Quick purpleheart question

[Victor Robinson]

I'm finishing up some boxes and cutting boards for Christmas. One of my endgrain boards contains some purpleheart, and I've never worked with PH before.

The newly exposed endgrain is brown. I know it is supposed to oxidize and turn purple over time, but I don't have time to place the board in the sun (and the sun isn't due to be out here in the next week anyways!). I'm assuming I need to get it purple before the finish (salad bowl finish) goes on, or will it continue to oxidize under the finish? I've heard of putting PH in the oven...anyone know the trick?

[Eiji Fuller]

Victor,

Purpleheart is purple when milled and oxidizes to a dark redbrown/ merlot color. I would just go ahead and use it. Trying to keep it purple is like trying to keep Paduak red. It's just not gonna happen.

[David Hawxhurst]

purpleheart appears brown when i mill it then turns back to purple. it will oxidize to a brown color if exposed to sunlight, this takes a time depending on exposures to sunlight. the more direct light the sooner it will turn brown. it usually only takes a day or three to turn purple again (varies from piece to piece). i have not tried applying finish will it is brown to see how long it takes to turn back to purple.

[keith micinski]

Go ahead and put the Salad bowl finish on it. No matter what you do for some reason the salad bowl finish makes the purple heart more brown then purple no matter what state it is in to start with. This is why I started using Walnut instead of purple heart because the difference between the two once finished is very subtle.

[Rob Sack]

If you are using an oil finish, the purple heart will turn brown. It also can turn brown immediatey after milling, but the color will soon return. I do have one cabinet I made almost 20 years ago using purpleheart. It was finished with solvent based conversion varnish and is as purple today as the day it was finished. I have a bathroom vanity out of solid purpleheart finished with solvent based vinyl sealer, followed by water based "lacquer." It's been around 5 years and the color is holding.

[Chris Fournier]

If you are using an oil finish, the purple heart will turn brown. It also can turn brown immediatey after milling, but the color will soon return. I do have one cabinet I made almost 20 years ago using purpleheart. It was finished with solvent based conversion varnish and is as purple today as the day it was finished. I have a bathroom vanity out of solid purpleheart finished with solvent based vinyl sealer, followed by water based "lacquer." It's been around 5 years and the color is holding.

Now that's very interesting! I've never been able to keep purpleheart purple, even under vinyl sealer and NC lacquer. I'll try the conversion varnish tip the next time I'm spraying it.

[Tony Bilello]

Everyone's experiences seem to differ so I'll throw mine in also.
Milling has always been what has turned PH into the purple that I want and age has made it brown. I have used only a lacquer finish or a vinly sealer/pre cat laq finish and never noticed the lacquer finish turning the PH brown - only age has done that for me. The brightest purple I have ever seen is when freshly milled or sanded. The finish (in my case - lacquer) usually enhances the color with very little actual color change. When people ask how to get purpleheart or padouk furniture back to its original color again, I tell them they have to sand a very thin layer of wood from the surface. This would be the layer that has been oxydized.
The only way that I can see milling turning the PH brown is that you used a lesser grade PH. Some parts of the tree actually are brown and will never turn purple. You may have just cut into the brown layer.

[Victor Robinson]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's interesting how there is a range of experiences here. I bought purpleheart that is blazing purple, and all the freshly milled surfaces I cut yesterday are brown.

Good to know it's supposed to turn back to purple, at least for some time...

[Dan Karachio]

Sounds like what we need is a wood called Brown Heart that turns purple.

[Bobby Nicks]

I've never a problem with Purple Heart turning brown or any other color. My use of it has been small, making picture frames and trim.

I made a frame from Purple Heart for my son's college diploma because his school colors were purple and gold. I finished it with Water Lox and it is still the same purple color it was the day I made it. He finished college when he was 22 and he is 39 now.

Bob

[keith micinski]

Unless you got a weird piece, Purpleheart absolutely turns brown when milled and will come back purple once light gets on it for a few days. It doesn't even need to be the sun, the fluorescent lights in my shop turn it back purple in a few days.