The trees tend to be large, growing as high as feet tall and developing diameters of up to five feet. Unfortunately, purpleheart wood is often harvested from endangered tropical rainforests and overharvesting, as well as illegal harvesting, is a major problem.
At present, there are no peltogyne trees on the endangered list. However, the harvest of woods like Purpleheart, Teak, and Mahogany contributes to the destruction of rainforests, devastates the homes of indigenous peoples, threatens wildlife, and feeds international crime rings.
Moreover, purpleheart wood must travel a considerable distance to reach consumers in the United States, which means the carbon footprint is amplified considerably compared to domestic options. In short, it is not an eco-friendly choice. Rainforest Relief, an organization dedicated to preserving the rainforests, recommends that those looking for exterior furniture select recycled plastic lumber, like our Polywood collection , and mentions alternatives such as hard maple, red oak, white oak, and walnut, for interior furniture.
Any wood that comes from the rainforests is usually going to be expensive, in part because of the restrictions on logging and export and due to the transportation costs. Purpleheart wood is also challenging to work with. The extractives that give purpleheart wood these properties are so thick and gummy that they often wreak havoc on woodworking tools. As responsible stewards of the earth, we believe in choosing sustainably-sourced, eco-friendly wood furniture. Our craftsmen mindfully choose domestic wood from sustainable sources, and opt for locally-grown wood as much as possible.
They not only create stunning high-quality pieces that will fill your home with beauty for years, but ensure you can feel good about your decision as well.
Explore our maple , oak , walnut , and cherry indoor furniture and feel free to reach out if you have questions about how to achieve a certain look or which wood type is best suited to your lifestyle. Learn more about our wood types on our wood page , or use the links below to read about specific types:. On Sale Now! Nice smell and polishes very well. Unfortunately it will turn a plum color over time due to oxidation and all you can due is slow that process down.
I use simple lemon oil as a finish in my carvings. The carving shown is about 20 years old and has been that color for most … Read more ». If sealed with a wipe on varnish is purpleheart safe to be used in making toys for my grand daughter? My grand daughter is 4 years old and does not have a problem with chewing on toys. Most namely, Rabbits.
Considering using it for some Creature Comforts I make. However, nevertheless these are decent guitars they are quite cheap, too. The color of the Amaranth fretboard is by no means purplish, however. Thanks and best regards, Jens. Obviously you refer to HB guitars. Time will tell will they go purple. I just found this site, and love the information it has. I never knew about the problems with gluing purpleheart wood.
I made a lamp using Purpleheart and Maple layers. It turned out beautifully. Do I need to worry about it coming unglued, in the future? I sure hope I have not made the wrong choice for wood.
Any problem health wise if I use it? In put please! I have really enjoyed working with Purpleheart. I glues and sands beautifully, and can be polished to a shine with finer and finer grit paper. I have been turning drumsticks from it that are better than hickory for durability and rebound due to the superior hardness, rupture resistance, and stiffness.
This is easy to find, and not terribly expensive for smaller projects. Do you find that the tips are any more durable as well? Hi Nathan. Yes, Purpleheart is a legume, which produces pods with single seeds inside. Hello, I am getting into the wood working scene, to start myself out I am making Pottermore wands to learn the basics on the Lathe and added detailing will be done via dremmel and hand etching.
I have a big question on Purpleheart Funny there is a wood named the same as the military honor for being wounded in the line of duty. A fitting name for such a lovely wood. Have a question. I just cannot remember what this wood is. Is it bubinga? Is it purple heart? Can you help me? Top is cedar —or maybe juniper, finished with 3 coats Minwax Polyurethane. Thanks, George. I have used Purple Heart many times and it is a beautiful wood however I do not recommend using a router on it because it has a great chance of tearing out.
It is just one of those types of wood that has plenty of beauty but can be hard to work with. I have used it several times in cutting boards. I attached one of my latest projects. Also, be sure to add a coat of food safe finish to it. Butcher block oil from Lowes is good and normally what I use. Purpleheart coffee table top, with ash inlay. Unfinished work in progress. Here you can see the Purple Heart has lost quite a bit of color from all the sanding.
I will leave halogen lights on it overnight and the color will return and then I will Lacquer it. One door constructed of Purpleheart, it will be impossible to be broken up, a very strong wood.
I had some barn-board remnants that due to weight I thought were oak. No idea how a barn constructed of this materials existed over years ago in Wisconsin. I used General finishes water-based poly with UV protection:. I made a strat body out of purpleheart. The board I found was the only one big enough for a one piece body. It was kind of brown, not very purple. When I had finished sanding it, the sun broke through just then, into the basement where I was working.
I took the body over to see it in the sunlight. It started turning into a beautiful purple from the light. I ran out side to expose it to the sun, and the whole body turned purple in seconds. I have been making kitchen cabinets with it on our kitchen remodel.
This has been my first attempt at cabinets, made a few mistakes on the face frame but where fixable, just finished 4 of the doors and they have turned out beautiful. I have been trying to figure out how to make my drawer fronts and know they will have to be out of solid wood with routering detail. I have gone with a mitre instead of the shaker style. Could someone … Read more ».
Matt Culler, you can bite my fucking ass! Found a local guy , Don Mitchell, BC Canada at a farmers market, My wife saw a beautiful jewelry box he had made it was the first time we had ever seen this wood, the box is exquisite.
He made it out of different tropical woods but the Purple Heart made it a very beautiful anniversary gift. Draconacae Draconus Acerphyla. The Maple-Leaf Dragon. I made a few boxes with dragons on them. One of my classmates from high school wanted one. Although severe reactions to purple heartwood are incredibly uncommon, some cases argue that the wood does affect some people but not everyone. The wood can be the cause of nausea or eye and skin irritability. The purple heartwood is a very sustainable plant, and the tree can withstand a lot of strong impacts.
The wood is a type of hardwood, so it cannot be broken easily. The wood resists water scratches, humidity, etc. It is best for furniture and floors because of its toughness. The wood is plentiful also, although available in a limited area across South America.
Original purple heartwood can resist severe temperatures and rugged climates. The responses and allergies or skin irritability are due to a lot of reasons, such as an animal or human having active allergens.
I will always have a special place in my heart for woodworking. I have such fond memories working on projects with my parents on the weekends in the garage growing up.
We built tables, shelves, a backyard shed, 10' base for a water slide into the pool, 2 story fort playhouse with a fire pole, and so much more. This woodworking blog allows me to write helpful articles so others can enjoy woodworking as much as we have. Walnut trees are also known as Juglans because it's one of the tree species in the plant genus Juglans.
Furthermore, it has almost 21 different types, and famous ones include English Walnut, Japanese You can see tons of tables, Skip to content Purple Heart is a premium quality, beautifully colored hardwood.
In this article we cover the most commonly asked questions about Purple Heart wood. Table of Contents.
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