What is Purple Heart wood?

DESCRIPTION. Purpleheart heartwood is a deep purple-violet when freshly cut, maturing to a dark brown. The original color is restored when re-cut. Grain is straight, but often irregular, wavy and sometimes interlocked. Texture is moderate to fine.

What is purple Heart wood commonly used for?

Purpleheart is prized for use in fine inlay work especially on musical instruments, guitar fret boards (although rarely), woodturning, cabinetry, flooring, and furniture. It is also used in many hobby woodworking projects, such as bottle stoppers, pens, bowls, knife scales and jewelry boxes.

Is purple Heart A good wood?

Purpleheart is an incredibly strong and durable type of wood, originating from the Peltogyne genus of 23 species of large trees that can be found growing natively on the territory between Mexico and Brazil. It is best known for its amazing grain pattern and a unique color that can rarely be found in other wood types.

Why is purple heart wood so expensive?

Purple Heart wood, otherwise known as Amaranth, extensively grows in some parts of Central America. It is somehow rare, very durable, and resists both decay and most insect attacks, which is partly the reason why it is expensive. It is also water-resistant which is why it is often used on boat deckings and flooring.

Does purple Heart wood stay purple?

After just a few short days of exposure to air and light, the color change is abrupt. A Purple Heart project exposed to air and light will darken to a dark brown over time if kept indoors. An exterior Purple Heart project will age to a silver color, just like most other woods exposed to the outdoor elements.

Purple Heart Wood Projects and Finishing Tips

Is purple Heart wood a hardwood?

More Info: Purpleheart is one of the most durable and stable species of hardwood available. Although striking in color, Purpleheart can be stained to appear more red-brown and less purple-pink. Fantastic for interior flooring, exterior decking and industrial uses.

Is purple Heart wood brittle?

General Workability: Purpleheart is very hard, has a moderate blunting effect on cutters, and can be problematic to glue due to natural oils present in the wood. Purpleheart is a bit brittle and can split or crack if not pre-drilled when nailing or screwing.

How toxic is purple Heart?

It is also widely commercialized as a houseplant. Like other species of the Tradescantia genus, purple heart is toxic to humans1 and toxic to pets2, causing contact dermatitis.

Where do you find purple heart trees?

Purpleheart trees range from Southeastern Brazil to Costa Rica and even to Trinidad, but most species grow in the Amazon basin. Hence, these trees are colloquially known by quite a few names, depending on the language.

Can purple heart wood be used for cutting boards?

Looking for a unique cutting board to class up your kitchen cooking? Then look no further. This board is made from the elegant purpleheart wood along with white hard maple. Finished with several coats of mineral oil and rewaxed with a beeswax/mineral oil mixture at time of shipment.

What is the hardest wood in the world?

1. Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF. An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.

What wood should not be used for cutting boards?

Avoid woods that are soft, porous, or toxic for cutting boards. Softwoods include balsa, cedar, juniper pine, redwood spruce, and Douglas fir. Porous wood includes mahogany, black walnut, butternut, oak, and ash. Toxic wood includes pine, birch, western red cedar, American mahogany, and rosewoods.

Is Heart wood hard or soft?

(c) It is dark in colour but is very soft. (d) It has tracheary elements which are filled with tannins, resins, etc.

How do I make my purple Heart more purple?

Is Purple Heart exotic?

Purpleheart is an exotic wood with mechanical properties of the wood are reported to lie somewhere between those of Greenheart and Oak. It is reported to have exceptional tolerance for shock loading. Purpleheart is reported to be highly desired by hobbyists and craftsmen who use the hard heavy wood in small projects.

Is purple Heart wood dyed?

Yes, you too might be convinced that the wood called purple heart is dyed to get that vivid color. Or maybe that it's not a wood at all. It happens every day in our stores where we invariably get asked, “So, c'mon is that really the natural color?” Well, it most certainly is.

Is purple Heart hard to work with?

Workability: Working with purpleheart can present some unique challenges: if the wood is heated with dull tools, or if cutter speeds are too high, purpleheart will exude a gummy resin that can clog tools and complicate the machining process. Depending on the grain orientation, can be difficult to plane without tearout.

Is purple Heart wood good for turning?

We make sure we harvest the best Purpleheart that has nice purple color and avoid white silica marks. This extremely dense hardwood is great for turning and fine woodworking.

What is the rarest wood in the world?

Some woods are incredibly expensive, others unbelievably rare, but African Blackwood is a timber that satisfies both categories, renowned for its exotically dark finish, extraordinary properties and scarcity in the world.

Which is the most expensive wood in the world?

Topping the list of most expensive woods in the world is Bocote, a flowering plant from the borage family that is mostly found in Mexico, Central and South America. Initially a yellow/brown shade, this wood darkens over time.

What tree is worth the most money?

An African Black Ebony tree from Gabon could be worth a million dollars, if you can find one. Due to its high value many species of Black Ebony are now extinct or on the verge of extinction. The Paulownia may currently be the world's most valuable sustainably harvested hardwood tree.

Is Purple Heart wood toxic to dogs?

Questions often asked about purple wood include its toxicity and whether it is safe to use in some applications. However, it is not known to be dangerous, and although it might cause some reaction in a small percentage of people and animals, it is not poisonous.