Purple Hart turning brown

[bruce119]

I thought I heard this about purple hart turns purple with time. So I would like to hear it again. What is every one experiences with purple hart.

I got this purple hart here and the blanks look great nice bright purple and it'd got white lines in the grain. So when I turn it the purple is only on the surface the underneath is a plain light brown not a hint of purple. Also those white lines in the grain go deep see in the photo the white line on the bottom and again in the top of the deep cut. What the deal with the color and the white lines in the grain.



Thanks
Bruce

 

[Wheaties]

Yep, give it time. I believe you can "bake" it to bring out the colors as well. Not sure on temp and how long though.

 

[DurocShark]

Yup. There seem to be two flavors of PH. One looks really purple, turns blech when turned, then becomes purple again with exposure. The other looks blech until it's turned, then it looks purprle, and it turns blech with exposure.

You have the good kind.


OH CRAP! This is my 666 post! :scared:


No way will I ever post again!!! I'm gonna just reg a new account. Bwahahahaha!!!

 

[THarvey]

Heat helps. I use friction polish with a cloth to build up enough to burnish the surface.

Then a little acetone to cut the friction polish before CA finish.

Someone told me that flaming (not burning) the wood with a match or torch will bring the purple to the surface. I have not tried that yet.

 

[alphageek]

I just put it in the sun for a bit... Turn over a couple of times. The UV/heat of the sun purples it right up for me even after all finished.

 

[Rollerbob]

Yup. There seem to be two flavors of PH. One looks really purple, turns blech when turned, then becomes purple again with exposure. The other looks blech until it's turned, then it looks purprle, and it turns blech with exposure.

You have the good kind.


OH CRAP! This is my 666 post! :scared:

Quick make another post!! I hate that beast!!!:at-wits-end:

 

[philb]

Leave it in the sun for a couple of days, just turn it over a few times, will soon purple back up! I leave mine in the back of the car on the parcel-shelf!

Phil

 

[bruce119]

Leave it in the sun for a couple of days, just turn it over a few times, will soon purple back up! I leave mine in the back of the car on the parcel-shelf!

Phil

Darn I hoping to give as a gift in a day or 2.

I guess it mite be better to let the color come back before finishing. I don't know if I can wait that long. I am not that patent.

 

[philb]

Even a couple of hours will see it colour up, especially if its really sunny. Also if you burnish the wood on the lathe it will also bring out some colour, just not too much to burn!

 

[workinforwood]

It'll probably still purple out after it has a finish on it, unless you use a UV protectant finish.

 

[jkeithrussell]

I use purpleheart for pens all the time. Even with a CA finish, it will turn back to purple in a short period of time. I don't recommend leaving it in a car or baking it in an oven, just expose it to sunlight indoors to speed up the process.

 

[woodchip]

I agree with the others. Sunlight is the way to go.

 

[ldb2000]

Just put the turned blank under a CF light overnight and it will be as purple as it was before you turned it . From what I have read it is a chemical in the wood reacting with UV light . A word of warning , it will turn from a bright purple to a darker purple/brown over time .

 

[the_benz]

Bake it in the oven

I make chess sets out of purple heart and maple. I put the purple heart in the oven at about 175 degrees until it pops deep purple. Just don't burn it. So watch it. Whn it is as deep as you want, cool it off.

 

[bruce119]

Boy thanks for all the tips. That is what is great about this place. I did some test tried the oven at about 200 for an hour no change But at the same time put the turned piece out in the sun now that is the late afternoon sun for about 2 hours I can't believe my eyes it changed back to the bight purple it once was.

So my conclusion it is most defiantly the UV sun that changed it back amazingly fast.

Thanks everyone now I wounder how long it will keep it's color.


Bruce

 

[TBone]

I use sunlight also. Gets it really purple. I have a purpleheart pen that's been purple for about 2 years with now sign of turning brown. It has a lacquer finish.

 

[pipecrafter]

I made a Sierra with purpleheart the other day. The barrel is split almost exactly in half between brown sapwood and purple heartwood. When it was all finished and assembled it was all brown, but I left it on my desk in the sun and the purple half went almost immediately back to a bright, striking purple.