Purple Heart??

[goaliedad]

A friend is doing some bandsaw boxes with some Purple Heart. What is the best way to maintain and or restore the color after sanding? What should they do during sanding to minimize color change?

[K. L. McReynolds]

The PH I have worked with does not change color when sanded. And if it got brown when cutting, a couple hours in the sun brought back the purple.

However, when set in the sun, be aware the sides can also get more purple and create two tones of purple.

[AHill]

This is the best article on purple heart I've seen. There's a lot of myth surrounding what turns purple heart brown and what keeps it purple. You can turn it purple again by wetting it with water and exposing it to the sun. After that, avoid water-based finishes, because they are basic (not acid) and that causes a reaction with the pigments to turn it brown. The author recommends lacquer and tung oil, followed by an oil-based poly or "suitable varnish".

http://furniturissimo.blogspot.com/2008/...heart.html

[Paul K. Murphy]

It may interest you to know that fancy French marquetry furniture from the 18th century was scraped to keep it looking fresh. The thick veneers allowed this, and the procedure can be likened to rotating the tires on an automobile.
The reason I bring this up is to point out that purpleheart (and other woods too) will age, and the colors will change. This was understood by the woodworkers of that era, and their solution was very practical. Since it will change with age, the reasoning goes, the best strategy is to scrape down to fresh wood and give the bright appearance a fresh start.
The bottom line is, no matter what regimen of finish you employ, purpleheart will not remain purple without exposing the wood below the surface anew.

[Arlin Eastman]

To restore I use a heat gun to bring out the purple and to keep it I use Baby suntan lotion of SPF 70 or better. I have a few pieces I have done a few years ago and sitting in the sun to test and they are still great.

I am going to put on another coat soon to see how long it can go.

Arlin