woods of unique colors

[Adam Herd]

What are the names of some woods that have a solid color? For instance the only one I know of is purple heart which is purple. I'm pretty sure I watched a youtube video and a guy talked about a wood that is yellow but I cannot remember the name. I am just curious if there are any other cool exotic woods like purple heart just in different colors. Is there a red or an orange one? Of course there is red oak but read oak is not as red as purple heart is purple. Just curious what is out there. Thanks!

[Steve Demuth]

Start here: http://www.wood-database.com/

[Matt Day]

Padauk is red.

Here’s a pretty good and easy to see website with others. Looks like Pau Amarillo is yellow.

http://piecesofwood.com/woods.html

[John K Jordan]

What are the names of some woods that have a solid color? For instance the only one I know of is purple heart which is purple. I'm pretty sure I watched a youtube video and a guy talked about a wood that is yellow but I cannot remember the name. I am just curious if there are any other cool exotic woods like purple heart just in different colors. Is there a red or an orange one? Of course there is red oak but read oak is not as red as purple heart is purple. Just curious what is out there. Thanks!

Good question! Red heart, bloodwood, padauk, yellow heart, osage orange, pink ivory, gaboon ebony, there are zillions.

But note that almost none of the woods will stay keep their colors. For example, osage is bright yellow when cut but gradually darkens to brownish orange then brown. Most purpleheart will turn brown eventually. How quick some of these change color depends on the wood, the finish, and the light. Note also that different specimens from even the same species might behave differently. I've had some purpleheart keep it's color and change to a beautiful deeper purple unlike other pieces. For example, purple heart from certain areas in Mexico is far better than that from much of south america. (BTW, purple heart in general is considered way over rated by many - a fellow I knew in Peru laughed at the interest in the US - he said in his area it is used for floor joists.)

This is a GREAT article about color: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/preventing-color-changes-in-exotic-woods/
The bottom line is to keep the color, dye the wood.

If you want to see some variety in the colors of different woods, try scrolling down this page and clicking on a wood with interesting color: http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

My good friend Frank Penta probably makes more use of colored woods than many. Some of his laminated turnings will show some examples (multiple pages for each category): http://www.frankpenta.com/index.php/gallery/category/34-franks
If you have specific questions about colored woods you might contact him by email. Frank is always ready to help.

JKJ

[Mark Mallia]

Bloodwood, unlike Padauk, will keep it's beautiful red color. Canary provides a more stable yellow than Osage orange. The blue in Buckeye Burl is fairly stable, but is not what you could call a solid color. Imbuia is sometimes beautiful dark green but will darken with age, not as bad as padauk and purpleheart though. Not sure about pink ivory, don't use it much, too expensive.

There are lots other colors , my "palette" is currently 36 woods, but they are mostly shades of red and brown, all the way from white(hard maple) to black (gaboon ebony).

[Bill Dufour]

Redwood heartwood is red. it weathers to gray. inside it ages to reddish brown. How about black walnut?
Bill D.