Ok, so I know this video is a year old and Ben likely won't see it, but HOLY S**T! I bought a 6"x1"x12" piece of purple heart from one of these exotic hardwood dealers because I thought it was the coolest thing ever (very new to wood and had no idea what is out there). Well it was a dusty brownish mauve, at best, barely considered purple-ish, but I thought I'd give it a try... and... To my shock and amazement, the wood came out the most beautiful royal purple, it's absolutely amazing, thanks BEN! I wish we could post pictures, I'm so grateful for this video.
Dude, I just want to say, "Thank you!" Your video was very informative, I followed your logic and the results turned out to be spectacular! I also threw in a piece of padauk just to see what would happen out of curiosity, and it just got darker if anyone was wondering. Was hoping to pull more red from the natural orange, but nah, just got darker and more brownish, but the purple heart is simply amazing. Will never not use this technique again. Thank you!
Years ago, I worked for a musical instrument maker that used Purpleheart , along with other exotic woods. The company would place the Purpleheart bodies in florescent booths for hrs. I don't remember the time frame, however this helped maintain the purple in the Purpleheart color. I never saw an instrument that had lost is color after being placed in a florescent booth, even yrs later.
Enjoyed your video. It explains why my drum sander turns the wood so dark. It heats up the wood and draws more oils out and the oil is what’s turning dark purple like a crayon.
From one of my earlier experiments baking a variety of different woods, I found that purpleheart took longer to cool than most of the other samples. I think part of the reason it burns so easily when routing or sanding is that the density and oil makes it retain heat.
While this method can be effective in restoring the color of wood, it is important to exercise caution as it may cause significant warping of the material.
Thank you for the quick response, this is my first time working with it, I wasn't sure how to proceed to put a finish on my project. Thanks again have a great day.
Excellent vid! My boy and I bought a short plank of purpleheart this afternoon and I plan to saw some of it into pen blanks. I was wondering about its "colour-fast-ness" and this vid really helped. I'll bake up a few pieces this evening and see how it goes. Thanks!
@@TheSnekkerShow YEA! my teacher in the robotics club I just joined told me about Purple heart wood yesterday and I've been doing some light research here on youtube. I'd be excited to see what lasts longest because I want to make a chess board by combining it with a different type of wood, also, might you have any woodworking projects for beginners, I've always found it pretty interesting and this seems like an interesting way to get into it I'd love to see the sequel to this when you make it, and thank you for making this video!
@@TheSnekkerShow Watching the video a bit more and the 350* piece for 90 minutes and 120 minues look like they might do well for the dark pieces, i'd have to see it for myself in person and I'd have to see how well it holds up too. Again, thank you for making this video, it has been be a great assistance to me so far.
@@TheSnekkerShow I won't be putting a chessboard into the dishwasher, so i don't think i'll need to worry about what happening to your spoon happening to my Chessboard in the future.
I'm curious as to how your better half responded to her favorite spoon being cut in half?? Actually, very interesting treatment heat treating purpleheart to maintaining color. Gonna try it.
Funny tonight was my first experience with purple heart. Like you said i cut into it and was disappointed. I red about putting it in the sun and I thought why not just hit it with a torch? Sure enough it turn deep dark purple.
Hey Ben, Great video here, I learned a lot of information. I am just curious here if you applied any finish to that spoon? I am curious if any finish is needed after baking, provided that there will be no contact with soaps, and mostly just hands (for example a tool handle or a guitar neck). Thanks!
RUclips hasn't been notifying me lately when there are comments. I finished the spoon with walnut oil, which has to be reapplied once in a while. Hands usually have a little natural grease or oil on them, so some kind of finish is recommended to protect the wood.
I like your roasted wood experiments! Purpleheart is well suited to video presentation, especially against a maple backdrop. Well shot! I imagine contractors field plenty of call backs on purpleheart projects due to oxidation-related color changes. Contractors...bookmark this video. Or better yet, show them this video before starting a purpleheart project! 😀
The Snekker Show Sounds good. That’s what they’re there for 👍 I actually had an idea for a wood experiment of my own a while back that I never did anything with - mostly because I’m lazy but also because I don’t really have the equipment. Do you take unsolicited episode ideas?
I am about to use purpleheart in a project and I was wondering about deepening and darkening the color. This is a fantastic experiment and I may use this for my project.
I have a pile of sawdust on my garage floor that says he's wrong about the default or inner, fresh-cut color of purpleheart, It's definitely purple. And it definitely oxidizes to grey/silver with time. Although pots that I turned 20 years ago, finished with shellac & wax and kept out of the sun, are still purple.
The oven is all well and good, but incredibly slow and, as other comments indicate, as likely to leech the oils out of the piece as deepen and distribute them. So allow me to posit the alternative that purist woodworkers are likely to find as offensive as professional chefs, but improves upon the process for all the same sciency reasons... ...microwave 30-60 second bursts, flipping the piece each time, and in 2-3 minutes (for 3/4" thick pieces), you have perfectly purple, evenly oil-distributed purpleheart
Cheers, worked like a charm. I sanded the wood beforehand and I feel like the baking made the woods texture more uniform, suppose it might've shrunk a bit too. Exposure to air seemed to be of no consequence, put the wood on parchment paper lined rack and the bottoms looked the same as the tops.
Unfortunately I found this video after glue up. So I put my picture frame in the dryer on a rack, since I wasn't sure how 300 degrees would affect glue. 1 1/2 hours made a big difference. Thank you!
Just saw your videos great information. I'm making a bandsaw box with purple heart and Ash, I like the idea of putting it in the oven for one hour, but I'm wondering if the Ash will burn or change ? Do you have any answers about that? Should I have put the purple heart in the oven before gluing the Ash in? Thanks for any info. Jimmy
Yes, the ash will turn a little browner. You can also expect some shrinkage and wood movement as it dries, so this is best done before gluing anything.
Ben I loved you video on backing the purple heart wood so I gave it a try. I’m kinda behind the eight ball on my project trying to get it finished. I used a cut off piece (4x5x1/2) at 350 for one hour. It came warped and twisted. I loved the color though and when I cut it the color went all the through. How would you prevent the warping, maybe raise the temperature from 250 to 350 in 30 minute ingredients. Just a thought. I will give it a try myself.
Great Video! I have custom made guitar with purpleheart fingerboard which matchs purple body finish so nicely, and I just love it. By the way, I think maybe you could just sand down the surface of your wife's spoon to reveal the inner color rather than cut it into two pieces :p
I did, and he's right, it goes all the way through. I'm using a toaster oven with a meat thermometer so my temp is probably off by a lot, I achieved similar results at about 300 for 30 minutes, but my pieces were much smaller, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Absolutely beautifully rich in color. I sanded them down afterwards and there was no color loss at all!
Where do you get your thicker purpleheart lumber? And what did you bake the wood at to make it purple? Also, what part of the lumber is the bark? I have 6’ of live edge purpleheart and want to do an epoxy resin board.
@@TheSnekkerShow sweet. Look forward to it. Your video did proved helpful and encouraging. Made a frame that became this unpleasant brown... Hit it in an oven BAM nice and purple.
Does thermally modified purple 💜 warp, twist or cup when heated for an hour at 350 degrees. Thanks for the best purple 💜 restoration video on youstubes. Appreciated.
In the same batch of boards, I've had some twist and others stay relatively flat. It usually helps to clamp or otherwise bind pieces together, and to warm up at a lower temperature first. instagram.com/p/B9pvPz3jlRE/
@@TheSnekkerShow Thank you. I'm actually cooking mine tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. I'm nervous. I spent a lot of money to frame out a large sized blanket chest with all purple 💜.
Great video~ I bought some purpleheart to make a keyboard suport pad.Your information is helpful ,but I only got the file knief and sand paper.Forget my poor english (from china.
I would have sanded before ruining a perfectly good spoon! Also have you tried soaking it in different oils also to see if it absorbs/help darken the color?
I thought about it, but I figured it would be more educational to see all the way to the center. I had to make my wife another purpleheart spoon later. I haven't tried many different oils, but that would make an interesting experiment. instagram.com/p/B6RZsZNgQvF/?igshid=15keqgz8ngk78
Here’s a crazy question for you. A wood like Purpleheart would be great for a workbench top for metalwork as it is so hard. What if we wanted to speed up the process off it going brown?
I've never tried that, but you could probably just stain it to hide the purple color. I'm not sure if it would be my first choice for a metalworking bench because it's prone to splintering. Beech or maple would probably work better if you have access to it.
Seems like very pretty and expensive wood for something like that. I agree that maple or something "would" be better. And it's already the right color.
Get a job at a pizza restaurant. Earn their trust. Stay late and use the oven to bake slabs. Then quit. Don't tell them it was my idea. I'll deny everything. I was going to build an outdoor wood oven using HVAC ducts, but haven't committed to it yet. Getting high enough temperatures and even heating would be challenging.
I am making a paper tray out of purpleheart - the whole thing would fit in the oven. I want to figure out when to bake it, after cutting to size, pre-gluing, or as final assembly? I'm a little worried about warping the wood. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Tough to say without seeing it. The wood will almost definitely warp during baking, and again as it gradually re-acclimates to room temperature and moisture content. Time will be your friend here. I would bake the wood first, let it sit for at least a week, then cut to size and glue everything together.
Hi friend, It is an interesting video. However if you could give me any ideas on vernishing process that could preserve the purple color for prolonged time. I am able to find some purple wood which could be selected for my furniture if you have some positive answers.
I don't think I've figured that out yet. I have tried a wide range of indoor and outdoor finishes, but it always seems to fade eventually. Oil-based finishes tend to work better than water-based ones, and thicker films seem to last longer than thin ones.
Great video! I'm making a purpleheart dining table. Large one that's made up of 5 boards glued together. Since I can't bake the table in an oven, I think heat gun will be best. However I'm worried about the heat undoing the wood glue! Does anyone know about this? Is it worth even trying carefully, or is too risky? I really want that nice deep violet color you've got here. One thing I read also suggested keeping it under a 100W lightbulb overnight.
A heat gun is likely to warp your boards since it will heat and dry only one side of the table top at a time. Also, it would take hours to heat everything consistently. I don't think a light bulb would do anything, since I've had pieces stored in a box that changed color just the same. Your best bet in this case is probably just time.
@@TheSnekkerShow wow thanks for getting back to me!! Really appreciate it. It would be devastating to ruin the table at this point, thanks for your input. I may try the light bulb since it wouldn’t harm anything.
My knife is done. I tried the acetone wash and that hasn't made it more purple. Do you think I can bake it with the knife done (rivets, blade and all)?
I also tried a test of lemon juice and both types of vinegar. No go. Hoping for some n ice sunny, hot days to really try the acetone. Guess I should have finished this in July! (From the PNW)
If your knife is made of anything other than 300 or 400 series surgical stainless steel, heating it in an oven will soften the metal and make it difficult to keep an edge. A surgical instrument repair technician once advised me to use only cold water for rinsing my razor. Once I started doing that, I got twice the life out of my blades.
Another weekend warrior woodworker told me to sand, wipe off with acetone, then set outside in direct sunlight for 3 hours. The repeat as necessary. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.... Anyone try this method? I can't wait to cook my purple 💜. Liked and subscribed. Appreciated 👍
I have a UV blocking film on my workshop window, and I've seen fresh-cut boards go from brown to purple in just a few hours. I should probably test this with matching boards.
It depends on which glue you're using, but Titebond is tested at around 400 if I'm not mistaken. The glue will survive, but since the pieces of wood will shrink and warp as they dry, it could pull the glue joints apart. I've been planning to do a video about this, but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet.
It might work, but it would be risky. Most PVA glue will survive 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but the wood might want to move and pull the joints apart while the glue is softened. If there's any finish on the box then it might create toxic fumes.
I keep thinking I'm going to set up a more detailed test, but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet. The UV light is a good idea though. Even better if a vacuum chamber was involved to rule out air as a variable.
If I remember correctly, for this batch I put them on an aluminum baking sheet. Normally, I'll use the wire racks for better air circulation. If you stack the wood, make sure the spacers allow enough air flow so things darken evenly.
@Nick I haven't had trouble with that, but I think I've mostly done that at lower temperatures. You can always use dowels or strips of scrap wood as a spacer.
Wow just wow. Was going to take on the challenge of an end grain cutting board made from African ebony and purple heart. Now I can keep that colour and just so happens I work in a bakery with a huge oven lol and iam a mechanic so I can run it on downtime to do big pieces hahaahahahahahah
So I tried 350 for 30 minutes yesterday on some strips & unfortunately, most of them ended up warping after cooling. Any ideas or tips on how to avoid?
It's good to start at a lower temperature, then bump it up only if there aren't any issues with moisture or sap noted. I haven't had any issues yet, except for a few boards that twisted.
Also, clamping the boards together can help. Try to keep the stickers/spacers close to the ends, because they will add some thermal insulation that will affect the color.
@@Doyle-E No, I don't use Facebook. Sounds like it might have been a moisture issue, with the outside of the board drying quickly and shrinking before the center. I usually start at a lower temperature to help avoid this, but it still sometimes happens. Wrapping it up might help if moisture is an issue, but I haven't tried that yet with purpleheart: ruclips.net/video/5DYG8mWTx5A/видео.html
BAD RESULTS! Per your video, I just put a couple of boards in the oven at 350. They were 1" thick, ripped to 2.5" and 15" long. After one hour, I found the boards to be pushing out a sappy resin; much of it came out of the ends, especially the bottom (I had the boards on edge), but also in random spots on the face surface. LOTS of smell, BTW. After they cooled, they look absolutely horrible, with some areas being a nice deep purple and some areas looking to be much LIGHTER than they started, like the colored resins migrated!!! I had done this before with a smaller piece, like you used, but with these larger pieces, the results were just terrible and I expect I will have to throw the wood away.
Someone else commented about a similar experience. It's good to start at a lower temperature, then bump it up only if there aren't any issues with moisture or sap noted. I haven't had any issues yet, except for a few boards that twisted.
It appears from people’s experiences that the color , as you deducted, is in the oil. Thank you everyone for all your research! This has been the most information I have found on the subject!
When you guys put it in the oven did you let oven preheat? Or did you let ot heat up with wood inside? Also were you using a conventional or a convection oven? Just curious, building a floating purplewood frame for canvas art and really want to bring out the beauty if the wood
@@kevinbaker2470 I normally let the wood heat with the oven, or raise the temperature incrementally, to reduce stress on the wood and avoid case hardening. I'm using a convection oven, but my earlier experiments were with a conventional oven.
i also had 3 boards, approx, 3/4 x 1 1/4 x18", undergo the process - 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Color change was outstanding but the boards are unuseable due to really severe twisting. used convection oven. will try allowing wood to heat up with oven. also will try clamping as soon as boards cool a bit after removal from oven.
SIDE NOTE: Do NOT use this method when you have a glued up piece that you spent 4 hours hand carving/ etching. DOH! 20 minutes into the 350 temp I opened the door to see if the color had started coming back yet and noted that my glue joints had all but completely separated.
Ouch. Hopefully the piece is still salvageable. After a week or two the moisture levels should get closer to the ambient air, and some of the joints might close back up a little.
Sorry to hear that. I've had a few pieces that didn't turn out how I wanted, and others that looked great after the same process. The sweet spot usually lies somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes.
After spending around $600 upgrading audio equipment, my newer videos sound much better. For the older stuff, you'll just need to turn up your volume or get some better speakers.
I did, thank you, i wish i had a bigger oven, tho, i work with 30” plus pieces of purple, well first time coming up….thank you for your video, great feedback!!!!
I would not run that to the bandsaw to take something favorite of your wife's and destroy it is foolish you should have put it in the oven to see if it would return purple your mistake not mine
Ok, so I know this video is a year old and Ben likely won't see it, but HOLY S**T! I bought a 6"x1"x12" piece of purple heart from one of these exotic hardwood dealers because I thought it was the coolest thing ever (very new to wood and had no idea what is out there). Well it was a dusty brownish mauve, at best, barely considered purple-ish, but I thought I'd give it a try... and...
To my shock and amazement, the wood came out the most beautiful royal purple, it's absolutely amazing, thanks BEN! I wish we could post pictures, I'm so grateful for this video.
Glad to hear it was helpful.
Dude, I just want to say, "Thank you!" Your video was very informative, I followed your logic and the results turned out to be spectacular! I also threw in a piece of padauk just to see what would happen out of curiosity, and it just got darker if anyone was wondering. Was hoping to pull more red from the natural orange, but nah, just got darker and more brownish, but the purple heart is simply amazing. Will never not use this technique again. Thank you!
You're welcome, glad it was helpful.
If you’re looking for a bright red or sometimes orange wood I recommend researching some Australian red gum, specifically river red gum
This man is a scientist incredible work thank you
Ingenious! Thank you for figuring this out and sharing it. What a difference it makes.
Good stuff. Thanks for taking time to do the experiment so others don't have to. Very helpful for my current project.
Superb info,thanks Ben- about to embark on a purpleheart project & was concerned about colour longevity.Will now be baking it first!👍🏻
Edit: have now baked it,& I've been lucky- superb deep rich purple throughout the blank,minimal splitting.Thanks!😃👍🏻
Years ago, I worked for a musical instrument maker that used Purpleheart , along with other exotic woods. The company would place the Purpleheart bodies in florescent booths for hrs. I don't remember the time frame, however this helped maintain the purple in the Purpleheart color. I never saw an instrument that had lost is color after being placed in a florescent booth, even yrs later.
Very interesting. I'm overdue for a follow-up to this video, but that might need to be tested.
Enjoyed your video. It explains why my drum sander turns the wood so dark. It heats up the wood and draws more oils out and the oil is what’s turning dark purple like a crayon.
From one of my earlier experiments baking a variety of different woods, I found that purpleheart took longer to cool than most of the other samples. I think part of the reason it burns so easily when routing or sanding is that the density and oil makes it retain heat.
Thanks for the info and great video. I had no idea baking it would bring out the color like it does. Makes for a nice knife handle.
You're welcome, I bet that looks great on a knife.
While this method can be effective in restoring the color of wood, it is important to exercise caution as it may cause significant warping of the material.
Thank you for the quick response, this is my first time working with it, I wasn't sure how to proceed to put a finish on my project. Thanks again have a great day.
Excellent vid!
My boy and I bought a short plank of purpleheart this afternoon and I plan to saw some of it into pen blanks. I was wondering about its "colour-fast-ness" and this vid really helped. I'll bake up a few pieces this evening and see how it goes.
Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback. Let me know how it turns out.
Dude even had a control piece, what a legend.
Still have it too. One of these days I'm going to make the sequel to this one.
@@TheSnekkerShow YEA! my teacher in the robotics club I just joined told me about Purple heart wood yesterday and I've been doing some light research here on youtube. I'd be excited to see what lasts longest because I want to make a chess board by combining it with a different type of wood, also, might you have any woodworking projects for beginners, I've always found it pretty interesting and this seems like an interesting way to get into it
I'd love to see the sequel to this when you make it, and thank you for making this video!
@@TheSnekkerShow Watching the video a bit more and the 350* piece for 90 minutes and 120 minues look like they might do well for the dark pieces, i'd have to see it for myself in person and I'd have to see how well it holds up too. Again, thank you for making this video, it has been be a great assistance to me so far.
@@TheSnekkerShow I won't be putting a chessboard into the dishwasher, so i don't think i'll need to worry about what happening to your spoon happening to my Chessboard in the future.
Great video and congrats on the success. I'd like to know if, despite the spoon being split in half, did the marriage survive? (j/k)
I'm curious as to how your better half responded to her favorite spoon being cut in half?? Actually, very interesting treatment heat treating purpleheart to maintaining color. Gonna try it.
I'd like to see you let the thiner in the jar evaporate and see the oil used on the wood 🤔
Funny tonight was my first experience with purple heart. Like you said i cut into it and was disappointed. I red about putting it in the sun and I thought why not just hit it with a torch? Sure enough it turn deep dark purple.
Cool video! It would be cool to figure out a way to keep it purple permanently!
Hey Ben,
Great video here, I learned a lot of information.
I am just curious here if you applied any finish to that spoon?
I am curious if any finish is needed after baking, provided that there will be no contact with soaps, and mostly just hands (for example a tool handle or a guitar neck).
Thanks!
RUclips hasn't been notifying me lately when there are comments. I finished the spoon with walnut oil, which has to be reapplied once in a while. Hands usually have a little natural grease or oil on them, so some kind of finish is recommended to protect the wood.
I like your roasted wood experiments! Purpleheart is well suited to video presentation, especially against a maple backdrop. Well shot! I imagine contractors field plenty of call backs on purpleheart projects due to oxidation-related color changes. Contractors...bookmark this video. Or better yet, show them this video before starting a purpleheart project!
😀
Thank you, and welcome to the channel. Looks like you have some wood videos on your channel I'll have to check out.
The Snekker Show Sounds good. That’s what they’re there for 👍 I actually had an idea for a wood experiment of my own a while back that I never did anything with - mostly because I’m lazy but also because I don’t really have the equipment. Do you take unsolicited episode ideas?
@@CommercialForest Yes, but I never get around to most of them.
The Snekker Show likewise 😆
I am about to use purpleheart in a project and I was wondering about deepening and darkening the color. This is a fantastic experiment and I may use this for my project.
I have a pile of sawdust on my garage floor that says he's wrong about the default or inner, fresh-cut color of purpleheart, It's definitely purple. And it definitely oxidizes to grey/silver with time. Although pots that I turned 20 years ago, finished with shellac & wax and kept out of the sun, are still purple.
The oven is all well and good, but incredibly slow and, as other comments indicate, as likely to leech the oils out of the piece as deepen and distribute them. So allow me to posit the alternative that purist woodworkers are likely to find as offensive as professional chefs, but improves upon the process for all the same sciency reasons...
...microwave
30-60 second bursts, flipping the piece each time, and in 2-3 minutes (for 3/4" thick pieces), you have perfectly purple, evenly oil-distributed purpleheart
Thank you! Baking a bunch of purple heart right now! My hubby asked whether I didn’t want to do an experimental piece. I have no time for that! 🤣
Cheers, worked like a charm. I sanded the wood beforehand and I feel like the baking made the woods texture more uniform, suppose it might've shrunk a bit too. Exposure to air seemed to be of no consequence, put the wood on parchment paper lined rack and the bottoms looked the same as the tops.
Unfortunately I found this video after glue up. So I put my picture frame in the dryer on a rack, since I wasn't sure how 300 degrees would affect glue. 1 1/2 hours made a big difference. Thank you!
Most PVA glue will handle 300 degrees with no trouble, but the resulting wood movement can shear the joint apart. Smart move with the dryer rack.
Just saw your videos great information. I'm making a bandsaw box with purple heart and Ash, I like the idea of putting it in the oven for one hour, but I'm wondering if the Ash will burn or change ? Do you have any answers about that? Should I have put the purple heart in the oven before gluing the Ash in? Thanks for any info. Jimmy
Yes, the ash will turn a little browner. You can also expect some shrinkage and wood movement as it dries, so this is best done before gluing anything.
very cool video and informative. Thank you! and good luck with all your videos and projects
Thank you
Ben I loved you video on backing the purple heart wood so I gave it a try. I’m kinda behind the eight ball on my project trying to get it finished. I used a cut off piece (4x5x1/2) at 350 for one hour. It came warped and twisted. I loved the color though and when I cut it the color went all the through. How would you prevent the warping, maybe raise the temperature from 250 to 350 in 30 minute ingredients. Just a thought. I will give it a try myself.
This is how I reduce warping: instagram.com/p/B9pvPz3jlRE/?igshid=10syekyudo1o4
Thank u for all the info good stuff.. I was saying don't cut the spoon 😲 .. But I know u u did it ..i like your wooden spoon. 😄
Heads up, this WILL shrink the wood. Bake it before cutting to size. I did not do this.
2-1/4" width lost about 3/32"...
Invaluable information. Thank you.
you should put another wood stripe down the center of her favorite spoon and give it a good sanding. i'd pick a black wood personally.
Great Video! I have custom made guitar with purpleheart fingerboard which matchs purple body finish so nicely, and I just love it. By the way, I think maybe you could just sand down the surface of your wife's spoon to reveal the inner color rather than cut it into two pieces :p
Thanks for that awesome vid! any advice on what can be done for pieces too large to fit in an oven? (working on a side table from purpleheart atm)
I haven't tried any large pieces. You could try a heat gun or possibly a clothes iron, but heating one side of a board is likely to cause warping.
We're gonna need a bigger oven.
Ummm.....at 7:09, you are saying "after 30 minutes" but you are pointing to the 2nd (60 minute) piece of wood....?????
Do you put the wood straight on the oven rack?
I did, and he's right, it goes all the way through. I'm using a toaster oven with a meat thermometer so my temp is probably off by a lot, I achieved similar results at about 300 for 30 minutes, but my pieces were much smaller, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Absolutely beautifully rich in color. I sanded them down afterwards and there was no color loss at all!
As long as the rack is clean that will work, but I usually put it on some aluminum foil.
Where do you get your thicker purpleheart lumber? And what did you bake the wood at to make it purple? Also, what part of the lumber is the bark? I have 6’ of live edge purpleheart and want to do an epoxy resin board.
I haven't bought any purpleheart in years, but it's pretty easy to find thicker boards at most exotic lumber dealers.
Just tried this on a project and wow... Went from a boring color to vibrant. Do you have an update on your board two years later?
I'm late doing an update video, but it is in my near-term queue.
@@TheSnekkerShow sweet. Look forward to it. Your video did proved helpful and encouraging. Made a frame that became this unpleasant brown... Hit it in an oven BAM nice and purple.
At any time do you need to wipe the purple heart off with Mineral Spirits??
It's not something I do.
It’s good to do before glue up to get the natural wood oils off. Much better glue adhesion.
@@jmaywoodworks Thanks for your advice.
Does thermally modified purple 💜 warp, twist or cup when heated for an hour at 350 degrees. Thanks for the best purple 💜 restoration video on youstubes. Appreciated.
In the same batch of boards, I've had some twist and others stay relatively flat. It usually helps to clamp or otherwise bind pieces together, and to warm up at a lower temperature first. instagram.com/p/B9pvPz3jlRE/
@@TheSnekkerShow Thank you. I'm actually cooking mine tomorrow. I will let you know how it goes. I'm nervous. I spent a lot of money to frame out a large sized blanket chest with all purple 💜.
Great experiment, exactly the info i needed, thanks!
My pleasure, glad it was helpful.
Great video~ I bought some purpleheart to make a keyboard suport pad.Your information is helpful ,but I only got the file knief and sand paper.Forget my poor english (from china.
Glad it was helpful. I'm sure your English is a lot better than my Chinese.
careful not to overbake or go to hot watch it closley you can also sand on it and it stays purple.
Thank you very much dear sir.
You're quite welcome.
I would have sanded before ruining a perfectly good spoon! Also have you tried soaking it in different oils also to see if it absorbs/help darken the color?
I thought about it, but I figured it would be more educational to see all the way to the center. I had to make my wife another purpleheart spoon later. I haven't tried many different oils, but that would make an interesting experiment. instagram.com/p/B6RZsZNgQvF/?igshid=15keqgz8ngk78
@@TheSnekkerShow I think the phrase your looking for : “For science!”
@TheSnekkerShow hay i was wondering if you have done a peace of purpleheart that is kilm dried and still got the purple to come back
Yes, it will work with kiln dried purpleheart.
@@TheSnekkerShow thank you
Here’s a crazy question for you. A wood like Purpleheart would be great for a workbench top for metalwork as it is so hard. What if we wanted to speed up the process off it going brown?
I've never tried that, but you could probably just stain it to hide the purple color. I'm not sure if it would be my first choice for a metalworking bench because it's prone to splintering. Beech or maple would probably work better if you have access to it.
I'd say put it under UV light to accelerate the color change?
Seems like very pretty and expensive wood for something like that. I agree that maple or something "would" be better. And it's already the right color.
Would a series of heat laps do to get the color all the way through the wood. My pieces at 30” long by 1 3/4” by 1 3/4” to be joined into a staff
If you're referring to using a heat gun or torch, I've tried it before with inconsistent results, and it wouldn't heat all the way through.
This is great for small pieces what do you do for large slabs?
Get a job at a pizza restaurant. Earn their trust. Stay late and use the oven to bake slabs. Then quit. Don't tell them it was my idea. I'll deny everything.
I was going to build an outdoor wood oven using HVAC ducts, but haven't committed to it yet. Getting high enough temperatures and even heating would be challenging.
I am making a paper tray out of purpleheart - the whole thing would fit in the oven. I want to figure out when to bake it, after cutting to size, pre-gluing, or as final assembly? I'm a little worried about warping the wood. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Tough to say without seeing it. The wood will almost definitely warp during baking, and again as it gradually re-acclimates to room temperature and moisture content. Time will be your friend here. I would bake the wood first, let it sit for at least a week, then cut to size and glue everything together.
@@TheSnekkerShow Thanks for the reply! Maybe I'll do a test piece first.
@@tburklin I just put a picture on my Instagram page that might help with the baking.
Thnx for your effort. Great knowledge.
Hi friend, It is an interesting video. However if you could give me any ideas on vernishing process that could preserve the purple color for prolonged time. I am able to find some purple wood which could be selected for my furniture if you have some positive answers.
I don't think I've figured that out yet. I have tried a wide range of indoor and outdoor finishes, but it always seems to fade eventually. Oil-based finishes tend to work better than water-based ones, and thicker films seem to last longer than thin ones.
Great video! I'm making a purpleheart dining table. Large one that's made up of 5 boards glued together. Since I can't bake the table in an oven, I think heat gun will be best. However I'm worried about the heat undoing the wood glue! Does anyone know about this? Is it worth even trying carefully, or is too risky? I really want that nice deep violet color you've got here. One thing I read also suggested keeping it under a 100W lightbulb overnight.
A heat gun is likely to warp your boards since it will heat and dry only one side of the table top at a time. Also, it would take hours to heat everything consistently. I don't think a light bulb would do anything, since I've had pieces stored in a box that changed color just the same. Your best bet in this case is probably just time.
@@TheSnekkerShow wow thanks for getting back to me!! Really appreciate it. It would be devastating to ruin the table at this point, thanks for your input. I may try the light bulb since it wouldn’t harm anything.
Did it work?
Do you think this would work with red heart as well?
I'm not sure if I have any red heart to try it, but it does not work well with padauk. It just turns it brown.
My knife is done. I tried the acetone wash and that hasn't made it more purple. Do you think I can bake it with the knife done (rivets, blade and all)?
That would be risky. It's hard to tell when wood is going to warp or squeeze out some sap.
I also tried a test of lemon juice and both types of vinegar. No go. Hoping for some n ice sunny, hot days to really try the acetone. Guess I should have finished this in July! (From the PNW)
If your knife is made of anything other than 300 or 400 series surgical stainless steel, heating it in an oven will soften the metal and make it difficult to keep an edge. A surgical instrument repair technician once advised me to use only cold water for rinsing my razor. Once I started doing that, I got twice the life out of my blades.
Another weekend warrior woodworker told me to sand, wipe off with acetone, then set outside in direct sunlight for 3 hours. The repeat as necessary. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.... Anyone try this method? I can't wait to cook my purple 💜. Liked and subscribed. Appreciated 👍
I have a UV blocking film on my workshop window, and I've seen fresh-cut boards go from brown to purple in just a few hours. I should probably test this with matching boards.
What about glue? I’ve glued up two purpleheart panels (still small enough for the oven) - how will the glue react when in the oven at 350?
It depends on which glue you're using, but Titebond is tested at around 400 if I'm not mistaken. The glue will survive, but since the pieces of wood will shrink and warp as they dry, it could pull the glue joints apart. I've been planning to do a video about this, but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet.
@@TheSnekkerShow thanks
can i bake in regular oven? a already made box??
It might work, but it would be risky. Most PVA glue will survive 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but the wood might want to move and pull the joints apart while the glue is softened. If there's any finish on the box then it might create toxic fumes.
Should post an update haha I'm curious as we are working with purple heart
Will sanding after baking in the oven affect the color?
No, I almost always sand after baking.
@@TheSnekkerShow Awesome thank you
Could you experiment by using a high powered UV light and various times of exposure
I keep thinking I'm going to set up a more detailed test, but it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet. The UV light is a good idea though. Even better if a vacuum chamber was involved to rule out air as a variable.
How do you bake them? Lay them on a sheet or something? On their sides, or?
If I remember correctly, for this batch I put them on an aluminum baking sheet. Normally, I'll use the wire racks for better air circulation. If you stack the wood, make sure the spacers allow enough air flow so things darken evenly.
@@TheSnekkerShow oh, you could put them directly on the rack? That doesn't leave burn marks?
@Nick I haven't had trouble with that, but I think I've mostly done that at lower temperatures. You can always use dowels or strips of scrap wood as a spacer.
@@TheSnekkerShow good idea. I'll have to do some experimenting with some smaller pieces.
I rub it with lemon to make it a bit magenta
Interesting, I'll have to give that a shot.
Subscribed!
I put a purple heart piece in the oven but it starts to do a cracking sound... anyone know why? Maybe its too dry? Thanks
What would happen if you wrap your piece tight with foil before putting in the oven.
I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect the outcome would be similar. The foil might just help retain some of the wood's moisture.
Wow just wow. Was going to take on the challenge of an end grain cutting board made from African ebony and purple heart. Now I can keep that colour and just so happens I work in a bakery with a huge oven lol and iam a mechanic so I can run it on downtime to do big pieces hahaahahahahahah
Nice, I could use a bigger oven. Purpleheart and ebony are dense woods, so I'd give it several weeks after baking to let the moisture levels equalize.
@@TheSnekkerShow thanks for the advice. The purple you brought out is really something else
So I tried 350 for 30 minutes yesterday on some strips & unfortunately, most of them ended up warping after cooling. Any ideas or tips on how to avoid?
It's good to start at a lower temperature, then bump it up only if there aren't any issues with moisture or sap noted. I haven't had any issues yet, except for a few boards that twisted.
Also, clamping the boards together can help. Try to keep the stickers/spacers close to the ends, because they will add some thermal insulation that will affect the color.
@@TheSnekkerShow I can definitely see clamping being helpful, but how do you do it? Bit apprehensive about cooking some actual clamps lol
@@TheSnekkerShow would excess sap in the wood make warping more likely?
@Nick Take the pads off, and proceed with caution if there's a lot of plastic. instagram.com/p/B9pvPz3jlRE/
So absolutely this wouldn’t apply to live edge slags. Lol
Congratulations on your ratings!
Keep it up..
It would take one heck of an oven. I've tried doing it manually with a heat gun or torch, but it's almost impossible to get an even color.
Just did a deck in purple heart. I can't wait for it to not be purple!
I don't think I've ever seen a purpleheart deck before. You must be close to the lumber source.
I call bull shitt.
Then....ummm...why did you use purpleheart? $$$ and you don’t like the color...............🤨
I built an exterior staircase with Purple Heart Treads leading up to an Ipe Landing. In short time both became silver.
@@bartosullivan8050 did you seal protect them?
Greetings from the uk tryed this with 8x1 and it developed cracks bit upset but live and lern thanks for the vid tho
Sorry to hear that. I've had a couple pieces give me trouble too, sometimes cut from the same board.
Iv just taken out of oven after 1hr the fine cracks arnt as bad as tgey looked after 30 do you have a fb page i can send u my results?
@@Doyle-E No, I don't use Facebook. Sounds like it might have been a moisture issue, with the outside of the board drying quickly and shrinking before the center. I usually start at a lower temperature to help avoid this, but it still sometimes happens. Wrapping it up might help if moisture is an issue, but I haven't tried that yet with purpleheart: ruclips.net/video/5DYG8mWTx5A/видео.html
Just took a look outside in natral light definatly a fiew hairline cracks hopefully i can still use it for the plaques im marking
Wish we had better visibility... cant see much.
BAD RESULTS! Per your video, I just put a couple of boards in the oven at 350. They were 1" thick, ripped to 2.5" and 15" long. After one hour, I found the boards to be pushing out a sappy resin; much of it came out of the ends, especially the bottom (I had the boards on edge), but also in random spots on the face surface. LOTS of smell, BTW. After they cooled, they look absolutely horrible, with some areas being a nice deep purple and some areas looking to be much LIGHTER than they started, like the colored resins migrated!!!
I had done this before with a smaller piece, like you used, but with these larger pieces, the results were just terrible and I expect I will have to throw the wood away.
Someone else commented about a similar experience. It's good to start at a lower temperature, then bump it up only if there aren't any issues with moisture or sap noted. I haven't had any issues yet, except for a few boards that twisted.
It appears from people’s experiences that the color , as you deducted, is in the oil.
Thank you everyone for all your research! This has been the most information I have found on the subject!
I picked up some purple heart and tried this. It twisted to be almost unusable and sap boiled out of the grain. FYI
Sorry to hear that. I've had a few pieces that twisted as well, sometimes from the same boards as other pieces that turned out great.
When you guys put it in the oven did you let oven preheat? Or did you let ot heat up with wood inside? Also were you using a conventional or a convection oven? Just curious, building a floating purplewood frame for canvas art and really want to bring out the beauty if the wood
@@kevinbaker2470 I normally let the wood heat with the oven, or raise the temperature incrementally, to reduce stress on the wood and avoid case hardening. I'm using a convection oven, but my earlier experiments were with a conventional oven.
i also had 3 boards, approx, 3/4 x 1 1/4 x18", undergo the process - 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Color change was outstanding but the boards are unuseable due to really severe twisting. used convection oven. will try allowing wood to heat up with oven. also will try clamping as soon as boards cool a bit after removal from oven.
@@edwardaltman1415 You can also clamp while it's in the oven. Just take the plastic pads off first.
instagram.com/p/B9pvPz3jlRE/?igshid=1ltjbsw4972yu
SIDE NOTE: Do NOT use this method when you have a glued up piece that you spent 4 hours hand carving/ etching. DOH! 20 minutes into the 350 temp I opened the door to see if the color had started coming back yet and noted that my glue joints had all but completely separated.
Ouch. Hopefully the piece is still salvageable. After a week or two the moisture levels should get closer to the ambient air, and some of the joints might close back up a little.
1 hour is way too long. It brought out the oil in mine and ruined it.
Sorry to hear that. I've had a few pieces that didn't turn out how I wanted, and others that looked great after the same process. The sweet spot usually lies somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes.
A Torch
Try using lemon juice then varnish and let's see
That's an interesting approach. Have you tried this before?
Sprinkle some sawdust around... looks like those power tools are brand new. :-)
Aaawwwrrrrrrrr, so hard to hear what you are sayin!!!🤦🏽
After spending around $600 upgrading audio equipment, my newer videos sound much better. For the older stuff, you'll just need to turn up your volume or get some better speakers.
I did, thank you, i wish i had a bigger oven, tho, i work with 30” plus pieces of purple, well first time coming up….thank you for your video, great feedback!!!!
I would not run that to the bandsaw to take something favorite of your wife's and destroy it is foolish you should have put it in the oven to see if it would return purple your mistake not mine
Crybaby