The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource

Lee Bihm

Active Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 204

Denham Springs
Louisiana
USA
Gender: male

Jet1221VS

Turning Purpleheart
Jul 11^th, 2021 at 1:09pm

I got in some Purpleheart blanks the other day and was all ready to turn my first purple bowl.
I found it strange that as I turned the bowl, it was more of a brown color.
I did a little homework and found out that that it does have a brownish color when cut. But I’ve seen where people have turned it and it still had the purple color.
There’s one video where a guy said by putting it in the oven at 350 for a couple of hours will cause the oil in the wood to bring out the purple color.
I would like a little advice from those who have turned Purpleheart and how to get it to stay purple.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Jul 11^th, 2021 at 1:11pm by Lee Bihm »

IP Logged

chris lawrence Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 380 JACKSON New Jersey USA	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #1 - Jul 11^th, 2021 at 1:39pm Put it in the sun uv light will bring the purple back out but be aware that continued uv exposure will turn it from purple back to brown eventually.
Back to top	Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or IP Logged

Daniel Hayes Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 170 Conroe Texas USA Gender: Laguna Revo 1836	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #2 - Jul 11^th, 2021 at 2:10pm Here is the last purple heart I made. The blank was about four years old. Finished in walnut oil. It's only about two months since turning. No fading yet. I have heard you can use sun screen to retard the fading.
Back to top	« Last Edit: Jul 11^th, 2021 at 2:11pm by Daniel Hayes » IP Logged

robo_hippy WR Addict Offline Posts: 3,638 Eugene, OR USA	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #3 - Jul 12^th, 2021 at 9:52am I would not do the oven trick. 350, in my opinion, would be a very high risk thing for getting cracks. Nice wood, hard, and I have heard of people using marine type finishes which have UV blockers in them. robo hippy
Back to top	IP Logged

Paul Haus Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 140 Minneapolis Minnesota USA Gender: Jet 1642 extended to 60 inches	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #4 - Jul 12^th, 2021 at 10:47am When my Dad was still alive he picked up some Purpleheart. Turned out he was allergic to the dust so at the first sign of issues, abort the turning.
Back to top	IP Logged

Ralph Fahringer WR Addict Offline I'm the "Burly" Man!! Posts: 1,629 Ellsworth Maine USA Gender: PM3520b	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #5 - Jul 12^th, 2021 at 1:21pm I had a major reaction to Cocobolo. Nothing with Purple Heart. Some people react to Walnut, while I can do a deep inhale of the wood and nothing, just the shear enjoyment of smelling my favorite wood.
Back to top	Originality is the art of concealing your source. IP Logged

Lee Bihm

Active Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 204

Denham Springs
Louisiana
USA
Gender: male

Jet1221VS

Re: Turning Purpleheart
Reply #6 - Jul 12^th, 2021 at 4:44pm

Ralph Fahringer wrote on Jul 12^th, 2021 at 1:21pm:

I had a major reaction to Cocobolo. Nothing with Purple Heart.

Some people react to Walnut, while I can do a deep inhale of the wood and nothing, just the shear enjoyment of smelling my favorite wood. Smiley

I just turned a 10x4 blank of Camphor. The smell of Vicks vapor rub Was almost overpowering Cheesy

but other then that, I haven’t had a problems with species of wood.
I’m not going to try and bake the Purpleheart, would most likely set it on fire. Undecided

Here’s the Camphor bowl.

Back to top

IP Logged

robo_hippy

WR Addict

Offline

Posts: 3,638

Eugene, OR
USA

Re: Turning Purpleheart
Reply #7 - Jul 13^th, 2021 at 10:24am

Well, I don't take any walnut any more as it makes me sneezy and itchy. Same with the Mimosa/Silk tree. No other woods bother me, yet. With anything in the rosewood family, which includes cocobolo, it is when, not if, you will react to it. I don't remember any particular smell to the purple heart, but a rule I have used is 'the stronger it smells, the worse it is for you'. Lacewood/silky oak is another one of those woods that can bother people. Always be careful with any wood you haven't tried before. Oh, I did have a friend who couldn't use green black locust, but dry black locust didn't bother him....

Very nice job on that camphor bowl.

robo hippy

Back to top

IP Logged

David Moeller

Senior Member

Offline

Old chiseler

Posts: 314

Linden
Michigan
USA
Gender: male

LAGUNA REVO 15X24
CONOVER 15 x Infinity
Long gone: Shopsmith, Myford ML8, Homebuilt bowl lathe, NOVA benchtop, Delta 46-715 and a Unimat.

Re: Turning Purpleheart
Reply #8 - Jul 13^th, 2021 at 11:56am

When I could I would buy a 'special' turning blank and put it on the shelf. Yellow heart, redheart, lacewood, zebra, domestics,etc. To celebrate getting a new lathe I replaced most of my chisel handles with these. ITCH! BURN! The only exotic I can turn now are Zebra and Tulipwood. (Excluding the domestics), I have no idea which piece/s were the problem. I gave all the remainder away.

Back to top

Everyone has 1 redeeming feature: they're biodegradable

IP Logged

Jim Selby Junior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 28 jacksonville Florida USA excelsior mini, colt sp350	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #9 - Jul 13^th, 2021 at 1:39pm I have had a reaction from a couple of woods, I turner a pen from lace wood and was fine the next day but by the second day face around eyes swelled up and wound up going to dr. She gave me two medications for it.
Back to top	IP Logged

Don Stephan WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 2,659 Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio USA Gender:	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #10 - Jul 13^th, 2021 at 7:06pm Appendix I of Living With Wood by Dr Seri Robinson suggests purpleheart dust can cause a cough, and "tested wood has been found to contain an allergen."
Back to top	IP Logged

robo_hippy WR Addict Offline Posts: 3,638 Eugene, OR USA	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #11 - Jul 14^th, 2021 at 10:24am Since I turn green wood almost exclusively, I don't worry about dust when I turn. However, any time I am turning dry wood, I get almost all of it at the source, as in heavy duty dust collector, and all sorts of sanding hoods. robo hippy
Back to top	IP Logged

Ed Weber WR Administrator WR Patron Offline Posts: 8,939 Wilton California USA Gender: JET 1642 Grizzly G0584	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #12 - Jul 14^th, 2021 at 10:32am I don't want to hijack the OP's thread but it sounds like many here have wood they can't/won't use. Maybe it's time for a toxic wood swap
Back to top	IP Logged

robo_hippy WR Addict Offline Posts: 3,638 Eugene, OR USA	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #13 - Jul 15^th, 2021 at 10:35am I have one friend who won't even walk into a place that has cocobolo.... robo hippy
Back to top	IP Logged

Glenn Jacobs WR Addict Offline JC L&S Posts: 2,077 North DFW, Texas Texas USA Gender: Powermatic 3520C	Re: Turning Purpleheart Reply #14 - Jul 18^th, 2021 at 4:07pm I know of knife makers that went to the hospital due to Cocobolo. It is listed as a cousin to poison ivy. Burned their lungs. Glenn J. PS: I won't allow any wood form South America in my shop. They have nasty stuff down there.
Back to top	Woodworking all my life. Turning since ~93 IP Logged