Purpleheart timber offers vibrant purple hues, outstanding durability, and excellent workability, ideal for furniture, flooring, and decorative woodturning.

Purpleheart Timber – Vibrant and Durable Exotic Hardwood

Overview

Purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.) is a striking hardwood native to Central and South America. It is famous for its rich purple color, which deepens to darker shades with exposure to sunlight. This exotic timber combines vibrant beauty with exceptional strength and durability.

Colour and Appearance

Fresh Purpleheart wood starts as a dull grayish-purple but soon transforms into a bright, deep purple. Over time, it darkens further to rich maroon, chocolate-purple, or almost black tones if exposed to UV light. Finishes with UV protection can preserve its vivid color longer. The grain varies from straight to wavy or irregular, with a fine to medium texture.

Properties and Performance

Purpleheart is dense, weighing around 800 kg/m³, and extremely hard with a Janka rating near 2,520 lbf (11,190 N). It resists decay, insects, and moisture, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor uses. This wood holds up well against wear, dents, and fungal attacks due to its natural oils. Its tight grain allows precise machining and finishing.

Ideal Applications

This hardwood is perfect for furniture, flooring, decking, musical instruments, cabinetry, and decorative veneers. Its stunning color and durability make it popular in high-traffic areas and demanding outdoor environments.

Working Characteristics

Purpleheart sands and finishes smoothly but requires sharp tools due to its hardness and density. It can have a straight or irregular grain, which sometimes challenges cutting. It stains well and polishes beautifully to enhance its natural luster. Proper UV-protective finishes extend color life.

Woodturning Qualities

Purpleheart holds detailed shapes well and polishes to a smooth, glossy finish. Its bold purple hues add vibrancy to turned bowls, pens, and ornamental objects. Its toughness ensures durable, long-lasting craftsmanship despite its hardness.

Quality You Can Trust

Hand-selected for quality and reliability, our timber offers excellent value for your woodworking projects. Now available for online ordering.

If you require any further information regarding this species, sizing, availability or more, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly and our staff will be happy to help.

Contact:
Drop by our showroom at 15 Railway Road North, Mulgrave, NSW, 2756 today.
Please inquire further for more information regarding supply, sizing and pricing via our contact email: sales@trendtimbers.com.au
See our Online Range by clicking the link below:
https://trendtimbers.com.au/product-category/timber/