how to finish purpleheart and retain the purple

[Kyle Stiefel]

Hello,

I have searched through and have found many contrasting opinions on the finishing of purpleheart. I am making a table which I will wrap in purpleheart and my goal is to keep the purpleheart just that, purple.

I have read, heard, seal or no seal, don't put in UV light, don't sand beyond this grit, etc. So I am confused:confused:


Please all you experts let me know your secrets and what you think.

Thanks,
Kyle

[Steve Schoene]

One reliable way, and perhaps the only sure way, is to stain the purple heart with the appropriate pigmented stain, making sure that the pigment(s) used is/are lightfast.

[Kyle Stiefel]

One reliable way, and perhaps the only sure way, is to stain the purple heart with the appropriate pigmented stain, making sure that the pigment(s) used is/are lightfast.

Steve,
That is an approach I hadn't considered. I think I would run into trouble keeping the pigment off the adjacent wood (the central portion of the table). Does "lightfast" just mean that it will inhibit UV absorption or something similar to that?

[Steve Schoene]

No it just means that some pigments fade or change color in light over time and others don't. Usually places where the pigments are sold can provide the information. For example, check out Kremner Pigments, a German company with a store in Greenwich Village that sells more pigments and other finishing materials than I would have thought possible.

To keep the pigment where it belongs I would carefully mask the rest with a sealer such as shellac. If I were doing from the beginning I would stain the purple heart before assembly.

ps. you would have to seal off the other wood anyway since it may be hard to prevent sanding dust from the purple heart from polluting the contrasting wood.

[nic obie]

ps. you would have to seal off the other wood anyway since it may be hard to prevent sanding dust from the purple heart from polluting the contrasting wood.


I found that out the hard way :o