Well, the sunlight has a way of darkening some wood like cherry and lightning some called greying like oak or cedar. The main think you want to look at is how ultraviolet lights react to various chemicals; in this case the chemicals the woods produce in their natural growth stage. If you want the natural colors to come back, sand a few millimeters and put a finish on it right away or keep the wood away from sunlight.
Best of luck.
mahdee

 

I have never found a way to maintain the color of Purpleheart…it is going to turn brown regardless of the finish…unless there is some technique I have yet to learn about it can only be prolonged before the color change. I made a box using purpleheart and yellowheart a few years ago and the yellowheart color has remained constant but the box now looks like poo-poo heart & yellowheart.

Padauk also does this..it looses it beautiful deep rich red color over time and turns to a darker maroon color.

 

I've got some purple heart guitars out there for almost four years now, and no change in color. Coated with Minwax Natural and multiple coats of lacquer.

 

I think there need to be some kind of UV protective layer on it in order to keep it from browning. I could be wrong about that, but perhaps some kind of a marine finish?

 

I think lacquer might be the key then. Out of time on this little box, but I have some scraps, maybe I'll play around some.

It occurs to me that a guitar may spend a large percentage of the day closed away in a case?

Greg, do you recall what finish you might have used?

thanks guys.

 

Get some varnish with UV inhibitors, that will slow it down but not stop it from turning brown.

 

I made a wine storage rack from purple heart over 5 years ago and finished it with lacquer. It still looks brilliantly purple with no browning at all, but it stays in the basement away from any UV light.

 

Very interesting discussion. I appreciate the question and all the advice. I have not used much purple heart. Think I will make a project and use lacquer and try to keep it out UV for a while and see what happens. Thanks

 

Reading this post made me get up and go look at something. I have a stash of small boxes I have made over the years on a bookshelf in my garage. Because of how and where this book case is situated, these boxes get no natural light, and not all that much artificial light either. When i found the small purple heart box I was looking for, sure enough, it is now a rich dark brown in color. For what it's worth, wipe-on poly was the finish.

 

Based on Charlies experience it must be an oxidation process rather than a UV problem. Maybe the lacquer stops that.

 

Hello,

I like this discussion, can learn from it. Thank you.

 

I have some 4 year-old purpleheart, a handplane, a mallet head, and some scraps, all have been in a garage, unexposed to sunlight, and all are still purple…darker, than freshly cut, but purple still. The tools were finished with tung oil only…but even the scraps still have purple hue…Perhaps it is the lack of sunlight…

 

Like Greg, I have a purpleheart and yellowheart box that I made and gave to my wife. It sits on her dresser and does not get direct sunlight, but our bedroom is very bright in the afternoons. I sprayed it with three coats of good old NC Sherwin Williams lacquer almost 15 years ago. I used a 15:1 mix of lacquer: retarder Go figure, but it is still purple. I also made a box for a client with purpleheart that I finished with a water based finish that I got from Highland Woodworking. It turned dark brown shortly thereafter. Maybe it is the lacquer.

 

It will darken with age by oxidation regardless of the finish, but some purple hue will always remain. However, sunlight will turn it dark brown quickly. As others have said, a UV-protectant finish will help. I've used helmsman spare urethane for this purpose before.

 

Dutchy:........ I like your tag line/ signature!

 

I just picked up some purple heart cut offs from Cormark International yesterday to use making some boxes so I'm very interested in this info. I basically use Arm-R-Seal, but now looks like I need to consider other finishes for this wood. Allen, is the Helmsman spar urethane a wipe or brush on finish? I don't have spray capability.

Greg - I was also considering some Padauk from them so nice to know about that too.

Not trying to make others jealous but Cormark is only about 4 miles from our house! I spent 2 hours there yesterday being shown around the warehouse drooling at all the beautiful wood. They supply materials to some of the big retail places like woodcraft.
Site is

http://www.cormarkint.com/index.html