Purpleheart

G

Guy Thomas

Joined
Feb 1, 2000
Messages
1,370
Well I'm about to finish up a knife with purpleheart scales and I was wondering what particular product, if any, you use to seal your purpleheart handles?

I've sanded the handle to 1000 grit and am letting it age several days to develop it's color and I'm wondering if it even needs a sealer since it's a dense oily wood.
 
On most woods, I just use Watco natural. Apply it as per instructions, then a coat of carnauba wax,followed by buffing.
 
Guy,you might want to try putting the scales in the sunlight.On Purpleheart it seems to help the color come out better.Dave:)
 
Thanks Mike, Watco neutral is my choice for most woods, I just didn't think it would work on a member of the rosewood family. I'll give it a shot. Where do you get your carnauba wax? The only carnauba wax I could find locally was from Ace hardware and it's actually a paste floor wax.

Thanks Dave, it's sitting in my window sill here in my office as I type, I'm hoping it develops a nice deep purple.
 
Just some back up for the canuba wax. I used it on a purple hart handle a couple of months ago. no complaints from the customer.

If you have trouble finding some try your local wood working specialist. Or anteque store. I use a seperate white cloth not stitched buff on my bench grider I only use it for the canuba.

I had never seen purple hart before Dave LArsen sent me a bit. So i'm not realy talking from experence with the wood itself but I have used canuba on most of my wood handles. There may be something better, but I like it. The kind we get here is smooth like car polish and has a nice smell to it.
 
Guy, The floor wax you mention would be great, it was actually made for wood.:D
If you get white residue in any open grain areas of the handle, from the wax, just use a light touch on a loose buff, or if you don't have one, a common shoe brush works.
 
I've been vindicated! The last year I've gone almost exclusively to Johnson's Paste Furniture Wax for my wood handles - and I admit, even on Micarta. I've been using it since I was a kid, waxing furniture for my Mom... I may even still be using the same can. :)

Purple Heart is one of my favorites, I've been using that since I was a 'kid' too, a "child of the 70s'. We made some pretty nice stuff back in the hippie days too! :cool:

Dave
 
I sharpen carbide for the wood working industry here.

Purpleheart is one of the most toxic (poisonous) woods in the world. I recommend you NEVER use it again. This is NOT a joke.
 
Tom, tell us some more. You got me concerned and I did a search on the toxicology of purpleheart and it was mostly listed as an irritant, sometimes as a sensitizer, with mild to medium nausea from exposure to the wood and dust. :confused:
 
Go to Woodnet.net forums and do a search on Purpleheart. Lots of info on dealing with and finishing this material. As far as toxicity, I treat all dust the same being I'm a shop teacher and deal with this on a daily basis. (Ventilation is a must) Always wear a respirator and have direct ventilation for your grinder.
 
agree with what he said on both. and tha'ts true of anything. Any dust in excess is gonna cause problems, and I now we've talked about htis before. And hell, what is knifemaking except creating TONS of dust, and possibly ending up with a sharp piece of metal at end, but not always. ;)

ALWAYS use respirator(one rated for toxic dust if you use ANY exotic wood or synthetic materials, though I use OSHA toxic dust rated one for everything). ALWAYS wear eye protection. and ALWAYS have ventilation.

And now the kid will stop telling his elders what they already know. ;)
 
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