Thread: Purpleheart?

From what I know, it depends on the species. In general heat makes it go darker brown and sunlight makes it go darker purple. Both are one-way processes.

If it's light brown, leave it in a sunny spot for 2-3 days, rotating it every so often and it should go more purple.

Cheers,
Dave

THe purpleheart I've worked with is brown on freshly cut or sanded surfaces, turns purple after some exposure to air and brown again with exposure to sunlight.

ron

Thanks for the replies. The purple heart that I have was purple when I started on it and became brown with the belt sander when I was shaping it. I think that I had a dull belt on it and it probably generated heat.
I am in the process of trying sunlight to bring back the purple. I had it with me at work yesterday. I put it in a clear plastic bag and had it out in the sunlight all day. II will give it a couple of treatments and see what happens. I also injected some oxygen in to the baggie to see if that did anything. I did that because the information I found on the Internet mentioned both UV and oxidizers were the cause of the color change.
I also read that a diluted muriatic acid solution could work, but I have not felt that brave. Has anybody tried that?
Thanks again for the help.
Regards,
Fred

I gave up on the scales changing color. I had it in a baggie with oxygen and left it in the sun for several days without any change.
Next time I wont let it get so hot and perhaps that will work.
Thanks for the help.
Fred