One for my daughter...

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Warren White

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Messages
497
Location
Livermore, CA
...who wanted a pen made with Purple Heart.

I had resisted, because I have seen Purple Heart turn grey and I just didn't want to have that happen. But, because she is my daughter, I relented and prepped a Slimline out of some Purple Heart I bought at a local Hardwood store.

Started to turn, and despite my taking it easy, a huge piece chipped off; big enough that the pen could not be finished. Prepped another pen, and decided to try to stabilize it with thin CA. That seemed to work, until a piece chipped off (and hit me in the eye, so I re-learned not to turn without a face shield....I know, I am a slow learner), but this time not a big enough piece to ruin it. Patience, slow, thin CA, and everything worked out. This particular piece of wood seems really prone to chipping.

The pen turned out just fine, and we drove down to Southern California and delivered it. She loved it, so all is good.
 

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Charlie_W

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Nov 16, 2011
Messages
5,918
Location
Sterling, VA USA
Looks like you overcame your obstacles and ended up with a super pen!
I am sure you made your daughter's day!

Glad you are still sighted. Protection first! Eyes, lungs and ears.
 

Bikerdad

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
237
Location
Utah Valley
Warn her that over the years, it will first turn even purpler, and then it will go to brown. This process does take quite a while, but it will happen. Unfinished, it will be more grayish, but for whatever reason the finish keeps that aspect from happening. I have an unfinished purpleheart Slimline that I made about 7 years ago sitting two feet from me, it's a gray/brown/purplish color, hard to describe. I transported my daughter's blanket chest that I made almost 15 years ago up to her over Christmas, it's purpleheart and maple, the purplehear is somewhere between purple and brown now, with the brown clearly winning.
 

Joey-Nieves

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
362
Location
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
Beautiful pen!
Purple heart or Nazareno as we call it in Puerto Rico is a wood that is sensitive to UV. I make the all the time, I bring out the color with a heat gun or with friction with steel wool or my blow torch when I'm in a no nonsense mode. To preserve the color and keep it from changing I encase it in CA.
If you want to see something interesting turn it against the grain.

Joey
 
Last edited:

mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
12,720
Location
Medina, Ohio
Warren, make sure she knows the story!

Including what we all (and I agree) will happen to the color - not bad, just not as expected (for others).

She will appreciate it in the future!

Nice pen. :)
 
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