Purple Heart or Purple Heart?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
See more from rd_ab_penman

rd_ab_penman

rd_ab_penman

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2007
Messages
1,654
Location
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
The first one is Streamline Chrome Flat Top with Purple Heart.

The second one is Streamline Gold Flat Top also with Purple Heart.

This is the first time I have used Purple heart and was amazed at the difference in color from the same piece of timber. Both were finished with 6 coats of Minwax Clear Gloss Polyurethane.

streamlineflattopchromeog2.jpg


streamlineflattopgoldaniq7.jpg
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Hey Les, there are about a dozen different trees in South and Central America that get called Purpleheart, some have more intense color than others and some seem to have more reaction to UV light than others (my personal experience).

Think of it like Maple. How many varieties of Maple are there?

Great looking pens by the way.
 
I have found that if you generate some heat on the wood you can actually bring more purple color out in it. i have used some plastic pads kinda like scratch pads and it worked really well.
When I first started turning I asked if it were possible they had dyed the wood, because before
I turned it, it looked a lot more purple. After turning it looked rather brown, kinda like the one pen you show. I got some rather heated replies from people who work at places like Woodcraft that there was no way it was dyed, so after that I started experimenting with it. the hotter the wood gets, the more the color comes out.
 
Last edited:
Before you apply your finish turn the blanks at a high RPM while burnishing them with a piece of paper bag, it builds up heat and brings out the purple color.
 
Les,

Great looking pens you have there, I like the center bands, a little different from what I have seen before.

yeah i have heard various ways to cure the purple, and am still curious which one works..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom