Purpleheart question

[Jason Morgan]

Im making some cutting/serving boards as gifts for Christmas and put in some purpleheart "pin stripes" (thanks to all of those who have posted their boards so that I had something to copy). Anyway, the purpleheart was very purple until I planed it and then it turned almost brownish. Will it "purple up" or did will it stay brown?

Thanks

[Hans Braul]

Purple heart tends to go brown with exposure to air and UV, unfortunately. It does look fabulous when freshly cut though, doesn't it? I have a picture frame I made about 5 years ago and it still looks good but much less purple than when it was made.

Regards
Hans

[Jason Hallowell]

Purple heart tends to go brown with exposure to air and UV, unfortunately. It does look fabulous when freshly cut though, doesn't it? I have a picture frame I made about 5 years ago and it still looks good but much less purple than when it was made.

Regards
Hans

Purpleheart is very uv sensitive, but in the opposite way from most woods. It is actually a lack of uv exposure that turns it brown. If you set it out in direct sunlight for a few hours, the color will turn rich and bright again. It will also brighten up if a lot of heat is applied to it. If purpleheart is finished with a uv protectant type finish, or if it is not exposed to enough uv rays, it will eventually turn to a brown.

[Jim King]

Purpleheart when fresh cut from the log is a nasty dirty looking grayish brown. When exposed to sunlight it turns purple. Over a couple of years it will turn darker to almost black. You can resand it and have purple again. Also wiping with vinegar can bring back the purple if there is no finish but test it on the backside first as sometimes the vinegar will turn it cranberry red. The attached photo shows packages of purple heart a few days off the mill.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=39976&d=1149344533

[Daniel Simon]

I like to place my work near a bright window and wait a few days to make sure the color is stable, and the way you like it. Make sure to test a variety of finishes on some scraps because you will see completely different colors with different top coats. Personally, I like to leave it natural with just a little wax.

[Jason Morgan]

Thanks for the info guys. I did notice that the "face up" side looked really bright and purple while the "face down" side looked much browner. I work in my basement (not a lot of UV) so Ill give them some rays and see how they turn out. Finish will be mineral oil and some wax so Im not too worried about lack of UV exposure.

Thanks again

[Robert Mayer]

This was a solid figured purpleheart coffee table i did a few months ago. As you can see it was very purple when finished. Its not exposed to direct sunlight, but lately it has been browning just slightly.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-6/1193758/Picture0011.jpg