Purpleheart question

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Firefyter-emt

Firefyter-emt

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Putnam, Connecticut, USA.
OK, I got a good deal on a bunch of purpleheart (say enough for about 250 blanks) How long does it need to sit once the pen is turned before the deep color comes back? Any tips on how to store it untill then? I am not a fan of the light browinish pink..

Here is my "haul" Cost me a slimline pen & pencil set.. :D
purpleheart-lot.jpg
 
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If you type purpleheart in the search box you'll see a lot of various references to it. I'm not sure how to link to another post, however if you copy and paste this will get you there. Good Luck



http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12938&SearchTerms=purpleheart
 
Good haul!

I've read references about using various acid to enduce the purple color but never tried it myself. Search as Rico suggested and you will find a days worth of reading about this topic.
 
I always put Purpleheart blanks out on my back patio for a couple of days in the sun before one last light sanding with fine MM and finishing. It will darken and turn purpler and sometime raise a little grain. I turned my first Purpleheart pen only 4 months ago, so I don't know about fading.

JimQ
 
i have turned a few purpleheart pens.
what i did was put them on a shoelace and hung them on my rearview mirror in my car on a hot summer day.
i hung them there when i went into work and they were a nice deep purple when i came out to go home.
at least this is what worked for me.
 
What about the cautions about leaving a pen in you car?? I thought the wood would crack if left in the sun too much? Granted, not a big deal at this point, but all the same? I have it hanging on the track of my garage door so that it's in the light from the window so we shall see how it works out.
 
i use a small propane torch to turn the purpleheart a nice deep purple.
i turn the lathe by hand while propane torch flame is on the purpleheart. just be carefull how much heat you give the wood cause it will crack in a hurry.
 
eeek i wouldnt trust myself to darken purpleheart unnaturally (dunno if thats a word). i have a similar question about cherry. cant cherry get to be like the color of ebony with a riddish tint? also does anyone know how long this takes if u do it in the sun and is there any other way to speed the process other than possibly burning the wood?

sorry i didnt know if i shoullda started a new topic

o BTW do u only turn because u could make a spectacular piece of furniture out of that wood. i would keep the large pieces of wood large at the size they are and just make pen blanks as u need them like 5 at a time.

also u r very lucky! i wish i were u! man the person who sold u that wood must have had a skew lodged in his brain
 
Jeff is in Canada. It almost gets warm up there in the summer. [:D] I don't dare leave them hanging in the car even for an hour or 2. It was over 150 in my car this afternoon. And it had only been locked up for about 2 hours.

JimQ
 
Something I have done is to use steel wool while the pen is on the lathe. You can build up alot of heat by pressing firmly which can give a nice deep color. You can also vary the color this way to create some neat effects. Be careful though, the steel wool gets HOT!!
 
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