I recently found that I could turn cheap light pink locust wood into a deep purple colored wood by heating it at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
I needed some thin dividers (1/8 inch) with a dark color for contrast but had nothing on hand. By accident with a belt sander I found the locust wood turned purple when I dwelled too long in one spot with the belt sander and ended up with purple spots. I tried several ways to turn thick locust veneer (1/8 inch) into this deep purple color and ended up using my wife’s kitchen oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and supporting the veneer on some thin wooden slats. The metal grates left the wood with light pink lines. I have been unable to make the same color change on any thicker wood without increasing the temperature above 350 degrees and charing the wood black in areas.
It seems like a cheap way to get some purple wood.
Any ideas on how to make this work on thicker wood?
Mike
Replies
Mike, what species of "locust" are you referring to? The phenomenon you're describing is news to me.
As far as I know it's Black Locust. I came from a 10" branch from my sons tree. The new wood is yellow and the heart wood is pinkish.
Mike, your comment that the heartwood is pinkish, leads me to believe that it's more likely honeylocust...which doesn't help at all anyway. I've never heard of heat causing either black locust or honeylocust to turn purple. However I'm certainly not challenging your findings, in that heat will alter the pigmentation in some species (for example, walnut). So, what you are describing is at least plausible to me.
The purpleheart genus; Peltogyne, belongs to the legume family (Leguminoseae) as do the locusts and so it's not unreasonable to assume that the extractives in these woods that polymerize into pigments may have something in common...where the one wood naturally turns purple, while the other is capable of doing so given a high enough temperature...But this is pure speculation.
I have a couple of honeylocusts on my property, so I could try to duplicate your experiment and see what happens.
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As for suggestions on how you might get thicker stock to turn purple, you could try altering the other variable in your experiment. Instead of increasing the temperature, keep it at 350F and extend the length of time. This might allow the pigments to form without charring the wood.
You might also want to try putting a pan of water in the oven, since moisture helps to conduct heat.
Let me know if this leads to your needing a good divorce lawyer. I have a couple of friends in the business. :O)
Edited 7/25/2004 11:59 pm ET by Jon Arno
>> Let me know if this leads to your needing a good divorce lawyer.
Probably time to get an oven for the shop anyway. Who knows when he might need to temper a chisel.
Yah, that sounds like good advice, Dunc. It'll come in handy when she boots him out. At least he'll have something to cook with.
No, no, no! The point is that she'll have no reason to boot him out if he quits baking wood in her kitchen.
>>"...she'll have no reason to boot him out if he quits baking wood in her kitchen"<<
Dunc, how do we know that? I mean, if he's into stinking up the kitchen with locust fumes, who knows what all he has going in other pots and buckets around the house?
Maybe we should suggest that he just go out and buy the real thing. Afterall, purpleheart isn't anywhere near as precious as some of the rosewoods, ebony or even teak. It's only semi-unaffordable.
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