# Purple heart finishing



## Steve S. (Jul 11, 2014)

I am building an oak blanket chest, with 1/4"cedar panels, with purple heart veneer on the outside, and the drawer fronts will be purple heart hardwood.

I have seen and read (many contradictory) opinions on getting purple heart back to purple after planing or sawing (question seems to be whether it is UV related, i do know leaving it outside for a few hours brings the color back).

Anyways, I am planning on finishing this chest with Watco Natural Danish Oil, and am not sure how to go about finishing the purple heart. I can mask off and use oil based poly, will this help keep it purple? I will test, but am assuming the Danish Oil is not going to be good idea to apply to purple heart.

This chest will be in a bedroom, at times exposed to indirect light, but is not next to a window, and I am trying to keep the purple from turning brown.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

Steve S.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

To preserve the color of purpleheart I would treat it with Sun Block sold by Kwick Klean. It's a sun screen for wood. Then instead of danish oil I would use precatalyzed lacquer. The discoloration of purpleheart is caused by air and UV light which danish oil wouldn't stop.


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## Steve S. (Jul 11, 2014)

Thanks,
I found it on kwcikkeen.com web site for $13 bucks. Do you know if oil based wipe on Poly would work over the top of this? I have several quarts (couldn't get in gallons) that I am most likely going to apply over the Watco Danish oil on the Oak and would like to use over the sun block as well if it would work. I am not a huge lacquer fan...too many times, even several coats doesn't build well, and high use areas rub off the lacquer. Plus, I don't have the spray set up that would make it easier. So maybe Sun Block and oil based wipe on poly?


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

Yes, you can use poly, but as Steve pointed out, a precat is the way to go most of the time on furniture. I would even go as far as applying 3 coats of acrylic lacquer to give you clarity of the wood. But if you don't have the proper spray equipment, than I understand your need for poly. Good luck!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Steve S. said:


> Thanks,
> I found it on kwcikkeen.com web site for $13 bucks. Do you know if oil based wipe on Poly would work over the top of this? I have several quarts (couldn't get in gallons) that I am most likely going to apply over the Watco Danish oil on the Oak and would like to use over the sun block as well if it would work. I am not a huge lacquer fan...too many times, even several coats doesn't build well, and high use areas rub off the lacquer. Plus, I don't have the spray set up that would make it easier. So maybe Sun Block and oil based wipe on poly?


The wipe on poly could be used however your frame is light colored wood. Oil based finishes tend to have some initial yellowing and continue to yellow as they age and really shows up on light wood. If this piece of furniture is going in a sunny location probably in 5 years the finish will be pretty yellow. If this is objectionable there is a water based wipe on poly available you could use which would remain clear. It's a pain to work with and would take more coats but might be a better choice for your project.

If you use the water based poly I would omit the Danish oil. With water based finishes you need to wait a week or more for the linseed oil in it to dry or it causes adhesion problems.


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

Yeah, thats why I suggested acrylic lacquer. :thumbsup:

Minwax makes a polycrylic water based topcoat that works really well too.......it also comes in spray cans and is what I used on my cornhole boards.


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## Steve S. (Jul 11, 2014)

Well, it seems like first step is to coat purple heart with the sun block. I will order tonight. I have built two sacrificial complete rail/stile panel setups just to test finishes. My first test will be to coat oak with three coats of Danish Oil using a previously posted method of wet sanding second and third coats with 400 then 600 wet/dry sandpaper and apply nothing but the sun block on the purple heart veneer and hardwood. I'll wait a week and apply several coats of oil based wipe on poly over both the Danish Oil finished Oak (will leave one with just the Danish Oil) and the sun block treated purple heart and see what it looks like. 

This is going in a bedroom that sees very little sunlight as it is rarely used during the day, and the shutters are typically drawn.

Btw, going to be trying the CA Titebond Instant Adhesive (thick) for first time to install the purple heart mitered molding framing the panels as there is no way to clamp.

Also have a mortised old fashioned style lock to install, and am in process of building some, for me, fairly intricate pedestal style legs that require, cutting cove on table saw with angled fences, planing, preliminary cut on band saw, drill press drum sanders, and actually gluing up, using hide glue for later removal, two pieces for the sole purpose of clamping the two mitered, splined, halves together.

Been an interesting project.


Thanks for all the help.

Steve


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