out and about - it purples up quite nicely... Then put the finish on.. Putting the finish on immediately can cause it to not turn purple for a long time depending on the finish of course....

Only took a night and a morning in the open air, on an overcast day and it's turned a beautiful purple again. So, apparently
not the sunlight in my case but the exposure to air (and possibly cooling off after the sanding).

-P.

I have cut purple heart into smaller sizes and deliberately stacked it with slight overhangs so that part of a board is partially exposed. The exposed section turns purple relatively quickly (within a day or so) however the unexposed sections remain brown and slowly change to purple over a week or so.